I was at a local paddling store a couple days ago checking out GPS units. One that really caught my eye was the Garmin eTrex because of the small size and bright yellow color. I asked to check it out and to my surprise it locked on to the satellites (indoors) just as fast as the units costing more than twice as much! It seems that Garmin uses the same receiver in the eTrex as they do in the GPSII. The literature I have found so far says that it is waterproof to immersion standard IEC 529 IPX7. The eTrex doesn't have some of the bells and whistles of the more expensive units, but the size and waterproofing seem to make it an excellent paddling unit. Does anyone on this list have any first hand experience with the eTrex? I would like to know how well it works in the real world before I buy it. Thanks. Mike -- Paddling along through fog so thick that only one's thoughts are visible, your reverie is abruptly shattered by the ancient cry of a great blue heron as she lifts uncertainly from the brilliant blue of a mussel-shell beach witnessed only by the brooding, wet spruce....your passage home seems as much back through time as it does through space. Mark H Hunt *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
>> Does anyone on this list have any first hand experience with the eTrex? I would like to know how well it works in the real world before I buy it. Thanks. Mike >> I have no experience with the eTrex, but according to Joe Mehaffey (http://joe.mehaffey.com/etrex.htm): "This unit is an entry level GPS similar to the Magellan GPS-315 and likely will replace the Garmin G-12 (not XL) in the Garmin line. Please do not buy the eTrex thinking it is a small version of the G-12xl. A number of features are missing relative to the G-12xl and it is NOT a replacement for the G12xl. There are even some features in the G-12(not xl) that the eTrex does not have. If you purchase the very lowest cost model in any vendors line, DO NOT expect it to have all the features of the more expensive models. More expensive models DO have more features." One of the features it lacks is multiple routes. Another that it lacks, which I find very useful in my GPS-12XL, is the ability to save waypoints and routes by uploading them to a computer. Note also that though the 12XL also has an IPX7 rating, it does not prevent water from seeping into the battery compartment, though the electronics seem to be pretty safe. Chuck Holst *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Also look at sci.geo.satellite-nav for information Two FAQ are at Joe and Jack's GPS Information Site:<http://joe.mehaffey.com> Thomas Born's Garmin website <http://www.bridge.de/~tom/garmin.htm> Rich Dempsey ----- Original Message ----- From: Michael R Noyes <mnoyes_at_gsinet.net> To: paddlewise <paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net> Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2000 12:47 PM Subject: [Paddlewise] Garmin eTrex GPS. > I was at a local paddling store a couple days ago checking out GPS > units. One that really caught my eye was the Garmin eTrex because of > the small size and bright yellow color. I asked to check it out and to > my surprise it locked on to the satellites (indoors) just as fast as the > units costing more than twice as much! It seems that Garmin uses the > same receiver in the eTrex as they do in the GPSII. > The literature I have found so far says that it is waterproof to > immersion standard IEC 529 IPX7. The eTrex doesn't have some of the > bells and whistles of the more expensive units, but the size and > waterproofing seem to make it an excellent paddling unit. > Does anyone on this list have any first hand experience with the eTrex? > I would like to know how well it works in the real world before I buy > it. > > Thanks. > > Mike > > -- > Paddling along through fog so thick that only one's thoughts are > visible, your reverie is abruptly shattered by the ancient cry of a > great > blue heron as she lifts uncertainly from the brilliant blue of a > mussel-shell beach witnessed only by the brooding, wet spruce....your > passage home seems as much back through time as it does through space. > Mark H Hunt > > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not > to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ > *************************************************************************** > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Michael R Noyes wrote: > I was at a local paddling store a couple days ago checking out GPS > units. One that really caught my eye was the Garmin eTrex because of > the small size and bright yellow color. I asked to check it out and to > my surprise it locked on to the satellites (indoors) just as fast as the > units costing more than twice as much! It seems that Garmin uses the > same receiver in the eTrex as they do in the GPSII. > The literature I have found so far says that it is waterproof to > immersion standard IEC 529 IPX7. The eTrex doesn't have some of the > bells and whistles of the more expensive units, but the size and > waterproofing seem to make it an excellent paddling unit. No experience with the eTrex, I've only looked at the photos etc on the Garmin web site. I do have a Garmin 12xl and I'd offer the following. I initially liked the idea of having the ability to put in route info. However, I find I only use that for driving (I miss exits on long trips - I need the one minute warning of an approaching turnoff). For kayaking, I've never used it, though I always take it with me. Chart and compass navigation does all I need. The one time I could have used it, in very dense fog in Nova Scotia, I didn't have it. It was a guided trip and you never want to offend a guide by pulling out a GPS*. For navigating in fog a GPS would be useful, as it will tell you the bearing to your destination. I like to have mine as a backup, just in case, and then mainly to establish position. Therefore, IMHO, you probably don't need the bells and whistles for kayaking. If I had to buy one just for kayaking, I'd look for a good quality, "waterproof" unit that had the basics - where am I and how do I get _there_. Mike PS - the guide got us to our destination (5 km open water) within 100m of our desired landing spot - as good as you could expect by GPS. Not bad for a Newfie with a compass! *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Michael Daly wrote: > Therefore, IMHO, you probably don't need the bells and whistles for kayaking. > If I had to buy one just for kayaking, I'd look for a good quality, "waterproof" > unit that had the basics - where am I and how do I get _there_. > > Mike > > This is pretty much what I was thinking. Sure, having 20 routes with 50 waypoints each is nice, but I only follow one route at a time. I don't think I really need the features that were lost when they created the eTrex. It does have the capability to upload to and download from my computer, so I can use my Maptech Terrain Navigator software. On a side question, with all of the other things that we carry on our persons and on our deck, do I really want a GPS that is larger than it needs to be? Mike (Noyes) -- Paddling along through fog so thick that only one's thoughts are visible, your reverie is abruptly shattered by the ancient cry of a great blue heron as she lifts uncertainly from the brilliant blue of a mussel-shell beach witnessed only by the brooding, wet spruce....your passage home seems as much back through time as it does through space. Mark H Hunt *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
>> I do have a Garmin 12xl and I'd offer the following. I initially liked the idea of having the ability to put in route info. However, I find I only use that for driving (I miss exits on long trips - I need the one minute warning of an approaching turnoff). For kayaking, I've never used it, though I always take it with me. Chart and compass navigation does all I need. The one time I could have used it, in very dense fog in Nova Scotia, I didn't have it. It was a guided trip and you never want to offend a guide by pulling out a GPS*. For navigating in fog a GPS would be useful, as it will tell you the bearing to your destination. I like to have mine as a backup, just in case, and then mainly to establish position. >> For the GPS unit to tell you the bearing and distance to your destination, you have to have previously entered the destination waypoint into it. Before a trip, I like to enter waypoints for put-ins, takeouts, and prominent geographical features, such as headlands and islands. It sure beats having to figure them out from a map while bouncing around in waves. That's why I prefer a GPS with a computer link: It enables me to create a library of waypoints for different areas that can be quickly downloaded before a trip, and it saves me a heck of a lot of tedious manual waypoint entry and reentry. Note, however, that I still use a map and compass for most of my navigation. Chuck Holst *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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