Garmin GPSMAP 60C, GPSMAP 276C tests

Accessories — By ATV Mag on April 29, 2005 at 12:00 pm

You’re out on the trail. It’s been a long day and all you and your wife want to do is get back to the campsite and cook up those steaks thawing in the cooler. You just turned your lights on your ATV as you realize it’s getting dark fast with those mountain ridges in the distance. There is one problem, however. You are lost.

After the third “map check” in 15 minutes, you know your wife isn’t buying any of your excuses. You can see it in her eyes, she is getting a little concerned. Plus, she read about how mountain lions stalk humans in hills similar to these. You read the same story, but you refuse to think about that right now. All you want to do is get on a trail you recognize.

Maybe you should have invested in that GPS unit?

This is an extreme situation that we hope none of you ever find yourselves in on that next friendly trail ride, but it has happened to the best of us. Sure, maps are accurate these days, but it is easy to get turned around on many large trail systems.

We learned our lesson, so should you. Garmin was instrumental in teaching us the ways of the 21st-century rider. Any trip to an outdoor store yields many makes and models of GPS units, but after extensive evaluation and testing of two Garmin GPS units, we think we’ve found our favorites. In fact, we named the GPSMAP 60C our best On The Trail Product.

Garmin GPSMAP 60C
Prior to our Garmin test, we knew handheld GPS as merely a means to get from point A to point B. Nothing flashy, nothing special; just a crude black-and-white display with limited information available to the user.

The 60C is nothing like that. The most noticeable difference, before we even navigated with the unit, was its high-resolution TFT-LCD display. Without getting too technical, TFT stands for thin film transistor. What does that mean for you? Basically, you have the highest resolution color LCD display available on the market right now. For you techno junkies, the display is 160 x 240 pixels, and 1.5 inches wide x 2.2 inches high.

The unit looks and feels like Garmin’s Rhino series, but takes leaps forward with impressive features. First off, it is lightweight. In the hand, with full complement of two AA batteries, the unit weighs around 7 ounces. Dimensions of the 60C are 2.4 inches x 7.1 inches x 1.3 inches.

It doesn’t add any weight for hiking fans, and it is light enough to mount on ATVs via the RAM mounting system (www.ram-mount.com). We used the system before for items like cell phones and GPS units and it hasn’t changed a bit — it works well in these applications. However, the unit is small enough to fit in a jacket pocket or, if you don’t mind a potential bump or two, inside most on-board storage compartments of modern-day ATVs. The 60C is waterproof and is built to withstand the elements as well.

Another neat feature is the ability to attach an external power source to the 60C. A simple wiring kit is available that allows users to tap into the ATV’s electrical system so one doesn’t use up precious battery life while riding on the trail.

Speaking of battery life, the 60C claims to provide 30 hours of usage during “typical” use. Of course, battery life is limited through factors like extensive use of the backlit screen, and using the unit’s WAAS feature. The intensity of the backlighting can be adjusted as well as the duration the backlight stays on when in use. We saw about 27 hours on two AA batteries with what we consider “typical” use. We used the unit in both day and night conditions and adjusted the backlighting accordingly, we didn’t use the WAAS feature much.

Inside the unit is pure sophistication. A total of 56 megabytes of memory can be used to download topography maps, street maps, waypoints, routes, etc. The 60C can store up to 1,000 waypoints or up to 50 routes or any combination of the two. We couldn’t even come close to filling up the built-in memory.
Uploading maps to the 60C is simple. All that is required is Garmin’s line of MapSource software. For topography, we used U.S. Topo 24K and for streets we used City Select. Both sets of software are PC compatible and the data is transferred to the unit through a USB cable. If you don’t want to buy the software, the 60C has an 8-megabyte routable basemap of North and South America to get you by.
Built-in software on the 60C is what really gets us excited. Integrated into the unit is something for hunters and fishermen: outdoor calendars. With a few pushes of buttons, anyone can easily find out when the peak times to hunt or fish are on any given day now or in the future.

Garmin uses a universal interface system along its whole product line. Eight buttons and a four-way navigational pad provide access to the multitude of functions on the unit.

Now, how does this unit help the couple in distress? Had he bought that GPS unit, he would have easily been able to find out how far away and where his camp was from their current position. And, if he had been tracing their current route, he could have easily found his way back to the point where he took that wrong turn. Heck, he could have even programmed landmarks and trail intersections into the unit.
And, if the trail system he was on had its trails entered into the U.S. Topo 24K software, he could have instantly calculated the shortest trail route back to their camp.

At $482 for a suggested retail price, the GPSMAP 60C is not cheap. But, then again, what you get for that price is not cheap either. It is an extremely sophisticated navigation unit. We wonder how we ever went on an ATV or hiking trip without it. One thing is for certain, the price is worth it when you realize you will never be lost again. Just keep an extra set of batteries handy!

GPSMAP 276C
As its name indicates, it is a step up from the 60C handheld. While this unit could be held in your hand, it is not designed for that use. First off, it is much larger than what Garmin calls a “handheld” unit. It weighs about 14 ounces, and that includes its rechargeable (and removable/replaceable) lithium-ion battery pack. The unit dimensions are: 3.25 inches high x 5.75 inches wide. It is about 2 inches deep. It does have an extendable antenna for reception, too.

Along with the larger size comes a larger display. Like the 60C, the display is a TFT-LCD display, but it measures 480 x 320 pixels and almost 4 inches diagonally. The display is sharp, colorful and detailed in all lighting conditions.

We must admit, however, if we had the choice for ATVing, we’d rather have the 60C on the trail. The 276C retails for $747 and, though rugged and waterproof, we’d hate to risk abusing it on the trails. Garmin knows this and indicated as much to us. So for the most part, we kept the 276 where it works wonders — in our tow vehicle.

There is both a daytime navigation mode and a nighttime navigation mode. In the day, the screen is bright and colored with predominately blues and greens. At night, so the driver isn’t blinded by the screen, the unit automatically switches to a predominately black background. Either mode makes for easy navigation while driving. While we suggest keeping your eyes on the road, a quick check of the display easily gives the driver a ton of information in a short period of time.

There is little doubt why Garmin says this unit is perfect for land or marine navigation. In our tow vehicle, any information we wanted was merely buttons away. Restaurants, gas stations, shopping centers, trailheads, state parks, landmarks, etc. Whatever we wanted, no matter what city we were in, we could find our way around without asking for directions, consulting a map or making a phone call.

How is this possible? Through the unbeatable combination of Garmin’s City Select software and the 276C. For our ATV Trials event, we loaded the detailed map data for all of Los Angeles and everything north of the city to Bakersfield onto the 128 megabyte expandable memory stick. Again, like the 60C, all we needed was the software, a PC and a USB cable. It took seconds to upload and we could immediately start entering points in Los Angeles.

ATV Trials is a hectic event that requires days of planning. One editor was scheduled to fly out a day earlier to buy supplies, arrange for transportation and pick up the rest of the crew from LAX the following day. Sure we’ve travelled to L.A. quite a bit, but we don’t live there and finding one’s way around the sprawl can be a daunting task at times. With the 276C, all worries disappeared.

Once in L.A. it was a matter of getting a signal and entering into the unit where we wanted to go, or what store we wanted to visit. We picked up our Toyota Tacoma from Toyota’s headquarters and needed to find a Home Depot for supplies. Before the 276C we would of had to call collect to get a phone number and then rely on someone for accurate directions. With the 276C, it was a matter of getting a signal, navigating to the shopping section and then entering “Home Depot” into the interface. Voila, 10 Home Depots arranged in order of distance from our current point.

What good does that do someone you may ask? Well, after hitting the closest store and then choosing the “Go To” feature, the GPS unit audibly gives instructions on where to go. Yes, the unit talks.
“Turn left in 300 feet,” said the sexy female voice. Sexy, yes. Nagging, no.

How much more simple can it get? We were amazed. In five minutes, without taking one wrong turn, we found ourselves awash in the orange glow of the Home Depot sign. The navigation instructions were 100 percent accurate and the voice gave us more than enough warning for each turn. If we did get “off course,” she informed us of that fact and conveniently recalculated the route for our current heading. The unit has a DC car charger with a built-in speaker that allows for audible navigation. One can charge the unit through AC or DC outlets.

Later that evening, after our editor was done with his official duties, he decided to visit an old college buddy. After a quick phone call, a written-down address and a conversation where the friend was baffled to learn that the editor would not need directions to the house, our GPS hero was well on his way to hitting the traffic jam to end all traffic jams. What is southern California without traffic?

Traffic is the drawback for the out-of-towner. Traffic is still traffic and GPS hasn’t gotten that sophisticated, yet. There is a “detour” option for situations like these, but if you don’t have a secret knowledge of backroads, you may have to brave traffic jams. Not to say that the technology isn’t around the corner, it just isn’t here now. A little late, the editor arrived at the house and showed the 276C to the college friend.

Like its little brother, the 276C uses the same intuitive navigation system and user interface as the majority of the Garmin line. It is about as “turnkey” as a product can get. Simple, yet effective.
Honestly, the 276C is one of those items that an article cannot begin to explain. We could go on and on about how this unit has changed the way we view business trips in strange areas, or the simple jaunt across our hometowns, but it wouldn’t begin to explain the convenience of this product.

Our suggestion? Go out and give the unit a try. See it in its demo mode and be amazed. The price may be high, but for those who travel a lot, it is more than worth the investment.