Garmin GPSMAP 78

[shrunken pojie]

Hi all,

I am looking for a hand held GPS and the Boating Camping Fishing place has the Garmin GPSMAP 78 for a good price at the moment. I have done a little bit of research but am looking for firsthand experience of them.

Are they a good unit?
Are they easy to use?
Will I need to get the Bluewater charts for it (the come loaded with a base map)?

Thanks in advance.

Phill

[FishHunter]

If its anything like my GPS72 then its a good thing but I wouldnt spend the money on a maps unit in that size IMHO the screen is too small to show much detail and especially if it only has a base map.

[GBC]

I've got the 78s, but it was marketed as a 78sx which came with full embedded blue charts for aust and n.z. I've since added the topo and street mapping software so it now covers bush, ocean and street mapping in the one unit.
It is a full mapping gps unlike the 72.
If you are going to buy one i'd highly recommend stretching the budget to the 's' for the compass. It is extremely accurate and unlike most marine gps's you can take fixes whilst standing still and know exactly where the mark is that you're trying to find.
They are a powerful unit, but with limited keys the menu system can sometimes be a bit more tedious but nothing you don't get used to.
The colour screen is easy enough to read and the bluechart software is good.

If you want to have a fiddle just give me a yell. (It's going fishing for two weeks this coming monday though).

P.S. I got mine off an ebay seller based down the coast.

[robman]

I just sold a GPS 76 with a boat I had. I used it as the ariel for the Humminbird 997 as I couldn't be bothered hooking up the proper ariel. I don't know what you want to use it for but I found mine next to useless. If you want to go hiking maybe it would be ok. They have a short battery life, screen is way too small.

If you want it for fishing save up and get a combo sounder. When you want to use the gps you have a much bigger screen etc.

I don't think the hand held GPS's are worth the money.

On a positive note the GPS76 never failed or played up in the six years I owned it. It was easy to use.

Regards
Rob