Garmin eTrex Vista C price and reviews

USB connectivity it the greatest selling point. But with the usage of GPS Utility http://www.gpsu.co.uk/ the ease of compatability is realized. It's a free download. Ability to convert between datum on the fly, as well as place georeferenced image as a background.

This is my first personal GPS unit. I am a pilot and use aircraft GPS systems all the time. I wanted a small portable unit that I could use when I go hiking with my family and when we drive on family vacations.

I did much reading and research and found that the Garmin eVista C is the best value for the money. After using this unit for about three weeks now, I am very happy with it. I bought the City Select v. 6 detailed road maps for the unit, which is a must. After unlocking the maps, Garmin also is sending me the latest version (7) at no charge.

The eVista C is loaded with customizable features and is able to hold enough maps in its memory to drive about a 12 hour day using the detailed maps.

The Map source software used to install maps, waypoints, routes, ect., from a PC is very easy to use. I like the feature where you can use the eVista C as an antenna and have a notebook computer as the screen.

Even know the screen of the eVista C is much smaller that many of the GPS units available, it is very readable and clear. All part of being a portable unit.

The eVista C also uses the FAA WAAS system, which increases the accuracy of the unit greatly.

Living in Colorado, I like to know the elevation that I am at and the unit does an excellent job af calculating accurate elevations. I compared the units elevation calculation to aviation elevation information and found that unit reports the correct elevation within several feet after initial calibration.

The output of speed information is also very accurate.

I am really happy with this unit and for the price well under $300; you can't go wrong with this little GPS.

The only feature it doesn't have that I wish it did is an SD card reader. It would be nice to be able to expand the memory with an SD card in this type of portable unit.

But for the price, it is still a great deal. I bought mine at shipdog.com which had the best prices for this type of GPS. I was very happy with their service also.

I have no problem recommending this unit to anyone looking to get into GPS use for hiking, driving, or geocaching.