Venture HC Bundle
I have the Venture HC/Topo software bundle. It does everything I wanted a GPS to do. Works GREAT on water, works very very good in dense foliage of upstate NY, and is pretty good for Geocacheing, too. I have had it for 3 years now and so far no signs of leaking anywhere, but It probably does not get used as much as most other people here.
A couple of years
And the “seals” are basically the entire outer edge of the unit, which is glued on. I think the glue might be the problem. I dissected one of them.
The issue isn’t really that it floods, just that it gets enough water in to fry the electronics. And they were never submerged to depth, just a bit of bilge water now and then.
etrex HC
I’ve been using the etrex Venture HC for about 3 years now and aside from the labels on the front fading off it’s still working great. I do sometimes miss not having expandable memory, especially when I want both topo and charts on my unit. But it’s never really been a big deal to reload new map sets.
The Venture HC, because it has no SD card, is not compatible with the newer Garmin bluecharts though, in case you’re looking for charts. It does work fine with the old cd version which is what I use.
all Garmin GPS users
make sure you visit
www.gpsfiledepot.com
Lets get out of the need to buy mentality.
I have only ever bought one set of maps…paid $70 for all of Canada.
FileDepot…
…Careful…there are some maps on this site that don’t work. better to D/L them to a microSD thru a card reader and preview them before adding them to the units memory …
leaking – couple of tips
I have the Vista HCx. The main weak point is the battery compartment which is waterproof, but…
I suggest after rinsing post use to take out the batteries and leave the compartment to dry in case a few drops got in so you don’t corrode the contacts.
The only time I had a leak was after one banged around a bit from a surf launch. So now when I launch through surf I take the gps (lanyard attached to top deck lines) and let it hang inside my cockpit where it won’t hit anything until I’m clear of the surf (same for landing).
danke!
I use a micro SD card for everything
rather than go into the internal memory.
Of course the micro cards are a PITA to find if you drop one…
New eTrex series announced!
Looks like there are now more choices as Garmin today announced its new series of eTrex GPS units:
http://garmin.blogs.com/pr/2011/05/the-new-etrex-garmins-best-selling-gps-handheld-just-got-better.html
A couple of nice features – a better compass, and the ability to transfer data from one GPS to another.
More money than the old eTrex series (more like the prices when the original eTrex first came out) but worth a look.
Dan
http://www.westcoastpaddler.com
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To anyone wanting to buy a Garmin, for half the price of a gps, you can hire me to just stand there next to you and verbally tell you that I cant locate enough satellites to begin. Just figured I’d offer to help some people save a little money.
etrex legend h here
its simple not very good maps but its pretty fast and cheap i put a spice jar on mine so if i drop it in water it wont sink
Cool!
Thanks everybody for all of the information and opinions. I think I’m definitely going to get the eTrex Venture HC ($99). I may just go ahead and get it with the bundled Topo 100k as well. Now I just need to save my pennies.
for half that price
I’ll teach you how to use your gps.
The little yellow Etrex will
leak after a few year of being in the sun.
It is not the seals that leak, but the glue where it is put together will decompose and as soon as this happens you will fry the unit after it gets wet.
-From experience with two of them !
Keep them in a waterproof clear soft pliable pouch, and you won’t have any problems.
Have never had any of the “Map” series ones fry.
Jack L
Legend HCX
I had a Legend CX, and it failed, but I failed to close the USB port when I was paddling. Waves came over and shorted the GPS out, and I cut it back on. Big mistake. Then it shorted out for good. I purchased a HCX and it is a BIG difference in locating satellites. Not even in heavy cover did it fail. I highly recommend. I looked at my failure as user error. If you fail to close the ports, you will get water in them. I have my GPS secured with a RAM motorcycle mount, clasped around a 1/4 piece of pvc pipe that is secured to my skirt. I am very happy with my Garmin
No pouch
I talked to a Garmin tech and was told that putting the unit in a bag is not a good idea as it creates excessive heat which will harm the unit and cause the glue holding the rubber casing to soften.
Dan
http://www.westcoastpaddler.com
Then you need to ask that rep why my
first two (which were never in pouches) leaked ? Once they were in a pouch, I never had another problem with them, and that was day after day in the hot Florida sun
Jack L
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Gee thanks, although it’ll be hard when none of my piece O cr@p garmins will connect with a satellites after 30 minutes of standing there waiting. Tell ya what, if you can make em connect I’ll teach you how to tie your shoes like a big boy…deal?
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All Garmin units seem to work ok when you first get them, but after a while they ALL turn into a paper weight being unable to work. If yours works right now, give it time,…it wont be working for long. I’ll never give another dime to garmin when three purchases totaling near a grand all turned to junk within a short amount of time.
Anyone doubting this needs to do a little research and it’ll open your eyes. Just do a google search for “reconditioned garmin” and you’ll find the marker is flooded with garmins that turned to crap and were returned and are for sale. That should light the bulb for any reasonable person. Garmin…No Thanks!
how many years typically until it fails?
The newer (last few years or so) High sensitivity models (‘H’ in model name) seem to find satellites pretty quick (30 seconds or so) and seem to do so for a few years anyway. I find that when dealing with very heavy trees or a narrow canyon I can have some trouble, but if I first let it find satellites in a clear area then travel to the trees with it tracking it usually keeps the track.
What brands and model have you found that work better?