Garmin eTrex Vista Handheld GPS

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List Price: $299.99

Our Price: $147.38

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Availability:

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Features:

WAAS enabled

Compass provides bearing information while user is standing still

Altimeter determines precise altitude & provides a graphic profile of user's trip

Contains 24 MB internal memory for storing detailed map data

Package Includes: eTrex Vista, Marine Point Database, Basemap, PC interface cable, Wrist strap, User's guide, Quick reference guide

Product Description

The Garmin eTrex Vista GPS receiver adds a barometric altimeter, electronic compass, the same base map as in Garmin's III+ and eMap models, and 24 MB of memory to Garmin's popular eTrex model. The altimeter displays your altitude and provides a graphic profile of your trip, while the compass provides bearing information. Housed in a silver case, this powerful 12-parallel-channel GPS receiver weighs only 5.3 ounces and measures 4.4 inches high by 2 inches wide. It literally fits in the palm of your hand. The king of the hill for memory and features, the Vista has it all and the memory to learn more. If you like the eTrex Summit, but want a lot more of everything that's useful, the Vista is second to none.

The eTrex Vista's 24 MB of memory enables you to store more types of data--from topographical maps to roadside points of interest such as campgrounds, restaurants, and hotels--with a single download from Garmin's series of MapSource CD-ROMs (sold separately). These include MetroGuide USA, U.S. Waterways and Lights, and U.S. Topography.

The built-in Americas base map displays cities, interstate highways, and U.S. exit information for North, South, and Central America. Address and business listings are displayed with data downloads. Additionally, it provides marine points of interest for lakes, rivers, and coastlines.

The eTrex Vista has a front-panel rocker switch that allows for quick and accurate map panning. You can view maps on a liquid-crystal display with a resolution of 288 by 160 pixels. The eTrex Vista is waterproof to an IPX7 standard, so it can take an accidental splash or dunk in the water and still continue to perform.

Even while operating in forest conditions, the eTrex Vista will continue to maintain a tight satellite lock. The unit can store up to 500 user waypoints with graphic icons and boasts Garmin's own TracBack feature, which will reverse your track log and help you navigate your way back home. In addition, the eTrex Vista uses animated graphics that help you identify your marked waypoints quickly and easily.

Garmin makes some of the accessories to help you integrate your GPS with your life and your priorities. Keep your GPS at the ready while protecting it from knocks and bumps with the carrying case. If you'll be on the road, you'll want to have access to the most detailed topographical maps of the United States available: the Garmin MapSource USA TOPO CD-ROM. And don't let the product's many abilities overwhelm you--train yourself in all the eTrex's ins and outs with a handy instructional video.

The Garmin eTrex Vista comes with a PC interface cable, manual, and quick reference card. It is covered by a one-year warranty.

Spotlight Customer Reviews:

Customer Rating:

Summary:

Garmin Etrex Vista

Comment:

Garmin eTrex Vista Handheld GPS
Bought it for a road bicycle, and I love it! Bought it with the bicycle mount. Received it and started using it the same day. It has a million features, so it takes a bit of reading to setup all the options. Oh...you have to buy MapSource to fully utilize the unit. I tried the cheaper method of uploading and downloading to the unit. Could not get to work with Google Earth Plus, I did get to work with other 3rd party software. But I finally coughed up the $100 bucks (almost as much as the unit) and bought MapSource North America.

Now I was cooking was gas! Uploading, downloading, mapping, graphing, analyzing my ride. It is incredible all the information that can be gleamed from the interface with MapSource.

Now that I have used it for a bit, I love it even more. You can plan routes, or not. Use the tracks you created, later. The graphing on the altimeter is wild! The maps are incredibly detailed. I could go on and on about all the features, for the price this unit is the BOMB.

I had a sneaky suspicion that I might need to buy the software. So I chose the Vista. However, I am so pleased with the unit that I wish I had bought the colored more sensitive(GPS wise) higher end model.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Too simple
Comment: It is a good receiver, but its operational system is too simple and slow to use. But for the price, it worths.

Customer Rating:

Summary: Great Value for Family Geocaching
Comment: Well priced & worked very well the first two times we used it. Easy to figure out, even my kids used it.

Customer Rating:

Summary:

US Marines

Comment:

This is my second Garmin product in 8 years. It will be the third deployment with a Garmin since September 11th. It has been used to report our position to higher to launch airstikes and receive supporting fire with 81mm mortars. Another plus is the digital compass which gives direction without the interference from metal. Garmin GPS products rock and are very user friendly. My only change would be to make the display for the MGRS a little bigger. I will always have a Garmin by my side and look forward to using it again this March.

Customer Rating:

Summary:

Geocaching use

Comment:

I'm not an expert on GPS units, and other reviewers probably are, so I'm just reviewing how I found its use while geocaching (the reason I wanted it). Currently the geocaching website has a feature where you can add a cache straight to your GPS when its plugged into your computer. The data cord to do this is included with this GPS. I used it right away, easy learning curve, no problems (you had to download a browser plugin at the geocaching website).
Creating routes and entering/naming waypoints by hand is easy too. The one thing that disappointed me was I couldn't load additional detailed city maps for it. They don't exist for this unit, from what I could tell at the Garmin website. The accuracy seemed pretty good. Some problems with tree cover, but nothing abnormal.