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I had no intention of beginning my overview of the brand new Garmin eTrex Photo voltaic off this fashion. However there it’s on the sprint of my truck, absorbing juice that’s bouncing off my shades as I drive house this morning, and admittedly, I’m slightly blown away. I’ve used a variety of photo voltaic merchandise over time and I don’t suppose I’ve ever used one that’s this environment friendly.

However I digress. Within the final month, this little GPS unit has turn out to be a part of my day by day life. I take it in all places I am going, and have even created a customized mount for it in my 4Runner. I make it a degree to import and export routes and waypoints randomly all through the day. And, in the end, I’ve come to understand the truth that the unit requires me to place in slightly work to get what I would like from it.

That each one mentioned, if you happen to take note of product critiques (and we do), it’s what’s been baked into the eTrex Photo voltaic ($250) that has been given as a lot consideration as what has been neglected of this minimal gadget. So, the next isn’t simply going to be an knowledgeable overview of my expertise with the unit, however a possibility to debunk among the lingering questions on the market.

Briefly: The Garmin eTrex Photo voltaic is a stripped-down, solar-powered handheld GPS unit that provides you easy-to-read data in an easy-to-use package deal. It additionally has multiband GPS, which supplies pinpoint accuracy and staves off obsolescence.

To learn extra on the spectrum of GPS-enabled units at the moment, try GearJunkie’s Greatest Handheld GPS Gadgets information for the fowl’s-eye view.

Garmin eTrex Photo voltaic Assessment

(Picture/Nick LeFort)

So, One other GPS?

Not fairly. The eTrex Photo voltaic is an easy, stripped-down, solar-powered GPS handheld. Designed for the outside fanatic and arriving sizzling on the heels of the newer eTrex SE, the unit permits you to accumulate waypoints, create routes, and entry them with ease by a collection of straightforward but particular menus. It’s, briefly, the whole lot you can ever need in a GPS unit with out the entire superfluous bells and whistles of higher-end items.

However the actual shining star (no pun supposed right here) is the flexibility to photo voltaic cost the unit. This can provide you limitless battery energy irrespective of the mode you’re working in. And whereas I’ve but to achieve limitless hours with the unit, preliminary testing reveals nice promise. With a easy display screen, minimal processing energy, and restricted gizmos, the gadget merely sips juice, and the photo voltaic panel can simply hold it topped off for prolonged expeditions.

Rounding out the spectacular options and advantages of the eTrex Photo voltaic is its multiband satellite tv for pc capabilities. Whereas sometimes a performance reserved for high-end GPS-enabled units, this tech has been trickling all the way down to the plenty, and by with the ability to hook up with totally different satellite tv for pc frequencies, you could be assured that your place is correct.

Pulling instantly from the Geocaching web site, all of your caches are loaded onto the gadget for off-grid use; (photograph/Nick LeFort)

The eTrex Photo voltaic additionally has a devoted menu merchandise for geocaching, which it may well do natively or by pairing the unit together with your smartphone and utilizing the Geocaching app. This makes the eTrex Photo voltaic a invaluable software so that you can take within the outside by yourself, or when spending time having enjoyable with the entire household.

Pairing the eTrex Photo voltaic together with your smartphone permits you to entry expanded options comparable to cellphone notifications in addition to climate and dawn and sundown occasions. It additionally permits you to plan your journeys forward of time.

This may be executed by the Garmin Discover app which additionally makes managing waypoints and routes simpler with out complicating the working system. The Discover app additionally permits you to work together with navigation apps like Gaia GPS to import and export data.

What It’s Not

I usually don’t learn critiques about merchandise I’m testing. I additionally keep away from message boards as a lot as potential. However I used to be trying up a few technical specs on the eTrex Photo voltaic and located myself studying posts and critiques that simply didn’t line up with any of the advertising and marketing supplies from Garmin concerning the eTrex Photo voltaic. The detrimental feedback had been spreading like wildfire. What was the deal?

Lots of people assumed the eTrex Photo voltaic and its disposable battery-dependent accomplice — the eTrex SE — had been going to be successors to the eTrex 22x or 32x. A minimum of by way of having a coloration display screen and what the working system was going to be.

However when the SE launched again in March after which the Photo voltaic in November, it turned obviously apparent that these had been extra just like the eTrex 10 — a barebones unit that targeted merely on doing what GPS units do finest: navigate.

That mentioned, it’s true that the eTrex Photo voltaic doesn’t have a coloration display screen or characteristic turn-by-turn instructions. Sure, routes and waypoints could be imported to it, however you can not add customized maps or TopoActive maps to it. Moreover, there isn’t a joystick to navigate by the menus. As an alternative, it has a multi-button method that individuals who’ve used the Foretrex collection will acknowledge.

However the longer I used it, the extra I spotted that it’s obtained the whole lot I might ever need in a GPS unit, sans goofy fishing calendars or built-in flashlights. Do you’ve got a spot you wish to go to? It’ll take you there. Wish to know the right way to get house? The eTrex Photo voltaic has you coated. And typically that’s all you want.

The infinity battery image signifies that the unit will maintain indefinitely with the present photo voltaic charging it’s receiving; (photograph/Nick LeFort)

Sips of Sunshine — An Expedition-Prepared Photo voltaic System

Having examined a variety of outside gear over time, I’m greater than prepared to confess that some solar-equipped gear is a ache within the ass. It’s important to have panels angled simply the best strategy to get an honest quantity of solar energy pulled in. In the long run, it may be extra of a wrestle than a profit.

That’s not the case with the eTrex Photo voltaic. The primary time I walked out the door with the unit into the solar, I used to be pulling in 112% of photo voltaic depth. That climbed as much as 142% as soon as I positioned it and let it’s.

General, on common, whenever you’re strolling about with a transparent shot to the sky, you possibly can anticipate to web round 70-80%. The quantity is all the time fluctuating, however the level right here is that the eTrex Photo voltaic’s receptors are depraved delicate and thereby efficient. That is if the unit is on or off. Sure, that’s proper — this little goober is taking sips of sunshine even when it’s powered down.

When it comes to positive factors based mostly on that efficacy, I picked up 19 minutes of battery life after 10 minutes of leaving the eTrex Photo voltaic within the solar. Garmin states that 1 hour of 100% photo voltaic depth will acquire 2.5 hours of battery life. One of the best ways to realize these sorts of outcomes is clearly by retaining the unit in a single place, however by all means — cost the place you possibly can and when you possibly can.

Catching the glint off my glasses, the eTrex Photo voltaic lives as much as its title; (photograph/Nick LeFort)

That being mentioned, if somebody had been to ask me if the photo voltaic characteristic is well worth the $100 upcharge from the Garmin eTrex SE, I must inform them sure. With the photo voltaic characteristic, you’ve got limitless hours of utilization. If there’s no solar, don’t fear — you’ve got at the very least 200 hours of battery life. Which, not for nothing, continues to be greater than the 168 hours you’ll get with the eTrex SE.

Now, is that $100 price it for everybody? I wish to know that I don’t must depend on batteries for the whole lot. I additionally wish to know that if I pull one thing out of my gear closet, I don’t robotically must cost it. Don’t overlook, you additionally get the multiband GPS characteristic that the SE mannequin doesn’t have.

In my life, I don’t know if I’ll ever want one thing that lasts greater than every week and not using a cost. However I do know there are many folks on the market who can profit from this characteristic. You should decide if that’s you.

Battery Life

Throughout its totally different product traces, Garmin has been pushing prolonged battery lives in recent times. With the ever-growing recognition of the Apple Watch that may solely final a few days, it makes a variety of sense for Garmin to tune their watches to run practically a month on a single cost. It has additionally made it a degree to level out that its newest addition to its Foretrex line has greater than double the battery lifetime of its predecessor.

The eTrex Photo voltaic is Garmin’s first solar-powered handheld GPS gadget* — nevertheless it’s not the primary solar-powered product. It’s been utilizing solar energy in watches to enhance battery life for the previous couple of years. Being that they’re a wearable gadget, this eliminates the burden of needing downtime to cost. Including this performance to the eTrex supplies the identical factor, which in the end enhances ease of use, reliability, and dependability.

However then you concentrate on a handheld GPS just like the Montana 700i ($700). That factor comes off just like the holy grail of GPS items however solely has a battery lifetime of 18 hours. I suppose this leaves the door open for brand spanking new merchandise, nevertheless it’s a little bit of a head-scratcher. At $450 greater than the eTrex Photo voltaic, you’ll suppose it might be one of many first handhelds to get photo voltaic and multiband GPS.

Once more, I’m not right here to invest why Garmin does what it does. I proceed to get pleasure from its merchandise.

*The Edge 540 Photo voltaic and 840 Photo voltaic are bike computer systems.

By making the most of totally different generations of satellites, the eTrex Photo voltaic positive factors much more fine-tuned reception; (photograph/Nick LeFort)

Multiband GPS Reception

Area Pressure (I nonetheless can’t imagine we named it that) is chargeable for the 24 satellites that make up our GPS sat-nav constellation. They do the whole lot from retaining these large tin cans up and operating to changing them as they both put on out or turn out to be out of date. Always, we’ve 24 satellites energetic in area, in addition to some older birds from earlier generations.

That is the place the entire concept behind multiband GPS comes into focus. For years, GPS has been counting on two frequencies of GPS — L1 (Civilian) and L2 (Navy). In 2021, it began utilizing the L5 band for civilian use. We at the moment have 16 satellites in orbit utilizing the L5 frequency with the plan to have all 24 utilizing L5 by 2027.

A multiband GPS gadget, just like the eTrex Photo voltaic, can make the most of each the L1 and L5 frequencies to present the unit an undeniably dependable and correct connection. This implies no leaping and lag — what you see on the display screen is as actual because it will get. It additionally means there’s a decrease propensity for dropping a sign and a better propensity for buying one.

This functionality additionally minimizes points with interference which may happen if you happen to go inside a constructing, are beneath a forest cover, in a canyon, and so forth. I dwell out within the woods and I had an accuracy of 6 toes with the eTrex Photo voltaic. Most individuals are completely happy in the event that they get 16 toes, which is the usual with GPS-enabled mobile units.

When you think about the truth that the eTrex Photo voltaic is each solar-powered and multiband, it creates a gorgeous stability between fascinating and inexpensive.

(Picture/Nick LeFort)

Importing and Exporting Routes & Waypoints

Out of the field, the eTrex Photo voltaic has a easy, city-oriented base map baked in. It is a profit, because it permits you to hold the unit uncluttered from the get-go. However that doesn’t imply you possibly can’t add routes and waypoints to it, or export them to a different database.

I’ve been utilizing Gaia GPS for the final 3 years. It’s a strong route-making utility that permits you to share the routes you make in addition to entry the knowledge you save offline. I initially obtained into it to map out the unmarked off-roading trails the place I dwell and at a spot I wish to get bizarre at up in Vermont. Then it grew to be my place to trace my adventures.

Different fashionable mapping apps, comparable to CalTopo, work with the eTrex Photo voltaic as nicely (actually any that may export GPX tracks will work additionally). The method generally is a little tenuous at first, however when you get the cling of it, you’ll end up importing and exporting with ease. The profit right here is the flexibility to load up beforehand tracked routes from different customers onto the eTrex, which you should use with out your cellphone for a extra lo-fi mountain climbing expertise.

(Picture/Nick LeFort)

I gained’t get into the weeds concerning the method, as it could be totally different from cellphone to cellphone, app to app. However you wish to export and import GPX information. These information are native to the eTrex Photo voltaic and can work with none points.

The entire course of feels slightly old skool. However the good thing about all of it is that it permits you to get acclimated together with your route. Which is one thing a variety of people overlook to do.

Geocaching With the Garmin Photo voltaic

Jackpot! (Picture/Nick LeFort)

Letterboxing, the duty of utilizing bodily instructions to search out hidden containers has been round for the reason that 1800s. However seeing that GPS, as we all know it, didn’t exist till the early Nineteen Nineties, geocaching didn’t catch hearth till the early 2000s.

Much like letterboxing, with geocaching your objective is to discover a hidden container. The large distinction in geocaching is that you just use a GPS unit to search out the container. That container will comprise a ledger so that you can signal, however will greater than doubtless have a treasure so that you can take house and replenish.

Geocaching has a large following and is kind of a little bit of enjoyable. The containers aren’t usually out within the open — and so they’re not solely within the woods. In some instances, they could possibly be beneath rocks, tucked into holes and timber, or lodged in cracks in ledges. In different instances, they are often tethered to storm drains, positioned beneath a bench in your favourite restaurant, or in much more complicated locations the place the actual diehards like to cover their cache.

(Picture/Nick LeFort)

To make use of the eTrex Photo voltaic to geocache, you’ll must navigate to the geocaching exercise on the unit and observe the directions on the display screen. It will require you to register with Geocaching in addition to registering the unit with the platform. Geocaching is free to make use of if you happen to’re an off-the-cuff geocacher, however there’s a premium subscription accessible if you end up obsessive about it. Which tends to occur.

One main advantage of geocaching with the eTrex Photo voltaic is that it’s a main alternative for the unit to be absorbing the solar. It’s additionally a ton of enjoyable by yourself or with family and friends.

Carry Choices

Mounting place will dictate the quantity of photo voltaic you harvest, so select properly; (photograph/Nick LeFort)

Garmin does an important job of providing carry choices for all of their handheld GPS items. From instances to clips, there are virtually a dozen methods to hold the eTrex Photo voltaic. Nonetheless, as a result of this unit loves the solar, I might suggest a carry possibility that retains it uncovered to the solar. It’s vital to do not forget that even when the eTrex Photo voltaic is off, it is going to cost if it’s within the path of daylight.

I initially thought-about the Backpack Tether ($21). I quickly realized that by design, this selection solely benefited me after I had my pack on. So I went with the Backbone Mount Belt Clip ($10). This clip permits me to apply it to my pack, on my belt, on the collar of my shirt or jacket, or anyplace else I might consider carrying the eTrex Photo voltaic.

Notifications

I’ve all the time been somebody who desires to remain within the know. Suffice it to say that no matter watch I’ve wants to have the ability to get notifications from my cellphone. It’s a first-world downside, and my ancestors would beat me mindless in the event that they knew what I’ve turn out to be. Nonetheless, I do know I’m not alone. None of us actually must have notifications on the eTrex Photo voltaic, until — nevertheless — our different units are tucked away. However even then, I’m unsure the right way to gauge the profit towards the distraction.

The eTrex Photo voltaic will not be a touchscreen, which I like, however by way of notifications, it may well make them extra of a trouble than they’re price. There’s no strategy to swipe away your Ring digicam notification telling you that Amazon is at your home while you’re 50 miles from nowhere. With the notification taking on one-third of the display screen, you might want to press a button to take away it if you wish to see what you might want to on the display screen.

I don’t find out about you, however after I want to take a look at the display screen of my navigation gadget, it’s as a result of I’m in search of data. To not be distracted by my social life.

This gadget is seemingly easy as could be, however can your GPS let you know when somebody is on the door? (photograph/Nick LeFort)

Room for Enchancment

For what it’s, I believe the eTrex Photo voltaic is without doubt one of the easiest-to-use GPS items on the market at the moment. It does an unimaginable job of retaining issues easy and simple to entry. Whenever you’re out and about attempting to determine all of it out, that’s what you need. That mentioned, I wouldn’t thoughts seeing a pair extra options baked right into a future model of the eTrex Photo voltaic.

The Skill to Cost Different Gadgets

Being that the battery on the eTrex Photo voltaic is limitless, it might be a improbable addition to have the ability to cost different digital units off of it. It’s not know-how that Garmin at the moment makes use of in its through-and-through GPS items (although it’s featured on the inReach Messenger gadget), however it might be a wonderful addition to a tool comparable to this.

inReach Know-how

Garmin already provides this selection on quite a lot of its higher-end units. I might be prepared to drop one other hundred on a unit just like the eTrex with that know-how onboard.

I additionally suppose that it’s inevitable that individuals are going to need a photo voltaic possibility in a few of Garmin’s extra superior handheld GPS items. To not hold choosing on the Montana 700i, however that unit is simply ready to get solarized. And it ought to. Worrying about battery life blows.

Garmin eTrex Photo voltaic Assessment: Conclusion

Customized mounted within the rig, the eTrex Photo voltaic is correct at house; (photograph/Nick LeFort)

Many moons in the past I labored for a big outside retailer, and earlier than that, I had been reluctant to get into handheld GPS items generally. However working there — it was unavoidable. As staff, we had been in a position to borrow and check out gear, and I had the chance to make use of a a lot older eTrex gadget after I summited Mount Washington.

Reader, I fell in love. It was nice to see the route I took in comparison with how different folks had gone up who had used the gadget earlier than me. However I by no means discovered a must make one a everlasting a part of my package. It wasn’t till I moved to the place I dwell now, surrounded by trails positioned in areas with spotty cell reception, that I noticed the necessity to have one in my pack.

Suffice it to say that I’ve embraced this chance with the eTrex Photo voltaic. I’ve even used it to map out the extra fashionable routes I take my 4Runner on within the woods. However the large takeaway right here is that you just get out what you set in with the eTrex Photo voltaic. It’s as much as you so as to add the waypoints and populate the bottom map. It’s straightforward to do, it simply requires pre-planning in your half.

So, if you happen to’re somebody who likes to go on outside adventures — of all styles and sizes — I might counsel that you just think about the Garmin eTrex Photo voltaic. With what you’re getting for $250, you gained’t miss the turn-by-turn instructions or coloration display screen. You’ll, nevertheless, benefit from the ease of use in going by the menus and utilizing the monitoring and waypoint options.

You’ll additionally benefit from the pinpoint accuracy and the truth that you don’t want to fret about charging it. Simply stick the unit within the solar whenever you’re out and about.

All in all, I hope this overview eliminates among the confusion and chit-chat concerning the eTrex Photo voltaic. I don’t imagine that Garmin ever alluded to being something greater than the modern mountain climbing GPS handheld gadget that it’s. Folks get wrapped up within the improper issues, and it finally ends up catching hearth and inflicting distractions. When it comes to handheld GPS items, the eTrex Photo voltaic would be the finest $250 you’ll ever spend.