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GPS to Find Your Way
Submitted by Reviewer (not verified) on 3 October, 2005 - 09:02.
Garmin StreetPilot 2610 3.3-Inch Portable GPS Navigator from Garmin. The list price is around US$1299.99.
Paid more than $600 for 2 year of usage, it was great for 1-1/2 year. After I realized the satellite signal was getting weaker, I saw more satellite drops even in the wide open area (rural area), like HWY-5. Now even for more than 10 minutes after power up, no signal at all, I updated the latest firmware, it doesn't get any signal at all. The GPS never been dropped, always put it back in the bag after usage.
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Submitted by Reviewer (not verified) on 3 October, 2005 - 09:02.
Garmin GPS 76 Handheld GPS Navigator from Garmin. The list price is around US$251.99.
The GPS 76 is the perfect portable GPS unit for connecting to a PocketPC based PDA or a laptop. I have tested it on an iPAQ 3835 with Pocket Streets 2002 and it works like a champ. I have also tested it with a friend's PDA using Anywhere Map (a moving map/EFIS type program for flying) and it worked great. If you are in an area that can get WAAS reception, the accuracy is even better. If you are looking for a great GPS that can be used stand-alone or attached to a PDA, this is it.
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Submitted by Reviewer (not verified) on 3 October, 2005 - 09:02.
| Garmin GPSmap 178C Sounder GPS Navigaton Unit (Single-Frequency Transducer) from Garmin. The list price is around US$817.86.
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Submitted by Reviewer (not verified) on 3 October, 2005 - 09:01.
| Garmin GPSMAP 182C 5-Inch Waterproof Marine GPS and Chartplotter from Garmin. The list price is around US$1118.56.
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Submitted by Reviewer (not verified) on 3 October, 2005 - 09:01.
Garmin GPSMap 172C 4.5-Inch Waterproof Marine GPS and Chartplotter from Garmin. The list price is around US$699.99.
I looked at a number of ChartPlotters before I decided to purchase the Garmin 172C from Amazon.com. I was very happy with the price, especially after hunting around for the best price around. Amazon beat everyone else hands down. And a "New Product" at that.
I am very happy with the ease of installation, and the internal antenna feature. I have not yet used the fish finding feature, however I plan to purchase the transcom and other associated pieces to use this feature as well.
I say, "Buy this product" if you are looking for a unit with it's sort of features (portable, internal antenna, etc). I'm glad that I did.
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Submitted by Reviewer (not verified) on 3 October, 2005 - 09:01.
Magellan Meridian Marine Waterproof Hiking GPS from Magellan. The list price is around US$359.99.
Just got this unit. It's great! I think this will set the standard for handhelds for a while. The ability to add memory makes it fairly unbeatable right now. I've put down some thoughts of mine that might be helpful. The stats and whatnot are on the Magellan web site and Amazon so I won't go into those. Also go to the Magellan site for screen shots. They have a shot of each screen, it's helps to see them I think. Anyhoo, my thoughts, very random and probably not much help but....
- It's very easy on the hands. Fits nicely with all the buttons up front, no hidden or back buttons. Very nice. Also has dedicated zoom buttons for the maps, a great touch. Nothing's worse then one button for both. The rubber cover is very grippy so water will never be a problem. The battery compartment doesn't look very water tight, however the unit seems tight. I would guess water will never be problem. - This unit come with the pc cable, although the blur above doesn't say this. So you won't need to buy that cable. Mak...
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Submitted by Reviewer (not verified) on 3 October, 2005 - 09:01.
Garmin GPS 72 Handheld GPS Navigator from Garmin. The list price is around US$149.99.
Simple GPS, good value for money for casual, no bells or whistles. WAAS has issue in software needs to be updated to version 2.5 I think, so be sure to buy a serial cable to update. Buy the garmin compatible it works and you save $30.
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Submitted by Reviewer (not verified) on 3 October, 2005 - 09:01.
Garmin GPSMAP 276C GPS Receiver from Garmin. The list price is around US$746.99.
I use my 276C exclusively for boating, and it performs admirably. Once you figure out how to navigate the menu screens, you can take advantage of some very powerful options which you would only expect to see on higher end GPS models. Overall, I am very pleased - setup was a breeze, never a problem with position refresh, battery life is good, data is accurate, signal strength is fantastic in my boating area, and I really like the fact that nearly every screen is customizable.
However, in order to take advantage of the 276C's many IMPORTANT features you should plan on spending (quite) a few more $$$. For starters, the marine base map is garbage for those who boat offshore or cruise the coast. I wasn't expecting much in the marine base map department going into the purchase, but for those that are expecting this, plan to pony up an additional $150 for a (proprietary) data card which gives you the detail you'll need to navigate the waters safely. Also, the absence of a 12v adaptor is a real m...
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Submitted by Reviewer (not verified) on 3 October, 2005 - 09:01.
Garmin GPSMAP 76 Waterproof Handheld GPS from Garmin, Usually ships in 24 hours. The list price is around US$199.99. (*The prices are subject to change) Street price is around $153.99.
I haven't seen this written explicitly, anywhere, so here goes: This thing isn't mac compatible. Using a serial to USB converter, and some free software (Garmin software will be no help) you can get to the gps data on windows, but good luck if you're on a mac.
Also, it is really hard to create new waypoints on the water. This is because if you try and create a waypoint too close to a known feature (such as a highway, intersection, or BODY OF WATER), the GPS will try and use the center of the feature (or something like that). So, to create waypoints over water, your only solution is to manually enter the lat and long (you can't use the cursor to select a point).
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Submitted by Reviewer (not verified) on 3 October, 2005 - 09:01.
Garmin Etrex Legend GPS Receiver from Garmin. The list price is around US$199.99.
For nearly 4 years and over 50 countries I had a Magellan Explorist 210. Except for maps, it was very good. I literally always knew my direction, speed and location. I lost it the mountains of Argentina. The Garmin ETrex Legend looks a little fancier, and it has a better (not great) map, but literally everything else is harder to use or inferior.
The obvious first fault is that it doesn't find salelites quickly. When it does find them, it seems to need 5 or (usually) more to find your location. Then nearby buildings, trees, mountains, tent ceilings, and more just shut it down, with a large prompt saying that it was out of satelite range. This prompt blocks much of the screen, making your map nearly worthless. Trying to regain satelites can often take forever. Even on a regular bike trail with few trees, I can not get a good use of the odometer, as the breadcrumbs would look like dashes. Additionally, when I have not moved the GPS for minutes, I keep getting changes in location and esp...
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