Rubberhead

What does it matter? Did it go through a long initial satellite lock starting with Satellite #1 through #12 initially displayed? If so, I'd say it was brand new and the odometer reading is just from the initial lock.

Trust the habitual upgrader. Spend the extra money and get the Vista. Better yet, get a Legend C. Better battery life, more memory, USB (uploads take 3 minutes instead of 25 minutes), color screen, autorouting, ... If you can't afford a Legend C not save money for a month or two more. It is a much, much better unit.

I have a fixed mount Garmin GPSmap 162 "networked" with a removable GPSmap 60CS on my boat. The GPSmap 162 has menu options to send or receive waypoints, routes, tracks and almanac data. This works wonderfully with my GPSmap 60CS. However, I don't think a 60CS to 60CS connection will work because there are no menu options to initiate such a transfer. But, It's only a software add so Garmin may be willing to incorporate this feature if enough people ask. I can only imagine that it would help them sell more GPS units and cables if they enabled this transfer. It would be very handy if geocaching in the woods with friends or having met other geocachers.

I have a GPSmap 60CS that I purchased before the 76CS was announced or at least before it became available. I love the 60CS but if I had it to do over again I'd go for the 76CS because of the better basemap and double the memory.

Is it just me or does the icon for Garmin's nRoute program remind anyone else of "plumber's crack"?

www.chartedwaters.com has CS v6.0 for $102.95

Yes, you can have both loaded at the same time. When both are loaded and turned on at the same time. It will draw the topo maps then overdraw them with the City Select maps taking twice as long to re-draw. Do avoid the slow re-draw, turn off City Select when you want to see the Topos and turn off the topos when you want to see the City Select maps.

Garmins I've owned in the past: GPS 38 GPS 128 eTrex Camo eTrex Mariner eTrex Legend Garmins I currently own: GPSmap 162 GPSmap 60CS eTrex Vista eTrex Mariner (I regretted selling the first one so I bought on off of ebay)

I always use www.chartedwaters.com

Until it starts hurting battery life, you can't have too much memory. I'm using a 60CS and 56 MB is enough to load two layers (topo and recreational lakes), Bluecharts, and Businesses from POI for 200 miles in almost all directions. Since it uses USB, I could get by with less because it's so quick to load.

Fuses are there more to protect your electrical system from a short in your device than to protect your device from a problem with your electrical system. That being said, a 12 VDC car can handle 2 amps with no problem. If you have a short in your 60CS it will blow a 2 amp as quick as a 1/2 amp. In other words, I wouldn't worry too much about using a 2 amp fuse.

I agree almost everything you said, but both the LegendC and VistaC have 24 MB of memory. http://www.garmin.com/products/etrexLegendc/

The only reason that I can think of to go with a VistaC over a GPSmap 60CS is the small size.

You didn't say which unit you were talking about, but it sounds like your unit has an internal voltage regulator that can take somewhere up to 36 VDC as input. You should be able to connect directly to a 12 volt source (like a car or boat) and be just fine. You will need to follow the schematics or instructions to make sure that everything is wired correctly.

I can not get it to load. It hangs up but I'm able to shut the unit off. I re-loaded Beta 6.43 just to make sure that it wasn't my connection. Anyone else having problems?

I've sold units with unlocks before. To be perfectly legal, I sold the unit with the original Mapsource product. I had been wanted to upgrade the Mapsource product (Fishing Hotspots) so I sold everything (Unit and software with unlock code) and re-purchased the software.

I've never regretted spending-up, only not getting everything I wanted the first time.

It's like a 76 with avation features too!

http://www.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=545

It depends on whether your V6 is an update or a stand-alone copy. You can actually delete all V5 map sets after the install and everything should work. If you do select the old V5 from the map set pull-down you will just get a blank map.

You can buy a 16 MB blank data card for between $20 and $40 (on ebay) and the USB card programmer for another $45. I have US007 and it has 90 NOAA charts and only takes up 9.21 MB so it would easily fit on a 16MB card. The good thing about this set-up is that you can put other, unlocked Mapsource maps on your 188C. You still migth be better off just buying the pre-programmed cards outright and saving your second unlock codes for your next GPS, maybe the next generation color handheld.

I have both Bluecharts and Fishing Hotspots on a large-screen 4-level gray (GPSmap 162), high-resolution eTrex (Vista) and a 256-level color unit (GPSmap 60CS). There is no doubt that the contrast of the color unit makes it easier to see than either of my other two units when using Bluecharts or Fishing Hotspots. I'm less impressed by my color unit when looking at roads or topo maps. Garmin really needs to change the default background on terrestial maps less yellowish-brown and more white.

I have a fixed mount GPSmap 162 on my 22' WalkAround I use offshore. I had been using an eTrex Vista in a Ram Mount for backup (and barometric pressure). When my 60CS, I also got a Ram Mount that I now use in conjunction with the GPSmap 162. The long and short is that if you can stand the size, the GPSmap 76CS is a better unit (better basemap, more memory, floats). Even though the 60CS is smaller than the 76CS, I don't think it's quite small enough to carry when I hunt so I kept the Vista. The Vista's lanyard fits nicely around my neck and into my left shirt pocket when hunting. I also plan to use the 60CS as the primary in my duck boat which is already rigged with a Ram Mount base and I've already rigged the 4-prong power cable rigged.

I've changed my mind - wait on the RINO 130C

Lisa, I'm a habitual upgrader so if you are choosing between a RINO 120 and 130 get the 130. I've thought about getting one myself for the NOAA radio. That being said, you might want to get a unit with tidal predictions like a GPSmap 60C, 60CS, 76, 76S, 76C or 76CS and a seperate NOAA radio. You can get a NOAA radio for around $30. If you get two seperate devices you wont have all your eggs in one basket. You'll get a lot more screen real estate and tidal predictins. In addition if you kill the batteries on one device you can move them to the other device if needed.