January 15, 2009

Garmin Legend H and Vista H Handheld GPS

Garmin has announced an upgrade to the monochrome handheld line with the eTrex Legend H and eTrex Vista H. The new units will sport high sensitivity chipsets, which is an absolute must in a GPS these days. No doubt these will take their place as strong contenders in the value end of the Garmin Handheld line. Internal memory only on these; both the Legend H and Vista H at 24MB. Not a lot, but enough for more territory than I can hike or bike in a week.

My experience has shown that high sensitivity receivers offer you the ability to grab a signal and hold it under tree cover, and in tight limited view of the sky situations that you always find yourself in when you need a satellite fix most.

The Legend H will retail for $149 list, while the Vista H adds a barometric altimeter and retails for $199.

Garmin Product Page - eTrex Legend H and eTrex Vista H

Full Press Release After the jump....

Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, announced today the eTrex Legend H and the eTrex Vista H - low-cost handheld navigators that include several new features considered vital for today's outdoor adventures.

First and foremost, the units include a high-sensitivity GPS receiver, which makes satellite acquisition faster and helps ensure a solid lock, even in dense tree canopies or vertical canyons that hikers, hunters, and geocachers often experience. The eTrex Legend H and eTrex Vista H also feature a fast USB interface and 24 megabytes of internal memory for loading detailed topo maps from a computer. The eTrex Vista H includes an electronic compass and barometric altimeter as well.

"The eTrex Legend and Vista models have long been considered standard equipment for anyone who wants to make the most of their outdoor excursions," said Dan Bartel, vice president of worldwide sales. "Now, entry-level customers can get some of the latest features for the same price as the previous versions, making the units attractive for those wanting a rugged and reliable GPS for under two hundred dollars."

Both units contain a basemap of North and South America, containing major lakes, rivers, cities, interstates, national and state highways, railroads and coastlines, which can be viewed on the units' high-contrast 2.4-inch (diagonal) grayscale screen.

The eTrex Legend H has a manufacturer's retail price of $149.99, and the eTrex Vista H has an MSRP of $199.99.