userleif's Full Review: Garmin eTrex H Handheld GPS Receiver
For years I'd been using an older Garmin Etrex receiver to log the collection of fungi. Unfortunately the sensitivity was such that under heavy foliage I would be unable to get a lock. With some trepidation I upgraded to the eTrex H, unsure whether or not it would cut the mustard. Well, the eTrex H is an absolute marvel. I even get a signal indoors at work, such is the quality of the receiver, though I had no luck at home. In woods and forests there is no problem, although it can sometimes take a minute or two to lock on at a new location if the tree canopy is particularly dense.
The eTrex H shares the same case and screen as the earlier unit. It is small, but not tiny, being easily carried in a backpack, or a large coat pocket, but not really small enough for a trouser pocket. Officially it is about 11.2 cm by 5.1 cm by 3.0 cm, or 4.4" by 2" by 1.2" in old money. The casing is made from rugged yellow plastic, with a rubber trim around the sides, making it comfortable in the hand, and easy to grip. The yellow plastic ensures that the unit is easy to find if you put it on the ground, or drop it. The screen is a large black and grey LCD, and is easy to read, although hardly eye candy compared to other more expensive colour units. The unit is powered by two AA batteries, which are inserted into the back via a removable water tight cover. According to the manual it can withstand submersion to 1m for 30 minutes, more than enough to survive being dropped in a stream, and fished out, or exposure to heavy rain.
Functions are selected by means of rubber buttons on the sides of the unit. They are not as easy to use as normal buttons on for example a radio, but that is the price to pay for water proofing. If you have arthritis, then you might have trouble operating the unit.
From my point of view the key feature is the ability to get an accurate position, according to various mapping systems. If like me you are based in the UK, then you will probably want to go to the setup menu and select the "ord srvygb"map datum, otherwise you won't be able to use it with Ordnance Survey maps.
The unit also provides a compass, with direction of motion, current speed, average speed, maximum speed, time of sunrise and sunset, and the same for the moon, the current time, height above sea level.
Lastly the unit allows you to mark waypoints. When you reach a significant point, you can mark it as a way point. Then, later on you can create a route, and add some or all of the waypoints to that route. When you wish to follow the route, the unit will give directions from each waypoint to the next. The unit is restricted to 500 waypoints and 20 routes.
Accuracy is claimed to be better than 10m for a location with standard GPS, and 0.1 knot/s for a speed. Claimed battery life is 17 hours continuous use, and that sounds reasonable from my own experience. At the price this is a bargain if like me you only want basic GPS features.
The rugged and waterproof Garmin eTrex H is an ideal starting point into the handheld GPS arena. Whether you’re looking for a GPS unit for your back...More at Newegg.com
Grab the Garmin eTrex H GPS if you want a basic GPS without having to drop an entire paycheck on a unit that does everything short of making your morn...More at Backcountry.com
Perfect for outdoor enthusiasts on a budget eTrex H comes with a high-sensitivity GPS receiver that locks onto satellite signals quickly and maintains...More at eBay
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2010 Shopping.com, Inc.