Garmin eTrex Vista H Handheld GPS Navigator

The time on this unit no longer can be kept up to modern dates due to an unfixable computer error. It still works good if you can remember it is off by 30ft at all times. That's the only problem I have with it which greatly, if not completely, reduces its use for GIS. (There might be a method to shift all points later but I wouldn't know as this was my first GPS device.)The good side is you can be indoors and receive a signal from multiple satellites, while outside allows you to track just about all of them. Battery life is excellent, quite absurdly long, but the screen is a simple display so this makes sense. Mine came with a USB cable which allows me to use Garmin's Base Camp. There are so many features to enjoy like elevation, marking locations and paths, easy to use button layout, and much more.One of the best things about this model is how cheap it is now. When I bought mine, it was $30 and appeared new in condition and even came with a paper pamphlet. I think this unit would make a nice gift for young children to have a real GPS device to play with outdoors so they can learn how to use one. I had to use GPS for university GIS and chose this for the price since I didn't need something modern. But keep in mind the Y2K-like clock issue this unit has.

Great Product and fast delivery!!

I tried this in the NH lakes region where I lived near the top of a large hill. I could not get a reading even while standing in my driveway with a clear view of the sky, never mind going into the woods with it. The display was hard to read with light reflecting off of it, and the print was too small for my eyesight; I would have had to go hiking in my bifocals with a parasol to shade it from glare. I ended up selling it to someone else.

Imagen poco visible y tiene una raya en el medio

I bought this GPS unit to prepare for a Garmin GPS class I was asked to teach. I own several GPS units and I am a GPS/GIS professional focussing on training and consulting. I usually restrict my GPS usage to professional grade mapping equipment (Trimble, specifically) but I recently branched off into the world of recreational GPS to expand my training offerings. I've used the eTrex series GPS before and this Vista H unit is another nice addition to the line-up. Let me say that if I were buying an eTrex to use as my sole GPS unit, then I definitely would have opted for the color screen (Vista HC or HCx). The color screen adds a lot more bang for the buck.Garmin has done a good job with these little units. The Vista is small, light-weight, and quick to respond. The new high-senstivity (that's what the 'H' stands for) receiver locks onto satellites very quickly. The internal compass and altimeter work very well and are easy to calibrate and turn on/off. On the negative side, something I find to be true for all of the eTrex models is that the operating system a bit clumsy to learn and I usually need to spend a good 5 minutes re-orienting myself to it when I use the eTrex in the field. I find that the buttons on the unit are not intuitivey laid out so it is hard to remember which one does what. Once I'm in the flow of using the eTrex, however, I can navigate through the pages/settings fairly easily -- it just requires those first few minutes of reaquainting myself each time. I would definitely recommend a bit of training before you use the unit -- especially if you plan to collect tracks. A common problem that Garmin users have is that their track log shows a long, continuous line on the map that connects -- with a straight line -- your new location to your last one. This can leave a long straight line on your map if, for example, you used the unit in Phoenix on your last hike and are now starting it up in Los Angeles. It's all about managing the track log.The unit costs under $200 which is a great price. I like that I can collect points and lines (waypoints and tracks) that I can then add to Google Earth (directly) or to ArcGIS. The workflow for adding to ArcGIS is a bit convoluted as the GPS file format has to be converted first and that requires third-party tools. There are many of them out there, it's just a matter of trying them out and finding what works for you.As a GIS professional, I find the Garmin model of buying base map data unuseful. The eTrex comes with a very basic base map. If you want more detail (topo maps, for example) then you must purchase these from Garmin. The base map you buy is only good for 1 GPS unit. So if you own multiple eTrex, for example, you must purchase the same data multiple times. In the world of GIS, once you acquire data -- such as topo base maps -- then it is yours to use as you want. With Garmin, you are not free to load your own data onto the GPS unit.For the sake of comparison, I usually use my Trimble Juno SB unit for GPS hiking. This unit costs more (starting at $750) but it offers a professional workflow. This is not something that is important to most hikers, but it can make a world of difference to those using GPS for search and rescue, fire management, etc. The Juno is designed to collect GIS-ready GPS data which means you can collect points, lines, and polygons as well as attributes then export the data directly to shapefiles. Best of all, you can load your own data onto it -- imagery, existing shapefiles, CAD, and other file formats. The unit might cost more initially, but you are free to load whatever data you can acquire onto it and it allows you to quickly bring your GPS data into a GIS without having to manually enter attributes. You get to collect all of your user-defined attributes in the field while logging your GPS positions.I would definitely recommend this unit as a basic mapping GPS unit though I would suggest spending a bit more to get the color screen. Also, if this is your first foray into GPS, invest in some basic training -- it will save you a lot of frustration and help you get the most out of your GPS unit. You can usually find a half-day Garmin training class by searching around the state parks and community college non-credit programs -- there are also online training courses you can find by doing a Google search.Happy trails![...]

I'm a very casual GPS user. I just use it to record tracks when I'm hiking so I can geocode my photos later. So, keep in mind I'm not the most knowledgable user. I've used an eTrex Legend for a few years and I've found it's accuracy and sensitivity aren't that great under trees and in mountainous terrain, which is exactly where I'm using it. I haven't tested it extensively, but the eTrex Vista H is a lot faster from a cold start and is more accurate (at least walking in my neighborhood). My old Legend only had a serial connecter which took a lot longer to upload info to the computer using a serial-USB adapter. The Vista comes with USB and is much faster (I'm on a Mac and use GPSbabel). The basemap on the Vista stinks (but I think it does on all the handhelds). It's not easy to use, but there's a lot going on so there is a huge learning curve. The menus are so tiny that they're hard to read. It's a very good idea to spend some time familiarizing yourself with this before you intend to use it. Having said all that, I still give it 4 stars.When I decided to upgrade, I couldn't find any specifications on sensitivity for the handhelds, other than some were "high sensitivity." Here are the specs from the etrex Vista H manual:Acquisition Time (approximately)Hot start - 3 secondsWarm start - 33 secondsCold start - 39 secondsCompass +/- 5 degreesResolution +/- 1 degree, user calibratedAltimeter:Accuracy +/- 10 ftResolution 1 ft, user calibratedAccuracyGPS < 33 ft (10m) 95% typical(subject to accuracy degradation under US DOD)DGPS 10ft (3.3m) 95% typical(WAAS accuracy in North America)Hope this helps.