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The basic operation is easy. I was afraid of getting lost, and it's a snap to backtrack. It works well when I'm out with my hiking club. I got it with Mapsource Topo US which shows major trails. If you don't buy any map with it, there's a built-in map that just shows major highways. You can set the backlight bright enough so that it's easy to read in full sunlight.
Another irritation is that there seems to be no way to truly turn off the track log so that there is not a big straight line from the end of one track log to the beginning of the next. which does not recognize the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx, even with their latest updates. As far as I can tell, it does nothing. If you know nothing about GPS, the owner's manual offers great descriptions of the basics, but fails to describe the more technical terms or how to use some of the more intricate features. The menus and functions are fairly intuitive.
Long battery life, easy buttons and toggles. I have sent emails to customer support at Apple and TOPO., with NO response, let alone a helpful one. First, let me clarify that by itself, this is a good unit in the way it functions--I have had no glitches or function errors. This would normally not be an irritant, because one would simply edit the tracks as desired with the appropriate software.
You cannot edit, print, or do anything other than look at your track. is supposed to function with Intel-based Macs (which I have) yet continually pops up warnings, errors, and will not download my tracks, if it runs at all--it usually crashes. A minor irritation is that the screen light has to be reset to your preferred setting every time you turn it on. BUT this brings me to the main problem I have with Garmin: THERE IS NO VIABLE SOFTWARE FOR MAC USERS. Ummmmm.I am not having trouble running Bobcat, I am having trouble with finding anything even remotely USEFUL in it.The bottom line is: if you are just looking for a handheld unit for exploring, this functions great, but you can buy the same service for much cheaper.
If you are a Mac user and want to be able to upload and use anything from a Garmin product (or any)., you are out of luck. The background maps only identify major highways and major cities--completely useless for even the most basic on-pavement navigation. So I bought National Geographic TOPO. TOPO. Despite extensive research and assurances from Garmin customer support, THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE. IF you want to be able to use more extensive features AND you are a Mac user, don't waste your time and money--there is nothing out there for us right now. It is accurate and offers great visuals.
I could have kept my 3-yr-old $99 Magellan and had the same results I have had with this purchase. The entire reason I bought this unit was because I want to track my off-pavement routes, then be able to create printable maps. Bobcat (Garmin's Mac interface program) is a joke--I have not been able to figure out why on earth anyone would waste their time writing or downloading this program. Garmin at least replied with a "try to reload Bobcat". Garmin, please prove me wrong.
The Vista also has a micro-SD slot which is a great feature. I rode the same route this summer with the Vista HCx and reception was perfect.I have the City Select maps for North America which I loaded on my 60Cs. It is smaller, the screen is higher resolution (though physically slightly smaller), the arrangement of buttons is better for one-handed operation, battery life is at least twice as long. I purchased this GPS to use both on my bicycle and in my car. With the 60Cs if the GPS was running on external power the backlight automatically came on and stayed on. I used the 60Cs a couple years ago on a bike trip and found it lost reception when the trees extended over the road or trail.
No more switching map sets before long trips.The high-sensitivity receiver is great, it receives signals and maps my position while sitting on my couch.
The 60Cs has 64MB of memory, enough to load say northern Illinois and part of souther Wisconsin.
The backlight does not automatically stay on when running on external power.
I also own a 60Cs from Garmin.The Vista HCx is a better GPS in every way.
Garmin allows their maps to be loaded onto two devices so I was able to load and activate the maps for the Vista.I also purchased the bicycle handlebar mount for this unit and it works great as well (though a bit pricey for what it is).Currently I have only one complaint about the Vista HCx.
I put a 2GB micro-SD card in the Vista and was able to load maps of the entire U.S.
and Canada.
You must press the On/Off button briefly to activate the backlight.
This is a minor complaint but since it could be fixed with a firmware update it would be a nice feature to include.
I was bought a few months ago, And using in Turkey. i was updated Turkey map. It's very usefull.
I just received this unit a few days ago. The satellite locking so much faster. I was planning on comparing it to Magellan Tritton 500 in some field tests, but there's no comparison. Out of the box, the user interface is so much better. And believe it or not, no freezes or half finished bits of functionality - which was the case with Tritton. I love it.
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