Garmin eTrex Legend C

UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For more current recommendations, please refer to our handheld GPS buyers guide or our Garmin handheld GPS comparison chart.

The Garmin eTrex Legend C is basically the Vista C without the barometric altimeter and electronic compass. With the Legend C, you pay less, and get longer battery life (36 hours vs. 20 for the Vista C). Otherwise, it’s the same compact unit with a bright color screen. Like the Vista C, this powerful device is capable of displaying maps that will generate turn-by-turn directions. Recently, the Legend C has been updated with the Legend Cx.

Dozens of readers have reviewed the eTrex Legend C at Amazon, where the editorial review goes on to say…

"Garmin’s pocket-sized eTrex Legend C handheld GPS unit enhances Garmin’s popular eTrex Legend with a color screen, automatic routing, and longer battery life, making it one of the smallest, least expensive waterproof products to combine a color TFT display with advanced GPS auto-routing abilities. You won’t miss a thing when you take this lightweight, easy-to-use handheld out hiking, biking, boating, or geocaching.

The unit offers a bright, transflective color TFT display for easy daylight viewing, automatic route generation, off-route recalculation, turn-by-turn directions with alert tones, and icon-driven menus for finding points of interest (when combined with Garmin’s optional MapSource CDs). You’ll get up to 36 hours of use on two AA batteries. The unit offers 24 MB of internal memory and its mini-USB port lets you download map data rapidly from Garmin’s library of MapSource CDs (not included) with your PC…"

Here’s what some other reviewers saying:

• GPS Information.net reviews both the Legend C and Vista C.
• Seven readers give an average 6.9 out of 10 rating in their Garmin Legend C reviews at ZDNet.
• A UK-based review of the Garmin Legend C shows lots of screen shots.

Other resources:

• A PDF version of the etrex Legend C manual.
• A Yahoo Etrex Legend / Vista discussion group.
• Lastly, here’s a great tool to compare other GPS handhelds with the Legend C.

Compare prices on the Garmin eTrex Legend C at these merchants:

• Check the current Garmin eTrex Legend C price at Amazon.com.
• Get a great deal on the Garmin eTrex Legend C at eBay.

From the official Garmin Legend C web page:

The eTrex Legend® C is Garmin’s exciting, new, pocket-sized handheld that brings color, automatic routing, longer battery life, plus more to our popular-selling eTrex Legend. You won’t miss a thing when you take this colorful, lightweight, easy-to-use handheld out hiking, biking, boating or even geocaching. The eTrex Legend C along with the eTrex Vista C are Garmin’s smallest, least expensive products to combine a color TFT display and advanced GPS routing capabilities in a waterproof design.
Outdoor enthusiasts will love the latest improvements made to the eTrex Legend C:
   

• 256-color, sunlight-readable display makes it easy to distinguish map details and see where you’re going
     
• Automatic route generation, off-route recalculation, turn-by-turn directions with alert tones, and icon-driven menus for finding points of interest (when combined with Garmin’s optional MapSource® CDs) navigate you safely to your destination*
• Longer battery life for more hours of outdoor enjoyment
     
• Mini-USB port for fast, convenient download of map data from Garmin’s entire library of optional MapSource CDs using a PC
     
• 24 MB of internal memory for lots of map storage

Of course the eTrex Legend C still includes those popular features that users have come to love and expect in the eTrex product line, such as a compact, lightweight, waterproof design and user-friendly interface. The eTrex Legend C is WAAS-enabled, and like all eTrex units, the primary controls are oriented on the side of the unit, so the user can conveniently operate it with one hand. Also, an innovative rocker switch is located on the face of the unit that enables the user to input data easily, scroll through menus, or pan the map page.

*When Using City Navigator™ data, unit has limited memory for mapping.

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