Etrex 10 vs 20

[+Kacher82]

I have been considering getting a new gpsr, and am trying to balance performance and price. I have been leaning towards a Garmin Etrex 20, but it's a bit more money than I'd like to spend. I was wondering, what are the key differences between an Etrex 20 and an Etrex 10. I know the 20 has a color screen and the 10 does not, but I don't know about other points.

The 20 would obviously be the better unit, but the 10 is more in my price range.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

The '20 accepts a microSD card -- great for adding (good) maps and expands memory/storage beyond just the maps. This alone is probably the reason to get it.

 

Other than what you already mentioned, the monochrome vs. color (which enhances maps even more), are the differences.

There are folks that refuse to part with their '20 and there are folks that wish they had gotten a '20 instead of a '10.

 

Dunno what you are currently using, but the '10 is pretty much an entry level unit, not much more. Those who generally do get the '10 are those who haven't researched GPSr units -- or do not realize the advantage of expandable memory and storage.

True, upon occasion, price is considered the primary factor -- but for personal use, it really shouldn't be. It only leads to another upgrade down the road.

[+BlackRose67]

With the 20, you can add a microSD card. That's not an option on the 10.

 

The screen resolution is better on the 20.

 

You can add maps with the 20. There is a way you can add maps to the 10, but it takes a bit of work and it's only for a small area.

I have the 20 and have a routeable map of all of Canada on my 20.

 

Here's a side by side comparison: http://www.gpscity.ca/compare/etrex10&etrex20

[+Bear and Ragged]

If you're serious about caching (or even only half serious! ) go for the 20.

It's the memory that's worth it.

[+whh0]

I am with sussamb - maps. Buy an etrex10, head off on a geocaching trip, get within 20m and realise that the cache is the other side of a rather large river........ Buy an extrex20, head off on a geocaching trip see on the map that there is a large river and save yourself a lot of frustration!

[+Kacher82]

Dunno what you are currently using,

I'm currently using a Dell Pocket PC (obsolete, I know), with Cachemate. No map whatsoever, just a direction arrow. I got the Pocket PC so I could do Wherigo. Before that, I used a Magellan SporTrack Pro, which I still have and occasionally use.

 

What kind of compass do these units have? Is it electronic, or based on your movement? The info I've read on them doesn't say.

[+BlackRose67]

The compass on the 10 and 20 are based on your movement

 

If you want an electronic 3-axis compass you'd need to get the eTrex 30.

[+GArunner]

I started caching with a Geomate Jr. I did not know what I was doing so it was great for exploring. Then the new Garmin Etrex series came out. After reading all the reviews and comments I decided to go with the 10. It was nice going paperless - especially after the Geomate. But now I can see the difference. A

 

t first it was alright with downloading the caches. But when I tried to download a PQ it said the memory was too full. I find that it will only hold around 500 caches at one time. So if you download some area caches then download caches for where you are traveling the 10 fills up quickly! If I could back track I would get the 20.

 

The '20 accepts a microSD card -- great for adding (good) maps and expands memory/storage beyond just the maps. This alone is probably the reason to get it.

 

Other than what you already mentioned, the monochrome vs. color (which enhances maps even more), are the differences.

There are folks that refuse to part with their '20 and there are folks that wish they had gotten a '20 instead of a '10.

 

Dunno what you are currently using, but the '10 is pretty much an entry level unit, not much more. Those who generally do get the '10 are those who haven't researched GPSr units -- or do not realize the advantage of expandable memory and storage.

True, upon occasion, price is considered the primary factor -- but for personal use, it really shouldn't be. It only leads to another upgrade down the road.

[+gpsblake]

Just my experience. Maybe I got a bad Etrex 20 but it was very inaccurate for the data I need, average mph and total moving time. In fact, the Etrex 20 had me walking at an average of 8.5 mph. I returned it, got an Etrex 10 and the 10 doesn't have those issues, it shows me walking at my slow 3.5 mph pace.

 

However, for 99 percent in here whose primary purpose is geocaching, yea, the Etrex 20 wins hands down and I would recommend that over the Etrex 10.

[+gpsblake]

sussamb, maybe I did have a bad unit. Here's a snapshot of a walk I did with the Etrex 20 before returning it.

 

 

I was walking the entire time.

 

A max speed of 4.7 mph while an average speed of 7.5???

Edited July 25, 2013 by gpsblake

[wmarek74]

Current software FW 3.10 have again the same problem (huge BUG).

I can easily prove it e.g walking up the stairs.

Time is passing by, but speed and distance show O movement.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

Current software FW 3.10 have again the same problem (huge BUG).

I can easily prove it e.g walking up the stairs.

Time is passing by, but speed and distance show O movement.

Why waste time with stairs if you wanna fool it? Climb a 6.000 ft ladder straight up. Now, you have gone over a mile at zero speed and linear distance. Better yet, do it in a rocket and increase your "zero" speed.

 

Welcome... to the third dimension.

[+gpsblake]

 

Early software apparently had a 'sticky' problem, although I never saw it. Maybe that was your issue.

 

I tried several firmware versions... first upgrading it to the newest version at the time, the downgrading it to older firmware versions. I think 2.8 was the latest firmware at the time, I know it's now 3.1.....

 

Looking back, perhaps I should have just exchanged it for another Etrex 20. No regrets on the Etrex 10 though, I'm not a power cacher, I live in a rural area (so I have maps on my Etrex 10), and it easy to read.

[+user13371]

...max speed of 4.7 mph while an average speed of 7.5???

Hmm... I missed this the other day, but kinda glad to see I'm not alone. I mentioned a week or two back that I had noticed my max speed was not recorded correctly. 41 MPH noted in real time during my trip, but only 34 MPH max reported on the trip computer and in the track log. I wonder what they're doing wrong?

[+bellydancer08]

Haven't used etrex 10 but just bought the 20 to upgrade my old, discontinued Venture. I am SO DISAPPOINTED. Waypoint management is terrible. Can't delete waypoints from unit, need computer. If you loaded multiple caches at once, they are all stored together as one file, so even when you are at the computer, you keep all or you keep none - you still can't delete one cache at a time. I could live with that if there was a way to keep found caches off the map, but that's not an option. If you add a cache manually, it does not get included with the rest of the geocaches and does not appear in the 'find nearest' list. You can get to it as a Waypoint but not as a Geocaches.

 

Not sure about accuracy yet, I've had mixed results. Used it on some caches that have eluded me in the past and etrex 20 pointed me right to them. But other caches that the old unit took me to, this unit points me 50 feet away.

 

I bought this because of the paperless caching capabilities and the expanded memory that lets me keep all my maps all the time, when I had to swap maps in and out when I travelled in the past. I haven't decided yet whether those advantages are enough to overcome the inconveniences of waypoint management. I can't return it, but have a recipient lined up for my hand-me-down. I may end up keeping the old unit and passing this one along instead.

[+AFNurse]

I started looking....knew I did not want the monochrome screen and wanted the flexibility of adding a chip. Started by looking at the Etrex 20 and 30, and the Dakota 20 (I think). Was told by a buddy not to bother with the Dakota...., looked at the Oregon 450.... the price between them isn't as great as some would believe....I actually got the Oregon 450T on Amazon for 240$.... and I had been looking at the Etrex 30 for 180ish....and Dakota for 210 or so.... check prices.... find your deal. I would personally recommend color screen and ability to add SD cards.... just my $0.02.

[+GeoTrekker26]

Can't delete waypoints from unit, need computer. If you loaded multiple caches at once, they are all stored together as one file, so even when you are at the computer, you keep all or you keep none - you still can't delete one cache at a time. I could live with that if there was a way to keep found caches off the map, but that's not an option.

If it is important for you to remove the found caches and you don't want to run the Pocket Queries every week, then you can use the free Garmin BaseCamp software to delete individual caches. If you run the PQ on a frequent, regular basis, the new one will overwrite the original when you copy it to the GPS. This will ensure you have the most current information for each cache.

 

If you add a cache manually, it does not get included with the rest of the geocaches and does not appear in the 'find nearest' list. You can get to it as a Waypoint but not as a Geocaches.

Something is definitely going amiss here. The system always integrates caches in a PQ and individually loaded caches into a single internal database. They are all presented in one list of geocaches. You can mix and match the two any way you want. Is there any chance that you are loading the individual caches as .loc files instead of .gpx files? If so that is likely the problem.

[+BlackRose67]

When you add a "Geocache" directly on the unit, you are creating a waypoint, not a Geocache, so it will not show up in the Geocaches list, only the waypoint list.

 

That's a "feature" of all the newer paperless geocaching units from Garmin.

[+GeoTrekker26]

When you add a "Geocache" directly on the unit, you are creating a waypoint, not a Geocache, so it will not show up in the Geocaches list, only the waypoint list.

 

That's a "feature" of all the newer paperless geocaching units from Garmin.

 

By add, I presume you mean manually create on the GPS. That's something I never would have thought to try. Thanks for the clarification.

[+bellydancer08]

Can't delete waypoints from unit, need computer. If you loaded multiple caches at once, they are all stored together as one file, so even when you are at the computer, you keep all or you keep none - you still can't delete one cache at a time. I could live with that if there was a way to keep found caches off the map, but that's not an option.

If it is important for you to remove the found caches and you don't want to run the Pocket Queries every week, then you can use the free Garmin BaseCamp software to delete individual caches. If you run the PQ on a frequent, regular basis, the new one will overwrite the original when you copy it to the GPS. This will ensure you have the most current information for each cache.

 

A ray of hope!!! I really really hope my frustration is just because the unit is new to me and I don't know how to get to the setting I want rather than that it doesn't have that feature...

 

I've been using GSAK to create .gpx files that I send to GPS unit. Would the BaseCamp software replace GSAK then? Can you point me to a thread that explains more about BaseCamp? On old unit, no matter how many geocaches I sent to gps in a file, they each could be edited, logged, or deleted individually. On the 20, each gpx I send remains a separate set of geocaches rather than being dumped into one set.

 

Alternatively, I can live with waypoint management if the map display can be customized to show only certain types of waypoints. Any ideas on whether that's a possibility?

 

Thank you!

[+bellydancer08]

When you add a "Geocache" directly on the unit, you are creating a waypoint, not a Geocache, so it will not show up in the Geocaches list, only the waypoint list.

 

That's a "feature" of all the newer paperless geocaching units from Garmin.

 

By add, I presume you mean manually create on the GPS. That's something I never would have thought to try. Thanks for the clarification.

 

By 'manual', I'm referring to when I had a sudden change of plans that took me to an unexpected place, so I want to enter coordinates for a geocache but don't have the cable to connect the etrex 20 to a computer. On my previous unit, I could create the waypoint, and if I changed the icon to the geocache symbol, then that waypoint was listed with all my other geocaches. So far, the 20 allows me to create a waypoint and edit coordinates and then change the icon to the geocache symbol, but it doesn't seem to matter - regardless of the icon, it is not included with the geocaches. Now I know that 'geocaches' are not 'waypoints' according to the 20, which (for me) is a step backwards.

[+Kacher82]

Thanks, everyone, for all the input. I was lucky enough to obtain a slightly used Etrex 20 for $100, and I have been very pleased with it so far. There are a few things that could be better, but for what I paid, it's great. The accuracy is much better than what I had (down to 8' at times). I found a cache the other day that I had looked for twice previously. This GPSr led me right to it.

It would be nice if you could filter what shows on the map, but at least it shows the proper symbols, and your finds are shown as an open chest.

 

I've been using GSAK to create .gpx files that I send to GPS unit. Would the BaseCamp software replace GSAK then?

I wouldn't replace GSAK with BaseCamp. I have used BaseCamp to add maps to my unit, but other than that, I don't find much use for it. GSAK is designed specifically for geocaching, while BaseCamp is designed more for other things.