Garmins, new and old.

[Lucky_Phill]

For good reasons I have always had Garmin GPS units and where I could, had the built in antenna.

The current unit is a 172C with built in antenna. There is a long story attached, but we'll just say the unit is not performing. Tech guys in Sydney reckons the hardware is failing. Will not pick up satellites and the " accuracy alarm ' goes off. That alarm has been going off for about 2 years, I just chose to ignore it.

Anyway, after a thought process, I decided that a new GPS would have to be bought. I did the usual searches and decided that the GPSMAP450 would fit the bill.

I actually went into a retailer and looked at the unit. After a few minutes I was saddened to find that the ever popular Garmin user friendly units are now gone. This unit had less buttons on the face, what appeared a smaller screen than the old 172C, way too many options / windows / menus and it did not even have a compass page. No quit button, no page button and it also runs a SD card as opposed to the prioriety card from Garmin.

I felt let down by this event. After much more discussion I decided to buy a 276C. Yes older model and a dual unit ( water and land ), but i really had no choice as this unit runs the same software as the 172C, but a slightly better version. I saw the price and was shocked, as it was actually more than the latest 450. I relented. I wanted this unit as my data cards and map cards would slot straight in without lots of messing around.

I got home and started to think that the price was tad high. Checked another brisbane marine retailer and found their RRP was the SALE price of first retailer. Then, the second stores actual price was $171.00 cheaper than the first. To get even more exicted, the second store is having a 15% off store wide sale during the boatshow. Now, for the bad news, only 2 in stock and boat show prices will not startr until Friday and people que at the door. The unit would have cost about $680..... but i paid 799 ( with a free cap ) as I bought it straight away. I did not wnat to run the risk of the unit being sold when i got there on Friday.

After a lengthy chat to sales staff, it appears they all agree that the new Garmins are un-user-friendly and all prefered the older 276, 178 and 172 series. They did say the new " touch screen ' garmin was nice.............. but ! PRICEY.......

Anyway, i got the unit home, started to read the manual, but to no avail as i know all about the unit as it is the same software as my old unit. It does have additional features (yatching and road users ) , but they do not get in the way of what I want to do.

Within a few minutes I have customised the various pages, info, data and unit measurements.

Next step is to tranfer all my GPS points from my spare data card into the unit and yibbita yibbita....... she's ready. I will drop the Bluechart into the unit when i get the boat back....

Just thought I spare my disappointment with Garmin... of today. Seems they were onto a good thing but have gone down the wrong track. I might drop them a line

here's a peek at the unit.

http://www.whitworths.com.au/main_it...AbsolutePage=2


Cheers Phill

[honda900]

I have a 172c with an external aerial, great unit, you cant hook up an external to your old one?

Regards
HOnda.

[Lucky_Phill]

just a bit of info....




Physical

• Size: 8.1 H x 14.5 W x 4.8 D cm (3.2"H x 5.7"W x 1.9"D )
• Display
  • 9.7 mm (3.8") diagonal, high resolution
  • 320 x 480 pixels
  • 256-colour TFT screen with adjustable LED backlight
• Case: Water resistant to IEC 60529 IPX7 standards (submersible in one meter of water for 30 minutes)
• Temp. Range: -15°C to 70°C (5°F to 158°F)

Power

• Power: Rechargeable lithium battery
• Battery Life: 5-15 hours of use (depending on backlight settings)

[Spaniard_King]

Phill,

I actuall went through all this a while back.. ie Lowrance 310> Garmin 128 > Garmin 172C > Garmin 525 > Lowrance 7200C .

I think they have gone way overboard with features (which just clouds ones brain) in the new units.

[davo]

I have the 172C and my complaint is the fading colour screen. I agree that the new Garmins have lost the plot. They don't even make a dedicated high res sounder ( 5inch or larger) I don't know what to buy. Don't like Lowrance (too unreliable) Humminbird GPS drops out all the time and C Map need an expensive program to run with a PC.

[Lucky_Phill]

Interesting news.

I have spoken to person using unit and now all is good.

problem was the iPod and extention Antennas for the mobile phones.

Once these items were removed from the boat the 172C was working fine.


mmmmmmmmmm

I now have 2 very good GPS units....... all well, two's better than 1...


phill

[tunaticer]

I have both a 178c and a 276c that i use in the kayak. The 276c is definitely water proof as mine lives directly in the wash every time i go out. There is a Malasian battery supplier that does a 2900 milliamp battery to give a few more hours usuage from a charge. I get about 8 hours from a charge in the yak and its alyas got at least two hours in the dark so the batteries get a bit of a flogging there.

Awesome units the 276c and if i had the room on the yak i would run the 178c for the dual usage. Also very very handy having a USB port on the 178c to download and upload marks tracks and routes to and from the puter. Out of curiosity, what did the 276c set you back?

[jtpython]

Don't have a spare garmin SD card mate hey. Mate of mine bought a Garmin 176 and found out the card is Garmin pre programmed and around $ 100 he was a bit shocked
JT

[Lucky_Phill]

From what i gather, the 176 does not use a SD Card, but a proprietry garmin data card.

These cards are about $100.

There is the pre-programmed one that has the BlueChart Cartography on it and the blank card, which I use for data transfer.

I actually have a spare blank data card.

I use the data card in conjunction with Mapsource on my PC. You also have to have a dedicated USB Prog from garmin.


All this has now changed with Garmins going to SD cards and any card reader will suffice. Further, a USB cable is supplied with the new units which eliminates the use of a data card and prog.

Hope that helps....or confuses ????


phill
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[Lucky_Phill]

Here is a listing of the data cards

http://www.ja-gps.com.au/results.asp...hart&Submit=Go


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[jtpython]

Be the card for the data transfer for submitting pionts from mapsource to sd card to unit

[Lucky_Phill]

Now ya got me confused JT.

I am sure the 176 does not use a sd card.

The card it uses is a dedicated garmin data card. ( proprietry card ) This has to plug into a garmin USB PROG to do the transfers... on my 172 anyway. The later models can upload and download gps points via a usb cable plugged directly into the unit and utilizing mapsource software on the pc.

IF it is the garmin dedicated card that he wants, I do have a spare....


Phill
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[Lucky_Phill]

here is a pic of the data card the 176 uses.

[FNQCairns]

I agree the 525 and map series are not as user friendly as the old ones although they are less of a base unit, what really peeves me about it is garmin in their wisdom believe that the firmware is fully fit for use when it includes the yachting crap.

Very hard to permanently set it up with quality data bars etc to suit only highspeed boating when the templates cover such a broad expanse of use + more options to travel through on the way to the usefull ones, right pain when on the water.

i wouldn't feel any pain switching to a Lowrance GPS these days, once upon a time it would have been quite painful.

cheers fnq

[jtpython]

Now ya got me confused JT.

I am sure the 176 does not use a sd card.

The card it uses is a dedicated garmin data card. ( proprietry card ) This has to plug into a garmin USB PROG to do the transfers... on my 172 anyway. The later models can upload and download gps points via a usb cable plugged directly into the unit and utilizing mapsource software on the pc.

IF it is the garmin dedicated card that he wants, I do have a spare....


Phill
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That 'll be what you said.
I believe the transfer leads from pc to the unit are in the old style to not usb is that how i read it?
JT