Garmin eTrex Summit User manual

owner’s
manual
and
reference
guide
eTrex Summit
personal navigator
© 2000 GARMIN Corporation
GARMIN International, Inc.
1200 East 151
st
Street, Olathe, Kansas 66062, U.S.A.
GARMIN (Europe) Ltd.
Unit 5, The Quadrangle, Abbey Park Industrial Estate, Romsey, SO51 9AQ, U.K.
GARMIN (Asia) Corporation
No. 68, Jangshu 2
nd
Road., Shijr, Taipei County, Taiwan
www.garmin.com
Part Number 190-00193-00 Rev. B
UA-1005.001

©2000 GARMIN Corporation
GARMIN International, Inc.
1200 East 151st Street, Olathe, Kansas 66062 U.S.A.
Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
GARMIN (Europe) Ltd.
Unit 5, The Quadrangle, Abbey Park Industrial Estate, Romsey, SO51 9AQ, U.K.
Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
GARMIN (Asia) Corporation
No. 68, Jangshu 2nd Road., Shijr, Taipei County, Taiwan
Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
All rights reserved. Except as expressly provided herein, no part of this manual may
be reproduced, copied, transmitted, disseminated, downloaded or stored in any
storage medium, for any purpose without prior written consent of GARMIN
Corporation. GARMIN Corporation hereby grants permission to download a single
copy of this manual onto a hard drive or other electronic storage medium to be
viewed for personal use, provided that such electronic or printed copy of this
manual contains the complete text of this copyright notice and provided further that
any unauthorized commercial distribution of this manual is strictly prohibited.
Information in this manual is subject to change without notice. GARMIN
Corporation reserves the right to change or improve its products and to make
changes in the content without obligation to notify any person or organization of
such changes. Visit the GARMIN website for current updates and supplemental
information concerning the use and operation of this and other GARMIN products.
Website address: www.garmin.com
GARMIN is a registered trademark and eTrex is a trademark of GARMIN Corpora-
tion and may not be used without the express permission of GARMIN Corporation.
May 2000 Part Number 190-00193-00 Rev. B Printed in Taiwan
UA-1005.002

1
Introduction
Registration
eTrex Summit Registration
Help us better support you by completing your
on-line registration today!
Why should you register your eTrex Summit?
• Notification of Product Updates
• Notification of New Products
• Lost or Stolen unit tracking
Connect to our website (www.garmin.com) and look
for the Product Registration link on the home page.
Thanks for choosing the GARMIN eTrex Summit. If
you have any questions or comments regarding the use of
the eTrex Summit you can visit our website or contact our
Customer Service Department M-F, 8:00-5:00 CST
(except holidays) at 1-800-800-1020.
If you have previously registered your GARMIN
product purchase using a mail-in registration
card, we invite you to reregister using our
NEW on-line system. Many services provided
by our new product registration system are
now being automated and reregistering your
purchase ensures you the best possible support
from GARMIN.
F
UA-1005.003

2
Table of
Contents
Introduction
Introduction
Registration ........................................................................ 1
Warnings and Cautions ....................................................... 3
FCC Statement ................................................................... 4
Features .............................................................................. 5
Buttons ............................................................................... 6
Description ......................................................................... 7
Installing the Batteries ......................................................... 8
Getting Started
Calibrating the Electronic Compass .................... 10
Satellite Page Basics ............................................ 11
Map Page Basics ................................................. 12
Pointer Page Basics ............................................. 13
Elevation Page Basics .......................................... 14
Menu Page Basics ............................................... 15
Creating a Waypoint ...................................... 16-17
Heading in the Right Direction ........................... 18
Cancelling a GOTO ............................................ 19
Reference Section
Map Page Options .............................................. 20
Pointer Page Options ..................................... 21-23
Elevation Page .......................................... 24-27
Mark Waypoint Page ................................ 28-29
Waypoint Page .............................................. 30
Review Waypoint Page.............................. 31-32
Routes ........................................................... 33-35
Tracks ...................................................... 36-38
Calibration ............................................... 39-41
Setup Page .................................................... 42
Display Page.................................................. 43
Units Page ................................................ 43-46
Heading Page ........................................... 47-49
System Page ............................................. 50-52
Appendicies
Appendix A — Specifications ............................. 53
Appendix B — What is GPS? .............................. 54
Appendix C — Reciption Tips ............................ 55
Appendix D — Time Chart................................. 56
Appendix E — Accessories ................................. 57
Appendix F — Wiring Diagram .......................... 58
Appendix G — Troubleshooting ......................... 59
Appendix H — FAQ’s .................................... 60-61
Appendix I — Index ..................................... 62-65
UA-1005.004

3
WARNING: If you choose to use the eTrex Summit in a
vehicle, it is the sole responsibility of the owner/operator of
the eTrex Summit to secure the GPS unit so that it will not
cause damage or personal injury in the event of an accident.
Do not mount the eTrex Summit over airbag panels or in a
place where the driver or passengers are likely to have an
impact with it in an accident or collision.
WARNING: If you choose to use the eTrex Summit
in a vehicle, it is the sole responsibility of the operator of
the vehicle to operate the vehicle in a safe manner,
maintain full surveillance of all driving conditions at all
times, and never become distracted by the eTrex Summit
to the exclusion of safe operating practices. It is unsafe to
operate the eTrex Summit while you are driving. Failure
by the operator of a vehicle equipped with an eTrex
Summit to pay full attention to operating the vehicle and
road conditions while the vehicle is in motion could result
in an accident or collision with property damage and
personal injury.
CAUTION: IT IS THE USER’S RESPONSIBILITY TO
USE THIS PRODUCT PRUDENTLY. THIS PRODUCT IS
INTENDED TO BE USED ONLY AS A TRAVEL AID
AND MUST NOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE
REQUIRING PRECISE MEASUREMENT OF DIREC-
TION, DISTANCE, LOCATION, OR TOPOGRAPHY.
CAUTION: The Global Positioning System (GPS) is
operated by the government of the United States, which is
solely responsible for its accuracy and maintenance. The
system is subject to changes which could affect the
accuracy and performance of all GPS equipment.
Although the eTrex Summit is a precision electronic
NAVigation AID (NAVAID), any NAVAID can be misused
or misinterpreted and, therefore, become unsafe.
Warnings and
Cautions
Introduction
Remove the batteries from
your eTrex Summit if you
don’t expect to use it for
several months. Be sure to
observe the proper polarity
when inserting the batteries.
Follow the battery
manufacturer’s instructions
on the proper care and
handling of the batteries.
UA-1005.005

4
Introduction
FCC Compliance
Statement
The eTrex Summit complies with Part 15 of the FCC
limits for Class B digital devices. This equipment
generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy
and, if not installed or used in accordance with the
instructions may cause harmful interference to radio
communications.
There is no guarantee that interference will not
occur in a particular instance. If this equipment does
cause harmful interference to other equipment, try to
correct the problem by relocating the equipment.
Consult an authorized GARMIN dealer or other
qualified service technician if the problem cannot be
corrected. Operation is subject to the following condi-
tions: (1) This device cannot cause harmful interference,
and (2) this device must accept any interference received,
including interference that may cause undesired
operation.
The eTrex Summit does not contain any user-
serviceable parts. Repairs should be made only by an
authorized GARMIN service center. Unauthorized repairs
can void the warranty.
UA-1005.006

5
Introduction
Features
The eTrex Summit is a six ounce, 12 channel, hand held
GPS receiver. It has a built-in GPS antenna and only five
user-buttons. All buttons are located on either side of the
unit, allowing for simple, one-handed operation that won’t
obstruct your view of the display. It runs for up to 22
hours on two AA batteries in battery save mode.
The eTrex Summit contains a full function GPS,
electronic compass and barometric altimeter. The eTrex
Summit will track barometric pressure and altitude
changes providing data never before available in such a
small package. Using the built in compass the eTrex
Summit will provide you with a reliable heading even
while standing still. When moving the eTrex Summit will
provide you with other data including, speed, direction of
movement, time, distance to destination, and more.
From these basic features, your eTrex Summit can
provide one more critical benefit; peace of mind, because,
with the combination of these technologies you’ll know
where you are, where you’ve been and where you’re going.
And since you’ll always know the way back home, you can
concentrate on what you set out to do and enjoy the great
outdoors.
Other features include:
Waypoints: 500 with name and graphic symbol.
Tracks: Automatic track log; 10 saved tracks.
Route: Route lets you navigate up to 50 waypoints in
sequence.
Trip Computer: Current speed, average speed, maximum
speed, direction of movement, bearing, elevation, time of
sunrise/sunset, trip timer and trip odometer.
Elevation Computer: Total Ascent, total descent, average
ascent, average descent, maximum ascent, maximum
descent, pressure, 12 hour pressure trend, maximum
elevation, and minimum elevation.
NOTE: You should
always be prepared and
capable of navigating
without the eTrex
Summit. It is designed to
augment other forms of
basic navigation, not
entirely replace them.
UA-1005.007

6
eTrex Summit
Buttons
Introduction
The UP/DOWN Button:
• Select options on pages and menus
• Adjust Display Contrast on Satellite Page
• Zoom in and out on Map Page
• Cycle through trip computer data
• Cycle through elevation computer data
The ENTER Button:
• Confirms data entry or menu selections
• Displays Options on main pages
• Pressing and holding the ENTER button
activates the ‘Mark Waypoint’ page
The PAGE Button:
• Switches display pages. If you start to do
something and you don’t want to continue,
you can stop by pressing the PAGE Button.
• Pressing and holding the PAGE button will
turn on the Electronic Compass and
display the Pointer Page.
The POWER Button:
• Turns the unit on and off
• Turns the display backlight on and off
UA-1005.008

7
Introduction
eTrex Summit
Description
External Power
and
Data Connector
DOWN
Button
UP
Button
ENTER
Button
Internal
GPS Antenna
LCD Display
(with backlight)
POWER
Button
PAGE
Button
Battery
Compartment
Waterproof Case
Pressure
Sensor
Vent
Compass
Sighting
Marks
UA-1005.009

8
Introduction
Battery
Installation Installing the Batteries
The eTrex Summit operates on 2 AA batteries (not
included), which are installed at the back of the unit. To
install the batteries, remove the battery cover by turning
the D-ring at the back of the unit 1/4 turn counter-
clockwise. Insert the batteries observing proper polarity.
Attach the battery cover by turning the D-ring 1/4 turn
clockwise. The 2 AA batteries can last up to 16 hours
during typical use.
Battery Cover
D-ring
UA-1005.010

9
Here We Go. . . The Getting Started Section introduces you to the basic op-
eration of the eTrex Summit. The Reference Section shows you
how to use all of eTrex Summit’s remaining features.
The First Step
The eTrex Summit’s GPS operates using information
gathered from satellites. To Initialize the eTrex Summit’s
GPS receiver the first time, take your eTrex Summit
outside and find a large, open area that has a clear view of
the sky. Press and hold the POWER Button to turn the
unit on. You’ll see the Welcome Page for a few seconds
while the eTrex Summit performs a self-test, followed by
the Satellite Page.
The eTrex Summit needs to receive at least three
strong satellite signals to find your location. The Satellite
Page shows you graphically eTrex Summit tracking
satellites, and the strength of the satellite signals. The
status is also displayed at the top of the page.
The Satellite Page
When you see the “READY TO NAVIGATE” message in
the status box, eTrex Summit has found your location
and the GPS receiver is initialize and ready for use.
Backlighting and Contrast
If the lighting conditions make it hard for you to see the
screen, you can adjust the contrast or turn on the backlight.
Press and release the POWER Button from any screen to
turn on the backlight. The backlight is timed to stay on for
30 seconds to save battery power. To adjust the screen con-
trast, press the PAGE Button until you see the Satellite Page.
Press the UP button to make the screen darker, press the
DOWN Button to make the screen lighter.
NOTE: When you use the eTrex Summit for the
first time, it will take up to five minutes to find
your location. After the first use, eTrex Summit
only needs about 15 to 45 seconds to find your
location.
Getting
Started
The “READY TO NAVIGATE”
message must appear before
you can begin using your
eTrex Summit to navigate.
F
UA-1005.011

10
Getting
Started
Calibrating the
Compass Calibrating the Electronic Compass
The eTrex Summit’s Electronic Compass needs to be
calibrated outdoors after the batteries have been changed
before using the unit for navigation. Failure to calibrate
the Electronic Compass can result in gross inaccuracy of
the compass feature.
Compass Calibration
1. Press the PAGE button until the Menu Page is
displayed.
2. Using the UP or DOWN button, highlight
‘Calibrate’ and press the ENTER button.
3. Using the UP or DOWN button, highlight
‘Compass’ and press the ENTER button.
4. With ‘Start’ highlighted, press the ENTER button to
begin the calibration.
5. Making sure that the unit is level, rotate the eTrex
Summit slowly two turns in the same direction. On
the display there will be a speed scale that indicates
whether you are rotating the unit ‘Too Fast’, ‘Too
Slow’ or ‘Just Right’. A message will be displayed
when the compass has been successfully calibrated.
NOTE: The eTrex Summit needs to be level
during compass calibration and use. If the
unit is tilted on either axis the compass
feature will become less accurate.
F
The Speed Scale indicates
whether you are ‘TOO
SLOW’, ‘JUST RIGHT’ or
‘TOO FAST’.
Helpful Compass Tips
1. The Electronic Compass will
need to be recalibrated
outdoors every time the
batteries are changed.
2. The Electronic Compass will
not be accurate when used in
a car or around items that
radiate a magnetic field.
3. When using the compass hold
the unit as level as possible.
The more that the unit is
tilted, the less accurate the
compass will become.
UA-1005.012

11
Selecting a Page
All of the information needed to operate the eTrex
Summit is found on five main “pages” (or display
screens). These pages are the Satellite, Map, Pointer,
Elevation and Menu.
Simply press the PAGE Button to switch between pages.
Satellite Page Basics
The Satellite Page shows you in animation, the eTrex
Summit gathering the necessary satellite information in
order to work. It also shows you when the satellite
signals are weak or when you need to move to a
different location for better reception. The shorter the
signal strength bar, the weaker the signals. At the top of
the page the unit displays a message letting you know
the status of the receiver. The eTrex Summit displays
the message ‘Ready to Navigate’ when the receiver has
gathered information from at least three satellites.
Page Basics
Getting
Started
“You”; Your
Location
Status Message
Satellites
The Satellite Page
Satellite Signal
Strength Bar
Satellite
Signals
Location Accuracy
(estimated)
Map Pointer Menu Satellite Elevation
PAGE
PAGE
PAGE
PAGE PAGE
PAGE PAGE
PAGE
UA-1005.013

12
Map Page Basics
The Map Page shows where you are (the animated
figure) and provides a picture of where you are going. As
you travel, the animated figure “walks” and leaves a
“breadcrumb trail” known as a Track Log. Waypoint
names and symbols are also shown on the map.
To help you better visualize the “real world”, eTrex
Summit automatically rotates the map as you move, so
that waypoints that are ahead of you are always displayed
in front of the animated figure. In the upper left corner of
the screen the Map Orientation is displayed.
To make sure you can see your entire trip, the map
scale can be changed from 200 feet to 800 miles. To
increase the map scale, press the UP Button. This will let
you view a larger area in less detail. To decrease the map
scale, press the DOWN button. This will show a smaller
area with more detail.
Getting
Started
Page Basics
“You”; your
location
Map
Orientaion
Path to
Destination
Destination
Waypoint
Map Scale “Trail”
(track log)
On the Map Page, the UP
and DOWN Buttons are
used to adjust the map
scale from 200 feet to 800
miles.
UA-1005.014

13
On the Pointer Page, the
UP and DOWN Buttons
are used to cycle through
different trip data.
Page Basics
Getting
Started
Pointer Page Basics
The Pointer Page helps guide you to a destination.
When you’re moving towards a specific destination,
the Pointer Page shows you the name of the location,
the distance, time to go and displays a direction arrow
in the Compass Ring. To navigate, simply follow the
arrow. If the arrow is pointing right, turn right until
the arrow is pointing directly ahead and you will
arrive at your destination.
The ‘Compass Ring reflects either your compass or
GPS heading (direction of movement) based on your
speed. The eTrex Summit will automatically select the
correct sensor for you.
By pressing the UP or DOWN Buttons, you can
cycle through other trip computer information such as
average speed, maximum speed, bearing, lat/lon,
elevation, time of sunrise/sunset, trip timer and trip
odometer.
Compass Ring
Time to
Destination
Straight Line
Distance to the
Destination
Waypoint (Location) Name
Destination
Symbol
The Pointer Page
Selectable Trip
Data
Current Sensor
NOTE: The direction arrow and destination
symbol only appear on the Pointer Page when
you have started a GOTO.
.
Direction Arrow
(follow this)
F
Heading
UA-1005.015

14
Elevation Page Basics
On the Elevation Page, the
UP and DOWN Buttons are
used to cycle through a
variety of user-selectable
data.
Elevation
Profile
Rate of
Ascent/Descent
Current
Elevation
Scale
The Elevation Page
Getting
Started
Page Basics
Selectable
Data
The Elevation Page will provide the user with the
current elevation, rate of ascent/descent, and a profile of
elevation changes over distance or time. The UP or
DOWN button can be used to scroll through a variety of
user selectable data including Local Pressure, Max
Descent, Max Ascent, Avg Descent, Avg Ascent, Total
Descent, Total Ascent, Min Elevation, Max Elevation,12
Hour Pressure Trend.
The Altimeter should be calibrated for the
greatest accuracy. See page 40 for more
information on calibrating the Altimeter.
F
Access the Elevation Page
‘OPTIONS’ by pressing
ENTER.
UA-1005.016

15
Menu Page Basics
The Menu Page gives you access to eTrex Summit’s
more advanced features. With the Menu Page you can
create and view waypoints, create a route, save and view
track logs, calibrate the electronic compass and altimeter
or access the system setup features. Information on each
of these advanced features is included in the Reference
Section of this manual.
Changing the Time Zone
Let’s practice using the Menu Page and set the eTrex
Summit to display your local time.
To change the time zone:
1. Using the PAGE Button switch to the MENU Page.
Using the UP or DOWN Button, highlight ‘SETUP’
and press ENTER. The SETUP Page appears.
2. Using the UP or DOWN Button, highlight ‘TIME’
and press ENTER.
3. Using the UP or DOWN Button, select the ‘TIME
ZONE’ field and press ENTER.
4. Using the UP or DOWN Button, scroll through the
selections, and press ENTER when you have found
your correct time zone. Press PAGE to get back to
the page of your choice.
Page Basics
You can select your
particular time zone on
the TIME page.
Getting
Started
The Menu Page
Backlight On
Indicator
Menu Options
Time and Date
Battery
Strength
UA-1005.017

16
Let the Fun
Begin! Discovering the Fun of GPS Navigation
Discovering the fun of using your eTrex Summit is as
easy as taking a quick walk around an open outdoor area.
In this brief exercise, you’ll mark your current location
(your home for example), travel a short distance away, and
then have the eTrex Summit guide you back to where you
started (to get the most out of this exercise, make sure to
walk for at least the time noted for each step).
Creating a Waypoint
The first step in the exercise is to mark your location as
a waypoint so you can return to it later.
To Mark a Waypoint:
1. Press and hold the ENTER Button to activate the
MARK WAYPOINT Page.
The waypoint is assigned a numeric name at the time it
is created. You could press ENTER and save the
waypoint now, but there are a couple of other things that
you should take a look at.
The eTrex Summit comes equipped with 29 different
waypoint symbols that can be displayed on the map to
help quickly identify the waypoints.
To change the waypoint symbol:
1. On the MARK WAYPOINT page, using the UP or
DOWN Button, highlight the small flag symbol and
press ENTER. Using the UP or DOWN Button, scroll
through the symbols and highlight the house symbol.
Press ENTER.
The Latitude and Longitude is
displayed at the bottom of the
MARK WAYPOINT Page and
the REVIEW WAYPOINT
Page.
Getting
Started
NOTE: The eTrex Summit must be “READY
TO NAVIGATE” before you mark a waypoint.
F
You can select from 29 symbol
to represent a waypoint on the
map.
UA-1005.018

17
Edit Waypoints As mentioned earlier the eTrex Summit will assign a
numeric name at the time a waypoint is created. The
assigned name can be easily changed to something more
meaningful to help in identifying the waypoint.
To change the waypoint name:
1 On the MARK WAYPOINT page, press the UP or
DOWN Button to highlight the Waypoint Name
‘001’. Press ENTER. The EDIT WAYPOINT NAME
Page appears.
2. Press ENTER. Using the UP or DOWN Button, scroll
through the letter selections. Select ‘H’ and press
ENTER. Repeat this process and finish the word
‘HOME’.
3. Using the UP or DOWN Button, highlight the ‘OK’
field and press ENTER.The MARK WAYPOINT page
appears.
4. Using the UP or DOWN Button, highlight the ‘OK’
field and press ENTER. Your location, named HOME,
is now marked and stored in memory.
Now that you’ve marked your location, it’s time to go
for a brisk walk. Press the PAGE Button and switch to the
MAP Page
Walk in a straight line for 2-3 minutes at a fast
pace and watch the Map Page.
Your location is shown by the figure in the middle of
the screen. As you move, watch the animated figure walk,
and a line—called a “track”—appear along the path you
have just covered.
Now take a sharp right or left turn and walk at a
brisk pace for another 2-3 minutes.
Getting
Started
Edit Waypoint Name
Map Page
UA-1005.019

18
Guidance by GARMIN
It is time to let the eTrex Summit guide you back to
the waypoint we named ‘HOME’ using the GOTO
function. The GOTO function provides you with a
straight line navigation path to your selected destination.
To Start a GOTO:
1. Using the PAGE Button switch to the MENU Page.
2. Using the UP or DOWN Button, highlight ‘WAY-
POINTS’ and press ENTER. The WAYPOINTS Page
appears.
3. Using the UP or DOWN Button, select the tab
containing ‘HOME’ and press ENTER.
4. Using the UP or DOWN Button, select ‘HOME’ and
press ENTER.The Review Waypoint page appears.
5. Using the UP or DOWN Button, highlight ‘GOTO’,
and press ENTER.
The Compass Page appears and you’re ready to begin
navigating!
Heading in the Right Direction
The eTrex Summit will guide you back to where you
started using the Pointer Page. The pointer shows the direc-
tion of the destination waypoint. Walk in the direction the
arrow is pointing until the arrow points to the top of the
compass ring. If the arrow points to the right, you need to
go to the right. If the arrow points to the left, go left. When
the arrow is pointing straight up, you are on the correct
track!
The destination name, distance to the destination and
time to reach your destination are displayed at the top of the
screen. The speed you are traveling is shown at the bottom
of the screen. Once you are getting close to your destina-
tion, eTrex Summit will give you the message “ARRIVING
DESTINATION”.
Follow the
Pointer
The pointer tells you what
direction you should move.
When the pointer is pointing
right as shown here, just move
right until the pointer is
pointing straight up and
points to the moving direction
line (see picture below).
When the pointer points
straight up as shown,
you’re on track!
Getting
Started
UA-1005.020