With the eTrex Legend, Garmin has loaded a full base map of North and South America into one small unit. The Legend is also designed to provide precise GPS positioning using correction data obtained from the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). This product will provide position accuracy to less than three meters when receiving WAAS corrections.The base map contains lakes, rivers, cities, interstates, national and state highways, railroads and coastlines. The eTrex Legend is also equipped with additional memory totaling eight megabytes. The added memory allows the eTrex Legend to accept downloaded map data from Garmin's entire line of MapSource CD-ROMs, including Fishing Hot Spots. The eTrex Legend comes in a brightly colored translucent blue case that really makes the unit stand out. New to the product design, Garmin will include marine aids to navigation in addition to the base map. These navigational aids will be pre-loaded into each unit from the factory.It is compatible with most Garmin MapSource products including MapSource BlueChart marine cartography, MetroGuide, and Fishing Hot Spots. Accepts up to 8 megabytes of downloaded map detail.
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
Amazon.com Product Description 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.
Easily look up nearby services with optional downloadable details from MapSource CD-ROMs.
With Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) support, the 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.
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).
Built-in exit listings show services at U.S. interstate exits.
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
The Garmin eTrex Legend GPS receiver is modeled on Garmin's popular entry level eTrex, but adds the same base map found in Garmin's III+ and eMap models, along with 8 MB of memory, making it a solid midlevel offering in the eTrex line just behind the eTrex Summit. Housed in a translucent blue case, this powerful, 12-parallel-channel, global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver weighs only 5.3 ounces and measures 4.4 by 2 inches. It literally fits in the palm of your hand. The Legend boasts the ability to hold up to 8 MB of amazingly detailed information that you upload for the area you plan to navigate. In addition to all that detailed information at your fingertips, the Legend actually gives you a higher-resolution screen than the slightly better equipped eTrex Summit. The massive 10,000 track log points of the Legend compare well to the 3,000 track log points the Summit model offers and the 2,048 that the Venture offers.
The eTrex Legend's 8 MB memory enables you to download points of interest and map data from optional Garmin MapSource CD-ROMs to make your GPS unit more useful. The built-in base map of the Americas displays city and interstate highway information for North, South, and Central America, as well as U.S. highway exits. Address and business listings are displayed with data downloads. It also provides points of interest along lakes, rivers, and coastlines.
The Legend has a front-panel rocker switch that allows for quick and accurate map panning. View maps on a liquid crystal display with a resolution of 288 x 160 pixels. The unit is waterproof to an IPX7 standard, so it can withstand a dunk.
The Legend maintains a tight satellite lock, even in a forest. The unit can store up to 1,000 user waypoints with graphical icons, and it boasts Garmin's own TracBack feature, which reverses your track log and helps you navigate your way back home. The eTrex Legend also uses animated graphics that will help you identify your marked waypoints quickly and easily.
Garmin makes some of the accessories to help you integrate your GPS with your life and your priorities. Keep your GPS at the ready while protecting it from knocks and bumps with the carrying case. If you'll be on the road, you'll want to have access to the most detailed topographical maps of the United States available: The Garmin MapSource CD-ROM (USA TOPO). And don't let the product's many abilities overwhelm you--train yourself in all the eTrex's ins and outs with a handy instructional video.
The Garmin eTrex Legend comes with a PC interface cable, a manual, and a quick-reference card, and it's covered by a one-year warranty.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Garmin Etrex Legend GPS Receiver:
I purchase this 3 to 4 years ago. For the money at that time, it is the best. I even do a little surveying with it and an engineering firm used my numbers without hesitation. I love it!!!!
Solid GPS for cycling and hunting:
I've had this GPS for a few years now. It's still a bit more expensive that it is really worth now, as there is an updated model. The Legend has pretty much every feature that you would expect from a hand held unit. The time to acquire enough satellite to navigate is pretty quick, usually less than a minute. I've found that it is pretty good on battery life. The screen is slow in cold weather, but not unreadable. It works great for finding a deer blind before sunrise. I also like the ability to mount... more info
Great for what it does:
I use my Etrex Legend in my kayaks. The display is sharp enough that with my sunglasses on I can read it even in bright sunlight. The buttons are large enough that I can operate the Legend wearing my paddling gloves. Once it locates its satellites on startup, it doesn't seem to lose them, even when stored in one of my kayak hatches. (By way of contrast, my Merax/Gisteq Phototrakr sometimes resets on a kayak trip.) The only real weakness is a somewhat cumbersome menu system that can be difficult to see in... more info
Nearly worthless:
For nearly 4 years and over 50 countries I had a Magellan Explorist 210. Except for maps, it was very good. I literally always knew my direction, speed and location. I lost it the mountains of Argentina. The Garmin ETrex Legend looks a little fancier, and it has a better (not great) map, but literally everything else is harder to use or inferior. The obvious first fault is that it doesn't find salelites quickly. When it does find them, it seems to need 5 or (usually) more to find your location. Then... more info
