garmin vista hcx advice please.

feck sake lads

how much should i expect to pay for the garmin vista hcx and do i need to get anything extra for it .
i would be using it for cycle touring mainly ireland/england.
i'm a complete nood when it comes to understanding these things
basically all i want it to do is get me to where i want to go .
oh i heard the vista is the best for my needs, so please please keep it simple lads total fred here;)

micawber

feck sake lads wrote: »

how much should i expect to pay for the garmin vista hcx and do i need to get anything extra for it .
i would be using it for cycle touring mainly ireland/england.
i'm a complete nood when it comes to understanding these things
basically all i want it to do is get me to where i want to go .
oh i heard the vista is the best for my needs, so please please keep it simple lads total fred here;)

I happily use a garmin vista hcx and think you will pick one up cheaper online than in the shops.
Basic unit needs to be supplemented with a City Navigator micro sd card for full coverage of Irish roads. Think they cost around €40 .
You can also download a free openstreetmap of Ireland which you can also put on a card. It is not as comprehensive as the City Navigator, but as it is updated constantly it often includes newly opened roads not included on the CN card. It also has the advantage for hill walkers of include contour lines and off road geographical features.

feck sake lads

thanks for that ,i seen one on amazon for 153 sterling is this good.;)

micawber

feck sake lads wrote: »

thanks for that ,i seen one on amazon for 153 sterling is this good.;)

http://www.expansys.ie/garmin-etrex-vista-hcx-153642/
have one for €172 which is a little cheaper. No idea how good expansys are for reliability.

feck sake lads

thanks for that your a star, tell me before i buy would the satmap be a better choice for me.just that it looks like a much bigger screen with fairly detailed maps ,as i said i know sweet fect all about these things but i might as well get a good one and be done with it .does it work like a sat nav as in follow this line
thanks a million for the help.

micawber

feck sake lads wrote: »

thanks for that your a star, tell me before i buy would the satmap be a better choice for me.just that it looks like a much bigger screen with fairly detailed maps ,as i said i know sweet fect all about these things but i might as well get a good one and be done with it .does it work like a sat nav as in follow this line
thanks a million for the help.

I use mine mainly for walking, so the screen is ok. I occasionally use it in the car and it's fine for getting directions to unfamiliar places, but if I were to use a satnav regularly for driving I would probably go for something bigger screen wise.
As far as I know the City Navigator maps are the same for garmin devices in terms of detail, but obviously you can see more clearly on a bigger screen.

I personally find satnavs a bit distracting while driving and am happy to use the hand held one to give me directions, put it away and then consult if I forget which way to go.