Excellent!

This kit contains a velcro wrist strap with a sturdy plastic mounting clip. The original strap pieces are permanently removed using the supplied tool then the strap pins are replaced into the 305 body. The pins can then clip into the mount on the velcro strap or the identical part of the bike mount. Removing the unit from the bike and putting it on your wrist or vice-versa takes less than 5 seconds.



The reviewer who said you have to take several minutes to re-attach the original wrist straps after taking the 305 off your bike seems to have failed to grasp the concept; the velcro strap *permanently* replaces the original straps.



The only potential downside I can think of is that the clip on the velcro wrist strap could hang up on long sleeved clothing like a wetsuit so triathletes will want to put the strap on during T1. Other than that this is a very handy piece of kit!

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Fantastic supplemental geocaching tool

I purchased two of these one for my kids and one for a friend.



THE GOOD

For my kids this is the perfect unit. We use the geocaching app on my Iphone as our main geocaching tool to get us into the vicinity and then the kids use their Geomate Jr to get them to the cache. My 6 year old can run into trees with it fall on it etc and it takes a licking and keeps on ticking (much better than him doing that with my iphone!) Because we have already been geocaching we were able to understand how to use this tool after a few button pushes. We did a side-by-side test with my iphone and the Geomate jr and the Geomate updated faster than my iphone and was more accurate under heavy tree cover conditions. Under normal conditions both the Iphone and Geomate Jr updated at similar times and had readings within 2 feet of each other.



NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

This tool is billed as the Grab and Go geocaching tool so easy that it will encourage everyone to get in the game. Well not quite. If you aren't already very familiar with geocaching trying to figure out what these buttons mean will just be confusing. You will need to read a book or go on the [...] website before you'll understand what a GC code is or have any clue what those coordinates mean. After you do make a find you can only mark 20 caches as found. You need the update kit to mark up to 99 caches as found (though they represent that it will eventually be up to 1000 found). However these issues are not a big deal because after you buy the update kit and do some reading you're as good as gold.



NO MAPPING

But perhaps the biggest feature that is lacking that truly prevents this unit from being a true Grab and Go unit is the the lack of a mapping capability. For this reason this is best as a supplemental unit. Mapping is important in geocaching because trying to find a geocache by going 3.6 miles NNE is about impossible to drive to. Roads generally don't travel in the direction that your compass happens to be pointing. And by the time you take a road in that general direction the compass will be pointing .6 miles West. You could drive around like this all day. The Iphone app shows the map of the area and where the geocache is located on the map so that you can drive to the general vicinity and then get out and hunt. The work around for this lack of a mapping feature on the Geomate Jr. is to go to the geocaching.com website and print out the maps to the geocaches you want to seek. Of course this relegates you to only planned geocaching trips instead of geocaching on the go because you happen to have a few extra minutes like you can do with the Iphone.



SUMMARY

This is a great supplemental unit and a must have for kids in a family of geocachers. However unless and until they provide a mapping capability on the Geomate Jr. this is not a true Grab and go unit and may not be the best choice as a stand alone unit.More detail ...

Misleading: Not a Triathlete watch

This device has been represented as a triathlete's watch and the first swim proof GPS watch. If you watch the video from Garmin or see any of the advertisements Garmin leads you to believe that this watch will collect reliable data for all 3 multisport events. It is reasonable for someone to assume this watch can be worn in a race and collect GPS data in the water since of course SWIMMING is the first event in a triathlon.



If you are considering buying this watch realize the following:



-This device does not collect usable data in the water period (other than time which any $20 waterproof watch can collect in a much smaller form factor). No heart rate data and totally unusable and inaccurate GPS data while in the water.



-There are preset modes for run bike and "other" in which "other" shows a person on skis (explain that one?). They intentionally omit a category for swimming despite advertising that this watch is for triathletes (see the photo I added under product photos).



-You will need to purchase a separate quick release kit if you want to use this watch on a bike. It does not get accurate data on a bike if you are wearing in on your wrist. It auto pauses then unpauses for most of the time I am riding if I wear it on my wrist -- even if I have it set to only auto pause when completely stopped. The quick release kit IS NOT the more common one for the 205 and 305 Garmin 010-10889-00 Forerunner 305/205 Quick Release Kit so do not buy that one. They have made a new one for this watch and most places do not have it in stock yet. As of the date I am writing this review it is not yet available on Amazon.com. Go to Garmin's website and look under the accessories tab for this watch. You will see a different model number. I have confirmed this with customer service. The part number for the proper quick release kit is: 010-11215-00. Google it.



-If you want foot cadence or the ability to track distance indoors and assume you get it for spending $400 on this device think again. You will have to buy a separate foot pod which costs $80-100 depending on where you buy it (earlier Garmin Forerunner watch kits included foot pods). Garmin Foot Pod SDM4 (ANT+)



-The watch is large and sits high on top of the wrist (they packed 20 hours of batter life into this watch) so to wear it under your wetsuit will let water in the wetsuit or you will have to wear it on top of (or crammed in front of) the wetsuit which will not allow you to remove your wetsuit without first removing the watch (thus adding time to your transition and sort of negating that whole "triathlete" angle). You can see a photo of this watch on my wrist under the photos section of the product.



-There is no way to turn off GPS tracking for only one of the 3 events in multisport mode. Therefore you will always either have incorrect GPS data recording for the swimming mode (or actually "other" since there is no "swim" mode as previously mentioned). I have called customer support and they confirm this. Their solution was to turn off GPS while I am swimming then reset and manually start a new timer and mode during transition 1 for my bike event. I'll let you be the judge of how to take that advice.



So in conclusion if you want to setup this watch for a bike and run and want the ability to wear the watch in the water before hand (and no start it unless you want some incorrect distance data included) you will need to buy:



$400 - the Garmin 310XT with HR

$25 - quick release mount kit (for wrist and bike) (no link in Amazon yet)

$80-100 - foot pod (if you want cadence)

Garmin Foot Pod SDM4 (ANT+)

$35-50 - speed/cadence sensor (if you want cadence for the bike)

GARMIN 010-10644-00 Speed/Cadence Sensor



You'll be into it for $575 retail. Garmin you did us wrong on this one. Some of us are willing to spend this kind of money on a product if it proves to do what it advertises itself to do. We're not asking it to do anything more than perform as advertised. I realize your fine print saves you from lawsuits but it doesn't gain you repeat customers. It sends them over to Polar.More detail ...

not ready for prime time

One of my Foretrex101s expired a few weeks ago and I decided to replace it with the just released Foretrex401. It arrived mid-week and I had no trouble accessing and opening the Foretrex401 generated gpx file with Easy/ExpertGPS and Topofusion. The 401 appears as a USB drive in Windows. I was hoping to use the 401 along with the Garmin heart rate monitor during my mtbike rides instead of the my Edge205 and separate HRM. The 401 had no trouble picking up the HR reading and displaying the values.



Perhaps not surprisingly the Garmin website has no substantial information of the 401 as of yet and no discussion of what software will work with the 401.

[...]

At this point the Foretex401 appears to be corporate orphan that no Garmin division is able or willing to support. It is unclear if it is intended for jumping out of airplanes (jumpmaster function) hiking (altimeter/compass) cycling/fitness (HR/cadence) or providing a heads-up when ordinance is going to explode (countdown-up/timer). In addition to the above function wise the 401 adds a USB interface faster satellite acquisition and wireless data transfer to the venerable Foretrex101. It is slightly more compact in size than the 101 has a better strap attachments and stores the data is in a gpx file. Operationally the Foretex401 does what is it supposed to do but with no software included undocumented functions and virtually non-existent technical support most purchasers will be frustrated in trying to use the Foretrex401 right out of the box. A printed quick start guide is in the box but the manual in a pdf on the CD.



As noted above with some tinkering and non Garmin software I've been able to list and view the Foretex401 tracks waypoints routes and other data as well as transfer the data to GoogleEarth. For what Garmin lists as a basic handheld GPS it should be much more straightforward to operate and transfer data. I'll give it 2 stars until it is better supported.More detail ...

Very awesome product but map is lacking

I still own my Garmin GPS 10. It's a wireless bluetooth gps device for a Pocket PC/Laptop. This product is so awesome I decided to stick with Garmin. This led me to the 60Cx.



The biggest con to this device is that the maps are very basic. Notice on all the 60Cx product images it'll say in small print "Shown with optional MapSource data." This might be bearable for hiking but is horrible for automotive use. You will need to buy detailed maps that can run over $100.



The extra features such as information on sunrise/sunset or fishing/hunting conditions are very convienent. This device is definately a dream for anyone who love gps functionality.



The color screen is also very nice. In direct sunlight I was able to see it with clarity. The brightness of the screen is at a perfect level for night use. It's not too bright and not too dim.



The controls are clumsy at times but i guess you'll get use to it. The sensitivity is great! I never got signal in my house with my GPS 10. The 60cx picked up signal with no problem.





My customization:



Garmin City Select North America v6 was included with my Garmin GPS 10. I registered the device online. Through Garmin's site I was able to generate a 2nd unlock code. I used this unlock code to installed City Select North American v6 onto my 60cx. It's funny that Garmin's site doesn't mention it was compatible with City Select. My 60cx now has detailed maps and added functions such as being able to search for addresses which wasn't possible with 60cx's basemaps. I am also very happy with the performance of the device. It basically does everything my Pocket PC and GPS 10 does. Once i installed the detailed maps this device has been a dream gps device. I used it in the car and for hiking. It will be great when I go visit New York for the first time.



Conclusion:

Overall I think this is a great gps device. It is solidly built and waterproof at that. Everything about it is great EXCEPT for the horrible basemaps. You will have to shell out over $100 for detailed maps but if you add up the total it still comes out cheaper than my Pocket PC + GPS 10 combo(about $640 for me). I think the 60cx is worth every penny.



EDIT:

May 2006



I've had the 60Cx for 3 months now. It is still an awesome device. One thing I want to comment on is battery life. I do not use regular alkaline batteries. I use Energizer Rechargables 2500mah and slow recharge at 8 hours per session. I entered in an address that was 2 hours from where I was started. It tracked my position estimated time til turn and estimated arrival time. When I got to my destination the GPS battery meter was at HALF. the GPS will only last on average of 4-5hours while on a route. This is still pretty good comparing it to my Dell Axim + GPS 10 combo. I am not sure how long it will last if you're just using it without being on a route.



I was a bit dissapointed that Garmin did not state how it got the 30 hours battery life. They might just mean 30 hours on standby.



Also the 60Cx does drain your batteries even while it is off. I had my unit stored in the drawer for a week. The batteries were drained. So it is highly recommended you get rechargable batteries for this device. If you are taking it with you on a trip bring at least two sets of battery.More detail ...

Great Two-In-One

I purchased the 530HCx about two weeks ago to use while deer hunting in East Tennessee. Everyone in our group has GPS and two-way radio to find our way around and communicate when we are in unfamilar territory. I have been searching for a device that will take care of both needs without having to handle two seperate pieces of equipment and the 530HCx has worked flawlessly so far.



The satellite positioning seems to be right on and positioning after start-up was quick. I used the unit to mark several deer trails rub lines and possible stand placements and I was able to return to those areas very easily. I used the averaging feature to fine tune the locations and was able to get within 5-7 feet of everything I marked.



Everyone in the group said that radio transmission was crystal clear they could hear my transmissions better than anyone elses. Don't get me wrong the Garmin in definetly a GPS first and radio second but I was very pleased with its two-way capabilities. It performed as well if not better than the midlands and motorolas in the group.



I also invested in TOPO US 2008 to install on the unit. I wasn't that impressed with the TOPO map but area detail is alot better than the basemap. We make several trips to Fort Campbell every year and all roads creeks and even fireMore detail ...

Good but not perfect

After using the 550t for several weeks I find the unit good but not perfect. It still has some issues one of which I have been in touch with Garmin over. The main issue I have is it will periodically corrupt the track file and stop showing the tracks on the map or allowing for elevation plots on the tracks. The only way to clear it is to attach the unit to a computer and replace the track file with a new one from the computer.

The compass sometimes loses it's way and needs to be recalibrated.

I have not had an issue with the accuracy under tree cover that some have reported but I have had a few tracks that were not 100% accurate. Walking on known roads it will be several 100 feet off in some cases. I am not sure if this is an issue with the preloaded Topo 2008 maps or the unit's accuracy.

I love the camera and the tagging of each photo.

For a new unit it is not bad but it still shows a few rough edges.



Just an update - After comparing the tracks for accuracy I found it was the 2008 Topo maps that were off. When superimposed over the City Navigator NT 2009 Street maps the 550t was dead on. So the accuracy concerns I have are shifted from the 550t itself to the topo maps it comes loaded with.More detail ...

Garmin GPSmap 76CSx Great GPS!

UPDATE: September 4 2008 - Still very impressed with the 76CSx unit. It has come in real handy recently shopping for a house. All my opinions stated previously are still current. One very handy feature the unit doesn't have that I wish it did was the ability to choose an alternate route while your are traveling. This can come in handy in the event there is a detour or you want to calculate a route around a traffic jam. This would create a by-pass route on-the-fly. Many street specific GPS units can do this. Although this unit can re-route if you go off course which is something different.



The '2008 City Navigator Map Update' is not much to be desired. I have not noticed any significant improvement in calculated routes or updated points of interest (POI) data over the 2007 maps release. The same errors that I have encounter initially are still there in the 2008 release(PA NJ NY areas). I am hesitant to purchase the 2009 update. I will probably wait until the 2010 Update.



The Foarm(R) case is the best protection out there still.



I am completely satisfied with this unit I have purchased & recommended other similar units by Garmin. Overall the 76CSx is still a great unit.



UPDATE: August 23 2007 - After reading reviews about the 2008 release of the Maps I decided to get. One special note: If you buy the update DVD make sure you get the correct release. For instance if you have previously installed City Navigator North America v8 you need City Navigator North America 2008 UPDATE. If you own City Navigator North America v8 NT you need City Navigator North America 2008 NT. Get it? I found out the hard way but Garmin came through!



UPDATE: August 21 2007 - A year has gone by and I still very much like my GPSmap 76CSx. Top notch!!! Garmin support has been great too. It's been great on on the road on the trails and even on a plane! Whether I am walking driving or riding my bike. Actually there isn't much I would change on this GPS unit. The button placement you get accustomed to very quickly and the menu-page layout is genius. It's been so easy to use this GPS. Once you read what each feature does the book really isn't required anymore. Using the menus to get around to all the features and functions is easy and self-explanatory. Since my initial purchase I have upgraded the expandable memory to 2GB (SanDisk microSD $22 on Amazon) and managed to fit the 48-states and some parts of Canada.



I see that there is a 2008 version of the North American maps replacing version 8. I am reluctant to purchasing this newer version since I have found quite a few out of date points-of-interests in the v8 maps. On a positive note using the maps I have had many successful finds.



Battery life using Duracell alkaline batteries while the GPS is set to "Alkaline" will last about 12 hours. I have tried 2500mAh Energizer rechargable batteries with the GPS unit set to "NiMH" but I only seem to get about 3 hours of use out of them.



Recently I have purchased a Garmin Nuvi 350 for my father from Amazon (price was great) and he really likes it but that unit is primarily for the road. Just what he wanted. The GPSmap 76CSx is loaded with so much more for so many other uses.





ORIGINAL review July 29 2006 -

Having the Foarm rubber protective case has kept the GPS looking and functioning as new. It's dropped a few times.

I highly recommend Garmin GPSmap76CSx unit to anyone looking for a GPS unit for the road hiking and/or boating. The numerous menus and features are very intuitive and easy to use. The hi-res color screen may be small compared to in-car GPSs but is very clear. The time for the satellite lock is relatively quick. Even while indoors I can get a lock on at least 3 or 4 satellites. Buildings with metal roofs or concrete floors above may not get any reception. This is expected of any unit.



For the road I would highly suggest purchasing the City Navigator North American v8 Maps ($112). The map extends the features of the GPS with turn-by-turn directions millions of points-of-interests (POI) such as fuel stations garages attractions restaurants and shopping venues. You can even upload your own POIs to the unit as well. Don't be surprised if some of the route calculations it comes up with seem a bit odd. It will get you there though. If you miss your turn it re-calculates a new route very quickly. There are numerous websites that provide POI files that you can upload to your unit. You will notice that some of the pre-installed POIs may not be up to date.



Unlike other handheld GPS units the memory is expandable. I installed a 1GB microSD card ($45) in order to store vast amounts of map data or tracking that you may have done. The entire US is about 1.5GB of information. The unit comes with a blank 128MB microSD memory card that I moved to my cell phone (bonus).



The sensors included are the electronic compass and barometer. Having an electronic compass allows one to determine ones (NSEW) direction without moving. Many GPS units determine direction by changes in position coordinates. Therefore you must be moving. Optional sensors such has for water temperature may be plugged into the back of the unit.



To protect your unit I recommend the Foarm textured rubberized (~$20) case. The case comes with a few transparent protectors for the screen. If you don't get this case go out and at least buy some PDA screen protectors. If the protected screen gets scratched you can peel off the overlay and stick on a new one. Since the screen is a bit small and with hi-resolution you want to keep it clear. The GPS unit floats with or without the case. That can come in handy while hiking or boating.



Based on all of this I would highly recommend any other Garmin unit as well.

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Garmin Oregon is to GPS as Apple iPhone is to cellular.

I recently just bought 2 new Garmin GPS units to upgrade my aging Garmin Legend (Original Model). I was hesitant to purchase the Oregon due to the mediocre reviews on Amazon but ultimately I decided to take a chance.



First I bought the Garmin Dakota 20 and I really liked it. Small Battery Efficient Easy to Use and Paperless Geocaching using the touchscreen. Good stuff. I called my friend who likes to have the latest and greatest and he told me he had purchased the Oregon 400t when it first came out last year. I took a drive to his house to compare it to my new Dakota 20... Very similar in capabilities only smaller and less resolution on the screen. After seeing his unit and how well it ran I found myself craving the higher resolution screen and 3D Terrain features so I went up and bought another one this one the Garmin Oregon 550. I decided against buying the Oregon 550t because the 550 had a little deeper discount than the "t" version. Ultimately I chose to purchase the 550 since it was around $60 off retail VS. only $1 less than retail on the 550t. I figured I could add the TOPO maps later. Plus I had also just purchased the Dakota 20 and the $160 difference in cost was sounding pretty good. I have completely busted my mad money for now.



Ultimately I find this unit to be right in line with all of the other Oregon models software wise... it works exactly the same way. So go and read some reviews on the other Oregon models sine this unit doesn't have many reviews yet. It is VERY similar in capabilities but this one has a few added goodies.. 3 Axis Compass + 3.2MP GEOTagging Camera (Good stuff)...



Another observation between the new 550 and 550t models... Garmin's specs say the these models have equivalent storage but in fact this is not the case the 850MB seen in the specs relates to the free space after taking into account the included maps. In reality it is more like 550 = 1GB 550t=4GB internal memory. Mostly a non-issue since both have a Micro-SD slot behind the battery which happily accepted an inexpensive 4GB SDHC card and since SDHC was supported I would expect you could add an even larger one.



Like the other reviewer stated I noticed that the roads on Garmin's 2008 TOPO maps are slightly off.. this is easily recognizable if you load a driving map calculate a route and then disable the driving map you will see the driving route is not exactly on the road. To me this is all the more reason to just get the 550 model (at this point) without the TOPO maps. You can add them later once the road data is fixed. On second thought the TOPO features themselves on the 2008 map seem fine only the road data is a little off so if you are using the maps as they are intended this is probably a non-issue. At the time I just felt like the 550 was a better bargain only $90 more than the Dakota 20 I had just purchased which also was still at the full $350 retail price since it is still a brand new model.



The only other glitch was with the Compass calibration which went haywire for a moment but resolved itself after a reset and hasn't happened since. We'll see if it becomes an issue.. but I doubt it. The reset was very fast as this unit boots up very quickly.



I decided to make these purchases since my girlfriend has expressed an interest in "Re-Taking Up Geocaching" we really haven't done it in a while (Since '02) and its such a great outdoor activity. The original point in making these purchases was the ease at which you can add Geocaches into the unit directly from the website with a single mouse click. She was having trouble getting used to adding the co-ordinates into the old Garmin Legend with that tiny joystick it was VERY TEDIOUS.



So now she has the Dakota 20 and I have the Oregon 550 and we can easily transfer geocaches back and forth wirelessly and it is easy as pie to download them from [...].



To me these new Garmins are a huge upgrade from my old "Legend" and they are waterproof and rugged as ever.



I would have given this product 5 stars had it not been for the couple of small glitches which I expect will be fixed in the future via a firmware update / map update from Garmin.



Truely.. the new touchscreen Garmin units are to GPS's as the iPhone is to mobile phones. In a class by itself.More detail ...

EXCELLENT PRODUCT EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE

I ordered the swami received it on time easily hooked it up to my computer loaded my home course and played nine holes that night. It worked just as advertised. Often my ball lands where yardage markers are not readily available. Swami proved to be a great help in club selection in these all to frequent situations. The next day I requested mapping for some local unmapped courses and ordered a Swami for my wife. While the company states an unmapped course will be mapped within 5-10 business days I was notified by e-mail four days later that the courses that I had requested were mapped. These courses were easily loaded into my Swami. I used it on one of the newly mapped courses the next weekend and Swami really helped my club selection on a less familiar course. When we took my wife's new Swami to our home course the unit did not recognize the course. I took it home and reloaded it and had the same problem. I gave it one more try. It worked for 11 holes and then yardage displayed by the unit went wacky. She was standing about 130 yards out and the display kept changing by hundreds of yards and never settled down. I called Swami support the next morning and in less than 24 hours she had a new fully charged Swami in her hands loaded with her course choices. The new unit works as advertised. Great friendly customer service!



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Works Very Well

I purchased the Golflogix GPS instead of the more popular SkyCaddie because the Golflogix is made by Garmin. Obviously Garmin knows GPS. The unit is actually a re-packaged Garmin eTrex. It is very solid and sturdy. When I bought it I found that three of the courses that I play were not mapped. I requested them and in one week they were available. Fantastic. I have also submitted questions via email and have been answered promptly. The unit is small and easy to use. It will increment holes automatically when I walk to the next hole. Most of the time I do not need to press any buttons. I would definitely recommend Golflogix.More detail ...