Garmin eTrex Legend C Waterproof Hiking GPS Review
I've had the Legend C for 3+ years and love it. By now you can buy it with a memory card which is much better for street software. For just topo software, the older style is fine (but 8 MB in the basic legend is not).
First off, Garmin is an outstanding company. After 2 years of hard travel all over the world, the rubber surround was coming loose so I sent it in to get repaired fully willing to pay (even with the loose rubber surround, it never faltered in heavy rain). Rather, Garmin sent me a brand new one free of charge (despite clear signs of hard use including large scratches on the screen).
Second, this is for hobbyist- if you're doing serious wilderness work, get a higher end one (and for what it is worth, Magellan's hand held works better in heavy rain forest canopy cover).
With that said, I love my Legend C and only wish I had the Vista with built in compass. Without the compass, it won't give you bearing unless you're moving. I have a mount for my mountain bike (and my dash board which also works with a Garmin StreetPilot) and I don't bike without it. Get a case with the belt clip and you can put it on your pack while hiking or geocaching.
Color screen is worth the extra cost. Just wish I knew how to get rid of all the nautical markings!
Finally, you'll want the topo software which has all streets and is fine unless you're doing address mapping. Free software is fine but for you can get Google Earth Plus and upload your way points and tracks there!
Garmin eTrex Legend C Waterproof Hiking GPS Feature
- Automatic route generation, off-route recalculation, turn-by-turn directions and more help navigate you safely to your destination
- Waterproof to IEC 60529 IPX7 standards (submersible in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes)
- Mini-USB port for fast, convenient download of map data
- 256-color, sunlight-readable display, 36-hour battery life and 24 MB internal memory
- Measures 1.2 x 1.3 x 4.7 inches (WxHxD)
Garmin eTrex Legend C Waterproof Hiking GPS Overview
eTrex Legend® CThe eTrex Legend® C is Garmin's exciting, new, pocket-sized handheld that brings color, automatic routing, longer battery life, plus more to our popular-selling eTrex Legend. You won't miss a thing when you take this colorful, lightweight, easy-to-use handheld out hiking, biking, boating or even geocaching. The eTrex Legend C along with the eTrex Vista C are Garmin's smallest, least expensive products to combine a color TFT display and advanced GPS routing capabilities in a waterproof design.
Outdoor enthusiasts will love the latest improvements made to the eTrex Legend C:
- 256-color, sunlight-readable display makes it easy to distinguish map details and see where you're going
- Automatic route generation, off-route recalculation, turn-by-turn directions with alert tones, and icon-driven menus for finding points of interest (when combined with Garmin?s optional MapSource® CDs) navigate you safely to your destination*
- Longer battery life for more hours of outdoor enjoyment
- Mini-USB port for fast, convenient download of map data from Garmin's entire library of optional MapSource CDs using a PC
- 24 MB of internal memory for lots of map storage
Of course the eTrex Legend C still includes those popular features that users have come to love and expect in the eTrex product line, such as a compact, lightweight, waterproof design and user-friendly interface. The eTrex Legend C is WAAS-enabled, and like all eTrex units, the primary controls are oriented on the side of the unit, so the user can conveniently operate it with one hand. Also, an innovative rocker switch is located on the face of the unit that enables the user to input data easily, scroll through menus, or pan the map page.
*When Using City Navigator® data, unit has limited memory for mapping.
Garmin eTrex Legend C Waterproof Hiking GPS Specifications
Garmin's pocket-sized eTrex Legend C handheld GPS unit enhances Garmin's popular eTrex Legend with a color screen, automatic routing, and longer battery life, making it one of the smallest, least expensive waterproof products to combine a color TFT display with advanced GPS auto-routing abilities. You won't miss a thing when you take this lightweight, easy-to-use handheld out hiking, biking, boating, or geocaching.
Compass indicates direction. View larger. |
An easy-to-read color map. View larger. |
Displays nearby attractions. View larger. |
The eTrex Legend C packs advanced GPS navigation into a compact, waterproof device. |
The unit offers a bright, transflective color TFT display for easy daylight viewing, automatic route generation, off-route recalculation, turn-by-turn directions with alert tones, and icon-driven menus for finding points of interest (when combined with Garmin's optional MapSource CDs). You'll get up to 36 hours of use on two AA batteries. The unit offers 24 MB of internal memory and its mini-USB port lets you download map data rapidly from Garmin's library of MapSource CDs (not included) with your PC.
You'll enjoy outstanding accuracy of less than three meters (10 feet) when the device is enabled to receive enhanced GPS signals from the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) in the United States. Like on all eTrex units, the primary controls are located on the side of the unit, so you can operate it with one hand. An innovative rocker switch on its face makes inputting data easy, and with it you can scroll through menus or pan the map page.
Other key features of the eTrex Legend C include an auto-route basemap (featuring general map data like highways, major roads, rivers, lakes, and borders); a waterproof design (to IEC 60529 IPX7 standards--submersible in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes); 500 waypoints/routes/tracks (with graphic identification); 50 reversible routes; 20 saved tracks; 10,000 trackpoints; TracBack technology); alarms (proximity waypoint, anchor drag, and off-course, as well as a built-in alarm clock); a GPS patch antenna; selectable audio tones and color schemes; a stopwatch; a hunting/fishing calendar; sun/moon calculations; and a trip computer.
The Legend C includes a built-in, permanent basemap, Americas Recreational, which cannot be altered. The Americas Recreational Routable Basemap v2 includes the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central and South America, and covers an area from longitude 30 to 180 degrees west and latitude from 60 degrees south to 75 degrees north. It includes a high-level, worldwide map featuring borders and major cities.
Standard map coverage includes oceans, rivers, lakes greater than 30 square miles, lakes greater than five square miles in the U.S. and southern Canada, lakes greater than 10 square miles in central and northern Canada, principal cities, some smaller cities and towns, major interstates, principal highways, political boundaries (state and international borders), major airports, and a database of Interstate exits for the Federal Interstate highway system. This last includes many establishments within about 0.25 mile of exits, including restaurants; diesel and gas stations; hotels, motels, and inns; overnight RV parking; dumps; campgrounds; truck stops; medical facilities; shopping and outlet malls; ATMs; and many more such attractions.
What's in the Box
eTrex Legend C GPS receiver, basemap (Americas Recreational), MapSource Trip & Waypoint Manager CD, PC/USB interface cable, wrist strap, quick reference guide, and owner's manual.
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Customer Reviews
Be Aware - Bic - Ohio
I bought the e-trex Legend C and have only used it for driving to and from different locations in my work truck. I work at new neighborhoods alot. You have to use a recent map if you don't update your software. Garmin stated that they are not providing updates any longer for the Legend C. So if you buy anything, buy the Legend CX or something else. I have City Select. Maybe another program is better.
Great little work horse! - James R. Mills -
I have owned the legend c for about 4 or five years and it has been a awesome little work horse. I have used it to kayak rivers and bays to a 5 day hike on the Appalachian trail to finding my way around a new city.
It has performed very well in those situations.
I would definitely not reccomend using this for routing out a long trip, I tried this when I first purchased it and lets just say it was a painful experience! However it can be a great tool for figuring out where things are in a car and for figuring out your arrival time it is spot on.
There are cons:
The little joy stick can be very sluggish and the pressor speed is very sluggish, together it can get annoying waiting for things to load when trying to scroll around looking for something.
At times it has trouble getting a decent signal while inside the car or driving under a thick canopy of trees, although this is probably true of most hand helds.
My biggest gripe would be the the black rubber surround that seperated from the unit after leaving it the sun a little too long. The glue heated up and now the rubber just slides around and won't stay put.
I have heard that you can fix this by cleaning the parts with alchohol and then using clear silicone caulk to reattach it but haven't tried it yet.
After five years of frequent use its still going strong and I have to say all-in-all this is a great little device.
WayPoint Position Accuracy - Elizabeth A. Briggs - Prescott, AZ USA
Purchased eTrex Legend Cx on April 6, 2008. Received the unit SN:15P013699 on 4/20. After extensive trouble shooting with Garmin Tech Support, I sent the unit back to Garmin on 4/26. My complaint was with the accuracy of cache/waypoints particularly in the longitude readings when over a known waypoint with exact coordinates, I found the unit to register as much as 25-35 feet away.
Garmin sent a replacement unit without giving any explaination of checking the one I had returned. I tested the replacement unit, SN:76968064, on numerous cache waypoints and obtained about the same accuracy results; 40-50feet off of the exact waypoint locations. Next, after another frustrating conversation with Garmin Tech Support, I was given another RMA # for return of the second unit, which was then returned on 6/20. As of the time of writing this review, I have not received any correspondence from Garmin with regards to the status on the GPS repair. Garmin repair turn around is terrible and so is their email correspondence. If the next unit I receive operates the same as the first two, I intend to return the unit to Garmin and ask for a refund so I can purchase another GPS with better accuracy.
EB Prescott, AZ
Great help for cycling! - S. E. Raye - boston
I concur with the positive reviews for this product--this is one fantastic little invention that really makes for smooth navigation of new cycling routes!
I give it 3 stars because it's not Mac compatible.
BEFORE you buy this product, get the book "Outdoor Navigation with GPS". This is VERY helpful for understanding how GPS works, will help you select an appropriate GPS unit, and includes many helpful suggestions for saving battery power, etc... I imagine that many people who have issues with their GPSr's, don't really understand how GPS works, and expect miracles. The manual that comes with it does NOT explain a number of things that you should know.
I also recommend that you buy NiMH rechargeable batteries (do your research! get a good charger, understand how your batteries work!) and take a freshly charged spare set with you for those lo-o-ong rides, or if in any doubt. So far, the battery life in this unit is very long, and I haven't had problems even in the cold weather.
For you cyclists, I recommend that you label waypoints (in a route) like you would cues on a cue-sheet: 1R-BRI would mean first turn, go right onto Bridge St. Maybe that's just obvious, but I didn't do it for my first ride, and it makes navigation much Smoother and without confusion.
Also, I think a more basic model without map capability would be fine as long as it has long battery life, and spd/distance/time information.
Later. Some new notes:
1. My batteries appear to last 22+ hrs, at temps around freezing. (plus or minus a few degrees). I chose this model primarily because it had the longest battery life.
2. I think it is an advantage NOT to have the full maps feature, haven't needed it, and have heard from other cyclists that it either clutters the screen, or re-routes you onto freeways (However, I think that it might be possible to turn off the automatic routing) .
3. It can take a long time to program a route manually if you only have a MAC--I'm unemployed right now, so I have lots of time to spare (another reason why I'm even writing this damned review). if you don't have a PC, It will be a sad thing if you can't archive this route and have to delete it to make room for other routes.
4. I love the tracback feature, this has turned out to be helpful a few times.
5. this makes a great bike computer! many features that I love to use! okay, I've said enough, but I hope this review is helpful to someone out there.
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Oct 05, 2010 10:26:33
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