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- Garmin eTrex HThis product is perfect for geocaching, which I've been using it for since July 2008. It's very good as a cache is closer, and does pretty decently at zeroing in on the few feet remaining. The unit is durable, as I've frequently dropped it on the caching trail and it still keeps on working. Garmin was also really good about replacing my first unit when the display starting fading out at the bottom and the right hand side. Since I received my replacement (free of charge), I've had no problems whatsoever with it. Rating: - An Excellent Basic GPSI wanted a basic, easy to use, GPS that would allow me to hike in the wilderness and easily find my way to and from various places without fear of getting lost; and to always find my way back to my campsite or car. I also wanted to be able to save locations I visited as well as locations on the topo map I had not visited yet but wanted to be directed to by the GPS. In addition, I wanted to take a reading "in the field" and be able to find that location on a topo map. This unit does all of this perfectly. Unlike the experience of another reviewer of the eTrex H on this site, when I first turned this GPS on it initialized to satellites and my position in only a few minutes. The description of this unit should mention directly that you can use it to save locations you are not present at. It implies this by referring to Geocaching, but some people, like me, don't know what that is. And the description of how to do this in the owner's manual could be a little better. I am not very experienced in using a GPS with a topo map and I overlooked the need to program the GPS to the "datum" used for the map I was working with, which resulted in my readings being several hundred meters off. My biggest complaint about the owner's manual is that, while it tells you how to program the GPS for various map datums, it does not tell the "beginner" that if you live in the lower 48 US states, for a map that says "NAD 27" for the datum you select "NAD 27 CONUS" (for "Continental US"). I had to buy a couple of books on GPSs to find this out. Otherwise the owner's manual, while it is a little concise, is pretty thorough and easy to use. If your needs are simple, like mine, and you do not need to have topo maps loaded into the GPs, this is an excellent choice at a great price. (Even with a GPS it is always advised to go into unknown areas of the wilderness with a map and compass as well. If you work with a map, you will probably use the UTM system so you will need to learn how to work with that and get a plastic scale for reading meters in "grids". A good book on the GPS can be helpful in these regards - the owner's manual does not go into these details.) Rating: - Great starter for GeocachingI am just getting started in the hobby of geocaching and the Garmin eTrex H Handheld is working great! It's easy to understand and use. It has been accurate and seems to work well under tree canopys as well as in downtown urban settings. Rating: - Garmin eTrex H Handheld GPS Picked up one of these to replace a Geko 301 that I had been using for recording track logs. The Geko doesn't work too well without wide open skies, so more often than not I ended up with a bunch of way points rather than a full track log. I've just taken the eTrex H on an extended trip driving and walking through the North Cascades National Park (lots of mountains and trees). Even though the unit was in my backpack throughout the trip, the track log looks almost perfect (i.e. it lines up with all the roads etc when in Google Earth). The user interface on this unit appears to be the same as for the Geko, however the buttons are less pleasant to operate (bad placement, and too much force required). Like the Geko this unit does not include a cable; fortunately I could reuse the (not so cheap) USB cable I had bought for the Geko. Rating: - Number 11This is the eleventh Garmin I've bought. They're all for my coworkers in Europe. I don't hike but they tell me it's a great deal!
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