Amazon.com Review

Combining powerful performance-tracking features with a GPS receiver, the Garmin Forerunner 201 offers runners and hikers a unique way to track their exercise regimens and goals. Unlike Timex's BodyLink sport monitoring system, its main competitor, the Forerunner 201 integrates the GPS receiver into a single body (BodyLink has separate housings for watch and GPS).

At first, the device felt a little bulky on my wrist, both in weight and in size (it measures 3.26 by 1.71 by 0.69 inches). But it really is light enough (less than 3 ounces) so that it felt comfortable and transparent. I did, however, position the band a bit higher up my arm to ensure full mobility of my wrist, as the length of the Forerunner tended to get in its way.

The large display--with equally large, easy-to-read characters--helps you avoid having to squint at the readout. Just a quick glance at your numbers and you'll maintain your training concentration. The six rubber buttons on the front of the chassis are easy to access (unless you're wearing bulky gloves). I easily got the promised 13 hours out of the rechargeable lithium-ion battery. At the end of the day, I'd just recharge it for around two hours and it would be ready for me the next morning.

While this is definitely a workable GPS receiver, the Forerunner is slim on overall GPS features--which is not to its detriment (think of it as a performance monitor with a dash of GPS). That said, the Forerunner was able to pick up a GPS signal just about wherever I went outside (though it had very slight hiccups in the center of downtown). But if you're looking for a full-fledged tracking device, the Forerunner isn't for you. (You'll want to start with a basic GPS unit like Garmin's eTrex.)

The Forerunner 201 has a variety of helpful tracking, monitoring, and navigational features. The History function enables you to view your workout statistics broken down by individual days, cumulative weeks, or your entire workout history (if you track different workouts during the same day, they'll be broken out as different laps). You can even view a map of your route. And much like other GPS units, you can save "waypoints" (called "locations" in Forerunner parlance) to mark the coordinates of a place you want to return to later.

Auto Menu: Timer pauses when you stop running. Auto lap logs your performance over a predetermined distance. History: Review training history by day or week.

Map: Navigate back to the start or to a stored location. Virtual Partner: Set time, pace, and distance goals, and train with a "virtual partner."

Most interesting is the "Virtual Partner" mode, which enables you to set goals for a workout which will then be completed by a digital character displayed on the Forerunner's screen. You can then see how far off the time, pace, or distance you are of your virtual training buddy's; your digital character even stops when you do (though the buddy keeps on going). I found that, unless you've got a good idea as to your pace or distance, you'll have a couple of trial-and-error training sessions to get in sync with your buddy. I cut short my first attempt after my buddy got so far ahead of me that he disappeared off the screen (which I'd like to believe was not due to my woeful pace).

I was disappointed at not having the LogBook software, which enables you to keep a journal of your exercise activities (it was not available at the time of this test). But overall, the Forerunner 201 is a very useful exercise-monitoring system that will be prized by anyone involved in serious physical training. --Agen G.N. Schmitz

Pros:

• Loaded with performance-tracking features for the serious athlete
• GPS functionality a bonus, especially in referring back to previous routes
• Virtual Partner feature offers a fun, competitive way to keep you concentrated on training

• Lack of Logbook software at time of test
• Virtual Partner feature takes some trial-and-error adjustments

Features

• Calculates precise speed, location, and altitude as you workout
• Integrated mapping functions display your progress on your favorite routes
• Stores lap times, distances, and calories burned
• Adjustable wristband and A/C desktop charger with PC interface
• Waterproof; includes serial PC interface

Reviews (103)

Excellent aid for running.
After giving it a full charge, 3 hours, I took it out for a test drive. For the first 30 minutes I could not pick up a signal in Miami. I did a hard reset and it picked it up within 3 minutes. Went for a 3 mile run around a local 9-hole golf course, heavily ligned with trees, and to my amazement never lost contact with the signal. Was extremely accurate in measuring the distance and having a pace time allows you to really push yourself. Backlight can be kep on during the whole run - great feature for night running - or 2, 1, .5, .25 minutes. Much smaller than I expected. Love the display. Would recommend to anyone who runs, jogs, walks for exercise.

Weak GPS, buggy software, too loose on the wrist
I am very disappointed in the Forerunner 201. It loses GPS signal far too frequently. I run in a golf course community with average to below average tree cover. In a 7 mile run the Forerunner lost GPS 20 times, including at an open-grass field retention pond. I checked one of my other GPS, a Garmin eMap, and it showed that there were 10 satellites available at the time. So I rate the Forerunner as a very poor GPS.

The most important feature to me was being able to see current pace. It was displaying 8:41 pace all the time, and I knew I was doing my standard 6:45. I imagine this error is due in part to losing GPS signal. I changed the pace smoothing setting to "least" to get a more instant value, but it's still not matching up entirely. 7:10 displayed when I'm doing 6:45's.

The autolap feature has been very buggy. You will often hear it beep at an autolap, and within a minute you'll hear it beep an autolap again. I left it at the default 1-mile setting, and the first day I used it it had autolapped 8 miles in a distance that it itself had measured to be only 3.3 miles!

There is also a minor rounding bug. If you set your training partner for 6:20/mile and later check this setting you'll see 6:19. This is probably due to 6:20 being stored as 6.33333 internally, which converts back to 6:19 without rounding.

The unit attaches to the wristband with short fabric. There's too much play in this fabric, 3/8-inch, and the unit flops on your wrist when you run. It would be better if there was 1/8 to 1/16-inch of play in the fabric.

Great for runners
I run is a USA Fit marathon program. Several members have the Timex GPS system, and several of us have the Garmin Forerunner. Everyone who has the Garmin loves it, and those with the Timex wish they had the Garmin. Screens are very easy to read and navigate. The computer program is very easy to download. Do not understand why they have a serial connection and not a USB though. For anyone doing a running training program, this piece of equipment is a must.

The perfect running companion
The Forerunner 201 is by far the best product I have bought this year, period. I bought it to help me get back in shape to run in long distance races. I used to be in the track and field team in high school, long time ago. In the last couple of years, I have been running in local/regional runs. I have been trying to keep the training routines that I used in high school: long, easy runs, threshold runs, intervals, etc. The Forerunner 201 has been essential in keeping me honest and at the right pace.

1. Long/easy runs. It is very easy and tempting to runs faster than the easy pace dictated in your training plan. Using the Virtual Partner feature, you can keep yourself at the right pace. The Virtual Partner will tell you how far ahead or behind you are from your virtual partner, the screen shows two icons: one for you and one for your partner. A large display tells you the distance between the two. Easy to read at a glance, the background indicates if you are ahead or behind. My goal is to stay within 20 feet of my virtual partner. That way I can assure the correct pace. This feature has been instrumental on keeping me from getting injured for running too fast.

2. Interval Training. Use the Intervals section to set the distances and pace for running. Once you set the number of intervals, distance, and resting time/distance, you do not have to worry about keeping time, just run. The Forerunner will keep track of everything for you. It will beep when you are done on each interval and will beep when you are 5 seconds or 20 feet from the next one. Unfortunately, there is no option to set the pace. I would love to use the virtual partner to do intervals, that way you can also keep to correct pace during intervals.

3. Threshold runs. Just use the Virtual Partner and set the pace to the correct one for your running threshold. Your Virtual Partner will keep you running at the right pace.

I take my Forerunner on all my business trips and do not worry anymore about measuring or calculating distances. The Forerunner may not measure distances to the inch, but it has proven accurate enough for my daily training.

The ideas above are just a sample of the many fun ways to use the Forerunner. I am sure the reader will find many other uses for the Forerunner.

I found my true love!
Since knowledge is power and the Forerunner 201 is full of information, I am now running with power.
Look, this is the best thing to hit the market for a runner since shoes. I can finally start and stop running anytime and anywhere without the dreaded "how far have I gone, guess I'll hop in the car and check". I no longer drive around to get distance information, ever. Not to mention, I can't drive on half the places I wanted to run and wouldn't run those places because I couldn't drive it to determine how far I was running. I've heard others complain of GPS signal strength and I did have a problem once, but I was running about 1 foot away from a 15 ft wall and on the other side were 2 story townhomes about 30 feet away with huge trees overhead, so I think the GPS works fine. It took about 3 minutes to get a signal after I opened the box and charged it up. I can't imagine why you would not buy this other than you don't exercise. My wife commented that she couldn't believe all the features it had and the information it provided for the price, and she is not an easy sale. No comment on bike problems that people have had. Garmin has been great with software updates. The logbook could have more options but that is no reason to not have this. I LOVE IT! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

There are now enough handheld global positioning system (GPS) receivers on the market that you can be choosy when it comes to price, features, and design. Garmin--a leading manufacturer of car, boat, and personal GPS receivers--has a complete line of eTrex handheld receivers, with our Legend falling about midrange.

With WAAS support, the Legend offers extremely accurate readings (rated to within two to three meters). (For more on WAAS, see the Frequently Asked Questions section.) A good-sized screen--288 x 160 pixels--makes it easy to see location details, and the Legend redraws maps quickly when zooming in or out of a position.

Its 8 MB of memory means there is also plenty of room for waypoints, routes, and saved tracks. The Legend will hold up to 500 waypoints, complete with a name and graphical symbol, 20 routes with 50 waypoints each, and it contains slots for 10 saved tracks. You can also download maps from Garmin's MapSource CD-ROMs (thorough but expensive accessories for the GPS receiver) to see street-level or topographic detail (depending on the CD-ROM title).

But one of the most striking attributes of the Legend is its comfortable and efficient design. While it rests easily in the palm of either hand, it's most suited for the left hand, where its handy click-stick can be manipulated with the thumb. The click-stick works like the pencil-eraser nubbin on laptop PCs and is handy for moving through screen icons and menus. It also works as a button when pressed down.

The Legend is coated with a waterproof, rubberized plastic shell that grips nicely. Weighing in at only 5.3 ounces, it fits into a pocket or clips onto a belt loop, going almost unnoticed.

The internal trip computer of the Legend provided a range of data about our hikes and drives, including current speed, average speed, trip distance, and time traveled (both moving and stopped). For those interested in checking out their foot pace and distance traveled, it's a handy GPS to have in hand.

Our only major beef with the Legend is that the receiver sometimes seemed to grow weak. Even when it wasn't in WAAS mode (which can be tough to maintain a signal in), it dropped the signal from time to time. We even lost the signal once while walking along the streets of San Francisco--it seems that the medium-size buildings were enough to interfere with the reception.

But this only happened on a few occasions. Most of the time the well-designed Legend was able to keep us in touch with up to 12 GPS satellites for a strong-enough read to maintain a tight handle on our location. --J. Curtis

Pros:

• Comfortable, compact design
• Click-stick for interface navigation
• Bright backlight
• Handy distance-traveled feature

• Sporadic reception within urban areas
• Can take several minutes for a cold fix

Features

• Global positioning system (GPS) receiver with built-in Americas basemap
• 8 MB of internal memory for map and data storage; PC cable included
• Accuracy to less than 3 meters with WAAS correction data
• Rocker switch on front panel for quick and accurate map panning
• Compatible with optional Garmin MapSource software; includes serial PC interface

Reviews (91)

Excellent GPS
This is my second GPS and the 4th I have operated. I have had plenty of experience with GPSs and my occupation requires their use extensively. Having traveled to many foreign countries, I can attest to this unit's ability to give you tons of info on where you are. I prefer simple electronics with minimal buttons, and this unit offers a tremendous amount of data with six buttons. If you are looking for the easiest to use, I suggest the Garmin E-trex. It is the most basic unit you'll find and still provides plenty of info.

Pros:
1) The map data installed in the unit is very detailed (for N. America).
2) The ability to pre-plan routes via waypoints or corrodinates is fairly easy (esp. with the user guide)
3) You can program what data you would like to see based on what you want to know
4) For fisherman and hunters, this unit has special info for you (I didn't find this useful for me, but...)
5) Again, relatively simple to use compared to other GPSs
6) The ability to download map info from CD-ROM (invaluable)

Cons:
1) If you are going to use this in a car only, maybe you'd be better off with something that offers an exterior antenna
2) Significantly more complex than the E-trex (but still easier to use than most)
3) Be prepared to study in-depth the method of downloading from the CD-ROM

Overall, this GPS has gone beyond my expectations. If you do any significant traveling (esp. in N. America), then you will find this GPS vital.

A Good Start
I bought my Legend and the topo MapSource software last fall at a great price. I've used it for deer and turkey hunting, hiking, biking, and fun in the car. This unit takes a bit of getting used to but its operation is reasonably intuitive. (I'm an engineer.) I have down and uploaded weigh points, tracks and routes using the MapSource software. Before I bought my unit, I read some complaints about lack of topo detail. I find it adequate for my purposes. Be advised that the base map (which comes hard-coded in the system) does not correctly list the recently renumbered Pennsylvania highway exit numbers. Hopefully, Garmin will correct this promptly. Also, the topos are a bit dated but then so are the paper topos I usually carry. My suggestion is, if you like electronic toys, go for it. If these GPS manufacturers were smart, they would put software on the Internet that allowed open sharing of routes, waypoints, etc. Every trail in America would wind up electronically documented and these little critters would sell like popcorn.

Overpriced
I don't understand why this item is priced $80.00 more than anywhere else I've found it. You might as well not even carry it. It's a disservice to your customers. Target usually has good prices, and I do a lot of shopping there.

Bought one for the second time.
My wife and I got into Geocaching last year. We had a blast and had great results using our eTrex Legend. We ended up getting other distractions that kept us from GeoCaching so we decided to sell our Legend.

Well a year later we decided to get backing to caching because of some friends so we went looking again for GPSr units and after looking nothing seems to have topped the Legend in the value section.

I have read complaints about people losing sats but honestly from my previous experience, this only happened to us when the tree cover was almost completely blocked out the sky. I often used the unit indoors (near a window of course) and never had a problem using it in the car.

There are a few items that I buy a second time around, the only one that comes to mind off hand was a FujiFilm FinePix 1300. I tend to like value and items that retain a resale value, and from experience, the Legend fits both of those categories.

If you are looking for a sub $200 unit to Geocache with, this is the unit for you. With EasyGPS you can easily store and download Geocache waypoints to your Legend.

Also I don't think anyone mentioned it, but the Legend has a ton of different waypoint icons you can use, it even has GeoCache and GeoCache Found icons.

If I don't get the same results of the 2nd unit that I just ordered I will post it, but until then I am happy I stuck with the Legend.

Great GPS at an Excellent Price
Overall the Garmin eTrex Legend is a very good GPS receiver. Reception although not perfect is much better then what some of the reviews led me to believe. I lost tracking once on a 60 mile interstate trip for about 15 secs. Considering that is was cloudy, there is a reasonable amount of trees around the interstate and the GPS was on the passenger front seat I was pretty happy with the result. I managed to get a satellite lock indoors as well but only when in proximity to a window and even then it was sporadic. Average accuracy for me was about 20-30ft. When WAAS satellites are in sight I got as good as 7ft and you could actually see the car changing lanes on the tracking log.
The 8MB memory is for the most sufficient for a detailed street map of a single metropolitan area. Although no where nearly as detailed the built-in base map is also useful.
Battery life is good although not as good as advertised. WAAS does drain the batteries a little more so that may be the reason for my results.
Interface and features are as good as can be expected from a device that size and in this price range. The click stick can be a bit uncomfortable for right handed people but nothing you can't get used to.
Although I have not owned the device long it seems to be well built. I have not managed to put any scratches on the screen yet and I have taken few precautions.
Overall this is a great GPS with reasonably good reception and accuracy. Features are excellent for the price range. The eTrex Legend is moderately useful on the road ( no auto routing on the GPS ) and very useful for hiking, marine and aviation applications. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Garmin GPSMAP 60CS is full of features that are only found on the newest generation GPS handheld units. It's not enough to only have color displays anymore. Garmin knows this and they upped the ante on this lightweight, rugged, waterproof unit, offering a 256-color, highly reflective display that provides easy viewing in almost any lighting condition, including sunlit conditions. This transreflective TFT, 2.6" diagonal screen provides excellent viewing while maximizing your battery life (up to twenty hours with typical use) but not up to the massive thirty hours that the Garmin GPSMAP 60C offers. However, the GPSMAP 60C falls behind in the feature race as the GPSMAP 60CS comes equipped with a very handy compass, altimeter, glide ratio and vertical speed to destination calculators.

The GPSMAP 60CS offers an electronic compass and barometric altimeter for highland adventures. These sensors, when combined with GPS technology, provide enhanced bearing and elevation readings. Barometric sensor with automatic pressure trend recording. With the elevation computer, you can find current elevation, ascent/descent rate, minimum and maximum elevation, total ascent and descent, average and maximum ascent and descent rate. The trip computer provides odometer, stopped time, moving average, overall average, total time, max speed, and more.

The WAAS GPS receiver has an accuracy of ten feet in North America. With the fifty reversible routes, 10,000 track points and 1000 waypoints, you're sure to have enough tools to find your way. With the faster processor, the GPS unit provides quick auto routing, turn-by-run directions and audio alerts when using optional MapSource software. There are 56 MB of internal memory for storing additional map detail. Downloading information is quick using the USB or serial port interfaces. Using the dedicated serial port, navigation instructions can be shared with repeaters, plotters and autopilots. The four position rocker pad and dedicated high-use buttons make navigating through the unit's features easy, even when your fingers are cold or wet.

Finally, the GPSMAP 60CS is packed with some extra fun features. An integrated outdoor calendar provides ideal hunting and fishing times, plus moon rise/set/location information. There is a dedicated geocaching mode for those of you into the hot, GPS community treasure hunt game. Finally, there are indoor/outdoor GPS games to help you and your friends enjoy the outdoors.

Garmin makes some accessories to help you integrate your GPS with your life and your priorities. Keep your GPS at the ready while protecting it from knocks and bumps is with a carrying case. If you'll be on the road, Garmin's U.S. topographical MapSource CD-ROM provides the most detailed maps available. Or, for a combination of detailed U.S. maps and a car kit for mounting and powering your GPS, there's an automotive accessory pack for North America.

The WAAS difference

100 meters: Accuracy of the original GPS system, which was subject to accuracy degradation under the government-imposed Selective Availability (SA) program. 15 meters: Typical GPS position accuracy without SA. 3-5 meters: Typical differential GPS (DGPS) position accuracy. Less than 3 meters: Typical WAAS position accuracy.

WAAS is a system of satellites and ground stations that provide GPS signal corrections, giving you even better position accuracy. How much better? Try an average of up to five times better. A WAAS-capable receiver can give you a position accuracy of better than three meters 95 percent of the time. And you don't have to purchase additional receiving equipment or pay service fees to utilize WAAS.

How it Works
WAAS consists of approximately 25 ground reference stations positioned across the United States that monitor GPS satellite data. Two master stations, located on either coast, collect data from the reference stations and create a GPS correction message. This correction accounts for GPS satellite orbit and clock drift plus signal delays caused by the atmosphere and ionosphere. The corrected differential message is then broadcast through one of two geostationary satellites, or satellites with a fixed position over the equator. The information is compatible with the basic GPS signal structure, which means any WAAS-enabled GPS receiver can read the signal.

Who benefits from WAAS?
Currently, WAAS satellite coverage is only available in North America. There are no ground reference stations in South America, so even though GPS users there can receive WAAS, the signal has not been corrected and thus would not improve the accuracy of their unit. For some users in the U.S., the position of the satellites over the equator makes it difficult to receive the signals when trees or mountains obstruct the view of the horizon. WAAS signal reception is ideal for open land and marine applications. WAAS provides extended coverage both inland and offshore compared to the land-based DGPS (differential GPS) system. Another benefit of WAAS is that it does not require additional receiving equipment, while DGPS does.

What's in the Box
GPSMAP 60CS, PC/USB cable, lanyard, belt clip, manual and a one year warranty. ... Read more

Features

• Sunlight-readable, transreflective TFT display
• Electronic compass and barometric altimeter
• Geolocation games, including geocaching mode
• Integrated outdoor calendar
• Waterproof for up to 30 minutes under 1 meter of water; includes serial and USB interfaces

Reviews (9)

Almost there
GPSMAP 60cs is a nice unit but if you can wait for their next generation handheld, you should. I recently did a 2000 mile motorcycle trip along with several back country hiking excursions and for the normal kinds of things you want a gps to do, (where am I, how do I get there, what direction am I going) the 60CS was great! With CitySelect maps I could see all the roads, even the dirt roads in obscure places like the south western Oregon National forests. I routinely used autonav and it's amazingly fast route calculations made getting to where I wanted to be a real pleasure....almost....

You can display lots of fancy data on almost any of the screens.
The sat pickup is far better then the earlier gpses and fast.
A real compass and altimeter made off trail hiking a breeze
Estimated arrival times and popup turn notifications kept me on my path.

However....
Don't come upon a road block. There is no way to tell autorouting that you must detour. You have to coax autonav to get you around the road blockage by trying to find other road waypoints to build partial routes, When you are in the middle of no where, this is not pleasant. Garmins answer: Buy a bigger more expensive unit.

Don't rely on the 'save tracks' feature. Garmin drops all of the date/time stamps from the active track when it saves it for you (forget about photo gps tagging). They claim it takes to much space (dah? the unit has 56MB!, a track entry is under a couple hundred characters even with date/time!)

Don't use the belt hanger knob on the back. My first use caused the knob to snap off a part of the back housing leaving a 1/2 diameter hole! Since the knob is used by their auto and bicycle mounts, be ware, you may see your garmin bouncing on the street or down by your feet!

Fun for trips
This is my first GPS device. My main use is tracking my progress on longer bike rides. The 60CS has a nice "track" feature, which records your journey. When used along with the odometer, you can get some nifty data on how fast you were going, time spent stopped, etc. The track data can then be downloaded onto your computer and viewed with the map software provided with the device. The altitude profile view of your track is very cool.

I found the device's software interface easy to understand once I played with it and browsed through the manual.

If you wish to use this device in a car for directions, be prepared to purchase additional maps from Garmin. The provided maps note highways and their exits but not much detail on individual streets.

So why four and not five stars? While the "track" records altitude and distance, I was a little disappointed that the odometer data was not saved along with the track. The provided software also only works on a Windows PC. Also, on one ride where I was using the "track" feature, the GPS device lost connection to satellites when I entered a tunnel. I expected the device to just start tracking me again when I exited the tunnel; however, I had to hit "ok" on the message box telling me that it losts its way before it resumed the track and odometer features.

Because I like transferring my routes back from my GPS device to my computer for long term storage, I found myself buying the AC Adapter (B00005UK9S) so that I don't run through AA batteries too often.

Autoroute navigation needs some work
I should begin by saying this is the first GPS I have bought, so in my criticisms, I am not comparing it to other GPS units (which may be worse).

First of all, it seems to be quite a good portable unit. It locates the satellites quite quickly, gives position + estimated error in 1 no-nonsense screen. Also seems quite robust - it went for quite a tumble down a 10m cliff face, ending up in a deep pool of water - and all worked ok afterwards :-) (phew!).
The hardware seems great - however the software has some usability bugs that should be fixed.

Taking it along on a long 4wd trip in Australia in May 2004, here is a list of my gripes/criticisms:

1) The auto route navigation is pretty poor. A few times it came up with some crazy routes to get from A to B ... via Z!!

2) Also with the auto route navigation: When zooming in, the purple route marking doesnt correlate with the road its trying to mark. The more you zoom in, the worse it gets. Zoomed into a city streetmap, its completely unusable as the route marking is not even visible on the screen - or if it is, its impossible to work out what streets it is marking. Until this bug is fixed, I certainly would not buy this for auto navigation.

2) The way that route recalculation grabs focus from *whatever* you happen to be doing at the time is a major pain. You may be in the middle of a tedious "Find" operation only to have all of your effort dashed as it snatches you back to your route map and loses whatever you had typed. Grrr!

There are a number of other usability issues - and being a software developer, they stand out to me. The software needs a bit of work before I would give it 4 stars.

Love This GPS!!
We have had the 60CS for over one month. We love it!!! It's highly durable and configurable.

My o' my!
This is one sweet unit. I owned the Vista previously and was getting a bit tired of the slowness at which it refreshes the map screen when moving the pointer to scroll. The new 60cs is much more powerful. The screen is also very easy to read. Sound feedback is much appreciated as well as the ability to customize the page order. The unit also locks to satellites very quickly. I haven't had time to hike under heavy foliage yet to see how it compares to the Vista but I'm sure it can't be any worse since the Vista requires that the unit face up all the time. I only wish that they have a neoprene case for the 60cs like the one they have for the Vista. That has kept my Vista looking brand new after many years of use which is great now that I'm ebaying the unit.

June 26, 2004
I've since had the chance to try this unit in dense foliage and it performs great! The Vista wasn't nearly as sensitive with it's patch antenna as the 60CS with the quad helix. I use to lose signals under certain frequented trails that's full of trees with the Vista but now the 60CS, I don't lose a crumb. Previously with the Vista, I had to check on it every few minutes to make sure that the patch antenna was facing up if I wanted to record a crumb trail. Now, It's great just letting the 60CS dangle on the included clip on my backpack with not a worry.

I also find the display much easier to read on the trail. The color really helps. The beeps also notifies you of different issues which is great. All in all, I'd say I've made the right choice to upgrade to a 60CS. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Portability meets capability in Garmin's pocket-sized Quest portable automotive global-positioning system. The easy-to-use device is loaded with the high-end navigation features from Garmin's most popular GPS navigators. Use it in multiple vehicles or simply slip it in your pocket for handy street-level directions when you're navigating on foot.

Smaller than a standard television remote, the Quest provides ample screen viewing area, but won't demand a lot of room on the dashboard or in the briefcase. The device sports a bright, 256-color, sunlight-readable display. You'll love the Quest's automatic routing with turn-by-turn directions and voice guidance to get you where you're going A high-speed processor means fast automatic off-route and detour recalculation, and the unit's internal rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides up to 20 hours of use between charges.

A USB data connection ensures fast map downloads from Garmin's entire line of MapSource CDs, several of which are included. The unit ships with fully unlocked MapSource City Select CDs, providing full coverage of the entire United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, including more than 5 million points of interest like gas stations, ATMs, hotels, restaurants, and attractions. With 115 MB of internal memory, this small-but-powerful GPS navigator has plenty of built-in map storage. A unique antenna folds flush with the unit when not in use, and you can connect an optional external antenna as well.

For weekend warriors using the unit on a camping or fishing trip, the Quest is waterproof and fully compatible with the entire line of MapSource outdoor cartography, including U.S. Topo, 24K Topo, Recreational Lakes with Fishing Hot Spots, and BlueChart.

What's in the Box
Quest GPS with flip-up antenna, a PC/USB cable, an AC power adapter, an external speaker with 12-volt adapter cable, a vehicle suction-cup mount, a quick-reference guide, a user's manual, Americas autoroute basemap, MapSource City Select North America CD with full coverage and full unlock, and warranty information. ... Read more

Features

• WAAS-enabled, 12 parallel channel GPS with flip-up antenna
• Features 115MB of internal memory, for MapSource data
• Position formats include Lat/Lon, UTM, MGRS, user grid and other standards
• Trip tracking computer provides a large speed display, odometer, stopped time, max speed, average and other important information
• 10,000-point track log retraces your path; includes USB interface

Amazon.com Product Description

Garmin's pocket-sized eTrex Vista C handheld GPS unit combines Garmin's popular eTrex Vista with color, automatic routing, and longer battery life, making it one of the smallest, least expensive waterproof products to combine a color TFT display and advanced GPS auto-routing abilities. You won't miss a thing when you take this lightweight, easy-to-use handheld out hiking, biking, boating, or geocaching.

The unit offers a bright, transflective color TFT display with daylight viewability, automatic route generation, off-route recalculation, turn-by-turn directions with alert tones, and icon-driven menus for finding points of interest (when combined with Garmin's optional MapSource CDs). You'll get up to 20 hours of use on two AA batteries. The unit offers 24 MB of internal memory and its mini-USB port lets you download map data rapidly from Garmin's library of MapSource CDs (not included) using your PC.

A crisp color display makes map reading much easier than on previous black-and-white versions.

You'll enjoy outstanding accuracy of less than 3 meters (10 feet) when the device is enabled to receive enhanced GPS signals from the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) in the United States, and of 15 meters or less in normal GPS mode. Like on all eTrex units, the primary controls are located on the unit's side, so you can operate them with one hand. With the innovative rocker switch on the unit's face, you can input data and scroll through menus or pan the map page.

Other key features include an auto-route basemap (featuring general map data, including highways, major roads, rivers, lakes, and borders), a waterproof design (to IEC 60529 IPX7 standards--submersible in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes), 500 waypoints/routes/tracks (with graphic identification), 50 reversible routes, 20 saved tracks, 10,000 trackpoints, TracBack technology, alarms (waypoint proximity, anchor drag, and off-course, as well as a built-in alarm clock), a GPS patch antenna, selectable audio tones and color schemes, a stopwatch, a hunting/fishing calendar, sun/moon calculations, and a trip computer.

The Vista C also features an electronic compass for accurate bearing information while standing still; a barometric altimeter with local pressure and a 48-hour automatic pressure-trend recorder; and an elevation computer (which provides your current elevation, ascent/descent rate, minimum/maximum elevation, total ascent and descent, average and maximum ascent, and descent rate).

The barometric-pressure-based altimeter displays up-to-the-minute information.

The Vista C includes a built-in, permanent basemap, Americas Recreational, which cannot be altered. The Americas Recreational Routable Basemap v2 includes the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central and South America, and covers the area from longitude 30 to 180 degrees west and latitude 60 degrees south to 75 degrees north. The basemap includes a high-level worldwide map featuring borders and major cities.

Standard map coverage includes oceans, rivers, lakes greater than 30 square miles, lakes greater than 5 square miles in the United States and southern Canada, lakes greater than 10 square miles in central and northern Canada, principal cities, some smaller cities and towns, major interstates, principal highways, political boundaries (state and international borders), major airports, and a database of Interstate exits. This last includes many establishments within about 1/4 mile of exits, including restaurants; diesel and gas stations; hotels, motels, and inns; overnight RV parking; dumps; campgrounds; truck stops; medical facilities; shopping and outlet malls; ATMs; and many other attractions.

What's in the Box
The eTrex Vista C, a basemap (Americas Recreational), the MapSource trip and waypoint manager CD, a PC-USB interface cable, a wrist strap, a quick-reference guide, a user's manual, and warranty information. ... Read more

Features

• 256-color, sunlight-readable display makes it easy to distinguish map details and see where you're going
• Automatic route generation, off-route recalculation, turn-by-turn directions with alert tones, and icon-driven menus for finding points of interest (when combined with Garmin's optional MapSource CDs) navigate you safely to your destination
• An electronic compass provides accurate bearing information while standing still; an elevation computer provides current elevation, ascent/descent rate, etc
• Mini-USB port for fast, convenient download of map data from Garmin's entire library of optional MapSource CDs (using a PC)
• 20-hour battery life; 24 MB internal memory

Product Description

The Forerunner 301 is the next exciting addition to the Forerunner lineup. This product will take the training experience of the Forerunner 201 to the next level by integrating a continuous heart rate monitor. Why is heart rate so important? Simply put, heart rate can be used as a measurement of exercise intensity and an accurate way to gauge performance. The Forerunner 301 is the only 2-piece system that offers a heart rate monitor and GPS to provide instant speed, distance and pace data. There's no calibration required, and the 301 can be used for multiple sports, like cycling, cross country skiing and more. Itis a powerful training tool for those interested in losing weight, improving fitness, reaching peak athletic performance, or just improving health to reduce heart-related problems.Having the ability to analyze workout data is an important tool in reaching one's fitness goals. That's why the Forerunner 301 comes with the Garmin Training Center? software, which allows users to download workout data to their PC for a detailed analysis. Or, create workouts on the PC and transfer them to the 301.Like the Forerunner 201, the 301 also doubles as a basic navigator.Users can mark their starting point as a specific location, see their current position on the plotter display, and follow an electronic breadcrumb trail back to their starting point.Sh. Wt.4 lbs ... Read more

Features

• Up to 14 hours of battery life / rechargeable lithium-ion battery (charger included)
• Water resistant, IEC 60529, IPX7 (Submersible to 1 meter @ 30 minutes)
• Continuously monitors heart rate, speed, distance, pace, and calories
• USB interface allows for fast data transfer to the computer
• Built-in GPS receiver provides highly accurate data; no calibration required

Reviews (9)

Good idea, bad implementation.
The concept of the Garmin 301 is a slam-dunk. This is the setup everyone should want. To have the accuracy of a GPS with a host of computing power, and a good hart rate monitor. This configuration could provide everything folks could want with just two components. Unfortunately that's all the good news that their is. The fact is that the Garmin 301 does not work. I think Garmin has tried too hard to cost reduce the product and as a result nothing works very well and some things do not work at all. The hart rate monitor sometimes works and other times not at all or read rates that are way off. I found out from a tech. at Garmin that Garmin does not even make the hart rate monitor. They get an inexpensive one made for them by an over seas company. The GPS is so poor that I did not know anyone even makes one that is so inaccurate. I have a 5 year old hand held Garmin GPS that works much better then the new one in the 301! The software that comes with the unit is so lame that you can not even print your workout graph. The fact is that if you purchase this package you will get something that will not provide useful data. After getting my unit and seeing how bad the data was I started looking around in the forms on the web and sure enough I found lots and lots of people finding the same thing. Do not take my word for it, check around on the web yourself.
Good idea but very poor implementation.
Oh well.

Good tool, not completely accurate
I dont like that you cant print your results from the workout from the software. The device isnt completely accurate on distance. Close, but not precise.

If you accept this then the Garmin 301 Forerunner is a great tool for excersize. The workout partner feature I use alot. You set your pace and the display shows you a partner keeping that exact pace. It then lets you know how far ahead or behind you are. It has high and low alarms for your pace as well as heart rates. You can easily customize your workout by workout time, pace or distance.

It will lose signal if you go under large trees or underpasses. I recently did a half marathon and lost signal when I went under the bridges. This caused a discrepancy in the overall distance.

The software lets you trend your data (distance, pace and heart rate) on overlapped or seperate displays.

I do like the Forerunner. Its just a training aide and does a good job at that.

If you are particular about your information being very accurate then you should get a different product.

Because of these slight inaccuracies it loses one star with me. Its still worth a solid 4 stars.

ok but not very accurate
I bought the 201 and sold after it consistently reported a 8 mile run as a 6 mile run -- it couldn't extrapolate the distance when the signal is lost in a tree-lined neighborhood.
I have been using the 301 for the last 2 months. I like the integration with the heart monitor and the training software.
The heart monitor will spike randomly at 240bpm -- the software
doesn't seem to be able to throw those outliers out.
The GPS tends to overestimate distance -- I'm not sure how that is possible unless it is fooled by the arm swings.
Another reviewer said it could be .01 to .02 miles off per mile -- that adds up to 1/2 mile in a 26 mile marathon.
The pace readout is inaccurate even with the extra smoothing set. When shifting from walking to running, it will read a 7:44 pace even when our faster runner is running a 10 minute pace.
How is that possible to average faster than the real pace?
I got no answer from online technical support; I haven't tried the phone yet.
I'll keep the 301; it is better than a pedometer and still useful as training tool as it keeps training of mileage and calories, more or less. I'm not sure it's worth the 200 plus dollars.

A Little Gem
I have had this Forerunner 301 for a week now and it works flawlessly. I take walks on a trail that's approximately 1 mile every day and have done so prior to the purchase of the Forerunner for almost 2 years. I know the exact distance of the trail because they have signs that indicate the distance traveled along the trail. The past week I've been walking and running on the trail and almost every time the distance traveled was the same. You get instances where it's off by 0.01or 0.02 miles but that's as bad as it gets. Some will complain about this but, let's be honest, this is a tool and tools are never perfect. If you find it annoying that it's of by 0.01 or 0.02 miles then compensate for it.

I have used the heart monitor twice and it works as expected. One thing I don't like about it is the fact that you have to strap it to your chest. Perhaps that's the best way to get accurate reading but I would have preferred an arm band, wrist, or even finger type of device.

The navigation feature is not complicated nor is it complex. It's pretty much a waypoint based mapping. Basically, you set points along your trail rout and it will mark those points on your map. You can use the way points to navigate the map. The navigation map allows you to zoom in up to 20ft on your rout.

Customization is one area I would like to see improvements. You can only have one screen that's customizable. Personally, I'd like to see as many stats as possible. I can't complain though because you can always change the sports type and get a different customized screen for each sport.

You might have noticed that all the images of the device don't show someone wearing it. This is because the sucker is a bit blocky. Don't fret though, it's not enormous and the features its packing can't be had with a smaller sized device.

The good:
* Features, features, features.
* Accuracy.
* Heart rate monitor.
* Usability.
* Calories burned information.
* Elevation information.
* Workout history.
* Battery Life.

The bad:
* Bit oversized.
* Needs more customizable screens.
* Signal acquisition takes a few minutes sometimes (I live in Seattle and its cloudy sometimes).
* Doesn't work indoors (for me at least and that's not what I bought it for).

Great Unit - Poor Software
This unit is great at capturing all of the data I want to look at, but the training software leaves much to be desired. The data by themselves don't mean anything without the ability to do quality analysis. The included software was basic at best. Even the free MotionBased.com platform that is suggested seems a weak bridge. So far, the best software I have found to analyze actions sports is by a Finnish company called FRWD http://www.frwd.fi/static.php. If Garmin could put together something like this, this product would be amazing! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

Garmin's eTrex Vista GPS receiver is smaller than its popular eMaps, but far more powerful. The Vista offers more memory, more features, and more convenience than any other GPS hardware in this price range.

Don't be fooled by the product's small screen. Although smaller than the display used in products like the eMap, it has a higher resolution, letting it show more information more crisply. Small text can be difficult to read from a distance, but there are "big number" options available to make important data like your speed easy to read.

It's this configurability that makes the eTrex Vista so special.

	 
Map page (shown with optional MapSource topo detail).

You can easily set it up to suit your needs, regardless of the situation. Menu choices are highlighted and confirmed with a small joystick near the top of the unit, providing an elegant interface for navigating a formidable amount of options. Our only complaint is that the joystick used to access all the product's features is offset to the left, making it nearly impossible to control using only your right hand. When the joystick is held in your left hand, however, every control is within easy reach of your left thumb, freeing your right hand to hold a flashlight, walking stick, lantern, or anything else.

This GPS unit's diminutive size and weight, not to mention its rugged design, make it an ideal hiking companion. It's waterproof in up to 3 feet of water for 30 minutes and is generously coated with shock-absorbing rubber. The barometric altimeter keeps a historical record of your ascents and descents, graphing elevation changes so you can easily track your progress.

	 
Elevation page

The ability to store waypoints, points of interest, routes, and other information means you can blaze your own trail and always find your way back to camp.

Best of all, 24 MB of internal memory makes it possible to store an enormous amount of data from Garmin's optional MapSource CDs, turning the eTrex Vista into an interactive road atlas. The memory isn't expandable, but 24 MB is enough to store street-level data for entire states in some cases.

A serial cable is included for transferring the maps from your PC to the GPS unit, but it's terribly slow. A USB connector, sold separately, transfers data in a fraction of the time.

The eTrex Vista was very accurate in testing, especially in a car on the open road. Accuracy diminished somewhat when the device was used in heavy tree cover or a dense urban area, but not enough that you're ever going to get lost or miss an exit. Used side-by-side with an eMap, the eTrex Vista kept up in update speed while displaying even more information on the moving map than the eMap did, cementing its position as perhaps the best all-around handheld GPS unit money can buy. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

• Small and light without sacrificing features
• 24 MB of integrated memory stores reams of detailed maps
• High-resolution screen displays sharp text legible even at extremely small sizes

Cons:

• Can't be used one-handed when held in the right hand
• Smaller display is hard to read from a distance, as when the device is placed on a dashboard

Features

• Global positioning system (GPS) receiver with barometric altimeter, electronic compass, and Americas base map
• Store more maps and different types of data (marine, roads, and more) with 24 MB of storage; PC cable included
• Accuracy to less than 3 meters with WAAS correction data
• High-resolution liquid-crystal display for easy reading
• Compatible with optional Garmin MapSource software; includes serial PC interface

Reviews (75)

Better Than I Thought
I'd like to start this review by saying that I'm a Registered Maine Hunting Guide with years of expirience navigating in the back country and plenty of expirience using different brands of GPSs. That said, I nearly didn't buy this GPS after reading some of the reviews for it, I'm glad I did.
I recently returned from a 2 week hunting excursion in Northern Maine in unfamiliar territory. The Vista greatly aided me in knowing exactly where I was at all times. I purchased the Map Source Topo program for it and loaded my maps. I had room for all of Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire in it. While all the newer logging roads weren't on the map, a lot of them were.
The electronic compass is a neat feature and saves you from getting out your regular compass when orienting yourself, but I do like a regular compass better.
As I was all ready familiar with Garmin GPSs, this GPS was very easy for me to use. To many convienient features to list. This GPS did everything I wanted it to and then some. Battery life was exceptable and the only time I had any problem with reception was during a heavy snow storm while in fairly heavy tree cover.
A friend of mine has the Garmin Legend GPS and while it is less money he was only able to load about half of the state on it. So for more money and features the Vista is the way to go.
The small "shirt pocket" size, the topo map and all the other great features make this a "Must Have" for any back country traveler.
If you're looking for a GPS to use in your vehicle, pick a different model, the small size of this unit that makes it great for hand held use makes it to small to use effectively in your vehicle.
All in all this GPS is great in my opinion, it is absolutely perfect for me and my uses. Great quality, easy to use, convienient features, small size, fast updates. Have I left any thing out? If you're a hunter, hiker or back country traveler this is the GPS for you.

Not very useful.
I ordered this GPS unit for a trip out west to several National Parks. I also ordered the very expensive National Parks West maps from Garmin. I downloaded the maps for several of the parks I was to visit, so that I would get detailed trail maps once I got there. Once at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, I went to use my eTrex Vista with the "detailed" map and all I got was a rough location of the city I was near. Clearly the detailed map did not download properly, or when I entered map info for one park it overwrote the information I downloaded for other parks. The only park listed was the last park I downloaded and I never ended up going to that park, so my purchase was a complete waste of money. If you are completely incapable of reading a map, perhaps this unit can be of use to you driving down the road, of course it barely receives a signal from within a car, you have to get out and hold the unit if there are any trees or buildings around. The screen is also too small and not in color, and the batteries don't last long enough. I have stock in Garmin, so I suppose I should not bad mouth them too much, but if I could return this unit to Amazon, I would.

GARMIN HAS GOOD RECEPTION
I own 3 GPS receivers and I will say Garmin did an excellent job. The receiver is much more sensitive to satellite signals than my other GPSs. Just don't expect too much from this small unit with tiny screen and very slow CPU for screen refresh. It will drive you nuts to use it for street navigation. It is suitable for back trailing in the mountains. For street navigate, I strongly suggest that you hook this unit up with a laptop but make sure that GPS is set to NMEA and the software GPS setting is also correct. Conclusion, don't street navigate with this unit alone and don't buy a no brand GPS under $90 because you will not be happy with the reception.

Eddy

A poor offering by Garmin
This expensive (for gps units) includes the PC Cable but DOES NOT include the ability to comunicate with your PC. After waiting 17 minutes for customer service I was told that I had to purchase a $29 software to be able to download my waypoints to my computer. I don't need extra maps - I only want to download my waypoints.

In the waypoint view - over half of the display is the flag symbol and the co-ordinates are so small as to be practically useless in the field.

This is my fifth Garmin product and in the past have been happy with the performance. I give this a 1 as it is little better than a $99 unit.

Great GPS Unit And A Great Price!
Another reviewer here said it best: don't let the misleading negative reviews of this product prevent you from taking a good look at the Garmin eTrex Vista. (Honestly, what are some of these people wanting to do with a GPS device? Fix a waypoint on a specific part of a cow patty in a farmer's field somewhere?)

This is the first GPS handheld I've purchased after carefully reviewing other models from other brands at a local store with true "hands on" comparisons. I thought the Garmin products were by far the most intuitive and user-friendly of the GPS handhelds I played with. Great features and an excellent value for the money. (...)

Looking at the less expensive eTrex Legend and the Vista and wondering which to buy? Well, the Legend is great but it lacks the Vista's electromagnetic
compass or air-pressure altitude indicator if that is important to you. It also has much less memory capacity (8MB) for storing detailed Mapsource maps.

I have loaded my Vista with topo maps from Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont and it took up all 24MB of memory (of course, it really is a lot of detail we're talking about here). I would think that the memory capacity of the Legend could be a significant limitation if you are looking at getting into extra topo or metro guide maps. If you have no use for extra maps or an electromagnetic
compass and altimeter, then the Legend might be the way to go.

Personally, I think the Vista represents a better overall value for the dollar.

Ignore the naysayers and compare the GPS units for yourself. I'm very happy with the Vista and would have made the same purchase if I had to do it all over again. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Garmin's GPSMAP 76CS is a state-of-the-art handheld marine GPS unit with a vivid, sunlight-readable color display, sizeable internal memory, and fast USB connectivity. Central to the device is its high-resolution, highly reflective, 256-color TFT display and LED backlight, implemented so you can navigate in either broad daylight or complete darkness, as your schedule dictates. The unit retains the overall sleek and easy-to-use design of earlier generations of the GPSMap 76 family, including its rugged, buoyant, waterproof housing.

The compact unit also boasts a 13 MB Americas marine basemap that includes tide data. In addition, an impressive 115 MB of internal memory lets you load optional MapSource BlueChart or "Recreational Lakes with Fishing Hot Spots" marine cartography. (The award-winning BlueChart features depth contours, inter-tidal zones, wrecks, and navaids, while Recreational Lakes includes fishing areas, boat ramps, marinas, and hazards for more than 1,000 popular U.S. and Canadian lakes.)

You can rely on the 76CS when you're navigating the highways and byways in your rudderless vehicle, too, thanks to a built-in, auto-routing basemap of major interstates and highways. When loaded with optional MapSource City Select detailed street cartography, the GPS provides automatic route calculation to millions of addresses or points of interest, complete with turn-by-turn directions and tone alerts. The unit is also compatible with MapSource U.S. Topo and 24K Topo for off-road excursions.

Loading charts or maps is faster than it was with earlier-generation devices, too, thanks to the 76CS's USB interface. Navigation instructions can be shared with repeaters, plotters, and autopilots using NMEA protocols through a dedicated serial port.

The 76CS also includes an electronic compass--which displays accurate headings even while standing still--and a barometric altimeter with an elevation computer that provides current elevation, ascent/descent rate, minimum/maximum elevation, total ascent/descent, and average/maximum ascent/descent rate.

Other features include a built-in quad helix antenna with remote antenna capability; 1,000 user waypoints with name and graphic symbols; 50 reversible routes; a 10,000-point automatic track log; 20 saved tracks (so you can retrace your path in both directions); audible alarms for anchor drag, arrival, off-course, proximity waypoint and clock; and a trip computer that provides, among other things, an odometer, stopped time, moving average, overall average, total time, and max speed.

Battery life using 2 AA alkaline batteries is rated at 20 hours typical use. The 76CS is waterproof to IEC 60529 IPX-7 standards (submersible to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes).

What's in the Box
GPSMAP 76CS, a basemap (Americas Autoroute), a Marine Point database, a MapSource Trip & Waypoint Manager CD-ROM, a PC/USB cable, a lanyard, a user's manual, and a quick-start guide. ... Read more

Features

• High-resolution, highly reflective, 256-color TFT display with LED backlight is readable in bright sunlight or darkness
• 13 MB Americas marine basemap with tide data
• 115 MB of internal memory lets you load MapSource BlueChart or "Recreational Lakes" marine cartography (both optional)
• Electronic compass (displays accurate headings even while standing still) and a barometric altimeter with an elevation computer
• USB and serial-port interfaces

Reviews (2)

For a general-purpose mapping GPSR, Garmin got it right!
The GPSMAP76CS continues the evolution of Garmin's GPSMAP line of GPS receivers. It is well-suited for walking, car navigation and casual marine use. I already own a GPSMAP76S. The major advances of the 76CS are:

(1) Color TFT screen - makes it so easy to see your maps and data; it's bright and sharp, easy to read in any light. The variable-level backlight is great in low-light situations. The night-time color scheme is pretty cool, too. You can have the receiver automatically switch between day/night color schemes at sunrise/sunset, or manually select the mode. There are several alternate color schemes for day or night-time use.

(2) Point-to-point automatic routing - works very well. There are two audio-visual prompts for each turn, one about a minute before, and again (with a different tone sequence) about 10 seconds before the turn. You can choose from several different tone sequences, but I'm happy with the defaults. The prompts display a zoomed-in view of the intersection (great for tricky interchange exits and ramps). If you miss a turn, it re-calculates your route to get you to the next point, or your destination. Generally it uses the most major roads available for routing. For areas that I know well, I may take a local road that I know will get me where I'm going sooner. When driving in unfamiliar territory, I rely on the route it calculates for the most part. Apparently, you can select variations on the routing algorithm on the "follow roads options" page: Car/Motorcycle (the one I use), Truck, Bus, Emergency, Taxi, Delivery, Pedestrian and Bicycle. I haven't tried any of the other routing options yet. Overall, I would give the routing capability 4 stars.

(3) Customizable page sequence - in my other Garmin GPS receivers, you can cycle through the main pages forwards or backwards, but you can't change the sequence. The 76CS lets you add, remove, or move individual pages within the sequence. I put the pages I use most often next to each other; I like this feature.

(4) Recent Finds page - a new feature and real time-saver when I want to go to a place that I've looked up before. I use this page so often, I added it to my main page sequence. However, I discovered you can bring up the Recent Finds page by pressing the Find button twice.

(5) More memory - 115 MB stores detailed map data from optional Mapsource CD ROM sets. I was able to load all of North Carolina and about half of South Carolina and Virginia from the North America City Select database. This is nearly 5 times the memory of the 76S!

(6) USB connection - my old 76S (with serial connection) takes the better part of an hour to load a full 24MB map set from the Mapsource CD ROMS. The USB connection on the 76CS makes loading the full 115MB much quicker. Also, loading waypoints, routes and tracks between the receiver and PC is way faster now.

Garmin periodically updates their GPS receivers' software, and you can easily download the updates from the Garmin website. They have already posted an update to the GSPMAP76CS (version 3.40 was released June 8, 2004).

Quibbles: as mentioned in another review, you can't customize the data fields display to show small data fields three-across, as you can with the 76S. Admittedly, the small data fields on the 76S are hard to read while driving; I would consider this a minor setback for the 76CS. One can still display up to 4 data fields in large or medium size as an option on several of the pages, much like the 76S.

One feature of the 76S that I like is the ability to show the name of the upcoming cross-street (when lock-on-roads is enabled). This is a useful feature when you're just cruising around an unfamiliar part of a city. At first, I thought this was missing from the new 76CS, but I discovered that when the map has guidance text turned on all the time (instead of only when the unit is actively navigating) then when not navigating, the text area displays the upcoming street name. Another great feature of the 76S which carried over to the 76CS: graphic editing of a route. When the "use map" option is selecting while editing a route, move the pointing arrow to touch a route segment. The segment then appears as a dotted line, and if you press the Enter key, acts like a tight rubber band attached to the panning arrow. One can then move the panning arrow to any other map feature (for example an intersection) and press Enter to add an intermediate route point. I've found Garmin's manuals provide a good introduction to basic operation, but may not cover all the features. However, I've found the 76CS operation to be fairly intuitive.

Now for the major gripe: to enter text or numbers, Garmin has reverted to the character matrix format (found, for example, on the Etrex Vista), where you move the cursor about a grid of letters and numbers, press Enter to select that character, then move the cursor to the next character, etc. Finally, you move the cursor to the "OK" spot on the grid and press Enter. On the 76S there's no character grid, you just cursor left to clear a field, cursor up to advance the current letter or down to move back through the character set, then cursor right to select the next character, etc. I found this method fairly intuitive and much easier to use on the fly. Hopefully, Garmin will fix this in a future software update.

As with the GPSMAP76S, the sensors are a useful feature, particularly while walking. The compass can be used for getting a bearing while standing still, and the barometric altimeter provides useful information for those of us who just have to know, "how high (or low) are we?". If you don't need these features, the GPSMAP76C should work just as well at a lower price. Garmin's GPSMAP60C / 60CS have the same color screen and similar software, but only 56 MB of memory in a smaller unit. Nearly all Garmin GPS receivers have rugged, waterproof cases, but I prefer the 76-series size and flat shape. They even float!

If you're looking for a general-purpose, easy-to-read, easy-to-use mapping GPS receiver, you need look no further than the GPSMAP76CS (or GPSMAP76C without compass and altimeter). Garmin got it right with this one!

A great unit gets better
I got the gpsmap 76cs just in time for a trip to Alaska. So far the unit is great. It acquires satellites faster than my old gpsmap 76, which is a much appreciated improvement. The new screen is great. Clearly readable without backlight in many different lighting conditions. The color is does not make the screen look washed out or illegible as with other units I have seen.

The new operating system is quite good though I have a few quibbles. The unit will not display as many data fields in certain views as the old operating system but it is also less cluttered. I have also always wondered why Garmin does not include GPS elevation as a data field choice. The lack of an SD card slot is mildly annoying but 115 mb with a USB port is a big improvement.

I would recommend this unit to anyone who is looking for a high quality color GPS. It is also worth noting the Garmin is really good about providing free updates to operating software. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The Garmin GPSMAP 60C is full of features that are only found on the newest generation GPS handheld units. It's not enough to only have color displays anymore. Garmin knows this and they upped the ante on this lightweight, rugged, waterproof unit, offering a 256-color, highly reflective display that provides easy viewing in almost any lighting condition, including sunlit conditions. This transreflective TFT, 2.6" diagonal screen provides excellent viewing while maximizing your battery life (up to thirty hours with typical use).

The WAAS GPS receiver has an accuracy of ten feet in North America. With the fifty reversible routes, 10,000 track points and 1000 waypoints, you're sure to have enough tools to find your way. With the faster processor, the GPS unit provides quick auto routing, turn-by-run directions and audio alerts when using optional MapSource software. There are 56 MB of internal memory for storing additional map detail. Downloading information is quick using the USB or serial port interfaces. Using the dedicated serial port, navigation instructions can be shared with repeaters, plotters and autopilots. The four position rocker pad and dedicated high-use buttons make navigating through the unit's features easy, even when those fingers are cold or wet.

Finally, the GPSMAP 60C is packed with some extra fun features. An integrated outdoor calendar provides ideal hunting and fishing times, plus moon rise/set/location information. There is a dedicated geocaching mode for those of you into the hot, GPS community treasure hunt game. Finally, there are indoor/outdoor GPS games to help you and your friends enjoy the outdoors.

The WAAS difference

100 meters: Accuracy of the original GPS system, which was subject to accuracy degradation under the government-imposed Selective Availability (SA) program. 15 meters: Typical GPS position accuracy without SA. 3-5 meters: Typical differential GPS (DGPS) position accuracy. Less than 3 meters: Typical WAAS position accuracy.

WAAS is a system of satellites and ground stations that provide GPS signal corrections, giving you even better position accuracy. How much better? Try an average of up to five times better. A WAAS-capable receiver can give you a position accuracy of better than three meters 95 percent of the time. And you don't have to purchase additional receiving equipment or pay service fees to utilize WAAS.

How it Works
WAAS consists of approximately 25 ground reference stations positioned across the United States that monitor GPS satellite data. Two master stations, located on either coast, collect data from the reference stations and create a GPS correction message. This correction accounts for GPS satellite orbit and clock drift plus signal delays caused by the atmosphere and ionosphere. The corrected differential message is then broadcast through one of two geostationary satellites, or satellites with a fixed position over the equator. The information is compatible with the basic GPS signal structure, which means any WAAS-enabled GPS receiver can read the signal.

Who benefits from WAAS?
Currently, WAAS satellite coverage is only available in North America. There are no ground reference stations in South America, so even though GPS users there can receive WAAS, the signal has not been corrected and thus would not improve the accuracy of their unit. For some users in the U.S., the position of the satellites over the equator makes it difficult to receive the signals when trees or mountains obstruct the view of the horizon. WAAS signal reception is ideal for open land and marine applications. WAAS provides extended coverage both inland and offshore compared to the land-based DGPS (differential GPS) system. Another benefit of WAAS is that it does not require additional receiving equipment, while DGPS does.

What's in the Box
GPSMAP 60C, PC/USB cable, lanyard, belt clip, manual and a one year warranty. ... Read more

Features

• Sunlight-readable, transreflective TFT display
• Integrated outdoor calendar
• Geolocation games, including geocaching mode
• Waterproof in one meter of water for up to thirty minutes (IPX-7 standards)
• 30-hour battery life (uses 2 AA batteries); includes serial and USB interfaces

Amazon.com Product Description

Never get lost again when you use the versatile and powerful GPS V Deluxe from Garmin. This compact global positioning system (GPS) receiver can be mounted in your vehicle and used as a handheld navigator. The GPS V Deluxe coordinates signals from 12 satellites to pinpoint your position anywhere on the globe, and has WAAS capability. The Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) is a system of satellites and ground stations that provides GPS signal corrections, giving you up to five times better position accuracy than just the GPS signal. A WAAS-capable receiver can give you a position accuracy of better than three meters 95 percent of the time.

The Garmin GPS V can be dash mounted...

With 19 MB of built-in memory, the GPS V Deluxe can store dozens of maps and routes in memory. Download data from your PC with the included serial cable. The GPS V Deluxe stores 50 routes with 254 waypoints each, and 3,000 tracklog points.

The included MapSource City Select CD-ROM--designed specifically for the GPS V--has been enhanced to provide street-level views of millions of new streets for nearly every town in the United States. City Select includes highways, interstates, business and residential streets with attributes such as turn restrictions and speed categories, and other navigation features. The software automatically creates point-to-point routes in MapSource and on the GPS V. It also displays restaurants, hotels, attractions, entertainment, shopping, and location of emergency services along your route. City Select also contains detailed maps of major metropolitan areas in seven defined regions in the U.S. and Canada.

Or, carry it in the palm of your hand!

This Deluxe version of the Garmin GPS V offers full unlock capability of all maps for the United States and Canada. (The regular Garmin GPS V comes with unlock capability for just one region.) Simply install the City Select CD-ROM on your PC, then enter a custom code that is included with the product box.

The GPS V Deluxe comes with auto-routing for the shortest and fastest way to your destination, plus turn-by-turn directions throughout North America and major cities. The GPS V Deluxe will show you how to get there and give you an estimated time of arrival, then alert you to upcoming turns with an audible beep.

You view data on the 2.2-by-1.5-inch four-level grayscale LCD, with its resolution of 256 x 160 pixels. A multilevel backlight allows you to see the screen clearly in a variety of lighting conditions.

The GPS V comes with detachable antenna, PC interface cable, dashboard mount, 12-volt adapter cable, wrist strap, and owner's manual. --Agen G.N. Schmitz

Get upcoming services information as you travel along your route. As you approach a turn, the map page automatically changes to show a focused view of the upcoming turn.

As you're navigating a route, you can view a list of upcoming turns along with the remaining distance and time. A built-in calendar shows you the best times to hunt and fish based on location and time of year.

... Read more

Features

• 12-channel GPS unit with 19 MB of built-in memory
• Includes MapSource City Select CD-ROM with street-level maps and points of interest; full unlock capability for US and Canada
• WAAS capability provides position accuracy better than three meters
• Autorouting gives access to the shortest and fastest routes
• Turn-by-turn directions; includes serial cable for PC connection

Reviews (41)

A very satisfied user
I purchased the Garmin GPS V in anticipation of two 3-day trips into areas I had never traveled. The detailed maps that were supplied on the CD were excellent and accurate. Before I left on the trips, I checked out the detail on the streets of Seattle, WA, because the many steep hills provide unusual angled streets with many turns. The map followed them all and accurately named them. I was impressed. I was even more impressed when I traveled into the back country of the Olympic peninsula and, arriving at an intersection of two country roads, found that the GPS V maps named both of them correctly. I'll never travel without it again.

The 19mb of memory is a bit too small to hold the number of maps that I regularly need and there is no additional memory card available to augment the capacity. Erasing and downloading a new set of maps to the GPS from the computer is very easy and intuitive, but somewhat time consuming. Adding even one detailed map to the GPS V required more than 30 minutes of download time, this in addition to any computer time selecting the maps to use. Fortunately, the base map built into the GPS V good enough for the major interstate highways, exits, and services, so if you do not regularly travel to a number of large cities, the 19mb of memory may be ample for the detailed maps desired.

The dash mount supplied with the GPS V is excellent with locking angle adjustments and a quick-release. It lacks only one very important feature: it must be mounted on a flat surface. Try to find one of those on today's curved dashboards, and in a place where the antenna can acquire the satellites and you can see the display. Fortunately, I was able to make an adapter plate that fit the dashboard and allowed the dash mount to be installed. I am very pleased with the clarity of the display.

The instruction book that comes with the GPS V is very complete and leads step-by-step through the more complicated processes. At the same time, the usual functions desired from a GPS are easy to set up and fairly intuitive by using the menu functions. The quick start guide is all most people will need to use the unit effectively.

Battery life from 4 AA cells is sufficient if the backlight feature is not used too much. Typically I found the batteries needed to be replaced after 18 to 20 hours. The GPS V also comes with a cigarette lighter cable for powering the unit in the car. A cable for hard wiring the GPS into the car's electrical system is available but not supplied.

I especially like the option of "on-road," which moves the cursor to the nearest road, or "off-road," which will point your way to your destination or back home if you are hiking cross country. Several pages of display will give you more information than ever thought possible: accurate local time, speed, distance traveled, average speed, latitude and longitude, elevation, time and distance to destination, and the best time for fishing (no kidding) just to name a few.

The auto-routing feature is a real help when traveling in unfamiliar areas, but I have found that sometimes it has made less than optimum routing suggestions when I tested it to destinations I knew. Not a really big problem as it always directed me to the destination eventually. One really great feature of auto-routing is that if you miss a turn or get off the suggested track, the GPS V immediately recalculates the route and displays turn-by-turn directions to the destination from where you presently heading.

In conclusion, I can say I am completely pleased with the Garmin GPS V and that it has many of the features of more expensive units. I highly recommend it.

Good hardware, mediocre maps
This is the second Garmin GPS I own, the other being an eTrex Vista, and the first with road navigation capabilities. In my previous experience with Garmin, I was happy both with the product and the product support, and I was not disappointed this time. The user interface of the GPS is even more intuitive than the eTrex, and buttons and screen pass the test with flying colors. The software is robust, and it never crashed. Syncing with the PC is a piece of cake, and information such as waypoints can be transferred among different Garmin GPS.
The product is perfect for everyday use, but I have only three complaints. The first two are minor: the location of satellites when the GPS is "cold" can take 60-90 seconds, and the calculation of the best route eassily takes more than 60 seconds when the degree of accuracy is set to medium; much more when the level of accuracy is set to high. The two number could mean that the driver has to wait 2-3 minutes before getting any useful direction from the GPS.

The last gripe is much important: the maps are often inaccurate. Some roads have been permanently cut off at a major intersection; new houses have been built. As a result, the GPS might prescribe an incorrect route, or not be able to find a certain address. These accidents happen about 20% of the time in my area (NY city and surrounding counties). As a way of comparison, the GPS installed on Hertz rental machines, which uses Navtech maps, has never given me an incorrect route during my trips. I hope Garmin will provide better maps soon.

Garmin Makes Another Keeper
For many years I have run around with a GPS 12 strapped to my dash. It has never failed me and I have come to rely on it. I had seen many people use the Garmin V and knew that someday I would have to take a closer look.

Finally I purchased the Garmin V and was not disappointed. In addition to all of the capabilities of the GPS 12 that I have become so fond, the G-V added several new capabilities to the formula.

The "FIND" or Auto-Routing has been a terrific bonus. I recently located a piece of property that was listed for sale. It was tucked away in a very obscure part of the area, and would have been nearly impossible to locate with "turn by the blue house; go straight until you reach the tree" kind of "human" directions that it would have required. Instead, we drove confidently to the location, knowing where we were every step of the way.

We also love looking up Points of Interest (Restaurants, Shopping, etc.) - it has enhanced our travels by encouraging us to take the road less traveled knowing that at least we can find our way in and back out!

Adding the external antenna greatly increased the reception quality of the unit. We routinely get accuracy reported to within 15 feet!

The unit is compatible with other Garmin accessories I already own, is feature-rich yet intuitive for users like me. I have already been able to convert and use several of the hundreds of tracks I recorded with my GPS 12.

Combine this unit with City Select and Topo and you have a combination that will take you to some of the most interesting (and sometimes well hidden) places on the planet. You will know what time you can expect to arrive, find a place to get a meal, and even get some fishing tips if that's your fancy. Tonight we wanted to check a restaurant for specials and waiting times. I looked it up on the GPS on the way to the location and called ahead for the answer to all my questions!

For the price of this unit and the map software, you can hardly go wrong. If you want to reach a new level of freedom, take a good look at the Garmin V!

Makes a road trip pure fun
I have had the GPS V for 6 weeks and have done over 3,000 miles with it covering eleven states. Most of those have been done in a car although 200 were on a motorcycle.

If you have never used a GPS then get one, it can revolutionize a road trip. The ability to find 'points of interest' as you are travelling down a road and then drive to the nearest can make a painful and argument inspiring process trivial. This product is one of the best $300 I've ever spent.

However, the downsides:

1) The map load of 19MB can take 45 minutes
2) You can really only fully load enough for 200-250 miles. We travel 600 miles a day which means the morning pre-load has to cleverly pick which pieces will be driving and when we need the extra detail. (Typically we load more maps for the eventual target and the expected lunch stop)
3) The map on the CD is getting a little old. If you are travelling through road works or new roads the system often claims you are off-route and tries to recalculate.

4) The recalculation time is very slow if your eventual target is hundreds of miles away. Sometimes we would have to stop the car for the unit to catch up. (The trick is to come up with a nearer intermediate target and aim for that before aiming for the eventual destination)

All in all, if you want to use this on a motorcycle this unit is the best, for pure in car use one of the more modern systems with more memory, faster cpu and usb link would be better.

Impressive Design and Function
This unit is the perfect blend of form and function. If you're looking for a powerful, useful and affordable GPS unit for use on- and off-road, you've found it in the Garmin GPS V!

Give yourself an hour to figure out how to navigate the menus, and then prepare to be amazed. Whether you're measuring your favorite hiking trail, or finding the best way to a Bed and Breakfast 100 miles away, you'll find that this unit is helpful and accurate.

I was worried before I got it that the screen would be too small, or that I would miss having a color screen or voice prompts. But I don't find the unit lacking at all, even without those perks. In fact, units with those features are typically larger, and size is one of the strengths of this unit. It's perfect to stick in your coat pocket and take with you, or to mount unobtrusively on your dash. Any bigger, and I would feel that I had sacrificed one of the key merits of this unit: its portability.

The firmware has been written impeccably. Straight out of the box, the unit is configured very much to my liking. Maps, text and directions are all clear, and all the fields that are shown (i.e., ETA to destination, distance to next turn, time to next turn, etc.) have been expertly set up by someone who has clearly thought about what actual users would desire to see. But if you have specific preferences, there are a TON of settings that you can customize to your own personal choices.

What's more, the device is extremely accurate. It gives good navigation advice, as it generally recommends very efficient routes. The turn-by-turn directions are clear in both text and graphic formats. And the recalculation function is a powerful feature that will give you the confidence that if you get off route, the GPS V will quickly put you back in the right direction.

The 19 Meg memory could potentially be limiting, but I have loaded all of Connecticut and Rhode Island, as well as most of Long Island, Massachusetts and Vermont, and it knows every road that I've come across. With a little planning (that's half the fun of traveling anyway!), you can easily have more than enough data in your unit to keep you well informed at your origin and destination. One point not commonly mentioned about this device is the quality of the built in map. Even before I downloaded a MapSource map, I was very impressed with the detail of interstates, state highways, exits and major roads which are pre-programmed into the unit for the entire US.

Well done, Garmin. You've got a new fan! ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

A few years ago, when personal GPSs first became available, every geek from here to Poughkeepsie was enthralled about the possibility of always knowing exactly where on the planet they were. While the Garmin eTrex isn't the most feature-rich GPS out there, it will definitely come in handy if you don't want your next camping trip to end up like a scene from The Blair Witch Project.

The eTrex is sort of a dumbed-down, rugged version of the company's more advanced eMap. Designed specifically for hiking, biking, and camping, the eTrex is one of the easiest-to-use GPS units available. It offers the ability to track up to 12 satellites so you never lose contact with one. The eTrex won't work inside--however, we don't anticipate that you'll get lost inside a building very often.

Among the eTrex's notable features is its ability to calculate your current and average speed. We used the eTrex to determine the distance from work to home, and calculate how fast we were walking. This helped us gauge the average time it should take to get to work. This feature should really come in handy on extended hiking, camping, or cycling trips where planning your average speed and tracking the distance traveled is critical.

&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspMain menu &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspMap page &nbsp&nbspPointer page &nbsp&nbspMark pointer page

Sticking with its theme of simplicity, the eTrex has only five buttons, making it easy to use with just one hand (It's specifically designed for the left hand.) Weighing only 5.3 ounces with the batteries installed, the eTrex is also ultralight, making it an easy addition to a daypack. The eTrex is also waterproof, so a little water shouldn't damage the unit.

The eTrex can hold up to 500 user-created waypoints. And using Garmin's TracBack feature, it's easy to plot a course with up to 10 waypoints and follow it in both directions. --Julian Strate

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Light
• Waterproof

• Batteries only last about 20 hours

Features

• Global positioning system (GPS) receiver continuously tracks and uses up to 12 satellites
• Calculates current and average speed, time of sunrise and sunset, trip distance, and more
• Automatic track log--10 saved tracks let you retrace your path in both directions
• Tough waterproof case; runs for 18 hours on 2 AA batteries
• Compatible with optional Garmin MapSource software for downloading trip and waypoint data (not map compatible)

Reviews (138)

Simple, accurate and cheap ... saved [me] first time out!
Just like two out of every five "guys" on the planet, owning a GPS (really cool compass) was a must..."I can't live with-out one". I picked up the "e-trex" vanilla flavored, hiking, biking and trail version. My intent was to use it in my truck, a little added nav equipment for map reading (make long trips less boring). The basic e-trex lacks the memory for *real travel* logistics (car excursions). A three-hour trip ate 98% of its memory and 70+% of battery life. I must add however, my expectations were minimal, given its price. It calculates your speed better then your speedometer, frightening!!! Make no mistake, you are being tracked!!! As far as bearing, speed, travel time, the basics, this little toy is a treat. It saved [me] when I became lost in the middle of Farmington, CA. not long ago. The sun was down, the ground flat and I... backwards. I remembered the e-trex after about two hours of endless rights and lefts (almost ended up in Yosemite!!!), fired that bad-boy up and was on Highway 99 in 20 minutes, headed home. Paid for itself that night. I highly recommend the basic e-trex as a very basic navigational aide. It does everything it's designed to and does it well. It's also a great "starter" for learning about GPS systems. *Note: This thing tracked my rate of speed to the .5 of a mile and was right on target, if you register one with a serial number, use your best friends name!!! Happy trekking...
Dave

Great for outdoor adventures but...
The etrex is a very good GPS system for the buck. It doesn't however include many features: compass, speedometer, a waypoint storage system, and a basic map showing only your waypoints. The unit is ideal though for camping, and any outdoor activities that you just need a point-to-point navigation for. The unit itself is very solid, VERY small, water-proof (to 30 feet), and will last about 20 hours on just 2 AA batteries. Amazing technology these days!

Keep in mind, the map on the unit does NOT include any detailed information (i.e cities, roads etc.), just your waypoints that you enter. It you want a GPS with a detailed mapping system (cities, roads, coastlines etc...) get either the Emap or the GPS III+. The III+ is the high-end "outdoors" GPS while the emap is made primarily for driving due to its great capability of data storage.

Overall Evaluation on Etrex: Excellent for the money, fun to use, simple, however not very practical.

Wildland Firefighter likes eTrex
For the price and its size, it's a 5 star product. Compared to many larger/pricer units it can be only a 3 star. This is a very competetive marketplace and with the removal of the military Selective Availablity coding on May 1st, you've got to take the big leap and buy one. The eTrex shows accuracy of 11-20 feet commonly. In reasonably dense conifer forests around 60 feet. Put yourself in the bottom of a canyon in that forest and you'll have to spend say 5 minutes positioning your GPS to get 100 foot accuracy. That will not work for surveyors, but you'll get back to where you started just fine. Again, the main reason for this success is the military making the accuracy available to all of us. By the way THANKS. This unit is a very reasonable entry GPS Some Problems with the eTrex: 1) Doesn't have a simple map in it and you can't download quality Topo maps onto it. 2) Smaller size means smaller antennae and its reception in timbered canyons is weak. 3) No external antennae hook-up for when in your car. 4) Does not have a built in compass capabilty for when using a bearing, like the very similar Garmin "Summit" model that will be released shortly.(The summit will cost about twice as much). You really need to use a quality compass with it. But, as you should know, GPS will not repace map and compass, just enhance it greatly. However, for your money, this a geat little unit.

Garmin has good reception
I own 3 GPS receivers and I will say Garmin did an excellent job. The receiver is much more sensitive to satellite signals than my other GPSs. Just don't expect too much from this small unit with tiny screen and very slow CPU for screen refresh. It will drive you nuts to use it for street navigation. It is suitable for back trailing in the mountains. For street navigate, I strongly suggest that you hook this unit up with a laptop but make sure that GPS is set to NMEA and the software GPS setting is also correct. Conclusion, don't street navigate with this unit alone and don't buy a no brand GPS under $90 because you will not be happy with the reception.

Eddy

"Keep It Simple Smarty" applies to this!!
This is a wonderful little unit, compact, light and very easy to use. I have worked with some other GPS units and this one is so simple for the minor simple functions! The unit has the ability to give you time for the time zone you are in, sunrise, sunset and many other functions. I have found this unit to work mainly outside, inside it seems to have troubles picking up the satellites, however if you are using this it is logical to be outdoors. I look forward to getting out on the trails now both hiking and biking, as I can map the trail I take. For someone that wants a simple unit, this is the way to go, as you cant beat the cost. For those that want all the big bells and whistles, keep looking. This unit gives a map of the trail but it is not going to give you every detail of area around you like some of the higher costing units. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Garmin's pocket-sized eTrex Legend C handheld GPS unit infuses Garmin's popular eTrex Legend with color, automatic routing, and longer battery life, making it one of the smallest, least expensive waterproof products to combine a color TFT display with advanced GPS auto-routing abilities. You won't miss a thing when you take this lightweight, easy-to-use handheld out hiking, biking, boating, or geocaching.

Find out how close you are to attractions as you travel.

The unit offers a bright, transflective color TFT display with daylight viewability, automatic route generation, off-route recalculation, turn-by-turn directions with alert tones, and icon-driven menus for finding points of interest (when combined with Garmin's optional MapSource CDs). You'll get up to 36 hours of use on two AA batteries. The unit offers 24 MB of internal memory and its mini-USB port lets you download map data rapidly from Garmin's library of MapSource CDs (not included) with your PC.

You'll enjoy outstanding accuracy of less than 3 meters (10 feet) when the device is enabled to receive enhanced GPS signals from the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) in the United States. Like on all eTrex units, the primary controls are located on the side of the unit, so you can operate it with one hand. An innovative rocker switch on its face makes inputting data easy, and with it you can scroll through menus or pan the map page.

An easy-to-read color map makes quick reading a snap.

Other key features of the eTrex Legend C include an auto-route basemap (featuring general map data like highways, major roads, rivers, lakes, and borders), a waterproof design (to IEC 60529 IPX7 standards--submersible in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes), 500 waypoints/routes/tracks (with graphic identification), 50 reversible routes, 20 saved tracks, 10,000 trackpoints, TracBack technology), alarms (proximity waypoint, anchor drag, and off-course, as well as a built-in alarm clock), a GPS patch antenna, selectable audio tones and color schemes, a stopwatch, a hunting/fishing calendar, sun/moon calculations, and a trip computer.

The Legend C includes a built-in, permanent basemap, Americas Recreational, which cannot be altered. The Americas Recreational Routable Basemap v2 includes the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central and South America, and covers an area from longitude 30 to 180 degrees west and latitude from 60 degrees south to 75 degrees north. It includes a high-level, worldwide map featuring borders and major cities.

Standard map coverage includes oceans, rivers, lakes greater than 30 square miles, lakes greater than 5 square miles in the U.S. and southern Canada, lakes greater than 10 square miles in central and northern Canada, principal cities, some smaller cities and towns, major interstates, principal highways, political boundaries (state and international borders), major airports, and a database of Interstate exits for the Federal Interstate highway system. This last includes many establishments within about 1/4 mile of exits, including restaurants; diesel and gas stations; hotels, motels, and inns; overnight RV parking; dumps; campgrounds; truck stops; medical facilities; shopping and outlet malls; ATMs; and many more such attractions.

What's in the Box
The eTrex Legend C, a basemap (Americas Recreational), the MapSource trip and waypoint manager CD, a PC-USB interface cable, a wrist strap, a quick-reference guide, a user's manual, and warranty information. ... Read more

Features

• 256-color, sunlight-readable display makes it easy to distinguish map details and see where you're going
• Automatic route generation, off-route recalculation, turn-by-turn directions with alert tones, and icon-driven menus for finding points of interest (when combined with Garmin's optional MapSource CDs) navigate you safely to your destination
• Mini-USB port for fast, convenient download of map data from Garmin's entire library of optional MapSource CDs (using a PC)
• 36-hour battery life; 24 MB internal memory
• Waterproof to IEC 60529 IPX7 standards (submersible in 1 meter of water for up to 30 minutes)

Amazon.com Product Description

The Forerunner 101 offers athletes an easy-to-read display and integrated GPS sensor that provides precise speed, distance, and pace data--all in one compact unit that straps to your wrist. It’s a lightweight, accurate training assistant with performance tracking, auto-lap, auto-pause and more. And because it is a high quality Garmin GPS device, you get many of the features GPS users have come to rely on, such as precise latitude, longitude, and altitude data. The Forerunner 101 is easy to use right out of the box and it delivers the benefits of GPS technology.

Although it lacks the rechargeable battery and PC connectivity features of the Forerunner 201, the 101 retains all of the other great features of the 201, at an even more affordable price. The Virtual Partner feature allows you to set your training goal by configuring your Virtual Partner’s pace and workout distance. You'll get a graphic perspective of your performance by viewing your pace in relation to your Virtual Partner’s pace, so you can always see at a glance if you're keeping up or falling behind.

Almost as important as the training device itself are the accessories to integrate it with your active lifestyle. If you're into cycling, the best way to keep an eye on your GPS while you ride is with a bike mount bracket that straps to the handlebars of your bike, motorcycle, or whatever you're traveling with for easy viewing.

	 
 	 	 
Auto Menu: Timer pauses when you stop running. Auto lap logs your performance over a pre-determined distance.	 	History: Review training history by day or week.
 	 	 
	 
 	 	 
Map: Navigate back to the start or to a stored location.	 	Virtual Partner: Set time, pace, and distance goals, and train with a "virtual partner".

Other Forerunner 101 features:

• Mark specific locations, and then look-up and navigate to these points using an electronic map.
• Amount of calories burned can be tracked and calculated over the course of a workout.
• Lap history--such as lap time, lap distance, and average pace--can be stored for 5000 laps.
• Performance data can be automatically archived and calculated to provide an accurate record.
• Automated stopwatch provides auto-lap and auto-pause features.
• Pace whistle sounds alert when you begin traveling slower or faster than your desired pace.
• Time and distance whistles can be set to sound when you reach a specified duration or distance in your workout.

What's in the box:
Forerunner 101 unit, wrist strap, manual, and quickstart guide ... Read more

Features

• Calculates precise speed, location, and altitude as you workout
• Integrated mapping functions display your progress on your favorite routes
• Stores lap times, distances, and calories burned
• Waterproof
• Adjustable wristband

Reviews (8)

The Most Useful Fitness Computer You Can Buy
I've purchased heart rate monitors, altimeters, and computer software as training aids in the past. Their quality was always subpar, and their utility was limited to a small set of variables. Inevitibly, I was still required to use a pen, paper and calculator to figure out much of the training info I needed. In addition, few of these gadgets were helpful in motivating me. I purchased the Forerunner 101 so that I could track my distance and my pace accurately while I ran. Because it is so incredibly accurate, I can run on any of the trails around my house and still know how far I've gone. The unit has been designed extremely well. The numbers YOU want to see are large. The readability of the LCD is excellent. The price makes the product a GREAT value for the money. The quality overall is outstanding. The unit itself is well designed--The Garmin design team needs to be congratulated. Yes, it's a bit heavy, but for the functions it performs, it's well worth it. The Virtual Partner is a waste of time for me. But when I run an official race, I'm sure I'll use it. Like many of the other reviewers, I wish the Forerunner 201 was equiped with AA batteries, as I simply don't trust ION batteries to hold out for much longer than 3 years. This is one of the best fitness products that you can buy!!

Very satisfied
First let me say that I am not an avid runner and to be quite honest I have hated the sport of running. (sorry) Because I am in the military we are required to run so I have had to take up the sport. The biggest problem I had though was finding a way to pace myself and train. Everyone has their own suggestion but to follow most regimens you had to know exactly how far and fast you are running.
Now to the forerunner. Since I have purchase this running has become enjoyable. It has always worked very well even in wooded areas and only takes a short time to lock on. It gives you so much information and can do so many things to help one train and pace!! It is very easy to use and to download to the computer. The log book is also excellent and allows one to keep track of distance, time, pace, calories, etc. It has allowed me to run where ever I want and not have to figure out beforehand how long of a run it will be. Only once did it miscalculate my speed (ran a 5 minute mile; I wish).
The only problem I had was when I first got it and had trouble following the instructions for set up. Also one needs to download the new software for the forerunner and log book which fixes freezes.
Again from a non-runner, I would highly recommend it!

love, love, love, love it!!!
That being said, I only give it 4 stars because I kind of miss the ability to link to my computer (I'm an ultra geek). Still, Lion batteries ONLY have a life of 3 years max - don't let anyone tell you otherwise - and 3 years it won't be NEAR it's original life. EVEN IF it were brand new out of the box, Lion chemistry starts to decay the day after it comes off the manufacturing line - do some research on the internet - that's why the whole slew of ipods are all dying right now.

Enough said - AAA batteries was the primary reason I bought this. Truth is, I rarely keep gadgets long enough to worry about the batteries, but I like passing them on to family and friends and I'd like them to get something that they can use for a couple of years too... Plus, I like putting in a fresh set of batteries every week and not having to worry if it's fully charged... (I use rechargeable AAA's).

All the other reviewers have already covered the basics of the watch. Very easy to use, backlight is amazing at night. History and data compilation are interesting.

What I really wanted to convey is that I was on the fence about this for over a month. Was it worth the money? Would I use it enough? Without a doubt - YES! If it broke today I'd buy a new one tomorrow. The best thing about it is freedom.

I'm pretty anal - most serious runners are. I stick to the exact same path so I can get statistics, make sure I'm sticking to my pace, make sure I ran the distance I intended, compare my run with previous runs. After a while though, it can get a little boring. All of a sudden, I put this on and I'm free from all that. I can run anywhere, I run spontaneously - but a glance down at my wrist and I know how far I've run, I know I'm keeping pace, EVERYTHING. And that little training buddy is pretty cool too - although I usually just like the raw data screen...

I hope in future versions they'll integrate a heart rate monitor. I have one now but can't bring myself to wear two devices at a time...

-jr

Why AAA Batteries (101) Best Internal Batteries (201)
I chose to buy the Forerunner 101 rather than the 201 precisely because of its power system. First, rechargeable AAA batteries are relatively cheap, and they last forever. They are also small, and while traveling I'd rather lug around two extra small batteries than a recharging cord. Moreover, in a pinch, you can always find a store that sells standard AAA batteries. Additionally, who wants to wait for the internal batteries to recharge - I'd rather always have a fresh set of rechargeable AAA's on hand.
With this said, it was a tough choice deciding between the 101 and the 201. If only the 101 came with the uploading capabilities of the 201. That, in my mind, would have been the best of both worlds. In the end, I opted for the 101.

The Forerunner 201 for those on a budget
The Garmin Forerunner 101 is exactly the same as the popular Forerunner 201, with a couple of small changes. Being the case, I won't review the actual product since everything that needs to be said about it's GPS features can be found in the reviews for the Forerunner 201.

The most notable difference with the 101 is that it uses 2 AAA batteries istead of being rechargeable like the 201. At first I thought this was a big detraction to buying it, but it's really not that bad. Battery life is decent, although not as high as with the 201, which gets up to 13 hours of use on a full charge. But if you're not a marathon runner and just run a few miles on your runs, this shouldn't matter much. The only hassle is having the batteries go dead during the middle of a run, which really sucks if you're into knowing exactly how far you've gone. You have to keep an eye on the battery life before going out. The batteries don't really effect the weigh or size of the product though.

The second major difference is that this unit does not interface with your PC. This also isn't too big of a problem because, currently, the Garmin software is really lacking. Hopefully they will improve on it with time, but the PC software is nowhere near as nice as it could be at this stage. You can view a graph of your altitude for your run, and graphs of your pace and speed, and that's about it. Otherwise the software is really crummy. You can't even zoom in on your map like you can with the actual unit.

If you're serious about running, I would highly suggest the Forerunner 201 over this product, mainly because the price difference is so negligible. You can find the 201 for only about $20 more than this model, and the extra money is well worth the rechargeability of the 201 and freedom from the batteries. But if you really can't afford the cost, you're not going to be hurting too much with the 101. ... Read more

Product Description

GPS unit with built-in antenna and protective cover * 20-gigabyte hard drive (10 for navigation, 10 for MP3 file storage) * industrial-strength casing sealed to prevent internal corrosion * 5" diagonal, color TFT display offers exceptional visibility * Map Mode accesses detailed road maps of the United States and Canada, with over 2 million points of interest * ... Read more

Features

• Stores up to 5,000 MP3 files depending on compression rates and song lengths
• Measures 6.1 x 4.5 x 2.15 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty
• Combination vehicle GPS navigation system and MP3 player with 5-inch color TFT display
• Built-in 20 GB hard drive with 10 GB for maps and 10 GB for MP3 files
• Built-in precision GPS WAAS receiver with 12 parallel channels

Reviews (5)

Brilliant!
This unit does everything I expect it to do and does so effortlessly straight out of the box. You don't have to load maps or install software- it's all pre-loaded. It's a high technology product your mom can learn to use in 10 minutes (from you, not the manual) even if her VCR is still flashing "12:00".

I like the fact that the iWay is waterproof (submergible 3 feet for 1/2 of an hour) because mine will spend some time on motorcycle handlebars in questionable weather. The iWay seems extremely well made and rugged. It's surprisingly heavy for its size and definately a "form-follows-function" product rather than a stylized one. It seems kind of "military specification", if you know what I mean. It does draw a lot of current (the heat sink on the back runs quite hot to the touch), if your cigarette lighter stays active when your engine is off make sure that you shut your iWay off when you leave the car or you'll risk having a dead battery.

If you get "off route" for any reason the route recalculation is quite fast.

It has a default "safety mode" that prevents you from making entries while you're moving- I guess it figures that you've got your hands full driving whilst drinking a latte and talking on your cell phone- that's probably for the best. You can defeat that function and put it in "passanger mode" but it will start up next time in "safety mode" again.

The "find address" function works very well once you realize that this is only an educated guess at where, within say 100 feet, the actual numerical address is located. You will be on the right street and it will tell you which side it's on.

I bought mine "1-click" through Amazon's partner "GPS for YOU". I ordered it mid-morning on a Wednesday and it was delivered by DHL the following morning! Over a week ahead of the estimated delivery date and I didn't request overnight delivery! After sale customer service has been very responsive.

Three little first day disapointments-

1) My unit was missing the rubberized flexible RAM dashboard mount referenced in the Amazon description. I called Lowrance (pronounced "low-rantz", by the way) and was informed that it's no longer included with the unit but available as an accesory for $40. The handlebar mounts are $30 in black or $70 in chrome.

2) I thought that my unit was defective because it didn't register my touch-pad key entries when they were on the left or bottom edges of the screen. It turns out that there's a set-up procudure to teach it exactly where the keys are (it pays to read the manual). The set-up takes less than a minute. Alas, the keyboard layout is alphabetic rather than "qwerty".

3) iTunes files aren't mp3 so you can't just transfer your music library directly to the iWay without converting the to mp3. I imagine that this can be done, but I bet it's not going to be pretty.

Best GPS
best gps in car good price nice features is the best, mp3 20 hard drive no spend money in SD cards. HAVE ALL ACCESSORIES big screen .nice buy recommend.

Highly Recommended
The iWay 500c is an incredible GPS that will rate at the top and at a lower price than anything with comparable features.You can read the specs yourself, what follows are my impressions of the unit.

The package includes 2 separate RAM-Mounts (one dash board and one windshield).I am new to RAM-Mounts and am very impressed with these excellent brackets.Additional RAM-mounts are available at a very reasonable price if you need them.

Also included are 3 power cords 1) automotive cigarette lighter, 2) a battery connection cable, 3) a 120v cable/cigarette female for indoor use.An external amplifying antenna is also included.

The screen is large and easy to read in all light conditions.There are 4 levels of back lighting.The touch screen and buttons work well and the interface is intuitive.The auto-zoom works great too.

The road selection software is good, but could use a little tweaking.My only complaint is that the "slider bar" to select more or less interstate seems to be basically an on-off switch.I would prefer to see a mixture of interstate and back roads at some intermediate setting.The good news is that Lowrance has already updated the software, which is easily downloadable and installed from the Internet.Hopefully they will continue to improve the road selection algorithm.

When I purchased the unit, I wondered how well the voice commands would work with the built in MP3 player.It turns out that they work better than expected.There are several setting for the voice commands and they will temporarily silence the music for instructions just as I had hoped.

Besides everything else that I mentioned one of the best things that I like about the iWay 500c is that it is waterproof to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes!This is perfect for motorcycle touring, which is my primary intended use.Of course with all of the mounting hardware and power cords, this unit is easily moved to my automobile.

This is a perfect GPS for motorcycling touring.I normally use a computer based GPS in the car, but I will switch to the Lowrance because it is incredibly easy to read and use, boots up in a matter of seconds (unlike my PC), and is very portable.In my research on GPS's the iWay 500c is a best value.

Great Navigator, Great Price, Best in Class
This little piece of gadgetry is absolutely wonderful. The large screen is the perfect size and is very clear and easy to read with a glance.It navigates great, you can switch from track up to north up to 3D view with a simple touch of the touch screen.It finds addresses and waypoints easily.It comes with all of the accessories made for it, including the external antennae.This fact makes it extremely adaptable and friendly.The voice directions are clear and correct.The price is great, especially if you shop around a bit. With its 10GB of MP3 I don't really use my 6 disc changer any more!

What I like:large color screen that can be read at a glance, lots of accessories, accuracy, Price.Certainly the best for the money.

What could be better:If the music player loaded wma as well as the MP3 and Ogg it now takes.If it had MGRS.If you could download waypoints from you computer so that you didn't have to add them individually.

Exactly what I was looking for!
Finally, I have found the answer to our new vehicle purchase. We recently bought a new Ford Excusrion with all of the bells and whistles.... almost, anyway. As Ford doesn't have a decent Nav system available, and we didnt want to give up the in-dash 6 CD changer and steering wheel audio controls, we decided to go aftermarket on the nav. I came across this unit in Las Vegas and bought it, as it offered the turn-by-turn instructions and 3D mapping I was looking for. After a 6 hour drive back home, I am completely sold on the model. The unit is built very ruggedized, and looks as if it can take a lot of punishment. The navigation performed flawlessly and found a new route quickly after I decided I didn't want to go the way it told me to. The kit contains several mounting options.... a real plus! On the dash of the Excursion, the large 5" screen fits right in, without being obtrusive. I am looking into some mounting options, however. I will also be installing a seperate under-dash audio system for the nav, as I don't want to parallel the audio in with the XM modulator. Very nice unit. I hope that it holds up all the same years from now. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

GoodAuto Routing, Not So Good Database
I've been using a Garmin E-Trex for some driving navigation (not it's main purpose) for some time.Having wanted something better for driving, I saw this as an inexpensive solution to use my laptop and have large screen GPS navigation.In short, the active navigation direction (including voice) work pretty well, the large display (my laptop) is great, but the database and route management tools lack.

Having only used this H/W & S/W (the included Street Atlas) for a few days, I'm sure I haven't figured it all out.Still, I quickly found that the database only knows about one of the several Home Depot stores in my area.I looked for the hotel I'll be staying at on an upcoming trip, and it is not in the database.A two year old street in a newer nearby residential street is not present.In each of these cases, my Garmin MapSource s/w had these elements, and the level of detail and accuracy are better, too.I've found work arounds by creating waypoints where I know things I'll be going to are located (Delorme won't let me move an existing waypoint that I've created, so if it's not right, delete and recreate).I'll probably use it for such things as our RV traveling, but when I want to find the nearest hardware store... well most anything, I'll pull out my little E-Trex. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Take care of all your instrument needs with the Magellan Meridian Platinum Global Positioning System receiver. This rugged handheld GPS unit coordinates data from up to 12 satellites to pinpoint your location anywhere on the globe, and it includes a barometer and a three-axis digital compass. The 16 MB database provides details on U.S. cities, interstates, major roads, and airports. The Meridian Platinum's Secure Digital Memory Card slot allows you to slide in a data card to get even more detail, or use a memory card to store waypoints and routes.

The Meridian Platinum is PC compatible and stores up to 500 waypoints and 20 reversible routes with up to 30 legs. It also comes with a quadrifilar helix antenna for optimal satellite signal reception and fast position fixes. WAAS and EGNOS capability adds to the versatility of this receiver, which can be operated in English, French, German, Dutch, Finnish, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, or Swedish.

See your exact position on the Meridian Platinum's seven navigation screens and vertical profile graphs that show elevations of the route traveled. The oversized grayscale display allows you to easily see location information and comes with a backlight and backlit keypad for use even in dim light. Waterproof rubber armoring and an ergonomic, compact design add to the Meridian Platinum's functionality.

The Meridian Platinum is compatible with Magellan's MapSend software, including MapSend Streets Europe and the recently released MapSend Topo for the United States. Vehicle, bike, and swivel mounts are sold separately. ... Read more

Features

• 12-channel GPS unit with 16 MB base map, barometer, and 3-axis digital compass
• Built-in database of U.S. cities, interstates, major roads, and airports
• Secure Digital memory-card slot for expanded storage
• Waterproof; rugged, ergonomic design
• Oversize gray-scale screen with backlight; includes serial PC interface

Reviews (32)

Awesome GPS unit!
It took me a very long time (3 months or so) of comparing just about every Garmin and Magellan units before choosing the Meridian Platinum and I am *extremely* pleased with my final decision.

The Meridian Platinum is very easy to use (didn't have to read the manual and this is my first GPS). I was up and running with it in about 15 minutes.

I use this GPS for GeoCaching as well as street navigation in the car and it's excellent for both applications. One of the deciding factors for me was that the Magellan units are not as proprietary as the Garmin ones: for instance, using SanDisk memory cards is possible with Magellan but not Garmin. Considering the price that either Magellan or Garmin charge for those bits of silicon, going with the SanDisk option is a no-brainer.

For street navigation, the MapSend Topo software is a *must have* since the basemap shipping with the Platinum is really weak in details. Even though the MapSend software is a bit outdated, it's still a good buy.

I also purchased a 64Meg SanDisk SD card and a Cruzer SD card reader/writer to avoid using the serial connection for loading maps. Works like a charm! Loading a 32 Meg map only takes a few seconds as opposed to hours over the serial link.

I have not experienced any problems with the MapSend Topo software or GPS lock-ups as reported by a previous reviewer. However, I *did* upgrade the GPS firmware (free download from the Magellan site) before messing with the MapSend Topo software.

While the MapSend Topo software is necessary to upload new maps to the GPS, it's not great to plan trips with it. For that purpose, I find DeLorme's TOPO USA 4.0 to be excellent.

But when it comes to the management of routes built from waypoints, nothing beats the "EasyGPS" software. Even high-end products from DeLorme or Magellan aren't as good just for that purpose.

Overall this is a BIG thumbs up for this unit. The only downside may be how the GPS eats batteries (the electronic compass of the GPS has something to do with it but can be disabled to increase the battery life if needed) and for this reason, NiMH rechargeable batteries are a must.

Great Unit-Barometer feature over rated-compared w/Marine
I must say I really like the Platinum GPS. I used a friends Marine unit several times, which sold me on Megellan. I used both units (marine & my Platinum) side by side while driving. Every display was identical b/w the two units. The Platinum has some features the Marine doesn't. For the extra money, you otta get something. The base data b/w the two are almost if not identical. I didn't look that close. For the Money the Marine is a great unit. I decided to spend a few extra bucks (which I will discuss later)and get the Platinum because of the built in Barometer and electronic compass features.
The Barometer is accurate, but so what, I don't see the need. The compass works very well except while moving at hiway speeds. If you're a hicker/camper the feature is great but why not save a few Bucks and buy a regular compass and get one of the more accurate Sports Trak Models?
The Thermometer works, but once again who cares about the temp is inside the car?
...BR>Over all the Platinum is a great GPS for what it was built for. Think twice about the Barometer and Compass features. If I did it over I would buy either the Sports Trak or the Gold.

A full featured GPS receiver
I've been using my my MeriPlat on almost a weekly basis for over half a year now. I'm very happy with the purchase! The features I love most are the SD slot and the three-axis magnetic compass...meaning it works while held vertically, horizontally, or on it's side. It also has a superior built-in antenna when compared to Garmin's Etrex series of receivers. I've been out in the woods with friends who had Etrex. They periodically lost signal reception while I stayed locked in. The MeriPlat even works inside the house away from windows! In fact, the only time I have ever lost signal was under heavy tree canopy during a down pour. I highly recommend buying Magellan's Direct Route software...it gives the unit turn by turn routing ability and works great!

Warning: Does NOT meet specs
When I first got the unit, I loved it. It appeared accurate, though it took a long time to acquire satellites at times. In fact, many times my Delorme Earthmate would acquire within 15 seconds, and the Meridian would take several minutes (while moving in a car sitting on the dash). The ability to use SD/MMC cards and load maps onto the unit was great for general usage. I used Magellan GPS for everything, from hiking, kayaking, driving, to boating.

HOWEVER, the specs say that the unit is IPX7 compliant, which means accidental submersion underwater for up to 30 minutes in 1 meter of water. I was in a kayak, got hit by a wave with the Meridian in my pocket, and was in less than 1 meter of water for less than 15 seconds, and water made it's way into the unit.

I sent Magellan/Thales navigation an email and gave them a call but was not given much help, even though I own multiple Magellan products (including the GPS companion, etc...). They noted that I could have it serviced for $150, which is what an new unit cost (this was not the platinum edition, but it is the same form factor and same case). All customer service would tell me is that sometimes water may enter through the keypad area. Well, if water enters through the keypad area, how can they advertise that it is IPX7 compliant?

I may be an isolated incident. However, with the customer service I received, I don't think I would ever buy another Magellan product, and will probably get rid of the rest of my Magellan products. I think the product design, features, usability, and intuitiveness is great, just the product does not perform up to expectations or promise. I would also consider customer service as well.

This Is the Best GPS Available
Two years ago, after extensive research, I purchased my Magellan Meridian Platinum. I have used it for automobile travel, geocaching, and to just play around with. It is a reliable and extremely accurate GPS. I spent last weekend geocaching (if unfamiliar with the term check out www.geocaching.com)locating 8 caches. The "MeriPlat" got me to within feet of each item. It is easy to use, most screens can be customized, and is very rugged. I have both MapSend Streets & Destinations and Topo and have found them to be acceptable for my use. With a SD card you can load several map areas and select them as needed. Documentation accompanying the GPS is lacking but there are several excellent user groups on Yahoo that provide all the information you need to squeeze every bit of functionality out of your MeriPlat. Two years after it was introduced, the Meridian Platinum is still one of the best GPS units available in its price range. You cannot go wrong with this GPS. Good luch and happy geocaching. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

With 16 MB of built-in map data and a Secure Digital Memory Card slot, the Magellan Meridian Gold Global Positioning System receiver gives you almost unlimited ability to access and store location information. This rugged handheld GPS unit coordinates data from up to 12 satellites to pinpoint your location anywhere on the globe. The Meridian Gold's 16 MB base map gives you detailed information on U.S. cities, interstates, and waterways. Slide in a data card to get even more detail, or use a memory card to store waypoints and routes.

The Meridian Gold is PC compatible and stores up to 500 waypoints and 20 reversible routes with up to 30 legs. It also comes with a quadrifilar helix antenna for optimal satellite signal reception and fast position fixes. WAAS and EGNOS capability adds to the versatility of this receiver, which can be operated in English, French, German, Dutch, Finnish, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, or Swedish.

See your exact position on the Meridian Gold's seven navigation screens and vertical-profile graphs that show elevations of the route traveled. The oversized grayscale display allows you to easily see location information and comes with a backlight and backlit keypad for use even in dim light. Waterproof rubber armoring and an ergonomic, compact design add to the Meridian Gold's functionality.

The Meridian Gold is compatible with Magellan's MapSend software, including MapSend Streets Europe and the recently released MapSend Topo for the United States. Vehicle, bike, and swivel mounts are sold separately. ... Read more

Features

• 12-channel GPS unit with 16 MB base map
• Built-in detail on U.S. cities, interstate highways, major roads, parks, waterways, and airports
• Secure Digital memory-card slot for expanded storage
• Waterproof; rugged, ergonomic design
• Oversize gray-scale screen with backlight; includes serial PC interface

Reviews (24)

Meridian Gold
After much deliberation and comparison between various Magellan and Garmin GPS units, I chose to go with the Meridian Gold.
The larger screen size and resolution, the relatively large 16MB base map, and the ability to add more detail using secure disk modules helped to make my final decision.
I purchased MapSend Topo software and a SanDisk secure digital card. The only downside has been that I got a 64MB card and the Topo software will only load a total 32MB or 4 8MB region size maps, which renders half of my storage useless. As others have wrote, when zooming in all the way you may be off the road a bit, otherwise the unit and map interface seem to be real accurate. The specifications say 7 to 3 meter accuracy which seems hold up. The MapSend Topo software seems to have a lot of detail for the money, probalbly more than I'll ever need.
Iv'e used the unit mainly in my truck so far with no lost signals and Iv'e even been able to get a position in my house. When the weather gets warmer I'll use it with my biking. Neat Unit.

Magellan Meridian Gold - The Good, Bad & Ugly
After much comparison of Magellan and Garmin GPS, I plunked my $$ down on Magellen.

Purchase decision - My impression from OTHER reviews and info for Magellan was great hardware, weak software but considering all pluses, minuses and price points and my usage: hiking, biking, back-country skiing, driving, boating, I chose a Magellan Meridian Gold, 32meg memory, and Mapsend Topo Sofware. Keep in mind there's a lot to choose from and yet none seemed PERFECT.

I've now had it for 2 weeks of vacation time biking, hiking, driving and land surveying in S. Utah. I monkeyed with this unit everyday, becoming completely familiar with it's usage.

The Good: Solid, durable hardware. The Gold has a great feel, is a good size and fits into any of my outdoor shirt pockets. It holds satellite signal extremely well in trees, 2nd story house, Utah canyons. Solid feeling buttons and rubber armoring are all great. Seems to do very well on batteries using roughly a pair or less a day. (I already have a charger and extra batteries from my digital camera and headlamps).

The Bad: Mapsend topo software at 1:100,000 is not really precise at closest level. However, the amount of built in software and downloaded maps are sufficient for my usage and I can imagine the memory and processor speed needed for 1:24,000 topos. Also on the positive side Mapsend and Magellan built-in software has a ton of info! It's great having altitude, moon/sun info, vertical trip projections, and much more.

The Ugly: Magellan's method of setting routes and backtracking is absolutely terrible for my usage. I am so annoyed with this, I would return it if I hadn't already used it 2 weeks. Here's the deal -

If you go out for the day and retrace your route exacty, or just set it for the car in general it works very well. But so does a few cents worth of flagging, popcorn, or the cheapest GPS available.

In reality, I usually go on a hike, bike, or ski in some type of semi circle and at some point want to return to my nearest backtrack point and THEN start backtracking. I want the unit to beep when I get near the next point and keep counting them down. In the canyonlands of Utah and backcountry skiing here in Jackson Hole, Wyoming this could really be useful.

However, this ONLY works easily if you exacty retrace your trail.

So... in everyday usage where you aren't going exactly back down your same trail (why have a GPS?) you have to build a route with the GPS and/or go through the user database and select the nearest backtrack points. And then if you don't keep manually going through the database and selecting the next point, it will just keep pointing back at the last one. This is ridiculously time consuming on a day hike and makes operating the GPS the whole excecise instead of enjoying the outdoors. THIS SEEMS LIKE IT COULD BE EASILY CHANGED BY MAGELLAN BY SOFWARE PROGRAMMING.

More ugly: Really ugly.

Okay, so you set waypoints along your way using the GPS. Great, it does this well with 2 clicks. But THEN what??? It's back to the problem above.

It takes SEVEN screen operations and even more arrowing buttons to get a single one of these into a route. This completely insenses me. I could walk around circles for a day and eventually catch up to my wife and find the car in the time it takes to make a route! WHY CAN'T MAGELLAN MAKE IT SO I SELECT ALL THE POINTS FOR A ROUTE AT ONCE!!!???? How about storing waypoints in separate databases to start with? Or using two buttons in a computer-like fashion to highlight and select?

THEN: after I've got a route made HOW ABOUT if the GPS allows me to select manual or automatic retracing???? In other words, I want to go on a trip and set waypoints along the way. (Remember this is easy) Then, no matter where I am when I want to return to camp, I dump all my waypoints into memory in a few clicks, point the way to the nearest, and as I approach each new one, (automatic mode) the GPS beeps and rolls over to the next (lower number) waypoint.

If Magellan would make route setting and retracing easy, this would be a real must-have piece of gear for all my trips. At present, it's an electronic toy to play with while walking on flat ground or while my wife is driving the car. To give it the benefit of the doubt is also perhaps a good last resort safety measure so that if I get really lost I know where the nearest town is.

The annoying part is it is so close to being great, but Magellan's software programmers apparently never leave the office!

One last word - I find the Gold a great decision over the Platinum for using less batteries, having less to break, not needing re-calibrated everytime you change the batteries (daily) and knowing I haven't paid even more for some hardware that is mostly a toy because of the software behind it. Plus, I wouldn't go somewhere I could really get lost without a basic topo map and compass!

Three Stars overall for amazing toy that gives you info from satellites in outer space!

GREAT GPS
This is a great gps. After using the Magellan Meridian Gold, i fell in love with it. it was easy to use, fits in your hand nice, and has a easy to read large screen. It was a little bigger than i thought it would be but seems a little more rugged than the little Garmin's. I compared prices and brands and decided to get the Meridian Gold. I bought min eat Wal-Mart for $199.83 which was about as cheap as I could find it on the web. I would strongly recomend this GPS. It is a good price for what you get, maps aren't graet but overall is great GPS. Good buy, good GPS.

Excellent value
After comparing all the various Garmin and Magellan models, I went with the Meridian Gold because of the large basemap and the sale price ($199 when I got it). The included map was quite accurate in the US, but when we went over to Canada the map had us 100 feet out into Lake Ontario while parked on the beach.

Where this receiver really shines is with the new (optional) MapSend DirectRoute software. The Navtech maps are high-quality and quite recent, too. I live in a new subdivision and all the streets are correctly listed. With a 128MB SD card as storage, I can get about a quarter of the entire US down to the street level loaded. With DirectRoute loaded, the Meridian Gold is pretty good at street address routing. It's only suggested one bizarre route, but once I passed the unusual turn, I pressed Reroute and it correctly recomputed the remainder of the trip to my house. (Of course, had I followed it, I may have had a shorter trip, but it was a state highway with traffic lights instead of the usual Interstate.)

When used with the freeware QuakeMap, the unit correctly locked my home waypoint right in the middle of my driveway on the aerial photos. (Good, of course, because that's where I was standing when I took the fix!)

For the money, this is a nice unit to have, and with the extra DirectRoute software, a much cheaper alternative to the standalone vehicle GPS nav systems.

Warning: Product does NOT meet specifications
When I first got the unit, I loved it. It appeared accurate, though it took a long time to acquire satellites at times. In fact, many times my Delorme Earthmate would acquire within 15 seconds, and the Meridian would take several minutes (while moving in a car sitting on the dash). The ability to use SD/MMC cards and load maps onto the unit was great for general usage. I used Magellan GPS for everything, from hiking, kayaking, driving, to boating.

HOWEVER, the specs say that the unit is IPX7 compliant, which means accidental submersion underwater for up to 30 minutes in 1 meter of water. I was in a kayak, got hit by a wave with the Meridian in my pocket, and was in less than 1 meter of water for less than 15 seconds, and water made it's way into the unit.

I sent Magellan/Thales navigation an email and gave them a call but was not given much help, even though I own multiple Magellan products (including the GPS companion, etc...). They noted that I could have it serviced for $150, which is what an new unit cost (this was not the platinum edition, but it is the same form factor and same case). All customer service would tell me is that sometimes water may enter through the keypad area. Well, if water enters through the keypad area, how can they advertise that it is IPX7 compliant?

I may be an isolated incident. However, with the customer service I received, I don't think I would ever buy another Magellan product, and will probably get rid of the rest of my Magellan products. I think the product design, features, usability, and intuitiveness is great, just the product does not perform up to expectations or promise. I would also consider customer service as well. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

There's a lot to Magellan's small, cool eXplorist 200 handheld GPS navigation device beyond its vibrant yellow exterior. Inside and out, the eXplorist is built to provide real GPS (global-positioning system) abilities for serious outdoor use--from its tough, impact-resistant, waterproof exterior to Magellan's proven, powerful, and easy-to-use technology. The eXplorist 200 rewrites the rules by proving you can spend less and actually get more.

The eXplorist 200 includes all-new Magellan TrueFix technology with a 14-parallel-channel, WAAS/EGNOS-enabled GPS receiver to provide precise position fixes within 3 meters while ensuring reliable, accurate satellite-signal acquisition and tracking. Small, lightweight and easy-to-use, anyone can pick it up and get going without studying a manual. Among its many features, the eXplorist 200 offers 3 navigation screens with track plotting to help you find the fun--then find your way back.

Explorers will appreciate Magellan's 1-button access, which takes you directly to the functions that matter most: the menu, navigation screens, personal points-of-interest, "go to" routing, and backlight. In addition, the eXplorist 200 stores up to 500 waypoints, 20 routes, and 5 track logs with up to 2,000 points each, providing ample storage even for avid navigators. The unit also supplies a built-in North American background map, which offers convenient access to roads, parks, waterways, airports, and more.

Designed for compact, fit-in-your-pocket convenience, the eXplorist receiver measures just 4.6 x 2.1 x 1.3 inches (11,7 cm x 5,4 cm x 3,3 cm) and weighs less than 4 ounces (115 g), yet still has room for a large, 2.3-inch (5.8 cm), 4-level grayscale LCD. A zoom capability and an amber backlight ensure optimum viewing, even at night.

The unit's rugged exterior is cased in a rubber-armored, impact-resistant shell that is waterproof to the rigid IPX-7 standard. The eXplorist 200 is ready for adventure in all conditions and terrain, whether you'll be hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, mountain biking, or simply finding your way around a new area. ... Read more

Features

• TrueFix technology with a 14-parallel-channel, WAAS/EGNOS-enabled GPS receiver provides precise position fixes within 3 meters
• 2.3-inch, grayscale LCD offers zoom and an amber backlight; unit's rubber-armored, impact-resistant shell is waterproof to the IPX-7 standard
• Stores up to 500 waypoints, 20 routes, and 5 track logs with up to 2,000 points each
• Built-in North American background map offers convenient access to roads, parks, waterways, airports, more
• 1-button control takes you to important functions like menu, nav screens, personal points-of-interest, "go to" routing, and backlight

Product Description

Door-to-door planning in the United States

The smartest portable car navigator

• USB 2.0 for faster data transfers
• Assisted Satellite Navigation allows continuous navigation, even in tunnels

• Just plug in, switch on & GO
• Simple touch-screen operation
• Clear, accurate turn-by-turn voice instructions
• Compact, portable design; easy to take from car to car
• Crystal-clear 3D graphics
• View route: review and test the calculated route before you actually start driving
• Dynamic status bar: improve readability by customizing status bar
• Tip feature: discover everything GO has to offer through useful onscreen tips
• Extensive guided tour: pick up the features even quicker and get the maximum out of your TomTom GO

• Integrated GPS antenna
• Speaks more than 30 languages in over 50 voices
• User interface: now including 18 languages
• A choice of routes: quickest, shortest or avoiding toll roads
• Itinerary planning: plan your trip by defining multiple waypoints and destinations
• Millions of points of interest
• Compass mode available: displays compass on screen to have even more orientation while driving
• Car speed linked volume: volume of voice instructions will increase/decrease depending on speed of car
• Anti-glare screen; always an optimal view, even in direct sunlight
• Improved on/off button: prevents the device to turn off by accident

• Built-in Bluetooth™ connection
• Ready for TomTom PLUS services (real time information on traffic congestions, weather conditions and extra downloads such as detailed city maps, additional voices, points of interest and much more)

Features

• Touch-Screen Operation
• Voice Instructions
• Bluetooth Connect
• SD Map Card
• Multi-lingual

Amazon.com Product Description

The GPS 72 is an affordable solution for land or marine navigation designed to provide precise GPS positioning using correction data obtained from the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). The GPS 72 can provide position accuracy to less than three meters when receiving WAAS corrections. This rugged, waterproof, floatable GPS receiver offers a large, 4-level grayscale screen. The GPS 72 has 1 MB of memory for use with optional Garmin MapSource Point of Interest software.

Other features include:

• 500 waypoints with name and graphic symbol; 50 reversible routes
• Built-in quad helix receiving antenna
• Permanent user data storage; no memory battery required
• Water resistant, IEC-529, IPX7 (Submersible 1 meter @ 30 minutes) and floatable
• Audible alarms for anchor drag, arrival, off-course, proximity waypoint, and clock
• "Large numbers" option for easy viewing
• Trip computer provides odometer, stopped time, moving average, overall average, total time, max speed, and more
• Automatic track log; 10 saved tracks let you retrace your path in both directions
• Built-in celestial tables for best time to fish, plus sun and moon calculations

What is WAAS?
GPS receivers have an accuracy of about 15 meters, but you can get to as close as 3 meters with a WAAS-enabled receiver. WAAS stands for Wide Area Augmentation System, which is a network of satellites and ground stations (in North America) that were designed to improve the accuracy and ensure the integrity of information coming from GPS satellites. Originally implemented by the FAA for aviation use, WAAS is particularly useful for serious outdoors enthusiasts as well as for precise in-city navigation.

Power and Size
The GPS 72 uses 2 AA batteries to provide up to 16 hours of operation. It measures 2.7"W x 6.2"H x 1.2 inches and weighs 7.7 ounces without batteries.

What's In The Box
This package includes the GPS 38 receiver, wrist strap, owners manual, and quick reference guide. ... Read more

Features

• 12-channel handheld land/marine GPS receiver
• WAAS-enabled for 3-meter accuracy
• 1 MB built-in memory for points of interest storage (not map compatible)
• 500 user waypoints with name and graphic symbol; 50 reversible routes
• Floatable, waterproof to 1 meter; built-in celestial time tables for best time to fish

Reviews (7)

COMPRA DE GPS GARMIN 72
Srs. AMAZON, me dirijo a uds. para saber cuales son los pasos a seguir para ordenar la compra de 25 GPS Garmin 72, asi como el tiempo que demoraria en llegar, el precio exacto del envio y los impuestos.
Asi mismo nos interesa saber los costos de los accesorios del mismo:
- cuatro (5) PC interface cable.
- cuatro (5) licencias de MapSource.
- venticinco (25) estuches para los GPS.
- sesenta (60) pilas recargables Panasonic Ni/Cd.
- quince (15) cargadores para 4 pilas recargables.

Atentamente

Ing. Héctor Velásquez G.
CONSORCIO VCHI
Av. Larco 383 Miraflores
Lima - PERU
(511) 444-0537

an excellent GPS
I have tried a Etrex Vista, Sportmap, and a Gekko but I bought a Garmin 72. I like the 72 for use on my kayak where I can use the large screen to see my speed three feet away. This unit has been put through the ringer and it just keeps working. I don't miss the mapping at all.

Garmin GPS72
Have used the GPS72 now for 4 months. It has been a pleasure to use. The Garmin operating system is is easy to follow and the prompts make it unnecessary to carry the manual to use all of the features. So far it is waterproof as advertised as it lives in my canoes and while not fully submerged is subject to splash and spray every time it is out. Approximately 66 hours of use to data and am totally happy.

Pinpoint precision
This is a great GPS, probably the best I've ever used. I started with GPS in 1997 with the Garmin GPS 38, and three years later purchased an eTrex. I was satisfied with that, but when I heard about the added features of the 72, I went ahead and bought it to replace the eTrex. It is far more powerful than the eTrex and easier to use. The 72 makes excellent use of its dedicated zoom and menu keys. These alone make this unit quicker and easier to operate than some entry-level units. The display is of higher resolution which makes things like track lines more precise--a real problem on the eTrex, on which the track appeared as a thick black line that didn't show many meanders or fine movements. Many of the software features that the GPS 38 had, but the eTrex didn't, are included here, such as the ability to measure distance between waypoints, pan on the map page, and time-stamp marked points. The receiver in the 72 is very hot and sometimes gets you a fix within seconds. The software is apparently upgradeable and the receiver is WAAS-enabled, so it's ready for the next generation of navigation. Like most GPS units it's completely waterproof and it's worked for me under very unfavorable conditions. The third GPS I've owned and probably the last one I'll ever need to buy. Another job well done by Garmin.

Nearly perfect for non-mappers
I'm one of those rare people who decided to get a GPS not for mapping, but for additional display info while driving (in my case, speed, elevation, and navigation) and since I planned to mount it upright on the dash, it needed an antenna that would allow good reception in that position. The GPS 72 fit my profile the way I wanted things to work in every way except one...the time format available for the Navigation page, which is almost the only page I use, doesn't include seconds.

If Garmin would allow the customizable display to include the date-time format line available on the Satellite page on the Navigation page, this unit would be perfect. As it stands, I can toggle to the Satellite page if I need to know pretty easily, so otherwise, I'm good to go. I did find a Garmin unit that can do this, but I would have spent twice the money.

The unit is simple to understand out of the box even for a GPS novice like myself. The manual is laid out well and, with a bit of practice, complete functionality should be easy. The black body blends into the dash and the screen size is perfect for me. I can see myself marking Waypoints this Christmas for the best neighborhood light displays so I can find them again next year.

I like it. I like it a lot. ... Read more