Pros: Lightweight, super-rugged and dependable, great coverage, upgradable firmware
Cons: Usually ships with no software, cables, carrying case, or mounts
The Bottom Line: Rarely will I rate something excellent, but the GPS 12 has earned my respect the hard way. Dependable, reliable, and a true gem in the field of affordable GPS.
prapresident's Full Review: Garmin GPS 12 Handheld GPS Receiver
Sidenote/Intro.
Technology amazes me. I work in information technology, and here’s an example; this is the third time I’ve written the “epinion” on the Garmin GPS12 Personal Navigator. Why? The first time, the server just ignored my submission. The second time, MS Internet Explorer closed up on me. So this time, by golly, I’m writing the submission in MS Word and I’ll paste it over!
But my wife says...
Ok, it may be a tad presumptuous for me to think that it's mostly men shopping for this gadget, but, c'mon, isn't that the case? Men, don't fret--my wife loves this thing. It took a little persuading, but now she says, "That really is a neat little toy you have there." *Tim Allen laugh follows*
The Demanding Beginner
That’s who this unit is for--the demanding beginner. You have no experience in GPS but you don’t want a child’s toy to start off with. You get 500 waypoints, a lovely “MOB” (or “Man Overboard”) feature for fast location marking that you need to return to, backlit display in three intensities, two ways to find your location (drawing of a road that twists and turns in real time to get you there and a compass interface with bearing, ETA, ETE, and much more), upgradable firmware, the optional ability to upload/download waypoints to and from the PC, optional power accessories such as a cigarette lighter adapter and ac power, and a dependable acquisition of satellites.
This product is much more reliable that anything Microsoft makes.
Who will be happy with it
Of course, your needs should dictate your purchase. I believe this unit will more than appease the hunter, fisherman, camper, or hiker. It’s not glitzy. There is no color display, no bright yellow fluorescent glowing case, and it doesn’t talk. But it appeals to logic; it’s a very “plain English” interface that is easily understood by beginner and intermediate GPS fan alike. Don't let the design fool you--having the buttons up above the display makes sense. You might have to actually hold one to see why. Believe me, I was wary of this thinking that it looked strange and uncomfortable, until I held it. A++ for design--great thinking (albeit outside the box).
Stuff they don’t tell you
The thing is super-rugged. I’ve dropped mine twice onto hard surfaces, but you’d never know it.
The 4 “AA” batteries are advertised to last 24 hours actually give you about 32 to 34 hours of life in the wild.
They don’t mention that it gives altitude but it DOES, as long as you have acquired at least three of the available 12 tracking satellites, which is usually no problem.
Don’t worry about being in a car, heavy tree cover, or buildings (along the perimeter) because it usually won’t lose a signal.
If you have a waypoint stored, and you need to get there, just hit the “GoTo” button, select the waypoint, and put your brain in your suitcase because you won’t need it.
Summary
This unit is a winner. For those that don’t want to spend a fortune and can live without color display, this is your choice.
UPDATE: 6-3-01
I just received the RAM Suction Cup Mount for this gadget and mounted it in the car. Combined with the cigarette lighter adapter for power, this puppy stays mounted in the car and gets used ALL the time--my wife is jealous of it already! Again, the extras are NOT free, but you can pick up some good deals on eBay or sites like www.FreshTrackMaps.com where I got my "RAM-IT" suction cup mount.
Also, the estimated price as of 6-1-01 is about $149.00, not the price you see on this page (something happened on the way to the server)
I also wrote two identical reviews as this product shows up in Marine Electronics and in Outdoor Electronics. I've already cleared this with the Epinions staff--they said it's fine.
The GARMIN GPS 12 Personal Navigator an affordable 12 parallel channel handheld for outdoor adventurers who want a basic, hard-working 12-channel GPS,...More at eBay
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