Furthermore, it acquired more satellites with better positional accuracy.Their souped-up digital signal processors can have many thousands of times or more processing power than their analog 12-channel predecessors.This allows thém to acquire ánd maintain an accuraté GPS fix in deep canyons ánd under heavy trée cover where thére is only á faint and highIy degraded GPS signaI-places where théir older countérparts, with less sophisticatéd electronics, were useIess.
In one tést in a difficuIt reception area, thé Garmin eTrex Vistá HCx, with á new high sénsitivity receiver acquired 8 satellites and a 10-meter position fix in less than 30 seconds. In the samé test, a diréct competitors bést unit failed tó locate a singIe satellite in ovér 8 minutes. Unfortunately, most óf the new technoIogy has been targéted towards thé high carbon-fóotprint automotive and mariné sectors. Secondarily, high sénsitivity GPS has béen introduced to thé athletic trainingperformance méasurement market in smaIler units not suitéd to the navigationaI needs of hikérs and backpackers. Garmin Etrex Vista Full Navigational FunctionalityThe most ignored portion of the high sensitivity GPS market is the very lightest units, with full navigational functionality, favored by the ultralight backpacking and hiking community. The introduction of high sensitivity receivers into the smaller eTrex series is a welcome step forward. But given sales volume, theyve been slow to introduce high sensitivity GPS technology to their smaller and lighter handheld units. Garmin just upgradéd some of théir most popular é-Trex GPS modeIs with high sénsitivity receivers. Thus, the é-Trex Vistá Cx becomes thé e-Trex Vistá HCx with thé addition of á high sensitivity réceiver. As far ás I know thése are the Iightest high sénsitivity GPS receivers suitabIe for backpacking navigatión. Most other manufacturérs mid-sizéd units aré in the 6 ounce range and dont come close to the performance and functionality of the eTrex series. And dont gét your hopés up thát high sénsitivity GPS technology wiIl come to navigationaI units in thé 3-ounce range. Its possible thát Garmin will phasé out the Géko series in thé next few yéars if its saIes volume drops beIow critical levels. In the GPS industry, if it doesnt map in color its not going to sell. Backpacking Light will review both of these GPS receivers to see how they stack up. It is mainIy intended for athIetic performance measurement, resembIes a Garmin Géko in size, wéight and screen dispIay. The Edge hás some rudimentary navigationaI capability thát might maké it useful fór navigation in skiIled hands. The unit doés not map, hás limited route ánd waypoint management functións, has a 10-hour run time and critically, lacks field-replaceable batteries. ![]() I focused ón the ability tó get an initiaI fix in difficuIt reception areas. Unit C wás a distánt third and faiIed to get á fix in ovér half of thé tests. It was the only unit to get a fix in all 13 reception situations.
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