Equipment / Gear Reviews - (1) Garmin eTrex H GPS

I originally got this GPS for Geocaching and I will be honest and say my decision was driven by my budget. I didn't want to spend hundreds of Euro on a GPS, my knowledge of GPS technology was very basic at that time. The Garmin was the cheapest solution at the time but from my experiences of it so far it was a bargain. The units vary greatly in price but I paid around €90 for mine which is about the cheapest model available. What I like most about the eTrex H is its size and weight. It barely takes up any space in the pocket or backpack so it is not at all cumbersome. Another reason I like it is its durability. It has a waterproof rating which means should you drop it into a puddle or need to use it in the rain it should be OK. Apparently the unit will float in water but I am not brave enough to try that out just yet!

One drawback that others have pointed out to me (although I myself do not see it as a problem) is that the unit does not display in colour. The unit accepts 2 x AA batteries, depending on the quality of the batteries you should get at least a full days use (assuming you use it all day long to record a route) but if you switch the unit on and off then you will get much longer from a set. The eTrex H does not seem to like rechargeable batteries for some reason, they will work but seem to drain very quickly so if you are going to use them perhaps have a few sets as backup just in case.

Using the GPS is very easy. There are only 5 buttons on the entire unit which has its positives and negatives. The positives are that it makes the unit easy to use, there are not a million buttons for different functions, its almost a one button for forwards and yes commands, one for return and two for up and down functions. It is a very easy unit to live with. However the simplistic configuration also has a downside, say you want to input a coordinate in the field you have to individually scroll between numbers to get your coordinates. and for standard coordinates in Ireland that means 14 numbers have to be entered. This is not a terribly big deal but nevertheless it is still a downside. Also, you are not provided with a data interface cable with the unit meaning until you get one you will have to insert all the coordinates you wish to store on the unit. For those Geocachers amongst us you will know that will soon become boring. The good news however is that the interface cables are very cheap if bought on-line.

It is possible to store up to 500 waypoints on your GPS. For me that translates into almost half of the Mountain summits in Ireland can be stored on my GPS at any one time. I bought myself an Interface cable on-line to use with the GPS, you will also have to download some software that will enable you to upload and download information to your GPS but there are some excellent software packages out there free of charge. I am currently using EasyGPS and find it works well for my needs. If you are a Geocacher then you probably already know you can send coordinates directly to your GPS from the Geocaching website.

Where the unit falls down a little for me is you only have the ability to store one route. I like to plan my walks in the mountains but with this unit you can only store one at a time. Its a small detail but if you want to build an escape route into your walk then you will need to bring hand written notes of the coordinates and input these along the way. Its minor but nevertheless a drawback.

Perhaps the most useful feature is the ability to switch between grid formats. This means you can setup the device to different methods of displaying coordinates (of which there are many) and it can also be set to give you a map grid reference depending on which country you are in. The Irish Grid Reference system is included. Should I ever get lost I can easily check my position on the GPS, translate that back to the map and work out where to go from there. This is no substitute for a map and a compass but used in tandem can be a life saver, especially in Ireland where the weather can come down on you very quickly leaving you disorientated. There have been a few occasions where I have used the GPS to confirm my position when changing routes so it has its uses.

Overall I find this unit more than adequate for my needs. Yes there are better, more accurate GPS units out there that even have mapping software. However I find using this unit along with a paper map and a compass is a good combination for safety. Batteries can always run out, electronic items can malfunction, maps can blow away and compasses can crack so to rely on one is risky. I like this GPS and cannot see myself changing to a different unit any time soon. It has so far found every Geocache I have looked for and hasn't failed to work when needed. Without having used other GPS units I find it hard to give this item a rating but I think 3.5 out of 5 reflects fairly upon it.

Positives:

Inexpensive compared to other GPS receivers

Small & Lightweights, not much heavier than a mobile phone

Accuracy to within a few metres depending on overgrowth

Drawbacks:

No mapping for terrain / streets available on this model

No numeric digits on the device making inputting of coordinates in the field time consuming

You do not get a data interface cable to connect to your PC meaning you need to buy one if you wish to do use the unit with your computer