Heading and Speed Fluctuate
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I purchased this little guy after I borrowed my father-in-law’s older etrex. Everything seemed to be going fine… it picked up signal quickly and said I had great accuracy. However, when I would walk/drive in a straight line, the heading would wobble plus/minus 15 degrees. This may not seem like a lot, but when you are moving by foot this means that the track you are following on the map is twisting back and forth, making it difficult to navigate. I sent one of these back for a replacement on Garmin’s recommendation… the second one had the same problem.

Perhaps the issue could be fixed with a software update (I was running 2.6), but the cable is so expensive.

Update 4/6/2009: After complaining to Garmin technical support, they sent me a RS-232 to USB adapter cable and USB interface cable so I could hook this up to my computer and update the firmware. Now, with ver. 3.1 installed things seem to be working fine. If you plan on updating your firmware using one of these converter cables, be aware the process is not for the faint of heart. I am pretty techie yet I had a heck of a time getting Garmin’s update software to recognize my unit!

Handy Garmin
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Have used the Unit in my kayaks and found it to be convenient, accurate, and useful..Recommend to anyone needing to keep track of their position and/or details of their trip.

It satisfies the basic needs very well.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
It satisfies the basic needs very well. My ideia is to record short tracks during my free time in a natural reserve area. It has everything a beginner needs.

An Excellent Basic GPS
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I wanted a basic, easy to use, GPS that would allow me to hike in the wilderness and easily find my way to and from various places without fear of getting lost; and to always find my way back to my campsite or car. I also wanted to be able to save locations I visited as well as locations on the topo map I had not visited yet but wanted to be directed to by the GPS. In addition, I wanted to take a reading “in the field” and be able to find that location on a topo map. This unit does all of this perfectly. Unlike the experience of another reviewer of the eTrex H on this site, when I first turned this GPS on it initialized to satellites and my position in only a few minutes. The description of this unit should mention directly that you can use it to save locations you are not present at. It implies this by referring to Geocaching, but some people, like me, don’t know what that is. And the description of how to do this in the owner’s manual could be a little better. I am not very experienced in using a GPS with a topo map and I overlooked the need to program the GPS to the “datum” used for the map I was working with, which resulted in my readings being several hundred meters off. My biggest complaint about the owner’s manual is that, while it tells you how to program the GPS for various map datums, it does not tell the “beginner” that if you live in the lower 48 US states, for a map that says “NAD 27″ for the datum you select “NAD 27 CONUS” (for “Continental US”). I had to buy a couple of books on GPSs to find this out. Otherwise the owner’s manual, while it is a little concise, is pretty thorough and easy to use. If your needs are simple, like mine, and you do not need to have topo maps loaded into the GPs, this is an excellent choice at a great price. (Even with a GPS it is always advised to go into unknown areas of the wilderness with a map and compass as well. If you work with a map, you will probably use the UTM system so you will need to learn how to work with that and get a plastic scale for reading meters in “grids”. A good book on the GPS can be helpful in these regards – the owner’s manual does not go into these details.)

Thumbs Up
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I just received this unit a couple of days ago. This is my first GPS unit, and I bought it for geo-caching. It was quick and easy to set up. Used it for the first time today and found three caches with no problems. My son-in-law has a more expensive unit, but he said he likes mine better because of the ease of use. Basic unit without lots of buttons and whistles.

Great Simple GPS
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I’ve used many GPS’s, But this one is 100% faster in acquiring the signal. And battery life is pretty good and the waterproof thing is amazing while i mostly use it for fishing.

Highly recommended ..

etrex is a great GPS unit
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought the eTrex GPS unit to take on a bear hunt in Canada. This unit is extremely easy to use and works great in the mountains. I bought another manufacturer’s GPS unit several years ago and found it to be too frustrating to use. I highly recommend the eTrex to anyone who wants a GPS unit that works well and is easy to use.

Works for me
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I am a trail hiker, no cross country. Where trails have mile markers I want to know how far I have gone and how long on the trail. Altitude is also nice to know. I carry maps if needed so have no need for that feature. The maps I have show distances.

Did not want to have to take a class just learn how to use. Feature rich in my opinion means complicated and confusing with a bunch of stuff no one will ever use.

This unit does all that I expected and more. Satellite acquisition is fast, less than a minute. Would recommend to anyone with basic GPS needs. BTW, the user manual is pretty thin on info. One has to experiment to figure out the features. Not a big deal.

Good for NMEA
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The eTrex H is the least expensive of the lot. However, it will output NMEA via its serial port to devices such as a DSC enabled VHF. The rest of the product line uses a USB port. While some programs can use this output via USB, it is not (I believe)usable on stand-alone products like VHF receivers. I tried getting a fix while down below on a fibreglass boat and had no problems. Signal was a bit weaker than on deck, but the unit got me a 11 foot fix in about a minute. My primary use for this unit will be to feed coordinates to my Icom VHF and, if necessary, as a backup unit.

Garmin E-Trex 100 H
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
As an avid Geocacher and teacher, I had to find out what all the buzz was about the H models. (I own a dozen regular ones that I use for instructional purposes) Everything is the same with features except that it is supposed to be able to get signals in heavy tree cover or in places with steep walls (like buildings) or in valleys, etc. When I used it for the first time, it took forever to catch the first satellite even though I reset the time zone right away. It comes with a central Asia time zone so be sure to change that. It lost power and shut off while trying to boot. It was becoming very frustrating. Took about 15 minutes. However, once it was able to find the local sats, it worked fine. Haven’t tried in dense woods or valleys yest, but kept a good signal in woods regular park woods and gave me accuracies to less that 20 feet. The price is the same as a standard E-trex 100 but you get better reception. The down side is that you lose 5 hours of battery life (17 vs 22). I don’t see this as a problem at all. And there is no cool globe logo on the front. I will buy more eventually.

Edited 8/6/09 — Okay. This has become my standard GPSr but I no longer recommend it for the new cacher. I have gotten accuracies within 5 feet in the worst conditions. Although I still like it, the biggest drawback is that the downloads require a serial port. Most computers don’t have these any longer which means you need a conversion cable ..another $35 .. if you can find one. For basic GCing, I now suggest the Garmin Venture. Same basic operation but uses a standard USB connection.

eTrex H, hand-held GPS
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Excellent product for basic GPS requirements, functions well in all modes. Defintely water-proof, survived harsh conditions including very cold weather, works well in heavy forest cover, battery life is good, very satisfied with product and price. Diodeman

Garmin eTrex H
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This product is perfect for geocaching, which I’ve been using it for since July 2008. It’s very good as a cache is closer, and does pretty decently at zeroing in on the few feet remaining. The unit is durable, as I’ve frequently dropped it on the caching trail and it still keeps on working. Garmin was also really good about replacing my first unit when the display starting fading out at the bottom and the right hand side. Since I received my replacement (free of charge), I’ve had no problems whatsoever with it.

Number 11
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is the eleventh Garmin I’ve bought. They’re all for my coworkers in Europe. I don’t hike but they tell me it’s a great deal!

eTrex H
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I definitely had problems with my original eTrex-H. First-time startup could not detect a navigable satellite signal; failed 6 times. I went so far as to climb on my roof; still no navigable signal detected. It eventually detected a navigable signal inside my house, at my desk (go figure), while I was searching for the software version needed by Garmin Customer Support online.

On two short hikes, less than 4 hours, my original eTrex-H shut itself off at some point during the hike. The “Backtrack” feature was obviously of no value.

The Garmin website is less than friendly; especially for customer support. Garmin online Windows open undersized from Amazon product links with no option to maximize or scroll. And, Garmin online has been unresponsive to my emails for customer support. I see this more as a website (webmaster) problem.

Ultimately, I connected with Garmin product support. Garmin authorized return of my etrex-H within the warranty period. It still cost me $13.00+ for shipping, and a couple weeks time getting Garmin repair authorization. Garmin finally replaced my etrex-H, with no explanation of what was wrong with the original etrex-H.

I have not tested my newest etrex-H on the trail, but it encountered no difficulty acquiring a navigable signal on first-time startup. (gp)

basic model
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
i bought it for my friend 3 months ago. he said he really like it and want one more for another friend. it s a basic model and not complicated.

Not a Nuvi, but great for Geocaching
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this unit for geocaching. My current Nuvi 760 wasn’t getting close enough to the coordinates so I needed something more accurate. This little unit does the trick. The little screen is hard to read and it certainly doesnt have the features as a Nuvi760 does but for what I paid for it, I am really happy.

so easy a caveman can use it!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
very good product for the money.I was able to use it in just a few minutes after reading the instuctions which are not all that good.I use it for huntingand was recently in the up of michigan.It never lost its signal under some heavy canopy.

Great starter for Geocaching
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I am just getting started in the hobby of geocaching and the Garmin eTrex H Handheld is working great! It’s easy to understand and use. It has been accurate and seems to work well under tree canopys as well as in downtown urban settings.

Great starter unit. Does not accept maps
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is a great starter unit. Great for camping, fishing, or hunting. I use mine for Geocaching. Under ideal conditions I’ve received reliability of 7 feet, usually I am between 10-15 feet accuracy.

There are many nifty features such as waypoints, built in clock that will show you sunrise and sunset, elevation, compass, bearing and heading.

The options are highly customizable so you can set the menu features and displays to suit what you need the best.

This will not guide you down streets and does not show maps. But if you just want to be pointed in a general direction and find where you were or where you want to go, this unit is ideal; easy to use an inexpensive.

Defective unit? I’m afraid to try again…
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
Well, after finally getting the hang of this not-very-intuitive unit to do some geocaching with my son, I have become increasingly frustrated with its unreliable accuracy. Sometimes we are 20+ feet from a cache, according to the GPS, when we manage to find the cache on our own. The worst thing that I’ve noticed, though, is that we can be standing completely motionless and the directional arrow will wave in all directions and the distance to destination will change by as much as 10 or 12 feet. Is this common? Why does this happen?

Others’ reviews have been much more positive and I’m wondering whether I’m expecting too much from such an inexpensive GPS. I am returning but not exchanging. Bummer…

I’m glad I bought it.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Very accurate.

Easy to use.

Affordable.

Amazing little device.

I’m not talking to Professional Land Surveyors or Airliner Pilots here.

I’m talking to little people like me.

Who just want to know exactly where they are.

And where other points are.

When it tells you your elevation- (I think it calls it altitude)-

you will be amazed at how close it comes.

The farthest off mine ever was on the elevation was 50 feet.

Sometimes it is within 10 or 15 feet accurate on both the location and the elevation.

If you are like me, never having had a GPS receiver before now-

I don’t think you will go wrong with this one.

I like mine anyway.

A Great Point-to-Point GPS
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this primarily for hikes into backcountry so I could follow my “breadcrumb trail” and find my way back. For this it is perfect. I also will use this in conjunction with map and compass, the H will give me my exact location and I can orient myself to where I want to go. Having a GPS with the maps in it is great, but I would never totally depend on a mapping GPS alone; it is still electronics and dependent on batteries and it can go down on you when you need it. You go out into unknown wilderness areas often, you better learn how to use map and compass; it isn’t difficult.

Figure out your real needs; either spend the $$$ and get a complete GPS or get the basic H; the models in between are mostly garmin product differentation strategy…

Great for military use
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I use my eTrex in my job as an Army ROTC instructor, which calls for plenty of opportunity to navigate in the woods. I’ve used it to plot start and end points for situational training exercises, and land navigation points. It works great in dense forest cover, and can be operated reasonably well while wearing gloves.

The backlight doesn’t drain the battery too bad, and doesn’t kill your nightvision. The yellow color isn’t very tactical, but what about our new uniforms is tactical in a woodland green environment? Rain doesn’t bother it, it seems pretty rugged, and at $87.99 (from the PX), I wasn’t too worried about dropping it anyway.

Perfect for price! Mac users will also be happy!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I had spent weeks researching what type of GPS I was going to get. I was new to Geocaching but wanted something that would help teach me the simplicities and ease me into it. I have been pleasantly surprised! I had read so many reviews on this GPS that I pretty much new the little tricks since the manual is totally worthless. There is a multitude of info on the web since this Garmin has been around for so long. Here are some helpful items (free or cheap) to help any Mac users out there…

-Purchase USB & PC data Cable for Garmin Etrex H GPS from KAWA on ebay. It was $[...] for shipping. Had it here in a flash and have been really happy with it. So if anyone tells you that you can’t use a USB, they’re full of it….

- Next go to [...] and download their manager. Neat little application.

The only thing to note is that you will need to download this: [...]

driver in order for it to work with MacCaching as they provided a different driver that didn’t work. The one on apple’s website does work though.

Again, I have been really happy with this little device. I like that it doesn’t show you all the maps because then it makes it that much more fun and teaches you the fundamentals of navigation!

Garmin eTrex H Handheld GPS
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Picked up one of these to replace a Geko 301 that I had been using for recording track logs. The Geko doesn’t work too well without wide open skies, so more often than not I ended up with a bunch of way points rather than a full track log. I’ve just taken the eTrex H on an extended trip driving and walking through the North Cascades National Park (lots of mountains and trees). Even though the unit was in my backpack throughout the trip, the track log looks almost perfect (i.e. it lines up with all the roads etc when in Google Earth). The user interface on this unit appears to be the same as for the Geko, however the buttons are less pleasant to operate (bad placement, and too much force required). Like the Geko this unit does not include a cable; fortunately I could reuse the (not so cheap) USB cable I had bought for the Geko.

Garmin eTrex H Handheld for basic geocaching
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Purchased the Garmin eTrex H to start some simple geocaching with my kids. We have really enjoyed it so far! It’s simple enough to use that my kids (9 and 11) use it, and are learning to put in the waypoints, etc.

This model does not come with a cord for downloading the information from the web, but it is available. I have not purchased or used that, but I think that would be a lot easier than entering everything by hand, as that is a bit time consuming, especially if you are entering several points at a time.

So far we have just geocached around the town, and have found some easy caches. We’ve been able to get right to each cache within 2 feet or less on the coordinates most times, so accuracy, in great weather, is good. Cloud cover does seem to interfere, at least a bit, but we haven’t tried it in storm conditions. Have geocached in the woods, and found it to be very accurate there, too.

The unit finds satellites very quickly out of doors, and in the basement of my house it will eventually pick them up, too. It is a little disconcerting to have the “compass” guide start switching around on you when you are close to the target, but we quickly learned to rely on the distance meter, and just searching and using logic. Having a compass with you also helps, and is a good idea anyway, especially if you are trekking in unfamiliar woods.

Battery life seems good so far. We only turn the unit on once we really need it and turn it off after changing our waypoint icon to a “found” icon, so really don’t leave it on very long.

There are plenty of icons to use for marking your trail, targets, waypoints, etc. All in all, pretty good, once you get used to the functions of the different buttons. Gave it five stars, because for the price it is a good buy.

Good starter GPS
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This is our first GPS. Got to try out Geocaching. Since we didn’t know if we’d like it or not, we didn’t want to spend the money on a more expensive unit. All in all – we love it. It is accurate in our are up to (about) 15 feet, would be nice to have a more accurate unit, but we knew about this when we bought it. I would recommend for anyone who wants to try out a GPS unit.

Easy enough for a child
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought the original etrex several years ago, then we had bought another gps system for about $300 to take with us on vacation. What a mistake!!! After about 3 hours trying to figure out how to use the new one, we gave up and just counted on the etrex. The other one had way to many options, buttons, etc. This one is so easy my 7 year old son uses it with no problems. I don’t know about going into the wilderness and depending on this for survival. I do know that for geocaching, and simple hiking, this is by far the best one to get. (By the way the h gets me within 5 feet most of the time, vs 15-20 with the original). I’m kicking myself for buying the other one, when i could have had 4 of these. I wish that i could trade it for just one of these!

If your safety depends on it, forget this GPS.
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I have had this new high sensitivity Garmin GPS for seven months and have used it perhaps a half dozen times. Today I was laying “bread crumb” tracks on a hike for about three hours. The Sanyo Eneloop NiMH cells were freshly charged. I set the GPS down, antenna up, while I ate a snack. Upon retrieval, I found the unit had turned itself off. Once I turned it back on, the track it had laid for the last three hours had been spontaneaously erased. No amount of zooming in or out would display the track, even though the track log still said that 12% memory had been used. This spontaneous software glitch could potentially be life threatening if you depended on this unit to get you back to safety. I absolutely do not recommend this unit to you if there is even a remote possibility that it might be called upon to entrust your life to. A cool toy, yes. Survival tool, no way.

Fast!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
The big plus of this gadget is the sensitivity and speed. I’ve been using an old Magellan Pioneer and it’s a snail by comparison.

The etrex h is so fast that when you are walking to or from a waypoint – you get a real-time update on bearing, distance as well as your walking speed. I paid a visit once to the bridge on a Holland America cruise ship and the etrex h works just like theirs – real time read-out.

The manual is just a teaser, though. You will learn how to use it primarily by using it. The Garmin website has a couple of dozen “faq’s” on their website at garmin.com.

Simple…but, that’s the point.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Context:

This is my first GPS. I am no luddite, I have built my own PC more than once, and am generally excited by technology — when it works (don’t get me started on the awful disappointment that is every mobile phone and mobile phone network on the planet). I am an avid mostly car camper/day hiker, though I have aspirations of weekend-long hikes (crowds do tend to chafe). In the Marine Corps, I was trained to actually use a map and compass (as in, “find the tree with an orange spot on it in the dense forests of North Carolina”). Though I’m a little rusty, I do exercise that skill once in a while, and philosophically, I prefer it. I’m a bargain-hunter. I hope to use this on hiking trails or in wilderness as a tool to keep me from becoming hopelessly lost, and I don’t geocache.

The Pros:

1) Ease of Use. I’ve never had a GPS before, but it only took the short walk from the parking lot at Disneyland to the front gate to figure out how to mark waypoints, use GOTO and Trackback without the benefit of the manual or any quickstart guide. Button purpose was easy to intuit. Poking around randomly is an effective learning tool (the same can’t be said for my mobile phone).

2) Accuracy. On said initial use, the device told me that I had returned to the front gate of Disneyland (waypoint #2), and when I had returned to my car (waypoint #1). In “Normal” mode, the “Skyview” screen normally displays an accuracy of between 14′ – 20′ indoors or in a car. I have yet to try to hide myself from the Sattelites in dense jungle (maybe a later review).

3) Ease of Use. Worth saying twice.

4) Durability. It appears that it will take a short drop or two, though I prefer not to test this personally, and there’s no official statement of it’s comparison to known standards (i.e., IEC 2060529). Garmin’s website does state that the eTrex H is waterproof to IPX7 (within the aforementioned IEC 2060529), which means it is protected against temporary immersion in up to 1 meter of water.

The Cons:

1) There are no maps, though this could be said to be a “pro”. I anticipate having a physical (most likely paper) map (as I usually do for use with a compass), so this isn’t a big deal to me. If you expect a map you would be in for an awful surprise. Having no maps, however, isn’t a torturous idea; you can successfully use waypoints, routes, and trackbacks to prevent you from getting lost, and your indicated lat/long (or grid coord.s) to let someone else know where you were if you needed to.

2) The screen is a little difficult to read without the backlight indoors or under cloudy conditions. There is a contrast adjustment, but there is apparently no adjustment for brightness. The resolution is fine (text and numbers are clear enough), but could be better given the small screen (some lines are too pixelated to be clear).

Overall, I’m very happy with it and I look forward to trying to get lost. I, unlike some others who’ve reviewed here, did not see the hours-long delay in acquiring an initial sattelite array; I was up and running in about ten minutes. I will not be transferring data to or from my PC, nor will I be geocaching, so the lack of a data cable or maps is in no way disappointing. I need it to work simply (which it does) and accurately (which it also does) in potentially adverse conditions (which I believe it will do).

eTrex H: eTrex Over Again
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Perhaps 10 years ago I bought the prior eTrex GPS and used it for several years. Eventually it suffered an unfortunate event and had to be retired.

I bought a new eTrex H model to replace the old one and the “H” model is great. Quicker signal acquisition, same simple to use, easy to understand interface, and now it has a lighted display.

Great product!

A must for off trail hiking.
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I used this on the six mile hike to The Wave where there is no identifable trail. On the way back I got disoriented and when I checked my GPS I discovered I was way off the GPS recorded in route. Quickly I was able to get back on track and out safely. A good little hiking GPS and one should not be without it if doing any off trail hiking.

Easy to use
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I wanted a simple GPS to mark way points and know latitude and longitude. It is easy to use and easy to see.

Gary
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Would not recommend the etrex-H. When received my first etrex-H took 6 attempts to acquire a navigable signal. On each attempt the etrex-H shut itself off. On two hikes the etrex-H shut itself off in less than 4 hours (new batteries each hike) making the backtrack feature worthless. I reported both problems to Garmin via email. I encountered great difficulty with Garmin online customer support; no response to email, and fax “not received by Garmin” yet I have documented proof of successful fax receipt. Garmin online eventually contacted me, and with proof of purchase, authorized return of my etrex-H within warranty for repair etc. (My shipping expense $13.00+)

Garmin ultimately replaced the unit (2 weeks) with no explanation of what was wrong with the original. The new unit took a few minutes to acquire a navigable sigal on first startup (no shutdown). But, the replacement etrex-H has different problems. It shows elevation as -11′ (below sea level) on the street in front of my house. I do not have oceanfront property, nor am I snorkeling with the etrex-H. I have not tested the new unit on the trail to see if it also shuts itself off while hiking.

The etrex-H could be an excellent GPS to support hikers using contoured trail maps… if it worked reliably. So far, I don’t get that warm and fuzzy feeling with the etrex-H. I’d like to lower my rating to 2 stars but I haven’t found where Amazon allows me to do that.

I love it!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I got my etrex not long ago for free as a door prize at a company party. I’ve been interested in geocaching for a few years, but was never able to actually go find the caches. Then I got this gps, and it works perfectly for what I’m using it for. I’ve had no problems with it finding satellites. It usually finds enough to navigate within a minute. Its very easy to use, especially for a beginner like me. It navigates well in wooded areas, and keeps its satellites more often than not.

The only problem I’ve had is it wouldn’t navigate inside a tall science building on the college campus I go to, but otherwise it navigates well inside and outside. It also seems to have a shorter battery life than I like, but that’s easily remedied with rechargeable batteries.

Overall, I think its a great gps for beginners.

Question
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I would like to know if this unit will be dependable to get from Point A to Point B and back to Point A on a lake. When it is turned off and back on, will it still remember where Point A was and get me back?

great device
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Garmin E trex H is a great little gps devise, I dont know much about geocaching or anything like that but I am in the military and need to know where I am and how to get to others during operations. At first I was sceptical because nowhere on any other reviews did it say it gave MGRS (Military Grid Reference) which is how us U.S. miltary navigate, but I gave it a shot because most garmin products come with MGRS.

The size is excellent can fit anywhere in my gear and works great under cloud cover and trees so far. The manual isnt so great but it is so easy I played around with it for about 10 minutes and figured it out. I gave it four stars simply because when you select MGRS, the numbers are small and it takes that extra second to read.

Hopes this helps out any other u.s. military interested

Awesome Basic GPS Unit, Great Price!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I was looking for a basic GPS unit to take with me when I solo backpack … so I can find my car again, as well as some waypoints along the trail (like, oh, say, where I left my campsite before starting out on a dayhike. .

There are more expensive GPS units that do more out there. I love technology in all parts of my life, but the reason I backpack is to simplify. The last thing I wanted was to buy a complex GPS that required the purchasing and loading of topo maps onto my computer … and all the headaches and hassles thereunto. (Read some of the reviews on the pricier, more complex GPS models.)

I took this eTrex with me on a multi-day backpacking trip in Southern PA. I received the eTrex literally the evening of the day before I was to leave. I turned it on, watched a few on-line videos, and was off and running. (I even made copies of a few pages of the owner’s manual to take with me, but found that the unit is so simple to use that I didn’t need them.)

I gave it four stars because the owner’s manual is very poorly written. This is my first GPS unit and some discussion of the basics would have been helpful. But with the help of a few videos on Youtube and other places on-line, I was able to get up and running fairly quickly.

As with other reviewers, my eTrex took a few minutes to find the satellites when I first turned it on at home. The other things new users might want to know is that if you drive several hours before turning the unit on (as I did), the eTrex needs a few extra minutes to “find” itself again. Not a big deal, but good to know.

Bottom line: If you want a simple GPS for backpacking, hunting or fly-fishing, then this is the unit to get.

WARNING! THIS UNIT DOES NOT ACCEPT MAPS!!!
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Warning to all who do not know what to look for in the ‘fine print.’

This unit does not accept Garmin maps. It will download waypoints, tracks, routes from the Garmin map programs, but will not accept the map.

The result is that all one sees is a waypoint on a gray screen, without reference to a street name, or other map feature like a lake. It’s almost like traveling in the dark, not seeing or knowing what surronds you.

Without the ability to display maps, this unit is a TOY if one wants to use it to accurately navigate to NEW locations. Test your ability to self-determine what one true coordinate is beforehand. If you can do it, this is for you. If you can’t figure out coordinates from a map, then you’ll understand the problem and have your answer about this unit.

I use DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteers, which use the same grids as Garmin (WGS 84) and can come to within about a block or two of true coordinates. Hiking, or in the woods, this can mean disaster. Are you 2 blocks to the left, or 2 blocks to the right of where you want to be? Are you 2 blocks too far, or are you 2 blocks too short. Point is that you may be 4 blocks left or right, or 4 blocks too far or too short of where you planned on going!

Without reference images, the waypoints are basically for ’survival’, and not navigating to a new destination as no new destination can be seen on the screen.

It is good for survival if lost in the woods or ocean and one needs help. You can call for rescue with the current coordinates. One can track back and one can also plug in coordinates to Go To, but the problem of it is, is: That one needs to use it in conjunction with a paper map, or other external map and plug in the coordinates BEFORE reaching it, to intentionally navigate to a new location.

This is good for geocaching when you can plug in the coordinates prior to going out. This is good for young children as an introductory training tool, BUT you will feel the need to upgrade immediately.

As far as other criticisms about taking a while to boot: Garmin says it will boot in 39 seconds from a ‘cold boot’, and shorter if it’s a warm boot. This is not a serious problem.

Also, as other criticisms noted, Garmin is NOT USER FRIENDLY at all. They make everything difficult to get assistance. Their map programs are not that good with functionality. The search terms are a nightmare to overcome. Garmin apparently decides names for locations that LOCAL GOVERNMENTS DO NOT USE. In other words if the USPS and city, county, and state call a road by one name, Garmin will distort it somehow and a large percentage of names you search for will not show up under the true name.

I suggest that this product be passed-up for a better one. Save your money and purchase one that will display a map. And, by the way, check out what it costs for cables to hook to your PC, and what the Garmin Map program costs.

Hope this helps.

Cant beat it for the price.
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I was looking for a GPS for hiking with waypoints then got into Geocaching. I wasnt sure what to expect when I first got this GPS unit because at the time it was all I could afford. It surpassed my expectations. Of course it doesn’t have all the whistles and bells other models have, but for the price in my opinion there is none better. It seems I always have a signal, even sometimes when I am inside. And if you want to Geocache, it nails the coordinates most of the time. If you do not have a lot of money to spend but want a quality Gps, this is it.

no cd included & too hard to figure out
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
i think would be a good product but the written instructions are so difficult to figure out. there is a cd that usually comes with the garmin, either this retailer didnt provide it or this model doesnt have it. too hard to figure out so now i have to buy the cd.

Best technology in a starter unit
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is my primary Geocaching GPS. The high sensitivity chip has the same strong processing power, and thus signal sensitivity and position resolution, as any of the more expensive units. It gives me excellent accuracy in areas where my older GPS units just give up, even dense forest cover. The software that drives the unit is the same as the older Yellow model (see below) and has stood the test of time.

If you’re only interested in point to point navigation (geocaching, trail tracks or just finding your way back to the car or the ski chalet), then this unit will do a great job for a no-regrets price. If you’re looking for road network navigation, then this isn’t for you.

Be aware that this is the ‘H’, for ‘High Sensitivity’ unit, introduced in 2007. It’s appearance is almost identical to older Yellow Etrex units, the difference being “High Sensitivity” in red letters just above the screen. Although the older units do work and may still be found, their worth is significantly lessened by the availability of this unit. That’s something to keep in mind when looking at used or “new old stock” units at other venues.

One thing that other reviews mention is true – straight out of the box it takes a long time (hours) to acquire it’s almanac (a digital description of where satellites are in the sky which is transmitted periodically) and then it’s satellite signals. Mine took at least 3 hours and had me thinking it was defective until it finally locked in. Don’t despair, this is a one-time thing – once accomplished, start-up time is about 5 seconds.

Good reception
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The first time I turned it on it couldn’t find any satellites in an open area and I thought my new purchase was a bust. Once I finally got it to work, though, its been good from then on and I’ve been pleased with its sensitivity ever since – even in areas of steep hills and heavy tree canopy (Southeast Alaska). It did shut off by itself once on a hike, but I’m not sure if it was a problem with the unit or the really cheap batteries I was using.

Fine basic unit
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I use this unit for introducing students to GPS. With none of the distractions associated with many other units, it performs flawlessly in both terrestrial and marine environments. I own a variety of units, but this is the unit I take with me on sea kayaking expeditions worldwide.

Obviously, this is a basic unit. If you are interested in additional features such as mapping, route tracking to an on-board map, calling your mother, etc…, look elsewhere. However, be warned, most users use those features for about 20 minutes (on average) before forgetting they exist.

Four stars only because of the interface cable is not included and must be purchased separately.

Very Good For a Beginner
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I just recently purchased this garmin etrex gps device and it has been very helpful and fairly accurate in finding specific locations. I use it for hiking and geocaching and have done well with it so far. The batteries in mine lasted quite a long time before I had to replace them for 1st time. The only hang up I have with it, is that dense tree coverage can interfere with the signal. It is my first gps and I am still learning about it but it has been very helpful.

Good GPS
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This GPS is cheap a decent. very accurate. HOWEVER is doesn’t come with links cable, that another $25.00 and god forbid you have a new computer without 9 pin serial port watch out the USB converter costs 55.00, so might as well buy upgraded version.

Great for beginning geocacher
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I bought this unit a little over a month ago and it’s great! I bought it to start geocaching and use it to mark the coordinates of the location I leave my car when hiking. Easy to use right out of the box, took only 20 minutes to locate satellites, I’ve heard of some taking hours but it wasn’t true for me. I just placed it in my kitchen window. The battery life is great for geocaching, I haven’t had to replace them in the month I’ve been caching.

I would recommend this product for geocaching, it’s “cheap” enough to allow children to take the lead on a hunt and rugged enough to roll around the back the car or at the bottom of a bag/purse/tote bag.

Worthless junk
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I bought this, as I felt that my Garmin 60CSx was overkill for what I needed, which is essentially backtrack and waypoint abilities in deep forest. With FRESH batteries and a wide open field, I was unable to fix my location. I tried in multiple places. I let the unit ask me if I had moved several hundred miles since my last location (it thought I was at Garmin HQ), and I said “YES.” It would show the satellites in different positions from where my 60CSx indicated they were. I am returning this unit. Don’t count on this GPS receiver for anything.