Garmin GPSMAP 276C GPS Receiver by Garmin
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List Price: Category: GPS or Navigation System See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of Garmin GPSMAP 276C GPS Receiver
Digital camera Review: A Good Little (Outdated) Chartplotter
Summary: 4 Stars
I am happy with this chartplotter but right now I wouldn't recommend it. For one thing Garmin nickels and dimes you to death if you want to actually use this. The memory is very expensive and proprietary. You need to buy additional memory to download any charts into this device. And the charts are VERY expensive and come with all kinds of obnoxious copy protection. Also worth mentioning is that the screen is hard to read in broad daylight. But the deciding factor is that Garmin is just now rolling out their next generation units that will replace this one. I would wait the few weeks it will take to get one of the new ones which will use standard SD memory and provide bigger, brighter screens, etc.Digital camera Review: A multi-functional GPS wonder, But....
Summary: 4 Stars
A multi-functional GPS wonder, But... be sure and have a hefty stack of money if you want all the maps, bells and whistles that make this unit so remarkable. Lets start with the main reason I purchased the 276c, for my boat. The Blue Chart marine maps combined with the flexability of the unit makes even complex marine navigation a snap. The large screen allows me to see my position on the water at a glance. Even in areas that are wrought with hazards and multiple channel markers the screen shows everything I need to know to safely navigate at any sunlight angle. When I moved it to my car, I enjoyed the same features that made it great on the water. The turn by turn routing (with voice) and the big screen worked flawlessly. Using it for land nav was also enjoyable except for the size of the unit making it a bit cumbersome. Regarding other peoples complaints about Garmins tight hold on its pricey mapping products, Well they are in business to make money, they have great map products, and you usually get what you pay for. Overall I am very pleased with this product, with the only real downside being the high cost of obtaining all the additional "proprietary" goodies you need to flesh the system out for multiple usage. Again you get what you pay for and for the price I would say that this is one of the finer GPS units on the market.Digital camera Review: Accessories Sold Extra
Summary: 3 Stars
Plan on spending a couple hundred extra bucks to make this unit worthwhile. The screen has good resolution, but is smaller than the Lowrance 600c (which has everything you need in the box). Without the $250 car kit, it's pretty useless on the highway. It's got a lot of capability, however, it's not very intuitive, which makes it difficult to get up and running. The included maps are pretty thin -- so plan on spending a couple hundred more bucks, then you have to deal with getting them unlocked. I sent mine back and bought a Lowrance 600c. I just wasn't happy with the 276 and didn't want to pony up another $400-$500 to make it useful. They don't even include the plastic screencover.Digital camera Review: Add-ons prohibitively expensive
Summary: 3 Stars
Not only are these GPS unit expensive but adding a data card and additional software is really expensive. A person is able to buy a pretty slick computer for what these units and software total.Digital camera Review: Awesome piece of kit
Summary: 5 Stars
This GPS unit is a true asset for marine use. The refresh speed of the mapping page is very fast and the button use is intuitive. Only gripe is the 12v charger lead purchased separatley broke after less than one week.