Overview The Garmin Vista HCx, brings a high sensitive receiver to Garmin's popular line of eTrex handheld units. It features a small GPS receiver and navigator with a color screen you can hold right in your hand. The Vista HCx is modeled after the original eTrex Vista, the color Vista C and the Vista Cx, which brought expandable memory to the eTrex series. Now it has a high sensitive receiver, although unlike other previous Garmin units, the high sensitive receiver chip is not a Sirf product, rather a MediaTek 3. Designed for outdoor use, such as on the trail, hiking, geocaching, and biking, the HCx also can be used for highway use, if you purchase the Garmin CityNavigator maps.

Home; The Garmin Forums have recently been upgraded and we are receiving reports of a variety of issues. Discussion and updates will be posted in the vBCms Comments. Amazon.com: garmin vista. Interesting Finds Updated Daily. Torrents Hacker Experience Game. The Garmin eTrex Vista handheld mapping GPS. Garmin eTrex Vista HCx (010-00630-00) by Garmin.

Overall, the unit operates nearly identical to the Vista Cx, with just a few minor changes. The only feature change in the HCx is the ability to customize the routing color. The Vista HCx lists on the street for $299. Check discount prices. Garmin has also upgraded its line of eTrex models with color screens and the high sensitive receiver, including the eTrex Summit HC, which includes an electronic compass and altimeter, the eTrex Venture HC, which does not have a card slot, but a limited amount of internal memory and does not have the ability to give road navigation, and the eTrex Legend HCx, which is identical to the Vista HCx, except the Legend does not have the electronic compass or altimeter. The Unit The Vista HCx is the same size as its color model predecessors.

It has a color screen, a power/backlight key, a page key, map zoom in and out keys, the find key and the joystick key. While there is a card slot, no micro SD card is included in the unit package. I have used a 1GB card without any problem and you can find a 1GB micro SD card for around $25. This provides more than plenty of room for maps.

Included in the Vista HCx package is the unit itself, loaded with a basic basemap, wrist strap, owners manual, a USB cable for computer use and MapSource Trip and Waypoint manager, which allows you to connect the HCx to a computer and manage your waypoints, routes and tracks. It contains a similar basemap that is loaded in your unit and does not have any specific map detail. The most important key on the Vista HCx is the page key, which is on the upper right hand side. This is how you bring up the different function pages, which are summarized below. I have found the best way to get acquainted with the unit, is to press the menu key on every page and you will usually find more features and functions that the HCx has the capability to do. Here is a photo of keys, starting on the right and going clockwise: (Right Side) Page/Quit Key Power/Backlight Key (Left Side) Zoom Out Zoom in Joystick Key (Front of unit) Find/Menu Key Satellite Page This will show you the status of the satellites. It will show if it has a satellite lock by giving the lat/long.

Pressing menu will allow you to use the unit indoors by turning the GPS function off, north or track up, blue satellite icons or multi-color, new location,-- which puts the unit into locating satellites mode if you have moved hundreds of miles from the last use and GPS elevation. This pages also shows you the elevation, but according to the GPS satellites, not the altimeter. Satellite page shows accuracy, current latitude and longitude and location of satellites in the sky and which satellites are receiving signal. 'D' indicates the unit is getting WAAS correction from a WAAS satellite, in this case, #49. Map This is the map page, and this shows optional CityNavigator detail.

The black triangle represents my position. The data fields, which here show speed and elevation are customizable and also allow two additional data fields, but this will reduce the size of the map that is visible. (A screen example of the optional TOPO 2008 software is shown later on in this article when tracks are discussed.) Routes When you create an active autoroute with the optional CityNavigator map detail, it will give you step by step directions to your destination.

You can show times to go, or actual estimated arrival times to each leg of your route. Compass This is for getting to a location off road. It is not an actual compass, but works from determining your movement. Ellen Allien Berlinette Zip.

Kyle Schwarber. This is until you turn the electronic compass on and your speed is less than five miles per hour, which will activate the electronic compass. You can also customize the data files on this page by pressing 'menu.' Remember to press and hold the page key to turn the electronic compass on/off. This view shows that I am heading directly west here and the red arrow indicates the direction of my destination. The data fields show I am 129 miles away, this is as a crow files.