This GPS Rocks! The WAAS functionality makes it far more accurate than most other GPS units on the market. I find the reception quite good. I've used it mountain biking under a heavy canopy and it tracked reasonably well. It is exceptionally durable, having taken a number of spills on my bike, being dropped onto rock numerous times, and slid off my canoe into 5' of water for 10 minutes. I wish the battery life was longer, but considering everything the unit does, it is still impressive. I use NiMH rechargeable batteries and get about 4-5 hours of use in normal mode and 6-7 hours in ‘battery saver’ mode, however your reception goes down in battery saver, so it’s only practical under an open sky. Take a pocket full of batteries, because it’s easy to get careless and not pay attention to where you’re going when you have a GPS, only to have it run out of batteries half-way back to the car or camp. Battery life drops in the cold, and reception drops in the rain. Also, it has trouble getting reception on a Jeep Wrangler dashboard because the windshield is so vertical. The software is exceptional… easy to use and understand, yet very powerful. The downloads on the Garmin site are fantastic. I owned the GPS12, upgraded to the eTrex legend for the mapping capability, then upgraded to the Vista to get more memory. I would highly recommend the eTrex Legend or the Vista. Don't bother with any other unit.

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PLGR (military), GPS12, eTrex Legend, eTrex Vista.

Clearly the best GPS for me: Small, light, robust, waterproof and packed with features (latest software (2.26) even has a calculator). The screen resolution is very good, and makes it a lot easier to read than the cheaper Etrex models. It has all the features I want, except an alarm when closing in on a waypoint. The ergonomics are good, though I had to get used to using my left hand with the joystick button. It is easy to move between the different screens, and the little pop-up windows are handy. Good user interface. Seems like the software is very good also (no lock-ups or other problems). The basemap (Atlantic: Europe++++) is surprisingly good, but if you need more detail you have to purchase Garmins maps, made in their proprietary, format. The accuray when used in the mountains is very good, usually 5-10m, which means iot shows my telemark turns down a mountain face! :) I spend little time below the tree line, so I don''t worry about reception there. Wish it could store more than 10 tracks, but I haven''t actually needed more (yet?). The accuracy of the saved tracks seems to be better than on the cheaper models - du to more memory, maybe? Batteries don''t last very long, and varies with temperature, backlight usage, etc. I normally get about 10 hours with compass off. Lithium batteries is the way to go for longer hikes. Bring spares (lithiums weigh almost nothing). Would have bought it again. Software tip: I recommend Ozi Explorer (www.oziexplorer.com) rather than the MapSource CDs. The MapSOurce software isn''t very good, and the maps are quite limitating. With Ozi you can scan your own maps, calibrate with 3+ known points, and use the same map on the computer as "out there". Very nice! I use it in my car also. Buy power cable at half of Garmin''s price here: http://www.pfranc.com/cables/eP3/

Customer Service

Great - emailed some questions, got good answers the same day.

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Etrex Summit, and older Garmin (12-something?)

Outstanding unit. Takes a bit of time to learn how to extract all of the stuff it can do. Terrible antenna - nearly useless in a canyon or under canopy. I also own a Garmin 2plus and a Map76 which both aquire satellites faster and stay locked far longer than the more expensive Vista. The electronic compass and area calculation make this my GPS of choice when I''m positive satellites will be visible to this weak minded unit. I am very willing to pay more for this unit with a decent antenna.

Customer Service

Terrible. I sent several emails to customer service and never got a reply. The manual and on line help and FAQ''s don''t address the "Area calculation" function and I had to work my way through it. St

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Garmin: 2plus, Map76, 180.

Best GPS for me.. size, battery life (12+ hours, leaving the compass off unless needed), altimeter, barometer. I use it for backpacking, and when I''m not doing that it''s mounted to my car with direct power. It has a decent base map, I''m never lost, if you want more detailed roads, add the other map packages. It does lose signals in the woods, but if you wait a sec you''ll get one, others may hold signals through the woods, but they also eat batteries. This one takes 2 AA''s, I usually bring 6, and run it constantly while I''m walking, it lasted 6 days on 6 batteries on isle royale, mi. This one has all the options if you know how to use it, some people aren''t smart enough to learn it, I was stuck in my tent in the rain all day and basically mastered it. People shouldn''t compare these things when they''re not comparing apples to apples... don''t tell me your garmin emap or your is so much better when that one weighs alot, takes 3 times as many batteries, and is basically useless on an actual backpacking trip (weight wise including enought batteries to utilize it) or one that''s made for a car. And last, I use this site all the time to get feedback from people who OWN the product, don''t review it if you don''t have it or had previously owned it, feedback from the peanut gallery is useless. (I''m putting this on all my reviews now, nothing against anyone, unless you do that... "corvettes suck, but I don''t have one.." etc)

Customer Service

Never used, although internet updates are free, just hook it up to the computer and it fixes any bugs that are out there.

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Played with others at the store, haven''t owned any others

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Purchased this unit in May 2001. I purchased the unit because of the small design. I liked the added features such as the fluxgate compass, altimeter, barometer which work well. I am right handed, but the mouse is designed for left hand use which is a pain. The screen/system update time takes too long when I zoom or pan. The map detail does not appear until you zoom into an area that is too small to work with. The worst problem is that the unit looses signal easily...For example when I walk by a tree, let the unit hang from the factory provided neck strap, and hold it in my hand while I am walking. For the most part the GPS function is useless anywhere except a big parking lot.

Customer Service

Sent a e-mail through the GARMIN website. They gave me an RMA number and told me to send the unit back to GARMIN. This cost me $7.50 with insurance. They sent it back with a note telling me the

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Magellan 2000 XL was my prior GPS and it never lost signal under the same conditions and in the exact same locations.

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There seems to be much negative press (reviews) on this product. Let it be said that this is the best unit on the market for backpacking/outdoor use in my experience. It''s size, weatherproofness, and features are superior to anything else out there. Battery life isn''t the best so I usually take extra batteries, but this is to be expected with as much as this thing has to do. The signal given off by the satelites is a very weak radio signal which therefore necessitates a super-sensitive antenna. This unit uses a patch antenna and I feel it does very well given the cicumstances (Another thing to keep in mind is that the strength of the signal in large part depends upon the satellites). For the most part my Vista has picked up the satellites even under moderate tree cover. A patch antenna compared to a quad helix antenna isn''t as sensitive, therefore a Garmin II+, III+, the new V or the Garmin GPS 76 (intended for water navigation) that do have a quad helix may work better when heavy tree cover is encountered. A nice feature of the Vista is that you have the electronic compass when the GPS can''t find a signal. This feature will still point you in the right direction. I have experienced this when I know that I couldn''t get GPS reception and it worked for me. When the GPS found a signal they worked together to help me find my way. I have also used the map to tell me where I was (with the properly downloaded software)when I couldn''t get a signal. I have put lithium batteries in my unit ($6.00 for 2 AAs) and it has lasted for 17 hours (they are also considerably lighter). One of the neatest things I have discovered is the elevation page. I climbed on top of a local mountain on a 4 day backpacking trip and it recorded my altitude within 20-30 feet when properly calibrated. With the elevation profile, I could see exactly where I was at what time and on what day. This allowed me to re-live the experience. I look forward to many more mountain climbing and backpacking trips using the Garmin Vista. I would recommend it to any serious outdoor enthusiast interested in not getting lost or wanting a detailed log of their trip.

Customer Service

Have had problems getting through to ask questions. Being the GPS world leader in consumer GPS electronics, I can see how they would be fairly busy.

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Magellan 330, Garmin Summit, Garmin III+

I got a Vista for backpacking the swamps and woods. Knowing it was waterproof helped sway my decision over some of the competition.

What I did not know was that the Vista only has a cheap patch antenna instead of a quadrafilar antenna. I couldn't get sat lock worth a darn under heavy cover. I ended up returning it for a Garmin MAP76. The 76 has a quad antenna and external option, and locks the birds even under thick canopy. Batteries last longer, too.

Customer Service

Garmin MAP76

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The Vista is a good product, like all of the eTrex line. It has the same water resistance as the standard eTrex and seems to weigh about the same.

One thing it doesn't have is the same battery life, though. Because of the extra options (which use power), Vista gets only about half the battery life. If you're using it in a vehicle on the trip out, I definitely recommend the 12v power cord.

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With the eTrex line, there are two ways to go ... both are extremes.

If all you are looking for is something to track where you went, so you can backtrack out when you get lost, for under $100, the low-end eTrex is the way to go.

If you want ANYTHING more, skip the mid-line eTrex units and go right for the Vista. The middle units only give you a flavor of what the Vista has ... so eventually you'll want to upgrade anyways.

The Vista's electronic compass needs to be tuned every month or so. The unit loses signal if you point it to the ground ... strap it to your packpack strap on your chest for best results.

Get the Delorme Topo!USA 3.0 maps, not the Garmin maps.

Customer Service

Haven't needed help with unit. Wish Garmin would provide some free downloads as value-adds.

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Owned a Venture, but never got it to track right (doesn't have WAAS). Also, it can't download maps (even thought it's got 1mb RAM).

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Moving to the Pacific Northwest from Detroit, my wife and I have discovered the joys of the great outdoor and have started hiking in both the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. St. Helens National Forest. After several months of day hikes (and receiving the tax refund in the mail) we decided to splurge and get a GPS for those times when we go off trail or when we eventually decide to do some over nighters/multi day hikes. The Vista has all of the features I could want except for one --- it doesn''t work under the trees. Bought it this past Saturday and tried it out on Sunday. Spent 50% of the hike looking at the display telling me "weak signal, need clear view of sky" -- even when the canopy was broken and I was bathed in sunlight. I''m quite sad, because I love the features of the Vista -- if only it worked under trees. So if you are planning to hike/backpack out in the open or in sparse trees, I heartily recommend the Vista. If you want a GPS unit for hiking in a forest/woods, then this is probably not the unit for you. I have an email in to customer service to find out if there is a better unit or a way to upgrade the antenna (I''m doubtful)...

Customer Service

As mentioned above, I submitted an email to Garmin''s customer service on 8/27 and have not yet heard back (but its only been a little over 36 hours...)

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