Customer Reviews

Garmin eTrex Vista H Handheld GPS Navigator

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this GPS unit to prepare for a Garmin GPS class I was asked to teach. I own several GPS units and I am a GPS/GIS professional focussing on training and consulting. I usually restrict my GPS usage to professional grade mapping equipment (Trimble, specifically) but I recently branched off into the world of recreational GPS to expand my training offerings. I've used the eTrex series GPS before and this Vista H unit is another nice addition to the line-up. Let me say that if I were buying an eTrex to use as my sole GPS unit, then I definitely would have opted for the color screen (Vista HC or HCx). The color screen adds a lot more bang for the buck.

Garmin has done a good job with these little units. The Vista is small, light-weight, and quick to respond. The new high-senstivity (that's what the 'H' stands for) receiver locks onto satellites very quickly. The internal compass and altimeter work very well and are easy to calibrate and turn on/off. On the negative side, something I find to be true for all of the eTrex models is that the operating system a bit clumsy to learn and I usually need to spend a good 5 minutes re-orienting myself to it when I use the eTrex in the field. I find that the buttons on the unit are not intuitivey laid out so it is hard to remember which one does what. Once I'm in the flow of using the eTrex, however, I can navigate through the pages/settings fairly easily -- it just requires those first few minutes of reaquainting myself each time. I would definitely recommend a bit of training before you use the unit -- especially if you plan to collect tracks. A common problem that Garmin users have is that their track log shows a long, continuous line on the map that connects -- with a straight line -- your new location to your last one. This can leave a long straight line on your map if, for example, you used the unit in Phoenix on your last hike and are now starting it up in Los Angeles. It's all about managing the track log.

The unit costs under $200 which is a great price. I like that I can collect points and lines (waypoints and tracks) that I can then add to Google Earth (directly) or to ArcGIS. The workflow for adding to ArcGIS is a bit convoluted as the GPS file format has to be converted first and that requires third-party tools. There are many of them out there, it's just a matter of trying them out and finding what works for you.

As a GIS professional, I find the Garmin model of buying base map data unuseful. The eTrex comes with a very basic base map. If you want more detail (topo maps, for example) then you must purchase these from Garmin. The base map you buy is only good for 1 GPS unit. So if you own multiple eTrex, for example, you must purchase the same data multiple times. In the world of GIS, once you acquire data -- such as topo base maps -- then it is yours to use as you want. With Garmin, you are not free to load your own data onto the GPS unit.

For the sake of comparison, I usually use my Trimble Juno SB unit for GPS hiking. This unit costs more (starting at $750) but it offers a professional workflow. This is not something that is important to most hikers, but it can make a world of difference to those using GPS for search and rescue, fire management, etc. The Juno is designed to collect GIS-ready GPS data which means you can collect points, lines, and polygons as well as attributes then export the data directly to shapefiles. Best of all, you can load your own data onto it -- imagery, existing shapefiles, CAD, and other file formats. The unit might cost more initially, but you are free to load whatever data you can acquire onto it and it allows you to quickly bring your GPS data into a GIS without having to manually enter attributes. You get to collect all of your user-defined attributes in the field while logging your GPS positions.

I would definitely recommend this unit as a basic mapping GPS unit though I would suggest spending a bit more to get the color screen. Also, if this is your first foray into GPS, invest in some basic training -- it will save you a lot of frustration and help you get the most out of your GPS unit. You can usually find a half-day Garmin training class by searching around the state parks and community college non-credit programs -- there are also online training courses you can find by doing a Google search.

Happy trails!
www.GeoMattix.com

Being new to GPS, I was excited to see what all I could do with this thing and how to make it do it. Unfortunately, the instruction manual is very vague. Many of the menu features are not even listed and the functions are not explained. It's basically, "to get to here, press this button". How about some examples? If you already are familiar with GPS, I suppose this would be fine, but it has been countless hours of experimentation to figure out some of the funtions.

Also, the basemap that comes with this is very basic - just major roads. There are also limited maps that you can purchase for this, and in fact I don't think the Garmin site accurately lists all that are available (I would think that the Vista H would support all the maps the Vista supports, but the site says no). Expect to pay $120 for a map disk. I'm thinking the 100K topo map would be the best since it shows detailed streets and items of interest in parks. It's pretty lame as a topo map though from the demo on the Garmin site.

This GPS, although I haven't had a ton of time on it, has already made a positive impact on me. I would absolutely suggest this one to a friend; in fact, I already have. The only thing that kind of bums me out is navigating through the menus. This could be operator error, but I find myself backtracking a lot. It's fast and pretty accurate, but start up takes a minute. The geocaching function is excellent, the fishing and hunting is cool, and the backlight is easily readable. Some people complain about the backlight not staying on long enough, but if you press any button it lights back up and that's fine for me.
I had a bit of a scare with it within the first hour of use... Operator error, of course. I had it in the front pocket of a backpack while riding my quad. I did a wheelie, looped out, and fell right on my back. There were several other items in the backpack, plus both me and the quad landed right on it. This thing made it through almost unscathed. Just a scratch on the body, other than that, no blemishes. I was in love right then and there.

This is the same system used by SOF Soldiers for years. I have used mine in too many countrys to count (4 continents) and has saved my bu## more than once. I agree the base map is not perfect, however it is significantly better with either the terrain download or world map (free to SOF on intranet(not internet)). This system will take a beating and last for days of hard use by using lithium batteries. In a pinch, I paid $250 to replace a lost one back in the day and it was worth every penny!

I'm a very casual GPS user. I just use it to record tracks when I'm hiking so I can geocode my photos later. So, keep in mind I'm not the most knowledgable user. I've used an eTrex Legend for a few years and I've found it's accuracy and sensitivity aren't that great under trees and in mountainous terrain, which is exactly where I'm using it. I haven't tested it extensively, but the eTrex Vista H is a lot faster from a cold start and is more accurate (at least walking in my neighborhood). My old Legend only had a serial connecter which took a lot longer to upload info to the computer using a serial-USB adapter. The Vista comes with USB and is much faster (I'm on a Mac and use GPSbabel). The basemap on the Vista stinks (but I think it does on all the handhelds). It's not easy to use, but there's a lot going on so there is a huge learning curve. The menus are so tiny that they're hard to read. It's a very good idea to spend some time familiarizing yourself with this before you intend to use it. Having said all that, I still give it 4 stars.

When I decided to upgrade, I couldn't find any specifications on sensitivity for the handhelds, other than some were "high sensitivity." Here are the specs from the etrex Vista H manual:

Acquisition Time (approximately)

Hot start - 3 seconds
Warm start - 33 seconds
Cold start - 39 seconds

Compass +/- 5 degrees
Resolution +/- 1 degree, user calibrated

Altimeter:
Accuracy +/- 10 ft
Resolution 1 ft, user calibrated

Accuracy
GPS < 33 ft (10m) 95% typical
(subject to accuracy degradation under US DOD)

DGPS 10ft (3.3m) 95% typical
(WAAS accuracy in North America)

Hope this helps.

Garmin makes this talk garmin brand is very good and not the signal is lost between paths enclosed by forests and buildings, I live in Venezuela and took him with me whenever I go hiking, beach, the Gran Sabana in order to output all my walk, I highly recommend as well as the seller

Recently purchased this handheld GPS; also purchased the case (sold separately). Got a great price at Amazon and am very satisfied with my purchase, easy to carry on long treks.

This is a great device, I purchased it to meassure distances, specially to use the elevation profile that this product offers. I am attempting to use it on forensics cases applied to large-open spaces in crime scenes. I Highly recommend you this Handheld GPS.