Garmin GPSMAP76

[Terry]

Chip,
You can install Garmin's software on as many PC's as you like, they encourage it. But it is only limited to two GPS units in case you have two different units, perhaps a handheld for hiking and in the car and a fixed unit in your boat. Yes once you buy into them you become a captured customer which sucks but they do have a nice product. Their BlueCharts cover the Pacific Northwest in great detail and I am quite happy with it but I will confess they broke the region into two parts near the 49th parallel with just enough overlap on one to tease you and make it necsessary to buy the corresponding region. I purchased a Bluecahrt expecting to get a lot more but when I went to use the unlock code and choose the region I realized I needed two regions and had to buy an additional unlock code online. I was not impressed, but the upside was that because I bought later in the year the following year Bluecahrt upgrade was free and they notify me on every operating software system upgrade and I download the latest at every notification, I believe it is at ver. 3.8 now. There are a couple of hardware add-ons I'd like such as an external antenna at the top of my mast but they want to much money for it. I got a USB extension at Staples for $20.00 which is cheaper than Garmin charges and I think I can get a serial for autopilot at RadioShack cheaper also - when I get around to buying the autopilot though, still researching that one. Dispite Garmins drawbacks they still sell a pretty decent product though, I am sure it hasn't failed you.
edit - forgot to mention I have the GPS MAP76CS

[nemo]

I'm fairly happy with my 76CS (don't pay over $400) but found that it really needs an external antenae. I use the little $25 version plugin that comes with about a 8' thin cable. I mount the pickup on my hat while hiking and gets good reception in the thick Oregon trees I hike in. I have the bluewater charts but honestly haven't had a chance to really benefit from them. I like to take the unit on biz trips to get me to food and lodging, although the auto-routing is not too smart sometimes (nav system in our car seems better).

[Catigale]

IF I were starting from scratch I would look seriously at the Lowrance and vector chart path ...but I confess this stems more from my aversion to the 'Microsoft' approach of being locked into the Bluecharts than anything technical. Enough people have felt that way that they have done the legwork to get chart performance without the handcuffs - you can find the threads on the board earlier this year.

One thing I do like about the portability of the GPS76CS is that my software can be used on a bigger plotter down the road, while still being useful on the backup.

It also ends up being my 'electronic logbook' I was out in Rhode Island yesterday on a friends J35 and kept it in my pocket tracking to see where we went.

On the money side, I won a free earlier generation Garmin 45XL a few years back, so being wire compatible into my VHF (for DSC position reporting) was important to me for both GPS (primary and backup) so I was kind of locked in already too.

I use the 76CS down below and on the pedestal mount - I have never needed the antenna to get good reception in contrast to the post above. YMMV.

[Harrison]

Again, thanks for all the comments.

---Harrison