Garmin Etrex 20x

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Malky 1422
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Garmin Etrex 20x

Post by Malky 1422 »

I have the Garmin Etrex 20x its a great unit, but when I stop the map flicks around and only shows as track up when I move. I find this confusing when I go off track , is the 30x better as it has the electronic compass, I assume the map will then stay track up when I stop. Advice appreciated.
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andrew_s
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Re: Garmin Etrex 20x

Post by andrew_s »

The flicking around is to be expected.

If you are stationary, the GPS is still taking position measurements, and they aren't all the same due to random variation. "Track up" will base itself on the difference between the position now and the position a few seconds ago, and if both positions are random offsets from your true position, the result could be in any direction.
On a brief test (indoors, so the errors are larger than normal), the Etrex 30x does the same.

The 30x will give a static display if you change from "track up" to "north up", since its compass tells it where where north is. The 20x doesn't know where north is, so the north up view will flick around too ("north", and the compass page direction, are taken from your direction of travel).

I prefer north up anyway.
The same roads look the same on the map page regardless of your direction of travel, so it's much easier to learn an area, and to relate it to other mapping (paper, google maps etc).
I can cope with working out that if I want to turn east (rightwards on the screen), I have to turn left if I'm currently heading generally southwards, but right if I'm heading northwards.
Malky 1422
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Re: Garmin Etrex 20x

Post by Malky 1422 »

Thanks for your reply Andrew, really appreciated, I will study what you say here nore later on. If I was to change to 30x then the only benefit would be if I set it on North up I take it....apart from one or two other features that I can do without. Thing is when I go to France etc. I dont want to take a lot of maps and was hoping to just rely on the GPS...But maybe that would be a bit fool hardy.
LollyKat
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Re: Garmin Etrex 20x

Post by LollyKat »

When I first got my Etrex 20 this behaviour caught me out a few times. Now if I am stopping I make a note of my intended direction just before I actually stop and the map flicks round. I also like to carry a cheap pocket compass, but you don't need to move very far - only a few yards - before the Garmin re-orientates itself.

Unlike andrew_s I prefer "Track up" as it gives me more notice of junctions, particularly necessary (for me!) in built-up areas. If you are travelling east-west then the purple line on the screen is very short.
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andrew_s
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Re: Garmin Etrex 20x

Post by andrew_s »

Malky 1422 wrote:If I was to change to 30x then the only benefit would be if I set it on North up I take it....apart from one or two other features that I can do without. Thing is when I go to France etc. I dont want to take a lot of maps and was hoping to just rely on the GPS...But maybe that would be a bit fool hardy.

What's best to take depends on whether you want to rely on a route prepared before you leave home, or make up a route when you're out there.

I prefer the latter course - there's less impulse to do something like go over a high mountain pass in bad weather, or you can decide that the canal towpath or ex-railway line route that bypasses all the villages is more boring than you'd expected and divert, or divert somewhere flatter because too many hills too fast has left you with a sore knee.
However, planning where to go off a GPS screen is difficult, so I generally take small scale maps (Michelin 1:200,000 or IGN 1:400,000) for planning off, and rely on the GPS for detail.

Compared to the 20x, the 30x gets you the magnetic compass for meaningful directions when you are stationary or moving slower than a slow walk, and a barometric altimeter that will give more meaningful "amount of climbing" numbers, and possible warning of the approach of bad weather if you are out of contact with regular forecasts.
Samuel D
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Re: Garmin Etrex 20x

Post by Samuel D »

andrew_s wrote:… and a barometric altimeter that will give more meaningful "amount of climbing" numbers, and possible warning of the approach of bad weather if you are out of contact with regular forecasts.

Does this barometer give a direct pressure reading or do you have to compare barometric altitude with GPS altitude over time to estimate that?

I have an eTrex 20 and use North Up to aid my feeble sense of direction. I haven’t noticed the map jittering when stationary in this mode, making me wonder if the Garmin uses the map to keep north northward (as I think it should) in the absence of good info from the GPS compass that relies on movement. I’ll check when I get a chance.
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NUKe
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Re: Garmin Etrex 20x

Post by NUKe »

Not really seen this issue yes if you are stopped it may point in the wrong direction but moving even at slow walking pace and it sorts its self out. personally I prefer the Map to be pointing the way I am going as I tend to run with it zoomed in, So I can see the twists and turns in the road.
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Nigel
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Re: Garmin Etrex 20x

Post by Nigel »

Samuel D wrote:
andrew_s wrote:… and a barometric altimeter that will give more meaningful "amount of climbing" numbers, and possible warning of the approach of bad weather if you are out of contact with regular forecasts.

Does this barometer give a direct pressure reading or do you have to compare barometric altitude with GPS altitude over time to estimate that?


Garmin's software in their older Etrex Vista was remarkably good in the way it integrated barometric pressure and GPS altitude data. The end result was decent pressure traces at sea level, and decent estimates of height gain. You can fool it, notably on a bike handlebar, where changing wind over the pressure sensor can lead to more variation in height gain (also seen if worn outside clothing on a windy day walking hills. ). I still use a Vista CX for some tasks, though its near final retirement as its no longer waterproof.

Though companies do sometimes make changes which are worse, there's nothing I can see which suggests they'd use a less good algorithm in current models compared to one of a dozen years ago.
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Si
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Re: Garmin Etrex 20x

Post by Si »

While we are on the subject of the eyrex 20, does anyone know how you get it to give you a spot height? I.e. If you just want to know the elevation of the point that you arr currently stood at.
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Mick F
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Re: Garmin Etrex 20x

Post by Mick F »

Buy a Garmin Montana.
Costs a packet, but it does everything.

I have a Garmin Edge 20 as well. This thing doesn't do much but record your route, or if you want, follow a route you've uploaded into it. It works well for what it is, but the Montana does EVERYTHING.

Knocks spots of anything.
Mick F. Cornwall
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Tigerbiten
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Re: Garmin Etrex 20x

Post by Tigerbiten »

The trouble is the more bells and whistles a device has, the more power hungry it is and the harder it is to keep charged on a long camping tour.
The Etrex runs off 2x AA batteries, while the Montana runs off 3x AA batteries.
Thats a deal breaker for me as 3 a hard number of batteries to keep charged while on tour. 2 are so easy as all chargers are designed for that number.

YMMV ..... :lol:
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chris_suffolk
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Re: Garmin Etrex 20x

Post by chris_suffolk »

Malky 1422 wrote:Thanks for your reply Andrew, really appreciated, I will study what you say here nore later on. If I was to change to 30x then the only benefit would be if I set it on North up I take it....apart from one or two other features that I can do without. Thing is when I go to France etc. I dont want to take a lot of maps and was hoping to just rely on the GPS...But maybe that would be a bit fool hardy.


I relied on my eTrex 20 when I went to France, just program a whole load of tracks into it before setting off, and then choose which to do when you are there. No problems, and easier than carrying a whole load of maps. Going to do the same again this year. Even in a strange country, getting back to the start if it fails shouldn't be that difficult.
Samuel D
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Re: Garmin Etrex 20x

Post by Samuel D »

Si wrote:While we are on the subject of the eyrex 20, does anyone know how you get it to give you a spot height? I.e. If you just want to know the elevation of the point that you arr currently stood at.

Either go to the Satellite page and read the Elevation field, or add an Elevation field to the dashboards on the Map page or Trip Computer page.
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NUKe
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Re: Garmin Etrex 20x

Post by NUKe »

Si wrote:While we are on the subject of the eyrex 20, does anyone know how you get it to give you a spot height? I.e. If you just want to know the elevation of the point that you arr currently stood at.

You can add it to the dashboard or the map enter either of these pages press on the menu button left side. Then select fields chose one you don't want change to hieght.
Just realised Sam got there first.
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Mick F
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Re: Garmin Etrex 20x

Post by Mick F »

Tigerbiten wrote:The trouble is the more bells and whistles a device has, the more power hungry it is and the harder it is to keep charged on a long camping tour.
The Etrex runs off 2x AA batteries, while the Montana runs off 3x AA batteries.
Thats a deal breaker for me as 3 a hard number of batteries to keep charged while on tour. 2 are so easy as all chargers are designed for that number.

YMMV ..... :lol:
The Montana will go for 12hrs on the AA batteries, and much longer if you let the screen go to sleep.
My battery charger will take four AA batteries.
Mick F. Cornwall
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