Wherever I went with this fun little unit, I was greeted with cries of delight. “Oh, I had one of those, it was my first GPS!” was the general comment and everyone spoke of it with great fondness. It definitely stole my heart!

Small, lightweight, compact, with a tough water-resistant outer and a crisp, clear, colour screen, even people with poor eyesight will be able to use this unit without a problem. It is extremely light and hangs around your neck on its lanyard, leaving your hands free for climbing or whatever else you may be up to.

Garmin eTrex Venture CxWith only two control buttons, a zoom function, and a power button, it is very simple to operate and can be used with one hand. The left hand works best, you have to reach your thumb across the unit to use the toggle if you use your right. Do-able, but clumsy.

Do not be fooled into thinking that it is very limited because it’s such a small entry-level unit. It offers such a great range of functions. A power/backlight key can adjust the lighting to the level you want it, so that you can read the display in bright or dim conditions; zoom keys; calendar, alarm clock, calculator stopwatch; map page; compass; maps that can be purchased and loaded for navigation; it even has games – everything your toy-driven heart could possibly desire! Man, I love this unit! And, it’s in my favourite colour – yellow.

The tracklog feature on the Venture Cx is excellent and very accurate. The battery life is very, very good. I used the Energizer Silver Lithium batteries and it lasted about 3 times the suggested battery life of 32 hours. The Venture Cx comes with a built in basemap that includes the primary points: main freeways; rivers; lakes etc. If you are not planning to use it for navigation, just for outdoors, you don’t need any more than this. Whether you are a fisherman, 4×4 enthusiast or geocacher, it’s perfect just as it is!

If you do want to purchase and load maps, however, you’re going to need a MicroSD card as well. The Venture Cx does have a MicroSD card slot, but the memory cards and maps are sold separately, so you’ll need to discuss this with your salesman at your point of sale.

My final comment (directed specifically to the site-owner) … if you were wondering what to send me for Christmas…

[This reviewers 'not-so-subtle' hint has been noted and recorded on my Christmas list. You never know Toni, I may even read it this year... MadMapper]

SUMMARY: (Short and snappy version)

Rating: * = Terrible / Difficult - * * * * * = Excellent / Easy

  • User-Friendliness:
    • Software/Downloads - N/A
    • Packaging * * *
    • Unit - Ease of use * * * *
    • Peripherals (Mounts, cables, carry cases etc) - N/A
    • Bonus features (if any) - N/A
  • Sensitivity/Reception: * * * *
  • Accuracy: * * * *
  • Battery-Life: * * * * *
  • Portability: * * * * *

Type of User: Outdoors person.

Pro’s:

  • Affordable.
  • Extremely user-friendly unit.
  • Very portable & lightweight.
  • Waterproof.
  • Excellent for use on trails, hiking, backpacking, geocaching, or any other outdoor use where maps and the autorouting features are not necessary.
  • Has the ability to load maps and autoroute if you decide to purchase the maps at a later stage.

Con’s:

  • No maps included in the bundle (although this is also a “Pro” as not having maps bundled helps to keep the price of the unit down)

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Product Review By:Toni Quaradeghini
(Please contact Gismap GPS Shop for reprint rights).
Toni Quaradeghini is a travel writer and business entrepreneur who has written for the BITE paperzine, the OWL newspaper and as a guest writer for Go-Multi magazine. She is putting the finishing touches to her first novel for publication in 2007 and has written several eBooks. She is also a keen geocacher, hiker, scuba diver, dancer and general lunatic.

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