Garmin Etrex Legend - GPS Receiver Operation instructions

GPS Tutorial: Basic Applications
Garmin models covered
1. eTrex Legend
2. eTrex Venture HC
3. eTrex High Sensitivity

Coordinate Systems
•Geographic CS: spherical (3-dimensions), such as latitude and
longitude
•Projected CS: flat (2-dimensions), such as UTMs
•Requires a GCS and map projection (to go from 3 to 2 dimensions)
•Map projections are customized for a particular location/region
•The coordinate system you use depends on where you are and what
you’re doing – there is no single system that is right for every context.
Want to know more?
resources.esri.com/help/9.3/arcgisengine/dotnet/89b720a5-7339-44b0-8b58-0f5bf2843393.htm
www.progonos.com/furuti/MapProj/Normal/TOC/cartTOC.html
•Coordinate system (CS): reference system used
to represent locations on earth.
•Provides common basis for communication
about a particular place or area.

Coordinate Systems
www.extension.umn.edu/youth/mn4-H/projects/docs/geospatial-GPS-coordinate-systems-explained.pdf
(Lat and Long)
GCS: Decimal degress (lat and long) PCS: UTMs
“Easting” is 6 digits but
often has leading 0.
Wyoming UTM zones
W (12) E (13)

Garmin eTrex
Legend and HC

•After turning on the GPS (power button
circled in red), click through pages using the
page (or quit) key.
•Pages should be similar to this:
Main Screens
Satellite Map Navigation
Trip
computer Main menu
eTrex Legend

eTrex Legend
•Use toggle to move between options
in a menu
•Push toggle in to select
eTrex HC
•Navigate with up and down arrows
•Press enter to select
Moving between and selecting options in a menu

1. Navigate to Main Menu
with page button
Before Anything Else, Set the Coordinate System
In ‘Position Format’ select the coordinate system you’re using. For example,
UTM UPS for UTMs (PCS) or hddd.ddddd° for decimal degrees (GCS).
After change Position Format, select your Map Datum. For UTM UPS, you
likely want NAD 83. For hddd.ddddd, you likely want WGS 84.
The coordinate system is now set. You do not need to do anything extra to
save the settings –simply navigate to the next page you need with the page
button.
2. Select ‘Setup’ 3. Select ‘Units’
4. Change units

•Regardless of the screen you are
on, push in and hold toggle
(legend) or enter button (HC)
“Mark Waypoint” screen will
pop-up:
How to Add a Waypoint by Entering Coordinates
1) Toggle until the numbers within the flag are highlighted, then
push toggle in. Name point then select ‘OK’.
2) Toggle until the field next to ‘Location’ is highlighted, push
toggle in. Move highlight box off of ‘N’ so box is on 1st number.
Enter the desired N coordinates (Latitude), enter W
coordinates (Longitude) on next line. Click ‘OK’ when done.
- This screen shows decimal degrees. Screen will look slightly
different for other coordinate systems but apply same steps.
3) After the point name and coordinates are entered, click ‘OK’ on
the main screen to save the waypoint.

•This follows similar steps as the previous slide but 1st the
GPS must find enough satellites.
•On the satellite page, the upper field will say “Waiting to
find satellites” if the GPS is still looking.
•Once enough are found, the upper field will change to
“Ready to Navigate” (this could take 5-10 min depending
on location and conditions).
•The upper field also reports accuracy. Before marking
your location, wait for accuracy to be below ~20 feet.
•Once accuracy is acceptable, push and hold the toggle in
for ~2 seconds. Name the point and then click ‘OK’ on the
main screen to save. Unlike the previous slide, do not edit
coordinates in the location field –those coordinates
already represent your current location.
How to Add a Waypoint for your Current Location

•After saving a waypoint, click the page button
(circled in red) until you get the Main Menu page:
How to Navigate to a Waypoint, Part 1
1) Click on ‘Find’
2) Click on ‘Waypoints’
3) Another window will pop-up, if choose ‘Nearest’, it will return a list of
points in order of how close they are to your current location. If choose
‘By Name’, it will return a list of points that you can search through. To
search by name, toggle so the field under ‘Waypoints’ is highlighted,
push toggle in, enter name.
4) Once find point need, toggle so point name is highlighted, push toggle
in. Click ‘Goto’ on new screen that pops-up.
eTrex Legend

•After selecting ‘Goto’ for the desired waypoint, the
Navigation page will pop-up.
•Walk in the direction of the bearing pointer.
•Can also navigate via the Map page, if you prefer.
How to Navigate to a Waypoint, Part 2
Straight line distance to destination
Bearing pointer
Compass ring
Waypoint name
Time to
destination
Selectable
fields that will
vary by GPS
eTrex Legend

Adjust screen brightness
Click and quickly release the power button (if you hold it down,
the GPS will shut off) to adjust brightness.
Change settings for bearing pointer on navigation page
For example, the bearing pointer is not rotating to point in the
direction you need to go.
Main Menu > Setup > Heading. Check the ‘North Reference’ field.
If ‘User’ is selected, that is likely the problem. Select ‘True’ or
‘Magnetic’ and the bearing pointer will point you in the right
direction.
Additional Tips
Delete a single waypoint
Main Menu > Find > click on waypoint
need to delete. Within ‘Waypoint’ page,
click on options symbol (circled in red),
then select ‘Delete Waypoint’.
eTrex Legend

Garmin eTrex Venture HC
•Buttons and screens are very similar to the eTrex
Legend.
•The instructions for the Legend on the previous
slides should be adequate for using the Venture HC
as well.

Garmin eTrex
High Sensitivty

Garmin eTrex HS Buttons
(slightly different than eTrex Legend)
eTrex HS
Instead of
Toggle button

1. Navigate to Menu with
page button
Set the Coordinate System
Same steps as the Legend model, but screen appearance is slightly different.
2. Select ‘Setup’ 3. Select ‘Units’
4. Change units
eTrex HS
In ‘Position Format’ select the coordinate system you’re using. For example,
UTM UPS for UTMs (PCS) or hddd.ddddd° for decimal degrees (GCS).
After change Position Format, ‘Map Datum’ should automatically change to
WGS 84. If it doesn’t, click on Map Datum field and select WGS 84.
The coordinate system is now set. You do not need to do anything extra to
save the settings –simply navigate to the next page you need with the page
button.

•Regardless of the screen you are on, press and hold
the enter/mark key (circled in red).
“Mark Waypoint” screen will pop-up:
How to Add a Waypoint by Entering Coordinates
1) Use up/down keys until the numbers within the flag are
highlighted, then push enter. Name point then select ‘OK’.
2) Use up/down keys until the ‘N’ ‘W’ section is highlighted,
push enter. Enter the desired N and W coordinates. Click
‘OK’ when done.
- This screen shows decimal degrees. Screen will look
slightly different for other coordinate systems but apply
same steps.
3. After the point name and coordinates are entered, click ‘OK’
on the main screen (in the thought bubble) to save the
waypoint.
eTrex HS

•Same steps as the previous slide but 1st the GPS
must find enough satellites.
How to Add a Waypoint for your Current Location
•Once satellites are found and accuracy is less than
10 meters, press and hold the enter/mark key until
the “Mark Waypoint” screen pops-up.
•Name the point but do not change the N/W
coordinates –those coordinates already represent
your current location.
•Click ‘OK’ in the thought bubble to save point.
eTrex HS

1. Select ‘WAYPOINTS’
2. Select desired point then click ‘GOTO’ on new screen
that opens.
3. Use compass page to navigate to point
•After saving a waypoint, page to the Menu screen:
How to Navigate to a Waypoint
eTrex HS

This shows the Legend C, but it also
applies to the base Legend unit.
Garmin eTrex Legend Buttons
eTrex Legend