Garmin GPSMAP 76CSx Handheld GPS Receiver

I have always used Garmin products both on the road and on the water. Sadly after my boat was stolen last year I need to buy a quick replacement Marine GPS to substitute for the onboard GPSMAP 3010C that was of course stolen with it. Needing something for basic navigation and a place to store fishing holes, I concluded that a handheld was definitely the way to go. This review can only be centered on the machine itself and its functionality on the water as I have not and will not need it on the roads. 

The device itself was surprisingly light even with the batteries in (2 AA.) MY first inclination when I went to hold it was, to place the screen at the top, but in reality the screen belongs at the bottom to allow the antenna to receive signals more effectively which is totally understandable. It’s a little thick, but I am still able to operate it with one hand if I so choose and the solid plastic front and rubberized backing give the device a very sturdy, reliable feel. The color screen is very nice on the eyes and the backlight makes it readable in the night or day. 

Aside from the maps portion, the Garmin GPSMAP 76SCX also boasts an altimeter, trip computer, electronic compass, stopwatch, calendar, sunrise and moonrise times, and even some games. The main menu feels a lot like that of a cell phone and navigation can be tricky. It may take a while to learn how to cycle between the map and the other extras that are offered. There is also a nifty little feature that tells you when the best time during your current day is to fish or hunt. I don’t put a whole lot into this though as there is no explanation of how it comes to the conclusion, nor does it factor in what type of fish you’re looking to catch, or even whether you are fishing or hunting for that matter. 

As I mentioned - probably due to its small size, and lack of buttons – navigation through various modes and screens do not always appear logical. The manual doesn’t always offer solutions to your problems either which can get frustrating. For instance, when I first got my GPS I managed to navigate to a screen that calculated the tides for your area (a very useful tool) however when I went to find it again it seemed to have disappeared. When I finally did get to it – no thanks to the manual – I had no clue what it was that actually transpired and to this moment I couldn’t walk you through how to get to it again. The same problem occurs whilst in Land mode. I can’t figure out how to change the unit to think in terms of water navigation…going “SW on US 1” isn’t going to take me to my favorite fishing spot no matter what I do. 

Entering and navigating to waypoints are easy though, but creating a new one seemed a little odd. Basically, the easiest way is to mark a random spot on the map then just change the coordinates and name if you already know that information. I felt like a dedicated “Create a waypoint” feature should have been in there, but given the clutter of the menu screens maybe less is more. 

Still, most of my complaints are nit picky. The reason being is that this device does a fine job at what it was designed to do – telling me where I am, and where am I supposed to be going. It picks up satellite signals much faster than my Garmin Nuvi for the car does and holds them very well. When you are dealing with Garmin though, there are always some extra costs. The map that comes with the GPS is pretty much useless so you are going to be forced to buy additional maps for navigation. I dropped $150 for the Mapsource BlueCharts Marine maps I needed. The new charts are good, but what worried me is that they are going to be discontinued as of December 31, 2009 because the G2 maps they had planned on selling were recalled. So Garmin has temporarily restored the Mapsource maps until G2 is released. I had to have the marine charts for vacation though so I had to purchase the Mapsource ones. 

I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the Garmin GPSMAP 76SCx to anyone looking for a solid and reliable GPS unit. There is no question that there are better ones out there, but if you’re looking for reliability then you certainly won’t go wrong with this product.

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My other reviews at http://g2reviews.blogspot.com/