Garmin eTrex handheld gps

M

mcrem

New Member
Joined
25 May 2004
Messages
13
Location
Torbay
Visit site
Anyone out there have views/opinions/experience of the Garmin eTrex gps?
I have downloaded the owners manual and it looks to do everything you would expect from a budget priced handheld but hearing from someone who has used one would be useful.
Perhaps someone would recommend an alternative (but similarly priced) model.
Thanks
 
I run the GPS Navigator Group ..... see my signature for address ..... free membership and help !!

My GPS was an old Magellan Meridien 8ch job that still works actually ... but decided to upgrade to a newer 12ch jobbie. I looked at loads and decided that 100 quid foran eTrex was better value than most other budget jobs. As you say - it does all you need ... so ok it hasn't got some of the fancy bits ...BUT it sits in pocket nicely, with 2000 NiMH rechargeables in it lasts all day .... it has power /data cables for GPS and Serial - so all the super-duper plotting stuff can be done on PC notebook from the eTrex ....

On ebay and various sites - you can pick up eTrex at bargain prices .....

Yep - I'm happy with mine and since the advent of readily available signal re-transmitters to get around the internal antennae bit .... they have lost the only complaint I had ....

In fact mine is hanging in the window now providing lat and long to my PC ....

Basically if all you want is basic position. speed, waypoint stuff .... its damn good. If you want NMEA to a PC - it's damn good ..... and it's available at bargain price.

Yes - I like it. (I am looking at a dedicated bargain plotter as well though - but that's cause I like gadgets !!)

/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
Thanks for the info Nigel. Have just done a search on eTrex (should have thought of it first - before someone points it out to me!!) and the general opinions are good.
Your site looks useful also.
Mike
 
Its not the only one though ....

Before others jump in .... I have one and like most people tend to be biased about what I decided to buy !!

There are plenty of alternatives .... some with more facilities ... (the fact that I haven't used all on the eTrex tends to tell me I don't need more !!) .... which you may want.

There are plenty of discount stores on-line and those to visit such as MES Ltd ...http://www.mesltd.co.uk/ and also plenty of non-marine stores that do good deals on GPS and accessories .... such as GPS Warehouse .. http://www.gpsw.co.uk/index.html..... Expansys ..http://www.expansys.com/

etc. etc.

A search on Google etc. will pull up a lot of GPS related sites that provide 3rd party items ... such as serial to USB connectors at far less price than Garmin or others do ... searching on many PDA sites - you find all sorts of goodies designed to fit the hand-held GPS so that PDA's and Palm devices can be linked etc.

Once you get into PC plotting .... there are many ways to do this without commercial expense .... Freeware software such as Seaclear .... just needing scanned in charts of your own and calibrated - gives you personalised charting. Ozi-explorer if you like to go Shareware ... Maptech / Seapro / Globenav etc. if you want retail software ...... it is a rich world out there with GPS and its improving all the time .....

Note that the eTrex is not a new machine though ... it is well supported with downloadable software updates via Garmin web-site - taking care to make sure you pick right country specific update !

Join GPS Navigator ... and let us know how you get on .... ask anything you need ..... we all started at ZERO and we all know that we are not alone to do it ....

Cheers and hope you enjoy the new 'toy' !!
 
I bought one last year, but quickly found out that it provides only NMEA version 2000 which is not compatible with my PC plotter.
There is no means of changing this to be backwardly compatible with 0183v1.5 as far as I can see.
So check which nmea version your plotter needs if you are hooking it up to one.

Other than that it seems fine...I just use mine for backup in case we have to decamp to the liferaft.....!!

Steve.
 
Thanks for your input Steve. Although I have no intention at the moment of using it with a plotter it is as well to be aware of potential problems. Puzzled by your reference to NMEA version 2000. I have downloaded the Garmin handbook and this states that it is NMEA 0183, also one of the links Nigel pointed me to mentions 0183. But, as I said, I have no plotter at the moment.
Mike
 
OK, yes they are all NMEA 0183. This is the "Generic Protocol" which is just a language superimposed on the basic RS232/432 computer serial transfer system.
There are various flavours or versions, the most common being v 1.5, 2.0 and 2.2.
Some plotters get confused by the extra fourth digit of position on later NMEA versions.
The latest NMEA versions have lots more sentences available, including new features like AIS.

Steve.
 
The ETREX is good basic handheld but has a few drawbacks. The screen is minscule and difficult to read especially if it gets wet. Does not have the capability of an external aerial as Nigel has indicated. Retransmitters are available but the price is then not budget. If price is a major factor then go for the ETREX if not spend the few extra pounds (and it is only a few) for something like a 48 (secondhand for about £70 - far superior), Garmin II or III easier to read and external aerial. The plug system for the ETREX is not that good and you need special garmin plugs. The 45, 48, II and III use a plug that is readily available. You pays yer money and takes yer chance! They rarely go wrong and will not let you down. Service from Garmin is superb. Keep an eye on Ebay for any of the above.
 
Agree with Stevebirch the screen size is the major disadvantage of the Etrex.
Like most old folks I wear distance corrected sunglasses and have to take them off to use the Etrex for seeing the time and for setting up waypoints.
I stuck velcro on the back of my Etrex and simply hook it on to velcro patch attached to the bulkhead next to the compass on my 21 fter. No problem with signal strength. Although recently I found it hopeless in Paris city streets with too many buildings and trees. No signal.
For an occasional sailor who really sails by visual navigation an Etrex is so cheap and really great when you need it (not often) that you should have one or a similar type. Make sure you get a cable for power and data at the same time . regards olewill
 
I have no problem with connections on NMEA

I think that maybe the plotter is the problem not the eTrex .... as I have connected mine to many different itesm and all worked.

/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
The plug .....

This is a bug-bear and always has been with many GPS companys ....

One point to make .... when you get your data lead DO NOT CUT OFF OR REMOVE THE MOULDING SPIGOT that sticks out top of plug ..... This is a locking spigot that clicks into the small slot with the plug .....

My data lead had been opened by the shop - demo lead and THEY had done this thinking it was a mould left-over .... remember airfix kits etc. ? Well anyway now my serial data lead is a little touchy and I use the neck-strap to keep it in place ....

My USB lead is complete with spigot and locks nin superbly.

Now on to screen etc. What do you want in a pocket GPS .... they are all compromise ... and a screen that small cannot possibly be a serious ocean trekking navigation screen to see at cockpit distance !!! It is designed for stick in pocket, or hang round neck and get you home when hiking etc.

I agree with the antennae bit - that is a limitation sometimes ... but even so - I often get good reception even inside the cabin .... so not normally a problem. Normally as Steve knows ... I hang it from the sprayhood frame .... fine ...

As they say - you pays yer money .... I'm happy and it data's into my PC nicely. And Steve you know that's true !!
 
Re: I have no problem with connections on NMEA

OK Etrex wont give a charted position on C-mapECS v4.0 or 4.1, but this is a known prob with ECS...only likes v1.5.
Similar problems with Maxsea 10.x x...but of course they use the same basic charting engine ie cmengdriver.dll. Dunno whether same issue is there with raster charts on Maxsea..dont use maxsea so can someone elaborate?

It does work OK on Maptech and Seaclear and the horrid RYA/BA effort, and I have also seen the Etrex driving a Nobeltec VNS7 system.

Steve.
 
Not correct .......

I have a pal with a 60ft Clipper Yacht who in fact has connected my eTrex to his PC system on board and it supplies to BOTH CmapECS and Maxsea .......

In fact I am not aware of any PC plotting program that it does not connect to ....

The only time you would have trouble is if one or other is set to a protocol other than NMEA ... such as Garmin's own protocol etc.

Sorry but in addition to the above yacht having full commercial set-ups on board ... I haven't heard any different from the over 1500 members of the GPS Nav group !

The eTrex has a very large loyal owner-group on Yahoo Groups .... maybe a question to them ??

/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
Re: Not correct .......

Nigel,

I am absolutely sure that my Etrex will not drive C-mapECS at least on my vessel.
My normal fixed GPS is a garmin 235 which supplies NMEA v1.5/2.0. Changing the 235 to anything other than 1.5 results in the position being lost on ECS.
It does indeed pass the position coordinates, which are displayed, but the vessel does not know where it is and all vessel info including the anti-grounding display are lost.
Having investigated this already, the only reason I can come up with is that ECS gets confused with the additional digits in v2,0 and 2.2.


A similar thing happened when trying the etrex with maxsea, using cm93/2 charts.
The vessels position was plotted but refused to track.

The only other thing I could possibly put it down to is some sort of wierd problem
with the usb-serial converter I am using...as I use COM 1 to drive the autopilot,
I therefore use a converter on COM3 for the GPS input.
This works fine however when using the input set to v1.5.so I cant really see that that would be an issue.

If you can suggest a way to make my etrex work with C-mapECS it would be very helpful.

I am already a member of your group, as I'm sure you know.

Steve. g1fip.
 
Try me direct ....

e-mail : nluther*solent-life.co.uk replacing * with the appropriate @

I don't know why you have that problem ..... as I say - we tried it on the clipper .... and all was fine. He has CM93, CM93-2, CM93-3 and CM95 ..... plus the Maxsea 10.1.3.2 - which was supplied as a trial on their request to have a wider folio possibility ..... Maxsea reading all CM stuff as well as BSB etc.

When I get requests to check out stuff - I go see him ... its only a short drive from my house to him ... and we try it out. They have various kit on there .... fixed Magellan gear and also various hand-helds from the time she did circumnavigation few years back .... so far no trouble or duff stuff !!

as to tracking / anti-grounding ........... of course thats difficult to comment on as I haven't had opportunity to 'move' while testing ..... but there are no indications that this wont work ..... I'll try and get some screen captures later if you e-mail direct .....
 
Re: Not correct .......more..

Right, I now know what the issue is.
Having not really bothered to investigate fully before as the etrex is only the emergency backup.
Etrex does indeed work on ECS but only using the RMC sentence.
It will not give a position to the chart using the GLL/VTG combi.
This is definitely something to do with cmengdriver.dll and the way it handles digits after the decimal point.
So it will work, I just need to reset it to rx. RMC.

Thank you for making me look again, as I know you are not often wrong.

Steve.
 
Many thanks for your kind words !!!

But I am often wrong - as are many others ... I have the grace and character to admit it ....

Main thing is that I'm glad you found the source of problem ... not my vanity !!

And as I see it ... I could be wrong here ... Maxsea doesn't use Cm93's own driver as it installs it's own - so I think you can just copy CM93 chart files onto drive and Maxsea will look after reading them ... and also display at any resolution you want instead of CM93 requiring 256 colours.

I have to admit - you had me going there .... thinking hell - how did I get it working then ... is it going to crap-out when sailing etc. etc. !!!

/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Etrex - great little GPS but ....

I've had the basic Etrex for a number of years, and F-I-Law has one of the more expensive models with greater res display and built in compass ...

Both are superb and work well, never had anything other than user issues with them (breaking the screen by crushing it isn't handy ... !!). The only issue I really have with it is that you cannot customise what you see on the screen - the data window has the compass rose and an icon in the direction of your next waypoint and you have to scroll through the various data entries in the bottom window ... it would be exceedingly handy to be able to remove that compass rose and display several data fields at the same time (was going to say symaltaniously, but can't spell it!) But then you can get "dedicated marine" GPSs from Garmin that do do that ...

Not had a problem connecting it to Offshore Nav and found the update to be quicker than the old Apelco fixed GPS we currently (ab)use on board.
 
Re: Etrex - great little GPS but ....

I think this has come about because of the orienteering / hiking / biking role it was originally designed for. To remove the compass screen .... you then have the mapping function .... which I find amusing - but once got used to actually works - albeit rather crude and basic.

I think that most would use it as I do ... hang it up so it gets signal .... lead into plotter or PC and ignore the eTrex screen !!

Many people say - get a USB Mouse GPS .... I say ok - but what will you do when you need an emergency HH GPS when boat goes "crunch" .... for only a few quid more than a GPS Mouse - you get a self-contained eTrex .... no contest I think ....

/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
Re: Not correct .......

Don't PCs go a bit funny if you use COM1 & 3 at the same time? (same with 2&4) Or does windows get around that problem nowadays?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top