Eblo

Garmin GPSmap 76S

I may have said this already, but I ended up returning the Magellan Meridian Gold and getting the Garmin GPSmap76S instead. I got it from offroute.com and saved about $60 versus getting it at Bass Pro Shop. It's taking some getting used to some of the quirks of this unit, and there are some things I miss about the Magellan (better reception being the main one), but all in all, I think this is a better unit.

A quick list of the differences I've noted. . . .

Pros:
- It has a trip computer onboard, so you don't just get the time/distance to your next waypoint in a route, but to all waypoints in the route AND the destination. If you put in a fuel burn rate, it'll estimate gas use, too. Unfortunately, you can only put in an hourly rate, not m.p.g., so it's only really useful for air or water craft, as far as I can figure.

- It doesn't freak when you stop or turn away from the destination point. The Magellan would blank the ETA/ETE. The Garmin presents its last best guess and adjusts it when it can.

- Better screen and better handling of waypoints. The Magellan insisted on labeling EVERY waypoint on the current map, causing much clutter. The Garmin tucks some waypoint labels out of the way if there are a bunch close together. You can get the name to pop up by cursoring over it if you want.

Cons:
- The base map isn't as detailed as Magellan and memory is not expandable. I have not loaded any MapSource maps yet, so I don't know what the impact of the memory limit will be yet.

- The reception doesn't seem as good as the Magellan. Signal loss is not uncommon if I move the unit around in my car. I never had that with the Magellan. There is an external antenna jack, but an add-on is around $100.

- The buttons are located above the screen, which is odd to get used to, especially after using the Magellan, which just felt better in my hand. Positioning my hand nearer the top of the unit to manipulate the buttons seems to have some adverse effects on reception as well.

- On the Magellan, the data/power connector securely screwed onto the back of the unit and was low-profile. On the Garmin, the cord plugs in. Although it's a beefy plug, it may be possible to inadvertantly unplug it. Also, the cord, plug, and rubber outlet cover are very much in the way of a comfortable grip.

- The Magellan showed the sun and moon (when up) on the compass screen so you could use them to help orient yourself in the real world. The Garmin will show you where they are in the sky, but not on the compass screen. Though with the Garmin, this isn't as much a necessity as on the Magellan I had, because the Garmin has an electronic compass, so it should be pointing in the right direction on its own.

Mixed:
- The on-board barometer is supposed to enhance altitude readings, but it can introduce artifacts. If, for example, changing speeds in a convertible. The air pressure changes throw it off a bit.

If I could combine the two units, I think I'd get exactly what I was after. So far, though, it seems the Garmin is the better compromise.