Garmin Etrex 20

 

I will be recieveing my new Garmin Etrex 20 and thought I would ask if there's anything I get in addition to the GPS. What do you recommend ?

Thanks for the help.

--
May the Good LORD go with you David Fuller AC0RV<br> Skywarn M187201 <br>

Etrex wish list

I bought an Etrex 30 earlier this year for hiking and geocaching, so I have some recommendations.
You'll need maps - it only comes with a very basic and almost useless basemap.
Free topo and trail maps can be found at http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/
Or you can buy higher-quality 24K topo maps from Garmin for your region. I recommend buying them on DVD, as it downloads the maps to the computer, too. The download or SD card versions do not. One advantage to the fairly expensive Garmin topo maps is they have routable roads. So when I'm going to a park to hike/geocache I can switch to the "Auto" profile and get turn by turn routing. Then when I get there, switch to the "Hiking" profile. The Profiles feature is a pretty cool feature as it lets you save a bunch of preferences all in one step.
I recommend downloading BaseCamp. It's better suited to the hiking models than MapSource is.

Good advice johnc.

On my Garmin Oregon, I used the free Open Street Map USA for occasional street navigation and for when I need a map showing roads and streets for reference. It works pretty good except for address lookup. The address lookup will get you to the right street, but it doesn't seem to have house numbers in its data.

For geocaching maps, I subscribed to the Garmin BirdsEye satellite imagery. I download the tiles for the area I am geocaching in. I really like it because it has enough detail to give you a pretty good idea of the terrain and general landmarks. I also use the MyTrails map from gpsFileDepot. It overlays nicely with the other two maps.

My Oregon came with the 100K Topo map from Garmin, but I found it to be pretty useless. Although it showed the streets and roads, the accuracy was horrible. I am sure the 24K topo is much better. I removed the 100K topo and replaced it with the Open Street Map US which serves the purpose for me.

--
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

On the open streep map do I

On the open streep map do I go the open street map site for the download or the garmin site ?

Thanks

--
May the Good LORD go with you David Fuller AC0RV<br> Skywarn M187201 <br>

Here's the Open Street Map link . . .

http://www.openstreetmap.org/

I also suggest the Garmin 24k topo maps if you want to spend some money. I've been very happy with the detail they show.

Good Luck!

--
Winston Churchill said, “Americans can always be counted on to do the right thing, after exhausting all other possibilities.”

Open Street Map for Garmin handheld

I downloaded the OpenStreetMap NA map from this site: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_Map_On_Garmin/Downloa.... There are two ready-to-use maps available on the site. I tried them both, but had the best luck with the one generated by Dave Hansen. The Hansen map works on both the Oregon and with BaseCamp.

--
Alan - Android Auto, DriveLuxe 51LMT-S, DriveLuxe 50LMTHD, Nuvi 3597LMTHD, Oregon 550T, Nuvi 855, Nuvi 755T, Lowrance Endura Sierra, Bosch Nyon

Accessories

I agree, you need better maps than what comes on the unit. Good suggestions above. One accessory I couldn't do without while geocaching is the carabiner clip. http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-010-11022-20-Carabiner-clip/dp/.... I found one cheaper than through Amazon, but I don't remember where I got it. It makes it easy to get it out of your hands when you need both for climbing, bushwhacking, etc. yet you can quickly retrieve it. Works much better than sticking it in your pocket where the unlock-able joystick gets operated inadvertently.

carabiner clip

I found where I got my carabiner clip. http://www.expansys-usa.com/s.aspx?search=Garmin%20Colorado/...
I know it doesn't specify that it fits the eTrex 20, but it does fit. I think Garmin only has one size carabiner clip mount.

Ok The Exrex 20 has arrived

Ok The Exrex 20 has arrived let the learning curve begin (yuck). Thanks for all the help thus far. Please keep the comments comming they are helpful.

Thanks again

--
May the Good LORD go with you David Fuller AC0RV<br> Skywarn M187201 <br>

Ok now what.

Ok now what. I have seen the websites that you fine people steered me to. I am now either more stupid or really confused on how to proceed. So please HELP and of course with my thanks.

--
May the Good LORD go with you David Fuller AC0RV<br> Skywarn M187201 <br>

I still need help on getting

I still need help on getting started with the Open Street Map download.

Thanks

--
May the Good LORD go with you David Fuller AC0RV<br> Skywarn M187201 <br>

Google Earth is your friend:

We have the eTrex 30. We find it superior to the fancier Oregon450. Do you plan on hiking w/the 20?
1. http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/ is stop #1 (per above)
2. Load Google Earth & turn on: Trimble Outdoor Trips & Wikiloc Layers. Learn about KML, KMZ & *.gpx files
2. Use http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/, http://www.gpsies.com for conversions, tracks
3. We use rechargeable Eneloop (whites) for power
4. There are plenty of tutorials & utilites so take the time, enjoy the learning curve, & congratulate yourself on learning how to navigate off the grid. wink

I plan on doing some

I plan on doing some geocaching, maybe some hiking, Bike riding, also help brother in on his farm with it for now.

--
May the Good LORD go with you David Fuller AC0RV<br> Skywarn M187201 <br>

GPSFileDepot

I've been using the Florida Topo map from GPSFileDepot (http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/view/123/). Several people commented that they use Garmin's 24K maps instead. Is the quality of the Garmin maps really better than the free Florida Topo map?

I also use the My Trails map (http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/view/53). I find trails I've never heard of here. However, as the author has stated, many of the trails are at a very low resolution or based upon tracing other maps. Also, trails change over time. If you go hiking and either the trail isn't on his map or if there are issues with his map (such as rerouting, etc.), please send him your information. If possible, send him a GPX file of the trail you hiked. (He also includes parking lots and other such items if he's got them.) That way, the next time he updates the map it will be even better.

One of the good things about the eTrex is that you can use multiple maps at the same time. The My Trails map works really well with the Florida Topo map. The trails are bright red, and sit on top of the Florida Topo map. This is something that BaseCamp fails at.

I've never tried routing on my eTrex. I'm not thrilled with that size screen in the car, and the lack of audible routing. However, maybe I'll try it if I've got someone else in the car. The built in base mape for the eTrex is garbage, but the hardware is great for hiking.

--
Kenwood DNX710EX (powered by Garmin) Garmin eTrex 20 Florida Trailheads POI File

Etrex

I have both the Garmin 24k Topo and the topo maps from GPSFileDepot. I like them both, and often switch between the two. The Garmin map is routable, so I can switch the Etrex to Automotive mode and get turn by turn directions to the parking lot of a forest preserve, for example. Then switch back to pedestrian mode for geocaching. It makes more sense to use the Nuvi for the driving part, but it's kinda cool to be able to do it with the Etrex if needed.

I like the Garmin shaded topo maps. And you can't beat the price of the GPSFileDepot maps (free). The MyTrails map will overlay on either of them, so that's really nice.

In general, the Garmin topo map has more detail and the terrain shading looks better. Sometimes, the GPSFileDepot map will have trails or markings that neither the Garmin map or the MyTrails map has. It all depends on the area you're looking at.

When I plan a geocaching run in a FP for example, I switch BaseCamp between all three maps to get a feel for what level of detail in that FP is available. And I may actually switch between the Garmin Topo and the GPSFileDepot map on the fly while hiking when I suspect that one or the other was showing a marsh ahead of me that the current map is not. wink