TeamGonzo

The Auto Kit that I got (which was for the 76CS) doesn't actually mount to the dashboard. There is a weighted bean bag with a non-skid bottom surface to keep it from sliding around. Out of the middle of that there is a simple adjustable plastic cradle that the GPS slides into. There's a slot in the back of the cradle that locks the external power connection in place. It does a great job of holding the GPS in place and in my experience hasn't fallen off of the dash as of yet. It's also easy to stow (the entire assembly GPS and beanbag mount) under the seat because of no actual physical connection to the dash. My only negative comment about this unit would be that the cradle kinda chews up the rubber corner edges of the GPS if you attempt to slide it in and you don't have it lined up perfectly.

Ah come on HG....offering a suggestion to seek mental health services for an opinion expressed in a friendly forum? That's a bit different from a disagreement or a "get over it". I enjoy geocaching as a family friendly activity that appeals to a wide range of people from the very young to the very young at heart. monimoni's avitar leads me to the impression that she may be in the young at heart category. I appreciate that video survellance is a hot button topic for some. I think we all have a line that would cross our personal boundaries of tolerance. If her line isn't where yours is, that's cool. But I don't think suggesting that she seek mental health services is an appropriate response in a forum that appeals to such a wide range of users. Besides...her "I also have no right to expect people not to fart in a crowded elevator" comment made me chuckle!

Gees Happy Gillmore....that was the rudest thing I've seen in any forum here. monimoni is entitled to her opinion (which is kinda what I thought people shared in forums)...she didn't attack you...if you don't like it, share your own opinion and move on to the next topic.

Agree with mantis7 assessment. I have to take mine out of the case to use the auto kit and power adapter. Would be great to be able to just leave in the case at all times. I find that I don't use the case on the auto mount, use the garmen case (which doesn't allow usage of the device) when I'm just storing the device, and the glove case when I'm out geocaching....there has got to be a better way!

I'd like to chime in with monimoni. Yeah it's legal...and if you intentions are good..it's moral...but IMHO you should let participants in the cache know they are being watched. As a general rule, you can expect security cameras in certain public places (and I don't really have a problem with it). But...these security camera systems usually have strict usage guidelines that govern their proper use (and that's why I don't mind them). I've got kids....I don't personally know any of you folks (although this community of people seems great!). Face it...there are wierdos among all groups of people. Picture this scenario....Joe Sicko is wifi-ing the web cam on his laptop from the local Starbucks parking lot.....the 13 year old Geo-Princesses Girl Scouts show up at the hidden camera cache site...their mom said it was OK because it was only a few blocks from home and seemed harmless...need I go further? This game/sport is fun and appeals to a wide range of people. The success of the sport hinges upon great people sharing fun experiences with each other. Why mess that up by testing individual's privacy tolerances. If there are snakes in the area...you'd tell me. If the terrain is dangerous...you'd tell me. If I'm going to get wet...you'd tell me. If you're going to take my picture...be polite and tell me! That all being said....put up you Web Cam Cache....it sounds like fun....I'd go! Just tell people what you're doing and what to expect (so we can put on some cool movie star glasses or something!).

I'd like a shortcut key to turn on and off the data fields (without wading through the menus) on the navigation/map screen. Also a shortcut to declutter (or hide waypoint icons, etc.) And...when not navigating, automatically turn off the data fields with no valid data (i.e. ETA to destination, Time To Next, etc.). I like having the data points when navigating (although they could be much smaller or at least have a "small" option), but then when I'm not navigating, I have half of the map screen blocked by 4 empty data boxes....

Hmmmm.....I never thought of putting it on the other side. Will have to try that tomorrow.

I was told that you get whatever version was current when you get the kit, and that when you register, Garmin will send out the latest if you don't have it. That was the case when I got the Land and Sea packs and my Blue Charts were old. It took about a week after unlocking to get the latest.

Yeah....if you want to do autorouting, pony up for the City Select. I used the base map only (76CS) for the trip home from the store...then used the Metro Guide (non-autorouting) for a few days (cause the dealer sold me the wrong package) till I figured out that I should have the City Select to take advantage of the routing capabilities. Once I installed the City Select maps the auto navigation works awesome. I now use it almost all the time (even when I know how to get somewhere). When you're at freeway speeds, it warns you quite a bit ahead (like 1 mile or more) of upcoming offramps (like a single beep and a warning message)...then as you get closer (in like that last .3 or .2 mile) you get the 3 beep warning. The timing works real well for me. And we've found that the Points Of Interest database is great for finding places to eat that we didn't know were only a block or two away from familiar places.

I wonder about the practical application of that law. To follow it to the letter would mean that my rear view mirror, the built in sunshades in the car, the transponder that I have in the front window for the toll roads, the little sticker in the corner from Jiffy-Lube, the windshield wipers, and my wife sitting in the passenger seat would all be violations. With a GPS being only a few inches wide, does it technically "obstruct or reduce" the driver's clear view? Large trucks sometimes have a center support beam in the middle of the front window. A GPS obstructs less than that. I bought the dashboard mount as part of an "Auto Nav Kit" by Garmin. If the GPS was not allowed on the dash, I'm sure they wouldn't be selling such contraband. OK....enough of that...I don't want to start a debate (although I guess I was kinda debating there). I'm still just looking for some suggestions to protect my new favorite gadget from the hot California sun (at least we used to have sun before it rained all the time here!).

OK...it's not that big! It's a kids cap, not an adult size. On the center dash console of our Honda Oddessey (kid hauler!) it doesn't seem to obstruct too much view for me. Didn't think about traffic tickets...will they ticket you for a GPS being up on the dashboard (with or without a sunshade)? Law enforcement please chime in here.... I'm still looking for a better idea if anybody has one!

Ok...I thought my description sounded a bit goofy-er than it really was, so here's a photo of my baseball cap dashboard sunshade (replaced the Thomas The Tank Engine Hat with a plain black cap): If anybody's got a better idea, I'm still looking!

Tried something today that actually worked pretty well (although it still looks a bit tacky!). A child's baseball cap. After installing the GPS in the auto kit's bean bag footed cradle, I threaded the GPS (and DC power cable) up through the gap in the back of the hat above the size adjustment band. The cap covered the top of the unit and the visor rested just above the GPS buttons and screen. The sides curved around nicely to help with glare. Now I've got to find hat a bit cooler than Thomas the Tank Engine!

Any opinions on doing a hard reset on a device (GPSMAP 76cs) on a regular basis? I know that with computer systems, you usually get a substantial performance boost after a complete clean re-install of the operating systems and software. Is the same thing true with the Garmin GPS handhelds? Does daily use (i.e. track logging, etc.) fragment the memory storage or create other issues that could hinder the performance of the units? Would a hard reset on occasion "clean out" the memory and get you a like new unit? Installing the latest system update brought the issue to my attention. Of course my computer decided to start it's auto backup routine at the exact moment I began installing the update. It seemed to still go OK...but to be "safe" I ran the updater again...the second time it blew out my downloaded maps (city select and blue charts). I ran the Marine POI Database Recovery program that I also download from Garmin (based upon their note that I'd lose something useful if I didn't use that) and then reloaded all of the maps. The maps all seemed to reload OK, but darn it if I don't have that feeling that I've messed up something up. I wouldn't hesitate to reset a computer, but Garmin has all of their CYA verbage about having to send them the unit for repair if the wind is blowing in the wrong direction when you install an update and it fails. Any thoughts or opinions?

I posed this question in another thread, but I thought I'd start a new topic for discussion. Has anyone come up with a decent "sunshade" for a 76cs (or any dash mounted handheld) while it's in the auto kit cradle? On a hot sunny day the thing just bakes there on the dash board, and of course there's glare on the screen when the sun is at certain angles. I've gotten pretty creative with my origami cabanas for it. An 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper with some creative folding works nicely, but it sure looks tacky! Anybody have any good ideas to share(besides a little cocktail umbrella)?

I also agree with the above posts, the Glisson case (bought at GPSGeek) is good quality...a bit snug (which sometimes causes button pushing problems...but not to the point where you can't use them as needed). I did get the impression from the GPSGeek web site and the 3rd party shopping cart/payment pages used that they were a small (maybe even home based) outfit...but I was very impressed with the turn around on my order. I placed the order online, and received an email within 30 minutes indicating that my order had been shipped (with a tracking number). I had the order 2 days later. After shopping online with several of the big guys (and often paying extra to get faster shipping), it was refreshing to have such a quick response on such a small mundane order. OK, now I've got a question for the group....has anyone come up with a decent "sunshade" for a 76cs while it's in the auto kit cradle? On a hot sunny day the thing just bakes there on the dash board, and of course there's glare on the screen when the sun is at certain angles. I've gotten pretty creative with my origami cabana's for it. An 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper with some creative folding works nicely, but it sure looks tacky! Anybody have any good ideas (besides a little cocktail umbrella)?

FYI, I spoke to a Garmin technical support person last week and she indicated that Version 7 should be out in June or July (and then she indicated that "the updates always seem to come out about then").