Reviews of the Garmin GPSMap 78sc

Real Reviews Submitted by Real Users!

I picked up a Garmin 78sc a few weeks back to use while boating on the Chesapeake Bay as well as for geocaching and as a GPS unit for hiking trips. The battery life isn't bad so far; I've used it for about 15 hours of sailing already and the batteries are still half-charged. That's standard alkaline batteries, however, I haven't tried rechargeable batteries in this unit yet.

Since this unit has some built in air space to allow it to float, I was a bit worried that it would be too bulky, but I'm pleased to report that this was not the case. If anything, the unit was smaller than expected. The layout of the buttons and screen were a little odd to me at first, but I've since become accustomed to it. What really matters here is that it finds satellite signals very quickly, the integrated electronic compass quickly recalibrates and seems to be quite accurate. You can also set the map to automatically orient it either according to your compass heading or according to your track.

The marine functions were exactly as I'd hoped; the g2 coastal charts were very accurate and easy to read, even in bright sunlight. There is also a "Man Overboard" button which marks your position and allows you to navigate back to that position. Other features include anchor drag, low water and deep water alarms, all of which are user-configurable.

However, the basemaps on the 78sc were lacking to say the least, though this is the case with many of Garmin's handheld models - and extra maps are a bit pricy. I bought a separate TOPO 100K US maps DVD and loaded as much as I could on the unit; only about 70% of the continental US fit, though of course you could load more on a MicroSD card if needed. The geocaching capabilities look good, but I have to admit that I have yet to use this feature.

All in all, I'm happy with the GPSMap 78sc, much more so than my previous GPS units. Garmin is known for easy to use GPS systems and that along with the marine features of this unit, I have to say I'm pleased.

I've gone through a lot of different handheld GPS units in my time, but this is definitely the best one I've ever used. It finds and locks in on satellite signals in as little as ten seconds, even inside, not to mention under cloud cover, wooded areas, etc.

The screen is great and highly viewable even in bright direct sunlight. To put it as simply as possible, I love this GPS. I can't imagine anyone not liking this - it really is that good.

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