Review on 🌊 Waterproof Hiking GPS: Garmin GPSMAP 76CSx—Discontinued by Manufacturer by Brittany Webb

UPDATE June 30, 2010 - This GPS is still great! Awaiting update until 2010. UPDATE: September 4, 2008 - Still very impressed with the 76CSx. This has proven to be very practical when buying a house in recent times. All my previously expressed opinions are still relevant. One very handy feature that the device doesn't have, and I wish it had, is the ability to choose an alternate route while driving. This can be useful when there is a detour or when you want to calculate a route around traffic. This creates a bypass route on the fly. Many dedicated outdoor GPS navigators can do this. However, this device can change route if you go off course, which is a different matter. "City Navigator 2008 Map Updater" isn't asking too much. I didn't see any major improvements in the calculated routes or the updated point of interest (POI) data compared to the 2007 version of the maps. The same errors I encountered initially are still present in the 2008 version (Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York). I hesitate to buy the 2009 update. I'll probably wait until the 2010 update. The Foam(R) case is still the best protection. I am completely satisfied with this device that I have purchased and have recommended other similar Garmin devices. Overall the 76CSx is still a great device. UPDATE: August 23, 2007 - After reading the reviews for the 2008 version of Maps, I decided to buy it. A special note: if you buy the update DVD, make sure you buy the correct version. For example, if you already have City Navigator North America v8 installed, you need City Navigator North America 2008 UPDATE. If you have City Navigator North America v8 NT, you need City Navigator North America 2008 NT. Take it? I took the hard way, but Garmin made it! UPDATE: August 21, 2007 - It's been a year and I still love my GPSmap 76CSx. Excellent! Support from Garmin was great too. It was great on the road, on the track and even on the plane! It doesn't matter if I run, drive or bike. In fact, I wouldn't change much about this GPS device. You get used to the arrangement of the buttons very quickly, and the division of the menu pages is simply brilliant. It was so easy to use this GPS. Once you read what each function does, there really is no need for the book anymore. Accessing all features and functions via the menu is simple and self-explanatory. Since my original purchase, I've increased the expandable storage to 2GB ($22 SanDisk microSD at Revain) and managed to accommodate 48 states and parts of Canada. I see there is a 2008 version of the North America maps replacing v8. On a positive note, I've had many successful finds using the maps. Battery life using Duracell alkaline batteries with the GPS set to alkaline is approximately 12 hours. I have tried 2500mah Energizer rechargeable batteries with the GPS module set to 'NiMH' but I only seem to get about 3 hours out of them. I recently bought a Garmin Nuvi 350 for my dad from Revain (the price was great) and I love it, but this device is primarily for the road. Exactly what he wanted. The GPSmap 76CSx has many other options for many other purposes. ORIGINAL Review July 29, 2006 - Foarm GPS looks and works like new thanks to its rubber protective case. He fell several times. I would highly recommend the Garmin GPSmap76CSx to anyone looking for a road, hiking and/or boating GPS device. Numerous menus and functions are intuitive and easy to use. The high-resolution color screen may be small compared to a car GPS, but it is very clear. The satellite acquisition time is relatively fast. Even if I'm indoors I can fix at least 3 or 4 satellites. Buildings with metal roofs or concrete floors above may not receive signal. This is expected of every device. Along the way, I highly recommend getting City Navigator North American v8 Maps ($112). The map enhances GPS with turn-by-turn directions, millions of points of interest (POIs) such as gas stations, garages, points of interest, restaurants and shopping malls. You can even upload your own POIs to the device. Don't be surprised if some of the route calculations he's come up with seem a bit strange. However, it will get you there. If you miss your turn, the new route will be recalculated very quickly. There are many websites that provide POI files that you can download to your device. You will find that some of the preloaded POIs may be outdated. Unlike other portable GPS devices, the memory is expandable. I installed a 1GB microSD card ($45) to store a large amount of map data or any tracking data you may have done. The entire US is about 1.5 GB of information. The device comes with a blank 128MB microSD card which I moved into my phone (bonus). The kit includes sensors: an electronic compass and a barometer. The presence of an electronic compass allows you to determine the direction (N, S, E, W) without moving. Many GPS devices determine direction by changing position coordinates. That's why you have to move. Additional sensors such as water temperature sensors can be connected to the rear of the device. To protect your device, I recommend the Foam Textured Rubberized Case ($20). The case comes with multiple clear screen protectors. If you don't have this case, buy at least PDA screen protectors. If the screen protector is scratched, you can remove the cover and stick a new one. Since the screen is a bit small and high definition, you'll want it to be sharp. The GPS device floats with or without a case. This can be useful when hiking or boating. Because of all of this, I would highly recommend any other Garmin device as well.