Garmin GPSMAP 76 GPS Receiver

Garmin 76 is probably my all-time favorite electronic device. It is engineered and built extremely well -- very rugged and with an excellent user interface. Although I haven't used Magellens and other brands of handheld GPS units but I have friends that own them and there way more complicated , I have used the Garmin 12XL that this is roughly modeled after. And I have used much more expensive DGPS Trimble units. Having gone over the same tracks and points with both the $8,000 Trimble unit and this $200 Garmin unit, my suggestion is not to bother with Trimble unless getting from 15 feet to 3 feet accuracy is really important to you.
I use this unit for boating, and particular points. And even under cover, the Garmin 76 will generally get within about 20 feet of the actual location if you sit on the point long enough to allow the unit to average out its satellite readings (~2 minutes). (This is the only complaint I have compared to the 12XL, which has a better waypoint averaging feature.) And the "breadcrumb trail" tracks that the unit collects is great for mapping trails, etc. These tracks are generally accurate within 50 feet.
There are some great third-party progams (such as "GarTrip") that allow easy uploading of GPS data into a computer. I use ArcView 3.3 GIS mapping program to handle GPS data, it works wonderfully with the Garmin 76, particularly with free third-party ArcView extensions such as "DNRGarmin." I can also upload points and tracks into the 76, but it doesn't handle as much data as the 76Map. To me the 76Map worth the extra cost, particularly because Garmin's maps aren't very detailed (1:250,000 I think), and Garmin's upload/download software is overpriced and underfeatured IMHO.
The screen is a great improvement over the grainy 12XL screen, and the multiple keys work perfectly. The case is very rugged, and battery life is decent (about 4 hours with 1300 mAh NiMh rechargeable batteries). The newer Garmin 72 may be just as good -- worth a look since it may be lower priced. The 76 is supposedly a "marine" GPS and it does have helpful marine oriented features, such as tides tables and a man-overboard button.
All-in-all, it is amazing what something the size of 2 cigarette packs can do!

The garmin 76 model is the best especially the monochrome screen in direct sunlight. Durable I have dropped my countless times, and they really are good swimmers. They are a sailors and global travelers delight. in Caio they helped us get back to the hotel when we could not speek the language. and you can always find where you parked the car or reented it from. I love them but keep your eye on it as my last one was stolen.

The Garmin GPS 76 Map is an amazing piece of technology. Saving hundreds if not thousands on having a "fixed mount" GPS installed on my boat was only the beginning. I was familiar with Garmin Products and own the step down version of the GPS 76 (GPS 72). I have always said "when I have a bit more money I'll treat my self to an upgrade." Low and behold, right there on E-bay was the "upgrade" I was looking for AND IT WAS VERY AFFORDABLE!!!! Nearly half the price of a retail sale.

Amazing products are always just a click away. Thank you E-Bay for bringing the world the BEST shopping experience around.

My husband owns a fishing kayak which he takes out to the ocean regularly. The GPS 76 is ideal because he can mark all of the hot fishing spots, plot his route, mark and identify it so he can easily return to it the next time. This is a portable, water proof unit. He owns a Garmin fishfinder too which is great for spotting fish but it does not have GPS so lacks the ability to mark the spot. We found this to be a less expensive alternative than having the inclusive units which are very costly. This was less costly and because the 76 is portable, it would be great for hiking, hunting, etc.-a win/win for a better price!

What's to Like: I bought this for use on the water. It works well there providing information like speed, direction, distance and path traveled. I use Google earth to come up with coordinates to put in manually to create routes. The Garmin interface software for this device is "OK". It requires a little practice to become proficient. Battery life is good approaching 10 to 12 hours.

What's to dislike: This older device doesn't interface with the free Garmin Macintosh software. I sent an email to Garmin and they got back to me in a day or so letting me know not to waste my time. It does interface well with my Windows XP box. The unit doesn't come with a software disk so, you have to download the "Garmin Training" software to get what is needed to download routes and tracks etc. from the device. The purchase of a serial to usb adapter was also required (about $20- $30).

It's reception under forest canopy is poor, so hiking in the forest is hit or miss. Basically you get a signal then as you hike it will be lost, then the device shuts off. Once there is a clear view of the sky you can turn it on again to get a new waypoint and you track will pick up again. I have used it in my bicycle jersey pocket for road rides (it's a little big, but not onerous) and it performs fine going in and out of shaded areas of the road. Also, the position of the device is important as it is supposed to be held vertically for best reception.

Why I bought this: I opted for this specific unit because it was a marine model fully knowing that there would be limited ability and compatibility compared to newer models. This was a refurb model for $99 in mid 2009, the least expensive unit that could do what I wanted under the conditions I'd most likely be using it.

What I might wish for: The base maps in this unit are poor at best, just indicating where channel markers are, but no channel edges, depths, etc. The garmin maps adding this capability are expensive. I have been researching NOAA map downloads and conversions, but haven't found an easy path and probably won't pursue it as I expect next generation devices to be able use other map formats and still be affordable.