June 5, 2005

Garmin eTrex Accessories

There are a few basic accessories made by Garmin for the eTrex line that can make your life a lot better.

Going Biking? ATVing? - Try the eTrex Handlebar Mount
This is a great way to use your eTrex for biking or off roading with your ATV. The back cover is replaced with a cover that includes an integral clip that clips into the handlebar mount. The kit comes with a handlebar mount that wraps around a typical handlebar, and screws to tighten. The eTrex can then be clipped onto the mount and you are ready to go.

Need to carry your eTrex?
There are several ways to carry the eTrex line. The eTrex Carrying Caseis a decent way to carry along, but has no window and needs to be removed to observe the screen. The Carrying Case has a see through flap with a hard clip on the back to clip onto a belt or a pack strap. The main case is made out of a soft neoprene like material, with the window sewn into it. The problem is that when I got mine, the window didnâ€™t line up perfectly, and I pulled it to try to get it to line up. This ended up ripping the window out of the neoprene on one side. Bad for me, but I still use it when I go hiking. There is also a belt clip that includes a hard plastic receiver that goes on the belt and a new battery cover with an integral knob that fits into the receiver portion on your belt. Easy in and Easy out.

Going Somewhere?
There are many cables for the eTrex line, but the one thatâ€™s most useful is the eTrex Interface Cable with Cigarette Lighter Power Adapter. NOTE: This cable is for the monochrome eTrex series, not the "C" color series. This cable is a bit more than the basic power cable alone. If you ever think you might, just maybe use this in a car to feed into a laptop, get the combination cable. Itâ€™s worth not buying the power and then the PC interface cable afterwards.
Finally, how do you mount the eTrex in the car, truck, etc.? The eTrex Automobile Mounting Bracket allows you to temporarily or permanently stick a mounting bracket to the dash of your vehicle and position it so that you can see the screen. The jointed accordion style bracket can be positioned so that you can see the screen at just the right angle. I have used this for years, and it works pretty well. I have found that I need to let the eTrex rest on the dash, because if I have the mount extended over the edge of the dash, the adhesive tends to let go and I get a lap full of GPS while I am driving. There is also a windshield mount version with a suction cup mounting system.