Well, I didn’t see a ton of reviews out there for this gadget when I was shopping, so I thought I’d post my thoughts in case others were interested.  So far, I’ve had it for a day or so, and I’m pleased. 

The eTrex Venture Cx is the entry level mapping GPS from Garmin.  The C means it’s a color screen, and the x means expandable memory, in this case through microSD cards.  The next one up the totem pole is the Legend Cx, which includes a 32mb memory card.  First thing I planned on doing was adding a 1gb card anyway, so that wasn’t an appeal.  I lingered on the Vista Cx for a while, since it includes a barometric altimeter and an electronic compass.  Then I got my senses back and realized GPS altitude is perfectly fine for my uses, and I have a great compass anyway, and a decent sense of direction.  Besides, I can walk a few steps and the Venture will give me a heading.  No USB cable is included, but it uses a standard mini cable.  I’ve got about 15 of those around my desk, so no problem.  These can power the Venture Cx when it’s plugged into your computer, or in my case, plugged into the USB power adapter in my car.

Let’s talk features.  The Venture Cx lacks a SIRFstar III chip, but it does include WAAS.  I got a decent fix (up to six satellites) in my home, a one-story ranch in the suburbs.  Driving around the neighborhood seemed accurate enough, and I never encountered any jumpy behavior once I had a fix.  The screen is excellent; it’s readable in sunlight with no backlight, and the backlight is bright if you need it.  The Venture Cx lets you choose color themes for night and day, and switches between these automatically at dusk and dawn.  It’s waterproof, rated at one meter for up to 30 minutes.  It’s very compact and comfortable in the hand, with rubber grips on the sides and a rubber seal over the USB port. 

One thing to be aware of; if you’re looking for more than very basic maps or waypoints, you’ll need to pony up for Garmin’s detailed MapSource software, and a microSD card to load the maps on.  I got hold of their Topo US maps, and found loading them on the device simple and fast.  I was disappointed in the detail of the maps, especially compared to Delorme’s excellent topo maps.  Several well-known trails in my area (the Wasatch Front in Utah) were not included, which makes me uncertain about the accuracy of these maps in the field.  I’ll report on that when I’ve had a chance to get out in the wild with it.  I loaded the Metroguide maps for Salt Lake City as well, but I haven’t had a chance to get out and dig into those yet.  My understanding is that to route on the fly, you need the newer City Navigator software, which I haven’t tried.

My main interests in the eTrex Venture Cx are clamping it onto my motorcycle and hiking; Rudeboy and I make pathetic, wheezing attempts at some of the peaks in the area on occasion (we spend too much time at our computers and not enough time being active).  I plan to test a few things over the next week or so, such as connecting to my laptop to use Streets and Trips and Delorme’s Topo software, and I’ll post more once I’ve tried that.  If there’s anything you’d like me to check or if you have any questions, leave a comment and I’ll let you know.