The Garmin GPSMAP 76
Here’s a tool to compare the GPSMAP 76 to other Garmin marine handhelds.
Garmin GPSMAP 76
April 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment
Improved map controls for new Garmin handhelds
April 14, 2010 By 11 Comments
Garmin rolled out several new updates yesterday for the Colorado, Dakota and Oregon series. There were a few fixes, but I want to concentrate on them adding BirdsEye control to profiles. I’m not really sure if you could do this with other map types before; regardless though, I want to point out the granular map controls now available to users of these units, allowing you to easily switch between map types.
Garmin Oregon 450 review
April 13, 2010 By 680 Comments
Hands on with the best Oregon yet
UPDATE: This model has been discontinued and replaced by the Oregon 600.
The Garmin Oregon 450
Garmin BirdsEye aerial imagery now live
April 1, 2010 By 22 Comments
Garmin barely met their March deadline for rolling out BirdsEye aerial imagery. It showed up late yesterday in the form of updates to their BaseCamp software and firmware updates for eligible units — the Colorado and Oregon series; there remains some question about whether both Dakota models are compatible – the Dakota 20 is for sure (more on that below).
EDIT: We’ve learned that Garmin decided not to support BirdsEye imagery on the Dakota 10, due to its lack of an expansion card slot.
To get started, run WebUpdater and download or update BaseCamp. Once you start BaseCamp and connect your unit, you should get a message asking if you want to create BirdsEye imagery for your device. You can download a low-resolution demo for free or pony up $29.99 for a year of downloads.
I’m posting a couple of images here. I haven’t used them out in the field yet, but they appear washed out on the screen of my Oregon 400t. The one at left is Panther Stadium in Charlotte; below is a high elevation bald in the Rocky Fork tract, a new 10,000 acre public land acquisition near the NC/TN border. The resolution available for that area does not allow me to pick out forest roads, limiting its usefulness. This is an early test though; other areas may have higher resolution imagery available. In more open terrain (e.g., western US), you might be able to pick out trails and 4WD tracks, even at this resolution.
Garmin Edge 500
April 1, 2010 By Leave a Comment
The Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Forerunner 110
March 29, 2010 By 4 Comments
UPDATE: I’ve posted a Garmin Forerunner 110 review
The Garmin Forerunner 110 was announced this morning, updating the popular line of fitness watches with a sleek new entry level product. The Forerunner 110 will have a simplified menu system and will be available with or without a heart-rate monitor. One interesting note is the use of the SiRFstar IV chipset; I believe this is Garmin’s first use of this product. read more
Garmin Foretrex 401
February 6, 2010 By 25 Comments
The Garmin Foretrex 401
Garmin Dakota 10
February 4, 2010 By 43 Comments
The Garmin Dakota 10
Garmin eTrex Vista H
February 2, 2010 By 3 Comments
UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For more current recommendations, please refer to our handheld GPS buyers guide or our Garmin handheld GPS comparison chart.
The Garmin eTrex Vista H
Not recommended
I’ll cut right to the chase here. I can’t recommend this unit. Monochrome displays are nowhere near as bright as color units, and can be quite difficult to see in daylight conditions. Instead, I recommend one of the following:
- Garmin eTrex Venture HC – This unit adds a color screen, but drops the electronic compass and barometric altimeter
- Garmin eTrex Legend HCx – This model adds to the Venture HC’s feature set with a micro-SD slot for additional map storage and provides the ability to do turn-by-turn highway routing (when you add City Navigator maps)
Compare prices on the Garmin eTrex Vista H
To see how the Vista H stacks up against other units, check out my Garmin handheld GPS comparisonchart.
More Garmin eTrex Vista H reviews
- Consumer-authored Garmin eTrex Vista H reviews
have been posted at Amazon
- I’ll be posting more hands on GPS reviews as they appear, but in the meantime, here are some…
Other Garmin eTrex Vista H resources
- A PDF version of the Garmin eTrex Vista H owners manual
- See how the Vista H stands up to other units with this Garmin comparison tool or use my own Garmin handheld GPS comparison chart
- I haven’t found any message forums dedicated solely to the eTrex H series, but there is a UseNet Garmin discussion board and a good Garmin forum at GPSInformation.net.
- The official Garmin eTrex Vista H web page
Compare prices on the Garmin eTrex Vista H at these merchants:
- Find the low price on a Garmin eTrex Vista H at GPS Now, where shipping is free on orders over $99 (and the upgrade to overnight shipping is dirt cheap!). Order by 5 p.m. Central Time for same day shipment
- Check the current Garmin eTrex Vista H
- Get the eTrex Vista H
at Boaters World
More on Garmin BirdsEye aerial imagery
January 18, 2010 By 6 Comments
The BirdsEye aerial / satellite imagery subscription program for the Garmin Colorado, Dakota and Oregon series is now official. EDIT: I’ve learned that Garmin decided not to support BirdsEye imagery on the Dakota 10, due to its lack of an expansion card slot. I have a few tidbits to add to my post from last week:
- The $29.99 subscriptions will be available starting this March
- Imagery will include “0.5 meter per pixel resolution in many areas of the United States”
- There is no mention of world-wide imagery in today’s news release, though it was mentioned on the Garmin BirdsEye imagery product page last week, which is unavailable right now
- Another BirdsEye web page has been announced, though it too is currently unavailable
- Image packets will be delivered in multiple resolution levels to avoid pixilation when zooming
- In response to a question, a Garmin PR contact told me “we have nothing to announce re: USGS maps at this time”; my take on that – it’s coming!
