Garmin GPSMAP 76CSX Handheld GPS with Barometric Altimeter and Electronic Compass

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 (N,S,E,W) 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.


I found this device to be relatively easy and comfortable to use (one-handed, no less), and accurate to within 15' +/- under tree cover of greater than 90% mature alder and fir - once locked onto satellites under clearer overhead conditions in Seattle WA and using an external Gilsson antenna mounted atop a hat. Satellite aquisition under the trees did not happen the few times I tried. The display is excellent under sunny conditions. Downloading waypoint data into a text file was simple. I haven't used it yet under driving conditions, so I can't speak to using related features. Were it damaged or stolen, I'd buy another one without hesitation.

I bought this to replace a GPSMAP76s that I bought in 02. I liked that unit and this new 76 is so much better. The speed acquiring sats and the ability to acquire in dense cover is great. The color makes it easier to view when there is a terrain variable..land..water..etc

They added a USB port which is a good addition.

You can not go wrong with this GPS.

I originally purchased this item to replace my iQue 3600. I found that the iQue is not very useful for working in the woods. The 76CSx is more robust and light weight and can be used in extreme environments. I've used the unit in heavy rainfall and in cold temperatures (-40F).

Pros: Powered by AA batteries, weather proof, lightweight, Garmin MapSource to track waypoints, routes, and upload maps from City Navigator, easy to navigate menus, has great satellite reception in the thickest of tree cover.

Cons: No voice commands when using to navigate through busy city streets and highways, the display is a bit small to read for driving, will not fit on automount when powered with an external power supply.

Overall this unit worked in a pinch when navigating streets, but I will stick with my iQue for the driving. I'll use 76CSx for all of my outdoor uses.

This is my first GPS receiver and I do love it. I will not go into all the pros, as others have already done that. I did want to share some cons:
1. The compass is very inaccurate, and generally useless. I have to recalibrate it before every use. It could be that my unit is bad, but I have nothing to compare it against. I would recommend the cheaper 76CX instead. The out of warranty repair cost is also $25 cheaper for the CX vs. the CSX according to the Garmin website.
2. The SIRF receiver chip died after 4 months. I had to send the unit to Garmin for warranty repairs. I don't know if it's symptomatic of gnerally poor construction quality, or just a random occurence.

The Garmin 76CSx is a very good handheld GPS unit. It is much more sensitive than a cheaper Garmin unit that I have. It's rather large - about the size of your hand, but has a nicely lit color display. Menus are easy enough to navigate, and everything seems solid. It floats in water (I tried it to be sure), and that makes it great for outdoor adventures in the rain or down the river.

My only complaint with the unit is the very poor software that it comes with. It comes with "Waypoint Navigator," which has very limited city maps allowing you to do simple trip planning. You do the planning on your computer, and then download the path info using the USB port - not as convenient as car-based GPS units, but still ok. The problem is that the software has very limited detail, with many roads missing - not much more than highways really. My recommendation is to look at add on Garmin Mapsource software like the North American City Navigator or the Topographical Maps. The way they work is you pay for the CD/DVD and with them you get a code to unlock any recent updates from the Garmin website. This ensures that you get the very latest map data (as of your purchase date). If you want future updates, you have to pay Garmin to get another unlocking code.

Overall a very good outdoor GPS unit! Highly recommended.

Written by Arthur Bradley, author of "Process of Elimination" - a sexually charged thriller that pits a martial arts expert against a world-class sniper out to shape the next presidential electrion.

Please indicate if reviews are helpful.

Purchased ths Garmin GPS 76CSX about 3 months ago. The satellite acquisition is very quick & the features are great. This is my third GPS & third Garmin. The last was an eTrex. This is a huge upgrade from the eTrex, much better antenna, mapping capabilities are very good, battery life is also good. I researched quite a while and am not disappointed. Would recommend the 76CSX or the 60CSX.

I have had the Garmin76CSX for four months now and have used it for both cross country hiking and automobile trips. It works very well. I have never lost signal walking through the woods, and I can use it in my car without an external antennae. It will lock onto satellites while I am in my house. I wouldn't go hiking or on a car trip now without it. I even take it on business trips.

It is not cheap, in addition to the Garmin 76CSX, you will need to purchase a MicrosSD card (I bought a 1GB card) for storing extra map information (the built in "base map" is almost useless); the MapSource Topographical CDROM for hiking; and the MapSource City Navigator CDROM, Garmin Automotive mount, and Garmin Cigarete power cable for use in the car.

The Garmin 76 does not have all the features of the GPSs designed only for in car use, but I have used it on several trips and it met all my needs. It gave accurate directions even in one-way street situations, and has been very useful finding restaurants and other points of interest near locations I have visited.

You can download topo and city street maps at the same time. If you have both types of maps downloaded, the Garmin will only show the city street maps unless you hide the city street maps, in which case it will show the topo maps. Finding the menu to hide the city street maps is not obvious, I had to call tech support to find out how to do it. With a map displayed, you have to press the menu button; select Setup Map; press the Enter button; at the top of the screen select the "i" (Information) icon; press the Enter button; finally select the Hide US NorthAmerica City Streets and press the Enter button.

The reason I didn't give it five stars was because of the following two items:

The mapsource software doesn't run on the Apple Macintosh.

The topo maps are based on very old data (over 10 years old in some areas), and don't show as much detail as I would like to see. But they are still very useful and worth buying.

This little baby works a treat! Great technology at a great price! Please note that, contrary to its name, you do not have to be a US Marine to own and operate one of these. I was worried for a while that my order would be rejected on the grounds I never did military service, but I guess anyone can buy one. Great news!

this is a really nice gps. However it takes some time and help to learn to use it. Having never owned a gps its a little difficult to learn on your own.

This is a great unit. A little large for just hiking in the woods, but I use it for travel in the car as well as on my 1-5 mile walks. This is an upgrade from a Garmin GPS 12-MAP (which has been discontinued). The color screen is clear and easy to read in the varied natural light sources I've run into so far. The size is good for use in the car and the buttons are a good size (not like those on the blackberry where you almost need a stylus to push only one button at a time.)
Navigation in the menus is similar to the 12-Map with enhancements. The Geocache is new to me but I will be participating in geocaching with family and having fun. Haven't had a chance to explore the marine side of this unit yet.
I agonized over which unit to buy (the Legend, the Vista or something bigger). Because most of my use is not hiking, I elected the larger unit and am glad I did. It's worth the extra dollars, it's fun, pratical, and I expect to get a lot of use out of it over the next many years.


I have not been able to get much usage out of it yet. I think it will be everything I wanted, I'm very pleased at this time.

It is slightly bigger than other handhelds, but the extra area makes for easier button navigation I think. Certainly, the comments from others that you need to budget in some Mapsource maps does apply as the base map is old and not of much use.

I was a happy owner of a Garmin E-Map for a number of years before it finally went to "swim with the fishes," when I was fly fishing. So I had to replace it. The 76CSx is a major step forward and should satisfy anyone who is accustomed to using handheld GPS devices. The screen is bright and legible; a minor disadvantage is that when displaying data fields on the map page, they seem larger than necessary, using up space that would otherwise be available for a larger map; however, the fact that they are user-customizable is a big improvement. If turn-by-turn directions are important to you, you will need the add-on mapping products; however, I ignore turn-by-turn directions at least as often as I use them, so the directions approximated on the base map provide a better indication of travel time, etc., than the straight-line direction supported by the E-map--just use your brain when it tries to direct you across a field. In addition, waypoints stored on my PC and my old MapSource CDs (both 3.00 from 1999!) loaded very seamlessly on the GPSMap 76CSx, which was a pleasant surprise (again, not supporting turn-by-turn directions, but providing good, if dated, base map detail). Overall, this unit offers good performance and a much higher degree of customizability than the navigation systems built into cars; there are, of course, trade-offs, like a smaller screen and a less intuitive interface. But regular users will quickly find its strengths and adjust to its limitations. I highly recommend this unit to any relatively serious user of hand-held GPS for driving, boating, our outodoor recreation.

I have owned GPS 12's, Etrex Legend, Foretrex 101, and GPSMAP 76. I have been pleased with them all except when in heavy tree cover. My first surprise with the GPSMap 76CSx was when I took it out of the box and turned it on and it picked up 4 satellites on the first floor of my two story house--and I wasn't near a window. Next it picked up multiple satellites through my car roof. My other Garmin's had not done either of those. So far I am impressed with (1) the number of satellites received--almost always more than 5 and frequently 9 or more where my other units would be picking up 4 or 5, (2)how quick it triangulates (receives enough data to indicate where I am), (3) with the usefulness of the electronic compass and the barometer, and (4) with how good the screen view is. I haven't gotten new maps yet, but had not trouble uploading my old Roads and Recreation maps. What a pleasure to work at USB speeds rather than RS-232 speeds! And I am delighted with the additional memory chip space for maps. I wasn't sure about this purchase when I made it, but I am delighted so far.

This GPS works.I don't know much about GPS but I have used a Trex Vista infrequently for 3 years. It struggled to find satellites so the 76's ability to do so impresses me. For the price I think it should come with a detailed map of your area of interest, so I gave it 4 stars. I like the shape of the 60 series better and the screen on top. I like the ability of the 76 to float and its moisture tolerance. Expect to pay $100's for maps and you can only download Garmin maps except I have seen maps of ski areas advertized that are supposed to download to Garmin receivers. I'm convinced that expandable memory is the way to go, hence the x. I like the compass and altitude/pressure features, hence the S. I'm not convinced the color screen is a big deal.

This was my fourth GPS purchase and I am very satisfied with this unit. It's not as small as the Etrex line but the color screen is bright and easy to read for my "not as young as they used to be" eyes. It is missing some of the high end tricks that my GPSMAP 276C has but it is much less bulky and seems to track satellites better with the new SiRF GPS chip. I use the handheld GPS mostly for flying on my hang glider, to record my flights and arrange for pickups with I go cross country and land out along a road. It is easy to follow your position and use tracks to see where you have been. Garmin is the gold standard for GPS among the flying crowd and we use them for flight tracking and scoring during national competitions. It is reliable, easy to use and read and the buttons are big enough to use with your flying gloves on. I also use this for hiking with TOPO maps loaded. It has never let me down but take extra batteries!

The basic unit is great. The instruction manual is good for basic use, but when it comes to adding mapps to the memory chip the manual leaves a lot to be desired. It takes alot of time to figure out the "advanced" functions and the mapsource products needed to give you the detail mapping are expensive. If you are able to put in the time to learn the system and the spend the money on the mapsource products, this is an amazing GPS.

Not only did Amazon have a competative price but the company was able to deliver the product within 3 days, 4-7 days faster than expected.

The 76CSX itself is a great tool for Navigational purposes and can be used to chart courses in the comfort of your home via your computer. You simply then transfer the data to the handheld then to you onboard NEMA compatible chartplotter.

My only complaint with the device is that the directions for data transfers via the NEMA device (cable)is not at all decriptive enough. Garmin's website helps a bit more.




I've had my 76CSX for about a year. I use it with my motorcycle, my bicycle, my truck, for boating and hiking. It does just about everything. The only thing I wish it did is talk to me when I need to turn or make some other navigational adjustment, but I knew it did NOT do that when I bought it. What little tech support I've needed (when I couldn't figure something out from the instructions) has been prompt and competent. It may help that I live only eight miles from the Garmin World Headquarters in Olathe, Kansas.

One feature that many people miss because they don't use it, is the 6 million points of interest. If you'll let it, it will select a restaurant for you, according to what your palate hankers for, or a place to stay (motel/hotel) or which casino is closest.

It's just a jim-dandy little gadget that's very handy. Try one. You'll like it.

I have use GPS systems integrated into a Pocket PC, or Bluetooth units to use with my laptop. The advantage I see to this unit is that it is waterproof (unlike my PDA/Phone/GPS, laptop), it is very portable (unlike my laptop), and it can measure changes in pressure (hence, altitude), and it has a compass for when you are moving too slow for the GPS to tell which direction you are going.

Additionally, I use it when I drive, with "MapSource City Select North America". It won't give you voice prompts, but it will beep when you need to turn and it will give you details in the screen. I use the blue charts for sailing, and if I were to go hicking, I would use it to navigate.

The only problem I see is that the cost of the unit will not get you the MapSource, you have to add that. Additionally, if the maps for certain streets overlay over the charts from the same area, you have to pick one or the other. That can be a pain in my case, because I live in South Beach, and every time I go sailing I have to uncheck all the city maps around the bay of Biscayne.

We bought two of the GPSMAP 76Csx models for our resources staff. After working with the device for a few weeks, I decided to purchase my own to replace my aging GARMIN eTrex Vista The 76Csx is going to be a great tool for our wetland delineation process. Although of low reolution and scaling the ability to load the MapSource 1:100000 maps will provide a little more detail than the base maps. We use DNR Garmin to transfer these points between the device and our ArcMAP/ ArcGIS software. This easily allows us to display our field mapping coordinates in a geo-referrenced satelite image environment for planning purposes. Being able to change datums on the fly is important for our varying data formats. I only wish the unit would accept more text annotation and display it in the mapping software. This would be more useful for discusion of individual point data.

This is the third Garmin GPSMAP 76 product I've owned. I started with the GPS Map 76 with 8MB RAM a few years ago. I found having a GPS was a great convenience but also a lot of fun. You never get lost and with downloaded details like points of interest you can easily find things like a specific restaurant or hotel in a city you've never been to. As an pleasure boater, this GPS has the Navaids preloaded so navigating from point to point on a big river is a breeze. Plus it floats so if you drop it overboard there's no issue.

However 8MB memory is not a lot so I upgraded a couple years later to the 76S to allow for more detailed maps to be loaded. With 24MB RAM there's enough memory to store details for about a 120 mile radius. When I needed to go somewhere new I'd down load that area instead. The 76S met my needs but I still thought a little more memory would be nice.

With the 76CSX you can have as much memory as you can fit into a micro SD card. I've got one with 1GB and have the detailed info for pretty much the entire East Coast and neighboring states downloaded. Adding the color screen is a plus so now Navaids are red and green, not just labeled such. And a great improvement is the autorouting capability where you just plug in your start and end points and it routes you there automatically with turn by turn directions just like on most websites. Get too far off course and it does it over again to get you where you want from where you are at that point. One attribute I really like is the screen colors automatically change when the sun goes down so during the day it's a light screened format and at night it automatically changes to a dark screen format... very cool. Plus - it still floats!

I love this new GPS and it's portability, large memory, preloaded marine Navaids, and autorouting cabilibilities make it a must-have for someone that likes to do a lot of things and where a dashboard mounted device won't work.

My etrex vista was nice and compact and worked fine at sea. But it was useless in the forest, just couldn't receive satellite signals, even in light tree cover.
I read about the new 'chip' in the newer models, and wanted a unit with an external antennae.
I got my map76csx and promptly took it on a serious hike. Performed better than I hoped for. It worked perfectly. I did use an external antennae from Gillson, and had multiple signals even in very heavy tree cover.
At home, I can take the unit outside and get the signal, then come inside (I live in the tropics in a concrete house) and still retain my signals.

BEST OF ALL..... my garmin was in a backpack along with other gear for an overnight camp, the backpack took a 230 foot fall to a rocky floor. The backpack was destroyed, my video camera, stainless steel coffe mug, tins of tuna and sardines were all mangled -literally- into balls of crumpled metal. Everything was completely destroyed....except my garmin!!
I was delighted and shocked that it came out unscathed and turned right on.

It's tougher than nails!

I highly recommend the unit.
Extreme adventurer

I like it. The menus are not intuitive for me. The "Topo" maps do not provide the detail i desire and have not been successful in using the National Geographic Topo with this system. I believe the basic software may need to be updated to current standards. The "flash memory" when updated erases previous data. Have had the batt compartment leak. Haven't tried the flotation yet. I am a sea kayaker and use it accordingly, so the waterproof and topo features are important to me. [...]

As a previous owner of the Magellan Maridian Marine, I had High expectations of the 76Sx. I'm pleased to say I wasn't dissapointed! Ease of setup, software instalation all worked great. The unit itself is clear for and easy to operate. Additional notes: Customer support is friendly and easy to reach without an hour of menu selections. clear english speaking represenative made it that much easier.(I contacted them pre-purchase for addional information & map information) Also noteworthy is the fact that when connected to the computer, the usb connection WILL power the 76csx. Highly reccomended!Garmin GPSMap 76CSx Handheld GPS Navigator

I spent a long time researching the various handheld options. I wanted something I could take on a hike, travel with the car and use on my boat. Purchased City Navigator NT (CD) and Blue Chart (microSD). Have since used both on a road trip and a boat trip. Both worked perfectly and were incredibly accurate. I highly recommend this GPS. I purchased the Foarm case too. The case is really tough and should do a great job protecting the unit.

this is a terrific product now I wish they would develop better mapping software to go with it. the aquisition time is super fast and you stay locked in even in canyons. wonderful!

Nice unit, good screen, great battery life, good barometric elevation sensor. The only thing I would change is to have it come with auto-routing maps (city navigator) rather than the auto-routing base map (horrible). Even a straight goto line would be preferable sometimes. Other than that, it can take 2G memory cards, which is a LOT of mapping; I load metroguide maps, topo maps to exhaustion (mine). Floats, supposedly, but I haven't had the..luck..to verify this.
Satellite reception is tremendously good, a point I can't overemphasize. I haven't tried it under dense canopy, but in the urban condo canyons & whatnot it has always gotten great coverage.

This is a great unit,But the box and the online info is a little bit deceving, they make it look like it comes with address maps, but is dosent, you must purchase them for another 139.00 dollars. Plus the waterways maps for 199.00, buy the time your done you will have paid
about 750.00 bucks!!!

What can I say? This is what I have been waiting for. Superior sensitivity and accuracy. Functionality also very good, but may take some time getting "into the fingers". Nevermind that, if you want the latest in portable GPS, suitabel almost for any outdoors activity, Garmin GPSMap 76CSx Handheld GPS Navigator should be your choice.

You defiantly need this GPS if you are going anywhere, you have to be safe and take the precautions. This device will keep you knowing where you are so you don't get lost or end up in a lot of peril. This GPS track you anywhere you are, also showing the sea level and all. It has an electronic compass to direct you on your way without any fault. Plus downloading is easy with a USB or serial port interfaces. This is an amazing product.

I upgraded to this machine from an 5 year old garmin vista. It excels in every respect and I wish that I would have purchased it when it first hit the market. I tested it out by taking it to redwood national park and driving the parkway and hiking through the redwoods. never once did the trackline waver or did the gps loose the sat connection. it seems that the SiRF chip does the job very well. Which is way better that the old vista which lost sats immediately upon entering the canopy.
The USB cable is much faster than the old serial cable. 10 MB of data takes about a minute instead of 30 minutes or more.
The screen paints very quickly. In a blink or two.

What don't I like: The scroll button in the center is rather hard to push and I often have to push it twice for it to read my entry.

Features I wish it had (in case Garmin is listening): the 12XL (my first GPS) had a screen which sorted in real-time the closest waypoints this is a handy feature and I used it frequently for finding the midpoint between 2 or more waypoints. It would be nice to have this feature in the 76 series. Also if the unit had bluetooth to wirelessly exchange data with a computer that would be nice too. It would be nice if the Sun and Moon screen included bearing and azimuth to those extra-terrestrial bodies.



The electronics of the Garmin 76CSx are outstanding but it has two flaws which weaken the product. The ergonomics of button placement for accessing menus and keyboard are the worst of any Garmin I have owned. They are packed too close together. The placement of the bottons on the eTrex series was better but the rubber protective band for them failed to hold up. The full power of the electronics is only available to hackers or by communicating with them. A more thorough up to date manual would be greatly appreciated.

Do not let the suggestion that this device is intended for marine use deter you from considering it for highway and recreational use on land. In fact, the waterproof and floating qualities of this device simply enhance its already impressive capabitities for hikers, bikers and motorized recreationists. It uses all varieties of MapSource software, providing the ability to use highway, topographic and marine maps.

The removable memory allows the user to increase memory or to create memory cards with chosen mapsets preloaded. I installed a 2 GB card and have every available MapSource map east of the Mississippi loaded, including parts of the Canada, Mexican isthmus, and Carribean World Maps! No longer do I have to sit and select maps corresponding to my next trip, load them to the device. Nor do I have to load map segments on my long trips during my trip (which required I bring my PC). It's in there! It's nearly as good as the DVD method found on today's built in vehicle systems in terms of map storage.

It's far better than vehicle systems in terms of features, portability, flexibility, and so on. There are no in-motion restrictions; all data can be uploaded and download with a computer; if the road is on a map, this GPS will take you there - no "road not verified mumbo-jumbo).

This marks the third Garmin GPS I have purchased. It has several capabilities that take it beyond the GPS V that I own, and puts the GPS12 (though a very fine device for it's time) to shame. This unit has expandable memory, double the storage for waypoints, and over three times the track log memory. Tracks uploaded can be twice as large as the GPS V and three times as many total points.

The satellite reception is astonishing - it often receives enough satellites to give me coverage even sitting at my desk in my home office!

The addition of electronic compass and altimeter improve the usability and accuracy of an already impressive device. You will not regret owning one! If you already have a lesser Garmin mapping GPSr, take a look at this!

The Garmin GPSMap 76CSx has all the features I was looking for in one unit. It is light weight, easy to read, and easy to set up and run. You absolutely must purchase an upgraded map, as the base map is not really effective. It is very accurate. The first night I got it and was setting it up, I acquired 4+ satellites from inside my house during a thunderstorm. It is very sensitive! I haven't had it out under heavy tree cover yet but based on what I have seen so far I don't doubt it will perform perfectly. All the features are easily understood and easily assessable. I recommend this unit with no reservation.

The Garmin GPSMap 76CSx has all the features I was looking for in one unit. It is light weight, easy to read, and easy to set up and run. You absolutely must purchase an upgraded map, as the base map is not really effective. It is very accurate. The first night I got it and was setting it up, I acquired 4+ satellites from inside my house during a thunderstorm. It is very sensitive! I haven't had it out under heavy tree cover yet but based on what I have seen so far I don't doubt it will perform perfectly. All the features are easily understood and easily assessable. I recommend this unit with no reservation.

Do not let the suggestion that this device is intended for marine use deter you from considering it for highway and recreational use on land. In fact, the waterproof and floating qualities of this device simply enhance its already impressive capabitities for hikers, bikers and motorized recreationists. It uses all varieties of MapSource software, providing the ability to use highway, topographic and marine maps.

The removable memory allows the user to increase memory or to create memory cards with chosen mapsets preloaded. I installed a 2 GB card and have every available MapSource map east of the Mississippi loaded, including parts of the Canada, Mexican isthmus, and Carribean World Maps! No longer do I have to sit and select maps corresponding to my next trip, load them to the device. Nor do I have to load map segments on my long trips during my trip (which required I bring my PC). It's in there! It's nearly as good as the DVD method found on today's built in vehicle systems in terms of map storage.

It's far better than vehicle systems in terms of features, portability, flexibility, and so on. There are no in-motion restrictions; all data can be uploaded and download with a computer; if the road is on a map, this GPS will take you there - no "road not verified mumbo-jumbo).

This marks the third Garmin GPS I have purchased. It has several capabilities that take it beyond the GPS V that I own, and puts the GPS12 (though a very fine device for it's time) to shame. This unit has expandable memory, double the storage for waypoints, and over three times the track log memory. Tracks uploaded can be twice as large as the GPS V and three times as many total points.

The satellite reception is astonishing - it often receives enough satellites to give me coverage even sitting at my desk in my home office!

The addition of electronic compass and altimeter improve the usability and accuracy of an already impressive device. You will not regret owning one! If you already have a lesser Garmin mapping GPSr, take a look at this!

The electronics of the Garmin 76CSx are outstanding but it has two flaws which weaken the product. The ergonomics of button placement for accessing menus and keyboard are the worst of any Garmin I have owned. They are packed too close together. The placement of the bottons on the eTrex series was better but the rubber protective band for them failed to hold up. The full power of the electronics is only available to hackers or by communicating with them. A more thorough up to date manual would be greatly appreciated.

You defiantly need this GPS if you are going anywhere, you have to be safe and take the precautions. This device will keep you knowing where you are so you don't get lost or end up in a lot of peril. This GPS track you anywhere you are, also showing the sea level and all. It has an electronic compass to direct you on your way without any fault. Plus downloading is easy with a USB or serial port interfaces. This is an amazing product.

I upgraded to this machine from an 5 year old garmin vista. It excels in every respect and I wish that I would have purchased it when it first hit the market. I tested it out by taking it to redwood national park and driving the parkway and hiking through the redwoods. never once did the trackline waver or did the gps loose the sat connection. it seems that the SiRF chip does the job very well. Which is way better that the old vista which lost sats immediately upon entering the canopy.
The USB cable is much faster than the old serial cable. 10 MB of data takes about a minute instead of 30 minutes or more.
The screen paints very quickly. In a blink or two.

What don't I like: The scroll button in the center is rather hard to push and I often have to push it twice for it to read my entry.

Features I wish it had (in case Garmin is listening): the 12XL (my first GPS) had a screen which sorted in real-time the closest waypoints this is a handy feature and I used it frequently for finding the midpoint between 2 or more waypoints. It would be nice to have this feature in the 76 series. Also if the unit had bluetooth to wirelessly exchange data with a computer that would be nice too. It would be nice if the Sun and Moon screen included bearing and azimuth to those extra-terrestrial bodies.



This is a great unit,But the box and the online info is a little bit deceving, they make it look like it comes with address maps, but is dosent, you must purchase them for another 139.00 dollars. Plus the waterways maps for 199.00, buy the time your done you will have paid
about 750.00 bucks!!!

What can I say? This is what I have been waiting for. Superior sensitivity and accuracy. Functionality also very good, but may take some time getting "into the fingers". Nevermind that, if you want the latest in portable GPS, suitabel almost for any outdoors activity, Garmin GPSMap 76CSx Handheld GPS Navigator should be your choice.

Nice unit, good screen, great battery life, good barometric elevation sensor. The only thing I would change is to have it come with auto-routing maps (city navigator) rather than the auto-routing base map (horrible). Even a straight goto line would be preferable sometimes. Other than that, it can take 2G memory cards, which is a LOT of mapping; I load metroguide maps, topo maps to exhaustion (mine). Floats, supposedly, but I haven't had the..luck..to verify this.
Satellite reception is tremendously good, a point I can't overemphasize. I haven't tried it under dense canopy, but in the urban condo canyons & whatnot it has always gotten great coverage.

this is a terrific product now I wish they would develop better mapping software to go with it. the aquisition time is super fast and you stay locked in even in canyons. wonderful!

I spent a long time researching the various handheld options. I wanted something I could take on a hike, travel with the car and use on my boat. Purchased City Navigator NT (CD) and Blue Chart (microSD). Have since used both on a road trip and a boat trip. Both worked perfectly and were incredibly accurate. I highly recommend this GPS. I purchased the Foarm case too. The case is really tough and should do a great job protecting the unit.

I like it. The menus are not intuitive for me. The "Topo" maps do not provide the detail i desire and have not been successful in using the National Geographic Topo with this system. I believe the basic software may need to be updated to current standards. The "flash memory" when updated erases previous data. Have had the batt compartment leak. Haven't tried the flotation yet. I am a sea kayaker and use it accordingly, so the waterproof and topo features are important to me. [...]

As a previous owner of the Magellan Maridian Marine, I had High expectations of the 76Sx. I'm pleased to say I wasn't dissapointed! Ease of setup, software instalation all worked great. The unit itself is clear for and easy to operate. Additional notes: Customer support is friendly and easy to reach without an hour of menu selections. clear english speaking represenative made it that much easier.(I contacted them pre-purchase for addional information & map information) Also noteworthy is the fact that when connected to the computer, the usb connection WILL power the 76csx. Highly reccomended!Garmin GPSMap 76CSx Handheld GPS Navigator

My etrex vista was nice and compact and worked fine at sea. But it was useless in the forest, just couldn't receive satellite signals, even in light tree cover.
I read about the new 'chip' in the newer models, and wanted a unit with an external antennae.
I got my map76csx and promptly took it on a serious hike. Performed better than I hoped for. It worked perfectly. I did use an external antennae from Gillson, and had multiple signals even in very heavy tree cover.
At home, I can take the unit outside and get the signal, then come inside (I live in the tropics in a concrete house) and still retain my signals.

BEST OF ALL..... my garmin was in a backpack along with other gear for an overnight camp, the backpack took a 230 foot fall to a rocky floor. The backpack was destroyed, my video camera, stainless steel coffe mug, tins of tuna and sardines were all mangled -literally- into balls of crumpled metal. Everything was completely destroyed....except my garmin!!
I was delighted and shocked that it came out unscathed and turned right on.

It's tougher than nails!

I highly recommend the unit.
Extreme adventurer

This is the third Garmin GPSMAP 76 product I've owned. I started with the GPS Map 76 with 8MB RAM a few years ago. I found having a GPS was a great convenience but also a lot of fun. You never get lost and with downloaded details like points of interest you can easily find things like a specific restaurant or hotel in a city you've never been to. As an pleasure boater, this GPS has the Navaids preloaded so navigating from point to point on a big river is a breeze. Plus it floats so if you drop it overboard there's no issue.

However 8MB memory is not a lot so I upgraded a couple years later to the 76S to allow for more detailed maps to be loaded. With 24MB RAM there's enough memory to store details for about a 120 mile radius. When I needed to go somewhere new I'd down load that area instead. The 76S met my needs but I still thought a little more memory would be nice.

With the 76CSX you can have as much memory as you can fit into a micro SD card. I've got one with 1GB and have the detailed info for pretty much the entire East Coast and neighboring states downloaded. Adding the color screen is a plus so now Navaids are red and green, not just labeled such. And a great improvement is the autorouting capability where you just plug in your start and end points and it routes you there automatically with turn by turn directions just like on most websites. Get too far off course and it does it over again to get you where you want from where you are at that point. One attribute I really like is the screen colors automatically change when the sun goes down so during the day it's a light screened format and at night it automatically changes to a dark screen format... very cool. Plus - it still floats!

I love this new GPS and it's portability, large memory, preloaded marine Navaids, and autorouting cabilibilities make it a must-have for someone that likes to do a lot of things and where a dashboard mounted device won't work.

We bought two of the GPSMAP 76Csx models for our resources staff. After working with the device for a few weeks, I decided to purchase my own to replace my aging GARMIN eTrex Vista The 76Csx is going to be a great tool for our wetland delineation process. Although of low reolution and scaling the ability to load the MapSource 1:100000 maps will provide a little more detail than the base maps. We use DNR Garmin to transfer these points between the device and our ArcMAP/ ArcGIS software. This easily allows us to display our field mapping coordinates in a geo-referrenced satelite image environment for planning purposes. Being able to change datums on the fly is important for our varying data formats. I only wish the unit would accept more text annotation and display it in the mapping software. This would be more useful for discusion of individual point data.

I've had my 76CSX for about a year. I use it with my motorcycle, my bicycle, my truck, for boating and hiking. It does just about everything. The only thing I wish it did is talk to me when I need to turn or make some other navigational adjustment, but I knew it did NOT do that when I bought it. What little tech support I've needed (when I couldn't figure something out from the instructions) has been prompt and competent. It may help that I live only eight miles from the Garmin World Headquarters in Olathe, Kansas.

One feature that many people miss because they don't use it, is the 6 million points of interest. If you'll let it, it will select a restaurant for you, according to what your palate hankers for, or a place to stay (motel/hotel) or which casino is closest.

It's just a jim-dandy little gadget that's very handy. Try one. You'll like it.

I have use GPS systems integrated into a Pocket PC, or Bluetooth units to use with my laptop. The advantage I see to this unit is that it is waterproof (unlike my PDA/Phone/GPS, laptop), it is very portable (unlike my laptop), and it can measure changes in pressure (hence, altitude), and it has a compass for when you are moving too slow for the GPS to tell which direction you are going.

Additionally, I use it when I drive, with "MapSource City Select North America". It won't give you voice prompts, but it will beep when you need to turn and it will give you details in the screen. I use the blue charts for sailing, and if I were to go hicking, I would use it to navigate.

The only problem I see is that the cost of the unit will not get you the MapSource, you have to add that. Additionally, if the maps for certain streets overlay over the charts from the same area, you have to pick one or the other. That can be a pain in my case, because I live in South Beach, and every time I go sailing I have to uncheck all the city maps around the bay of Biscayne.

Not only did Amazon have a competative price but the company was able to deliver the product within 3 days, 4-7 days faster than expected.

The 76CSX itself is a great tool for Navigational purposes and can be used to chart courses in the comfort of your home via your computer. You simply then transfer the data to the handheld then to you onboard NEMA compatible chartplotter.

My only complaint with the device is that the directions for data transfers via the NEMA device (cable)is not at all decriptive enough. Garmin's website helps a bit more.




This was my fourth GPS purchase and I am very satisfied with this unit. It's not as small as the Etrex line but the color screen is bright and easy to read for my "not as young as they used to be" eyes. It is missing some of the high end tricks that my GPSMAP 276C has but it is much less bulky and seems to track satellites better with the new SiRF GPS chip. I use the handheld GPS mostly for flying on my hang glider, to record my flights and arrange for pickups with I go cross country and land out along a road. It is easy to follow your position and use tracks to see where you have been. Garmin is the gold standard for GPS among the flying crowd and we use them for flight tracking and scoring during national competitions. It is reliable, easy to use and read and the buttons are big enough to use with your flying gloves on. I also use this for hiking with TOPO maps loaded. It has never let me down but take extra batteries!

The basic unit is great. The instruction manual is good for basic use, but when it comes to adding mapps to the memory chip the manual leaves a lot to be desired. It takes alot of time to figure out the "advanced" functions and the mapsource products needed to give you the detail mapping are expensive. If you are able to put in the time to learn the system and the spend the money on the mapsource products, this is an amazing GPS.

This GPS works.I don't know much about GPS but I have used a Trex Vista infrequently for 3 years. It struggled to find satellites so the 76's ability to do so impresses me. For the price I think it should come with a detailed map of your area of interest, so I gave it 4 stars. I like the shape of the 60 series better and the screen on top. I like the ability of the 76 to float and its moisture tolerance. Expect to pay $100's for maps and you can only download Garmin maps except I have seen maps of ski areas advertized that are supposed to download to Garmin receivers. I'm convinced that expandable memory is the way to go, hence the x. I like the compass and altitude/pressure features, hence the S. I'm not convinced the color screen is a big deal.

I have owned GPS 12's, Etrex Legend, Foretrex 101, and GPSMAP 76. I have been pleased with them all except when in heavy tree cover. My first surprise with the GPSMap 76CSx was when I took it out of the box and turned it on and it picked up 4 satellites on the first floor of my two story house--and I wasn't near a window. Next it picked up multiple satellites through my car roof. My other Garmin's had not done either of those. So far I am impressed with (1) the number of satellites received--almost always more than 5 and frequently 9 or more where my other units would be picking up 4 or 5, (2)how quick it triangulates (receives enough data to indicate where I am), (3) with the usefulness of the electronic compass and the barometer, and (4) with how good the screen view is. I haven't gotten new maps yet, but had not trouble uploading my old Roads and Recreation maps. What a pleasure to work at USB speeds rather than RS-232 speeds! And I am delighted with the additional memory chip space for maps. I wasn't sure about this purchase when I made it, but I am delighted so far.

I was a happy owner of a Garmin E-Map for a number of years before it finally went to "swim with the fishes," when I was fly fishing. So I had to replace it. The 76CSx is a major step forward and should satisfy anyone who is accustomed to using handheld GPS devices. The screen is bright and legible; a minor disadvantage is that when displaying data fields on the map page, they seem larger than necessary, using up space that would otherwise be available for a larger map; however, the fact that they are user-customizable is a big improvement. If turn-by-turn directions are important to you, you will need the add-on mapping products; however, I ignore turn-by-turn directions at least as often as I use them, so the directions approximated on the base map provide a better indication of travel time, etc., than the straight-line direction supported by the E-map--just use your brain when it tries to direct you across a field. In addition, waypoints stored on my PC and my old MapSource CDs (both 3.00 from 1999!) loaded very seamlessly on the GPSMap 76CSx, which was a pleasant surprise (again, not supporting turn-by-turn directions, but providing good, if dated, base map detail). Overall, this unit offers good performance and a much higher degree of customizability than the navigation systems built into cars; there are, of course, trade-offs, like a smaller screen and a less intuitive interface. But regular users will quickly find its strengths and adjust to its limitations. I highly recommend this unit to any relatively serious user of hand-held GPS for driving, boating, our outodoor recreation.

It is slightly bigger than other handhelds, but the extra area makes for easier button navigation I think. Certainly, the comments from others that you need to budget in some Mapsource maps does apply as the base map is old and not of much use.

I have not been able to get much usage out of it yet. I think it will be everything I wanted, I'm very pleased at this time.

this is a really nice gps. However it takes some time and help to learn to use it. Having never owned a gps its a little difficult to learn on your own.

This is a great unit. A little large for just hiking in the woods, but I use it for travel in the car as well as on my 1-5 mile walks. This is an upgrade from a Garmin GPS 12-MAP (which has been discontinued). The color screen is clear and easy to read in the varied natural light sources I've run into so far. The size is good for use in the car and the buttons are a good size (not like those on the blackberry where you almost need a stylus to push only one button at a time.)
Navigation in the menus is similar to the 12-Map with enhancements. The Geocache is new to me but I will be participating in geocaching with family and having fun. Haven't had a chance to explore the marine side of this unit yet.
I agonized over which unit to buy (the Legend, the Vista or something bigger). Because most of my use is not hiking, I elected the larger unit and am glad I did. It's worth the extra dollars, it's fun, pratical, and I expect to get a lot of use out of it over the next many years.


This little baby works a treat! Great technology at a great price! Please note that, contrary to its name, you do not have to be a US Marine to own and operate one of these. I was worried for a while that my order would be rejected on the grounds I never did military service, but I guess anyone can buy one. Great news!

I have had the Garmin76CSX for four months now and have used it for both cross country hiking and automobile trips. It works very well. I have never lost signal walking through the woods, and I can use it in my car without an external antennae. It will lock onto satellites while I am in my house. I wouldn't go hiking or on a car trip now without it. I even take it on business trips.

It is not cheap, in addition to the Garmin 76CSX, you will need to purchase a MicrosSD card (I bought a 1GB card) for storing extra map information (the built in "base map" is almost useless); the MapSource Topographical CDROM for hiking; and the MapSource City Navigator CDROM, Garmin Automotive mount, and Garmin Cigarete power cable for use in the car.

The Garmin 76 does not have all the features of the GPSs designed only for in car use, but I have used it on several trips and it met all my needs. It gave accurate directions even in one-way street situations, and has been very useful finding restaurants and other points of interest near locations I have visited.

You can download topo and city street maps at the same time. If you have both types of maps downloaded, the Garmin will only show the city street maps unless you hide the city street maps, in which case it will show the topo maps. Finding the menu to hide the city street maps is not obvious, I had to call tech support to find out how to do it. With a map displayed, you have to press the menu button; select Setup Map; press the Enter button; at the top of the screen select the "i" (Information) icon; press the Enter button; finally select the Hide US NorthAmerica City Streets and press the Enter button.

The reason I didn't give it five stars was because of the following two items:

The mapsource software doesn't run on the Apple Macintosh.

The topo maps are based on very old data (over 10 years old in some areas), and don't show as much detail as I would like to see. But they are still very useful and worth buying.

Purchased ths Garmin GPS 76CSX about 3 months ago. The satellite acquisition is very quick & the features are great. This is my third GPS & third Garmin. The last was an eTrex. This is a huge upgrade from the eTrex, much better antenna, mapping capabilities are very good, battery life is also good. I researched quite a while and am not disappointed. Would recommend the 76CSX or the 60CSX.

The Garmin 76CSx is a very good handheld GPS unit. It is much more sensitive than a cheaper Garmin unit that I have. It's rather large - about the size of your hand, but has a nicely lit color display. Menus are easy enough to navigate, and everything seems solid. It floats in water (I tried it to be sure), and that makes it great for outdoor adventures in the rain or down the river.

My only complaint with the unit is the very poor software that it comes with. It comes with "Waypoint Navigator," which has very limited city maps allowing you to do simple trip planning. You do the planning on your computer, and then download the path info using the USB port - not as convenient as car-based GPS units, but still ok. The problem is that the software has very limited detail, with many roads missing - not much more than highways really. My recommendation is to look at add on Garmin Mapsource software like the North American City Navigator or the Topographical Maps. The way they work is you pay for the CD/DVD and with them you get a code to unlock any recent updates from the Garmin website. This ensures that you get the very latest map data (as of your purchase date). If you want future updates, you have to pay Garmin to get another unlocking code.

Overall a very good outdoor GPS unit! Highly recommended.

Written by Arthur Bradley, author of "Process of Elimination" - a sexually charged thriller that pits a martial arts expert against a world-class sniper out to shape the next presidential electrion.

Please indicate if reviews are helpful.

I bought this to replace a GPSMAP76s that I bought in 02. I liked that unit and this new 76 is so much better. The speed acquiring sats and the ability to acquire in dense cover is great. The color makes it easier to view when there is a terrain variable..land..water..etc

They added a USB port which is a good addition.

You can not go wrong with this GPS.

I originally purchased this item to replace my iQue 3600. I found that the iQue is not very useful for working in the woods. The 76CSx is more robust and light weight and can be used in extreme environments. I've used the unit in heavy rainfall and in cold temperatures (-40F).

Pros: Powered by AA batteries, weather proof, lightweight, Garmin MapSource to track waypoints, routes, and upload maps from City Navigator, easy to navigate menus, has great satellite reception in the thickest of tree cover.

Cons: No voice commands when using to navigate through busy city streets and highways, the display is a bit small to read for driving, will not fit on automount when powered with an external power supply.

Overall this unit worked in a pinch when navigating streets, but I will stick with my iQue for the driving. I'll use 76CSx for all of my outdoor uses.

This is my first GPS receiver and I do love it. I will not go into all the pros, as others have already done that. I did want to share some cons:
1. The compass is very inaccurate, and generally useless. I have to recalibrate it before every use. It could be that my unit is bad, but I have nothing to compare it against. I would recommend the cheaper 76CX instead. The out of warranty repair cost is also $25 cheaper for the CX vs. the CSX according to the Garmin website.
2. The SIRF receiver chip died after 4 months. I had to send the unit to Garmin for warranty repairs. I don't know if it's symptomatic of gnerally poor construction quality, or just a random occurence.

I found this device to be relatively easy and comfortable to use (one-handed, no less), and accurate to within 15' +/- under tree cover of greater than 90% mature alder and fir - once locked onto satellites under clearer overhead conditions in Seattle WA and using an external Gilsson antenna mounted atop a hat. Satellite aquisition under the trees did not happen the few times I tried. The display is excellent under sunny conditions. Downloading waypoint data into a text file was simple. I haven't used it yet under driving conditions, so I can't speak to using related features. Were it damaged or stolen, I'd buy another one without hesitation.

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 (N,S,E,W) 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.