Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Review

Thrill to the challenges of the wild outdoors. Get thee a shrubbery or meander in a mountainous forest. And always know where you are. With the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx, you’ll never get lost. That makes the outdoor trek safer. Whether you hike, bike, or cruise, you won’t lose your bearings. Built for the outdoorsman, the Garmin e-Trex Vista HCx features a high sensitivity GPS receiver, electronic compass and a barometric altimeter. Garmin has introduced a line of e-Trex units that feature a high sensitivity WAAS GPS receiver that are able to receive a signal, even under heavy tree cover. The Garmin eTrex Vista HCx has a built-in electronic compass to determine bearings while standing still, and a barometric altimeter for increased accuracy of elevation readings, to help you along on your next hunting or hiking excursion. At a tiny 4.2″H x 2.2″W x 1.2″D and only 5.6 ounces with batteries, the Vista won’t weigh you down or take up too much room in your pocket or bag. Whether you are in a canyon, under heavy tree cover or in a city with tall buildings the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx will guide you along safely. Tiny Vista HCx includes the routable Americas Recreational basemap, including major highways, interstates and bigger lakes and rivers. The maps look great on the 1.3 x 1.7 high resolution color TFT display and it is even viewable in direct sunlight. The Garmin eTrex Vista HCx has a microSD card slot for memory cards that will accept detailed maps from Garmin’s Optional MapSource software. With the Mapsource City Navigator North America software you will be able to get visual turn-by-turn guidance on this tiny wonder. Blank microSD cards are available in multiple storage sizes to hold loads of maps. Included with the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx is a USB interface cable, so map downloads are much faster than traditional handheld GPS units. Garmin has also added audible alarms for off-course, proximity waypoints, and anchor drag.

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 Garmin eTrex 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 Garmin eTrex 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 Garmin eTrex 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 Garmin eTrex 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 Garmin eTrex 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.

Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Features

• Handheld GPS navigator with high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver
• Built-in electronic compass and barometric altimeter for calculating direction and altitude
• MicroSD card slot; detailed basemap with lakes, highways, railroads, and more
• 256-color, sunlight-readable TFT display; 1,000 waypoints with names and symbols
• Requires 2 AA batteries; measures 2.2 x 4.2 x 1.2 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty

Garmin eTrex Vista HCx Specifications

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