Garmin Etrex Venture Waterproof Hiking
Roughly the size and shape of a cell phone, the Venture has six buttons that are effortlessly accessible by thumb and forefinger. The Power, Page, Zoom In, Zoom Out, and Find buttons are along the side, with the big-daddy navigation button (a directional click-button akin to a thumb-operated joystick) on the front above the screen. The side buttons are stiff sufficient that it's closely totally unlikely to without intention push one. However, we found the navigation button to be a bit too stiff, which caused us various faults in entering waypoints. Text was very easy to read--highlights are discernible and menu bars and clickable objects are well defined. The unit also has an magnificent backlight, which illuminates the whole screen with a white light, giving magnificent contrast and observing capability at night. The Venture's interface is split into five dissimilar pages, each providing dissimilar functions. The main menu page gives you access to your saved routes and tracks, as well as set up for using WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation Service) reception, unit measurement, time, and display. These are all speedily rotated through with the click of the Page button on the right-hand side of the unit. The map page displays the basemap included with the Venture, and for outdoor excursions it provides all the basi principles you'll need. It mechanically tracks your movements and you may save person tracks for later viewing. The map is zoomable from 500 miles to 20 feet depending on your preferences. You may place waypoints and places of interest on the map and name and change the icons of each to give rise to your own individualized maps. If you determine you want to go somewhere, press the Find button and you'll get quick access to waypoints, your favorites list, and nearby cities. The Venture features 1 MB of memory for downloading points-of-interest data--including lodging, business services, banks, and more--from optional CD-ROMs thru the included PC cable. Unfortunately, for more elaborate mapping you'll need to look to the Garmin eTrex Legend or Vista, both of which have more prominent memory capacities and the capacity to download elaborate maps. Reception was, of course, best outside on a clear day, but the Venture held most of it is functionality underneath fixed cover like little buildings or thick trees. All in all, the Garmin eTrex Venture is a nifty little GPS tool and is ready to roll for your outdoor adventure. However, if you're looking to use more elaborate map data with your GPS, the Garmin eTrex Vista or Legend would be a better choice. --Matt Deffer Pros: Cons: What's in the Box ReviewGarmin's eTrex Venture GPS receiver offers a host of track- and path-related programs and is breathtakingly easy to use. Its size and design make it comfortable to use one-handed, and it is automatic tracking feature and capacity to download maps from optional CD-ROMs make it an magnificent navigation tool. Roughly the size and shape of a cell phone, the Venture has six buttons that are effortlessly accessible by thumb and forefinger. The Power, Page, Zoom In, Zoom Out, and Find buttons are along the side, with the big-daddy navigation button (a directional click-button akin to a thumb-operated joystick) on the front above the screen. The side buttons are stiff sufficient that it's closely inconceivable to in an unintentional manner push one. However, we found the navigation button to be a bit too stiff, which caused us various errors in entering waypoints. Text was very easy to read--highlights are discernible and menu bars and clickable objects are well-defined. The unit also has an magnificent backlight, which illuminates the whole screen with a white light, giving splendid contrast and looking at capability at night. The Venture's interface is split into five dissimilar pages, each supplying dissimilar functions. The main menu page gives you access to your saved routes and tracks, as well as setup for using WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation Service) reception, unit measurement, time, and display. These are all quickly rotated through with the click of the Page button on the right-hand side of the unit. The map page displays the basemap included with the Venture, and for outdoor excursions it provides all the basi principles you'll need. It mechanically tracks your movements and you may save person tracks for later viewing. The map is zoomable from 500 miles to 20 feet depending on your preferences. You may place waypoints and places of interest on the map and name and alter the icons of each to create your own individualized maps. If you determine you want to go somewhere, press the Find button and you'll get quick access to waypoints, your favorites list, and nearby cities. The Venture features 1 MB of memory for downloading points-of-interest data--including lodging, business services, banks, and more--from optional CD-ROMs by way of the included PC cable. Unfortunately, for more elaborate mapping you'll need to look to the Garmin eTrex Legend or Vista, both of which have more spectacular memory capacities and the capacity to download elaborate maps. Reception was, of course, best outside on a clear day, but the Venture held most of it is functionality under fixed cover like little buildings or thick trees. All in all, the Garmin eTrex Venture is a nifty little GPS tool and is ready to roll for your outdoor adventure. However, if you're looking to use more elaborate map data with your GPS, the Garmin eTrex Vista or Legend would be a better choice. --Matt Deffer Pros:
Cons:
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Good compromise amid price and functionality
