Garmin Etrex Venture Hc Gps Receiver (Discontinued By Manufacturer)

garmin etrex venture hc gps receiver discontinued by manufacturer

Garmin eTrex Venture HC GPS Receiver (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

High-Sensitivity, WAAS-Enabled GPS Receiver Provides Peak Performance In Any Environment
Built-In Basemap Includes Lakes, Rivers, Cities, Interstates, National & State Highways, Railroads & Coastlines
Features A 1.7-InchH X 1.3-InchW Screen With 256-Level Color Tft
Usb Compatible For High-Speed Map Downloads
24 Mb Of Internal Memory Allows User To Load Waypoints & Routes From The Included Mapsource Trip & Waypoint Manager Software

Buy Now : Garmin eTrex Venture HC GPS Receiver (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

Brand : Garmin
Category : Electronics,GPS, Finders & Accessories,Sports & Handheld GPS,Handheld GPS Units
Rating : 4.3
Review Count : 448

garmin etrex venture hc gps receiver discontinued by manufacturer

Garmin eTrex Venture HC GPS Receiver (Discontinued by Manufacturer)

My wife and I got the e-Trex HC for Geocaching. The features that drew us to this one were the high-sensitivity receiver, the USB connection for connecting to a PC, and the Amazon price. Be sure to see \"long term update\" - the second half of the review.Since this is my first handheld GPS, I don\'t have a lot to compare it to for the sensitivity issues. Overall, it works pretty well, but occasionally, it can be hard to pinpoint a location - this may be weather-related, heavy cover, interference from buildings etc., or any number of other things.Loading coordinates on the GPS takes a little practice, because of the lack of keyboard, but the process grows on you. The Map Source software that comes with the GPS makes things much easier. The easiest way to load is directly from the geocaching web site, which automatically enters your coordinates and information right from the internet.The directional pointer (compass) can be very slow to adjust to the correct relative heading. It usually points to the correct degree heading (true), but the arrow doesn\'t always point to the destination. I carry a magnetic compass to use on occasion. Generally, watching the distance display getting smaller is a better indication that you\'re going in the right direction.The recording feature is nice when you\'re in the woods and need a good track to return back to camp - like dropping electronic breadcrumbs. We don\'t use it much, but it\'s there.Batteries can get to be expensive if you\'re using regular alkalines. We purchased a set of NiMH rechargeables, and they\'re great. One charge lasts about as long as a regular alkaline battery (a little more than a full day in the field), and they only need a few hours to recharge. It\'s a great savings if you use the GPS a lot.For the Amazon price, it\'s a big step up from the bare-bones GPS for only a little extra money.[LONG TERM UPDATE] After about 18 months of moderate, occasional use, the rubber bumper surrounding the GPS case began to loosen. The glue attaching it just started going to mush. My thoughts were exposure to a chemical solvent or long-term heat (left in the car for days in the summer sun). Neither of these was the case, though.I contacted Garmin tech support for advice on correcting the problem. The first response was to use Gorilla Glue, but they didn\'t provide any specific procedure (preparation, application of the glue, etc.). It was the sort of response I\'d expect from a DIY web site, rather than the factory support team. I followed with a slew of questions: How to prepare so the glue will stick? Will the repair be waterproof? How long can I expect the glue to last? Are there other reports of the same problem? What, other than extreme heat and/or solvents, could cause this?Rather than answer the questions, they requested that I send the unit back to them for repairs. My GPS was 6 months beyond the 1-year warranty period, but they offered free repair or replacement. I paid for the shipping to Kansas, and received a reconditioned replacement unit with updated software.The sensitivity of the newer model seems a little better than the original. The condition of the replacement is as new, but it included no documentation or accessories (I was advised to remove the lanyard and batteries, and to back up any saved data before shipping).In the end, I\'m still very satisfied with this product.
A little over a year ago, I was introduced to the sport of geocaching. Geocaching is fun and can be addictive because there are literally treasures everywhere. When I first began geocaching, I knew that I needed a handheld GPS device. After doing some research, I chose the GARMIN ETREX VENTURE HC GPS RECEIVER.The display screen is in color. A base map is included that is a basic base map. It shows the major highways and bodies of water.The battery life of the model is 14 hours. I\'m not sure how that compares to other models, but I\'ve never run out of battery life while looking for geocaches.The device is really fast at picking up a satellite signal to mark and find waypoints. I occasionally use my cell phone as a backup GPS and the GARMIN ETREX VENTURE HC GPS RECEIVER usually gets a signal even before my cell phone does.The buttons are easy to use. However, if you\'ve never used a GPS before, it does take some getting used to navigating through the screens.In order to locate geocaches, you have to connect the GPS to your computer and download the coordinates. The unit includes a cable with a USB serial that makes the GPS easy to interface with the geocache websites.In terms of accuracy, the unit gets within 20-30 feet of a location. This is about average for a basic hand-held GPS unit.The overall build of the device is quite durable. It\'s made to be used in the outdoors. I\'ve dropped my GPS a few times and it was fine. Granted it was just from my hand to the ground, but there are some handheld GPS devices that are so fragile such a fall would do some serious damage. I\'ve also used my GPS in raining weather and that has affected its functionality either.There are a couple of drawbacks to using the GARMIN ETREX VENTURE HC GPS RECEIVER. First, in order to find geocache locations, you have to download them ahead of time from the Internet into the device. This isn\'t too bad if you\'re planning a day of geocaching, but it does make it impossible (without a laptop computer) to find geocache locations you didn\'t download.Also, this GPS includes a backlight. However, when you use the backlight it uses an incredibly amount of battery life. I\'m not sure why this is. It shouldn\'t take much more battery life to use the backlight than it does to use the GPS normally.The GARMIN ETREX VENTURE HC GPS RECEIVER isn\'t the best geocache on the market. However, it is a good handheld geocache for beginner geocachers. Also, it should be noted, this is a handheld GPS device. It\'s really not meant to be used as the GPS in your car or on the road when you\'re cycling. This GPS unit is meant for hikers, geocachers, fisherman, and other outdoorsmen.