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GPS Systems

Garmin GPS 76

( Altrec.com Outdoors )

$179.95

Garmin GPS 76 Product Review

The key to success in life is knowing where you are, where you've been, and where you're going. Garmin's full-featured GPSMAP 76 puts all of that information in the palm of your hand, mapping your movements off-road or on--and even afloat. Plus, its extensive features, PC connectivity, and extensive add-on map options make it powerful enough for practically any need.

About the size of a small paperback book and weighing less than 8 ounces, the GPSMAP 76 fits comfortable in the palm of your hand, but is a bit big to carry in a shirt pocket. Using the unit requires almost no setup. Just put in two AA batteries, turn it on, go outside, and wait. In about a minute or so it will determine your location. It's accurate to about three meters, thanks to the unit's support of WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System), which augments GPS signals for even greater accuracy.

Knowing your longitude, latitude, and altitude doesn't mean much without a little context. That's where GPSMAP 76's backlit LCD display comes in, displaying your location on detailed maps. The unit comes with a built-in basemap that includes major roads, railroads, rivers, and lakes for the U.S. and Canada, as well as a high-level worldwide map. The unit also has 8 MB memory for storing maps from optional CD-ROMS; available maps include topographical maps, BlueChart marine cartography maps, as well as city maps with detailed information on city streets and points of interest.

The eight buttons, directional rocker thumbpad, and menu-based interface made it simple to access all of the unit's features and customize the display. For instance, it's a simple matter to use the buttons to set and name waypoints and build planned routes. Extra features include information on tides, sunrise and sunset, and a trip computer for seeing how far you've traveled and your average speed.

To test the GPSMAP 76, we used the included serial cable, connected it to our PC, and loaded it up with topographical maps using the optional United States topographical map disc. We then hit the road and headed for Muir Beach north of San Francisco. It tracked our progress along Highway 1, and once we reached our destination, we found it very simple to use. It showed both the elevation of the hills as well as the paths we could take. The zoom-in and zoom-out function made it simple to plan out and automatically measure the distance of our intended route.

After walking for a while and enjoying the scenery, we used the TracBack mode to guide us back to our car. The unit automatically stores waypoints as you walk along, letting you display the way home clearly on the map. We even used the TracBack capability to guide us on the roads back to the freeway.

The GPSMAP 76 comes in handy almost anywhere, whether you're hiking, driving, boating, or wandering around a city as a tourist. Its easy-to-use interface makes it immediately useful to novices, and as you learn to exploit its programmability and features, it can become an extremely powerful navigation tool. --Ken Feinstein

Pros:

Large backlit LCD
WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) support
Automatic TracBack shows you the way back to your start location
PC connectivity with wide variety of uploadable maps available

Cons:

8 MB built-in memory can't be expanded
Too large to fit comfortably in a shirt pocket

Product Description

The GPSMAP 76 is designed to provide precise GPS positioning using correction data obtained from the Wide Area Augmentation System. This unit features a built-in quad helix antenna for superior reception and can provide position accuracy to less than three meters when receiving WAAS corrections.The GPSMAP 76 has an internal memory capacity of eight megabytes. In addition, it comes with a built-in basemap of cities, coastlines, lakes, rivers, interstates, and interstate exit information and a database of nautical navaids.This unit has eight megabytes of internal user memory for storing optional MapSource - detailed maps, including marine cartography. This memory is preloaded from the factory with worldwide cities (populations greater than 200, 000) and nautical navigation aids such as lights, buoys, sound signals and day beacons. The GPSMAP 76 is also preloaded with tide data for the United States.An extra-large display measuring 1.6"W x 2.2"H gives users a clear view of information, while a waterproof case means the GPSMAP 76 will keep working well even if it has been submerged in water. Even more amazing, this unit will actually float if accidentally dropped in the water. Review Courtesy of Amazon.com