Garmin GPS receiver

Advantages Small, Brightly Coloured, Splash-proof
Disadvantages Limited functionality, memory

...Sattelite navigation? in the palm of your hand? surely not! Only two years ago your scepticism would have been justified, but technology has advanced rapidly during that time and it is now possible to get a range of gps devices at a much more reasonable price. This particluar review is (obviously) on the Garmin eTrex hand-held gps receiver, the cheapest in the eTrex family and a device aimed at the active outdoors type of a person. But first things first... what is GPS? it stands for global positioning system and at it's simplest can be thought of as an array of satellites circling the earth, each sending out a time signal. GPS receivers pick up these signals and, from the difference between the times in the signal from different satellites, works out where on earth you are (literally). GPS is surpsiingly accurate, down... Read review

Advantages Handy for when we get lost
Disadvantages We keep needing new batteries

...My boyfriend and i use the Garmin eTrex when we go mountain biking, and its definitely solved a few disagreements where locations and distances are concerned!!! (you know what men can be like!) Its a tough little thing, as its been dropped a few times to say the least, and with a case, it's nicely waterproof (as we found out!). The only things i could say that are wrong with the eTrex are the colour (but thats down to personal preference) and the battery life. We found buying rechargable units saved us lots of cash!! The price isn't great (£100 - £120), but in these times, you have to pay for quality, and thats exactly what you get here. Would definitely recommend to hikers/walkers, bikers and those who want to use it almost like a Sat Nav when they are driving!!... Read review

Advantages Small, Reasonably priced, Easy to use
Disadvantages Route memory a little small, loses signal in pockets

...The etrex is a base model GPS reciever designed for walkers, cyclists and other outdoor adventurers. I have had mine for 3 years it still works and they're still making the same one so it must be good! The screen is large, monocrome and is backlit although this reduces the life of the two AA batteries quite significantly. This screen is easy to read and you can also adjust the contrast. The casing is yellow with rubber sides and back. This seems very rugged and hard to break. There is a plug on the back to connect to a PC or PDA. This allows you to upload routes, tracks or waypoints from mapping software onto the GPS. The route memory allows 50 different points along the route. I have found this to be a little small for longer, more complicated routes and have had to to simplify my routes accordingly. Also this plug is easily... Read review