I have used my eTrex Vista for over 200 miles of geocaching now. I really like everything about this product except the compass. In order for the compass and direction finder to be accurate, you must hold the eTrex perfectly level. This can be very annoying, especially when walking or on a slope. And folks, the direction finder is a very important feature of any GPSr--you might say it is the reason you get a GPSr. If I get another GPS unit, it will be a Magellan brand with a 3-axis compass. You can hold those at an angle and the compass is still accurate. If you bike a lot, get the Garmin handlebar adapter--turns your eTrex into the world's greatest bike computer!

Another reviewer here said it best: don't let the misleading negative reviews of this product prevent you from taking a good look at the Garmin eTrex Vista. (Honestly, what are some of these people wanting to do with a GPS device? Fix a waypoint on a specific part of a cow patty in a farmer's field somewhere?)This is the first GPS handheld I've purchased after carefully reviewing other models from other brands at a local store with true "hands on" comparisons. I thought the Garmin products were by far the most intuitive and user-friendly of the GPS handhelds I played with. Great features and an excellent value for the money. (...)Looking at the less expensive eTrex Legend and the Vista and wondering which to buy? Well, the Legend is great but it lacks the Vista's electromagneticcompass or air-pressure altitude indicator if that is important to you. It also has much less memory capacity (8MB) for storing detailed Mapsource maps.I have loaded my Vista with topo maps from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont and it took up all 24MB of memory (of course, it really is a lot of detail we're talking about here). I would think that the memory capacity of the Legend could be a significant limitation if you are looking at getting into extra topo or metro guide maps. If you have no use for extra maps or an electromagneticcompass and altimeter, then the Legend might be the way to go.Personally, I think the Vista represents a better overall value for the dollar.Ignore the naysayers and compare the GPS units for yourself. I'm very happy with the Vista and would have made the same purchase if I had to do it all over again.

Well, prior to us deploying to Afghanistan, some of us got issued these Garmin ETrex Vista GPS's. After six months, it's still going stong. It's a rugged little piece of kit. It can get satellites almost anywhere in any weather. Our old(not to mention bulky) PLGR's could never get the accuracy that these things get: I'm talking about 4-5 meters within the grid that is being shown. Battery life is good at roughly 24hrs on a set of AA's. That's with the compass off though. Turn that feature on and you can watch the battery meter go down. My only other complaint is that it takes a little while to get booted up from turning it on to getting a grid to me, a minute can feel like a lifetime when your at the optempo of a combat zone. All in all, great thing to have as a soldier. It's easy to use, accurate as hell, and tough enough to survive stomping through the mountains of central Asia. Good work Garmin.

When I got the unit it kept shutting off for no reason. I'm sure it was a fluke but it was frustrating. I was going to exchange it and it realized that for an extra $50 I could get the Vista C, which is color, has a USB cable, and is an all around better unit. The regular Vista comes with a serial port cable and I don't have serial ports so I would have needed a $40 cable. I'm glad I went with the Vista C instead.

I have had my etrex vista for three years now. The reception is extremely poor in any wooded area. Even if I could get reception, if there is sun light you can not read the display. If there is a clearing it works fine. Otherwise, it loses the signal and is not useful. Also, it have sent back to garmin twice, once within Warranty and the same issue the screen failed 6 months later. The cost out of warranty was 3/4 of a new garmin. I have found reading other people's reviews this is a common problem. In summary, save your money and buy another brand with a better antenna.

I am in the mlitary and the use of this GPS was solely in a field environment. I orginally purchased this product when I went to the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, CA. As a tank commander, I used it only when I was dismounted. There is no external antenna attachment so it was obviously useless inside the tank, even with the hatch open. A buddy of mine had a magellan in a Bradley and his worked and my Garmin did not. The next test was in Iraq. I deployed with 2/2 ACR out of Fort Polk, LA. All we had was HMMWVs so I thought the Garmin would work great. To much disappointment, the etrex would not get a signal in the HMMWV unless I had it propped up in the window. Fortunately, I had a plugger and FBCB2 so it really wasn't that big of a deal. The most usefulness was for marking UXO cluster bombs that had not exploded in civilian areas. I would mark the spot with a 10 digit coordinate and pass it on to the engineers. After about 6 months in the Iraq heat and extreme weather conditions, my screen started messing up. It had all these lines and I had to squeeze the sides so the screen would come into view again. It was very frustrating. I would not recommend this version for military personnel traveling in vehicles or needing something that is rugged.

It has everything in. Barometer, altimeter, compass.....I would have delightfully rated it 5 stars, but the only problem I had with my vista is that it eats out batteries very fast, despite of its built-in settings for different types of batteries. I use it exclusively for snowmobiling and it works great (especially if you had a 12V outlet in your sled, which I don't). If you're looking for a GPS loaded with features, get the vista. But i prefer using third party software to communicate with it. Garmin Mapsource is a wate of money. I got a version which simply wanted me to call Garmin support everytime I tried to chage description of a track.

I bought this GPS over a year ago and have been pleased with it's performance in a variety of conditions. I've used it in conjunction with the Mapsource US Topographic maps for Hiking, Hunting, and finding my way through Boston's confusing streets. I've used it in 30-100 degree weather, in the Adirondack mountains in the rain, and just for saving locations of places I visit.Combined with the topo software, the Vista makes planning and getting to a destination easy. The detail on the unit and the number of features is fantastic. The 24 MB's has been adequate for all my uses to date. I enjoy the accuracy, backlight, click stick and it being weatherproof more than anything else. Battery life is decent and I find it quite user friendly. Be sure to check out all the available accessories.After purchase, go to [website] to upgrade to the latest firmware.

Recommendation: I'd buy this if you want this particular combination of features. But to get the features there are large compromises in performance.
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br /In this review, I will mention the Gecko 201, Quest, and Vista C. These are other units made by Garmin. I own a 201 and a Quest (early version) but have not yet used the other unit or the later Quest's.
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br /Driving: When placing it on the dash I am forced to compromise between seeing the display and aiming the antenna outside of the car for reception, since the antenna is in the body of the unit. The effect depends on the design of the car (how big the windows are, I would guess.) On the Quest, the antenna flips up and it does not have this problem. Sunlight reflecting off the front face of the unit into the driver's eyes is sometimes a problem, and aiming to unit to fix this can compromise reception and/or readability. The battery life is short enough that I find a car plug necessary (at additional cost). However, the battery life can be extended by disabling features. It is not able to find automobile routes, such as the Vista C or Quest can do. I find that when I compare the cost of a Vista (plus maps and plug) with, say, a Quest (where these are included), they are pretty much the same. So I would not get a Vista if the only planned use was extensive route finding while driving. The Quest is a much better solution.
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br /Hiking: I live in California. Here there are grassy hills to tree covered hills. I find that my main area of concern is finding my location when in the trees since in other areas I can navigate with a map (the GPS does not rule out needing a map, even with the topo map CDs) and my eyes. I have been comparing the reception of the Vista with my Gecko 201, and find that the 201 gets noticably stronger signals. This results in the 201 getting faster, better positions, and getting positions where the Vista will not, such as in moderate tree cover, which is where I'd really want a position. I find that e-compass and e-altimeter do not outweigh the fact I cannot get a position lock. So if your only planned use is hiking, I'd get something with better reception, and a Silva "Ranger" style compass.
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br /I am finding that when I switch on/off the compass feature (to save battery life, the compass is a noticable drain) the software in the unit crashes and it shuts off. A pain, but not a fatal one.
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br /However, all the preceeding being said, if you want a single unit that can get you to a park, then navigate around the park, and back to the car, this unit is cheaper that two separate GPS units for each aplication. And it nicely fits into a pocket for hiking. I also hear that geocachers like them since they need to get close to the cache in the car, and then take the unit out of the car to find the cache. I could see this unit being nice in that application.

The eTrex Vista is easy to understand and use. I used the Vista recently on a hunting trip in Kodiak Alaska. The terrain was rugged and the weather cold and damp. The Vista operated flawlessly. Although on numerous ocassions, forest cover prevented satellite reception, I was able to get my bearings in the few clear areas and pieced together tracks that gave me the confidence of knowing my position and returning to the cabin.

ProsA very simple prouduct to use and understand. Most new GPS users that I show it too pick it up right away. The base map is excellent! I find that with these "Personal Use" GPS units if you mark a spot or waypoint it will never be completely accurate when you come back to it, however I notice that if I walk off a predetermined unit of length, like a football field it is dead accurate. ConI have used the Garmin Topo maps and upload the various local topos to my unit, but come on, compared with a standard USGS topographical map or the TOPO software it just doesn't compare. So in a perfect world (in which you had lots of money) you could buy both the Garmin TOPO map and the National Geographic Topo Map.I hate to admit but I know use it as the worlds most expensive bike computer. I use it on both my road bike and mountain bike and it certainly is rugged. You just cannot go wrong with this product.

This is a great unit overall, but the rubber bumper around the edge of the unit is a real problem for those of us who live in the Southwest. It appears that exposure to the sun and heat causes the adhesive to disintegrate. I have had my unit since April 2004 and in just over two years, it had to be repaired twice for the same problem. I have spoken with a local Garmin dealer who confirmed that other Vistas (and similar models) have this chronic problem. Neither the dealer nor the Garmin can offer any solution but to send it in and pay for out-of-warranty repair of $125. They have no recommendation for adhesives. I have written to Garmin and have not received a response. I think this is a serious design flaw that Garmin has failed to address.

This is a nice unit with a very crisp, high resolution display and a good interface given its compact size. The case and the controls seem very sturdy. I chose it over the competing Magellan models for these reasons.The 24 Mb of memory is more than enough to store an entire metropolitan area; in fact, I generally can fit about two metro areas. Transfer rates are slow via the serial interface and the MapSource software is a little clunky, but adequate.The software features are comprehensive. I have owned the unit for about 6 months and am still discovering new features and shortcuts.Unfortunately, I can only give the product 2 stars overall. This is because the one thing the unit does not do well is receive GPS signals. Given the fact that it is allegedly a "GPS receiver", this is a major shortcoming. I had hoped to use the unit as a sophisticated pedometer / navigation device for outdoor running, and as a cheap nav system in my car. My experience has been that it will not receive signals in the car unless held pressed to the glass, or better yet, outside a window which is down. It also does not seem to receive signals when in its carrying case, making it useless except when carried in the hand. It will not receive signals when under trees, near buildings, or under cloudy skies. In order to use it, I generally need to take it in my hand, walk around slowly with my arm upraised in the clearest area I can find, and wait 1-2 minutes to get a satellite lock.The unit is nice overall, with many features over the competing Magellan models. However, without the ability to receive GPS signals reliably, it might as well be a paper weight.

I purchased the Garmin eTrex Vista for general hiking, biking and geocaching. I had never used a GPS system before, and I had no trouble getting started. It is very intuitive and easy to use. The map that comes with it is very basic (not a lot of neighborhood streets), but it is a great start until you can buy additional software. We purchased a neoprene case to keep it safe from nicks and a bicycle mount. We've found the compass to be very helpful for navigating, and the altimeter is really fun to have. We have had no trouble using it in the car on road trips. It can track fairly well...even sitting on the passenger seat. It is really neat on road trips because it gives you your current speed and average speed information, plus the elevation from the altimeter is great when driving through the mountains. In tems of the geocaching, it takes a little time to enter the waypoints, but we found it did a great job leading us to them. When you activate the use of the satellites with the higher numbers the accuracy has been as good as 8 feet so far.

I have had this unit for just under a year. So far it has worked fairly well. Several reviews complain about poor sat reception and that it doesnt even work in the car.
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br /I have been able to get good reception in the car, as accurate as 6 feet (when laying on the dash). While on my knee it stayed within 15-20 feet. Even in my house, away from the window i get spotty reception. I have not tried it under trees yet.
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br /The features are awsome. all the data collection when laying a track is great.
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br /I have also read in a few reviews that the unit will turn off for no reason. I have experienced this twice. When i turn it back on it goes back to what it was doing before shutdown (i was laying a trail). Not sure why this occurred but it is a bit annoying
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br /This unit was a gift so i didnt get to do research and make my own choice. Had i had that oppt. i probably would have either bought this one or more than likely the 60CS. [...]
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br /I go backpacking annually in SW Colorado and this was the only reason i was given this. I had no intensions to use the unit for street navigation. But I have played around with it. It seems to work ok but it certainly wasnt designed for street applications.
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br /Once i start doing so geocaching and packing with it, testing it under different environments and coverage, i plan to update this review.
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br /Until then i would have to say i have been please with the unit.

We had Garmin Etrex Legends issued to us prior to departing for Operation Iraqi Freedom and these were life savers. Literally. These worked just as well as the expensive and clunky army PLGRs and they were more intuitive. Using the mapsource software we were able to load up operational graphics onto our Garmins which we used throughout combat. I loved it so much I shelled out the money to buy my own. The only downside is this thing devours batteries and the display can be tough to read from a distance, but I think its small size more than makes up for it.

I love this unit, i have had it for 2 years now and have had very few issues. It is accurate and screen clear when looking closely gives great detail. I would however recommend spending the extra money on the color version, especially if you are mounting to a car, bike or motorcycle, makes quick reading much easier.
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br /Few Minor Complaints:
br /-batteries dont hold snug and cause unit to shut off sometimes.
br /-no usb cable with this unit (parallel port is SLOW)
br /-monocrome screen hard to read quickly
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br /I totally recommend this product.

I've had my Vista for several years now, and find it invaluable for hiking, driving, and touring foreign countries. I usually download the MapSource maps for whichever area of the US or Europe I'm going to, and it's saved me many a wrong turn! It works surprisingly well in urban environments, and I use it to navigate cities on foot. 24 meg of memory can store a lot of maps; I can easily fit all of the Metroguide New England states info in it.The battery lifetime is good, but not as good as some other units. Turning off the magnetic compass helps considerably.I do find the screen a little hard to read sometimes, but it crams a lot of information into a small space. All in all, it's a very nice unit, and I wouldn't be without mine.

I bought this for when we go trail riding on our ATVs. Although I have used GPS systems before, I am new to the eTrex. I rated it so low for a number of reasons.
br /The Compass is useless, unless you hold it at the exact required angle it will not read correctly. While this might work if you are hiking, it is not going to work on an ATV.
br /The supplied Map Software is useless. I could not even find my own street! It lacks detail, it lacks road names, it lacks place names, it is totally lacking and a waste of time.
br /The GPS itself is very sensitive to location/environment. It barely works on the second floor of our house. It barely works in our car. It works well when outside with a clear view of the sky.
br /I was unable to set any useable waypoints using the eTrex itself but did manage to set a couple using the supplied software.
br /The only function that I liked and that seemed to work well is the Trip Computer.
br /Overall, very very disappointing considering Garmin's reputation. I will be returning it and will try something else.
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I've always used Garmin's, I've owned the II+ since it first came out and messed around with the 12XL IV. Back in 2003 I bit the bullet and went for the vista because I thought it would be cool to "see" the map on the screen. Well after three years of use I've found that I'd rather know where I am than see graphics on the screen. I still use the vista but not for hiking or 4WDing, signal lock under trees is just not good enough. I'm going to get another Garmin because I'm so familiar with the interface but I've learnt my lesson, I'll get a model which accepts an external aerial. Your experiences may differ.

I've used my Vista 5 or 6 times and it's been pretty pampered. Unlike some other reviews, I found its menus and controls fairly intuitive once I messed around with them a little bit. Then, just as I decided to start using this for some real geocaching instead of simply day hiking, the screen flipped out and failed. Now I often just get a bunch of lines across the screens, and there is "noise" on the screen even when I can see what I'm supposed to. The internal parts seem to be working, but the LCD failed very quickly (I've had this about 2 years, but with minimal use).
br /So, hopefully they'll fix the issue, since I see the same complaint from othes.

I have really enjoyed my Garmin eTrex . now as I am driving I do not have to say- Iwonder what our altitude is ? or I wonder if we are going north ? now all I have to do is look at my eTrex and the answer is there . It is really fun to be driving along and my pasenger will say WOW this little unit tells our speed , the direction we are going , how many miles we have driven and how far we have to go The altimeter is within 20 or so feet which is close enough while you are driving.

If you want a GPS unit for backpacking, this one (or the newer color version) has among the best feature sets. Downloadable maps, an altimeter, an electronic compass, etc. It's a Cadillac, unless you step up from the eTrex line to something beautiful but horrendously expensive like the GPSMAP 76CSx (super duper Cadillac). However, a few things need to be kept in mind.
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br /Few backpackers should need a GPS receiver at all. A map ought to get most people down the trail just fine. A paper map, not the expensive, propriety software 1:100,000 scale topo maps you can pay extra for to put on this unit (its built-in maps are of major roads, cities, etc.) But if you wear the newest Patagonia, have spring-loaded trekking poles, etc., you'd best get this expensive doo dad (and Garmin does overprice all their gear), so you'll be fashionable outdoors. Otherwise, think before buying any GPS receiver. Apart from geocaching, I don't see much use for hiking with GPS. If you rely on GPS to get you around, you'll learn it's entirely insufficient as a substitute for good land navigation skills. Learn to read a topo map, and figure out where to go without assuming your batteries will last on a device that shows you only where you are and where you want to go, but not what's in between. The one and only reason I got this is for off trail use, primarily as an emergency backup to make it easier get back to camp (and I got a deal on it, or I wouldn't have bought it). This GPS isn't anything I rely on for my safety, since it--like most GPS receivers--won't maintain a satellite lock in most of the forests and canyons I visit. In hindsight, if I were going to buy a GPS receiver again I'd probably just get the cheapest one out there, since there isn't much practical use for a backpacking GPS receiver apart from showing where you are in relation to a particular waypoint (of course, if I could afford a Rino for each family member...).
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br /The altimeter, of course, is barometric, so air pressure changes will affect it even if you're staying in one place. That's not a defect, it's just the way things work. Better than trying to get altitude accuracy from the satellites (GPS receivers are good at latitude and longitude, not altitude, which is why this unit has a barometric altimeter).
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br /You shouldn't need the electronic compass, because you should always have a real one. Real ones don't die when the batteries do. And the electronic compass uses more power when it's on.
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br /With those caveats in mind, this unit does about what you'd expect and want, with one exception: as people have said, it sometimes shuts off unexpectedly. This is not, as a recent reviewer guessed, a fluke with his own unit. It's a common problem with Garmin's eTrex receivers, generally attributed to poor battery contacts, but there was also a software glitch that contributes (Garmin claims they fixed it). It'll restart, but it shouldn't even happen occasionally.

This is my first GPS unit so I'm not sure how good others are. I've had it for 4 years now. I originally got it for backcountry skiing and mountaineering. Big problem is I live in the north west and the unit performs poorly under trees. It eventually gets a signal but you have to hang about, so I just use it to get waypoints, then turn it off.
br /I've used it on a bicycle after buying the bicycle mount accessory - works great. Used it in the car with no problems.
br /Last couple of years used a lot in sea kayaking. I bought the wallet for it, so that I can clip it onto the life jacket. No problems with leaks yet even though it has been completely immersed a number of times.
br /Good all round gps, doesn't work so well in woods. A color screen would be a worthwhile upgrade - the vista C.

I started with the Etrex summit. Liked it and progressed to Vista. I have beeen using this for over 2 years now. Cons:1. warm up can be frustratingly long esp. in the city with tall buildings.2. Reception can be very bad in city areas. (perhaps this unit was never meant for city use) Becomes grossly inaccurate.3. After 6 mths of use had problems with the unit. It would become inaccurate very often starts to track and continues to point in the wrong direction until I switch off and on again and then it will track again. 4. When I get near my destination the pointer will start to point inaccurately even I'm in the open sky .5. Sent the unit in for repairs and came back saying nothing was wrong with it.6. Display would auto switch off for no reason.Pros:1. Was in Mt Fuji once got lost and the Vista brought me out. I guess this alone would have been worth it.2. Used it for driving in NZ,Japan,Hawaii,Malaysia .Was not always reliable but always aided me trememdously.

I was in a personal trip outside the US and I got amazed by the amount of information I could read on this little and not that expensive GPS. I was in Venezuela, near a little town called Tabay (bet you cannot find it in the map) and the GPS was able to locate it and give me precise information of my location, altitude and distances/location to each city around me. I also zoomed on the world map and it clearly displyed the mayor routs on it. Amazing! The only thing they can improve on it is if you want to use it for driving navigation (distances to each city is linear, not driving) and the communication with the computer (that is why I gave it a 4 and not a 5). Highly recommended for outdoor adventure.

This is an excellent little GPS receiver. The screen resolution is quite good for a device this small. It has 24mb of memory built-in which is good. I use it mostly for outdoor sports and geocaching. The only thing I would change is to have the option of calculating altitude by GPS data or the electronic altimiter. It seems to do altimiter only.

The only big gripe I have about the Vista is the fact that the reception really sucks. With a few trees around or inside a car, away from the windows, you can forget about reception. I also have the GPS 12 wich is much older and has less features, but it acquires the satelites ten times faster and is able to keep a lock on them even in heavy wooded areas and downtown NYC - The Vista loses reception way before that.

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).
br /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.

I specifically ordered this unit because of the built-in compass. This electronic compass allows you to stand in one place and get true readings as opposed to other models that require movement to accuratly track your location and display directions to waypoints.
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Garmin eTrex Vista Handheld GPS
br /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.
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br /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.
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br /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.
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br /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.
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the vista is good, but in trees it looses reception fast, and not in that thick of trees, My old Garmin gps-12 eat batteries, but it never lost satelite reception, but the vista is great in open country

The display is dim hard to see/read. Back light is not very bright. Tried replacing batteries (twice) still no improvement in the display. Returned the unit one day after receiving.

The eTrex was picked based on cost. My work changed in a way that it required that a gps receiver. Only need it to mark and record latitude and longitude. It was easy to use and the manual was understandable.

After some research, I found Etrex Vista as a very nice GPS unit. I was looking for something with a compass, altimeter, and also with a built-in area calculation feature. I was happy with this product, but it started to fail. The problem is that it simply turns off, no matter you are walking, cycling, or just stopped at a window. I tried several pairs of different rechargeable batteries and it kept turning off by itself.
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br /My test procedure was the following: get a fully charged battery set, put it inside Vista, turn it on. Wait for some hours. After that, take a lot at Vista, if it is dead, turn it on again and check the batteries charge. If you have more than half, the Vista died too early. The batteries would have enough charge to keep it running for more several hours, and it usually did (as in these cases I turned it on again and it work for more several hours). I have repeated this procedure several times, replacing the batteries every time it really gets depleted, and it failed to me over 10 times (on partially charged batteries). Sometimes it runs smooth until the batteries are really depleted. Sometimes it just dies with one hour or two.
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br /I got a replacement and it failed the same way, but this time my patience was out and I returned the replacement after "just" three sudden deaths. I think I can not even imagine to hike with this unit and have to check if it is tracking my path (turned on) every moment.
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br /Other people say that you can add some extra aluminum to the batteries connectors, but I don't think I should have to patch a brand new unit. Also, as it dies even when stopped at my window (without any bumps), I think that adding aluminum to the batteries compartment would not solve the problem.
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br /However, the features are very nice. And it works sometimes. I did not find any another unit with all those features in the $100-$200 range. By the end, I bought another unit, simpler, cheaper, and reliable. But it does not do everything I would like it to.

I had a Magellan SporTrak Map GPS before I got my Garmin eTrex Vista. I bought the Garmin because I needed an additional GPS as my two sons were constantly using my SporTrak for geocaching, and I always like to keep a GPS in my car for those times when I need a quick detour, or need help getting somewhere and I don't want to miss the turns. I had read in a number of reviews that the Garmin units were more feature-rich than the corresponding similarly priced Magellan units, so decided to get an eTrex for my car, and let the kids keep my Magellan.
br /Here's what I found. The features are good, 24MB of map memory compared to my Magellan's 6MB. The waypoint siteline (the line it draws between you and your destination) properly moves *with* you, instead of the Magellan's wacky fixed siteline that stays put from the moment you set a waypoint destination. Good screens, I like the fact that you can customize it so that the satellite accuracy in feet can be displayed on both the map and the navigation pointer screens (good for geocaching).
br /But as it turns out, this unit is completely inappropriate for use in a car. The screen is too small for use in a car, the light is way too dim, and the redraw is *way* too slow. If you scroll the screen a bit just to find out what roads are up ahead, you will wait 8 seconds (sometimes longer) just for it to repaint! The only way to avoid this long repaint time is to zoom out so that not as many detailed roads are displayed, but then that defeats the whole purpose, since you then can't see the smaller roads that you're interested in.
br /The items that this unit falls short on compared to my Magellan SporTrak Map are:
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br /-Incredibly dim light, not very useful unless your eyes are 3 inches from screen
br /-No audible beep feature
br /-Very slow repainting
br /-Very clumsy panning (slow to move the cursor, and once you move off screen it repaints, causing a long wait).
br /-Small screen
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br /In order to get the detailed maps, you still need to buy the MapSource software. I got the MapSource Metro Guide USA, it has detailed roadmaps for all of US.
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br /The features of this unit that are superior to Magellen SporTrak:
br /-Waypoint siteline moves with you
br /-Shows satellite accuracy in feet
br /-Much more space for maps (24MB)
br /-Built-in compass, keeps you oriented even when you're not moving
br /-Longer battery life (12 hrs)
br /-Small, fits well in pocket
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br /All in all, a good unit, but not useful for driving when you need *quick* response in order to avoid taking your eyes off the road for too long. For geocaching and hiking, I think this is a very good unit.
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This is a very nice piece of kit, but getting a bit long in the tooth. It did exactly what I wanted it to do, until I saw the Vista Cx. Sold my Vista to my dad and bought the Cx - well worth the extra money for the extra usability. All the annoyances on the old Vista model are fixed on the Cx:
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br /* Greyscale LCD with feeble backlight compared to a color, daylight readable LCD - the brighter it is, the sharper it gets.
br /* Long, thin LCD c/f the squarer one on the Cx
br /* RS232 serial port vs USB port, which also powers the unit
br /* Map redraws are slow - faster CPU on the Cx
br /* No autorouting on the Vista - it's on the Cx, but you need the right maps
br /* No sounds on the Vista for route change reminders - Cx goes 'beep' in a variety of ways.

My Husband I use Garmin eTrex Vista GPS device for Geocaching and we love it. (Learn more about Geocaching at [...]).
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br /We been using this device regularly for 3 and a half months and have found it to be reliable and easy to use. This is the first GPS device we've ever used and found it easy to learn how to use it.
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br /This device is small, light weight, and has an easy to read screen. Garmin eTrex Vista GPS device has a long battery life and easy to use control buttons. This device receives good reception-- must be used outdoors! No reception inside buildings.
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br /Very minor complaints not really worth mentioning.

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.

I own 3 GPS receivers and I will say Garmin did an excellent job. The receiver is much more sensitive to satellite signals than my other GPSs. Just don't expect too much from this small unit with tiny screen and very slow CPU for screen refresh. It will drive you nuts to use it for street navigation. It is suitable for back trailing in the mountains. For street navigate, I strongly suggest that you hook this unit up with a laptop but make sure that GPS is set to NMEA and the software GPS setting is also correct. Conclusion, don't street navigate with this unit alone and don't buy a no brand GPS under $90 because you will not be happy with the reception. pEddy

I bought this unit a couple of years ago based on its features, but soon discovered that it can't normally do the one thing that all GPSs should, tell you where you are. I used my e-Trex Vista for about a year and half and would estimate that I spent 10% to 15% of the time staring at some type of lost signal message. The unit is totally useless under any type of tree cover and often has trouble holding a signal anywhere on overcast days, which means about half the time in the Seattle area where I live. I would not recommend this unit to anyone but my worst enemy.

Just used my new Vista for the first time this weekend in the Rockies, where you can easily need a working/accurate GPS.
br /The system gave me weak signal notes almost all weekend. I was just a mile or two off HWY 24? Not many trees. Even lower quality further in the mountains just west of Pikes Peak? Ok, I have been around, I will try to figure if it is me, but I have used GPS before and this does not seem right.
br /Luckily, I always terrain navigate with 1:24K maps I produce from Natl Geo, so a non-functioning GPS is not a big deal, just thought it could help. Hey, maybe I do not need a GPS?? For about $0.40 I can print my own maps.

Found this unit when I was looking for a power cord for a cheaper unit I bought at Wal-Mart. This one had more features and memory (24 MB v 8 MB) for about $20 more.
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br /Battery life is above what I expected and the screen is adequate for use in a moving vehicle.
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br /If you want to use it for any type of serious navigation though, you will have to purchase the MapSource add-on maps. Transferring them via the serial port is S-L-O-W.

I use it as a logger to record my flights. It's small, reliable, with enough memory for recording flight log, including altitude information.
br /The two AA batteries supply enough power for several flights.
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br /I am very happy with the product.

I just bought a Garmin Etrex Vista, which is my first GPS and will be mainly use for mountain biking. I bought the handlebar mount as well. I am very satisfied with this product. The only thing I dislike, which is not properly of the device itself, is that is dificult to find maps for Mexico. Other than that this device is the best in cost/benefit.

We loved the Garmin and it helped us locate 4 caches on the first day we used it with our 10-year old grandson.
br /My negative - the numbers are too small and hard to read. If I bought it again, I would get a diferent version.
br /Check you age and your eyesight when you order the product. If you can read the telephone book in dim light you are almost OK with this model.

Anyone who has read "Longitude" would understand that owning this device 500 years ago would have allowed one to rule the entire planet--without exaggeration. This toy is also important today, and I personally use it for navigating the NY Harbor. A few key points: 1) In the two months I have owned the device I figured out how to calculate my estimated time of arrival to the Varizzano Narrows Bridge from the Liberty Landing Marina (a 7 mile journey) with only a 1 minute error while sailing downwind in a steady 10 to 20 knot breeze. 2) Outside, I have never had any reception difficulties. 3) The batteries last a long time 4) Charting your speed in real time allows you to get a better feel for the sailing capabilities of your boat in different conditions. 5) The device saves the path you just traveled on the map, allowing you to critique your selection of tacks and navigating prowess. A few key points about what the device lacks. 1) Tide prediction information 2) Software for your pc so you can "hotsync" your handheld data to your pc. I think most if not all these options are available for the Vista, but they add hundreds of dollars to the overall cost.

I think that this receiver holds up to its promise and is a very helpful tool when navigating outdoors. I have used it on the desert and on the Baja peninsula mountains and performed pretty well. There is only one thing missing, this receiver does not warn you when you are about to lose reception (I could've used some kind of "beeping" noise) and neither warns you when you've lost complete reception. This is a very serious complication when you're traveling under heavy vegetation (pine trees) or under rain, when your complete attention is absorbed by the surroundings and where to make your next move, if you are tracing a new route through an unknown path this can be really scary. Other than that it performs extremely well and for the price offered by amazon is an exceptional buy. Just one thing that I recommend is that you remember to keep track of your satellite reception, since this receiver will not notify you.

Being a member of the service, it is crucial that I know where I am in the world. I decided to purchase the Garmin eTrex Vista after much consideration of other handhelds on the market. It is one of only a couple in the $200 price range with a build in electronic compass, so you don't need to move around to get a bearing (a big plus when you're trying to sit tight, like hunting). Setting waypoints is easy, and changing pages on the fly is just a button punch away. The compact size is also a bonus (smaller than my digital camera). Along with a variable contrast display and backlight, it's even easy to read at night. Finally, the Amazon price was about $50 below MSRP. All in all, a great purchase.

I bought the eTrex really wanting to love it but I didn't. I will try to not rehash everything the other reviewers have said but I will state the issues that I had.
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br /The screen scratched easily and its small (not sure if it was just a plastic cover but its messed up right in the middle)
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br /It was hard to get connected and had issues with cloud cover.
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br /With all the funtionality it just wasnt that functional. The book was thick the buttons were confusing.
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br /I still have it but I dont really use it and that is a shame because I know Garmin makes good products but this user just wasnt happy. I will recommend the name but not the product.

I've had my Vista for a year and a half now. I use it every day, whether it's on my commute to and from work or just a trip to the store. Easy one-handed operation is a key feature. Works equally well in the cold or the heat. Wouldn't trade it for anything.

Well priced worked very well the first two times we used it. Easy to figure out, even my kids used it.

This product did exactly what we needed and provided the data that we needed. Be prepared to click around a lot. Options are not as obvious as other GPS units, but the satellite view while streaming data to the computer were exactly the features we needed.

The eTrex Vista Garmin is a nice instrument, an elemental GPS and should be more usefull if we may have a software of certified maps for Colombia,S.A. unfortunatelly those are not available.

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

This expensive (for gps units) includes the PC Cable but DOES NOT include the ability to comunicate with your PC. After waiting 17 minutes for customer service I was told that I had to purchase a $29 software to be able to download my waypoints to my computer. I don't need extra maps - I only want to download my waypoints.In the waypoint view - over half of the display is the flag symbol and the co-ordinates are so small as to be practically useless in the field.This is my fifth Garmin product and in the past have been happy with the performance. I give this a 1 as it is little better than a $99 unit.

I had this GPS device for only 3 days and found it to be no better than mediocre.
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br /Although at one point I was able to track 6 WAAS satellites and the display claimed accuracy to 17 feet, while driving along a straight road for 5.5 miles, it indicated that I was traveling approximately 350 feet to the side of the road. On two occasions on this straight road, it said I actually crossed the road and traveled on the opposite side.
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br /I conducted a test by placing the unit where it would have an unobstructed view of the sky for 1 hour and leave it motionless. The trip computer reported that it had moved nearly a quarter-mile during that hour. I checked the accuracy at 15-minute intervals and it was constantly reporting accuracy between 12-24 feet.
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br /The base maps are crude and inaccurate - a major 4-lane road (Hwy 7) in Tacoma, WA stops at 38th street. Really?!? If I drive down Hwy 7, it goes a couple of miles farther than the unit shows.
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br /While using the compass you must hold the unit level in order to obtain accurate readings - understandable. There is even a little message that tells you to hold it level if you are off a little - nice. I tried and tried to find "level" according to the unit and after about 3 or 4 minutes was able to determine where "level" was. It was nowhere close to actual level. Now, if I am trying to navigate with the unit's compass while it is mounted to my bike, there is no way it is going to be level and accurate.
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br /At 5.3 ounces, it doesn't even pass off as a good paperweight.
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br /Fortunately I was able to return it to the seller with no problems for a full refund (Thank you REI!). I found out that Wal-Mart.com sells the unit for 50 bucks less than REI after I bought it though.
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br /Recommendation: If you need a paperweight, get a rock - if you need a GPS, get a different one.
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I purchased the Vista a number of years back. I have found that it is one of the most important part of my gear. It is easy to use, even my 6 year old duaghter loves it. I always have it with me. Updates are easly downloaded and installed. There has been great impovments in the undates each time. I have had no problems with the unit. It has handled the cold and the heat very well. I have never tested it in water yet, but that look like it will come up soon. I have used it for driving accross country, climbing, caving, hicking, biking, and would not go any were with out it.

I've been from Canada to Wyoming, walking the ground and in the air. The Vista is the best. From loading maps, to tracking and trips, it works like a champ.

This is my first GPS and I really thought it would perform better. The signal acquisition was poor unless clear sky was found and the boot up took way too long. The screen is really too small to be very useful however when used with TOPO Metro-guide a lot of information is available. Maybe I still need to work with it but the GPS location shows on the Satellite screen not on the Map page so you need to switch between the two. the Altimeter is based on air pressure but can be calibrated based on GPS... Why not just use the GPS altimeter unless GPS is off. As for the Compass, forget it if any Iron is around (Car, train, ship...)
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br /I purchased this for an Alaska trip and was less than thrilled. On the Plane I needed to hold it to the window and only occasionally got a lock, on a train I needed to be outside and on our cruise ship it only worked on the top deck. a full 360 degrees view of the sky was needed... It lost signal when in a valley if there were tall mountains around. But It did work on the Jeep dashboard contrary to other reports. Maybe they have metallic windshield tint that causes a block signal. (Most GMs, Lexis, saturn, saab, etc.)
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br /But it did go everywhere as it fits into a pocket.

I purchased the Garmin eTrex Vista for grouse hunting in Michigan. It constantly lost signal which made my route very hard to see. I would not recommend this GPS. I have a four year old Garmin that works much better.

As you can see I purchased this on 08/14/2006. My problem is a couple days ago while using this GPS a blue streak apperded about 1/2" x 2". It still works but I can`t read the screen so what good is it? What can you do about it. Please reply or foward to customer service to correct the problem. Thank You James D Rang Jr

Garmin's devices are pretty good. Somewhat tempermental, but mostly reliable. It's connecting their software and dealing with Garmin support that is a nightmare. And, you will need to call them because their software has all kinds of bugs and an archaic key system. Customer service hold time: 30-35 minues. Response time for email tech requests: a staggering 5-7 working days. Clearly Garmin does not care about its customers.

I ordered this GPS unit for a trip out west to several National Parks. I also ordered the very expensive National Parks West maps from Garmin. I downloaded the maps for several of the parks I was to visit, so that I would get detailed trail maps once I got there. Once at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, I went to use my eTrex Vista with the "detailed" map and all I got was a rough location of the city I was near. Clearly the detailed map did not download properly, or when I entered map info for one park it overwrote the information I downloaded for other parks. The only park listed was the last park I downloaded and I never ended up going to that park, so my purchase was a complete waste of money. If you are completely incapable of reading a map, perhaps this unit can be of use to you driving down the road, of course it barely receives a signal from within a car, you have to get out and hold the unit if there are any trees or buildings around. The screen is also too small and not in color, and the batteries don't last long enough. I have stock in Garmin, so I suppose I should not bad mouth them too much, but if I could return this unit to Amazon, I would.

I like my garmin Etrex Vista. It's easy to use, seems sturdy and reliable.MAJOR DISADVANTAGES: 1) The only way to connect this unit to a computer is via an RS232 interface (old technology). I purchased a non-Garmin USB-RS232 converter cable but haven't been able to make it work; 2) There is no way to connect the unit to a 110 volt source (read batteries). I jury rigged this by purchasing a cable that connects the unit to a car cigarette lighter (also has an RS232 connection) AND purchasing a converter ($5.96) that converts 110 to 12 volt with a cigarette lighter output. It works.

Availabilty was listed as "Seller: Office Depot Usually ships within 1-2 business days." Wrong, on back order from Garmin. Plus this doesn't come from Office Depot, instead it comes from TechDepot, can't return it to Office Depot, guess you cant return it to Amazon either. So who am I really buying it from anyway. Very disappointed in Amazon and have never had a problem with them before. They need to carefully re-evaluate their strategy of representing other companies on Amazon.com site since they can't guarentee the service from these other companies. Well off to REI to get it I suppose.

What can I say that nobody hasn't... Amazon is the way to shop in the internet!