Garmin Etrex 10

[GrumpyGregry]

Banjo, although I got much useful service out of my Vista HCx and there is an incredibly large fan club on here and other cycling forums, I wouldn't buy a eTrex Vista now.

What, not even a Vista HCx, second hand, one careful owner, mostly used at night, for £50?


Yes I'm selling one

 

[marinyork]

What, not even a Vista HCx, second hand, one careful owner, mostly used at night, for £50?

Well even you did say you bagged a cheap 20 , part of my point. However if I didn't believe what I said I wouldn't have offered mine free to his zeqqiness when I get it back off another member, which reminds me I need to do something about that. I think £50's the top end of second hand. People have sold them for too much as I've said before. The H models of the old range were launched in 2007. There have been very dramatic screen technology improvements in this time frame (and receiver ones - although the H prefix models perform fantastically for the time they were built).

A lot of what I write is based on expectations from conversations with other people in person when they've seen the GPS. A lot of people seem to expect absolutely massive colour screens like car GPSs or for it to be like their smart phone. Such people are likely to be very disappointed with an old eTrex - although they might realise that the battery life is vastly longer, the advantages of AA batteries and that the accuracy and chance of the signal wandering off all the time weighs back in the garmin's favour.

With Banjo I did think he might have been talking to Lukesdad a lot, showing him his top end MTB garmin GPS and this appears to have not been the case.

There are going to be people who for whatever reason have a lower budget, but there seems to be a lot of people on here who then talk about 'saving up' for a garmin 800 and I see it in terms of that. And second hand for these units is a lot better 2nd hand for other things - they seem virtually indestructible.

It's a shame the eTrex 20/30 hasn't been cheaper for much of the time it's launched - I think it's part of why virtually no one seems to own it.

 

[ColinJ]

The H models of the old range were launched in 2007. There have been very dramatic screen technology improvements in this time frame (and receiver ones - although the H prefix models perform fantastically for the time they were built).

A lot of what I write is based on expectations from conversations with other people in person when they've seen the GPS. A lot of people seem to expect absolutely massive colour screens like car GPSs or for it to be like their smart phone. Such people are likely to be very disappointed with an old eTrex - although they might realise that the battery life is vastly longer, the advantages of AA batteries and that the accuracy and chance of the signal wandering off all the time weighs back in the garmin's favour.

I bought my Etrex in 2006 so it is actually the predecessor of the 'H'. Yes, it is old technology now and looks it, but it is still a great navigational tool with a superb battery life and built like a tank!

I prefer to do the map reading at home and follow predetermined routes out on the bike so a simple, reliable GPS does it for me. The only time that was ever a problem was when cycling back from the Midlands and I was confronted by signs telling me that Snake Pass was closed for major roadworks. Maybe I could have sneaked through on a bike, but it would have been a lot of extra riding to go up there and discover that I couldn't. I improvised an alternative route via Strines Moor. It would have been handy to have had a map for that, but I reckon a page torn from a road atlas would have been all I needed.

 

[marinyork]

I bought my Etrex in 2006 so it is actually the predecessor of the 'H'. Yes, it is old technology now and looks it, but it is still a great navigational with a superb battery life and built like a tank!

Indeed.

Unfortunately, smart phones and free maps in the form of either google or collaborative work has changed things expectations a great deal.

In some ways even the 10/20/30 is an update on the pre-2007 models (the older half of the old e-trex range). Sixty-five thousand colours and GLONASS is a nice update that brings these units more in today's world. I also have to say having gone with the Dakota instead because of cheapness, I don't want to go back to the joystick way, even though I got on fine with it at the time and it wasn't really an issue.

I think garmin have made a bit of a clanger though not putting GLONASS in more of their 'new' units.

 

[marinyork]

I look forward to lots of posts on Garmin 20s now GregC, to carry on the tradition from the old unit.