I drove my wife crazy spending several weeks worth of nights researching which GPS to buy for my upcoming elk hunting trip in Colorado. After reading several reviews on Amazon about Magellan and Garmin, I decided to focus on Garmin, especially after my old Magellan stopped locking on.

The price of the Venture Cx immediately jumped out at me. As did one of the Amazon reviews about buying the Venture instead of the Legend Cx. So I started comparing features of the various units on Garmin's website. Should I go with the Legend or Vista or Venture, or spend another $200+ on a top of the line GPSMap 60CSx? I soon realized the Venture Cx had ALL of the features of the 60CSx except an altimter, compass and the new top of the line SIRF II chipset/receiver. So I figured I would buy the Venture Cx and try it out hunting in the dark timber and deep canyons of the West Elk Wilderness, and if I kept losing the signal I would return it and upgrade to the expensive 60CSx.

Well, needless to say, I am back from my week long hunt and was blown away that the unit never lost a signal in the deepest of dark timber, and I mean deep! Sometimes it would jump around a bit as you walked, but it always corrected itself in a second or two and never lost the signal. Before I left I bought a 512MB micro SD card for $15, the US Topo for $75 from Amazon, loaded the maps for the area I would be hunting, and I always knew where I was and even what road I was quading on. My other friends all had GPS's but not the mapping kind. They were also blown away by the mapping accuracy and how quickly the unit would start up and acquire a position, even in the dark forest. I kept the unit on most of the time as I hunted so it would leave my track in case I wanted to back track, and I still have 2 of 3 bars on my rechargeable NiHM batteries after 7 days.

So, bottom line, if you want an incredibly feature rich, mapping GPS, don't waste your money on the more expensive Legend or Vista Cx, nor the top of the line GPS Map60 CSx. Go with the bright easy to find yellow Venture Cx, buy your own USB cable (or use the one that came with your digital camera like I did) and buy a higher capacity Micro SD card (the Legend Cx only comes with 64MB), buy the US Topo from Amazon and you are rockin and rollin for geocaching, hunting/hiking in deep dark timber, and turn by turn navigating around your home city and the USA.

This is a great unit, the whole GPS thing is better than sliced bread. That said, the base maps with this unit suck. That may not be fair if you only use major highways or for hiking but I was very unimpressed. I had access to City Navigator v8 since I have the Garmin GPS 18 set up on my laptop (my first GPS) and used for major auto trips. I purchased a 2 GB microSD (they can be had for south of $25) and loaded the entire USA on about 83% so IMHO getting the more expensive eTrex with the (tiny) microSD Card and data cable is a waste (if you have a digital camera you probably have the needed data cable). Battery life is unbelievable about 30 hours on 2 AA and for $10 one can find a car plug. A small unit like this won't give you verbal directions, it does beep to let you know that "something" is up but to be honest in a car you can hardly hear it. I've not really used it outdoors much for other than to track just how far I walk (workout) and tried (found) a Geocache for grins. A $14 motorcycle mount works very well on my bike Sportster 883XL (stock handlebars) and you do NOT replace the back of the unit, just add the clip that comes with the eTrex. That "new" back that comes with the bike clip won't even fit a Cx unit due to the microSD card and it's not waterproof, toss it.
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br /I don't need a GPS daily, if I'm going on a major car drive I'll set up my GPS 18. This unit the eTrex (Venture Cx) is my handy dandy quick grab and it's a compromise but can be used for the car, my bike or on foot. My wife and I recently had to go to a family thing in NC I'd never really been there, so this was my first real use of this unit and I was impressed. Prior to leaving using my computer (camera data cable) and my Garmin Mapsource I located the hotel, event location, and the house we needed to go to. I should have input the Airport (could have done it there but just didn't think about it) but the unit bailed me out (more on that later). It does take the unit a bit to "log on and lock" maybe a minute or two so it's not a big deal. Once locked on I lit up the hotel waypoint and the little unit took us there. I just held it (or handed it to my wife) and although a small screen it gave me the next turn, distance all the things a GPS is suppose to do. Later my wife found a restaurant and when I hit the find button with POI there it was and off we went, no muss no fuss. On another occassion we went out to another restaruant with a local who rode with us and took us in such away as only a local can. Dinner done we wanted to go back to our hotel and since his wife met us there we were going to be on our own, it was dark and we were clueless as to where we were. Not a problem, lit up the GPS and on our way, made a wrong turn at the start and missed a turn in a dark rural area but the unit just recalculated and took us on in. My wife who hates all these gadget but clearly does not want to be lost was impressed. On the way back to the Airport was a bit off only because I did not create a waypoint. Using the "find" button it kept finding the closest one which was not the one I wanted. Not a real problem, I got on the highway headed towards the right airport and about 10 miles out hit the find button, went to transport and there was a list of Car Rental places, even better. Found my rental office and the unit took me in the front gate. So I have to say this unit has the potential to be great but as I started out the base maps suck. It's not a perfect car/camp/bike GPS but it "can" do all those things well plus slip in your pocket. Since I already owned the map and could install it to the micrSD card that was a good thing, if I had to pay an extra $125 for a decent map, well that's another. I hope to return to Europe for a bit of an adventure but a decent map of Europe is like $225 from Garmin, nice to have but a bit steep for a few weeks travel. It's not quite as bad a buying printer for $30 then having to get ink for $300 someone should start a Map Library, seems if you can rent a movie why not a map. "Help Me Will Robinson"

I purchased the Garmin Venture Cx specifically for geocaching. I had originally purchased the Garmin Legend Cx, but quickly realized that the price difference does not add up. The Legend Cx is essentially the same unit with a 64MB microSD card, a mini USB cable, and the Waypoint Manager CD. You can currently find 1GB microSD cards for under twenty dollars, most digital cameras come with a mini USB cable (I use the cable from my Blackberry phone), and the Waypoint Manager software is not really required (if you purchase maps later the software is included). Also, depending on the application, there are plenty of shareware programs that do a fair job of transferring data to your GPS. Also, I like the fact that the Venture Cx is yellow, as it is much harder to lose if you set it down while hiking. In my opinion, the only trade up for the Venture Cx is the GPSMap 60Csx.
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br /The Venture Cx has excellent accuracy, the only improvement being the 60x/76x line with SiRF technology. I occasionally get some settling issues in heavy tree cover or when close to tall buildings, but this is OK since geocaching in Austin, Texas, is much different than in other regions.
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br /I loaded City Navigator v8 on my GPS after some frustration with geocaching in San Antonio (mostly not knowing which streets to turn down) and have been pleasantly surprised with the autorouting capabilities of the unit. If I make a wrong turn it will calculate a corrected route. The unit beeps when I get within 0.1 miles of a turn, then beeps twice when the turn is within 100 feet. Incredibly handy!
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br /At first I was hesitant to purchase a Garmin based on the navigation button layout, since Magellan moved their buttons to the front of the unit and the buttons are clearly labeled. However, after trying out an Explorist 400, I realized the Garmin is right for me. It really comes down to a preference in interfaces. The Garmin seems more like the icon-based systems I am used to, whereas the Magellan is more folder based (Windows versus DOS is the only way I can describe it). This is not to be rude to the Magellan, as it is a fine unit as well, just different.
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br /The Venture Cx is also the lowest priced GPS unit with a color screen. This is a very attractive addition once you add maps to the unit. Color lines help delineate roads from rivers, and really help differentiate waypoint icons (restaurants, banks, hospitals, geocaches, etc.).
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br /The only thing missing is an electronic compass and barometric altimeter. These features are included in the Vista Cx. However, if you are going to make the jump to the Vista, you may as well get the GPSMap 60Csx or 76Csx.

I read every review I could find on this product before buying it. I guess I should have heeded the "doesn't work well in canyons or in heavily forested areas" ones. Most of my hiking is around the Pacific NorthWest. Somehow I thought that I was only hiking in not-so-heavily forested areas. Apparently I was wrong. Even on the top of a smallish mountain, the highest point for miles around, I didn't get a strong enough signal for the GPS to locate me. I could see that it was getting a signal from about 6 satellites, but they weren't strong enough to do anything with.
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br /So if you hike in the forest, don't expect this to be able to keep track of your location. My electronic breadcrumb trail was non-existent.
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br /Also, Garmin's products are among the LEAST Macintosh-friendly GPS units out there.
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br /Otherwise, everything else worked as advertised. But if I buy another GPS unit, it would probably be the 60Cx which has the better receiver.
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br /The other problem I had was that the first unit that I bought (directly from Amazon, not some other retailer or used seller) had been opened and used. It was covered with pocket lint, was missing the screen-protector sticker, and the screen was covered in fingerprints. I also ordered the memory card that Amazon suggested I buy. Bad idea! It told me to buy a MiniSD card, but it should have been a MICROSD card. That's entirely my fault for not double-checking, but still, Amazon shouldn't have suggested it. That card was direct from Amazon and was supposed to be new, but had been cut open and used.
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br /Luckily, Amazon customer service sent me a replacement for both immediately! I was happy about that, but not so happy when I opened the new shipment and realized that the Venture they sent me was even MORE used than the first one! The memory card had also been used.

The Venture CX is a great mapping GPS. I used it on a trip to Peru and Bolivia (including an 8 day trek through the Andes), and I have no complaints.
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br /Note that it has the same hardware as the other Garmin CX models, lacking just a few things that are all unimportant or easily worked around. Compared to the Legend CX and/or Vista CX, the Venture CX is *lacking* the following:
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br / - Electronic compass. This is only needed if you're standing still; otherwise, the Venture CX figures out which way you're facing by which direction you're heading.
br / - Barometric altimeter. The Venture CX can still determine your altitude from the GPS signals. It might be less accurate than a barometric altimeter, but I didn't notice any horribly inaccurate readings during my trek through the Andes, which ranged from about 5000 to 13,500 feet.
br / - 64MB MicroSD card. Getting a separate 1GB MicroSD card is about ten dollars these days, and 64MB is fairly small for storing things like topo maps, anyway.
br / - USB cable. It uses a standard mini USB plug, so I just used the cable that came with my digital camera.
br / - MapSource software. Several different free applications (including Google Earth) can be used to move data to or from the GPS. Garmin's MapSource software might be nice, but it's not necessary for most things.
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br /The unit itself is great.
br / - Its battery life is excellent: I routinely got four or more days (~7-8 hours a day) of track recording out of a pair of alkaline AA cells.
br / - Fine reception. On an 8-day trek, I only lost the signal a few times, total, never for more than a few minutes, and usually in extremely steep canyons. I was carrying it in a cargo pocket on my pants, which isn't the best place for signal strength, anyway.
br / - The screen was clear and bright; it is transreflective, so there is no need for the backlight at all during the day. At night the lowest backlight setting was perfectly adequate, which helps the battery life.
br / - Lots of useful built-in features. It is my first GPS, so I can't compare it to others in this regard, but I enjoyed things like the "trip odometer," which records time moving and stopped separately, giving average speeds for each, along with lots of other data. That was great for keeping track of our pace while hiking.
br / - And the most important to me, though a bit esoteric, was the ability for me to load custom-made topographic maps. The process is fairly involved, requiring many different applications (all free downloads), but if you're up for it, know that it is possible to download digital elevation data (produced by NASA) for almost any region on Earth, produce a high-quality topographic map, and upload it to this GPS. You can't even buy topo maps for most of the world for this unit, so being able to make and use them for free is a great feature in my opinion.

My first GPS and I have had no problems at all. Bought primarily for geocaching, but working well for car navigation as well. Able to get out caching right from the box. Still have more to learn, but has been a great first GPS.

Just arrived yesterday and this is only an intro review, but I was surprised that this 200buck device doesn't come with the USB cable needed to connect it to your PC. It uses a fairly standard mini-usb connector that you can buy at a gadget store but annoying that this is the case. Be sure to get a cable when you buy if you want to upload maps and create waypoints.

It also bears mentioning that the device comes with absolutely no software on CD at all. You get a very basic world map built into the device and that's it for maps. Any additional maps must be bought from garmin and cost 80-100bucks each.

This model uses microSD memory cards which is a nice upgrade from previous models. There's now really no limit to how much map info you can store in the device if you buy a large capacity microSD card.

I like the device, but Garmin is really nickle and diming the consumer of its products. For the cost, there should be a USB cable in the box. Maps should cost no more than 50bucks tops.

Our unit was purchased to replace a 3+ year old Garmin Geko 201 for Geocaching. The Geko was great, but the tiny screen was "shrinking" due to my middle-aged eyesight. Also, it was getting very tiresome manually entering caches into the unit.
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br /I considered the cheaper Garmin Legend, but found the display less readable than the Geko. Also, it came with a serial cable, not USB, so I would have had to buy an adapter or an expensive cable(s) to get it interfaced with my notebook.
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br /A word on interfacing with a computer: Be prepared to work a bit to accomplish this. The USB cable that came with my Sony digital camera worked fine. However, the USB drivers from Garmin's website DID NOT automatically install and set things up. I had to run the driver install executable, locate the drivers, then manually run XP hardware install wizard and point to the drivers. Not too bad if you are experienced, but might be a challenge if you aren't a "techie." I then setup and configured "EasyGPS" to interface with the unit and be able to load the .loc files from Geocaching.com, and we were off to the races. This was SO much easier/faster than entering coords by hand!
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br /The unit performed well in our field tests. The color screen was a bit harder to read than the Geko in bright sunlight. Also, I found the unit would "flip-flop" the display when I was standing still. No big deal, just start moving and it settles down. Has many useful Geocaching specific features.
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br /Overall, I'm satisfied with the build quality and features.

You cant ask for more at this price, and its got all the features you really need, and leaves out what you dont. (like baro pressure...who cares!)
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br /Note, to use the handle bar mount you MUST use the supplied clip that comes with the unit. The battery cover that comes witht he handle bar mount will not fit, and thats why they include the clip/adapter.

A friend excitedly told me about geocaching and I pursue other activities where a gps would be handy. I'd been on-the-fence regarding the purchase of a gps for some time as I'm old-school and not very "techie". However, a couple of my buddies assured me that "even" I could do it, so I took the plunge. Before purchasing, I visited a local outdoor store and REI hoping to glean some wisdom or at least knowledge to fill the abyss of ignorance. I read the posts on this site and narrowed the choice to the Legend cx or the Venture cx. Finally, I even called the Garmin 800 number and talked with somebody there regarding the differences between the 2 models. I chose the Venture cx for the following reasons:
br / 1.Price - I just don't need all the whi$tles and bell$ of some of the $$$$ units that may be used in aircraft, with LORAN, etc.
br / 2.Color screen - a big plus in various lighting conditions and with most maps.
br / 3.Features - this unit does all that I think most (recreational, soft-core) users would ever need. If you need something more, then get the necessary unit.
br / 4.Physical size color - fits easily in pockets and the yellow is a good color if you need to go looking for it. Waterproof, but does not float.
br / 5.User friendly - I say that with hesitation as early in my ownership I wanted to run it over with the car. I told my buddies and they weren't surprised as they know my phobia for any device where a button must be used for more than "on-off". However, after calming myself over a few days and sitting undistubed with the owner's manual (and websites), my daughter and I today found 3 geocaches. My buddy gave me a topomap cd and I even downloaded that and I feel I can use the installed data for its intended purpose. There IS a learning curve, but if you sit and push buttons long enough, the fog begins to clear. Even so, there are parts of the menus I haven't sampled and I plan to take the next series of classes offered by REI (just missed the last classes).
br / 6.Apparently same as the Legend cx for fewer $$ - BUT, as others have said, this model does not come with a memory disc or the usb cable. I bought a storage mimi-disk when I ordered the gps knowing I would need one, and my digital camera cord works just fine to connect to the computer. I believe Legend cx purchasers would be buyin larger memories for their units to replace the stock one, anyway, so the only difference between the 2 is the inclusion of the cord with the Legend cx.
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br /I gave it 4 stars because of the cost of the supporting software, lack of at least one of the things that comes with a Legend cx, and lack of flotation.
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br /This thing amazes me (which my buddies say is not hard to do). It does so many things, and I haven't installed the City Navigator map which permits it to do even more. I 've had it about 4 days now and I don't want to run over it anymore. Unless you absolutely NEED something more, this gps should satisfy/please anyone looking for a reasonably priced, compact, useable gps.

When I ordered this product Amazon.com said it would take several weeks, because I got free shipping. I received it in two or three days! When it arrived my wife said, "That is awfully small!" I said I wanted it small, because it would be easier to carry. I am not disappointed. This is a powerful little GPSr and it has proven to be an excellent choice for geocaching. The battery life is great and the screen is crystal clear. I haven't even purchased the mircoSD card yet, but have been able to go geocaching with no problems. It takes me within 10 to 20 feet of each cache. What fun. By the way Amazon.com had the best price over anyone else including the GPS store, Ebay, TigerGPS, and Target.com. With the free shipping deal I saved a bunch of money.
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I had previously purchased a Magellan Explorist Handheld GPS and mapping software as a bundle. Within hours of opening the box I came to realize that there was no way that the Magellan GPS was going to make use of the mapping software. Fortunately that GPS unit was stolen prompting me to buy the Garmin eTrex Venture along with the North American mapping software and a 2 GB micro sd card from sandisk. It all worked flawlessly right out of the box. The microcard fit into a SD card adapter. I loaded the map software onto my laptop and plugged the SD card into my laptop and downloaded maps of areas of interest. I removed the micro SD card from the adapter and plugged it into the GPS unit and it actually worked to show detailed maps and points of interest (e.g. gas stations, restaurants, etc). On the road the unit worked just like a car nav system to direct you from point A to point B. I couldn't be happier.

Pretty slick little unit although without some downloadable maps that I found, it would be pretty worthless. The built in base map does not have much detail. I specifically bought it for off roading and the TOPO maps are not locked so they work beautifully.

I recently purchased this GPS to use mainly on my bicycle, as I tend to get lost fairly easily. :) I also own the much more expensive Garmin 60CSx which is my primary unit for geocaching, hiking, and using in the car. I've probably been spoiled by my 60CSx, which gets excellent signal even in my basement (!) and locates satellites very quickly.
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br /I've found that the Venture CX will only locate satellites outdoors, which to be fair is where they are intended to be used. But even in my car I have to hold the unit out the window and pointing upward to get a satellite fix upon turning the unit on. And even on beautiful clear days with no obstructions whatsoever the unit sometimes takes minutes to get a fix, whereas my 60 CSx takes far less than a single minute.
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br /As with other Garmins, the base map is virtually worthless unless all your traveling will be on major roadways. Fortunately for me, the Venture CX uses the same maps as my other unit, which was actually a major consideration before I purchased it. Garmin will give you a second unlock code free of charge for an additional unit, so I didn't incur an additional cost. I have issues with their software, but that's in another review. :) Oh, and you can easily match your unit to compatible software on Garmin's website.
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br /I love the USB connectivity. I had almost bought a different unit until I saw that it used the far less convenient serial connector. Does anybody use those anymore?
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br /I found the accuracy reasonable, but not outstanding. I seem to be off by about ten to twenty feet approaching intersections, which is okay if I'm paying attention. Occasionally the unit doesn't beep to alert me of an impending turn, and I haven't figured out why yet. It may be that I'm taking two turns too close together.
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br /Battery life is outstanding. The unit seems to be very well made and durable, and it fits nicely in my hand. The 'joystick' is somewhat awkward to operate with my fumbling thumbs.
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br /As another reviewer noted, if you buy the handlebar mount, do not attempt to replace the existing battery cover with the one that comes with the mount. It isn't waterproof, and doesn't fit anyway. Simple screw the clip to the back of the unit and slide it into the mount.
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br /Overall the unit works well enough for what I purchased it for, as long as I use it within its limits. It's probably fine for geocaching and hiking as well, but if you are looking for a automobile navigator I would look at one of the higher end handhelds with better sensitivity, or at a model made to be in a car. My review probably sounds somewhat negative, but I don't mean it to be. For the price, this model will fit the needs of many people who don't need a lot of bells and whistles.
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This unit is basically the Vista without the memory card, compass, and barometric altimeter. The last two I thought I could live without and the micro SD memory I thought I could shop for one later. The maps out of the box are decent for navigating the trail, but don't expect to do very well navigating roadways without the City maps. I found that if you're hiking in mountainous areas you tend to lose signal in the valleys and when you lose line-of-site with the satallites, ie. big mountain in the way. The battery life is really good - I toyed with this thing for days before the battery died on me. There are some good websites for downloading waypoints to natural land forms - water falls, caves, arches, etc. This is a good all around GPS for the price with the ability to upgrade some.

The Garmin eTrex Venture Cx has variously been described as a stripped unit, or as a GPS for someone who wants just the basics. In truth, it is a Legend Cx in a different color. It's perfect for someone who already has Garmin software and a USB cable. No memory card comes with it, but the Legend Cx only comes with a 64Mb card, and virtually everyone will want a much larger card, so why pay for the small card to begin with. Bottom line is that the Venture Cx is a flat out bargain, just about the best "do-all" GPS unit for someone who needs power and portability.

I got this with a gift cert for Christmas, so that made it even more affordable than it is now! This has been everything I needed at a great price. I have been using it mostly for geocaching and also some navigation. I picked up an older copy of Metroguide 4, which doesn't require unlock codes, off ebay pretty cheap so I have alot of side roads that have been around longer than 5 or 6 years or so... I got the window suction mount from RAM so its right up there on the dash and the audible indicators and arrow icons work well enough for me to get where I'm going. The unit is reasonably visible up near the dash with the right sunlight, but I usually keep the backlight on. I am able to plug it into my cigarette lighter with my RAZR cell car charger since it has the USB connector. Accuracy is usually within 10 to 20 feet which is typical and I also manage to keep a signal in light to moderate tree cover.
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br /If you are considering some of the higher models for the eTrex, don't bother... pick this up and get a 1 GB micro SD card for around $25 and use your camera usb cable and your good to go! I would certainly get this again... thanks Garmin and Amazon!

Just received the eTrex Venture Cx from Amazon a few days ago. Very satisfied. The device is light and rugged, the holding perfect, and user interface intuitive. The battery life is advertised as 32 hours, and so far the claim seems valid.

I intend to use it as a hiking GPS and occasionally an auto navigation GPS. My first GPS, still working, is Garmin iQue 3600. It is a good one but the battery life is only 2-3 hours. And it is too fragile to be abused in the wildness.

Here are some comparisons between the two:

- Satellite signal: The Etrex Venture picks up satellite signals faster than the iQue 3600. With good conditions it may identify the location in 5-10 seconds. It may take 7-8 seconds to start up before searching for the satellite, though. The 3600 is much slower. Neither uses the SiRF chip and it does show up. In a very cloudy day the Venture spent more than 30 seconds to get the location but that was unusually.

- Performance: The Venture has comparable performance with the 3600, which has a 200MHz processor. Performance means showing the map, zooming, and auto rerouting. User interface has instant response.

- User interface: The main difference is the use of a joystick as the input. To input the name, for example, you will use the joystick to navigate a on-screen virtual keyboard. It is indeed slower than the 3600, but is acceptable for one reason: You may only need to input the first few letters of the name and the rest letters may show up; e.g. wal for wal-mart.

- Programs: Very similar to the GPS part of the 3600 (3600 is a GPS and PDA). Has some extra programs like Sun & Moon, Hunt & Fish, calculator, stop watch, and even some games.

- Auto navigation: If you need a GPS daily for auto navigation, Venture is not the right device. It screen is less than an half of the 3600. Equally important, it does not have voice prompt. The 3600 will say, for example, "turn right at 500 yards" or "keep right", and you don't need to look at the GPS. What Venture does is to beep and show a turn sign on the screen. It gives two different beep sounds to distinguish the distance to the turning point. It is acceptable for occasional navigation if you get familiar with its behavior and does not have bad vision.

- Mapping: I have Garmin City Select 7 with the iQue 3600 and I can use it on the Venture. There is no extra charge in my case because the map has license for two devices (most Garmin maps do).

Overall it is very good product for its purpose.

The eTrex Venture CX comes with a base map preloaded. The problem is that the base map is not very detailed. To make the unit useful for navigating, it is necessary to buy the City Navigator map. ($139 for the map plus an SD card for about $30.) Also, City Navigator comes in several different forms and it is not easy to figure which one is appropriate for the Venture CX. I have the map on order, and hopefully it will be the right one and I can get some use out of the unit. Much more difficult and expensive than I expected.
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We've used the eTrex Venture CX for about a month and it's great for geocaching. Battery life is outstanding. The only bad things about it are (1) you need to buy a separate set of topo maps, which aren't cheap and (2) the manual is not very useful.

After careful evaluation of several reviews I chose this gps as the one to buy and Im glad I did. I also purchased mapsource US Topo to go with it, for back country hiking, driving or just knowing where you are it will do everything you could ask of a gps. It is accurate down to 7' which isnt bad, itll tell you elevation, speed, verticle speed, direction and a whole lot more. My only gripe is the little screen but I have excellent vision so its not that bad, however someone with bad eyes may find it a stuggle to read the screen if you have the device on the dash of a car while driving down a country dirt road, I love this thing. Dont buy the vista or legend buy this, then by the 512mb card to go into it and then get mapsource US Topo and youll be set. Oh ya, one more thing, more than half of the United States will fit on the 512mb card with detail on high! NICE!~!!

In June my family and I went a family vacation to Yellowstone. Usually when we go on an outdoor vacation we go hiking and such. I purchased this unit because my brother and I had discussed going on a 15 to 20 mile hike and I wasn't sure how well the trails were marked. The GPS was a great peice of equipment, it shows you everything you would want to see while hiking like speed, distance time, and most importantly where you have been so that you can find your way back. It also shows things like elevation and compass heading. The screen was easy to read and without being bulky. We also mapped our way around from Yellowstone to the Grand Tetons and all the way to Salt Lake City. It is kind of like having "mapquest.com" at your fingertips. If I had to say anything negative it would be that it does use batteries pretty quickly, the 32 hours that was specified on the spec sheet was not what I experienced, it was more like 12 to 14 hours, even so for the detail and peace of mind it is a great piece of equipment.

I bought this GPS as a back up when flying on 172 Cessnas (equiped w Garmins 430). Every time has been great! I got the optional case and I clip it to the sunshades. You can download ALL the US airports to it from the internet for free (it's a text file, and you can load it to the unit using the basic garmin map software, 19.95). The unit works perfect and the altitude readings are quite accurate. It even has a Direct To (called Go To)!!! My favorite fuction is the track recording, which makes a path of all your fliight and later download it to the PC with date and actually see on the map where you have been flying that day (worried you have been flying into class B airspace that day? jaja). I trully recomend it. One note, the unit does not work on commercial airliners, guess is to much aluminium around...

Had a 5 year old unit and this was the perfect replacement. Easy, just took it out of the box and off I went. I thought the navigation would get me within a 15' radius of coordinates but so far it's been better - right on! The color display was a nice upgrade, too. Perfect for Geo caching searches. Looking forwarding to downloading the top map capabilities of it.Also, the company support was outstanding.
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br /Overall the functions, durability and ease of use make this the perfect GPS.

I bought the eTrex Venture after much research. I wanted to be able to get street directions and off road but not spend too much. I already have the Garmin StreetPilot so the street directions weren't a big deal. Well, I bought a 1 gig microcard from Sandisk and could put a second unit on my City Navigator 8.0 NT map that I already had. What is so great is that I put the whole United States on the card and still had little room to spare. It works like a charm. I am amazed that one little unit can store so much information and is so easy to use. Hospitals, shopping, directions, everything is there just like Street Pilot except you get a beep instead of a voice telling you where to turn. If you know its limitations and don't mind not having a big screen, it is worth every penny because you will always have the ability to find anything you want right in your pocket or purse. Battery life is also great. I have used mine extensively since christmas day and still have 3 bars. It is so much more than I expected. Just remember the only downside is you have to buy a map to go with it to make it useful.

This is my first GPS unit. I bought it mostly for hiking around in the wilderness, as well as measuring my speed while in a car (it is more accurate than a typical speedometer, like 1/10 of a MPH in the right conditions).

The Venture CX feels very solid. One tiny detail I was not thrilled with is that the microSD card slot was not machined very well. I had to push the card (not included, of course) to get it in place harder than I do on many other devices I've used (Mp3 players, digital cameras). With a tiny microSD card, as fragile as it feels, it bugs me, but since I connect to my computer through a (albeit slow) USB interface, I don't have to take the card in and out.

The included basemap is very weak, don't expect much. I had a 2004 version of Mapsource Metrosource 6.0, and using Metrowizzz (free) I am able to load the maps onto the unit and have the Venture CX calculate turn by turn directions to any address I enter. The cool thing about navigation is it tells you the distance between you and the next turn, and it beeps once in advance to tell you the turn is coming up, then when you're very close to it it beeps twice and tells you to turn (i.e. a message on the LCD "Turn left onto Main St.").

Also, you can adjust the backlight level, and set the amount of time the backlight stays on. When you turn on the device and then turn the backlight on, it will go off on its own in the amount of time specified. If you are in navigation mode, when the unit beeps to tell you about an upcoming turn, the light comes on automatically. It's really a clever design and allows you to focus on the road, and not burn up battery power by running the backlight unnecessarily.

The one major knock is the documentation, which is bad (a discussion forum search finds that the Venture / Legend CX are not alone when it comes to bad documentation). The manual tells you what the options are, but does not bother to explain them! An example is that you can choose a "battery saver mode". The manual does not explain, not even one lousy line, what this mode does (after doing a web search, I found out that it refreshes location every 5 seconds instead of every 1 second). There are other examples of this poor/missing detail. For that, I'm knocking one star off. I would hope that Garmin, whose GPS units are found in airplanes and boats all over the world, would like to tout the neat features of their GPS units by fully explaining to their owners how to use them.

In summary, I love the unit and even though I haven't had it in the wilderness yet, it is such a fun gadget to have that I wonder how I got by without it! Loving gadgets, I like to know how they work and how to use them to their fullest and I think Garmin needs to seriously improve the documentation of these units.

This GPS unit is great. The battery life has been consistantly greater that 16 hours and even longer when used during the day. The screen is easily readible and the mapping detail is excellent. I am using mine on my motorcycle. I also purchased the 1GB flash memory and the detailed North America City Navigator V8. You can not beat the price or the performance. Very delighted.

This little wonder has been unbelievably easy to learn to use. It gets a great signal and, in my experience, has been accurate enough to get me within five feet of where I am going quite consistently. I wish it came with a few more roads loaded on it's default map so that I didn't feel the need to purchase the map files. I love it.

As a first time buyer of a personal GPS unit, I am very pleased with it. It has every feature I need, compass, distance, speed, elevation, etc. The mapping is really good, lasts a very long time with the 2 AA's. If I had to buy another unit, I would get the same one again. Geocaching, bike riding, walking, it is fun to have the tracking on as you criss-cross around the neighborhood either on foot or on bike. On the more physically challenging mountian biking routes, knowing the elevation changes is good as is all the configurable items in the trip computer (max speed, elapsed time, distance traveled, etc).

I needed the Garmin eTrex for a train trip I was taking. It follows the train along its path and you can tell at all times where you are on the trip. I found the unit to work extremely well. It takes a few minutes for it to set up, by finding satellites. If you are in a rural area or big city where there is no reception or reception is blocked by large buildings it will come up with satellite lost. It automatically will refind the satellite when it can. It has night time mode which makes it easier to read in the dark. I also used it while walking and in the car. It can tell you how fast the car is going or the train for that matter. If you need a handheld device to pinpoint your location I highly recommend this product. It uses two AA batteries. The battery life is long. I had mine on 24 hours and did not need to replace the battery. It has many other features I did not have a chance to test out, but I am sure they work just fine.

We bought the Garmin to go Geocaching after reading other reviews. It is easy to use and we have had so much fun. Never thought we would find something that all three of our kids would enjoy doing with us. Geocaching is challenging and fun for individuals or families. You have to try it!

Coming from a Magellan Meridian, learning to use the stick in the front was a chore. I'm still baffled sometime about why it doesn't seem to respond sometimes but it works well.
br /It's fast to acquire the satellite signals but doesn't seem to hold as well as my old magellan. It sometimes looses signals just hanging from my neck in wide open spaces. I think it has to do with the position of the lanyard at the bottom. It hangs upside down.
br /
br /Was very impressed with the battery life.

I recieved my Garmin eTrex Venture Cx last week and love it. The color screen makes it much easier to read, and the expandable memory slot makes it capable of holding much more information. Although it is annoying to have to buy extra maps to use the unit effectively, it still comes out cheaper than many other units. I plan one using it for driving with City Navigator and a one gig memory stick. I also plan on using it for backpacking with the US Topo Maps. Overall a great product. Also for those of you wondering about the usb cable, almost anyone with a digital camera has a mini usb to usb cable.

I purchased the Garmin eTrex Venture CX after doing a lot of research on hand held GPS units. I picked it because of the batter life, waterproofing, and price. 2 hours after I opened my package I updated the software (firmware) as suggested by Garmin. After the update my unit wouldn't even turn on.
br /
br /I called Garmin, they were very cool, sent me my new unit next day. I now very much enjoy the unit.
br /
br /Easy to use, many many many extra features. I would have given it 5 stars if not for the firmware problem. I have no problems getting a signal except in multi level building (duhhh) no problems in the car, outside, etc.
br /

This is a very nice unit with a ton of features. The interface is easy to use and it is easy to transfer data to and from a PC with the Garmin software. However, my one major complaint is that you have to buy the software separately and it is rather expensive. The basemap that comes with the unit is very minimal. Overall this is a good product.

Does what it's supposed to do. A bit complicated to set up, but once it is,
br /a great search and find device. Only drawbackMap is that the map cards are expensive.

I've used this item for about 4 months now, primarily for geocaching. However, I recently found a great new use for it: recording my cycling workouts. Using the handlebar attachment accessory--sold separately at the Garmin website (www.garmin.com) or RAM Mounting Systems Handlebar Mount for Garmin eTrex Venture C, Legend C, Vista C, Venture CX, Legend CX, Vista CX)--I can track my workouts, and then download them into Google Earth. It's a great way to keep track of my performance (mileage, avg mph, max mph, altitude change, time in motion, etc.) and keep a record of what roads I've traveled. Of course, walkers and joggers can do the same thing without the handlebar accessory.

Garmin makes a great number of high quality handheld GPS devices. I particularly chose this one for hiking and remote camping uses. Specifically, I purchased a 2 GB mini memory card (SanDisk) and then the Garmin US TOPO 24K (National Parks East, for starts). I was able to pick specific quadrants from the US TOPO CD software and download it to my Garmin handheld through my PC (MAC also works). It worked perfectly. I will admit that the learning curve is high on this and I tend to get excited about electronic devices in general. This took taking the instruction manual and going step-by-step to learn all the functions available.
br /
br /For starters, I simply went outside and turned it on. Within a minute I had several satellite acquisitions and was immediately shown where I was (in the world). The basic map included on the device is not that particularly detailed, so I purchased additional software data. You can read all about the functions that are installed on this unit here at Amazon. Some are marking a waypoint, finding a position, tracking, highway plans, a calendar, alarm clock, calculator, stopwatch, sun and moon schedules and various games. You also have access to its compass and a driving set-up that will tell you your speed, distance reaming (to your destination), estimated travel time, etc. If you were hiking and got lost, you would be able to backtrack your steps, as if you had left markers or `breadcrumbs'.
br /
br /The unit itself is extremely well made and could survive several `drops' and is waterproof. The display (approximately 2" X 1.5") is plenty for view-ability. The screen actually changes from a bright daytime screen to a nighttime mode. Every function is verified by a slight "beep". Unfortunately, you do need to buy Garmin maps to download to the unit, as the one included is not very detailed and for additional data input, you really do need a mini memory card. But for the price and the number of functions, this is really a good value. Nothing beats a map and compass, but this is a great addition to any hiking that you may do. Also, for driving directions, the only thing lacking is the voice response. I highly recommend you research other Garmin models and all the accessories you might want to purchase for your personal use.
br /

Very happy with unit, in my opinion the best value out there. upgraded from garmin etrex legend, night and day difference

I spent quite a bit of time researching which handheld GPS to purchase for walking/geocaching/driving. This unit is so easy to learn how to operate. I've found several caches with my unit with no problem, except mosquitos! I didn't have any problems with receiving satellite signals in the wooded area near my home or on the road.

You can use the unit right out of the box, but I purchased a 512 microSD card for loading any maps I buy in the future.

This is nearly the perfect GPS. I previously owned the Garmin 12MAP.
br /The 12MAP is a much larger unit with a fixed (SMALL) amount of memory.
br /With the eTrex Venture Cx you can buy a microSD card and put as many
br /maps as your heart desires.
br /I do almost all of my hiking/backpacking in The Sierras. With the
br /Garmin TOPO and Garmin National Parks West I'm golden.
br /With the NP West maps you can AUTO-ROUTE the TRAILS! With 1 click I
br /can see how far it is to my destination AND a profile of the elevation.
br /The unit is very small and fits into my front pocket. I keep it on
br /all the time while hiking. When I get home I can upload the tracks
br /and bring up Google Earth and see EXACTLY where I was hiking.
br /(All this is built into MapSource from Garmin)
br /With the Garmin 12MAP I would only bring a GPS when I knew I was
br /going off-trail or during the early spring months when there is
br /still snow on the ground. Now I bring the eTrex on every backpack
br /trip. By the way, the National Parks Maps are 7.5 degree so they
br /are as good as any USGS map.
br /If you are thinking of getting the more expensive Legend or Vista
br /I don't think it is worth it IMO. You can get the elevation from
br /the main screen and you can get a compass reading by just walking
br /in straight line.
br /You may want to consider the high sensitivity receiver but getting
br /a lock on satellites has never really been a problem. It's too
br /bad that they don't have an Venture HCx.
br /Anyway, I hope I helped some. I love this device! And Garmin customer
br /service is incredible if you have any issues.
br /
br /Just looked and really the Legend HCx is pretty much the Venture Cx with
br / high sensitive receiver. It has 25hrs or battery life compared to
br / 32hrs for the Venture Cx. The price is almost the same. I would buy
br / the Legend HCx at this time if I was buying a new GPS unit.
br /

I really love my new eTrex!
br /I'm glad that I saved up some extra cash and went for the eTrex Venture CX. I was considering purchasing the eTrex Legend, but that one doesn't have a color screen, doesn't have the ability to connect to the computer via USB and doesn't have the ability to use memory cards.
br /I love that when I'm ready to purchase the City Navigator maps, I can get them on a memory card and just pop it into the back of the unit! I also love that this unit, unlike other older eTrex units, can do turn-by-turn directions!
br /Great product!

I wanted a GPS unit that would serve equally well for use in navigation for driving and recreational use, plus it had to be tuff, portable and affordable. Well this sweet little unit does it all - I am amazed by it. I bought a dash mount and power cord and even though the screen is smallish it still does the job very well. I like that Garmin does not give you a worthless memory card - I bought a 512kb microSD that is more than adequate. I also like that Garmin gives you the flexibility to load your own maps. Now my BIG complaint with Garmin is they rip you off for the map software. I bought the City Navigator (North America)and it was well over $100. It works well and I am happy with it - it just costs too much! Since you can load it on to 2 GPS units, find a friend and both of you can use it and split the cost. Don't spend your money on a GPS unit you will soon regret because of what it can't do, and don't spend more than you need for extras you won't need and can't figure out. I highly recommend this sweet little unit!

After carefully researching this product and others similiar I decided to go with the Garmin. Garmin is a great product. I am very pleased with my purchase.

This is a great product for the money. I had read some negative comments about chip set, but found out this is not the case. This is a big step up from the Etrex legend I had. Satelite reception is quite good. Battery usage is efficient. Accuracy is good. Navigation is intuitive. Very well designed product.

Our family has been enjoying the GPS for geochaching and it works pretty well for that purpose.
I also own an older street pilot from Garmin, so after registering the new device with Garmin I
could also save the base maps on a micro SD card for auto navigation. This GPS has a lot of new features!
[...]

We purchased these four Garmins for our four grandchildren so that they could go geocaching this summer. We have purchased other Garmin GPSs and have been extremely pleased so Garmin was our choice. The eTrex Venture CX was the particular product we chose because if offered the long battery life, color display, compass, high number of way points and tracks and fantastic price. You can't beat Garmin on the road but especially for geocaching we have found them to be the best. From our own geocaching experiences we knew it was best for each player to have his own GPS - hence the purchase of four. These eTrex Venture CXs have continued our satisfaction with Garmin. Even the youngest at age 7 has no trouble using the device. The children had experienced geocaching in their school so their learning curve was less than for a person that had not had that experience, like me. I can do the functions but I'm slow. Still I have a lot of fun. A little more experience and there will be no stopping me.

It's a nice little GPS system, but it is ridiculous that in order for it to be a good system you have to go out and buy, in addition, extra memory (for $22), the US Topo(for $59), and then to add insult to injury go out and buy a mini-USB to USB 2.0 cable (for $26)so that you can download the topo to the unit from your computer. The hidden costs are really an extra $100 or so to make this work well. (And Amazon apparently doesn't sell the mini-USB to USB 2.0 cables for some reason, but they are readily available at Office Depot or any computer store)

I especially like how it keeps the signal, the color monitor, and the compact size. Perhaps when I figure it out a little further I could give it 5 stars.

This is a great product for any outdoors enthusiast. You can use it on the road - trail - water, provided that you have the map$. The only negative is that the base map is very limited. In order to get the full potential you need to buy a MicroSD card and the maps to go along. You can easily spend more on the maps than what you paid for the unit.

I bought this unit in May 07 to geocache with. I also bought a 2GB micro SD card for $25 and City Navigator Ver.8 at the same time.
br /
br /Pro's:
br / Small, this unit is tiny.
br / Incredibly bright crisp display.
br / Batteries last a long time.
br / Rugged and waterproof.
br / All US street maps fit on 2GB with room to spare.
br / Turn by turn navigation
br /
br /Con's:
br / Side mounted buttons take some getting used to.
br / Becomes inacurate in deep woods. No big deal hunting deer, big
br / deal hunting caches.
br / Only holds 500 way points or geocaches.
br / No internal compass, makes geocaching more difficult.
br / No good car mount options that I found.
br /
br /All in all this is an excellent unit. However if you need something very accurate or something you'd like to be able to use in your house or a parking garage get a unit with the SIRF II chip. With no internal compass this unit only shows heading while it is moving. If heading is important, get a unit with a built in compass. I just upgraded to a 76csx unit that does everything and only costs $120 more right now.
br /

Pros: High Contrast Color LCD - easily readable in sunlight or dark, the GPS position pointer shows where you're at on the map in real time, no transposing. Vast Memory with microSD, Incredible array of odometer functions, Full text editor to mark special points. Multi-day battery life. Surprisingly useful alarm clock.
br /
br /Cons: Too many confusing buttons, loses signal occasionally even on bare ridges, would like a bigger screen.
br /
br /This is my first GPS, before color maps they made no sense. Knowing your absolute position as Latitude and Longitude is worthless without context, maps provide the context. Far better to have the maps inside the GPS than a paper map blowing in the wind. I selected the Venture Cx because it is the lowest cost entry into a color mapper with a microSD card.
br /
br /I loaded my Venture with Above the Timber's 24K Colorado Topo Maps, awesome!!! Being able to navigate with 40-foot contours inside the GPS is far better than a huge paper quad and trying to figure out where on that map you are. With the microSD card, I have the same detail as 1280 - 7.5-minute quads inside the GPS at all times with 600MB to spare. The GPS position pointer is always on the map at my exact location, all the time. If I have the tracklog on, usually do, then I have a "bread crumb" trail of the path I took to get to my present position. The tracklog is particularly useful for off trail bushwhacking.
br /
br /I took a 4-day backpack into the Weminuche Wilderness in Sept. and all I had were the Venture and Above the Timber's Topos, no paper maps. It logged my trip, allowed me to enter special points with a text descriptor and various position and time parameters. The maps inside the GPS were more current than my Trails Illustrated maps. BTW, my spare batteries went into the camera, the Venture had plenty of power in reserve.
br /
br /On a least four occasions since I got the Venture, I was able to navigate to distant small lakes, none of which had a trail to it. The lakes were each on the map and with the position pointer, I was able to determine my position relative to the lake. If I needed to, I could quickly determine the distance from me to the lake, using the GPS' distance function.
br /
br /The only drawback to the Venture is the lack of a barometric altimeter, like the Vista. It's not less accurate than the Vista, it's just that the barometric altimeter is required for elevation logging. Because of the highly variable satellite geometry, satellite derived elevation has too much drift for elevation logging.
br /
br /If you buy any of these Garmin mappers, be sure it has an "x" in the model name, or it won't have enough memory for color maps. X = microSD.

This is a device I currently own, after having experience with
br /Explorist 210, StreetPilot 2720, and Nuvi 360. I'm completely
br /satisfied with my choice and it is the best compromise I was able to
br /find to suite my needs.
br /
br /I don't really need GPS very often in my regular life, so I didn't
br /want to spend a ton of money on something that will be sitting in a
br /closet most of the time. But when I do use it I want it to be an all
br /purpose "swiss army knife" kind of tool, and this tiny unit is.
br /Although, that required putting a 2GB microSD card into the unit and
br /loading it with MapSource US Topo and City Navigator 8 maps.
br /
br /Every time I go out of town I take it with me, no matter if it is a
br /road trip, if I fly to another city, or if I go hiking, or do other
br /outdoor activities.
br /
br /This unit has autorouting capabilities for using as a standalone GPS
br /unit for road navigation. It can be connected to a laptop and work
br /with more sophisticated mapping software (unlike the Explorist). And
br /it is also small, rugged, lightweight, waterproof, and totally
br /suitable all kinds of outdoor use.
br /
br /And outdoor use is where it shows its best. The screen is bright, the
br /controls are quite suitable for one hand use. I liked the USGS based
br /topo maps much better for outdoor use than what Magellan has to offer
br /for the Explorist. They may not look as good on a PC and are
br /definitely outdated for use in populated areas, but that only helps
br /you to find old roads and other small terrain features missing from
br /Mapsend maps.
br /
br /The stand alone automotive use is more of an emergency feature. It
br /pales in comparison with StreetPilot 2720. The screen is small, the
br /controls are by far less convenient, the route recalculation speed is
br /several times slower and the results are noticeably less optimal.
br /Entering destinations and browsing the POI database while driving is
br /almost impossible. Text-to-speech feature could have saved the
br /situation somewhat, but it's not supported. All in all, you will
br /probably need another person to do the navigation, and there will
br /still be a lot of reasons for your copilot to get angry with this
br /device. That being said, if you just want to get from point A to point
br /B in an unfamiliar city and program your destination before you drive,
br /you'll be just fine. It's looking for detours, or trying to find the
br /best place to stop for food or gas while hurling down a highway that
br /will get you frustrated.
br /
br /Fortunately, if I go for a road trip there is usually another person
br /and a laptop with me in my car. And with this unit hooked up to a
br /laptop and with a good electronic map, navigation becomes a breeze.
br /
br /The biggest disappointment was, after all, the sensitivity of the
br /receiver. It is on par or with the Explorist and maybe just slightly
br /worse than in StreetPilot 2720, but after seeing what Nuvi, and other
br /units high sensitivity receivers can do, you get a bitter taste in
br /your mouth. The reception is adequate, but it is not solid, you loose
br /signal indoors, close to high-rise buildings, in mountain canyons, -
br /the usual places. There are also quite a few dead places inside my
br /car, so I place it under the windshield to be safe. It's just sad to
br /know that there are a lot of units now, that don't have this problem.
br /
br /Another down side is that software is fairly slow. To the point where it becomes annoying. You can see the progress of how different features on a map are drawn and the screen is updated, it is much slower than StreetPilot 2720 where the map is redrawn almost seamlessly (even in 3D mode, which eTrexes do not have). But at least the software is very stable and there are periodic updates with new features coming out regularly, even now, several years after the product was released.
br /
br /To summ it up. This is a great GPS for outdoor activities, it can be your "swiss army knife" for all your other GPS needs. The only thing I would wish for, is if it was a bit faster and had a higer sensitivity reciver. But, then, for less than 200 bucks this is the best thing you can get, anyway.

I was shocked at the accuracy of this unit, i was not expecting it to have this sort of precision. I got this gps for geocaching, road trips and hiking. Everything is so easy to use and almost self-explanatory. I have used all of it's features and haven't had to crack open the user's manual once!
br /
br /I found this gps has the longest battery life of any I've seen, 36 Hours on just 2 AA's!! that was the deciding factor between this unit and a few others for me. I have been researching which unit to buy for months and i am very happy with my decision and at $170, what a steal!

Good product, quick shipping. A little misleading or not clear on what comes with product when you order, but a good deal otherwise.

I purchased this GPS so my family could start to go geocaching. It has been awesome. I don't think it has ever lost coverage even though we are sometimes in the thick woods. The batteries also last a long time. I would highly recommend this product.

Works perfect!
br /Great Battery life (30 hours on 2 rayovac AA)!
br /Awesome color screen!
br /Easy navigation in the menus!
br /
br /Remember, this unit does not come with maps or a micro SD card. The SD card can be found on ebay for cheap ($8) and some people have said maps can be found with a bittorent software (bitcomet.com) and thepiratebay.org.
br /I bought my maps at Garmin for $100/map.

This is a nice system if you like a GPS that is compact, lightweight, has long battery life. Screen may be small for some applications. I wanted this unit mainly for backpacking into remote flyfishing lakes and it was perfect. Computer/map interface works well for planning routes into the backcountry and recording trips after the fact. Newer technology is less susceptible to losing satelite when in deep, narrow valleys.
br / I've also used it for sea kayaking trips and on the highway.
br / Great TOY!!!

Por US$200 es un excelente GPS, mejor que el legend ya que tiene pantalla a color y navegación de mapas que se ve muy bien a pleno sol. Tiene todas las funciones que uno puede esperar, y esta la ventaja que se pueden cargar mapas en la tarjeta mini sd que no viene incluida. En todo caso el mapa base es bueno, tiene las principales carreteras de Chile y casi todas las ciudades y pueblos.

La función de geocaching es sencilla y funcional.

El unico contra es que las señales audibles son muy bajas y no se puede subir el volumen.

We got our unit a few weeks ago and we are 100% satisfied!! We use it mainly for geocaching and it has all the features we are looking for. We really recommend this unit. The size and weight are small, and the unit is very rugged and has all the ells and whistles. We actually ordered second one last week.

This item has great promise but using it is not transparent. Be prepared to shlog through lots of instructions that are not altogether clear.

This is a nice handheld color unit with lots of great features for the price!

I haven't had good luck with this model yet. First one I received was broken. Called Garmin was told to contact Amazon as they would take 7-10 days to just repair it. Had a new one overnighted to me. Was sent out late so it didn't get here until after 8PM at night, Garmin was closed, couldn't get a new unlock code because Amazon sent faulty one. This next one I received was already opened, not even brand new like listed. Amazon also forgot to give me the return mailing label for the old one, as I do not have a way to print it.

This handheld will accommodate pretty much everything you would expect and require from an outdoor gps handheld. Although the screen is a bit small, the bright lcd makes up for it. The unit itself is well built, and could take a beating I really didn't expect (dropped it a few times during MTB). Ergonomic design comes in handy. The unit fits securely on the palm of your hand, and works well if you only have one hand to spare. it's light enough to wear on a belt clip. Perfect use for outdoor hiking, MTB, or walking through the urban jungle (don't suggest using it as an automotive nav system; it's like your 90 year old grandma driving and reading street signs with her only good eye).
br /
br /I like the flexibility of the microsd card. The only reason why I'm giving this review 2 stars, as everyone and their mother would agree, the softwares are still too expensive!!

Opened my Venture Cx Christmas day (or Kwanza, Winter Holliday, Winter Solstice Celebration, season of daytime fasting for the crescent moon god or whatever you would like to celebrate...I am trying to be inclusive and politically correct in this new year, and keep reminding myself, it is ok for people to not tolerate my views but I have to validate their's). Anywho, as soon as I put batteries in the GPSr, it picked up 4 satellite signals, from inside my brick home (hut, tent, adobe cliff dwelling, or news paper lined card board box, these are all valid personal choices and I do not judge you). I have used it for navigation (although being lost is a valid democratic choice) and geocacheing. The back light makes it easy to see at night and can be used as a make-shift flashlight (although choosing to stay in the dark is a valid democratic choice). All in all, this is a great GPSr, and has features of a much more expensive unit. If you are torn between this and more expensive units that include the USB cord and media card, choose this unit. Even if you do not have a USB cord for a MP3 player, camera or cell phone they are super cheap. The media card the other more expensive units come with is a 64 mg, and a 1 gig card can be purchased from Amazon for under twenty-five.

I returned this item within 48 hours of receiving it because I found it very difficult to use. It is not intuitive and requires many hours of reading the manual and trying to apply what it says. I have worked in the IT arena for more than 25 years and do not tolerate IT products that cannot be easily understood and put to use right out of the box. This is one of those hard-to-use products.