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76cs Cases?


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I just received my 76cs :o and it's pure eye candy. Wanting to protect this little gem, I ordered a neoprene "glove" type case that the vendor thought would fit.

 

neopro%20zippered%2076.jpg

 

Unfortunately the 76cs is a bit chunkier than the 76 (0.2" thicker) and the case is like a "full figured" woman in hot pants. The rocker button is very difficult to use since the plastic window is stretched too tight.

 

Any 76cs owners out there that have found a good case of this style made specifically for this unit? I searched the forums here and googled without luck. Thanks all.

Edited by [MTB]_Intrepid
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I've been talking to the folks at Cartom Custom Cases that make the pictured units. They don't currently have anything that fit the new "C" models very well. Write or call them if you're interested in this style of a case for the new models.

 

(And tell Greg that robertlipe sent 'ya. :-)

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I got the following:

http://www.thegpsstore.com/detail.asp?product_id=BE200

 

It fits snug but after a few on/offs you figure out the best way to do it. The front is clear thick plastic. On the back is clip (not removable) that if used with a D ring on a backpack, would hold the unit in the proper orientation. Other cases I saw seemed to hold the unit upside down.

 

I hold the GPS in my hand when hiking/geocaching and the clip actual assists with holding the unit as I grasp it with some of my fingers.

 

Besides the opening at the top that you slide the unit in/out of, there's a small hole on the back in the location that the external antenna would be placed.

 

No issues with the case. If you have any questions, I'd be glad to answer them.

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I've been talking to the folks at Cartom Custom Cases that make the pictured units.  They don't currently have anything that fit the new "C" models very well.  Write or call them if you're interested in this style of a case for the new models. 

 

(And tell Greg that robertlipe sent 'ya. :-)

 

Thanks for the suggestion, already had an email back from Greg. He said they have an allowable tolerance of manufacturing and my case seems to be on the lower end of that spec. They really need a purpose-built case for the 76cs, otherwise more of these will be inadvertantly sold and some just won't fit. Plus the 76cs is selling by the ton!

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I have one of the cases that Klatch mentioned above. My external antenna has the 90 degree connector, so I plug in the antenna and put the 76cs into the case. The case keeps the antenna connector snug and the cord exits out of the zipper. I just zip it up leaving just enough space for the cable to exit out the side. It seems to work well.

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Their case seems to work fine with my 76CS.  It does not have an opening for an external antenna, you must remove it from the neoprene case to use an external antenna or a 12V power cord.  It is possible to reach the USB connector without removing the case.

Thanks for the reply. Does the case allow you to use the rocker without hitting other buttons? I was hoping someone with a "geek" case would post...I had seen the case on their site but it doesn't list the 76cs so I thought it would be too small as well. But it looks like you and Tex Shadow like them just fine. The antenna is not a big deal; I just want the case to protect the thing while stumbling about in the woods.

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I have one of the cases that Klatch mentioned above. My external antenna has the 90 degree connector, so I plug in the antenna and put the 76cs into the case. The case keeps the antenna connector snug and the cord exits out of the zipper. I just zip it up leaving just enough space for the cable to exit out the side. It seems to work well.

Hey, I never tried that! Thanks for the suggestion, I'll be giving it a try.

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_Intrepid' date='Jan 17 2005, 05:53 PM'] Thanks for the reply. Does the case allow you to use the rocker without hitting other buttons?

I have found it works very well in warm weather, but in sub-freezing temps the plastic can get a little stiff and sometimes cause some problems with button control - mostly manageable if you take your time and place your fingers carefully.

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Yes, the GPS Geek case does allow good button control - I use the case with the 76CS lying on the dash when 4WD'ing - the GPS stays protected from the splashes and bumps while being easy to use through the clear plastic.

 

Totally off the topic but...OMG! Did you really take this picture?

 

d1d297e7-b317-403f-8968-10e91431616b.jpg

 

Makes my entire collection of snaps look like a bunch of tripe filled rubbish bins. Bloody amazing country...too bad it's 9823.7 miles from here. :huh:

 

Thanks to everyone who replied to my post...all useful information - this forum is the best. Case has been ordered from the "geek". ;)

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Does the case for the 76CS from Gillson/GPSGEEK allow the unit to recieve good sat. coverage. It looks like the case covers the portion where the gps antenna is housed. I also bacame aware my holder for my RAM suction auto mount is different as my 76CS won't fit in the holder for my 76S. Had to order another holder for the 76CS.

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TEAM SIDEWINDER- the Gilsson case will not affect satellite reception at all. I use my 76cs with the Gilsson case on and I have no problem with satellite reception. Finding my first cache- that's a different story.

 

As you will be using a RAM mount, you may be slipping the Gilsson case on and off and that could become APITA. :huh:

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What about fit and quality ? Thanks in advance for the info.

I've had mine since August '04. It seems first rate quality to me. The fit is snug, but not too difficult to remove and replace after the first couple of times.

Edited by Klatch
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Hi [MTB]_Intrepid, sorry for delayed reply, yes, that's a pic I took alongside Lake Wakatipu, near Queenstown in the South Island of NZ during a cache finding day. There's several in this area. A lone kayaker was heading toward the tip of the island. This site Just Our Pictures has a NZ photos link down on the left you may enjoy. Pleased to see the Gilsson case has had good comments - I sell them here in NZ and am very happy with them. However their eTrex case is mighty tight.

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This site Just Our Pictures has a NZ photos link down on the left you may enjoy.

 

Wow... :ph34r: some of those pix are incredible. Thanks for the link. Here's what the scenery around NB looks like. Not anywhere near as spectacular but we call it home! :lol:

 

Pleased to see the Gilsson case has had good comments - I sell them here in NZ and am very happy with them.

 

Just waiting for mine to arrive in the post now....any day....soon..... :lol:

Edited by [MTB]_Intrepid
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Got my case for the 76CS today from Gilsson Tech. and looks like it will do the job just fine. Even able to stuff a couple of spare AA batts. under the back. I had the case from the GPStore for my 76S and it worked great also until I had the brainstorm to remove the clear plastic so I wouldn't be pushing two buttons at the same time. Needless to say it ruined the case and made it usless but lesson learned. This would only happened when it was really cold ( -10 degrees F. ) and sometimes that is when I am use my gps the most. I am sure the same thing could happen with this Gilsson case if it gets that cold but I have learned to keep the gps unit close to my body when temps get that cold. Thanks for the information.

Edited by TEAM SIDEWINDER
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A reavaluation of the Gilsson case. After using the Gilsson case for the Garmin 76CS for a couple of months now I have only one complaint. The plactic screen is so thick and the buttons are so close on the 76CS that sometimes I can't turn the GPS off. Evidently when two buttons are pushed at the same time the unit won't turn off. I have even tried to use my fingernail and it still won't work. I need to remove the unit from the case to turn it off. Everything else seems to work ok. I have had the same problem with another brand of case and cold weather makes the clear plastic screen even stiffer and therefore makes the problem even worse. I guess that it is just something you have to live with but thought you like to be forewarned

team sidewinder

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I too have had the Gilsson case for a bit now. I have a tough time with the center rocker with this case when I am attempting to enter text on the 76CS. I typically take it out of its case, move around the text field, and then put it back in.

 

Maybe someone will come out with a case some day where the buttons can be accessed through the neoprene and only the plastic covers the screen. Or something like that where mud and dirt can't get in.

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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)? :blink:

Edited by TeamGonzo
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The problem with the clear part of the cover and the buttons could only be a thing with the 76 series. Maybe in a place where the weather doesn't get as cold here in the winter this may not be a problem. I have used this same case in the summer and haven't noticed anything like this glitch. This is indeed a small problem and the rest of the case and its design is first class all the way.

 

It would be nice to have some shade while the gps is in its mount on the dash where it does just cook. The cocktail umbrella sounds like a good idea and maybe the only solution.

Team Sidewinder

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I got the case from GPS geek and I don't really like it. (It's the gillson case).

 

The quality feels good but there are two things that I think could be improved.

 

One is that the external antenna can't be used with this case (unless I am missing something). The zipper is at the bottom of the case and the antenna is at the top, so you'd have to plug the antenna in, and then cram it into the case. If the zipper were on the other end of the case, it wouldn't be as bad (but maybe the zipper material would interfere with the quad helix?) Alternatively, maybe some kind of port for the external antenna could have been sewn in, like a small hole with a velcro or zipper to cover it up?

 

The Second thing is that the 12 V adaptor cant be used with the case on. Its not a big deal (neither of these things are really) but I would be willing to pay a few more bucks for a nice case that had these two modifications.

 

Just my opinion.

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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!

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I also have the Gilsson case and I really like it. I haven't used it much in cold weather, but the buttons seem to be very accessible normally.

 

I notice that The GPS Store now carries gilsson products as well, and offers decent pricing on their products.

 

Gilsson just posted a thread on their forum (http://gilsson.com/v-web/bulletin/bb/viewtopic.php?t=25) soliciting feedback about new case designs. It may be worthwhile to post some ideas on their site so that they can incorporate them for new cases.

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