Garmin Etrex Legend GPS Receiver

Garmin Etrex Legend GPS Receiver Review

Garmin Etrex Legend GPS Receiver Feature

• 8 Mb Of Available Flash Memory
• Download From Metroguide Usa Cd-Rom (Not Included), Detailed Street Map Info, Addresses & Points Of Interest With Phone Info
• Smallest GPS On Market With North & South America Basemap
• WAAS-Enabled
• Perfect For Outdoor Person & Adaptable To Be Fully-Functional For Vehicle Use

Amazon.com Review There are now enough handheld global positioning system (GPS) receivers on the market that you can be choosy when it comes to price, features, and design. Garmin--a leading manufacturer of car, boat, and personal GPS receivers--has a complete line of eTrex handheld receivers, with our Legend falling about midrange.

With Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) support, the eTrex Legend offers extremely accurate readings (rated to within 2 to 3 meters). (For more on WAAS, see the Frequently Asked Questions section.) A good-size screen--288 x 160 pixels--makes it easy to see location details, and the Legend redraws maps quickly when zooming in or out of a position.

The eTrex Legend provides precise GPS positioning using correction data obtained from the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS).

The Satellite page shows satellites being tracked, and their corresponding signal strength. View larger.

The internal trip computer provides a range of data about hikes and drives. View larger.

Its 8 MB of memory means there is also plenty of room for waypoints, routes, and saved tracks. The Legend will hold up to 500 waypoints, complete with a name and graphical symbol, 20 routes with 50 waypoints each, and it contains slots for 10 saved tracks. You can also download maps from Garmin's MapSource CD-ROMs (thorough but expensive accessories for the GPS receiver) to see street-level or topographic detail (depending on the CD-ROM title).

But one of the most striking attributes of the Legend is its comfortable and efficient design. While it rests easily in the palm of either hand, it's most suited for the left hand, where its handy click-stick can be manipulated with the thumb. The click-stick works like the pencil-eraser nubbin on laptop PCs and is handy for moving through screen icons and menus. It also works as a button when pressed down.

The Legend is coated with a waterproof, rubberized plastic shell that grips nicely. Weighing in at only 5.3 ounces, it fits into a pocket or clips onto a belt loop, going almost unnoticed.

The internal trip computer of the Legend provided a range of data about our hikes and drives, including current speed, average speed, trip distance, and time traveled (both moving and stopped). For those interested in checking out their foot pace and distance traveled, it's a handy GPS to have in hand.

Our only major beef with the Legend is that the receiver sometimes seemed to grow weak. Even when it wasn't in WAAS mode (which can be tough to maintain a signal in), it dropped the signal from time to time. We even lost the signal once while walking along the streets of San Francisco--it seems that the medium-size buildings were enough to interfere with the reception.

But this only happened on a few occasions. Most of the time the well-designed Legend was able to keep us in touch with up to 12 GPS satellites for a strong-enough read to maintain a tight handle on our location. --J. Curtis

Pros

• Comfortable, compact design
• Click-stick for interface navigation
• Bright backlight
• Handy distance-traveled feature

Cons

• Sporadic reception within urban areas
• Can take several minutes for a cold fix
  With an eTrex series GPS is by your side. The eTrex is a basic GPS with a built-in electronic compass and barometric altimeter. These smart little handhelds are tough, waterproof and feature simple, one-hand operation.