Great unit for the cost!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Granted, there are better units on the market with more features, but I wasn’t looking for a $600 model that could do it all. I was looking for a basic GPS unit for a gift for my husband that we could use to start geocaching. I wasn’t looking to invest $600 in a unit without even knowing if my husband would enjoy geocaching… but after finding out that he does, and using this unit for many excursions into random fields and wildlife areas- we are REALLY happy with the value for such a great unit! My father has used to for geneology, to mark coordinates of gravesites. We bought the maps so we can use it on the road, too. There isn’t turn by turn navigation, but again, that’s not why I bought this unit. If I had wanted that, I could have spent more for a different model. But, I also didn’t want to spend a lot on a unit. This does everything we want/need it to do, and for the value it has some really cool functionality. It was easy to figure out how to download the cache data into the unit. We’re very happy!

Decent, but Expected More
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I bought this unit for use on hikes, bike rides, and other similar outdoor activities. I’ve had it for a few months now, and overall, I’m only somewhat satisfied. Here’s a list of pros and cons that have stuck with me so far:

Pros:

-easy to read/see color screen (even in bright sunlight)

-highly customizable screens (types and amount of data shown on each screen)

-fairly easy to learn and operate

-many features, including barometric altimeter and electronic compass

Now, the cons to this product may not be specific to this unit. It may be more a function of the limitations of GPS:

-inaccurate (sometimes highly) “tracking” of horizontal position or trail actually traveled (I’ve compared to trail maps and Google Earth visible trails, and some of my tracks are inexplicably way off)

-inaccurate barometric altimeter (sometimes hundreds of feet off. I’ve turned it on, and had elevation readings of -200 feet!!) which must be constantly calibrated. Also, if you calibrate at the bottom of a climb, by the time you reach the summit, it may be over 100′ off.

-very inaccurate odometer data, and inconsistencies in the data. For example, I recently hiked Half Dome, which is 4800′ vertical gain…this unit only registered 1500′ total ascent, but the begin elevation and end elevation shown were well over 1500′ different. Also, on the same Half Dome hike, the odometer read 5 miles hiked, but the track total registered a more accurate 8.3 miles.

-very “stiff” buttons.

Again, the inaccuracy may be a function of the limitations of GPS, but the odometer inaccuracies in terms of total distance, total ascent, descent, etc. was disppointing. Perhaps Garmin needs to come up with another way of calculating these values. I think a lot of these values are calculated using current horizontal and vertical velocity, which may be inaccurate at any given moment. With inconsistencies at any given moment, it is difficult for the unit to calculate the actual horizontal and vertical distance traveled.

In any case, overall, I would recommend this product for simple trail and waypoint marking. But it should be understood you will only get “general” information, and not anything resembling very accurate data.

**EDIT** Garmin released a firmware patch in Feb of ‘08, and it has really helped with the accuracy of certain data. The total ascent data is much more accurate now, often within 100′ of actual climbed distance (that may not seem so great, but it was horrible before). Also, the distance measurements are better. When I save a track, the distance per the track is much more close to the odometer reading, usually within a mile for a 10-15 mile hike (which again, is just ok, but better than before).

Overall, the unit does seem to be more accurate in all ways now, perhaps due in part to this firmware update. Also, tracks seem to be more accurate in terms of comparing visually to maps. I’m more happy with the unit now, and would probably give it 4 stars if I reviewed it today.

Garmin eTrex Summit HC Hand Held Receiver with Built in GPS Patch Antenna
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
Product Hardware: 9/10

User Interface : 9/10

Scale-ability : 7/10 (No Memory card Slot)

Precision : 6-11 mts in normal conditions.

Supplied Software and MAP: 9.5/10

Overall : Justifies the cost paid.

Other Advantages:

Power Supply: The best part is that it is powered by 2 AA cells which can be obtained anywhere. We can use chargeable cells.

Electronic Compass: Though does not function well, when unit is stationary, but extreamy helpful. You don’t have to carry a compass.

Altimeter: Very good feature. I found it pretty accurate.

Final Reccomendation: Go for a slight higher range model which has SD card slot. For daily users, this model is more than sufficient.

Garmin Summit HC: Good General purpose pocket GPS
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The HC is good for making your way through unfamiliar terrain. It’s handy for marking hunting, fishing, and navigation points. Like other less expensive GPS units, the base map is very much lacking in detail. I feel that Garmin and other GPS manufacturers could provide a better base map. The owner’s manual is sufficient and the unit’s controls are well placed. A very serious navigator would probably be happier with a unit that has an SD slot for quickly adding more detailed maps. The 24mb internal memory of the HC isn’t for the diehards. I enjoy my HC and feel it is the best under $200 pocket navigator out there for hunters,fishermen, and day hikers.

works o.k., but not what expected
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
Being my first GPS, I expected a lot from this unit-fueled by all the rave reviews, no doubt. The satelite pickup seems O.K., but not “lightning fast”. I bought the topo cd so I could download maps and was immiediately dissapointed in the limited memory of the unit. It would be nice not to have to download maps every time I go somewhere different.

It works O.K., but I don’t find it very “intuitive”, the buttons aren’t labeled. I bought this because it got good reviews and was worried about getting something with a touch screen. I should have got the nuvie or the oregon. I bought it expecting 2009 technology- it isn’t.

Etrex summit heaven
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I am a mountain biker and suffered with having to make frequent stops to get a map out of my back pack and then spend a few minutes working out where i was……..painful! The etrex became choice number one because of price mainly, i was not too sure how it would work on the trail but other reviews seemed favourable. Linked up to some decent software it performs like a dream, one minor problem is spending too much time “Heads in” looking at it to find out where on the planet you are, not ideal on a bike!! When loaded with a route it is dead easy, the compass page gives you a big red arrow to point to your direction of travel, and you get an audible beep when approaching a change of direction. Plusses are price, functionality, connectivity, battery life and ease of use even for a biff like me. Minus point is the fact that you get a bit engrossed in it when hurtling downhill!!!!!!

Great Handheld GPS
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I purchased this GPS for hiking. The GPS quickly aquires satelites (Much more quickly than my antiquated Garmin III Plus). The Barometric altitude feature is great for anyone interested in hiking in the high country. Very Accurate! The electronic compass is a nice feature as well.

Over all a great product from one of the leaders in GPSr.

Best on its Price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is the best GPS that you can find in its price range, it has all the capabilities of a Etrex Vista for less price, the only difference between this and de Summit HC is the memory, Summit has 24 Built in Memory and Vista you need to buy a SD card for it.

very poor installation process for Garmin software
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I’m still trying to install the “Trip & Waypoint Manager” software that comes with this unit. The installation of the software required that I first read the manual, which required, in the middle of installation, that I download Adobe Acrobat Reader. The Adobe Reader installation required that I restart the computer, which caused the computer to lose its place in the “Trip & Waypoint Manager” software installation. So now the Manager software tells me that I need to uninstall it, and reinstall. I realize that many computers already have Adobe Reader on them, but mine does not. Very poor planning on Garmin’s part.

The rest of the installation also requires an internet connection.

The Summit itself seems fine so far, but, of course, I can’t use some of the features without installing this software.

Good for bike riding
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I purchased this so that I could use it on my bike to take bike trips. This with the topo maps works really nicely. It is best to purchase the bike connections from garmin because there are different diameter handle bars and usually only the smaller handle bar holder is offered. The Garmin web site explains that better than amazon. but this GPS is priced right and does everything needed to be a great bike computer.

Garmin Summit is great
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
In the summer I spend a lot of time on my horse in the Colorado Wilderness Areas. And yes, I have a way of mounting the GPS unit on the dashboard of my gelding. After 4 years hard service, my Garmin Legend quit. Improvements I found in my new Summit are impressive: color, faster satellite acquisition, and map orientation that matches the orientation of the unit. This last is possible only in the Summit which has the electronic compass lacking in other GPS models from Garmin. The commands are more intuitive and it works better in timber. With the new cable and drivers that came with the Summit, I was able to use my old MapSource CD to load contours.

Great Deal! Garmin Etrex Summit HC
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I ordered this Garmin Etrex Summit HC and have begun using it for geocaching. It works for me!