Garmin E-Trex 30

[gammy leg walker]

Help reqd please WH members & yes I know this has been asked many times before but I need to get this right first time as money is tight.


1........Are they easy to use as I am a total numpty with all this stuff.

2......Can you download the WH routes onto it.

3.....How accurate are they.

4.....Is there any other questions I should ask or need to know.


Many Thanks GLW.

[xpfloyd]

Gammy,

Im not really answering your actual question here but I cant recommend the Etrex 10 enough. Its a lot cheaper than the etrex 30 and does everything you really need i.e. you can download the routes from this site onto it, its accurate and it can give you your location if you get lost. It doesn't have a map in the background and it isn't colour. If you can live with that don't waste your money on the fancier ones.

I know people like to have the colour OS map in the background but I find it completely unnecessary if you also have a paper map (or extract of it) with you. Digital maps for the fancier GPS units can also be expensive.

Just my 2p worth mate

[OpenC]

Completely agree with that. I've used the 10 for a long time, got a 30 but preferred the 10 so got rid of the 30.

If you're desperate for OS mapping and want routes overlaid onto the device, the 30 is probably the best choice. However.. if you have the paper maps anyway, you don't need a tiny screen showing a tiny percentage of it. With a few well-chosen waypoints uploaded onto the 10 (summits and tops, car parks, bealachs, notable path junctions), you effectively get a custom map on the device anyway, albeit one without contours. Even if you can't be bothered with the hassle of entering waypoints, you get a device which is accurate to around 2m (in usual conditions) which will tell you exactly where you are and is also capable of directing you along a predetermined downloaded route.

[laconic surf]

1. Yes - it does take a trip or two, like anything, to be totally used to it. But essentially it is really easy to use.

2 Yes. I download the WH waypoints for every trip. I prefer to use a map but it's always switched on and i can refer to it in seconds. If i think i've wandered off or not exactly sure where i am in clag i can look at the screen and make sure i'm back on track. The WH waypoints appear as a continuous blue path, your position appears as an arrow so if you have wandered off you can just begin walking until the arrow is back on the blue track.

3. I find very accurate. The most difference i have ever noticed is about 5-10 metres but 99% of the time it's bang on. As it's used for directional purposes anyway 5m is negligible.

4. You will need to get either a 1.50 or 1.25 map of scotland separately so you need to factor in the extra cost (about £80). There are ways of getting it free that others can suggest but it always seemed a load of hassle so i forked out for the map as it's an investment. No regrets on this for me. Basecamp, the software that comes with it for the pc is sh*te. Very un-user friendly and stuffed full of nonsense. However, it doesn't affect using the gps. You need to download a free programme, i use "easygps" which acts as a middleman between the WH and the gps device. When you download a route from WH, easygps pops up automatically and you click "send to gps"- that's it done. When you switch on the device the waypoints are there. There are other programmes but i've never had any need to use another.
Think that covers the basics. Any other questions feel free to ask. It's more fun imo to use a map, however, its incredibly reassuring to have it on you, especially when the weather turns and your points of reference disappear in to the pea soup, particularly if you are on or close to dangerous ground.

[SuperMillie]

I agree with laconic surf, easy to use and BaseCamp is dreadful, but as previously said easy to get around using easygps (other 3rd party GPS programmes are also available)

Never used the E-trex 10 so can't comment on it's useability, but have had the E-trex 30 for a while and it's been invaluable. It has a good 3-axle compass and never had any issues getting a reception, even in complete clag, forests, etc.
I also like the fact it has a barometric altimeter, which is great when your unsure which Cairn is the right one or you just want to get confirmation of how high you still have to climb.

[stevesey]

I've owned an original yellow Etrex for 10 years now - maps were not an option back then. Over the past year I've been using Viewranger app on my phone with maps - the one significant advantage I find with the maps is in the clag/dark when the "path" is very faint/unclear/across rocks and easily lost - being able to see where you are in relation to the path is a real bonus. Without maps on your GPS you only really know the bearing/distance to be next waypoint and can follow the arrow to it - the path of course is rarely so direct and finding it the other side of a bolder field in poor visibility is much easier with the map on the screen.

Either will help in the clag/dark, and I used my old GPS successfully for 9 years - but I now find having the map on the screen just makes things so much quicker (even if just translating your position to the a paper map).

Altitude - I found my old Etrex surprisingly accurate - more so that the stated accuracy for first generation GPS's (the small angle involved in the triangulation calculation for height mean it's less accurate than position). My phone is normally within 5m (and often less) when stood on the summit (and would expect the modern chipset in any GPS to be similarly accurate).

[Boris_the_Bold]

I bought an etrex 10 recently and am very happy with it - I didn't get one with digital maps cos I always have a paper map with me when I'm on the hills and I just use the GPS to occasionally check that I am where I think I am and to make sure I can find the more-obscure tops.

The Garmin on-line support staff were very helpful (when I had to download a new version of the software to get rid of a bug in my original version).

I agree with other respondents that BaseMap is pretty 'clunky', but with a bit of trial and error you can work out how to use it to take a full detailed GPX route from the Walkhighland's (excellent) GPS Route Planner and transfer it to the etrex and/or save the most-relevant Waypoints, edited to to include name, height, appropriate symbols etc. (You can, of course, simply add waypoints manually into the etrex, which is easier/quicker if you just want to record/find a summit or two.

The GPS itself finds your current position and height quickly and accurately and is easy (and fun) to use, with only two very minor niggles (it took me a while to work out how to get it to tell me my current grid reference and it can be hard to decide which option is highlighted when on a menu with just two options (which can be a bit scary when you accidentally select 'Delete all Waypoints ' and are offered a Yes/No choice - however, both these problems might just be me being thick!

In conclusion, I highly recommend the etrex 10 and reckon no-one should leave their house without one!

BtB

[brpro26]

Get yourself an Etrex 30 and load it with the maps from http://talkytoaster.com/ukmaps.htm .....oops!

The maps are reassuring in conjunction with a "real" map.

[PeteR]

Agree with all laconic surf said

Got the Etrex 30 earlier this year and find it easy to use. I'm sure it has features I don't use, but could, but I'm a bloke so reading instruction manuals is not in my nature

I downloaded maps following this thread on the site: http://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=33514. Took me a while to suss it, but haven't looked back since. Not the full detail of Ordnance Survey, but gives me the contour lines, so I know just how steep the fecker is that I'm slogging up

[spiderwebb]

Another vote for the Etrex 10, as like others always have the paper map, and I've found on those Ive been shown the GPS jiust isn't big enough to give me that 'feel' of where I am,, ok yes it'll show you relevant to another couloured line, but I like the bigger picture.

Finding your current Grid Ref with the Etrex 10 is simply a case of pressing and holding the toggel button, regardless of what screen or menu you are currently in

[gammy leg walker]

OK so now got myself said E-trex 30 & have managed to get 1:50,000 OS maps onto my laptop but for the life of me I cant get maps onto my Garmin can anyone please help,and if its not asking to much once I have this done how do I then download the WH routes onto the Garmin & maps on the thing.

PS.......you are dealing with a complete technophobe when it comes to this stuff..................its an age thing.



Many,many thanks in advance.....................glw.

[gammy leg walker]

OK so now got myself said E-trex 30 & have managed to get 1:50,000 OS maps onto my laptop but for the life of me I cant get maps onto my Garmin can anyone please help,and if its not asking to much once I have this done how do I then download the WH routes onto the Garmin & maps on the thing.

PS.......you are dealing with a complete technophobe when it comes to this stuff..................its an age thing.



Many,many thanks in advance.....................glw.

Even send a PM if this is better.

[Meatball]

http://www.memory-map.co.uk/kb/questions.php?questionid=17

[gammy leg walker]

http://www.memory-map.co.uk/kb/questions.php?questionid=17

Many thanks.