Product Description

With the eTrex Legend, GARMIN has loaded a full basemap 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). Brightly colored translucent blue case Power Source - Two AA batteries (not included)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #781 in Consumer Electronics
• Size: Legend
• Brand: Garmin
• Model: 010-00256-05
• Format: CD
• Dimensions: 3.00" h x 6.00" w x 8.50" l, 1.00 pounds
• Native resolution: 160x288
• Display size: 2.1

Features

• WAAS-Enabled
• Smallest GPS On Market With North & South America Basemap
• Perfect For Outdoor Person & Adaptable To Be Fully-Functional For Vehicle Use
• Download From Metroguide Usa Cd-Rom (Not Included), Detailed Street Map Info, Addresses & Points Of Interest With Phone Info
• 8 Mb Of Available Flash Memory

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

• 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

Customer Reviews

ok out in the open
My first GPS. Initially had some trouble with software often crashing locking up the unit. But it's works problem free since I updated the software. Which I might add is pretty straightforward. The only issue that I have with the unit is that it doesn't track well in densely wooded trails. It's performance is spotty. Eats batteries, so bring extras out on the trail. I've gotten used to it now, it's helpful not to wear the unit on your belt, but rather up on the strap of your backpack. That makes it a little more reliable. Originally, I picked it up for just for safety and it's fine for that. Though it doesn't work well enough for mapping purposes it works well enough to save way points for reference. It often looses the signal of satellites behind hills. I hope to replace it soon with a newer HIGH SENSITIVITY unit soon.

Bare bones GPS with no feature improvements in last 5 years
I bought an Etrex legend 4 years ago, for the last 18 months I've had intermittent problems with it not working.
Now it's dead.

Negatives:
Not very durable
Very poor reception under tree cover, Magellan is better here.

Bare bones map, for a good map you pay $100 more.
Minimum memory, only 8 MB, so if you do buy the map, you can only put
a small portion in at any given time.

Comes with a serial cable, most USB to serial adapters don't work
so if you don't have a serial port you have a problem.

If you're using it for geocaching, you can't mark which ones have been
found.
Also the screen shows the gc.com GCxxxxx code which isn't helpful.
You need to have a PDA or paper printout of all the caches prepared
ahead of time

Drilling down thru the menus to get to the trip computer page is a pain if there are several caches nearby & you'd like to see some info on each of them.
After 5+ years Garmin should improve the features,
they have done nothing.

It was ok for geocaching but...
I bought the eTrex Legend three years ago to replace an older model that I passed on to my son. The price was right and it came with Garmen's software, a car lighter power cable and a protective case. A big improvement was the ability to run the unit off of the car's DC power while driving toward the final location and then run off of battery while on foot. However, I did notice that it seemed to be less capable of getting a good signal and would frequently bounce all over the place in the woods. Now it has a propensity to lock up after a few minutes of usage. I've read from earlier postings that this has something to do with outdated WAAS protocols. Clearly if this is not something that Garmen has fixed in the firmware, the product will be useless. I found that the only way to unlock the unit was to remove the battery cover and pull out a battery and replace it. Sometimes the "reboot" and reacquire process takes a longer period of time than the unit will function before locking up again. I am now looking for another replacement, hopefully one that will make it easier to go paperless.