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Hey Kerry, What are you doing over here? Maybe you can help on the discussion in the electronics section of THT regarding GPS startup times. See the thread "Best GPIRB..." Regards, Birdman

That's what I figured, thanks guys. I like the Magellan thingy, that's a great idea.. Garmin should add that to their software!! Regards, Birdman

Do they have built in magnetic compass'? Or do the GPS antenna's somehow get directional data? Specifically, the Rhino 120, but more interested in general. Thanks Regards, Birdman

There are TWO MAJOR problems with the Rhino 120 despite all the Gamin love shown onb this site (read: allot of Garmin marketing...). 1. Shame on Garmin for not offering a rechargable battery pack for this unit. It should come with a LIon battery pack which would be half the weight of 3 AA's, last twice as long, and best of all you would not have a TRIANGULAR shapped radio/GPS. "Fits in your hand.." Yeah, but unforetunetly, you need two hands to hold it up cause it weighs about 5 pounds!! 2. Did I mention there's not rechargable option without taking off a clumbsy cover and inserting new batteries? Geeeeesshhh!!! Don't get me wrong, I love the radio but don't all sit here and stroke the company because they made a decent radio. They should be making a GREAT radio. Regards, Birdman

Thanks Mr Rose and ..flir~tgirl.. But, when you purchase it won't really make a difference. I just bought mine a few days ago. Bought it at a West Marine store. It was the 1st one the've sold, so, it could have been sitting on there shelf 6 months (or whenever they went up for sale...). Not to mention it probably first came from their main warehouse in Idaho(or whereever it is..) and was sitting there since ..... Anywho. I've played with it for a few days now. The GPS side of the unit is VERY amazing as mentioned and has some nioce features. BUT I do have a great deal of difficulty pressing "UP". It takes "enter" instead. Regards, Birdman

Mine sticks out the same a the V and Z buttons also, but I'm haveing problems selecting UP with the stick. It always takes an enter instead of up. Regards, Birdman

How long is your click stick? Regards, Birdman

Benjamin, I just found the following blurb from a Radio WEB site, this could be why the radios are not "compatible"..... "Since the Family Radio Service shares its first seven channels with the general Mobile radio Service 'odd' simplex frequencies, it is natural to expect that a GMRS radio can communicate with an FRS radio. Since GMRS radios deviate (or modulate) 5 kc wide, and FRS radios only 2.5 kc, the FRS radio must be able to accept the additional bandwidth of the GMRS radio's transmitted audio at 100% modulation. FRS radios that have too narrow an IF bandwidth cut out when listening to a louder GMRS transmission. Also, FRS radios that use 'companding' do not work well with GMRS radios. Companding is when the transmitter on one radio compresses the microphone audio, so everything is sent at maximum modulation level (including background noise). Then the receiver expands the audio to try and restore the sonic depth and openness to the compressed audio. Major downgrade." Regards, Birdman

Hey, how do you know if you have the "short" click stick? I looked at one that was even with the other tow buttons. In other words, all three buttons on the front stick out almost the exact same distance. Is there a sn# wya to tell or something? Regards, Birdman

Make sure the Motorola's have all the special stuff shut off. Things like "Quiet mode", or "voice scramble" ... They use different scrambles than the Garmin. They can't OR should NOT be off frequency, that's not it. Also, make sure the voice scramble option is turned off on the Rino also. Did you adjust he microphone on the Rino? Regards, Birdman

Ok, I have my GMRS radio turned on, can anyone with a Rino 120 hear me now? Regards, Birdman

I can't beleive nobody has tunred their radio to a GMRS channel, pushed the little "talky" button and said "Can ya here me now?" What's up with that? Also, can somebody tell me what verion of the unit has the MP3 built in? Regards, Birdman

Still nobody has tested the GMRS side? Garmin hasn't added the charger and MP3 options yet? Geeesshh!! Regards, Birdman

K and Shark, You got it. Sound like the plan. It is in the sand and is made out of thin plastic fabric and is bright florescent orange in color. It is laying on the ground on the top of a dune which is only about 10 feet higher than ground level or the water level being that it is on the beach. The X is about 6 or 8 feet across. All this makes sense, as I've said, this is the location of the TWA flight 800 crash a few years ago, I would bet it has something to do with studying that possibly... Thanks again!! Regards, Birdman

Flir~Girl, THAT'S EXACTLY what I was thinking!!! MP3!! PLEASE!! Actually, I was thinking add an AM/FM reciever like my Motorola T6310 frs radios, but MP3 would be even better!! But either would be GREAT!! Man, I'd pay $1000 for one with either MP3 or FM receiver! But, if they made it MP3, they'd need more than 8mb, more like 32 or 64 minumum. Acutally, I've wondered why they nailed it down to 8mb anyway?? Why didn't they use a sim type memory card in it? You could then select how much memory you wanted to have (read: spend as much as you wanted..), you could get a 64mb card and load all kind of maps into it. Anyway, MP3 or FM would let me use it for skiing as a radio and frs/gmrs communication radio. And on the boat as a backup GPS. They'd sell millions of them!! Garmin, you reading this? PS-Don't forget to add the charger option as well. Email when the new version is done. Instead of calling it a Rino 120, call it a Birdman 120!! Regards, Birdman

Starship trooper, 10-4 on your employment with Garmin!! BUT, can ya please tell them to add a charger port and charger to the 120? Thanks!! Regards, Birdman

You kno what the chant here in NY is don't ya? J, E, T, S, STEELERS STEELER STEELERS!!!! Thanks for the post folks... Regards, Birdman

Just wanted to wave the hand... Regards Chris and my wife Maria

ALL electronic mapping (land use) and charting (marine use) software today is a COMPLETE AND TOTAL RIP OFF!!!!! What pisses me off about it is this: WE all pay for the data, in taxes. The US gov't does ALL the data gatehering to map the entire planet. Then, they allow it to be accessed by a few companies which then reformat it and re-sell it. THAT is the part I don't like. The DATA should be FREE to everyone, for the entire planet. We should then ONLY have to purchase software which allows the data to be viewed. And that, the separate companies (Garmin, MS, Delorme...) could develope any way they wish, and charge us for any way they wish. BUT, the DATA of the entire planet should be downloadable, for FREE. PERIOD. That includes marine charts data. Ever try to buy a marine chart electronically? C-Map NT cards for a samll region cost $300. And your NOT even getting ANY software, just the data!! You know, the data that we already payed for in taxes!!! Regards, Birdman

quote:Originally posted by Mr. Rose:thanks birdman, you mady me laugh. Thats funny how you are basing your GPSr purchase on whether they have a power cord hook up to charge the batteries in the unit. TIP: send an amazing 20 bucks on a seperate charger and some batteries to go with it-and you can forget you 8 hour battery life belief. You actually get 20 - 25 hours without using the radio. Or 20 or so hours with radio on alone. And using both is still atleast above ten bro. Get you story straight before you complain. O yeah, they DO have a external power source for your car. and tell me when you find another GPSr like the meridian or Lowrance that can charge batteries in the unit... Mr Rose, I think your looking at this wrong. I'm not complaining about the battery life. Actually, I'm amazed it getting 8 or 10 hours of life using BOTH radio and GPS (which I will be doing). That's NOT the problem or issue. The issue is why do I have to take of the battery cover, remove 3 loose batteries, place in a separate charger unit, and when charged (few hours later), reverse and put them back in. That is simply idiotic, PERIOD. I'm not comparing it to anything else. BUT, since you bring that up, just about EVERY SINGLE peice of electronci equipment you can buy today (cell phone, pda, laptop, handheld gps units, radios, scanners....on and on and on...) are rechargable WITHOUT having to OPEN the unit up. Let see, with my usage, I'd be opening and closeing the thing EVERY single day. That's 700 times a year I have open or close the back battery cover. Think it would be water proof after that?? Probably not. I haven't seen the unit in person, but most battery covers are not made like tanks, and they brake and wear out. So I'm simply saying why the hell would they not put a battery charger port on the things so you can charge it like everything else on the planet?? Just doen't make sense to me. Also, I don't care aobut the money, if you read my post, I stated the opposite, they could charge us more (I have NO PROBLEM with that) for a separate charger, as with most other devices do. It just don't make any sense. Hell, go to Garmin WEB site, even MOST of their other products offer a charger option and port. Why not this one?? I for one am not going to be fiddling with batteries and battery covers. Thats obsurd. Hell, poeple above are complaing "...the third battery comes loose if ya don't tape it in" already!! Wait until the open and close that little plastic battery cover a 100 times. The third battery being loose will be the least of their problems. ------------------------------ Leter to Garmin Dear Garmin, FIX IT!! Add a power charger port, and sell a charger and batter pack for it. Thanks. ------------------------------- Regards, Birdman

Hmmm....that makes sense. I was guessing it had to do with surveying. Like a known reference point to start with. Never thought of photographic usage. Satelite photo's huh? Well, the location is near Smith Point Beach, which is the location of the TWA Flight 800 747 crash a few years ago. It crashed 8 miles off the coast from their. I also thought it was some kind of reference point for that too....?? The Leprakauns, How about dem STEELERS!!!!! Wheee hawww!! I'm from Pitsburgh and am a huge Steeler fan (pretty sure the biggest on the planet). Lets go baby, lets take care of Tenn Saturday!! Regards, Birdman

I live on Long Island, and on Fire Island near my house (Brookhaven area, south shore) there is a wierd looking thingy stuck into the top of a dune with a big red reflective X coming out from it made out of a waterproof plastic fabric. Looks like a marking for a helicopter to see or somehting. The "thingy" stuck into the ground is a 3" or 4" threaded PVC pipe sticking out of the ground a few inches with a cap screwed onto it. I always wondered what it was, some kind of servaying point or something?? A GPS thingy? Now that I have found this site, I figured somebody here may be able to shed some light on this "thingy". Anyone have a clue what it might be? Regards, Birdman

LiON Battery's are the ONLY way to go. They are to NiMH batt's as what NiMH batt's were to Nicads. They will last 30% or 40% langer. Regards, Birdman

Uplink, GREAT!! Let us/me know how the comparisons go. On the skiing side I am trying to upgrade a pair of Morotola T6310's. They are GREAT FRS radios that include AM/FM and Weather radio. BUT, they do not have the new GMRS higher power channels. And as everyone knows, the frs channels are completely USLESS, especially for skiing. The old "Can ya here me now?" gets answered "What? I can't here ya?" Oh, on the rechargable thing. I can't beleive Garmin does not allow for the batteries to be charged inside the unit??? That right out SUCKS!! That's rediculous!!! With a battery life of about 1 day (8 or 10 hours of use), that just does NOT make any sense!!! Why didn't they just add a plug for charging the thing? Hell, they could make more money selling the charger.... I don't understand that..... This may keep me from buying one. Oh well!! Regards, Birdman [This message was edited by Birdman (The real one) on January 09, 2003 at 08:47 AM.]

Ok, I don't even know what "Geocaching" is, your all yappin about, but I'll be sure to read here and try to figure it out!! Anyway, I'm interested in the Rino 120 and a 110, maybe, but for different reasons. I must say off the bat though, I agree more with "Alpha" above, the unit is desinged more to be a FRS/GMRS radio than a GPS unit. Think about it, it is a radio with GPS stuff added to it, NOT the other way around. Just because you folks are GPS fans doesn't mean that is what the device was desinged for. Keep that in mind. None of that really matters, but what the heck, thats my 3 cents. Anywho, now to the questions: 1. No one above has stated anything about the quality, distance, ease of use(or lack of any of those) about the GMRS side of the radio??? Nobody has tried or tested that out? That is the BETTER part of the radio. Let us know how it works!! 2. Can the unit use LiON batteries? And if so (I wouldn't see why not!) how long are they lasting compare to the NmH's and Alki's? 3. Is there any way to charge the batteries without having to remove them from the unit? An accessory charger of any kind....? I didn't notice any on Garmins Web site. 4. Does the 110 model have vibrate mode? The Garmin web site says no to 110 and yes to 120. Is that true? If so, why did they only put vibrate on the 110, doesn't make sense. 5. Can they Scan both FRS AND GMRS channels? OR can they only scan FRS channels? Thanks a bunch in advance for the help!! PS- As background, I'm looking to buy one 120 unit, and one 110 unit. I would like to use the GMRS radio side of them for skiing communication and I would like the use the GPS side of the 120 (and 8MB memory for maps) as a backup GPS unit on a boat. That explains the odd questions! Ok, now off to figure out what caching is!! LOL!! Regards, Birdman