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Again, thank you!! I imagine it will be the 276c for me. With autorouting that will probably be the perfect all around machine. I wish they would switch to another type card but I guess they are too heavily invested in their propietary card. I also hope they come out with another land and sea package like they had for the 176c (albeit with bigger card than 32mb)

Well Modean and Tanner, you made my day. Couple questions if you dont mind. 276c--is this the same form factor as the 176c. If so, do you know if it would do autorouting?? The 176 already refreshed pretty quick so the 276 must be phenomenal. 76c--autorouting?? 100mb of memory is very nice. Thanks!!

Thank you for putting this information up. This sounds like a 176c with autorouting (and maybe more). Was able to gather from your link that shipping will be in about a month or so. I really liked the 176c and if it autorouted, would have been the perfect unit.

BPS.com Not certain if any of the marine stores will have it one hand. Bass pro shops will definitely have this but not certain if they have stores near you.

I just took my 176c back but let me tell you what my impressions are: Pros: Nice large screen Fast rewrite Expandable memory Portable for use in other situations (like hiking or ATV) Proven Tide tables Lots of mounts and accessories available (Ram mounts, antennas, etc) Cons: No autorouting--if you want to use this in the car and believe that you want a unit that will map for you--this isnt the one. Garmin propietary cards are expensive Bulky for a portable---I never planned on hiking with it and if I geocached and hiked alot this would not be my unit. There is a 176c Land and Sea package available that is very nice. I may end up buying another 176c but I need to sort my needs out first. I have a boat but have not used GPS on it. I will probably buy a bigger boat in the next year. When I do I will buy a fixed mount GPS (like a 182C with a dedicated card for my area). I will probably have a portable GPS for using in other situation in addition to this which can also be a backup to your fixed mount should it fail on you. I suppose if I were in your situation (keep in mind I am no expert) I would consider a 176c for the boat and try it out for hiking. If the size is not a bother then I would keep it. If too big. Would take 176c back and get a fixed mount for the boat (with bigger screen) and get a portable for other use (maybe a Map 76 or the like). If you think you want autorouting and you dont have to have a big GPS for the boat then I would get a 60C and use it for everything.

Weird that I saw a guy on another forum say that he received the 60cs. Maybe he meant 60c.

Of course, now that I have researched the Garmin, it is nice but it isnt perfect. 1) Short battery life even when the GPS is off. 2) Subject to static electricity shocks. Still not bad though. I think I will go out and take a good look at the units today and see what I think. Fact is you can get the Garmin iQue and it included 130 software with it. Considering that it can be had for 450 from gpscity that make the price of the unit around 320 if you take off the software. Hmmmm.

I do appreciate your input SBPhishy. I just had an epiphany though. I think I am going to keep the 176 for the boat and 4 wheeler and for my limited outdoor hiking use. Now for the epiphany, I may just buy a Garmin iQue. I already use a palm in my day to day functions and I am due for an upgrade (currently have m505). The iQue has a screen that is even larger that the 176 and it has voice autorouting and comes with software. I already have SD cards and a variety of other palm accessories. Finally, the good part, I can take this as a tax deduction since I would use the palm for work. The reason I didnt consider it previously was that it was not waterproof but if I limit its use to the car that is not a problem. What do you think?

Well this is tough, the price is kind of a hitch. The 176C with bluechart unlock and metroguide as well as various mounts, and cables as well as 32mb card is approx 690 total (Land and Sea package) My calculation on the 60c is that with CS software, bluechart, and a couple mounts would come to 660 I guess I just need to see if there is a 60 locally that I can play with. If the screen sizes were a bit closer there would be no contest--60c all the way.....BUT....the 176's screen is almost twice a big.

I kind of like color though, and I imagine that if I were to buy the 60 that I would end up getting a second GPS for a boat and would like to have software that would work with both. Garmin is the standard for Marine fixed mount GPS systems hands down. Is there a compelling reason to look at a Meridian Marine or is this personal preference? iN other words does the Meridian offer something the Garmin does not have (other than maybe tide tables).

Since you have both of the major navigations softwares, which one do you like best and why?

Thank you for that info. Again, very useful. I am a GPS noob so I appreciate your comments. After reading how quick it will change autoroutes en-route the 60C seems impressive. Maybe this would be a better question. Do many of you use handhelds for car navigation?

OK Zinger and Vlad, you have both raised some good points!! I appreciate your help. Some clarification. I estimate that I will be doing little handheld use so battery life and actual size are not the greatest concerns--i.e. I am not put off by the bulk of the 176c and it does still allow for handheld when necessary. I guess that the real question boils down to autorouting. It does seem like a nice feature and is by far the biggest reason I am looking at the 60c. For example, say I travel to another city and decide that I want to eat at a particular restaurant across town. Well, I know that I can pinpoint the address with the 176c and would have to do the navigating myself. The 60c can figure out the route, but the screen is half the size of the 176 and I am not certain that it will be very readable in the car or on the boat. As far as the ATV goes, I think a Ram mount would keep it fairly securely. I suppose the other option is to buy an inexpensive GPS for the ATV only such as an etrex or the like (I suppose mapping is not a total necessity for the ATV and it also seems that the Topo Mapsource CD is of limited usefulness, particulary for ATV'ing). So here is the question. For 50% Car and 50% Boat use which would you figure is more valuable bigger screen or auto routing?

Thanks, I think

Ok, I joined the forum a couple days ago because I have been very interested in GPS machines. Here are my desires, requirements. WOuld like a machine that would work reasonably well for the following: 1. Navigation in a small boat using Bluecharts. 2. Use in car to find addresses while on the road. 3. Use on ATV for not getting lost in backcountry. 4. Handheld use is not of prime duty but should be capable. My take so far 176c advantages--Bigger screen, data cards disadvantages--no autorouting, kinda bulky 60c advantages--much more portable, autorouting, more colors, longer battery life disadvantages--no tide tables, smaller screen. What would you guys do. I guess the feature that really is the big difference for me is the autorouting. Do you think the 176 is still a decent machine for navigating in a city? I have bought a 176c land and sea package and the final price was 650 which includes the bluechart and metroguide as well as various mounts, cables, and a blank data card. I still have time to return it though if the 60c would make a better machine.