I highly recommend Garmin GPSmap76CSx unit to anyone looking for a GPS unit for the road, hiking and/or boating. The numerous menus and features are very intuitive and easy to use. The hi-res color screen may be small compared to in-car GPSs but is very clear. The time for the satellite lock is relatively quick. Even while indoors, I can get a lock on at least 3 or 4 satellites. Buildings with metal roofs or concrete floors above may not get any reception. This is expected of any unit.

For the road, I would highly suggest purchasing the City Navigator North American v8 Maps ($112). The map extends the features of the GPS with turn-by-turn directions, millions of points-of-interests (POI) such as fuel stations, garages, attractions, restaurants and shopping venues. You can even upload your own POIs to the unit as well. Don't be surprised if some of the route calculations it comes up with seem a bit odd. It will get you there though. If you miss your turn it re-calculates a new route very quickly. There are numerous websites that provide POI files that you can upload to your unit. You will notice that some of the pre-installed POIs may not be up to date.

Unlike other handheld GPS units, the memory is expandable. I installed a 1GB microSD card ($45) in order to store vast amounts of map data or tracking that you may have done. The entire US is about 1.5GB of information. The unit comes with a blank 128MB microSD memory card that I moved to my cell phone (bonus).

The sensors included are the electronic compass and barometer. Having an electronic compass allows one to determine ones (N,S,E,W) direction without moving. Many GPS units determine direction by changes in position coordinates. Therefore you must be moving. Optional sensors such has for water temperature may be plugged into the back of the unit.

To protect your unit I recommend the Foarm textured, rubberized (~$20) case. The case comes with a few transparent protectors for the screen. If you don't get this case go out and at least buy some PDA screen protectors. If the protected screen gets scratched you can peel off the overlay and stick on a new one. Since the screen is a bit small and with hi-resolution you want to keep it clear. The GPS unit floats with or without the case. That can come in handy while hiking or boating.

Based on all of this I would highly recommend any other Garmin unit as well.

There are times when "pretty good" isn't good enough. For me, purchasing a GPS unit represented one of those times. I wanted a handheld GPS unit that was best-in-class. My research led me to the GPSMap 76CSx. Factors that led to the decision: frankly, the reviews here; Garmin's reputation; powerful satellite locking; great variety of base- and add-on maps; expandable storage via microSD card; altimeter; compass; battery life; transreflective LCD screen. Don't underestimate the importance of the transreflective screen: one of the biggest consumers of battery power is the LCD: with the backlight on frequently, battery life drops significantly. The transreflective LCD enables you to turn off backlighting for use outdoors during the day, which significantly reduces battery draw.

I like to play with a unit before reading the manual, and in playing around I have figured out the major functions/features. It's not the *most* intuitive unit, but I give it 4/5 stars on intuitiveness. The manual is not huge, but is a several-evening reading project, and that's on my soon-to-do list.

Initial satellite locking is pretty quick (3-4), then acquisition of another 3-4 satellites occurs over the next several minutes. This is *indoors*, where I routinely lock 9 satellites in a townhouse. Out in the woods while hiking, I also lock and hold at least 9 satellites. The more satellites your unit can lock, the more accurate your coordinates are.

I started with using just the built-in basemap, which is ... basic. The first map I added was Topo 2008 USA. While the resolution is only 100k, it adds a reasonable level of topographical detail for my uses (general light hiking), as well as non-routable local roads. (The roads appear and are labelled, but the unit cannot calculate turn-by-turn routing directions using the Topo map. For this, you must add one of the Navigator maps.)

The unit is light, and battery life so far seems as promised (15-20 hours). I have not tried rechargeable batteries, but plan to do so. If they work well, fine, and if not, fine too. Alkalines are inexpensive enough bought in bulk.

Downloading maps from the computer is quite a slow process, so I'm going to guess the USB is 1.1 not 2.0. I downloaded the mid-Atlantic and New England region, approximately 700k of data, which took over 45 minutes. I can't imagine loading the whole country. The Navigator maps may be smaller, since I don't believe they contain elevation data.

All in all, I am very pleased with this unit. The main things a potential buyer must be aware of is the need to add: 1) a larger microSD card to store additional map data; 2) the need to purchase better topographical maps for serious outdoor use; 3) the understanding that while Topo maps show roads, they do not calculate driving routes on these roads; 4) for routable driving maps, you have to add a Navigator type map.

Do not let the suggestion that this device is intended for marine use deter you from considering it for highway and recreational use on land. In fact, the waterproof and floating qualities of this device simply enhance its already impressive capabitities for hikers, bikers and motorized recreationists. It uses all varieties of MapSource software, providing the ability to use highway, topographic and marine maps.

The removable memory allows the user to increase memory or to create memory cards with chosen mapsets preloaded. I installed a 2 GB card and have every available MapSource map east of the Mississippi loaded, including parts of the Canada, Mexican isthmus, and Carribean World Maps! No longer do I have to sit and select maps corresponding to my next trip, load them to the device. Nor do I have to load map segments on my long trips during my trip (which required I bring my PC). It's in there! It's nearly as good as the DVD method found on today's built in vehicle systems in terms of map storage.

It's far better than vehicle systems in terms of features, portability, flexibility, and so on. There are no in-motion restrictions; all data can be uploaded and download with a computer; if the road is on a map, this GPS will take you there - no "road not verified mumbo-jumbo).

This marks the third Garmin GPS I have purchased. It has several capabilities that take it beyond the GPS V that I own, and puts the GPS12 (though a very fine device for it's time) to shame. This unit has expandable memory, double the storage for waypoints, and over three times the track log memory. Tracks uploaded can be twice as large as the GPS V and three times as many total points.

The satellite reception is astonishing - it often receives enough satellites to give me coverage even sitting at my desk in my home office!

The addition of electronic compass and altimeter improve the usability and accuracy of an already impressive device. You will not regret owning one! If you already have a lesser Garmin mapping GPSr, take a look at this!

I have had the Garmin76CSX for four months now and have used it for both cross country hiking and automobile trips. It works very well. I have never lost signal walking through the woods, and I can use it in my car without an external antennae. It will lock onto satellites while I am in my house. I wouldn't go hiking or on a car trip now without it. I even take it on business trips.

It is not cheap, in addition to the Garmin 76CSX, you will need to purchase a MicrosSD card (I bought a 1GB card) for storing extra map information (the built in "base map" is almost useless); the MapSource Topographical CDROM for hiking; and the MapSource City Navigator CDROM, Garmin Automotive mount, and Garmin Cigarete power cable for use in the car.

The Garmin 76 does not have all the features of the GPSs designed only for in car use, but I have used it on several trips and it met all my needs. It gave accurate directions even in one-way street situations, and has been very useful finding restaurants and other points of interest near locations I have visited.

You can download topo and city street maps at the same time. If you have both types of maps downloaded, the Garmin will only show the city street maps unless you hide the city street maps, in which case it will show the topo maps. Finding the menu to hide the city street maps is not obvious, I had to call tech support to find out how to do it. With a map displayed, you have to press the menu button; select Setup Map; press the Enter button; at the top of the screen select the "i" (Information) icon; press the Enter button; finally select the Hide US NorthAmerica City Streets and press the Enter button.

The reason I didn't give it five stars was because of the following two items:

The mapsource software doesn't run on the Apple Macintosh.

The topo maps are based on very old data (over 10 years old in some areas), and don't show as much detail as I would like to see. But they are still very useful and worth buying.

My etrex vista was nice and compact and worked fine at sea. But it was useless in the forest, just couldn't receive satellite signals, even in light tree cover.
I read about the new 'chip' in the newer models, and wanted a unit with an external antennae.
I got my map76csx and promptly took it on a serious hike. Performed better than I hoped for. It worked perfectly. I did use an external antennae from Gillson, and had multiple signals even in very heavy tree cover.
At home, I can take the unit outside and get the signal, then come inside (I live in the tropics in a concrete house) and still retain my signals.

BEST OF ALL..... my garmin was in a backpack along with other gear for an overnight camp, the backpack took a 230 foot fall to a rocky floor. The backpack was destroyed, my video camera, stainless steel coffe mug, tins of tuna and sardines were all mangled -literally- into balls of crumpled metal. Everything was completely destroyed....except my garmin!!
I was delighted and shocked that it came out unscathed and turned right on.

It's tougher than nails!

I highly recommend the unit.
Extreme adventurer

This is the third Garmin GPSMAP 76 product I've owned. I started with the GPS Map 76 with 8MB RAM a few years ago. I found having a GPS was a great convenience but also a lot of fun. You never get lost and with downloaded details like points of interest you can easily find things like a specific restaurant or hotel in a city you've never been to. As an pleasure boater, this GPS has the Navaids preloaded so navigating from point to point on a big river is a breeze. Plus it floats so if you drop it overboard there's no issue.

However 8MB memory is not a lot so I upgraded a couple years later to the 76S to allow for more detailed maps to be loaded. With 24MB RAM there's enough memory to store details for about a 120 mile radius. When I needed to go somewhere new I'd down load that area instead. The 76S met my needs but I still thought a little more memory would be nice.

With the 76CSX you can have as much memory as you can fit into a micro SD card. I've got one with 1GB and have the detailed info for pretty much the entire East Coast and neighboring states downloaded. Adding the color screen is a plus so now Navaids are red and green, not just labeled such. And a great improvement is the autorouting capability where you just plug in your start and end points and it routes you there automatically with turn by turn directions just like on most websites. Get too far off course and it does it over again to get you where you want from where you are at that point. One attribute I really like is the screen colors automatically change when the sun goes down so during the day it's a light screened format and at night it automatically changes to a dark screen format... very cool. Plus - it still floats!

I love this new GPS and it's portability, large memory, preloaded marine Navaids, and autorouting cabilibilities make it a must-have for someone that likes to do a lot of things and where a dashboard mounted device won't work.

This is a great unit,But the box and the online info is a little bit deceving, they make it look like it comes with address maps, but is dosent, you must purchase them for another 139.00 dollars. Plus the waterways maps for 199.00, buy the time your done you will have paid
about 750.00 bucks!!!

I have owned GPS 12's, Etrex Legend, Foretrex 101, and GPSMAP 76. I have been pleased with them all except when in heavy tree cover. My first surprise with the GPSMap 76CSx was when I took it out of the box and turned it on and it picked up 4 satellites on the first floor of my two story house--and I wasn't near a window. Next it picked up multiple satellites through my car roof. My other Garmin's had not done either of those. So far I am impressed with (1) the number of satellites received--almost always more than 5 and frequently 9 or more where my other units would be picking up 4 or 5, (2)how quick it triangulates (receives enough data to indicate where I am), (3) with the usefulness of the electronic compass and the barometer, and (4) with how good the screen view is. I haven't gotten new maps yet, but had not trouble uploading my old Roads and Recreation maps. What a pleasure to work at USB speeds rather than RS-232 speeds! And I am delighted with the additional memory chip space for maps. I wasn't sure about this purchase when I made it, but I am delighted so far.

This was my fourth GPS purchase and I am very satisfied with this unit. It's not as small as the Etrex line but the color screen is bright and easy to read for my "not as young as they used to be" eyes. It is missing some of the high end tricks that my GPSMAP 276C has but it is much less bulky and seems to track satellites better with the new SiRF GPS chip. I use the handheld GPS mostly for flying on my hang glider, to record my flights and arrange for pickups with I go cross country and land out along a road. It is easy to follow your position and use tracks to see where you have been. Garmin is the gold standard for GPS among the flying crowd and we use them for flight tracking and scoring during national competitions. It is reliable, easy to use and read and the buttons are big enough to use with your flying gloves on. I also use this for hiking with TOPO maps loaded. It has never let me down but take extra batteries!

I was a happy owner of a Garmin E-Map for a number of years before it finally went to "swim with the fishes," when I was fly fishing. So I had to replace it. The 76CSx is a major step forward and should satisfy anyone who is accustomed to using handheld GPS devices. The screen is bright and legible; a minor disadvantage is that when displaying data fields on the map page, they seem larger than necessary, using up space that would otherwise be available for a larger map; however, the fact that they are user-customizable is a big improvement. If turn-by-turn directions are important to you, you will need the add-on mapping products; however, I ignore turn-by-turn directions at least as often as I use them, so the directions approximated on the base map provide a better indication of travel time, etc., than the straight-line direction supported by the E-map--just use your brain when it tries to direct you across a field. In addition, waypoints stored on my PC and my old MapSource CDs (both 3.00 from 1999!) loaded very seamlessly on the GPSMap 76CSx, which was a pleasant surprise (again, not supporting turn-by-turn directions, but providing good, if dated, base map detail). Overall, this unit offers good performance and a much higher degree of customizability than the navigation systems built into cars; there are, of course, trade-offs, like a smaller screen and a less intuitive interface. But regular users will quickly find its strengths and adjust to its limitations. I highly recommend this unit to any relatively serious user of hand-held GPS for driving, boating, our outodoor recreation.

OK, Let me make this easy for you: This is the best! As a defense contractor, I train fighter pilots for a dozen NATO countries. I am intimately familiar with embedded GPS/INS systems employed in modern combat aircraft, but this was my first experience with a personal handheld GPS product.
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br /Five minutes after I opened the box, the unit was on and locked on to no less than seven satellites as I sat in my living room chair. When I took it outside for my exercise walk, it locked up 12 satellites in a few seconds and gave me an accuracy of less that 10 feet- WITHOUT enabling WAAS!!
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br /Initially, I was disappointed in the accuracy of the compass function, but then I discovered that it needs to be calibrated (Duh!) Back in the day, we called this a "compass swing" and it took hours. This unit calibrated in about 30 seconds. Ain't technology wonderful?
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br /I'm just beginning to learn about all the features of the 76CSx, but geocaching here I come! By the way, I'm a retired USAF pilot over 55 years old, and I had no trouble using the owner's manual.
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br /Buy one of these. Today. That's an order!

As a previous owner of the Magellan Maridian Marine, I had High expectations of the 76Sx. I'm pleased to say I wasn't dissapointed! Ease of setup, software instalation all worked great. The unit itself is clear for and easy to operate. Additional notes: Customer support is friendly and easy to reach without an hour of menu selections. clear english speaking represenative made it that much easier.(I contacted them pre-purchase for addional information & map information) Also noteworthy is the fact that when connected to the computer, the usb connection WILL power the 76csx. Highly reccomended!Garmin GPSMap 76CSx Handheld GPS Navigator

I'm new to using a GPS receiver unit, and frankly I'm impressed with the accuracy, quality and general overall ease of use with this hand held gps unit.

some of the features it has that surprised me,

parachute jump calculator, tells you where you might land based on altitude ect.. very neat feature, I'm sure an advanced parachutist would love this tool that's integrated into the gps functions of :
compass
altimeter (barometric)
speed indication
highly precision GPS location tracking
waypoints, and automatic routing.

In short. VERY COOL, as cool as a car mounted system.

The only issue I had was the maps were kinda useless, all the feature are present for obviously something it doesnt come with, highly updated maps.

THOSE are seperate, and about 200$ extra - but you get the car charger, and mounting system for in car navigation .. it doesnt talk, but it really doesnt need to. the map s are scrollable. and you can quickly find things like gas stations, resturants ect.. specially good if your traveling quite a bit. or even a little to a new area.

I use this for GEOCACHING, it fits in my cargo pockets with ease. it's lightweight, durable, lasts a long time on 2 AA Batteries, and even has options to switch to ni-mh batteries which I happen to have layinga round the house w/ a charger unit for an old camera I used to use.

the screen is color, bright. and what's neat about this unit is.. it has a day/night color change feature, .. so when it flips to nighttime, you can look around the window and say 'yep there goes the sun"

it's accurate too with dates and calender info - such as moon phases.. it has that built in.

there's even tide prediction as well .

For marine use, it's got SOME features. but for general overall everyday use. WOW this thing is packed with features, built in applications. search system to find stuff. and it works great with geocaching.com online .loc uploads.

this has 128 meg Micro SD card built in, larger memory cards are available for very low prices.. I saw 512meg microsd for about 29$

the microsd cards are used to store tracks, waypoints that you add, and additional maps.

I recomend this one over the 60csx, only because it's waterproof submergable, and doesnt ahve a funky antenna sticking up. that will tell people aroudn you you got a gps unit in your hand.

as far as design and buttons, it's easy to use. smooth scrolling. and hihgly configurable to change sensativity ect..

This is a great unit. A little large for just hiking in the woods, but I use it for travel in the car as well as on my 1-5 mile walks. This is an upgrade from a Garmin GPS 12-MAP (which has been discontinued). The color screen is clear and easy to read in the varied natural light sources I've run into so far. The size is good for use in the car and the buttons are a good size (not like those on the blackberry where you almost need a stylus to push only one button at a time.)
Navigation in the menus is similar to the 12-Map with enhancements. The Geocache is new to me but I will be participating in geocaching with family and having fun. Haven't had a chance to explore the marine side of this unit yet.
I agonized over which unit to buy (the Legend, the Vista or something bigger). Because most of my use is not hiking, I elected the larger unit and am glad I did. It's worth the extra dollars, it's fun, pratical, and I expect to get a lot of use out of it over the next many years.

I needed a portable GPS unit that could be moved between several boats, as well as have the capability to be used in the car. This was the only unit I found that gave me what I needed.
What is good:
-The Blue Chart maps are great for navigation on the water. This is the primary reason I bought this unit.
-The City Navigator maps & database provide fairly accurate and up to date information
What is bad:
-The supplied base map is insufficient. (I knew this going in.)
-The City Navigator maps & database costs ~$120 (and you need to buy a 2GB memory card if you want to load all of the US map data on the unit.
-The Blue Chart map CD "contains" all the charts for the US, but you only get an unlock code for one area with your purchase. The cost of additional unlock codes add up quickly.

Performance:
Positioning, usually within 20 feet, sometimes down to 5 feet.
Route recalculation, less than 30 secs.
Route selection, doesn't replace local knowledge

What it needs (but doesn't have)
Larger screen
Suction cup mounting bracket
Speed sensitive turn notification (Current notification "beeps" are OK when you are doing 40MPH, a bit late when you are doing 80MPH)

I am replacing a GPSmap 76CS with the X series version. I love it. With a 1 Gig chip in it I easily fit all the maps required for a recent trip from Washington DC to Milwaukee. With the new electronics, it comes up a lot quicker and stays locked on in places where my old one would not. Another nice new feature is receiving power through the USB connection so it does not use the battery when connected to the computer. All in all a great unit.

JWF

Nice unit, good screen, great battery life, good barometric elevation sensor. The only thing I would change is to have it come with auto-routing maps (city navigator) rather than the auto-routing base map (horrible). Even a straight goto line would be preferable sometimes. Other than that, it can take 2G memory cards, which is a LOT of mapping; I load metroguide maps, topo maps to exhaustion (mine). Floats, supposedly, but I haven't had the..luck..to verify this.
Satellite reception is tremendously good, a point I can't overemphasize. I haven't tried it under dense canopy, but in the urban condo canyons & whatnot it has always gotten great coverage.

I like it. The menus are not intuitive for me. The "Topo" maps do not provide the detail i desire and have not been successful in using the National Geographic Topo with this system. I believe the basic software may need to be updated to current standards. The "flash memory" when updated erases previous data. Have had the batt compartment leak. Haven't tried the flotation yet. I am a sea kayaker and use it accordingly, so the waterproof and topo features are important to me. [...]

The basic unit is great. The instruction manual is good for basic use, but when it comes to adding mapps to the memory chip the manual leaves a lot to be desired. It takes alot of time to figure out the "advanced" functions and the mapsource products needed to give you the detail mapping are expensive. If you are able to put in the time to learn the system and the spend the money on the mapsource products, this is an amazing GPS.

I spent a long time researching the various handheld options. I wanted something I could take on a hike, travel with the car and use on my boat. Purchased City Navigator NT (CD) and Blue Chart (microSD). Have since used both on a road trip and a boat trip. Both worked perfectly and were incredibly accurate. I highly recommend this GPS. I purchased the Foarm case too. The case is really tough and should do a great job protecting the unit.

This GPS works.I don't know much about GPS but I have used a Trex Vista infrequently for 3 years. It struggled to find satellites so the 76's ability to do so impresses me. For the price I think it should come with a detailed map of your area of interest, so I gave it 4 stars. I like the shape of the 60 series better and the screen on top. I like the ability of the 76 to float and its moisture tolerance. Expect to pay $100's for maps and you can only download Garmin maps except I have seen maps of ski areas advertized that are supposed to download to Garmin receivers. I'm convinced that expandable memory is the way to go, hence the x. I like the compass and altitude/pressure features, hence the S. I'm not convinced the color screen is a big deal.

The Garmin GPSMap 76CSx has all the features I was looking for in one unit. It is light weight, easy to read, and easy to set up and run. You absolutely must purchase an upgraded map, as the base map is not really effective. It is very accurate. The first night I got it and was setting it up, I acquired 4+ satellites from inside my house during a thunderstorm. It is very sensitive! I haven't had it out under heavy tree cover yet but based on what I have seen so far I don't doubt it will perform perfectly. All the features are easily understood and easily assessable. I recommend this unit with no reservation.

this is a terrific product now I wish they would develop better mapping software to go with it. the aquisition time is super fast and you stay locked in even in canyons. wonderful!

If, like me a few months ago, you have a 76CS and are wondering whether to replace it with the 76CSx, I recommend doing so.
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br /The 76CSx is surprisingly improved over the 76CS. I noticed that . . . .
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br /1. The antenna is much stronger. The 76CSx pulls in satellite signals inside my house.
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br /2. The annoying "hold level" warning on the compass page no longer appears. I guess Garmin has solved that issue.
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br /3. The batteries stay in place even with severe use (in my case, on the handlebar of my mountain bike as I traverse rough terrain). With the 76CS and 76S, I had to install bubble wrap inside the battery cover to get the batteries to stay in contact. On the 76CSx, the batteries have not dislodged. To extract them, I've found it's better to roll them out than to try to pull them out.
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br /4. The unit will draw power from your computer via the USB cable.
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br /In sum, I am very glad that I bought the 76CSx and sold my 76CS. I have one suggestion. The screen could easily be scratched on my prior Garmin GPS receivers. This time, before venturing out of the house with the 76CSx, I overlaid a clear plastic InvisibleShield film that I had bought from a company called Zagg. On my very first outing, I crashed my bike, flying through some sharp branches and twigs. The screen was unblemished.

This unit does everything Garmin says it will do and does it flawlessly. Battery draw down time is very exceptable even in cold weather. We have gotten it soaked with snow and ice. The first day we had it I hid twelve gifts in deep woods in a twenty acre area. I set waypoints for each gift and erased my tracks. Even in fast falling, blowing, and drifting snow my kids where able to navigate to all twelve gifts within an hour. What a blast. I strongly recommend adding Garmins Mapsource City Navigator for on road adventures. The unit gives extremely accurate on road directions (in print-no voice)and seems very up to date at least for our area in Wisconsin. I also purchased the optional external antenne for my vehicle, which is perfect. The unit even receives well next to a window without the external antenne, at least in fairly open areas. Even in severe weather and cloud cover it seems accurate within about twelve feet. I really can't say enough good about this GPS. It is slightly more expensive than some of the lesser units, but WELL WORTH the cost.

I love the 76CSx. It came quickly -- right on the day it was supposed to arrive. I had been using a Garmin 72 and the change to the 76CSx has been pure joy. I debated between the Garmin 60CSx and the 76CSx and finally chose the 76 because the keys are the same and I felt as is if would be easy to adapt to. The only advantage that I could see that the 60 had was the smaller size. I also ordered the City Navigator disk which I had trouble loading. Once I got it loaded it was wonderful. I bought a 1 GB micro card and had even more trouble loading the maps on that, but I went to the help site and used the mass storage device instructions and loaded the 9 states (including Texas) I needed for vacation onto the unit. It was an amazing help on the trip. I couldn't be happier with the unit. I use it when I travel and when I take walks (it keeps track of distance and speed for me). It works even in my house, when I have it shut up in my purse and under the heaviest of tree cover. I could go on and on, but let it suffice to say, I am very happy with it.

What can I say? This is what I have been waiting for. Superior sensitivity and accuracy. Functionality also very good, but may take some time getting "into the fingers". Nevermind that, if you want the latest in portable GPS, suitabel almost for any outdoors activity, Garmin GPSMap 76CSx Handheld GPS Navigator should be your choice.

I've had my 76CSX for about a year. I use it with my motorcycle, my bicycle, my truck, for boating and hiking. It does just about everything. The only thing I wish it did is talk to me when I need to turn or make some other navigational adjustment, but I knew it did NOT do that when I bought it. What little tech support I've needed (when I couldn't figure something out from the instructions) has been prompt and competent. It may help that I live only eight miles from the Garmin World Headquarters in Olathe, Kansas.

One feature that many people miss because they don't use it, is the 6 million points of interest. If you'll let it, it will select a restaurant for you, according to what your palate hankers for, or a place to stay (motel/hotel) or which casino is closest.

It's just a jim-dandy little gadget that's very handy. Try one. You'll like it.

I have use GPS systems integrated into a Pocket PC, or Bluetooth units to use with my laptop. The advantage I see to this unit is that it is waterproof (unlike my PDA/Phone/GPS, laptop), it is very portable (unlike my laptop), and it can measure changes in pressure (hence, altitude), and it has a compass for when you are moving too slow for the GPS to tell which direction you are going.

Additionally, I use it when I drive, with "MapSource City Select North America". It won't give you voice prompts, but it will beep when you need to turn and it will give you details in the screen. I use the blue charts for sailing, and if I were to go hicking, I would use it to navigate.

The only problem I see is that the cost of the unit will not get you the MapSource, you have to add that. Additionally, if the maps for certain streets overlay over the charts from the same area, you have to pick one or the other. That can be a pain in my case, because I live in South Beach, and every time I go sailing I have to uncheck all the city maps around the bay of Biscayne.

Not only did Amazon have a competative price but the company was able to deliver the product within 3 days, 4-7 days faster than expected.

The 76CSX itself is a great tool for Navigational purposes and can be used to chart courses in the comfort of your home via your computer. You simply then transfer the data to the handheld then to you onboard NEMA compatible chartplotter.

My only complaint with the device is that the directions for data transfers via the NEMA device (cable)is not at all decriptive enough. Garmin's website helps a bit more.

This is a huge upgrade from my earlier generation GPS. Acquisition is very fast and the GPS works in environments in which my previous GPS would not be usable.

Unfortunately I also get to provide a customer evaluation of Garmin service as my unit intermittently freezes up. Hopefully this experience will be OK as this GPS appears to be an excellent product.

I love this unit. It is my first GPS and I complemented my purchase with a good "how to" book and a 2nd book on how to make your own maps. Most of the negatives you read about are true and are mainly complaints about Garmin and/or support. The Garmin software is rudimentary, Garmin is totally proprietary and the maps are ridiculously expensive and a royal pain to download and to load to SD or microSDs. And, God forbid you buy a second unit and try to connect with the same computer. First of all it is challenging to the point of hair pulling frustration and secondly Garmin does not reward you for buying a second unit since they will charge you full price to buy maps for the second unit after you have already paid for the same software for the 1st unit! Not even a discount for being a good customer! Very shortsighted but that is probably why their profits have dropped so dramatically this year. But, having said all that, I still think it is an excellent and affordable choice if you want to navigate in the car (safer w/ a co-pilot helping), in the field and in the water and this unit does it better than most GPS handhelds that try to do everything. My total investment so far is $350 for unit + 1 map purchase. I will likely spend the time to learn to make my own maps (another $100 for 3rd party software)and to use them for hiking/canoeing/cycling and forget about Garmin maps entirely. As for boating, I will probably bit the bullet and drop another $100-150 for the Bluecharts I will soon want just because I'll have my hands full making terrestrial maps and it will be easy to just buy an already loaded SD card from Garmin. So, I will be into this unit for about $500 total. As I intend to use this unit for a long time, I think that is not a bad deal overall. One more thing: the unit itself is really big. It does not bother me but others have mentioned it and it was shocking the first time I saw the unit out of the box. You may consider the new Colorado series if this is a deal breaker for you. But do check out the screen size comparisons. This unit has one of the largest screen sizes in the handhelds.

I found this device to be relatively easy and comfortable to use (one-handed, no less), and accurate to within 15' +/- under tree cover of greater than 90% mature alder and fir - once locked onto satellites under clearer overhead conditions in Seattle WA and using an external Gilsson antenna mounted atop a hat. Satellite aquisition under the trees did not happen the few times I tried. The display is excellent under sunny conditions. Downloading waypoint data into a text file was simple. I haven't used it yet under driving conditions, so I can't speak to using related features. Were it damaged or stolen, I'd buy another one without hesitation.

You defiantly need this GPS if you are going anywhere, you have to be safe and take the precautions. This device will keep you knowing where you are so you don't get lost or end up in a lot of peril. This GPS track you anywhere you are, also showing the sea level and all. It has an electronic compass to direct you on your way without any fault. Plus downloading is easy with a USB or serial port interfaces. This is an amazing product.

I upgraded to this machine from an 5 year old garmin vista. It excels in every respect and I wish that I would have purchased it when it first hit the market. I tested it out by taking it to redwood national park and driving the parkway and hiking through the redwoods. never once did the trackline waver or did the gps loose the sat connection. it seems that the SiRF chip does the job very well. Which is way better that the old vista which lost sats immediately upon entering the canopy.
The USB cable is much faster than the old serial cable. 10 MB of data takes about a minute instead of 30 minutes or more.
The screen paints very quickly. In a blink or two.

What don't I like: The scroll button in the center is rather hard to push and I often have to push it twice for it to read my entry.

Features I wish it had (in case Garmin is listening): the 12XL (my first GPS) had a screen which sorted in real-time the closest waypoints this is a handy feature and I used it frequently for finding the midpoint between 2 or more waypoints. It would be nice to have this feature in the 76 series. Also if the unit had bluetooth to wirelessly exchange data with a computer that would be nice too. It would be nice if the Sun and Moon screen included bearing and azimuth to those extra-terrestrial bodies.

Wife is into Geocaching. The X chip GPS units are the only way to go for this. We started out with some cheaper ones, but since a lot of the stuff is in places there are trees the older ones were a major pain. These work no matter where you are, does not matter how heavy the tree cover, you still get a very good reading.
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I bought the 76CSx to use on my boat along with some BlueChart software for my local areas. The unit is tough, very accurate and provides an awesome set of features that make it one of the best, if not the best, handheld GPS on the market today in this price range. Battery life is good and the unit is definitely water resistant. It gets hammered by salt water on the boat quite often and its still going strong. It can pinpoint my position accurately, even in overcast and rainy conditions inside my house. The BlueChart marine maps are also good quality and have kept me safe and positioned accurately whenever I am out on the boat, in all weather conditions.
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br /I have also used it for Geocaching and it has some great features for that activity too, being able to interface directly to geocaching.com to download geocache locations/co-ordinates.
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br /The color screen is bright and has enough resolution for accurate reference. It also can provide street by street directions with appropriate auto maps installed, but doesn't provide voice alerts for turns etc. Nonetheless, this GPS is far more versatile than car navigation systems as it is portable and can handle many different activities very well. Highly recommended!

I'm an ardent geocacher. This unit was an upgrade for me from my Etrex Legend, and it was an excellent choice. The screen is very legible and I really appreciate the extra sensitivity and ability to receive signals under tree cover.
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br /Highly recommended.

I own several Garmin GPS units and am very happy with all of them. The only unit not worth the Garmin brand is the GPS 76CSX. Since I have several units, I can compare accuracies. The 6CSX is normally off by 10 to 20%. Garmin has replaced the unit three times and finally they told me that this unit is so sensitive it can be off a "bit". A "bit" in my book is not 10%, much less 20%. I bought the 76CSX to replace a Forerunner 305 and have since gone back to the 305.
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br /I would not recommend. Those that say it is very accurate have nothing to compare it to. I have compared to a Nuvi 660, and Edge 705, and a Forerunner 305 with the results being not very good for the 76CSX. For example, a 24 mile ride on my bike had the following: Edge 705 - 24..1, Forerunner 305 - 24.2, and the CSX - 29.6 miles. I walked 3 miles at a high school track and the 76CSX recorded 4.3 miles.

I used the 76 CSX few times in my small boat in Brazil. The boat has a 90hp etech engine by BRP, a very quite engine. I was surprised by the fact that the unity has no volume control for its alarms. If your are navegating and getting close to a non visible object the alarm set for proximity will not be heard. It is very low volume.
br /NortonGarmin GPSMap 76CSx Mapping Handheld GPS

I am returning the 76CSx and getting the eTrex Vista HCx instead. When I pulled the 76CSx from the box, I knew right away this would not work for hiking, geocaching, and biking (the main reasons I use GPS). It is simply too big. I am used to my old eTrex Vista, and the 76 just dwarfs it. I can't believe other reviews that say that the 76 fits "comfortably in my pocket." They haven't seen the eTrex series. I should have known from the product description it was too big, but sometimes it doesn't sink in until you actually see it.

I have no reason to doubt the performance of the 76CSx (I didn't use the one I bought). Perhaps some applications will benefit from the larger size, boating in particular. I do think that the buttons above the screen are problematic, as well as the fact that you have to move your finger off the rocker key to hit "enter" rather than push down on the rocker.

From what I can tell, the Vista HCx will be almost as good in performance to the 76CSx or 60CSX, but much smaller and lighter.

We bought two of the GPSMAP 76Csx models for our resources staff. After working with the device for a few weeks, I decided to purchase my own to replace my aging GARMIN eTrex Vista The 76Csx is going to be a great tool for our wetland delineation process. Although of low reolution and scaling the ability to load the MapSource 1:100000 maps will provide a little more detail than the base maps. We use DNR Garmin to transfer these points between the device and our ArcMAP/ ArcGIS software. This easily allows us to display our field mapping coordinates in a geo-referrenced satelite image environment for planning purposes. Being able to change datums on the fly is important for our varying data formats. I only wish the unit would accept more text annotation and display it in the mapping software. This would be more useful for discusion of individual point data.

This is a great GPS, just know that you will have to buy a full map if you want detailed GPS data. It has many helpful and fun functions that will keep you entertained and heading in the right direction. Also it gets amazing reception, I've never had to use the external antenna I bought even in remote parts of my trips. I am very please with my purchase, indeed.

I absolutely love my GPS. While it is not as user friendly as the touch screens that have come out more recently, it works great with a little research and pushing buttons. I've used this as both a handheld device while Geocaching with my family as well as for directions when driving. I think the driving force for one of these came after I got my husband lost in Hollywood at Midnight. Needless to say I got this for my birthday a few weeks later. And have loved it every since. My kids LOVE being able to track everything. One other thing I love, it tracks the speed-so if you have a teenager you can stick this in the car and then download where the car has been and how fast they have been driving. As a claims adjuster and a parent I recommend this. As I told my kids, you earn trust and by following rules you earn it so by leaving this turned on in the car (I usually put it under the seat when not in use so as to avoid potential idiots breaking into the car to steal it) it tracks everything and everywhere you've been.

In first time, the seller is very serious and my purchase arrive on time.
br /Now, the gps Garmin 76CSx is a wonderful equipment. I probed the unit in a airplane, at 560 mi/h, and the map come on to LCD display's very fast.
br /The GPS still receives the sign of the satellites without difficulty inside the airplane, without necessity of approaching it to the window.
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br /I recommend this team highly.

You may think this strange but I bought this "machine" to accompany me on most of AMTRAK's Long distance trains. I will use it to track my progress along the rairoad tracks as we travel all over the continent. I'm amazed at how fast this unit locks onto the satellite signals; usually less than one minute while I'm in the center of my house. I will use Garmin's Topo US 2008 Garmin MapSource Topo U.S. 2008which clearly shows the tracks on which we will travel. The Unit will be connected to my Laptop and will visually display our progress recording speeds, positions, elevations, arrival and departure times, etc. I have purchased a 2GB micro chip, which is mounted in the unit, and transferred onto it over 1100 maps which cover the nine routes I will travel. I have tested this using my car and the results are amazingly accurate.

PROS excellent price, great product, shippment arrived on time with everything intact,... I have been using this product in Iraq for the few months now (I have used several GPSs befor). What got me is the sattelite aquiring capability without any antenna, in an Armored Vehicle. No other GPS could do that. I bought external Antenna but no use for it since I am getting a minimum of Eight out of 12. Clear view (day night), all easy to use menu, long batterie life (manual says 18 hrs, I used it for longer than 18hrs)......
br /CONS The pre stored map might be little off. Every time I reach Syrian or Jordan border, GPS shows about 7 Km inacuracy. And I would still say the best GPS I ever invested on.

For the low price I paid for the Garmin GPSMap 76CSx thru Amazon, I fully expected it to be a refurbished unit. Appeared to be brand new from the packaging. Truely phenomenal device. Does everything except talk to me (and maybe I just haven't figured that part out yet). Have been using another Garmin handheld for about the past ten years... reliable, but a dinosaur compared to the technology in this one. Can't say enough good things about this. Would recommend it without hesitation (in fact, I already have).

Excellent product. Flawless design and unit works very well. Replaces my GPS-12 (which worked well for what it was) and the 76CSx is somwhat similar to my old unit so learning the new one was a snap.
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br /Standard map is very basic but will be fine for travelling on major highways. I opted for the City Navigator NT and a 2G memory card. The whole City Navigator (all of USA plus some) takes up a little more than 1G.
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br /Reception is outstanding in the car, or even in my house. Anywhere outside it picks up strong signals. I use it in the car and out while riding my bike to keep track of where I went.
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br /I highly recommend this unit.
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I bought this GPS to replace a GPSMAP 76cs that I dropped overboard on a sailboat race. I had to watch it float away as we sailed away from it. Anyhow, this GPS is a nice improvement. It acquires a signal faster and the map display updates much more quickly. I like that I can put a 2GB memory card in it and load lots of maps and change cards quickly. I have the City Navigator NT product, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron on the 2GB card with room to spare. The battery life is great. I can get more than a day out of a set of alkaline batteries. Navigation mode works very well for sailboat racing. I have used this to navigate very complex courses and it works well. I plan to upload tracks to MotionBased and analyze my racing performance. Now I just have to hold onto this one better and not lose it overboard.

After many months of study, I decided on the 76CSx. I cannot find a problem with is after one month of 3 day weekends geocaching. I can put more waypoints in it than the streetpilot in the car. After finding a cache I can press found and it goes to the calendar so I can find them easily when I get home to do logs. I am using 2500mAH energizer batteries in it and because I discharge them completely before recharging, they last 24 hours with out the backlight. I bought the car cigarette lighter adapter for it but only use it on long trips. It has a better routing engine than the streetpilot 2620 consistently going the way I would go. I cant think of any problem with it as yet. You get used to the buttons at the top which I have no problem with. I think this is as good as it gets

I use to have older verion of GPSMap 76S too. I have been happy with that device too. I use my device both in sea and in forest. Issue with old version in forest was short-time of using device with battery power. You cannot have satelite receiving on all the time while batteries are finished in few hours. But with 76CSx this all changed. I was up in mountains hunting 5 days and I had satelite receiving on at least 25 hours without any problems(lithium batteries)! That's wonderful.

Battery terminals break easy.. Quite a few owners have complained about this problem on the 76csx forum..If it wasn't for the battery terminal problem, the 76csx would be a great unit.

Great overall product.
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br /Very rugged, good battery life, great support.
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br /Small complaints: small screen, slow processor at times, button interface is slow entering input.
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br /No surprises really though. I love it.

The GPS arrived in a few days and works great. The rocker switch on the unit sucks. It makes entering information difficult. The GPS is very sensitive and works inside my motorhome away from any windows. My old unit was an E-Map and it had to be beside a window to work. This unit also works well in deep woods. The unit is advertised as being a mapping unit. This is true if you purchase the City Navigator software for $115. The mapping does not work with the 2008 Topo software. I installed a 2 GB chip to hold the topo map. It turned out that the unit would only hold less than half of the topo map and only used 700 MB of the 2 GB available. It also took over 2 hours to download the topo data.

We bought this gps for use hiking and geocaching. We are very happy with its satelite signal, even under heavy tree cover. The only thing we wish we could get is some kind of case for it to be in and still be used without removing it. Great GPS

It is slightly bigger than other handhelds, but the extra area makes for easier button navigation I think. Certainly, the comments from others that you need to budget in some Mapsource maps does apply as the base map is old and not of much use.

Purchased ths Garmin GPS 76CSX about 3 months ago. The satellite acquisition is very quick & the features are great. This is my third GPS & third Garmin. The last was an eTrex. This is a huge upgrade from the eTrex, much better antenna, mapping capabilities are very good, battery life is also good. I researched quite a while and am not disappointed. Would recommend the 76CSX or the 60CSX.

outstanding product - I was in the midst of a GPS Adult Ed class when I purchased this product. As this is same unit that we used in class it is very helpful. Just add maps for the area that you need and go.

Good overall. Less accurate than my Garmin Etrex Summit HC, yet twice the price. Too big to carry comfortably. The only thing I liked over the Etrex was it's ability to float. Optional maps not important because they cost $119.00 each. I ended up with the Delorme PN40 for $289.00 which has a much better base map that incorporates a street level map, topographic maps, USGS, Quads, marine, aerial and for $29.95 a year subscription to upgrade all maps.

This is my first GPS receiver and I do love it. I will not go into all the pros, as others have already done that. I did want to share some cons:
1. The compass is very inaccurate, and generally useless. I have to recalibrate it before every use. It could be that my unit is bad, but I have nothing to compare it against. I would recommend the cheaper 76CX instead. The out of warranty repair cost is also $25 cheaper for the CX vs. the CSX according to the Garmin website.
2. The SIRF receiver chip died after 4 months. I had to send the unit to Garmin for warranty repairs. I don't know if it's symptomatic of gnerally poor construction quality, or just a random occurence.

I liked the 76S that I bought several years ago so much that I wanted another in the same series when I upgraded. This is so much quicker, and it has so many new features, especially greatly increased memory, and it cost considerably less than the 76S. The one thing I've found lacking is that the tide feature the 76S had only comes with another $120+ of marine software for the 76CSX. We live near salt water and it adds to the usefulness when we're camping if we know what the tides are doing. Is there anyway I can download this into my new GPS?

I bought this for the husband and it is his new best friend.
br /It provides all the information he requires to do various types of fishing. He is still learning all it can do but overall it performs well when traveling and fishing. He likes the easy to read directions and the screen viewing is clear. It is accurate so far and that keeps the aggravation down when searching. When he is alone it is an added insurance for safety.
br /Overall recommendation - buy and enjoy.

A decent GPS with the features that are important. Auto routing, both serial and UBS. The micro SD it comes with is small (only 256M), a 2G is large enough to hold the whole USA metro guides.

I'm very satisfied with this product. I'm sorry that they didn't send it with a CD to learn how to use it. But I'm very pleased with my purchase.

I was sailing on the Canadian Westcoast (Vancouver - Gulf Islands, Sunshine coast) and bought a Garmin GPSMAP 76CSx plus the Bluechart for the area.
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br /I was slightly aprehensive before the purchase about the screen size and level of detail on the maps, but after a little getting used to, I was really VERY impressed.
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br /Having been used to large paper charts (expensive) this is a great deal.
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br /You can plan before a rough course, and have a good "large scale view) and easily zoom down to great detail, and be certain as to where you are, down to a few meters. The rocks and shallow areas are clearly marked, dropping anchor is make easy in places one have never been to before.
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br /It's really cost effective as the paper charts to cover the area would have been easily the double the cost, and finally the ease of use makes the old charts nearly obsolete.
br /I still would keep some trace on paper in theory, but by the end of the 2-3 weeks sailing, I was quite happy with just the hand held GPS as sole mapping and positioning. So maybe a 2nd GPS as a back up would be wise !!
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br /I also have the city navigator USA, and it works well in a car, complete with warnings as to the next turning etc.
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br /The only bit I am unhappy with Garmin, is that you cant transfer the software from one GPS to another, so if you loose the GPS, tough, you loose all the software as well. Unfair in my view.

This was my first hand held GPS. I have used only one time for fishing. I entered coordinates for under water structures and it took me right to them. Fishing wasn't that good but I can't blame the GPS for this.

I was looking for a water proof GPS unit to take both tour kayaking backpacking. Looked around for at least a year then bought this one. Having logged over 100 mi. paddled this season I can say that it works well in water. I typically mount it under the forward deck lines secure it with a clip. No water problems so far, it's been pounded by many waves. -I'm more worried about heat from sun than the water. Having the compass navigate a course on water has come in handy, I sometimes paddle in fog or bad weather. Match my heading to the bearing of the next way point I'm going the right way. It can tell me distance left to go, time remaining at current speed, etc. I have found that for the compass to work well when traveling at low speeds some settings need adjustment but after that compass is reliable and self adjusts for magnetic variance.
br / I save all my tracks to an SD card in the unit. When I get home I upload the tracks to the computer, where on the larger screen I can see everything. Calling up the track with google earth and having them overlaid on 3D Sat. images is jaw dropping, this capability is standard with the included "Map source" software. Often I choose not to look at the GPS while out find out where I've been after I get home. I have a minor gripe with the altimeter, the reading fluctuates while standing still the profile view in "map source" is not as dynamic as I'd like. Still it is better than no altimeter, and can give a rough idea of peaks troughs, etc. I just wouldn't jump from a plane with it. I really like observing the profile on the unit then moving the cross hairs over a particular peek and pressing [enter] it brings up the map page and the pointer shows that particular point on my journey, this often makes peek elevations identifications quick and easy. Note: while on the trail, bug spray eats away at the screen, one small corner of mine got some bug spray on it now it is slightly cloudy.
br / Hard key pad buttons make navigating the screens easy but only after you get the hang of where things are. Battery life is excellent, exceeding my expectations. Screen is small for Topo reading, but this unit should NEVER replace a paper map on the hiking trail, or even kayaking. I use the statistics page more than the map page anyway. It can give me my moving average, total time on trail total moving time as well as distance, altitude gained, etc. All a much better use for the device than as a map. Maps that come with the device ON THE COMPUTER are detailed enough for interesting uploads, but the devices base map is like a blank canvas. So if you are strictly using it to track where you have gone upload to the "map source" program on the computer additional maps may not be necessary. However if you plan to plot courses or use the device for road navigation you will probably need additional map software. I have also used this device for car travel but this it is not it's strong suit. It will not impress but might satisfy.
br / -Topo 2008 maps improves terrain maps on the unit (including coastal outlines) and improves road maps greatly. Initially I had expected to need road map software as well for any road info at all but the topo 2008 software had plenty of small roads, points of interest, direction computation, etc. So far I have no need for additional maps. The only time I have lost a sat. signal is in a cave or a tunnel so far.
br / Overall a great unit. Technologically the best civilians can get for outdoor use at this time -so 5 stars.

This is a great gps. It receives signal anywhere I have taken it(woods, basement, any buildings). It is everything you will ever need in a hand held gps unit. The only thing that would make it better, is if it came with the topo maps instead of having to purchase them separately.

This GPS is a bit big, but it is accurate and ez to use. Good value for the money. I would recommend this to anyone.

I bought this for my husband who is not techno savvy at all. He has commented on how easy this is for him to understand. Our son explained the features to him and now he's set for all his "good fishing holes". We also purchased the southcentral lakes chip to use....very good purchase for us.

I want to echo the praises of my fellow-reviewers by saying this is one top-notch GPS system!! My wife and I went hiking up the North Shore of Lake Superior last week and the 76CSx exceeded our expectations. It acquired the satellite signals quickly and never lost them, even in very deep woods; the screen was bright and detailed; the trip odometer and altimeter were amazingly accurate; and after hours of hiking the batteries (Energizer rechargables) were still going strong.
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br /I will add that I purchased a MicroSD card of the Upper Midwest and we were quite pleased at the amount of detail it shows. I would highly recommend going this route versus buying blank SD cards and going through the hassle of downloading topo maps. It may cost a bit more, but all things considered it is the most practical way to go.
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br /The ONLY downside is the size; I wish it were as small as the Vista or the newer Colorado. But with all of the excellent features (including it being waterproof and having the ability to float...we will be using ours on kayak trips as well) and the hard-to-beat price, I believe the 76CSx gives you the best "bang for the buck."

Got this to replace the etrex Vista CSX. This GPSr is interchangeable with my wife's GPSMap 60Cx. The 60Cx feels better in your hand but the features are identical, other than the electronic compass that we don't use. The price point was [...] less, when I bought the unit from AMAZON . The GPSMap 76CSX fits better on our Volvo dashboard than the 60Cx and makes it easier for me as a driver to see it. We use our GPSr's almost exclusively for geocaching. For our sport, the 60 76 models seem to be the units of choice. The Garmin Colorado has the potential to outperform these units, but not yet. I used the comparison of features on [...] to make my choice. Happy caching!

The Garmin 76 CSx GPS this as good as it gets for now. It has every thing an outdoors person needs they even put a jump master on this thing. I love it

This is my second Garmin GPS and I absolutely love it. My first was the GP 72 and while I loved its features it was limited by its memory as I store a cubic ton of waypoints.
br /The 76 CSx meanwhile has plenty of memory and the compass and barometer are spot on.
br /I use mine for hiking, biking and boating and let me tell you it is rugged, dropped quite a few times, and even can survive falling into the water.
br /Overall, I recommend the 76 CSx for anyone who wants an affordable, full capability GPS unit.
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Very pleased with the product service and delivery time. It was what I ordered and delivered in 4 days. Would use this service again.

I did a lot of research before deciding on the 76CSx. The screen is very easy to see and the waypoint feature came in handy on my most recent day hike trip. It's nice to have the ability to lay down electronic breadcrumbs when the trails get obscured.
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br /A great tool!

this is a really nice gps. However it takes some time and help to learn to use it. Having never owned a gps its a little difficult to learn on your own.

I originally stated that there is no NMEA over USB. Actually there is -- it requires Garmin's free Spanner software to create a virtual COM port. Garmin phone support was unhelpful (and wrong), telling me you could not do it. About a week later I got an email from their email support guys that told me how to do it and where to download the necessary software. The unit is quite excellent.

We haven't used this product for driving or boating yet, but we did take it out geocaching. It fits well in my pocket, and after a bit of practice and manual reading the features all seem to work nicely (so far).

Cons:
I think the unit would be better for having a numeric keypad like a cellphone's so that characters (coordinates, especially) could more easily be entered. Entering numbers and names is pretty painful with the soft keyboard.
The screen seems a little small, but on the other hand I wouldn't want the unit to be much bigger.

I have owned three GPS models. The 76 CSx performs flawlessly. Boot up time is amazingly rapid.It is a best buy choice.

I don't know if any device maker can still find such a lousy LCD screen to put into their design; the LCD screen of this product reminds me a 1980 PC with really bad graphics display, and they still manage to charge people with a premium price. Nowadays, a $500 PC with more expensive components has a screen much bigger and better. This small device made by Garmin is a rip-off, just from the LCD point of view.

Leaves a breadcrumb trail showing you where you've been. Great for exploring and getting back safely.

I received the product on time and in good condition. It was described accurately and works fine.

Este aparato es demasiado bueno, medí un terreno y me salió muy aproximado a las medidas de topografias realizadas por un topografo, cuando utilizo la antena externa me da una precisión de +o- 2 mts, el altimetro muy bueno me da casi a la perfección, este gps lo comparé con los unidades trimble y me da la aproximación de 2 mts, con la diferencia que el 76csx cuesta US$ 350, mientras que el trimble cuesta mas o menos US$ 75.000,oo, seria muy bueno, que sacaran un modelo de este tipo con salida externa de video para poderlo conectar a una pantalla de dvd y utilizarlo en carretera como un navegador..

The electronics of the Garmin 76CSx are outstanding but it has two flaws which weaken the product. The ergonomics of button placement for accessing menus and keyboard are the worst of any Garmin I have owned. They are packed too close together. The placement of the bottons on the eTrex series was better but the rubber protective band for them failed to hold up. The full power of the electronics is only available to hackers or by communicating with them. A more thorough up to date manual would be greatly appreciated.

This little baby works a treat! Great technology at a great price! Please note that, contrary to its name, you do not have to be a US Marine to own and operate one of these. I was worried for a while that my order would be rejected on the grounds I never did military service, but I guess anyone can buy one. Great news!

Not being familiar with other GPS equipment, I expected the technology to be a bit more advanced. I purchased this unit to help guide me on horseback through the mountainous national forest that surrounds my farm. Although the unit provides elevation information, the topography detail leaves much to be desired. I purchased the 2008 TOPO map software, but realized that I'm not going to get the detail I see on my computer to appear on the unit.

I also wish it was a bit more intuitive to use. Bottom line, it gets me where I'm going.

The interface feels like its 20 years old -- or developed by MS.

The screen declutter options are useless resulting in a display that is covered with notes about everything you don't want to know. On a tight course, you will see nothing other than irrelevant commentary for each waypoint the program creates. I have some courses where the notes are all you can see on the screen. Let's hear it for "6ft max depth". That's the unalterable default. Per Garmin, the comments for these waypoints cannot be modified.

Brilliant Garmin.

For me, the controls at the top of the screen are poorly placed. Everytime you press a button you have to reach across the screen to get to it. Blocked vision and countless rub marks. Think cell phone with the key pad at the top. Another atta boy.

We bought it for an emergency backup unit that I thought would be fun to have around. We've had it for 3 months now and it has yet to be turned on while on the boat.

The 76CSX Mapping handheld is an example that sometimes small things come in big packages. For $299, you get very little, in the way of real functionality. You get only the most BASIC maps with the unit, so it is not worth much as a GPS-especially for the car- a TOMTOM one has better features for ($149.) It is usable as a car gps, but you need to buy a additional Microsd card(2 Gb- 1Gb for US maps). The included 128 Mb MicroSd is worthless, in reality. Now you must buy the map release( I had to buy the North America NT) Then the 2008 NT Update, then the unlock code. So $299 for the unit, (and then another $300 to get it to have the same functionality as the TOMTOM one for $149). The unit's manuals are VERY poor for teaching you the intended purpose- vague one- liners for definitions of keys, etc... so trying to understand the purpose of the keys is not intuitive. So overall, I would say tall on cost/promises, but low in actual value. Tech support is poor, also. I emailed tech support- got the reply 4 days later. Phone support was better, but the garmin rep gave me the wrong information, and as the result I bought software I do not need. The issue is, why should you need a different GPS in the car, and on the trail? Why can't Garmin design one unit that works well in BOTH worlds? To be able to pay Garmin for two sets of maps- Garmin- "Pay at every turn".

I was looking for a GPS to generate waypoints for a flying application, gathering them first on the ground. I also hoped to use the device as a car navigator. This device, which seems to work ok, for what it is. Does not come with any maps (street, marine, topo, or aviation) it does not talk and is useless in the car without maps.
br / I called Garmin for advice before buying this and they passed me from one department to another. Nobody knew anything about the GPSMap series, to speak of. When I bought street maps and they wouldn't load, the phone wait was 40 minutes so I sent an e-mail which has not been answered for a week now.

I should have known better than to buy a Garmin product. I've never seen one that works reliably.
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br /I build my routes using Garmin's MapSource and then download them to the Handheld. When I then try to follow the routes (bike or car), it just won't stick to the route I download. Some of its favorite tricks are to re-route me onto roads that are not part of the route I set up, and to direct me miles out of my way to reach some seemingly arbitrary point that it picks so that I can then backtrack to my starting point to follow my route. For example, on a recent bike ride, I was starting on Rt. 138 from a point about 1/4 mile EAST of I-684 and my first leg was to head EAST. As soon as I started riding, it wanted me to turn around and head WEST to I-684, turn around, and then head east on Rt. 138.
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br /I'm going to see if I can return this thing (unfortunately, I've owned it for over 30 days). If I can't, I have a nice big sledge hammer in the basement.
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br /Save yourself some grief and do NOT buy it.

The Garmin GPSMap 76 is nice, but Garmin does not seem to understand the needs of their customers. I finally decided to replace my Garmin Legend with something a bit more up-to-date. So, I bought Garmin's latest and greatest handheld GPS. Sadly, I am disappointed. The resolution is still terrible (I need glasses to read it), it is not very usable in sunlight, and the mapping database is inaccurate (my local roads and streams are mislabled). When I tried to install the MapSource maps, my God, what a difficult process! Passwords, serial numbers, model number...and the website gives incorrect instructions on finding and using this information. And, what a terrible limit on memory! I couldn't load all the maritime charts that I would need. So, I have to carry a laptop computer around with me to make my portable GPS unit work??? And, no road information is available on the unit? Or do I have to delete maritime charts if I want to see roads and topography? When you buy this unit, you get next to no information about anything; you have to buy lots of software to get detailed information such as roads, topo, or anything else. Kinda like buying a gaming system: be ready to spend heavily on software to make it work for you.
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br /Garmin and MapSource have a long way to go. I should have waited a couple of years or looked at competing GPS units.

I have not been able to get much usage out of it yet. I think it will be everything I wanted, I'm very pleased at this time.