Jump to content

Garmin 64S upgrade? to Etrex 30X


sktqch

Recommended Posts

 

Thanks Scott. Great comparison chart. I am also interested in personal experiences with the 30X. For example I discovered today that the little Etrex 20 I borrowed can be used in cold weather, one handed while wearing gloves. My 64s forced me to take my gloves off to use it, and in subzero weather that was a downside.

 

Any other experiences? For example is the 30x truly waterproof as claimed? I can vouch 100% certainty the 64s isn't, 5 minutes in the bottom of a kayak in 3 inches of seawater ruined my previous one permanently. When I held it up to look at it the water level inside the the 64 was midway up the screen.

Stan

Link to comment

Digressing on the water'proofness' of the 64s, I dropped mine in a lock on the river Thames. 5 meters down, 15 mins! A magnet to the iron caribiner recovered it. 2/3 oz of water inside. Non functional

Took case apart, drained and into a warm place in a bag with a cup of rice grains. 2-3 days later, dry and working , still going after 2 years

Link to comment

I took my Oregon 600 on a canoe trip and it rained hard on the second day, so the GPS got pretty soaked. There were no signs of any water damage and the unit worked fine EXCEPT that I could no longer connect it to a computer. The USB port still provided power, but refused to recognize it as a mass storage device. I can only assume that a tiny bit of moisture got in the USB port and shorted out the data pins. But even after taking it apart and drying it out for a week, it still wouldn't connect. Luckily I was still within a year of purchase and REI replaced it. Honestly there wouldn't be much of a problem if Garmin would add an option allowing data to be written to the SD card instead of the internal storage. Good thing I still had my Oregon 450. I just sent the track over wirelessly to then transfer it to the computer.

Link to comment

I took my Oregon 600 on a canoe trip and it rained hard on the second day, so the GPS got pretty soaked. There were no signs of any water damage and the unit worked fine EXCEPT that I could no longer connect it to a computer. The USB port still provided power, but refused to recognize it as a mass storage device. I can only assume that a tiny bit of moisture got in the USB port and shorted out the data pins. But even after taking it apart and drying it out for a week, it still wouldn't connect. Luckily I was still within a year of purchase and REI replaced it. Honestly there wouldn't be much of a problem if Garmin would add an option allowing data to be written to the SD card instead of the internal storage. Good thing I still had my Oregon 450. I just sent the track over wirelessly to then transfer it to the computer.

 

Both the 64S and the Etrex 30X allow for data transfer via mini sd card. I liked making a couple of different cards with different areas covered rather than one huge .gpx file which slows down the 64S quite a bit.

Stan

Link to comment

I took my Oregon 600 on a canoe trip and it rained hard on the second day, so the GPS got pretty soaked. There were no signs of any water damage and the unit worked fine EXCEPT that I could no longer connect it to a computer. The USB port still provided power, but refused to recognize it as a mass storage device. I can only assume that a tiny bit of moisture got in the USB port and shorted out the data pins. But even after taking it apart and drying it out for a week, it still wouldn't connect. Luckily I was still within a year of purchase and REI replaced it. Honestly there wouldn't be much of a problem if Garmin would add an option allowing data to be written to the SD card instead of the internal storage. Good thing I still had my Oregon 450. I just sent the track over wirelessly to then transfer it to the computer.

 

Both the 64S and the Etrex 30X allow for data transfer via mini sd card. I liked making a couple of different cards with different areas covered rather than one huge .gpx file which slows down the 64S quite a bit.

Stan

 

But none of the Garmin GPS will let you write new data directly to the card. So if I'm out hiking and recording my track, I can't save it to the SD card. Nor can I save any waypoints I collect out in the field to the SD card. Those get written to the internal memory and can be transferred to the card via basecamp (or more generally via computer). So when my USB port failed on the device, I couldn't retrieve it except by sending it wirelessly to another device.

Link to comment

I took my Oregon 600 on a canoe trip and it rained hard on the second day, so the GPS got pretty soaked. There were no signs of any water damage and the unit worked fine EXCEPT that I could no longer connect it to a computer. The USB port still provided power, but refused to recognize it as a mass storage device. I can only assume that a tiny bit of moisture got in the USB port and shorted out the data pins. But even after taking it apart and drying it out for a week, it still wouldn't connect. Luckily I was still within a year of purchase and REI replaced it. Honestly there wouldn't be much of a problem if Garmin would add an option allowing data to be written to the SD card instead of the internal storage. Good thing I still had my Oregon 450. I just sent the track over wirelessly to then transfer it to the computer.

 

Both the 64S and the Etrex 30X allow for data transfer via mini sd card. I liked making a couple of different cards with different areas covered rather than one huge .gpx file which slows down the 64S quite a bit.

Stan

 

But none of the Garmin GPS will let you write new data directly to the card. So if I'm out hiking and recording my track, I can't save it to the SD card. Nor can I save any waypoints I collect out in the field to the SD card. Those get written to the internal memory and can be transferred to the card via basecamp (or more generally via computer). So when my USB port failed on the device, I couldn't retrieve it except by sending it wirelessly to another device.

 

OK now I understand. I was talking about loading .gpx files from GSAK to a mini card.

 

Isn't there some way in a Garmin to redirect waypoints and tracks from the internal memory to the SD card?

Stan

Link to comment

also limited to 5000 geocaches. I dunno, the eTrex seems like a big step down from the 64s.

 

That's not such a big deal with us as we have never used more than 500 waypoints at a time. The capacity to use miniSD cards more than makes up for that. We like to limit our download from GSAK to a couple of hundred waypoints max and if there needs to be more putting them on the mini-sd card in groups is much more usable.

 

One of the plus features that I love is the dramatic increase in pixels, (240x320 vs 160x240). The difference in mapping visibility is remarkable, at least to my eyes in the store environment when compared side by side.

 

The only thing I haven't been able to compare is the satellite reception capabilities in heavily forest settings, however as we're fairly experienced we find our geo-sense taking over more and more as we go. We used to be miffed if a cache was more than half a dozen meters off what our gps reported but that was way back down the log. Now I had my 64s arrival warning set at 50 meters and would put it in my pocket for the search at that point.

Stan

Edited by sktqch
Link to comment

I think one thing you will absolutely notice going from the GPSMAP 64 series to the eTrex series is the step-down in processor speed. Panning the map, searching for waypoints, etc. all will take longer on the eTrex. Both units have the ability to tap into GLONASS reception, which really helps at the higher latitudes -- though adding in the quad-helix antenna of the GPSMAP probably gives it the slight edge in heavy canopy.

 

And just to complicate things, there's always the newer touch-screen units, too. B)

Link to comment

I think one thing you will absolutely notice going from the GPSMAP 64 series to the eTrex series is the step-down in processor speed. Panning the map, searching for waypoints, etc. all will take longer on the eTrex. Both units have the ability to tap into GLONASS reception, which really helps at the higher latitudes -- though adding in the quad-helix antenna of the GPSMAP probably gives it the slight edge in heavy canopy.

 

And just to complicate things, there's always the newer touch-screen units, too. B)

 

I'm not a fan of touch screens, I often end up navigating while my geo-partner drives and trying to manipulate a touch screen on a bumpy logging road isn't my cup of tea, ever!

 

I do appreciate that the 30x is lighter than the 64 but mostly what grabs my attention is the significantly higher battery life of the 30x, (25 hours vs 16 on the 64s.

 

Has anyone found the longer battery life claim for the 30x to be exaggerated?

Stan

Stan

Link to comment

The increased battery life in the eTrex comes from the weaker processor and smaller screen (though the increased resolution ought to negate that). The battery life listed by Garmin is the max you should expect using lithium batteries and all power saving options enabled. For example, when I used lithium batteries in my Oregon, I got close to the 16 hour rating. But as lithium batteries are expensive, I now use Eneloop rechargeables and get about 8-9 hours of good use from a single pair. Since they're rechargeable, I don't really care. I just bring an extra pair or two with me and then charge them back up at night. The only time I do have to consider how many batteries I'm bringing is when I'm backpacking.

 

With regular Alkaline batteries, I would get around 6 hours of use. So if you're not using rechargeables, they're definitely the way to go.

 

For me, the joystick interface and the small screen were deal breakers when it came to the eTrex. Yes, the increased resolution makes for a clearer and more readable screen, but I chose the Oregon route (touch screen) and those also have a higher resolution screen than the gpsMap series. I find I have no problem using it on bumpy forest service roads either.

 

In the end, it comes down to personal preference. If you really like the eTrex, then get one. And if you buy it from REI, you have a year to return it if you decide you really want the more advanced model.

Link to comment

We've been using Etrex 20, for the last five years. I now have a 20x and the only difference I can see is screen saving. The 30 has an extra bell and whistle. Notably a magnetic compass and ability to communicate with other 30s. I like the one handed operation of the Etrex. It is very rugged having dropped mine a few times, once it fell from its cradle while riding my  bike and bounced along the road. Still working. Can cache all day one pair of rechargeable batteries (not lithium). Processing speed is ok, it seems to slow down if there are a lot of caches loaded. On a recent trip to New Zealand I had over 4000 caches loaded (internally) where I usually only have about a thousand (loaded from GSAK). I don't really need greater screen resolution as I rarely use the maps. Once I select a cache I go to 'compass'. I use the SD cards for maps. I have Garmin maps for Australia/New Zealand, UK/Europe and USA/Canada. Accuracy is also excellent, better than my Android Motorola G4 which I carry as a backup if I need any information from the net - which is not very often.

Link to comment
5 hours ago, colleda said:

Notably a magnetic compass and ability to communicate with other 30s.

Well, to clarify, it has the ability to communicate with other Garmin GPS units that support ANT+, which I think is now all other Garmin GPS except the eTrex 10. "communicate" simply means it can send and receive waypoints, tracks, and routes to other nearby devices while in the field. It also means that the 30x can be used with sensor devices (heart rate, cadence/speed, temperature) and the Virb action cam (does anyone really use these?) while the 20x cannot.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...