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Originally Posted by lphilpot
Thanks for the info -
I came across www.gpsinformation.net, which has LOTS of info and links. I'm starting to sway to the GPSMAP 76S, which has more memory (24MB vs 8MB) and a couple of other things for about $25 more, typically. I suspect that unless I'm really disappointed in how it works, I'll probably end up using GPS+laptop+Streets & Trips in any city environment. Most of my use would be outside of a city, I suspect, but that's good to know, anyway.
Thanks again. |
Justin and I loved our Garmin GPSMap 76S. The only reason we parted with it is I'd planned to use it for mountain biking and cycling, but by the time we got mountain bikes Garmin had come out with much smaller units ideal for mountain biking (Forerunner 201 and, now, the Forerunner 301 and 305 units.) Also, the GPSMap 76S works best when held parallel to the ground/sky; it tends to lose signal easily if allowed to dangle (such as from the wrist strap) perpendicular to the ground/sky. This was a hassle for me since I was usually the one carrying the unit and usually have camera gear or birding binoculars in tow. I took to lashing the unit on the top of my camera bag so it maintained the orientation it liked best... just a minor caveat on an otherwise outstanding unit that has kept its value for something like 5 years now (we sold ours on eBay in '06 and since it was in flawless condition -- no scratches, original materials including box, latest firmware, etc.) -- we got top dollar for it but still provided a good value to the buyer (less than retail).
We have a bunch of Garmin units, including two different ones in our vehicles -- Justin's is dual-use, since it's also an IFR-certified aviation GPS so he uses it when he's flying. Mine is the Streetpilot 2720 with Text-To-Speech capabilities (so it reads actual street names out to you.)
I might be repeating myself or a previous poster, but I highly recommend picking up a copy of the
Mapsource TOPO series for topographic information if you plan to do a fair amount of hiking, backpacking, geocaching, etc. with your unit. For vehicle navigation or in-hand city navigation, you'll get more value out of the City Navigator software package.
As for eBay, you are safe if you go for high positive feedback sellers with their own photos posted and, ideally, clearly lay out ALL their items in the photo and item description, including the presence or absence of all necessary serial numbers and unlock codes. I would avoid anyone not selling the product with the original product packaging -- and yes, many people keep the original packaging and are able to sell a used unit with that. It's just a good sign of someone who takes care of their electronics/geek gear and will be providing a good value to you.