Are you looking for a GPS receiver that combines an easy to use menu system, high accuracy, WAAS augmentation and rugged construction? If that s it, then you should check out Garmin s
GPS 76 unit. It offers plenty of features in a waterproof (and outdoor-use proof) plastic case that should serve most outdoor users very well.
Unit Basics The unit measures in at just under 3 inches wide and about 6 inches in height. This makes it slightly larger than can comfortably fit in some people s hands, but in general at only about 8 ounces, the unit is fairly easy to hold and definitely isn t bulky or hard to carry.
One of the biggest features of the
GPS 76 is that it can receive WAAS signals for increased accuracy. WAAS stands for
Wide Area Augmentation System and I believe was set up by the FAA to increase accuracy for aircraft based GPS landing systems (can you tell I m an environmentalist working in the aviation world?). These are land-based signals that augment the space-based signals that the GPS unit is receiving, ultimately resulting in increased accuracy for your location.
The
GPS 76 features a large LCD grayscale display that is about an inch and a half wide and just over 2 inches high. There is a backlight to use the display in darker locations. The screen is readable in direct sunlight, but you may find that you have to change angles a bit with the unit to reduce the sun s glare on the screen, which makes reading it difficult at times.
The navigation buttons, the power button and the backlight button are all located on the front of the unit, above the LCD screen. The menu system and navigation in the unit are fairly straightforward. You have several different navigation and informational screens to page through (including a location screen that gives information on satellite reception and location and a waypoint screen that allows you to see where you are traveling). Within each of these pages, you can enter into submenus that allow you to configure those screens to your liking and or modify features to fit your use (for example, in the location screen, you are able to change coordinate systems).
The
GPS 76 runs off of two AA batteries, which provide about 16 or so hours of battery life for the unit. If you are considering the unit, I would suggest purchasing rechargeable batteries, as 16 hours isn t that much if you are continuously using the unit.
The unit s case is both rugged and waterproof and has been built with outdoor enthusiasts in mind. The unit is completely waterproof and can be submerged in water (it will actually float) and the communication ports and battery compartment on the GPS are protected with rubber gaskets that prevent any water leakage. The unit also features rubber around the edges to help hold the unit and to help protect from bumps and knocks against it. The LCD screen is protected by a thick panel and the rest of the unit is constructed of rugged plastic that should stand up to repeated heavy outdoor use.
The unit can store 500 waypoints (points you enter), 50 reversible routes (where you basically track a route you take and then are able to follow it back using the GPS) and offers a megabyte of storage for downloading of maps and information from Garmin computer software. The
GPS 76 comes pre-loaded with Garmin s marine point database, which provides base map information on major American cities, nautical navigation aids and tide stations in the United States.
Accuracy If you are able to receive a WAAS signal (which are not available everywhere in the country), the
GPS 76 can theoretically provide sub-3 meter accuracy (that s about 9 feet). Without the WAAS signal, the unit generally averages about 15 foot accuracy.
Another handy feature of the
GPS 76 is that it includes its accuracy information directly on the location page. Whenever you are attempting to get information on a location, the accuracy of the unit s reading is shown. This can give you an idea of how far off from a point you can be.
Experiences I got my hands on the
GPS 76 since part of my job involves supervising consultants doing vegetation monitoring at various locations throughout the state and I get to take part in that monitoring when I get a chance. The company we contracted with uses the
GPS 76 to set test plot points to make it easier to find the same plot year after year. After several days of using these units, I found them to be a great tool.
Like I said up above these units are every so slightly too large to comfortably fit in someone s hand (unless you have a big hand), but their lightness makes up for this slight oversize. The rubber on the sides also makes it easy to hold onto the unit when you are bushwacking through trailless areas. Since I often had the unit held above me (one to prevent brush from whacking it and two to keep as strong a signal as possible), it was easy to read the LCD screen from a distance of about 2 or 3 feet and even with bright sunny skies. I did find that if you were reading the unit with the sun glaring on it, the glare could make reading slightly difficult, but nothing tilting the unit slightly wouldn t solve.
Some of the days I was doing fieldwork it was raining and the
GPS 76 performed flawlessly, it s pretty obviously waterproof with the rubber gaskets on its ports and battery compartment and the lack of any gaps in the protective plastic coating. I didn t personally drop it in a lake or a river, but the guys I was working with told me that they had and the units hadn t come out any worse for the wear.
In all the locations I was at, I never received a WAAS signal (and this was throughout the state of Massachusetts). I m not sure exactly where the signals originate from or how sensitive the unit is to those signals. But even without the augmentation of the WAAS signals, I was able to get accuracy on the unit down to about 9 feet when I had almost all the satellites available to about 20 feet when fewer satellites were available to provide signals. Like all GPS units, I found that the
GPS 76 has poorer accuracy in highly mountainous areas where the GPS signal is reflected off of the mountain sides and while the unit does work under tree cover, very dense vegetation will cause the
GPS 76 to lose its signals (which can be a real pain when you are trying to find a point with tall shrubs and saplings and you can t reach high enough to break that canopy with the unit).
Since it wasn t my unit, I was extra careful with it but in general, the construction of the
GPS 76 is sufficiently rugged that it s not going to break or be damaged by average use or even heavy use. The team I was with was telling me that they have had these units for some time now and that they ve all been subjected to some pretty good drops and bumps and they haven t had any trouble with any of them.
I liked the simplicity of the unit. I had never used one before I got my hands on it in the field and within a few minutes of tooling around in the menus and the different pages, I had figured out the basics of the unit. I had a few questions (it did take me a minute to figure out how to go from UTM to Lat/Long and back again), but in general, the pages and the menus are simple enough that you won t need to read the manual before using the unit. Though I am sure I would have figured out a ton more of the extra available features more quickly if I had read the manual.
Basically I found that the unit was more than enough for the level of fieldwork I was doing (locating points and setting new points for vegetation plots in trailless areas). If that s the case, the
GPS 76 is also a great unit for most outdoor enthusiasts. If it can withstand the heavy and rough times of outdoor fieldwork, it can easily withstand hiking trips, canoe trips (since it is waterproof) and just about any other outdoor activity you can think of. Plus if it s accurate enough to map out vegetation plots, it s more than accurate enough to find your way through the wilderness.
I didn t ask the consultant how much they paid for the units, but the prices for the
GPS 76 range from about $260 to about $320 depending upon which merchant you go with.
For More Information If you are new to GPS and are looking for more information, one of the best sources is the book
GPS Made Easy, which is a step-by-step look at what GPS is, how it works, and the basics of all GPS receivers.
Final Thoughts A very rugged GPS unit, with good accuracy and reception, that offers the additional benefit of WAAS reception to increase accuracy, the
GPS 76 is reasonable choice for any outdoor enthusiast who is looking for a GPS that offers plenty of useful features in an easy to use package.
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