Customer Reviews:
 Nice little GPS September 26, 2007
It's a nice little GPS system, but it is ridiculous that in order for it to be a good system you have to go out and buy, in addition, extra memory (for $22), the US Topo(for $59), and then to add insult to injury go out and buy a mini-USB to USB 2.0 cable (for $26)so that you can download the topo to the unit from your computer. The hidden costs are really an extra $100 or so to make this work well. (And Amazon apparently doesn't sell the mini-USB to USB 2.0 cables for some reason, but they are readily available at Office Depot or any computer store)
 Solid Versatile All-purpose GPS September 1, 2007
This is a device I currently own, after having experience with
Explorist 210, StreetPilot 2720, and Nuvi 360. I'm completely
satisfied with my choice and it is the best compromise I was able to
find to suite my needs.
I don't really need GPS very often in my regular life, so I didn't
want to spend a ton of money on something that will be sitting in a
closet most of the time. But when I do use it I want it to be an all
purpose "swiss army knife" kind of tool, and this tiny unit is.
Although, that required putting a 2GB microSD card into the unit and
loading it with MapSource US Topo and City Navigator 8 maps.
Every time I go out of town I take it with me, no matter if it is a
road trip, if I fly to another city, or if I go hiking, or do other
outdoor activities.
This unit has autorouting capabilities for using as a standalone GPS
unit for road navigation. It can be connected to a laptop and work
with more sophisticated mapping software (unlike the Explorist). And
it is also small, rugged, lightweight, waterproof, and totally
suitable all kinds of outdoor use.
And outdoor use is where it shows its best. The screen is bright, the
controls are quite suitable for one hand use. I liked the USGS based
topo maps much better for outdoor use than what Magellan has to offer
for the Explorist. They may not look as good on a PC and are
definitely outdated for use in populated areas, but that only helps
you to find old roads and other small terrain features missing from
Mapsend maps.
The stand alone automotive use is more of an emergency feature. It
pales in comparison with StreetPilot 2720. The screen is small, the
controls are by far less convenient, the route recalculation speed is
several times slower and the results are noticeably less optimal.
Entering destinations and browsing the POI database while driving is
almost impossible. Text-to-speech feature could have saved the
situation somewhat, but it's not supported. All in all, you will
probably need another person to do the navigation, and there will
still be a lot of reasons for your copilot to get angry with this
device. That being said, if you just want to get from point A to point
B in an unfamiliar city and program your destination before you drive,
you'll be just fine. It's looking for detours, or trying to find the
best place to stop for food or gas while hurling down a highway that
will get you frustrated.
Fortunately, if I go for a road trip there is usually another person
and a laptop with me in my car. And with this unit hooked up to a
laptop and with a good electronic map, navigation becomes a breeze.
The biggest disappointment was, after all, the sensitivity of the
receiver. It is on par or with the Explorist and maybe just slightly
worse than in StreetPilot 2720, but after seeing what Nuvi, and other
units high sensitivity receivers can do, you get a bitter taste in
your mouth. The reception is adequate, but it is not solid, you loose
signal indoors, close to high-rise buildings, in mountain canyons, -
the usual places. There are also quite a few dead places inside my
car, so I place it under the windshield to be safe. It's just sad to
know that there are a lot of units now, that don't have this problem.
Another down side is that software is fairly slow. To the point where it becomes annoying. You can see the progress of how different features on a map are drawn and the screen is updated, it is much slower than StreetPilot 2720 where the map is redrawn almost seamlessly (even in 3D mode, which eTrexes do not have). But at least the software is very stable and there are periodic updates with new features coming out regularly, even now, several years after the product was released.
To summ it up. This is a great GPS for outdoor activities, it can be your "swiss army knife" for all your other GPS needs. The only thing I would wish for, is if it was a bit faster and had a higer sensitivity reciver. But, then, for less than 200 bucks this is the best thing you can get, anyway.
I love my eTrex, it was worth the extra cost! August 29, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I really love my new eTrex!
I'm glad that I saved up some extra cash and went for the eTrex Venture CX. I was considering purchasing the eTrex Legend, but that one doesn't have a color screen, doesn't have the ability to connect to the computer via USB and doesn't have the ability to use memory cards.
I love that when I'm ready to purchase the City Navigator maps, I can get them on a memory card and just pop it into the back of the unit! I also love that this unit, unlike other older eTrex units, can do turn-by-turn directions!
Great product!
 Adequate, basic GPS August 15, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I recently purchased this GPS to use mainly on my bicycle, as I tend to get lost fairly easily. :) I also own the much more expensive Garmin 60CSx which is my primary unit for geocaching, hiking, and using in the car. I've probably been spoiled by my 60CSx, which gets excellent signal even in my basement (!) and locates satellites very quickly.
I've found that the Venture CX will only locate satellites outdoors, which to be fair is where they are intended to be used. But even in my car I have to hold the unit out the window and pointing upward to get a satellite fix upon turning the unit on. And even on beautiful clear days with no obstructions whatsoever the unit sometimes takes minutes to get a fix, whereas my 60 CSx takes far less than a single minute.
As with other Garmins, the base map is virtually worthless unless all your traveling will be on major roadways. Fortunately for me, the Venture CX uses the same maps as my other unit, which was actually a major consideration before I purchased it. Garmin will give you a second unlock code free of charge for an additional unit, so I didn't incur an additional cost. I have issues with their software, but that's in another review. :) Oh, and you can easily match your unit to compatible software on Garmin's website.
I love the USB connectivity. I had almost bought a different unit until I saw that it used the far less convenient serial connector. Does anybody use those anymore?
I found the accuracy reasonable, but not outstanding. I seem to be off by about ten to twenty feet approaching intersections, which is okay if I'm paying attention. Occasionally the unit doesn't beep to alert me of an impending turn, and I haven't figured out why yet. It may be that I'm taking two turns too close together.
Battery life is outstanding. The unit seems to be very well made and durable, and it fits nicely in my hand. The 'joystick' is somewhat awkward to operate with my fumbling thumbs.
As another reviewer noted, if you buy the handlebar mount, do not attempt to replace the existing battery cover with the one that comes with the mount. It isn't waterproof, and doesn't fit anyway. Simple screw the clip to the back of the unit and slide it into the mount.
Overall the unit works well enough for what I purchased it for, as long as I use it within its limits. It's probably fine for geocaching and hiking as well, but if you are looking for a automobile navigator I would look at one of the higher end handhelds with better sensitivity, or at a model made to be in a car. My review probably sounds somewhat negative, but I don't mean it to be. For the price, this model will fit the needs of many people who don't need a lot of bells and whistles.
So easy to use August 9, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This little wonder has been unbelievably easy to learn to use. It gets a great signal and, in my experience, has been accurate enough to get me within five feet of where I am going quite consistently. I wish it came with a few more roads loaded on it's default map so that I didn't feel the need to purchase the map files. I love it.
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