Hand held GPS

[sailn1]

Does anyone have any experience or advice regarding the GarminMAP 76C vs 76S vs 76CS?

Obviously the color and electronic compass/barometer are the main differences, but how worthwhile are these features? Is it worth the investment?

Pretty much using for Lake Michigan Buoy and Port-to-Port races.

[928frenzy]

I have the 76S, which I think is more than adequate. It holds 25 MB of data, which in my case is the entire Chesapeake, five adjacent counties, and the topo maps for the northern Shenandoah Park area. If I need more, I can download and reload as needed.

The only downside is that it''s hard to read in direct sunlight. Since the bimini is usually deployed while under sail, direct sunlight is not usually a problem. YMMV.

~ Happy sails to you ~ _/) ~

[Billpjr]

I replaced my 48 with an Eagle Sport Nav a few years back. It was the "optioned down" line of Lowrance handhelds at the time. Basic nav without map. I bought this one because it had the best display for direct sunlight...big numbers and adjustable contrast. Much easier to read than Garmins (I used a Garmin 45 too)but not as good for data base editing and viewing. It''s been banged around in several boats and flying without giving a hint of problems. Lowrance is a littler pricer than Garmin though. I''m looking to "modernize" again but not sure which way I''ll go this time. Lowrance has my attention based on the excellent performance with the Eagle.