What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

[Saskatoon2005]

Hello All,

I am planning to buy the Garmin E-trex Legend. I am asking if there is another brand in this price range that has better options? Is there a better brand than Garmin? Thanks for any and all replies.

Patrick

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

It all depends what you're using it for. The pros are, it's small, reliable, has mapping software, available in color (I think), easy to use and learn.
The cons are, it's small, screen is too small for boating in my opinion. You can't focus on the screen when underway even in calm water. If you go with this model, only consider the color version, B&W is WAY hard to read. The mapping sofware is marginally adequate and cannot be relied upon for navigating a boat. However, it's great for hiking.

 

[Boatist]

Re: What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

I agree it is small and the screen is hard to read. If your climing MT Hood and all you need is your position then it is small and light and would be good. If your driving in a car and want to see where you are then the screen is too small and DIM to use. In a boat out in the sun it a little better.

I have a Garmin GPSMap 76 which is bigger but still too dim to use while driving. I hate it for in the car. Hiking it is great as can always hold so you can see or adjust the constrast for better viewing. On the boat it a little better and of course can store all the waypoints. Can set a route and follow bearings to next and it works great.

To just look at the chart and drive from what you see it is too small. Example where I boat on the way in or out you must hit a channel about 60 feet wide so have 30 feet each side. That is fine if I follow my route but if coming in from Sea and just look at the screen to see that channel must zoom way in to see it however if you zoom way in to see it you must be within about 100 yards or it will be off the screen. When the seas are big need to set up at least 1/2 half mile out to be safe. This area is where you transition form big swells to no swells and just surface chop. As the swells disapate or break you do not want to be making corrections across the swell to hit the channel.

In the harbor every morning all summer it is very foggy the channel is about 50 feet wide and buoy sets are about 100 yards apart. If zoom in enough to see seperation between the Red and Green Buoy then the next set will be off the screen so you can not just look at the screen and tell which way to go. Again works good if set a route and follow bearings.

Lowrance H2O or H2O Color the screen is just a little bigger than the Gpsmap 76 but it is much brighter so could use in the car while driving.

So it depends on how you will use it. For hiking it is fine.
For driving or boating the Etrex is too dim and too small in my opinion.

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

I would want to use it for everything kinda. Since that is the case, is the Lowrance a better unit to use for boating? I kinda thought that the Garmin was the best made one out there for handheld. What is the price comparison for the Lowrance models. I found that I could get the Legend for around $100.00US. I wasn't planning on buying the color model either, since my boat fishfinder isn't color and I have no problem with that.

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

The Lowrance Ifinder H20 is twice the price of the Garmin Etrex Legend! Ouch! Wasn't expecting to spend this much...is there anything else that is better than the Garmin but cheaper??? Thanks

Patrick

 

[Boatist]

Re: What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

Garmin are great units. They perform great, my only problem with my Garmin GPSMAP 76 is too dim and small to use in the car while driving.

Actually at night with the light on works ok in the car but not in the day time.

Buy what you want but at least go and see all the units in use before you buy. On web sites or catalogs they all look bright and easy to view.

As far as price goes it is my last consideration. First is will it do everything I expect to use it for. If it is not useable the way you want to use it you will be buying a new better unit anyway.

If your young and can read the Etrex on the dash of your car while driving then buy it.

One nice thing about the Lowrance H2O is it comes with a lighter power cord. Garmin charges $40 for the power cable.

Let us know what you pick and why then after you use for a while give us your reveiw.

 

[trouttamer]

Re: What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

i own the lowrance ifinder h20, i paid 169 U.S. i researched several brnds. the h20 is easy to operate as keys are on the front and you do not need pc to update maps. over all i chose the h20 for its simplicity in operations.

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

TroutTamer,

I did find the Lowrance Ifinder H20 for 169.00 CND. Did you buy the one with the color screen or the one with the monochrome? It looks like nice unit and you can update with the sd cards that is a huge bonus over Garmin units in this price range...Thanks for making me look,

Patrick

 

[trouttamer]

Re: What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

sask, i did not buy the color, that was a bit toooo expensive. i did however purchase the fishin hotspots sd card, it is great for navigation on my fishin waters, the st. lawrence. lake champlain etc. in upstate new york.
i did research other electronic stores for my sd card and got it for $69, as opposed to 99 in cabelas or bass pro. i would reccomend the h20, again it is very usuer friendly.

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

It is funny that you can't get a Garmin with a removable sd card for this price. You would be adding $100.00. I wonder why that is? They don't make something like the H20 in this price range. Does that mean that Garmin is a better make and so they charge more for their name?

Any suggestions as to why you pay more for less in a Garmin?

 

[trouttamer]

Re: What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

my theory is this, one is just as good as the other. i chose the lowrance for its functionality, i dont own a computer and i liked the idea of the sd card.
the h20 was $160 american and the card was 69. the unit itself provides alot of information for both on and off the water.

 

[sc_shane]

Re: What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

I have a Garmin Quest. I absolutely love it. It's small enough to fit in my front shirt pocket, has a rechargable battery, 12V adapter, BRIGHT color screen and USB connectivity to your computer for loading maps. I picked mine up for $250 on eBay about a year ago, and imagine you can find them for the same or cheaper now. I use this unit in my car, my wife's car, my boat and on the trail. It is awesome. One nice added feature is that it's submersible up to 10 ft. (something like that). Never tested it, but nice to know. Reception and accuracy is great. Can navigate with turn by turn directions, search for address etc. Very nice color unit and well worth looking into.

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

You don't think it is funny that your $250.00 Garmin does the same thing as a $160 Lowrance H20? Just trying to get feedback why Garmin is "better" than Lowrance?

 

[tommays]

Re: What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

Its like different kinds of apples I like macs you may like granny smith

IMHP Lowrance has one of the best sunlight screens on the current market and the best prices on chart chips

the bigger units also has the open standard NEMA 2000 allowing extras like fuel flow to be added at a very low cost


They all come out of a box from china :$


And FWIW i went all over with this

And while my new 3500C is vastly more fun and easy you still need paper charts on the boat if your doing any real navagition


Tommays

 

[sc_shane]

Re: What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

Saskatoon,

Don't want to stir anything up or not, BUT....

Not sure where you can get a COLOR H20 for $160, but according to pricegrabber.com, the cheapest price reported COLOR h20 runs around $220. Atop that, the obvious (to me) differences is that it doesn't come with a suction cup mount or doesn't have rechargable batteries, doesn't have the flip up antenna and PC connectivity is optional. To be fair, I'm sure the H20 has different things going for it the Quest doesn't. Since you said you wanted to use the unit for a little of everything, I thought I would mention the Quest, since I use mine for a little bit of everything (hiking, boating, driving), and it's exceeded my expectations in every way.

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

Can someone please show me where I said I bought the color model? I just said I found a "Lowrance Ifinder H20 for 169.00 CND" . Where does it say It was COLOR? It was on an online canadian gps website. Thanks for chattin'

Patrick

 

[sc_shane]

Re: What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

You don't think it is funny that your $250.00 Garmin does the same thing as a $160 Lowrance H20? Just trying to get feedback why Garmin is "better" than Lowrance?

The Garmin is COLOR. Typically the difference in price is somewhere near $75. Add the rechargable batteries and the suction cup mount, you come out paying less for the Garmin. Humph - that's kinda funny.

 

[trouttamer]

Re: What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

good morning saskatoon,
WOW!
really get the h20, i use it in my boat and vehicles. i also purchased the suction cup attachment. the h2o is handy in my truck, last year i worked for the state of NY and had to travel quite a bit. teh h20 was handy and at night the ligt on the unit could be adjusted accordingly.

over all for the $, you get your $ worth. as i mentioned i would not spend the $ for the color version, it is a gimmick i dont need, instead i purchased a 2nd depth finder for my alumacraft.
good luck with all the feed back

fishns' great in Ny upstate

 

[Saskatoon2005]

Re: What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

trouttamer,

I agree with you. The Garmin Etrex Legend (no color) is $149.00 has 8MB built in ram, but you must use a serial type plug RS-232 to plug it up to a computer. The biggest loss on this machine is that there is NO SD card! That makes this machine a total waste of money. Another downfall, is that it is only 12 channel...does not look too good for Garmin in this price range.

The Lowrance Ifinder H20 (no color) is $169.00 has a SD memory card slot, and a card reader to hook up to computer (SMART!) My bad, on the issue of 12 channel because this one is as well only 12 channel. But the computer hook up is worth the extra $20.00. That makes it a great deal!

In the Garmin Etrex Legend Cx (color) is $269.00 and comes with a 64 MB micro SD card. (now they are thinking..LOL!) it is also usb compatible. Has a 256 color screen. The downside is...still only 12 channel receiver.

In the Lowrance iFinder H20 C (color) is 269.00 and comes with a hi-res color display, dual processor for high speed screen updates, still has the infamous SD card slot (comes with sd card), but the biggest gain is the increase to a 16 channel receiver that reviewers has stated makes all the difference because when a Garmin loses satelite reception...Lowrance does not! This makes this machine better than a Garmin in this price range.

This is what I have learned about these four machines. So dollar for dollar, I guess the winner is the Lowrance iFinder H20c (color). Not because of the color but because of the extra strength in receiver channels.

Patrick

 

[MASTER Brian]

Re: What can you tell me about the Garmin E-trex Legend?

I love my Etrex, but I also haven't messed with a lot of other either.

I'm sure there are pros and cons, but I find it more user friendly than my dad's more expensive Garmin. When traveling, I sometimes plug it into my laptop and use nroute, then when in the boat, I plug it into my Humminbird Depth Finder.

I do wish it had more memory, but it's not that hard to change out the saved info.