Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Color High-Sensitivity Mapping Handheld GPS
Amazon.com Product Description
Neither deep foliage nor steep canyons will faze the rugged Garmin eTrex Vista HCx navigator. Equipped with a high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver, the unit locates your position quickly and precisely and maintains its GPS location even in heavy cover. The advantage is clear: whether you’re traipsing through thick woods or strolling near tall buildings and trees, you can count on the Vista HCx to help you find your way when you need it the most. The Vista HCx also includes a built-in electronic compass that provides bearing information even when you’re standing still, along with a barometric altimeter that tracks changes in pressure to pinpoint your precise altitude. You can even use the altimeter to plot barometric pressure over time, which can help you keep an eye on changing weather conditions.
Adding maps to the Vista HCx is easier than ever thanks to the device’s microSD card slot, which accepts cards preloaded with MapSource data for your land and sea excursions. Just insert a MapSource card with detailed street maps, and the Vista HCx will provide turn-by-turn directions to your destination. Plus, the card slot is located inside the waterproof battery compartment, so you needn’t worry about it getting wet.
Besides appreciating its small size, users will also be happy with the Vista HCx’s unique button layout, with five buttons located on either side of the unit. The benefits of this design are twofold: First, the Vista HCx is a breeze to operate with just one hand, and, second, with the buttons on both sides of the unit, the bulk of the front is dedicated to the 256-color, sunlight-readable TFT display. This makes it easy to distinguish map details regardless of the time of day.
The Vista HCx basemap, meanwhile, contains lakes, rivers, cities, interstates, national and state highways, railroads, and coastlines–in short, a host of helpful details for your outdoor adventures. Other details include an IPX7 waterproof housing, 1,000 waypoints with names and graphic symbols, a built-in patch antenna, a USB interface, a hunt/fish calendar, sun and moon information, and a geocaching mode. The Vista HCx, which runs for up to 25 hours on a pair of AA batteries (not included), measures 2.2 by 4.2 by 1.2 inches (W x H x D) and is backed by a one-year warranty.
What’s in the Box
eTrex Vista HCx, basemap, MapSource Trip & Waypoint Manager software, USB cable, wrist strap, quick start guide, user’s manual.
Product Description
Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Hand Held Receiver w/ Built in GPS Patch Antenna. MicroSD card slot allows for storage of optional MapSource detail /MicroSd card not included. WAAS enabled, 12 parallel channel GPS receiver. Electronic compass displays accurate heading while standing still. Barometric altimeter with automatic pressure trend recording. Built in GPS patch antenna. Display: 1.3 in W x 1.7 in H, 256 color, high resolution, transflective TFT /176 x 220 pixels. LED backlit display and keypad. Battery life: up to 32 hours typical use using two AA alkaline batteries. Includes a built in Americas autoroute basemap with automatic routing capabilities including highways, exits and tide data /USA only. 500 user waypoints with name and graphic symbol; 20 reversible routes, 50 points per route. Position formats include Lat/Lon, UTM, Loran TDs, Maidenhead, MGRS, user grid, and more. Audible alarms for anchor drag, arrival, off course and clock. Large numbers option for easy viewing, dual position display mode. Trip computer provides odometer, stopped time, moving average, overall average, total time, max speed and more. 10,000 point automatic track log; 20 saved tracks /500 points each/ let you retrace your path in both directions. Built in celestial tables for best time to fish and hunt, plus sun and moon calculations. Fully compatible with MapSource products including BlueChart, City Navigator, U.S. TOPO 24K, U.S. TOPO and US Inland lakes. Waterproof, IEC 60529 IPX7, /Submersible 1 meter at 30 minutes.
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August 1st, 2009 at 12:44 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very Nice
I bought this to replace a Garmin GPSMAP 76. The GPSMAP screen went blank after about 2 years of pretty heavy use. I am very happy with the Vista HCx.
August 1st, 2009 at 6:03 pm
If you are reading this and the other reviews of the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx then you are doing your homework and wondering if this GPS is as good as all the hype makes it out to be. The short answer is YES! I have an old Garmin 12 Map which has served me well, but was getting a bit long in the tooth. I wanted something a bit smaller, lighter, with color screen and was water tight. The Vista HCx meets all of these needs and so many more. It is small in size, but with a fairly big and bright screen (easily readable in the sun) for its size.
Every review I read touted the extra sensitive antenna and how it picked up and locked onto satellites inside of homes or buildings. Well I can honestly tell you that it does all this and does it quick. How this happens it Garmin magic. I was always told you had to have line of sight to pick up satellites, but not in the case of the Vista HCx, it can get them just about anywhere short of being in a bunker.
The menu is intuitive and easy to navigate, so much more that my old Garmin 12 map. The long story short, this little GPS is the one for everyone else to beat. If you are seriously considering a GPS purchase for hiking or navigating the back country, do not look elsewhere, this is the one to get!
The base maps in the Vista HCx are of course upgradeable through additional accessories purchases from Garmin (at substantial cost), but worth the money. How Garmin managed to pack so much into so little a package is a mystery to me. Do yourself a favor, stop reading the review and just buy one, you will not be disappointed.
BTW, I purchased mine through Amazon.com and took advantage of the free shipping. It arrived four days ahead of when it was scheduled to arrive which was a nice surprise. Amazon has a very good price and I have always been happy with my purchases through them. And no I am not getting paid to say these nice things about Amazon, I am just a very satisfied customer.
Dan…
August 1st, 2009 at 6:53 pm
4.0 out of 5 stars
great GPS
Great GPS – good undercover of trees. Poor documentation from Garmin – the owners manual is weak!
August 1st, 2009 at 9:43 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
I don’t get it! ONE STAR not FIVE!
I own a auto GPS by Garmin and I have been very happy with it so I thought this would be a good purchase as well. With the auto GPS you turn it on and off you go!
August 1st, 2009 at 11:42 pm
After being content with my Garmin Vista, I decided it was time to upgrade to the latest Garmin Vista eTrex HCx. With a new MapSource Topo USA for MAC available, and the ability to transfer National Parks Topo Version 3 from PC to MAC I thought it would be an ideal time to “upgrade” to this model. The HCx has a beautiful color screen, is highly sensitive-acquiring satellites and able to navigate much more effectively! Response is quick-virtually instantaneous. Ergonomically the toggles are awkward and its easy to toggle into the wrong place-not a big deal and I image I’ll get used to it. This being said the documentation that comes with the unit is almost useless, covering just the basics. Forget about how to setup (at least for a MAC). The cd that comes with it is for PC’s only and there is absolutely no information on what a Mac user needs to do. You think a quick look at the Garmin website would have these answers. Nope! Nada! The website is a joke-as is customer support. I waited 32 minutes to speak to a rep and then was told I would have to be transferred to their Mac Dept. Okay fine. Another 34 minute wait. Thats; okay, I’m willing to wait-except the tech I finally get is about as helpful as a cord of wood. No help. I ask questions he doesn’t know the answers and doesn’t sound like he cares-hardly a Mac enthusiast. In fact I felt like he actually dispised my call. From simple things like where’s the serial number? (UPDATE: it’s behind the batteries) to do I need drivers to download to make this work? (UPDATE: No you don’t. In fact, if you’re using a Mac, just turn it on and it’s up and running-no need for “installation disc”)-if you want to transfer maps to your GPS, you must download the “MapInstall” program from Garmin’s website). This is a beautiful device that does what my old Vista did-except this one, is of course, much faster, and more effective-if I could get some information on it! If Garmin is going to claim they are moving toward Mac compatibility they should give a little more information to Mac user’s on their website (other than press releases on how they are now Mac friendly) or perhaps a few sentences in the manual explaining exactly what Mac users need to get this thing up-and-running; transferring maps, able to communicate with Mapsource software, etc.. I would like to give the HCx five stars, but because of absolutely no assistance for Mac users on their website or manual-and because of an initial bad customer service experience I give it two stars and sit here with a $270 GPS-$200 worth of new MapSource Maps (another product-another review) and a beautiful little machine that has quicker response and is much more capable than my old Vista-but just as useless on a Mac (REVISED: It works beautifully with my Mac. Perfect!). My enthusiasm dissolved after trying to upload maps or connect to my computer.
REVISED 6/30/08: Okay, finally! I got someone at Garmin customer service (very nice in the Mac Dept.) that could explain what-exactly needs to be done to get this puppy up-and-running: I had already downloaded the Garmin MapIntsall software (which you need to open, then select the device-in this case the HCx); there you will find all your maps (in my case the Topo Natl Parks and Topo USA for Mac). With the GPS plugged into USB port you simple select all the maps you want from one set of maps and then go to the other set and select the ones there). Works like a dream! Now if they would just make this clear somewhere (and believe me, it is not CLEAR anywhere). That being said, the experience I had today was much better. While I had to wait another 30 minutes to get customer service (who told me the serial number is located inside the battery case on the back) and then another 5 minutes to get to the Mac specialist-all my questions were answered! Both techs were very nice and helpful! Today’s experience would be 5 Star Customer service! while I have rated the device 2 stars-I would probably change to 4 stars. Why the missing star? Initial frustration that could have been alleviated if Garmin took the time to stuff some extra instructions in the box specifically for Mac user’s and made their website a little more friendly-and informative. The 24k NATL PARKS maps are beautiful on the color screens-as are the TOPO USA 2008 for Mac. The toggles are still awkward and unruly-but I’ll get used to it. So, in a nutshell; You can download multiple maps on to your Garmin Vista Hcx using MapInstall (dowload from their website) to your applications folder. Once downloaded, connect your HCx to USB and select device and have fun selecting your maps. One thing I was not real clear on until today is that “Bobcat” is strictly for viewing maps and transferring wayspoints, etc. It has nothing to do with uplading maps to your GPS. Use MapInstall to upload maps to the GPS. Today’s experience brought my faith back in Garmin customer service and technology. Thanks Garmin, for FINALLY becoming Mac compatible. I’m going to be a happy camper with this wonderful little GPS!
REVISED 7/6/08: Referring to the most recent “1 Star” Review; Yes, mine locks-up/freezes, too (nothing to do with Mac) unit freezes on the trail-at least once a day. No response from any buttons-unable to do anything until holding power button for long period-reboot. This is not cool! Will call Garmin Monday and see what’s up. Not good to hear they have a new chipset out and this may be the old one. After-all, I just purchased this. Will report back on what Garmin says. This sounds like an obvious defect.
REVISED 7/9/08: Emailed Garmin Monday-no response yet (3 days later)-so returned to Amazon for exchange. Amazon is great! No problem. Sent out a new one before I could box up the defective one-received replacement today! That’s customer service! Will let everyone know if the problem persists with replacement unit. Amazon 5 Stars! HCx?..not so sure anymore.
REVISED 7/11/08: Garmin emailed me 4 days later and explained that the new chipset is 3.0. My software version is 2.60. Used “Web-Updater” on my Mac and said I have the latest software. Everything is working beautifully with replacement Amazon sent me. No freezes or problems of any kind. Final score: Garmin HCx-4 Stars! Amazon-big 5 Stars!
August 2nd, 2009 at 12:19 am
I bought it to replace my old Garmin Etrex Vista and I am very happy with it. When comparing it to my older model these are the main differences:
Pros:
* Really high sensitivity. Now it always works inside the car, and it always works when hiking in the forest. You can just drop it into your pocket or backpack.
* Routing capability. Very useful if you have a good map, even if it doesn’t give voice commands.
* Color screen rather than B/W makes it much more readable even if screen area is slightly smaller
* When saving Waypoints, now the date and time info is automatically included.
* Battery lasts at least twice
* Rapid transfer of maps and tracks through USB rather than serial!
* Compatible with the maps and logs that I already have. I transferred all the waypoints and tracks saved in my old Vista to this new model, through Mapsource without problem.
* Compatible with my car, motorbike and bicycle mounts that I already have from my Etrex Vista.
* I can still use the free maps that I used with my old Vista, from: http://mapcenter.cgpsmapper.com/catalogue.php and from
http://www.malsingmaps.com/ ;
* Automatic date setup (from the satellites?)
* When transferring to the PC, the Active Log is now transferred as a few tracks (I guess one for every time that you have powered up the device) rather than as a long list of tracks
* When saving a track, now you can decide exactly up to which point to save back.
Cons:
* Not compatible with two of my Etrex Vista accessories: Car power adaptor (now the power comes through the USB connector) and Garmin case (now the unit is a little bit wider and shorter)
* No Favorite Waypoints menu. Has been replaced by a Recent Finds Menu?
* User Interface is sometimes confusing and not easy to find the function that you are looking for.
* WAAS setting and backlight level get to off whenever you power off the unit rather than remembering the setting (firmware bug?)
* Product Manual is very bad. It tells you how to turn things on and off, not why and when you should turn something on and off.
* No Micro SD memory included so you cannot upload any map unless you buy one.
* For the next product update, could I ask Garmin to add a Voice Recorder function to be able record a voice note associated to each Waypoint?
August 2nd, 2009 at 3:13 am
1.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointed
I am very disappointed with this purchase. It was supposed to work better than my older model but the only thing that works better is it locks onto the satillites quicker.
August 2nd, 2009 at 4:20 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Intuitive GPS
This is my second eTrex and I bought this one after seeing one of my hiking friend using one and reading the reviews. Very pleased.
August 2nd, 2009 at 5:57 am
3.0 out of 5 stars
Garmin e Trex Vista HCx
the actual GPS portion of it works pretty good thats the good thing. What all of these things lack despite who makes them or the price you pay is an easy to use, easy to…
August 2nd, 2009 at 7:57 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
USER FRIENDLY
I got this to use for hunting and I’ve found it is useful for much more than just hunting. You can lock on waypoints when you find deer poo, watering holes, trails, rubbed…
August 2nd, 2009 at 10:33 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great all around device
After tons of research on multi-purpose GPSs, I went with the Vista hcX and i’m very glad I did.
Upon receiving the hcx, it took maybe 20 minutes or so to get a feel…
August 2nd, 2009 at 1:57 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Vista HCx
Great hand-held GPS… The high-sensitivity receiver picks up the satellite signals even when you’re in a building (it works in my house).
August 2nd, 2009 at 6:26 pm
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great Until You Fry It By Plugging It In
I have had mine for about 9 months now. This morning, I plugged it in to my computer because I wanted to do some geocaching.