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eTrex HC series Owner’s Manual

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Using the Electronic Compass 

(All of the eTrex HC series units use a GPS data 

driven compass but only the Vista HCx and Summit 

HC have an additional electronic compass.)

When you press and hold 

QUIT

 on these units, the 

electronic compass turns off and stays off until you 

press and hold 

QUIT

 again. 

The electronic compass functions like a magnetic 

compass when you are stationary. When you are 

moving and reach a pre-set speed, it uses data from 

the GPS receiver to maintain your heading. When 

you stop (after a pre-set time), it again operates like a 

magnetic compass. 

To turn the electronic compass on or off: 

1.  Press and hold 

QUIT

 to turn the electronic 

compass on or off. The compass icon   

appears in the status bar when the electronic 

compass is on. When you are not using the 

electronic compass, turn it off to conserve 

batteries. When it is turned off, the unit uses the 

GPS receiver for navigation.

2.  Hold the Vista HCx level to get an accurate 

electronic compass reading.

Setting the speed and time for Compass 

�uto On and Off: 

1.  Press 

MENU

 twice > 

Setup

.

2.  Select 

Heading

.

3.  Select 

Switch to compass heading when 

below...

.

 

4.  Use the numeric keypad to enter a speed. 
5.  Select 

for more than...

 to set the time delay 

from the time options list.

Calibrating the Electronic Compass

Calibrate the electronic compass outdoors when you 

first use the Vista HCx or Summit HC. To ensure 

continued accuracy, calibrate after installing new 

batteries, after moving more than 100 miles (160 km), 

or experiencing a temperature change greater than  

68º F (20º C) from the last calibration. The accuracy 

of the electronic compass is also adversely affected if 

the unit is not held level or you are near objects that 

affect magnetic fields, such as cars or buildings. 

Summary of Contents for eTrex HC series

Page 1: ...eTrex HC series Owner s Manual personal navigator eTrex Vista HCx shown...

Page 2: ...nted copy of this manual must contain the complete text of this copyright notice and provided further that any unauthorized commercial distribution of this manual or any revision hereto is strictly pr...

Page 3: ...when not using the eTrex for navigation Decrease the level of the display s backlight by quickly pressing and releasing the POWER key Product Registration Help us better support you by completing our...

Page 4: ...ceiver 4 Basic Operation 7 Creating and Using Waypoints 7 Proximity Waypoints 9 Using the Find Menu 10 Using Tracks 16 Creating a Route 20 Main Pages 23 Satellite Page 24 Map Page 24 Compass Page 27 A...

Page 5: ...s observing the proper polarity Remove the batteries when you do not plan to use the unit for several months Stored data is not lost when batteries are removed To install the lanyard 1 Place the loop...

Page 6: ...ar on the screen a scroll bar appears next to the list To scroll through a list press up or down on the ROCKER or use the In and Out keys Default the factory setting saved in the unit s memory You can...

Page 7: ...p or down or right or left to move through lists highlight fields on screen buttons or icons enter data or move the map panning arrow Press in and release to enter highlighted options and data or conf...

Page 8: ...n To receive satellite signals you must be outdoors and have a clear view of the sky To initialize your eTrex Hold the unit in front of you facing the sky While the GPS receiver is searching for the s...

Page 9: ...y of the eTrex features require detailed mapping data to be fully operational so you need to transfer maps before using the unit The eTrex Vista HCx and Legend HCx are equipped with a slot for a micro...

Page 10: ...ata to a microSD card 1 Lift the weather cover from the USB port on the back of the unit 2 Connect the USB cable to the USB port on your computer and to the mini USB port on the back of the unit 3 Fol...

Page 11: ...n create a waypoint on the Map page or enter coordinates for a waypoint manually Marking Your Current Location Press in and hold the ROCKER to quickly mark your current location creating a new waypoin...

Page 12: ...change the symbol name note location and elevation To edit a waypoint 1 Press and hold FIND 2 Select Waypoints 3 Select the waypoint you want to edit and press Enter 4 Make changes by highlighting ea...

Page 13: ...t Waypoint to open the Project Waypoint page 4 Enter the distance and bearing to the projected waypoint in the appropriate fields and press QUIT when finished Proximity Waypoints Use the Proximity Way...

Page 14: ...oximity Point message appears When outside the set radius a Leaving Proximity Point message is shown To turn proximity alarms on or off Press MENU twice Proximity eTrex HCx and HC units Proximity Alar...

Page 15: ...the name of the location you want to find When the Find list contains a match highlight OK 5 Select the location item from the Find list and press ENTER The item s information page opens allowing you...

Page 16: ...and average the result for a more accurate location reference See page 9 Project Waypoint create a new waypoint referencing another location by entering bearing and distance from the referenced locat...

Page 17: ...Map page appears 4 Use the ROCKER to pan the arrow pointer to the map location you want The Find list shows a list of items near the new map location Finding a Waypoint The Waypoints page contains a...

Page 18: ...cache is found the unit marks the cache as found logs an entry into the calendar and provides an option that shows the nearest cache Finding a City Select Cities from the Find Menu to find any city li...

Page 19: ...the map database Addresses Page Addresses icon To find an address 1 Press and hold FIND 2 Select Addresses NOTE If your unit has a GPS fix the Enter Region field is populated with your current region...

Page 20: ...category for points of interest by using the Garmin POI Loader utility for HCx units downloadable from the Garmin Web site www garmin com products poiloader Follow the Help instructions to use POI Loa...

Page 21: ...according to the Record Method and Interval Enter a specific distance time or frequency Color select the color of the active track on the map Log Track to Data Card HCx units only records the current...

Page 22: ...Log Track to Data Card option and then press ENTER A current date gpx file appears in the Data Card Tracks list This file is a continuous compilation of all track data for the indicated date As long a...

Page 23: ...finished defining the area press ENTER and select Save Track Profiles A Track Elevation Profile is created from elevation readings when using the eTrex Summit HC or the eTrex Vista HCx All units show...

Page 24: ...turn At the first turn directions to each turn are shown 5 Select Menu Stop Navigation to exit To create a waypoint on a saved track 1 With a saved track on the map use the ROCKER to move the pointer...

Page 25: ...lculate a route to your destination Turns on roadways are preceded by a guidance message with a graphic of the turn Navigating a Route To navigate a saved route 1 Press MENU twice Routes 2 Select a sa...

Page 26: ...NU twice Routes 2 Select a saved route select the route name field at the top of the Route page To review individual route points 1 Press MENU twice Routes 2 Select a saved route select a point on the...

Page 27: ...h these pages by pressing QUIT Add additional pages by using the page sequence option on the Main Menu The Active Route page appears in the sequence when you are actively navigating a route The Satell...

Page 28: ...en Multicolor Single Color indicates whether each satellite appears as a different color New Location use if you have moved the unit more than 600 miles 1 000 km GPS Elevation shows your current eleva...

Page 29: ...ss ENTER 3 Select an option 4 Move to the next field and repeat Using Additional Map Data View listings of nearby restaurants lodging shopping centers attractions and entertainment and retrieve addres...

Page 30: ...lable if data fields are selected Guidance Text shows messages on the screen advising you of your next navigation move Setup Map accesses six pages of display options Measure Distance Stop Measuring m...

Page 31: ...ou want to measure The distance between the two points is shown in the upper right corner Compass Page The Compass page guides you to your destination with a graphic compass display and a bearing or c...

Page 32: ...is on When you are not using the electronic compass turn it off to conserve batteries When it is turned off the unit uses the GPS receiver for navigation 2 Hold the Vista HCx level to get an accurate...

Page 33: ...peat the process 3 Press ENTER to return to the Compass page Compass Page Options Sight N Go navigate to an object within your sight Vista HCx and Summit HC only Stop Resume Navigation turns active na...

Page 34: ...he top of the screen Sighting Page 2 Hold the unit at eye level and line up the two sighting marks with the distant object Press ENTER to lock the direction 3 Select Set Course 4 Begin traveling to yo...

Page 35: ...n until the arrow is pointing up and then continue in that direction The bearing pointer points to the destination The bearing pointer always indicates the direction to your destination from your curr...

Page 36: ...Plot Over Time or Over Distance view over a set period of time or over a set distance View Pressure Plot Barometer or Ambient Pressure view a plot of elevation changes that occur over a set distance...

Page 37: ...c pressure To view elevation or pressure plots 1 Select the option you want from the Altimeter options menu to show the plot 2 Adjust the time and distance measurement using the elevation plot Zoom Ra...

Page 38: ...croll the cross hairs across the profile As the cross hairs move across the profile the status window at the bottom of the page changes to show the date time and altitude or pressure for the point Vie...

Page 39: ...ow the elevation select No to use the pressure option If you do not know the pressure select No to use the default GPS elevation 3 Use the ROCKER to enter the new elevation or pressure Select OK Trip...

Page 40: ...Menu highlight the menu item and press ENTER Main Menu NOTE If a page is added to the Main Page sequence the icon for that page does not appear on the Main Menu Tracks For more information see page 1...

Page 41: ...units only Use the option menu to restore defaults or view the version of unit software and the Unit I D number Display Setup Page You can choose a display mode a color scheme for day and for night vi...

Page 42: ...he My Computer icon 2 Browse the computer for the file 3 For a computer select the file Edit Copy Note If you have several network drives mapped to your computer log on without connecting to the netwo...

Page 43: ...Each page has a sub menu of general options To access this menu press MENU with the preferred setup page displayed Map Setup General Page The Map Setup General page contains the settings for Orientati...

Page 44: ...zoom range at which active track logs are shown Track Points sets the maximum number of track points used to record a track Go To Line selects either a bearing or course line for navigating a track Ma...

Page 45: ...ngs light sectors and symbol sets Map Setup Marine Page Marine Colors toggles colors on or off Spot Soundings toggles spot soundings on or off Light Sectors select from On Off and Auto Symbol Set sele...

Page 46: ...uto Units Setup To access the Units Setup page From the Setup Menu select Units Position Format sets the coordinate system in which a location is shown Map Datum sets the description for geographic lo...

Page 47: ...ield to select on or off When on elevation is corrected by GPS 3 Select the Barometer Mode field to specify Variable Elevation used when you are moving or Fixed Elevation used when stationary Welcome...

Page 48: ...d Moon To access the Sun and Moon Page From the Main Menu select Sun and Moon to view the Sunrise Sunset and Moon phases Hunt Fish To show hunting and fishing predictions for a specified date and loca...

Page 49: ...continuous Antenna Built in patch Compass Vista HCx Summit HC only Accuracy 5 degrees resolution 1 degree user calibrated Altimeter Vista HCx Summit HC only Accuracy 10 feet resolution 1 ft user cali...

Page 50: ...ivers are automatically installed when you install the MapSource Trip and Waypoint Manager software that came with your eTrex When you initially connect the eTrex to a USB port your computer might pro...

Page 51: ...re valuable trade secrets of Garmin and that the Software in source code form remains a valuable trade secret of Garmin You agree not to decompile disassemble modify reverse assemble reverse engineer...

Page 52: ...g the microSD card 6 installing batteries 1 installing the lanyard 1 K key functions 3 L log track to data card 17 M main pages 23 map page 24 map data 25 measuring distance 27 orientation 26 setup 39...

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Page 54: ...www garmin com 2007 Garmin Ltd or its subsidiaries Garmin International Inc 1200 East 151st Street Olathe Kansas 66062 USA Garmin Europe Ltd Liberty House Hounsdown Business Park Southampton Hampshir...

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