Author Topic: 30x /20x Update to the eTrex range (Read 8647 times)

BikinOn · « **on:** 13 May, 2015, 02:55:53 pm »

While I'm an Oregon man myself, it's nice to see Garmin doing a minor update to the eTrex range:

http://www.slashgear.com/garmin-etrex-20x-30x-handheld-gps-bring-high-res-displays-13383276/

https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/catalog/product/compareResult.ep?compareProduct=518048&compareProduct=518046&compareProduct=87774&compareProduct=87771

Ningishzidda · « **Reply #1 on:** 13 May, 2015, 04:23:49 pm »

Is it possible,,,

To buy City Navigator DVD and load it onto Basecamp or Mapsource ... Yes.
Buy a nuMaps Lifetime updates subscription and update City Navigator on the PC ?
Load it onto a mSD card for the eTrex 30x ??

BikinOn · « **Reply #2 on:** 13 May, 2015, 04:30:58 pm »

Good grief Ningishzidda, your not thinking of abandoning your venerable non-Garmin GPS and turning to the dark side are you?

fuaran · « **Reply #3 on:** 13 May, 2015, 08:25:22 pm »

Interesting - it does seem a rather minor upgrade, the only differences are the higher resolution screen, and more memory.
The higher resolution screen is good, should be useful for viewing more of the map. Hopefully they have also improved the screen contrast.
More built in memory is handy, but MicroSD cards are cheap as chips anyway.
I wonder if there's any improvements to the firmware?

I'm hoping for an Etrex with a few more features, as the top Oregon or Montana models have. eg Bluetooth or wifi for connecting to a phone, and the option of charging batteries in the device.

BikinOn · « **Reply #4 on:** 13 May, 2015, 10:17:29 pm »

To be fair, the eTrex is a low end unit, I think Garmin expects you to cough up more money for the fancier features.

At least they did some work on it, so they aren't going to drop all support for a few years and there should be some firmware upgrades, that with any luck will work with the older models.

fuaran · « **Reply #5 on:** 14 May, 2015, 02:26:52 am »

I'm happy to pay a bit more for a better Etrex, I just don't want something massive like the Oregon or Montana.

Hopefully the new Etrex will have better support for ANT+ sensors.

321up · « **Reply #6 on:** 14 May, 2015, 07:43:10 am »

Quote from: fuaran on 14 May, 2015, 02:26:52 am

Hopefully the new Etrex will have better support for ANT+ sensors.

Only the old speed/cadence sensor is listed under the accessories so probably no change to ANT+ support (unless they have not yet updated the accessory list). It would be nice if it recorded the speed sensor data and not just the cadence though

The Bonk · « **Reply #7 on:** 14 May, 2015, 07:45:21 am »

Apologies for the derail. I've just bought an eTrex 30 and am just getting to grips with it.
If I ride to an Audax and reset the trip data at the start of the event, will I get my total ride for the day/days as one, when I save the current track?

BikinOn · « **Reply #8 on:** 14 May, 2015, 08:48:34 am »

The Bonk - I'm an Oregon man myself, but I'd expect a new track to start after a reset. Stitching 2 tracks together is easy, just do that with either an editor or Basecamp.

fuaran - I agree with 321up, Garmin's support for non-Garmin Ant+ is pretty poor, I wouldn't expect anything extra in that department. On the bright side I quite like the separate temperature sensor, if the bike isn't too far away you can see how cold it is outside while still in the coffee shop

fuaran · « **Reply #9 on:** 14 May, 2015, 12:21:53 pm »

The announcement mentions support for footpods, which is a slight improvement. And seeing as Garmin now make a bike cadence-only sensor, it would make sense to support that.

mcshroom · « **Reply #10 on:** 14 May, 2015, 02:21:15 pm »

Quote from: The Bonk on 14 May, 2015, 07:45:21 am

Apologies for the derail. I've just bought an eTrex 30 and am just getting to grips with it.
If I ride to an Audax and reset the trip data at the start of the event, will I get my total ride for the day/days as one, when I save the current track?

It should do, unless you have your device set to archive each day, in which case it will start a new file at midnight for each day.

Ningishzidda · « **Reply #11 on:** 14 May, 2015, 06:22:17 pm »

Quote from: BikinOn on 13 May, 2015, 04:30:58 pm

Good grief Ningishzidda, your not thinking of abandoning your venerable non-Garmin GPS and turning to the dark side are you?

I had a sudden rush of blood. I lay down in a darkened room and I'm OK now.

frankly frankie · « **Reply #12 on:** 18 May, 2015, 11:30:56 pm »

Quote from: BikinOn on 13 May, 2015, 10:17:29 pm

To be fair, the eTrex is a low end unit ...

Well, it's a fully capable unit that happens to be tailored to needs that are not particularly blingy.
I'm a bit surprised they haven't introduced a 40 which does all the bluetooth stuff mentioned upthread, in line with the newish 64 which tops the older 60/62 range.

cygnet · « **Reply #13 on:** 18 May, 2015, 11:52:12 pm »

Quote from: fuaran on 14 May, 2015, 12:21:53 pm

The announcement mentions support for footpods, which is a slight improvement. And seeing as Garmin now make a bike cadence-only sensor, it would make sense to support that.

Because upgrading the firmware to support the combined cadence and speed sensor they already offered made less sense??

fuaran · « **Reply #14 on:** 19 May, 2015, 02:53:50 am »

Quote from: cygnet on 18 May, 2015, 11:52:12 pm

Quote from: fuaran on 14 May, 2015, 12:21:53 pm
The announcement mentions support for footpods, which is a slight improvement. And seeing as Garmin now make a bike cadence-only sensor, it would make sense to support that.

Because upgrading the firmware to support the combined cadence and speed sensor they already offered made less sense??

Not sure what you mean? The Etrex 30 has always supported the combined speed/cadence sensor. But it only used the cadence data from the sensor, speed was ignored.
It didn't work at all with speed-only sensors or cadence-only sensors. Yes, support for these could be added with a firmware update, but I don't think this hasn't happened (yet).

As for the Etrex 30x, who knows what it will actually support. Have to wait and see when it is released.

Ningishzidda · « **Reply #15 on:** 19 May, 2015, 07:13:40 am »

I’ve investigated.

Garmin eTrex 30x, £210
City Navigator DVD, £75
Lifetime map updates, £75

Now from remembering previous experience of eTrex, Mapsource and Topo GB, I’m still not convinced the eTrex 30x is going to plot a route any better than my old configuration.

The money stays in my account.

BikinOn · « **Reply #16 on:** 19 May, 2015, 08:44:45 am »

Well there's always OSM, but while they work great with tracks, as I recall you also use on the fly routing, at which OSM sucks. Don't even get me started on what it did to me on the way to last year's Flatlands!

I think the take away is, if you where thinking of getting an eTrex, then you should wait for the improved model. I agree with frankly Frankie, it's a bit surprising garmin didn't add a bells and whistles version to the range as they seem to love adding new models, but I'd guess they're trying to push people to buy larger more expensive units for those features.

321up · « **Reply #17 on:** 19 May, 2015, 09:40:07 am »

Feature wish list for eTrex...

better bluetooth support
ablility to charge NiMH in device (as the 64st does)
audible off route alarm
larger screen (without making device bigger)

To prevent being led astray by erroneous routing I display a track on the etrex30 concurrently with following a route. We also use viewranger with an XTE alarm set in case the etrex does not notify a turn in the dark.

Kim · « **Reply #18 on:** 19 May, 2015, 12:19:59 pm »

Quote from: 321up on 19 May, 2015, 09:40:07 am

Feature wish list for eTrex...

Routing algorithm consistent with Basecamp.

Seriously, this would solve all sorts of problems.

Ningishzidda · « **Reply #19 on:** 19 May, 2015, 01:14:33 pm »

Quote from: Kim on 19 May, 2015, 12:19:59 pm

Quote from: 321up on 19 May, 2015, 09:40:07 am
Feature wish list for eTrex...
Routing algorithm consistent with Basecamp.

Seriously, this would solve all sorts of problems.

Do you mean the routing algorithms used in the Zumo 660 adjusted to 'Scooter' mode?

Kim · « **Reply #20 on:** 19 May, 2015, 01:21:29 pm »

I mean that if you plot a series of routepoints on your PC and upload it to your Garmin, that you can expect it to follow the same route between them. It doesn't really matter what the algorithm does, as long as it's the same.

Ningishzidda · « **Reply #21 on:** 19 May, 2015, 02:12:03 pm »

I generated a GPX route for my event. There were 247 points on it so even very old units could handle it. One point was just after the junction of A422 and B4088 nr Arrow. The next was just after the sharp bend in the road where the road to Wixford is. The next was just after the Xrds at Dunnington by Hiller’s garden centre. All was OK on TyretoTravel and when I loaded the GPX onto my TomTom.

Some riders arrived at the finish complaining their Garmins had directed them up to Ragley Hall, thinking it was public access.

The routesheet said ‘Bear L B4088. Keep to the road. DO NOT go through Ragley Hall.’

I have absolutely no idea how their Garmins got it wrong.

frankly frankie · « **Reply #22 on:** 05 July, 2015, 03:39:43 pm »

Quote from: frankly frankie on 18 May, 2015, 11:30:56 pm

I'm a bit surprised they haven't introduced a 40 which does all the bluetooth stuff mentioned upthread, in line with the newish 64 which tops the older 60/62 range.

Instead, in a truly underwhelming move, there's the new Etrex 25 and 35 which are small-screen touchscreen models, basically warmed-up versions of the older Dakota.

fuaran · « **Reply #23 on:** 05 July, 2015, 04:37:48 pm »

Rather disappointing. Nothing wrong with an updated version of the Dakota, but its missing the point that the Etrex is popular because it doesn't have a touch screen.
The display on the touch versions is slightly larger, but isn't any higher resolution. So only the 1/2 the resolution of the 30x. Also much shorter battery life with the touchscreen (16 hours).

Meanwhile the Edge 520 is going the other way, by not having a touchscreen.

321up · « **Reply #24 on:** 06 July, 2015, 07:21:46 am »

eTrex 30x compared with eTrex Touch 35...
https://buy.garmin.com/en-GB/GB/catalog/product/compareResult.ep?compareProduct=156873&compareProduct=518048

I'm not impressed with the eTrex Touch 35.