Etrex vista with MetroGuide USA for a hiker/biker GPS newbie ?

Can you please help advise me on this GPS purchase?

I'm an avid hiker & bicyclist in the SF bay area who is considering
buying something called Garmin Etrex Vista with MapSource MetroGuide
USA version 5.0 from a coworker for $200 cash.

Basically during the pre-meeting chitchat at work yesterday, I
mentioned I saw a GPS video screen in a car for the first time ever and
I thought it was really kewl. An aquaintance in the meeting said he'd
sell me his hand GPS locator for 200 dollars. He said it comes with
the maps and the car charger and a video tape telling me how to use it
and the instruction booklet. He said it was perfect for what I want -
but - I really don't know this guy well so I asked my cube-mate for
advice and he said to ask this google user netblog.

Would you recommend this gps locator for that price with that software?
More important as a first question is whether this GPS is useful to me.

I'm just out of school so I don't have a lot of money to waste on the
wrong thing. But it would be nice when I go biking and hiking if I
could tell my way around. I don't get lost often as I bring maps with
me but you never know. I'm going hiking in mid June from Skyline to the
ocean which is about a 20 mile hike so I was wondering if it would be
good for that. Out here, you have to pretty much stay on the trails as
the brush is thick and the hillsides steep so it would be nice if the
trails show up well.

Do you have advice for me on this GPS locator?
Vanessa Cara Stancini

On 27 May 2005 21:49:21 -0700, "Vanessa C. Stancinni"


First, www.gpsinformation.net has many useful articles about GPS in
gneeral, and specific models and software.

Your first question: You can check around on prices, but that price
seems reasonable as long as the unit is in good shape and complete.
Note that you will not have a warranty going this route.

Your second question:

That unit is not the best choice for in a car, as the screen is too
small to safely use while you are driving.

Its intended purpose is for hiking and general use.

The Metroguide map set, as the name implies, has a focus on cities and
roads. For cycling, you might need to stop to look at it, but it
should do you well. Look into various mounting options.

For hiking, you would want the US Topo set, or the Topo 24 West set
for more detail in selected areas. These start with scans of the USGS
topo maps. However, the USGS topo maps were most recently updated in
the 80s, and even then did not show many hiking trails. You will not
get "one stop shopping" for hiking trails.

Garmin has samples of their mapping software to look at first at
www.garmin.com

You can work with various mapping software on your PC, trace out a
trail, then download a set of waypoints which represent that trail
into the GPS to follow while on the trail. Only the Garmin Mapsource
software can load maps into the GPS.

None of this technology precludes having a regular compass, paper map,
and the skills to use them when navigating off road.

Happy trails,
Gary (net.yogi.bear)
--
At the 51st percentile of ursine intelligence

Gary D. Schwartz, Needham, MA, USA
Please reply to: garyDOTschwartzATpoboxDOTcom

I have a Vista and used it for the same purposes for a few years. It
worked well for those applications. However the technology has been
vastly improved since its introduction. I'd seriously consider a
Vista-C, 60C, or 76C which have routing ability and color screens which
are far easier to discern map detail with. For bicycling purposes, the
Vista does have an issue with the unit sometimes turning itself off
when you hit a bump. You will also need to buy a handlebar mount (about
$15). Another common issue is that the rubber piece around the device
tends to come unglued.

Metroguide USA 5 is adequate, but has been superceded by Metroguide
North America which includes Canada. In my area (New England), I found
Metroguide 4 to be more complete in that it showed more of the back
roads and some trails. I still use it in with my 76CS.

The "car charger" is probably a cigarette lighter adapter which does
not recharge the battery. It saves drain on the AA batteries when used
in a car. To recharge the batteries (if you use rechargeables which are
highly recommended) you need a separate recharger as they cannot be
recharged in the Vista. Although I have the adapter, I never used it
because, in a car, the attached cord was an annoyance. Instead I always
had extra fully charged NiMH AA batteries with me.

I was delighted with my Vista until upgrading to a 76CS.

Relative to usefulness for your hike, the Vista will show nearby
features such as roads and will of course give your coordinates and
elevation so that you can compare them to your paper maps to show exact
location. It will also record your track. Its highly unlikely though,
that your trail will be depicted with Metroguide 5. I used my 76CS
hiking in a state park yesterday with Metroguide 4 maps loaded. Most of
the trail system was on the map and it was reasonably accurate. Those
trails did not show up on Metroguide 5 or on City Select, the
recommended 76CS mapping program.


I'd say that $200 is a bit more than than I'd consider the combination
to be worth. $150 would probably be a fair offer. Be sure that the com
port adapter cable for connection to a computer is included.

As with any GPS, there is quite a learning curve and the video should
help.

Bob

You really shouldn't be asking us as GPS is probably beyond your capabilities.
Stick to using paper maps and the old reliable compass.
For the question you are asking, you do not even need GPS.

Even if you decide to go for your friend's etrex vista, it should retail for
about $200 so you're paying way over for a used unit, especially since the
MetroGuide 5.0 won't be of any more use to you for hiking than the basemap in
the etrex vista itself.

There is no way that unit will be functional on the trail without adding a
$179 topographic map so you may as well get a new extrex vista color where the
topo maps will generally be included for about $250 the bundle. Plus you must
have color anyway in order to see what you are doing, especially at night
which you'll be camping and you really can't do anything without routing so I
really don't think we can recommend this unit at all (it says it does routing
but it doesn't do anything of the sort). It points.

I think you're wasting your time totally on GPS. Stick to maps and a compass
or get a better GPS like a routable color etrex for the same price as the
etrex vista gives you nothing and your'e being charged more than a new usable
unit would cost anyway.

On Sat, 28 May 2005 20:19:24 GMT, Y. Yardanaugh wrote:


You really shouldn't be answering as GPS is beyond *your* capabilities.

While the etrex vista is one of the worst handheld GPS units, there are
other options for her.

Specifically, she can pick up a much nicer color StreetPilotIII for the
same amount of money (around $200 with a 32MB Garmin datacard) which is
much nicer than the etrex at the same price.