Garmin GPS 76 Handheld GPS Receiver

I've been wanting a GPS receiver for a while and had been trying to decide which one to buy. Garmin was always at the top of my list since everyone I asked recommended the brand. I didn't really know much about them but after a little research I settled on the GPSmap 76CS. The "C" is for Color, and the "S" is for Sensors. It has an altitude sensor and compass that the "C" model doesn't have.

Although a little more pricey than some other similar Garmin models, I really liked what this one had to offer. A built in base map which shows major highways and waterways. Although not very detailed, the map is very helpful finding your way around. It has tons of memory for uploading more detailed(optional) maps. The color display is very easy to read even in sunlight.....no worries there. I'm still learning how to use the unit and it has tons of features I never even dreamed of. We were going to meet someone the other day and I was wondering how far we were from the meeting point since I didn't know the road that well. I just used the map cursor to point to the meeting place and it showed me exactly how far it was. The displayed distance updated constantly as we got closer. Many, many other useful tools on this thing that I would have never thought of before I got the unit.

This unit even has a geocaching section on it. If you don't know what geocaching is, go to geocaching.com and READ. It's sorta like a treasure hunt. You can enter waypoints of geocaches and the unit will lead you right to them. Or at least to within a few feet of them. I thought this was pretty silly when I first saw it but after trying it, it's actually quite a bit of fun. My wife is even into it now.

When I finally decided on this model, Garmin was not yet building/shipping them. I waited about six months or so to get this new model...and I'm glad I waited. There are just too many things the unit can do to list them all here, you just have to get one and play with it a while so see what it can do for you. I still have a lot of learning to do but I can see where this thing is going to be very nice for boating and traveling. Very cool gadget!!