Garmin Rino 120 is the new GPS/Walkie-Talkie that my group picked up for out last kayaking outing. I already own Garmin Legend but I figured that I can sell it and for extra money have a reliable communication and navigation tool in one.brWell using it all weekend proved that it was worth the money. It has the standard features of the radio and GPS unit so you already know what to expect out of the box but there are some extra functions that are unique for Rino. I love the trip odometer feature which allows me to time my progress, adjust speed and control break point. With the buddy to buddy reference positioning system I can do sweeps on the river and keep my group spread out without fear of loosing anyone. Also it's easier to manage food and camp if you know how far people are away from you and what's their ETA is. Obviously I wasn't able to hit every possible feature but from what I got to use it I already establish the possible pros and cons of the unit.pPros:br-GPS with WAAS build in. Very accurate.br-Unit is small and waterproof (ok no diving).br-Build in very loud alarm clockbr-Build in games will kill some boredom (kills battery)br-When talking to your buddy your unit automatically sends your position out so he knows where you are (you can shut it off). br-Strong clipbr-Easy to access even in the kayakbr-Walkie-talkie has nice scrambler and coding device.pCons:br-When using GPS (waas on) and Walkie-Talkie batteries drain fastbr-Window needs screen protector because it scratches too easilybr-Unit doesn't feel that solid as big priced Motorola radios (goes for all Garmin units)br-Like with all GPS units (or at least the one I worked with) you need open (partially open or steady position) sky for clear accurate signalbr-Radios even if functional will only have 2 mile radius. Enough for camping and woods but not enough for any other land movement tactics cooperation SAR.br-Screen size was reduced. It still looks ok but I got used to bigger screen from my previous unit so I'm still adjusting.br-Cool white backlight that was a trademark on most of the Garmin units was substituted by green glow one. Is it a problem? No, but I think I was able to see a bit clearer with the white light.pAt the end it's a nice tool to have. GPS, radio, alarm clock and games all packed into one nifty unit.

I bought a set of these for my wife and me to go Geocaching with. They do an excellent job of showing you the distance, ETA and even an approximate location on a basemap already provided in the unit (which actually saved me, when I misread a set of directions). pHowever the best part of this unit is the ability to send and receive the location of your friends and family. It works perfectly and behind the scenes, whenever you transmit or push the call button. I love this device and it's already become a "must have" piece of equipment for any trip.pUPDATE: OK, I don't normally return to edit my reviews, but this product deserves it. I just pulled my Rino 120 out of the WASHING MACHINE. Yes, I might not be too bright, but the people who built this thing are. The waterproof device still works perfectly and there is no external damage to the unit either!

I have just purchased my second unit and have a few things to share with the first time buyer.This unit comes with a serial cable that is used for programming the unit and sending GPS data to the computer. after getting a new unit, check for updated firmware at garmin.com. the newest firmware helped the start time of my unit (the time it took to find a satellite) and improved its reception capability. after I updated the firmware I got a solid sat. lock from my living room couch.some of the older units are effected by a poor audio quality due most likely to a faulty microphone in the unit. read the footnote at [website] and it says Rino 120 - Serial Numbers 38905977 through 38941463 are recalled. I have two units in this range. they are usable but you have to speak at just the right level. I will be returning them and getting updated ones when they become available in my area.The FRS radio works well with my other motorola radios, and from my limited testing the sub channels (0-38) appear to all use the same tones as motorola. the FRS radio has the ability to 'scan' for conversation. something that is very useful if you were using it in conjunction with search and rescue (trying to find someone that you knew had an FRS radio)some people have commented that when you are driving down the road the unit shows you as being off the road. the reason for this is that the basemap is VECTOR based (straight line between points) and there is a limited number of points stored in memory. If it bothers you to have your point shown off the road, there is a feature that you can use 'snap to road' or something like that. The actual position reported by this is VERY accurate. I have gotten the unit to 9ft of accuracy which is helpful for such things as geocaching.There is limited third party software to generate your own map. do a search for 'garmin custom map' at google.comthis device is a great integration of GPS and FRS. the... pricetag seems steep until you realize that the exact same GPS WITHOUT a radio (and the vibrator that is in the model) is about that price. The features over the 110 are well worth it. it has a basemap of North/south america, 8 meg of memory for downloading map data, and a vibrator that will vibrate when you receive a call after 45 seconds.

In Regards to the GPS functions/features it a great deal for the price. While the 2 way radio, well my title says it all, it's not a Motorola. The microphone is not sensitive enough no matter how loud you talk into mic, in addition people can not here you on other 2 way radios. However on Dec 23, 2002 new firmware (version 2.20) was released, and this appears to have fixed the several key issues, i.e. the microphone sensitive.

For me the rino 120 is an upgrade from the etrex. I have no problems like a lot of you are mentioning. Mic works great, it works great with my Motorolas and I can send my position to another rino user using the GMRS range. Someone mentioned It's a real hassle to register with the FCC for the GMRS use. Go to FCC.com fill out two short forms and pay $$ fee which is good for 5 years and they send you your license and call sign. The 120 works better in dense leaf coverage beacause of it's external antenna. I have no bad comments about the 120, well, maybe the battery life could be better? Anyway, it's a great product. p.s.- I own 2!

When I ordered this product, I read many reviews and tried to get a good background of the Rino 120 to see if the product was worth purchasing. I have had 2 other GPS units, and still have an older GPS III from Garmin and really like the capabilities of that unit. The changes that have happened since purchasing the GPS III are truly amazing. The 120 is packed with so much stuff that I find out new things about it frequently. The greatest benefits (in my opinion) are having a gps and radio incorperated into one unit (less to carry). The Position Reporting is also a HUGE new deal. One can see all sorts of potential uses for Position Reporting - from military operations , to seach and rescue, to rounding up the kids on a camping trip. Other features include the moving map, an alarm clock, calender, and other little trinketsbr After the initial position fix, satellite aquisition is much quicker than the old GPS III. Between SA being switched off and the new WAAS system, I have achieved accuracy (based on what the unit says, of course) of 7 feet.br Light and compact, battery usage is not as bad as I had figured, still on first set and my existing headset (motorola frs radios) works fine with this unit.br The only downsides to this unit are you have to watch Garmin's software update page for changes, I have owned the unit a month or two and have already done two updates, mind you the updates are free and the 120 comes with the data cable, while I think the 110 does not. The other thing I noticed is that the factory loaded basemap is somewhat crude - roads have been "straightened out" to make the map simplier - not really a surprise though from what I have seen with gps's and maping software.br Overall I think that the 120 is a fantastic new tool, with great new features. While pricey for a frs radio, it is fairly cheap for a maping GPS and (in my opinion again) a great price for a unit with both a radio and gps.

My unit is in Iraq in combat. We made the mistake of purchasing 30 of these units, 1 for each soldier and they are a disaster. pThey lock up continually for no reason, whether using only the GPS or only the radio or both. pOur serial numbers indicate they are fairly new models and we have a series of them starting with 39914168, but I have talked with other owners of this unit here in country and they attest to the same problem. pImagine you are on a combat patrol and you are using the Garmin as a commo device between the men of your team. You keep calling for the lead vehicle but he doesn't respond because his radio has locked up once again. He doesn't know this of course because the screen is still on (sometimes). pI'm more than disappointed, I'm kind of angry because we had the opportunity to buy Motorolas and the reliable Etrex Garmins which would have saved us nearly $100 per soldier and given us something reliable.

Since purchasing this I have been using quite extensively, but never with someone who also has a Rino so I cannot comment on the ability to beam locations. I have several Motorolas that I use for various reasons and have had no real issues with communicating with them. When I use the radio in conjuction with the GPS, you can almost feel the batteries draining though. pThe GPS is quick to acquire and is fairly decent at keeping a signal. I have used this from Detroit to Biloxi St. Louis and over to South Korea with excellent results. The ability to find an exit on a highway and tell what is there is a really nice feature, and so far as I can tell is pretty accurate too. I have also purchased the Topographic Maps for the US as well which are really nice. I do wish there was a way to get downloadable maps from Garmin for other parts of the world though. One downside is that it is not USB and my laptop is, so I have to do all of my downloading/uploading on my desktop pc at home which is not always convenient.pIt is an easy unit to become familiar with and the display is not too small or too big, considering that it doubles as a radio. The menus are set up so that navigating within the different menus is easy and intuitive. The screen clarity is quite good and the thumb button used for navigating feels just right to me. The unit comes with a quick start guide and a more detailed manual which I have referred to several times to ensure I am doing things right. This thing even has a calculator, games and hunting/fishing tables. No real complaints other than it does not support USB and battery consumption (which you can control somewhat with how often it updates, etc.).

I purchased the Rino 120 about a year ago. It has been on many trips with me. I have had it attached to my camel pack while mountain biking and hiking. It has been through several crashes on the bike with me. While Geocaching, I dropped it into a stream. I snatched it back up, and found it to be operating perfectly. I have had this on the outside of my pack during light to heavy rain, with no problems. I can do many trips on a set of batteries. I use it often when 4X4'ing with my Jeep. I'll preset coordinates for intersections or points of interest, and it keeps me right on. When Geocaching, it has always led me within a few feet of cache.
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br /My only "gripe" would be that there is no connection for an external antenna. My screen has a "dark" patch on it...kind of like when you press on an LCD screen. It does not interfer with the view on the screen though.

im very disappointed in my rino 120.its plagued without problems.the microphone is not sensitive enough no matter how loud you talk into mic people can not here you on other 2 way radios.the input jack for headset is faulty you have to wiggle headphone plug around to get headphones and mic to work.basemap that is included with rino is vagued so plan on spending at least another [money]100 for mapsource cd.rino uses a click and stick button to switch modes and change setting the botton is small and difficult to use.lcd screen is so small you need a pair of binoculars to read it.i contacted garmin and they said tey were aware of the problems and were working on solutions.they would contact me when they come up with something.that was a month ago.

I would have given it three stars due to its mediocre usabilty, but the concept of this radio alone earns it the 4th star.pPROSbrLooks really cool in dark green, people have asked me if its a satellite phone or military grade etc..brIts a really great concept, and is the forerunner of next generation mobile phone location systems.brIts a fun novelty to use, and the gps feature alone can be used in non-extreme adventure settings too- to track a run, bicycle or car trip in detail- times, average speed, top speed route, time stopped etc..., and also has a feature called area calculater which you can use to measure sizes of land by walking around the lands perimiter.pCONSpAs you probably know, the coordinate sending capabilities only work in the low power FRS channels of the radio (due to FCC restrictions). I thought maybe I could find some kind of hack to override this restriction on the radio, but no luck, still searching. The way to make best use of the rinos is to coordinate with other rinos both one FRS and one GMRS frequency, and always scan between the two, just in case.pThe unit will continue to send old, stale coordinates to the other unit if it hasn't gotten a new position fix to replace it. This is annoying because when you think you know where the other one is, so proud of your technology, you can be way way off, much to the humor of the person your showing it off to.pYou can not use this radio as a homing device- It cannot be set to automatically send out data at intervals. (I think it would be against FCC rule for unattended broadcast, but it would be great- to attach to your child, pet, or girlfriend to make sure they stay out of trouble while at the park or beach.)

I was delighted to see the RINO models, as we found that carrying both a GPS and a separate radio while hunting was a real juggling act. This combination was an answer to prayers. I expect a significant number of my family and hunting friends will end up with these units. pSome of the reviews mentioned problems with radio compatibility with the Motorola FRS units. We have six of the Motorola units and have had no problems between them and the Garmin. I have also, so far, not had problems with battery life, and have used the unit in all combinations of operation. One hopes these problems were isolated events. pI find the RINO's operation to be very intuitive, little or no reference to the manual was necessary (though I have now read the entire thing). The unit is certainly the easiest of all the various GPS units I've used. This one even picks up signal while in our house, something no other unit I've seen has done. pA factor I had never considered with other units is how well the machine fits/holds in the hand.pSo far, in our short association, I'm both very impressed and pleased with the machine. I would recommend it highly.p--------------------------brJune 03.brThe RINO and I have now been together for a number of months. It continues to be an excellent tool. pIn addressing the reports of battery life and radio reception, I feel it necessary to report that I STILL have not had problems with battery life. I get two full days of 8-10 hour use from a set of batteries, with power left over. pBetween my wife and kids, we have five different Motorola units and have zero problems communicating with them. Both my parents and my in laws have generic "no name" radio sets and the Rino also "talks" to them with zero problems. My unit has software version 2.10, and that may be a factor.

I got this for my husband to take hunting, it worked great! He was able to keep track of all the other guy's he was hunting with, he could list there names and where each of them were.He also was able to find his way back to camp with no problem since it gives you a back tracking option. No more getting lost with this great GPS!

The Rino 120 manual says this: "The Rino 120 is waterproof to IEC 60529 IPX7 standards [30 minutes at 1 meter depth] and is rugged enough to endure the most trying use." My experience was otherwise, and the Garmin response was troubling.
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br /After about 8 hours of paddling a sea kayak with the Rino 120 on my foredeck (light-moderate splash for 4 of those hours, no splash for the other 4 hours), it stopped working. I found a small amount of water and corrosion in the battery compartment, so I conclude that water got further into the unit and killed it. But what bothered me the most was the Garmin reaction: water damage is not covered by the warranty!
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br /The following exchange may tell volumes about their product support philosophy:
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br /My Question: "Can you please explain why a product whose own manual describes it as '... waterproof to IEC 60529 IPX7 standards [30 minute submersion to 1 meter] and is rugged enough to endure the most trying use' would be out of warranty for water damage incurred from splashes of water?"
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br /Their Answer: "Because that standard (is) for motionless water. When you add motion to water it introduces a new dynamic to the being waterproof. Water in motion can get into alot of places that motionless water cannot."
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br /Draw your own conclusions.

I have a rino 110 also but wanted the 120 for the mapping capabilities. It is worth the extra money because the rino 120 comes with the pc interface cable and a basemap of highways and routes. I bought the metroguide software and was able to install 4 area maps onto the 8 megs of memory. The unit works well when navigating around town. Radio range is expected with the 1/2 watt frs radio. When I received the unit, it had a minor defect. I returned the unit to garmin tech support and I had a replacement within 8 days. The 120 does have some features that the 110 does not have like vibrate, voice scramble and the ability to send a text message. It works well with my other rino 110's and I am happy with my rino 120.

These radios cram a lot of great features in a package that almost fits in a pocket. And the price isn't bad for the combination of a decent radio and an adequate GPS, especially when you can do neat things like broadcast your position to other Rinos so that it appears on their GPS map display. But all these great features only really work if you are paying close of attention. There are simply too many features to use conveniently as part of any real outdoor activity. A superb, well thought out user interface might solve the problem, but that's not what you get with this product -- not by a long shot. Garmin has done a decent workmanlike job with its menus and buttons, but it simply isn't nearly enough to save these from being much more than toys.pTwo further points worth noting. The longer range GMRS radio does not broadcast location information, and in order to use GMRS you must apply for a license with the FCC, involves a fee and several very confusing forms.

Looking for an FRS radio and GBS in one unit? This is not it - Yet! FRS communications are garbled and intermittent between brother 120's and Motorola handhelds.pPer Garmin support, microphone and speaker have problems workingbrtogether. Software fix to adjust mic gain fail to fix the problem. I hope there is a hardware fix soon.pHad to return two units.pTo be fare, the GPS works well and has lots of nice features.brThe serial interface also functioned with Topo USA well.pI Truly look forward to a unit that works as advertized.

I bought the Rhino 120 for Hiking with my Daughter we also ride quads motorcycles on remote trails. The GPS was simply awesome. Accurate easy to use the basic features, their are alot of features I am still working on learning them. The basics are easy to learn so you don't get lost it is easy to find your way back with the tracking waypoints. We used the radio, however it did not seem to work that well with other brand FRS radio's. The range was very limited, but this may not be Rhino's fault, but rather the different brands of radio's, I did not get the opportunity to give a good range test on GMRS. Anyway, my riding buddy was so impressed he is going to get one as well. I am pleased.

My first unit had a defective radio and Garmin swapped it out and saved my waypoints. Suggest you buy ear bud w/ PTT mic. My hunting parties used them and it coordinated our hunts accurately especially sending waypoints. Bring batteries since 6hrs seems to be useable time. If money is not an issue buy 530 model since the radio power is 5 watt versus 1/2 watt and the togel switch is easier to use. Overall it made hunting with a group better.

I have nothing but great things about the Garmin RINO 120. The Navigation is good to go. Some people complain about how much more work it is compared to a dedicated GPS model. Well, when you have to combine the radio and the GPS, there is bound to be some compromise somewhere. The radio feature is great. I got scambling security function, different beeps and tones for different parties, and the GPS location works with the radio.
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br /My negative opinions is about the computer to unit cord.. It is a old style nine pin serial port, but the more expensive model have the USB to unit cord. Can't they just update the lineup so all of us have the newer connection. Another issue is the software.. All the new maps are not compatible with the RINO 120, but it is compatible with the new RINO 520. Yes, I know they still sell the software that is compatible with the RINO 120, but it isn't updated since 2000, and I would hate to find out the road is no longer there... That kind of thing...
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br /So overall, it is a good product, just that it needs some updating...

The unit has some great features, I love the tracback and goto. I am new to using a GPS and find these very valuable. The problem is the batteries now do not last more than 1-2 hours. The first set I put in the unit lasted substantially longer, at least 10 hours. I quite literally went through two sets of batteries (first set I thought were duds)in 4 hours this weekend, without even using heavily. I searched around and looked through the manual, but there is no documentation to this problem.

Easy to read, navagate thru the various features. Two way radio is very powerful. We use it up in Northern MN for deep woods hiking Bread Crumbs are very useful and tracking others in our party is a great feature.

I purchased my fist Rino 120 a little less than a month ago. It operates as advertised. I like it so much I purchased a second unit today. No, not one for each hand. The second unit is for use by other members of my family.

I purchased two Rino 120's through Amazon. I am very happy with them.
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br /I tested the radios in thick woods with gradual sloping hills. I was able to get about one-half mile clear communications between the two radios. The peer to peer position reporting feature worked perfectly, as well as the GPS features.
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br /The advertised "up to 5 mile range" etc. you see on radios like these only happens under perfect conditions which nobody is likely to ever encounter. Knowing this, I wasn't disappointed. The half mile range will do fine for my use.
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br /I was a bit disappointed with the lack of detail in the Topo map software, but it is still servicable.
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br /All in all, a good product.
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Much better than the 110 (it's worth the extra money). I use mine for hunting purposes only and absolutely love it. No complaints.

This is my 2nd garmin product, GPS V Deluxe being the first. I admit when I first purchased this product, I had mixed feelings. There were problems with the microphone clarity as compaired to motorola's frs group. However, one thing with Garmin is that they are always working on their products, www.garmin.com, updated software for you to download and update your units. Location and map detail on this unit matches that found in the GPS V, right down to the on screen options. My two complaints: 1)Batterious Carniverous... ie Eats Batteries, prefers AAs. 2)I have a bike mount for this unit, and when subject to vibrations, it sometimes shuts itself off. This has become a geocacher's friend, more so if you have more then 1 person you go caching with.

Great GPS/FRS radio combination. Screen may be hard to view in some light conditions. Great way to see location of other 120 users in your group.

I own a Rino 520 with optional software. I bought the Rino 120 for my elderly Dad who's not so into the high-techie stuff. For us this combo works extremely well for hunting, etc. He uses it just for the radio feature which works well, has good range, and has good clarity. With my 520 I can tell him where each of us are and our proximity. Love this technology! As for quality: My 520 screen has blanked out occasionally (rarely lately)and will come back on after a power off-on cycle, the rubber covering over the antennas wasn't glued down properly (will fix it myself). The 120 hasn't had any problems. The Rino 100 series are a good radio with wonderful features.

I BOUGHT THIS FOR MY HUSBAND WHO HAS NOT SET IT DOWNbrWHEN HE HAS TIME TO USE IT AND LEARN W/IT.brWE ALSO PURCHASED GARMIN UNITED STATES TOPO MAPSOURCE,brWE ENCOUNTERED THAT W/ NEW LAPTOPS THEY ARE DOING AWAY W/SERIAL PARELLEL PORT,SO GARMIN SHOULD CONSIDER OPTIONSbrFOR USB PORTS ALSO. WE DID FIND AN ADAPTER..brLIKES BATTERIES ....SO CONSIDER RECHARGABLE .

Great product - It did more than I thought it would and the basemap was more complete than I had anticipated.

My husband loves his radio. He found the functions easy to learn and I really liked the price for the features that this model provides. I really like the fact that it is waterproof (dirtproof) so that regardless of where my spouse may tread with his radio it will still work.

I bought one of the first ones on the market, took it to Afghanistan twice and it broke on the last day when the belt clip snapped in the cold and it fell hard on a concrete flight line. Garmin gave me a new one under warranty, my fault and was willing to pay but they insisted I get a new one. Thank you Garmin, and why I will continue to buy many of these. Great size, monochrome screen is night vision compatible. Audio is loud and will use most Motorola accessories. This unit works on three AA batteries that can be had anywhere, so it is the one I take with me when out and about. Radio does not work as well as a dedicated unit would but being able to send your location to another unit makes it fill a niche. If you are keeping track of many users in the field this is a good thing. I use a soft case made for a Garmin GPS 12. Buttons are easy to use and fills the hand like a radio should. Great radio and GPS, I use this one the most of all when not navigating the streets. Complements other Garmin units with similar features and operation.

The Rino 120 allows you, at an affordable price to know where you are in the world, where your buddies are as well and to have on-going conversation. The unit performs as advertised. I used the Rino on a game bird hunt in rugged eastern Oregon. Our party was at times a couple miles apart and separated by some deep ravines and high ridges. Sound transmission was great. Battery life seems good. The only thing to remember is to check in at intervals so that your location will continue to update on the map. The perfect tool to stay in contact and stay safe.

I hunt with friends. The Rino 120 allows me to not only talk with my hunting friends, but I know where they are for safety. Keep adding more accessories for the 120 .

I bought this item for my brother, who lives in the Rockies and does quite a bit of hunting, fishing and four-wheeling in the woods. He told me that this little gem has probably saved his life at least twice since he's gotten it. He's gotten lost in the forest a few times and has used the unit to get his maps to decipher his location, plus call our other brother to get his location after getting separated. What more can you say about an item than it can actually SAVE LIVES! ;-) Most impressive little gadget.

Why should you buy this one? The price is right!
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br /You have the GPS with the ability to send your location to other GPS units and a radio to talk to other walkie talkies on 22 communication channels. The good news is I already have 4 other walkie talkies that mate with this GPS. I love it for GEOCACHING and my 7 year old grandson can use it.
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br /There are Icons for special places in the GPS marking menu. This is my second Garmin Rino; the other is a Rino 130. The only draw back is the monochrome display can be difficult in low level light for us seasoned citizens. You kids will have no problem; I'll get my glasses.

I officially used my Garmin Rino 120 for the first time a couple of days ago and it was so handy. My team needed to mark an area so we could return to it later, they were really impressed with that feature. After 5 hours of searching, it took us back to our starting position. I'm lovin' it!

The Rino 120 is VERY easy to use. It has many user-friendly options, and it does not require vast knowledge of global positioning. I did not give this product 5 stars because of the need to purchase additional detailed maps, and the only choice of them being US and Canadian maps (I live overseas and travel world-wide). I really enjoy the integrated 2-way communications capabilities -- it has enhanced the scope of my own employment performance.

I have not put a lot of time on this so far. One thing I am not the most happy with is the accuracy on the maps. It is fairly close but it will show you traveling paralell to the road you are supposed to be on. It does however put a circle of accuracy on the map with you. You are withing that circle of accuracy, so it is working correctly.pIt has the capabilities to work with mapping programs other than the one that Garmin sells. I used mine with Microsoft Map Point. It worked great. The accuracy was much better on my laptop than on the screen of the 120.pI plan on using this for marking some specific points on some property then using it to navagate back to them in the dark. I hope it works well for that.p...

This is a nice, handy item that performs both functions well, at a reasonable price. Do keep in mind that you have to have a ... FCC GMRS license to operate this GMRS radio!

This is my first GPS. I was underimpressed with its reception for both the radio and the GPS. I hope this is not "State of the Art".

I have the rino120 dnathe bartters go dead in about 3days. Is there somthing that i can plug into my 12v system in my car or logging truck cig liter.i am always on the road and it is hard to put batters in it while moving . thank you . larry logan 4008 wilson way lincoln dalif 95648.