Garmin eTrex Legend HCx

• Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 6 reviews
• My rating: 0 stars

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• 7 stars

  Super for geocaching, otherwise ok

  by k8wiw on September 6, 2007

  Pros: Super sensitive receiver with WAAS accuracy, easy to read screen, good battery life

  Cons: Only three screen views, difficult to read from a distance, poor manual

  Summary: I bought this unit for geocaching and was not disappointed. Besides the ultra sensitive receiver, the WAAS capability was getting me continuously close to to the cache. The color screen ...

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  Summary: I bought this unit for geocaching and was not disappointed. Besides the ultra sensitive receiver, the WAAS capability was getting me continuously close to to the cache. The color screen is easily read even in bright sunlight although adjusting the brightness is a little ackward. The battery life is so good you might pass on the auto battery cable. Another plus is the ease in downloading cache locations from the geocaching.com web side or from the Garmin web site. Unfortunatly, I also thought this purchase would allow me to sell my old Magellan 315 but I guess I need to keep it. After owning the 315 for ten years, I used to all the different navigation views including the "read from across the room" screen. Although the same information is available on the Garmin, one needs to be close to the screen to read it. Fine for hiking but more difficult in the car or boat. I geuss I am just spoiled with a all the other Magellan views. So, I am going to keep the Magellan for my boat. For the car, I use the Magellan 315 connected to a laptop running Delorne USA streets ($40 street) to yield a killer car navigation system. Lastly, the manual is almost useless unless you are challenged understanding how batteries are installed. Example; for the cumpass screen, it mentions that the pointer may be a bearing or a course BUT NO MENTION HOW TO SET THE UNIT TO EACH TYPE OF DIRECTION. I looked under the Interfaces to see if the unit had a NMEA output. NO MENTION. Yet the Garmin WEB page describes all the interfaces available. Most of the manual is devoted to using the MapSource data with the unit.
  All in all, the Garmin Legend Hcx is super unit, great for geocaching but may not be the best choise for other applications.

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  4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 9 stars

  Great updates to the original Legend series...

  by gryphon1911 on September 22, 2007

  Pros: High sensitivity receiver, color display, SD cards, waterproof

  Cons: Wish it had a larger screen

  Summary: I had an Etrex Legend prior, but it was stolen from my car. Decided to replace it. The family and I are avid geocachers, so the ability to go to ...

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  Summary: I had an Etrex Legend prior, but it was stolen from my car. Decided to replace it. The family and I are avid geocachers, so the ability to go to geocaching.com and directly upload waypoints is a big bonus. The color display is sharp and crisp, with optional backlighting if needed.
  The menus are easy to navigate and smiliar enough to our old Legend to feel comfortable using it right out of the box and can grow into the new features.
  The interface cable is USB(thank GOD!!) instead of serial.
  The ability to have turn by turn directions in this unit is a bonus as we also do a lot of traveling. It didn't seem to make sense to buy two GPS units(one for geocaching and one for interstate travel).
  
  The biggest thing, though that has me very happy with this GPS is teh "H" designation.
  High sensitivity antenna - and man does it work. If I was even in a little bit of tree cover, right next to a building or under the eave of my house, the old Legend would lose satellite signal. But with the Legend HCx, I can sit in my living room and get a signal!

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  3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 1 stars

  Works well, but documentation is dreadful

  by on November 10, 2008

  Pros: Good sensitivity, reasonably easy to use

  Cons: Too expensive for what you get, miserable documentation, almost deceptive packaging.

  Summary: The unit works well and may be more than adequate for geocaching, but for general use in the car or for walking it leaves much to be desired.
  
  Without knowing ...

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  Summary: The unit works well and may be more than adequate for geocaching, but for general use in the car or for walking it leaves much to be desired.
  
  Without knowing ahead of time what comes in the package, you may be surprised that the preloaded maps have only Interstates and possibly some major highways. There is no street level detail. You must then spend another $90 to get either a preloaded SD card or a DVD for map detail.
  
  Even there you must be careful. The name of the map product is not clear, though you can finally track it down to "City Naviagator". However, don't purchase the DVD update product even though it says on the packaging "Update the preloaded maps in your Garmin product" It doesn't. It updates the City Navigator that you had already purchased. You can easily spend $80 to purchase that and then end up with a product that doesn't do anything and can't be returned since it is opened software.
  
  Don't look for support from the Garmin web site. Everytime I tried to send an email using their web interface I got a 403 error telling me to contact my administrator. Since there is no proxy server between us, it must be their error. Another email link, not to their support group, generated a 404 error.
  
  Their "look at the map first" applet was miserable. For each view I had to right click and do a "Display Picture". And even that didn't work without doing it several times.
  
  The included manuals were worthless beyond, as one reviewer said, telling you how to put in the batteries.
  
  After all is said, I've spent over $300 for a brick. I'm going to call the whole thing a bad deal and try to sell my 2 day old Legend for whatever I can get. Then I'm going to look (and look very closely) at other GPSes. Certainly I'll never buy a Garmin nor recommend it to anyone.

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  2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 7 stars

  Versatile--almost too versatile.

  by paoconnell on January 6, 2010

  Pros: Basic navigation is easy. I figured out where we were on a hiking trip last weekend without a manual. The Cx means the Legend HCx can get signals even under trees.

  Cons: Attempt to be everything to everyone, which can be confusing. 7 main screens with two of those screens full of menu icons. Practice will be needed to understand this GPS. Manuals are sketchy.

  Summary: This is my first GPS, so I like it, but the manuals don't help much.

  Summary: This is my first GPS, so I like it, but the manuals don't help much.

  1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

• 10 stars

  Great all-around GPS unit

  by mubetan1 on February 13, 2010

  Pros: Easy to use, lots of features, high sensitivity, micros SD storage, color

  Cons: Battery life is a little low

• 1 stars

  Way out-of-date for the price

  by cdcbuy on September 6, 2008

  Pros: Waterproof, small size, SD card(not included)

  Cons: Very poor manual and tech support, poor arterial street data comes with it, high learning curve, poor menu/interface, out dated and buggy waypoint software, , No kml support, Should have rechargeable batteries like a cell phone.

  Summary: The bottom line is this is now old technology compared to the GPS Google display and apps on the Iphone and Blackberry. They have been making this line for YEARS. ...

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  Summary: The bottom line is this is now old technology compared to the GPS Google display and apps on the Iphone and Blackberry. They have been making this line for YEARS. I can get a 3G Iphone with GPS for 199 now! This Garmin is 220.00 plus another 89.00 for good detail road data? With all the bugs in the PC software it is not worth the price and headaches anymore. They don't even support Macs!
  
  I sure hope Garmin comes out with something better soon. The Iphone style large touch screen should be standard now. These screens are WAY to small to read and low def! Also these should ALL come STANDARD with rechargeable batteries like all cellphones! Go broke on batteries! Again, for what you get now it is a total rip! Apple now has tons of free 3rd party GPS apps for the Iphone. Garmin has???
  
  And Garmin still gives out 10 year old generalized Tiger Census data as standard loaded street data. It is 2008 folks, please give use the good TeleAtlas data like you sell Google & Yahoo!
  
  I would wait until Garmin comes to their senses and REALLY, REALLY lowers prices WAY down before even thinking of buying their current line of old gps products. This Legend should be well under 100 bucks for what you get! I know my gis/gps map products, I have been in this business for years! They are passing off old technology and data on us for really high prices!

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  0 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.

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