Re: [Paddlewise] GPS & Electronic Charts

Dan Hagen writes:
 

> I have owned 6 different GPS receivers, including an eTrex, and of these,
> the eTrex is by far the LEAST well suited for sea kayaking (although it
> is a very nice unit for hiking). The problems with the eTrex are these: 
> 
> (1) When sea kayaking, one's hands are occupied with the business of
> paddling. It is very inconvenient to have to stop paddling and fiddle
> with the GPS receiver to access various pieces of information.  I like
> being able to view critical information such as speed, heading, bearing
> to a waypoint, and distance to a waypoint, while at the same time
> viewing my location on the map page. All of the receivers that I have
> used EXCEPT for the eTrex can display all of the above simultaneously,
> without scrolling through various screens. My other receivers (depending
> on the model) can display 4-9 data fields on the map page. The eTrex can
> display ZERO data fields on the map page. The other display pages on the
> eTrex are not much better in this regard (they can display very little
> information at one time). This is not much of a problem if you are
> hiking, because your hands are free to fiddle with the GPS. But it is a
> major pain in the a** when you are sea kayaking. If you want to use the
> map page, while at the same time viewing your speed and other
> navigational information, do not get an eTrex. 
> 
> (2) The location of the eTrex buttons are much less convenient than on
> other GPS receivers that I have used, particularly when wearing gloves,
> or when you are using the GPS in a waterproof case (which can be a good
> idea, in spite of the waterproof rating). The eTrex buttons are on the
> sides of the receiver. Buttons on the TOP of the receiver are much
> easier to operate when wearing gloves, or when the GPS is in a case. 
> 
> (3) The screen on the eTrex is very narrow, particularly in comparison
> with some of the newer handheld receivers (such as the GPSmap 76). This
> reduces its facility when using the map page, as you only see a
> relatively thin slice of the "chart". 
> 
> (4) The standard eTrex does not have differential (DGPS) capability
> built in. Newer Garmin receivers (including the 76) can provide
> differentially corrected (DGPS) fixes without the use of a separate DGPS
> receiver/antenna. This improves the accuracy of the fix, and more
> importantly the accuracy of the compass function and speed readout. Even
> when zoomed into the "20-foot" setting on my newest receiver (where each
> pixel is less than one foot), I see no significant drift when standing
> still. DGPS really works! I do not see why anyone would buy a handheld
> receiver without built in differential capability.

The new Etrex Legend and Vista models have downloadable maps and two 
selectable data fields on the map page -- still only half as many fields as 
the 12XL, however. For greater accuracy, they also can receive WAAS signals, 
though WAAS coverage is still rather limited, as there are only two 
satellites in orbit. The new Etrexes, however, still have the button problem 
Dan mentioned, and all of them lack the "highway" cross-track error page 
that is so useful for marine use, and the waypoint note field that I find so 
useful for annotating waypoints. Otherwise, they seem like very nice units. 
See http://www.gpsinformation.net/etrexlegend.htm for a review and screen 
shots. 

Chuck Holst 
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