Buy Portable GPS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pros:

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

Cons:

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

User Reviews about Garmin GPSMAP 76 Waterproof Handheld GPS

The product was delivered in time and in a very good shape, it is a little bit bigger than I imagined looking through the product images on line, however I think it is good for the purpose. Thank you -- Good Delivery

I found this unti to be very easy to use and has all the essential features for saving important fishing spots and navigating my way through fog. I have an 18 foot glaspar cuddycabin and it comes in realy handy going down the river and out into the open sea. -- Great for my boat

I use this unit for marking reference way points in my managed grazing system. The functionality is great and I can cross reference and download information with the local area NRCS office. -- GPS for serious landscape surveys

I have used and abused this handheld Map 76 for 5 years. It has been onboard with me from alaska to New Zealand. I often crew on lots of other peoples vessels and I am always glad to have this little GPS with me. I have the Blue Chart America CD downloaded with the California to Mexico portion of detailed maps as that is where I usually cruise and they have great detail. The battery life is exceptional although I usually attach it to a cig lighter outlet whenever I can to save batteries. On my Catalina 42 I have a bicycle mount on my Binnacle and a plug that integrates it with power and data to my auto pilot. The little GPS runs the whole boat from that connection to my Raytheon instruments. I also save all my traks and download them to my computer to save information and routes. It is also useful to study races to see where I have called the wrong tactics on the race course. I also own the updated color version of this unit but in reality I prefer the interface and practicality of this Grayscale version. If I had to choose one I would pick the Map76 without the color. You can usually find the BlueChart CD on line for under $100.00 and that is much more valuable than the Color version that cost about a $100.00 more.......begold -- Proven handheld very reliable