garmin 128

Overall Rating: ( 40 reviews )

1. Posted: Jul 10 2008

   I bought this for my husband who is not techno savvy at all. He has commented on how easy this is for him to understand. Our son explained the features to him and now he's set for all his "good fishing holes". We also purchased the southcentral lakes chip to use....very good purchase for us.

2. Posted: Jul 6 2008

   I want to echo the praises of my fellow-reviewers by saying this is one top-notch GPS system!! My wife and I went hiking up the North Shore of Lake Superior last week and the 76CSx exceeded our expectations. It acquired the satellite signals quickly and never lost them, even in very deep woods; the screen was bright and detailed; the trip odometer and altimeter were amazingly accurate; and after hours of hiking the batteries (Energizer rechargables) were still going strong. I will add that I purchased a MicroSD card of the Upper Midwest and we were quite pleased at the amount of detail it shows. I would highly recommend going this route versus buying blank SD cards and going through the hassle of downloading topo maps. It may cost a bit more, but all things considered it is the most practical way to go. The ONLY downside is the size; I wish it were as small as the Vista or the newer Colorado. But with all of the excellent features (including it being waterproof and having the ability to float...we will be using ours on kayak trips as well) and the hard-to-beat price, I believe the 76CSx gives you the best "bang for the buck."

3. Posted: Jul 5 2008

   I bought this for the husband and it is his new best friend. It provides all the information he requires to do various types of fishing. He is still learning all it can do but overall it performs well when traveling and fishing. He likes the easy to read directions and the screen viewing is clear. It is accurate so far and that keeps the aggravation down when searching. When he is alone it is an added insurance for safety. Overall recommendation - buy and enjoy.

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Overall Rating: ( 8 reviews )

1. Posted: Jul 16 2008

   To say this thing is designed for boaters is as big a joke as a lie!! The included database does not even include the basic outline of local lakes smaller than the Great Lakes. Minnesota - the "land of 10,000 lakes" has been reduced to the land of 2 or 3 lakes. The map that came with it is from 2001. Perhaps the glaciers had not done their work by then. Truthfully, the Garmin 430 that we use for our car has a far, far better database. This unit was designed for one purpose - to make you buy additional databases. The picture on the 76Cx page shows an image of a lake with depths and navigation aids. Nowhere does it say the image requires optional addons to get that kind of detail (or even see the lake) although on the box (once you've shelled out the money and it arrives) you find that in very small print on the back. The only claim that may be realistic is that it is supposed to float and I am sorely tempted to put that to the test. To get maps of two popular lakes in MN, Rainy Lake and Lake Superior, I need to buy two addon charts at over $200. If I want to see a handful of the other lakes I can pay another $89 for the Lakemaster addon (which conveniently doesn't include the other two lakes). Grand total - over $500 including buying the initial piece of junk which feels like a 80's vintage cell phone. Large color display? Maybe for geocaching but not nearly big enough to be mounted in the cockpit of a boat and the resolution is very poor. Save your money and buy a better unit - preferably not a Garmin as their business practices are suspect at best. If you do buy it, good luck with support. I couldn't even get on the web site and I gave up on the phone after 30 minutes. I'm a pretty easy consumer usually but this is a major rip off!

2. Posted: Jun 1 2008

   This GPS device is my first device and has everything that I want for my job. It detects multiple satellites in heavy wooded areas and has very good accuracy. Its ease of use with my laptop computer was very important plus Minnesota DNR has a very good program for uploading and downloading waypoints and tracks to the GARMIN units. I would recommend this to anyone that is looking for a good value (which is not equal to best price or necessarily the best GPS unit).

3. Posted: Mar 3 2008

   The 76cx is a great little GPS. I can't believe how well it stays locked on even when in the car below the dash panel. I use it between boat and car and did understand before purchasing that two software packages were needed before it would guide me either street by street or navigate the waterways. The screen is quite small, but readable. The rubber cover that goes over the USB port on the back came off. It is held in place with a tiny phillips head screw. When I took out the screw to reattach the cover, it fell on the floor and was impossible to find again. That is my only complaint so far.

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