Product Description
No matter where your outdoor activities take you, the Rino 530 keeps you on track and in touch. Similar to the 520, this rugged, two-way radio with GPS packs a bold color display, 14-mile communication range, and turn-by-turn directions - giving you peace of mind in the great outdoors. Taking it a step further, the Rino 530 adds an electronic compass, barometric altimeter, and NOAA weather receiver, making it a favorite with hikers and climbersExclusive position-reporting capability and a host of other unique features, make the 530 one of the best all-in-one two-way radio and GPS receivers around. As with other members of the Rino family, the 530's patented location-reporting feature allows you to send and receive GPS positions with other Rino users in your group. One call to your partner's Rino, and your location shows up on the map page. You can even poll another Rino user's location in emergency situations.
Amazon.com Product Description
No matter where your outdoor activities take you, the Garmin Rino 530 GPS-Integrated FRS/GMRS two-way radio is designed to keep hikers and climbers on track and in touch. This rugged, two-way radio with GPS packs a bold color display, 12-mile communication range, and turn-by-turn directions,
The "Radio Page" displays two-way radio status and GPS signal strength.
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The "Compass Page" displays basic navigational info.
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giving you peace of mind in the great outdoors. The Rino 530 also features an electronic compass, barometric altimeter, and NOAA weather receiver.
The Rino's position-reporting capability allows you to keep tabs on the location of family members and friends. The map also displays important waypoints and destinations.
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Exclusive position-reporting capabilities and a host of other unique features make the Rino 530 one of the best all-in-one two-way radio and GPS receivers around. The position-reporting feature allows you to send and receive GPS positions with other Rino users in your group. Make one call to your partner's Rino, and your location shows up on the map page. You can even poll another Rino user's location in emergency situations.
Five watts of transmit power (GMRS) means you can now call for help from 12 miles away (transmit power is limited to two watts in Canada with a range up to eight miles). A bold color TFT display makes it easy to see and navigate to family or friends with Rinos at an amusement park, lake, or other outdoor group activity. With optional Garmin MapSource City Select software (sold separately), you can navigate safely with the assistance of automatic route generation, off-route recalculation, and icon-driven menus for finding points of interest.
A barometric altimeter provides extremely accurate elevation, an outstanding feature for serious hikers and climbers. An electronic compass is also included, and a NOAA weather receiver keeps you informed of changes in the weather.
The Rino 530 comes with a built-in detailed basemap of North and South America, and it also allows you to store up to 500 waypoints with graphic identification, as well as 50 reversible routes. The two-way radio features 10 call and ring tones, four roger tones, and vibration mode. The radio also allows you to send and receive short text notes. A calendar feature shows best hunting and fishing times, plus clock, stopwatch, and alarm functions, while a trip computer offers speed tracking, sunrise and sunset readout, trip timer, and trip distance.
A mini USB port and 56 megabytes of internal memory are included for rapid download and plenty of map storage of Garmin's entire line of outdoor cartography. Also included is a rechargeable internal lithium-ion battery that provides up to 16 hours of outdoor use.
What's in the Box
Rino 530 receiver, Americas recreational basemap, PC/USB interface cable, wrist strap, belt clip, lithium-ion battery pack and charger, A/C adapter cable, quick start guide, and owner's manual.
Customer Reviews:
Rino GPS protects my guys.......2007-12-28
I purchased the Garmin 530 GPS for my husband, son, and son-in-law in hopes of keeping them safe and connected during their hunting adventures in the great north woods of Maine. They are thrilled with the product and found it wonderfully easy to use and incredibly accurate. This product helped them hunt more efficiently (their goal) and with greater safety (my goal) and made the end of the day rendezvous a breeze. Everyone is happy!
Great GPS for hiking.......2007-12-09
Very nice tool for a hiker.
Reception was great. The compass and the altimeter added really nice performance. The battery life was also good. Great product! / Jacob
Hunter.......2007-11-26
The gps part of my garmin 530 works great. I used it on a western Elk hunt with friends who also have garmin units. This was my first gps and i enjoyed working with it. My problem is when I try to use the radio it stops working . The compas on it has to be reset a lot.
Ralph
GPS Rino 530.......2007-11-02
Received two from Amazon. First one had to be sent back as it was dysfunctional. The second one I received to replace the first one is also defective. The battery is to big and will not completely seal.
Not worth the money.......2007-10-31
This is one of those cases where a product does two things and neither of them well. The GPS is adequate, although you should not even consider trying to use it as a replacement for an in-car navigation system. The interface is slow and difficult to use. The radio, while powerful, is difficult to hear if there is any kind of background noise. Even the sound of the wind outside the car with the windows rolled up can prevent clear communication. For the money, you could buy some decent 5W walkie-talkies and a moderately priced gps unit and be much better off.
Product Description
The Rino 110 is a GPS-enabled handheld that integrates radio functionality to provide two-way communications. It's waterproof, can send communications up to five miles (using GMRS channels), and can "beam" your exact location to another Rino user within a two-mile range (on the FRS spectrum) using "Position Reporting". And because the Rino 110 has standard FRS capabilities, you can talk to friends or family who own conventional FRS radios.
Amazon.com Review
Imagine a cross between a walkie talkie and a Star Trek communicator, that's the best way to understand the Garmin's Rino 110. Not just a powerful GPS receiver, this two-way radio can even track your friends and transmit your location to others. These innovative features and low price makes it ideal whether hiking, hunting, playing paintball or just checking up on your kids.
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100 meters: Accuracy of the original GPS system, which was subject to accuracy degradation under the government-imposed Selective Availability (SA) program.
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15 meters: Typical GPS position accuracy without SA.
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3-5 meters: Typical differential GPS (DGPS) position accuracy.
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Less than 3 meters: Typical WAAS position accuracy.
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About the size of a small cordless phone, the bright-yellow and black Rino 110 has two fixed antennas coming out of the top. One antenna lets you talk at up to two miles using 14 FRS (Family Radio Service) channels. It also can communicate across 8 GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) channels, offering up to 5 miles of range, though this requires an FCC license.
The other antenna offers the advanced WAAS-enabled GPS tracking you'd expect from Garmin (see chart at right). Using the large 160 x 160 pixel backlit display you can save up to 20 different routes and 500 waypoints in the unit's 1 MB of memory. Plus, in addition to the built-in cities database, you can even upload maps from Garmin's Points of Interest CD with an optional adapter.
The fun really starts when you combine these two features. The Rino can transmit its location to others at up to two miles and track up to 50 contacts simultaneously. So, for instance, you can display a map on the screen with the names and locations of all of your friends, or select a friend and have the Rino guide you to their location.
The Rino's graphical interface makes it easy to control its myriad functions with a 5-way cursor, similar to those found on laptop keyboards, which lets you move quickly across the menu screens. This waterproof device runs on 3 AAA batteries.
Once you use the Rino 110, it's hard to imagine purchasing a two-way radio without GPS functionality, the two features go so well together. --Ken Feinstein
Pros:
- Two-way radio with GPS functions
- FRS and GMRS support
- Waterproof
- Large backlit display
Cons:
- 1 MB memory not upgradeable
Amazon.com Review
Imagine a cross between a walkie talkie and a Star Trek communicator, that's the best way to understand the Garmin's Rino 110. Not just a powerful GPS receiver, this two-way radio can even track your friends and transmit your location to others. These innovative features and low price makes it ideal whether hiking, hunting, playing paintball or just checking up on your kids.
About the size of a small cordless phone, the bright-yellow and black Rino 110 has two fixed antennas coming out of the top. One antenna lets you talk at up to two miles using 14 FRS (Family Radio Service) channels. It also can communicate across 8 GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) channels, offering up to 5 miles of range, though this requires an FCC license.
The other antenna offers the advanced WAAS-enabled GPS tracking you'd expect from Garmin. Using the large 160 x 160 pixel backlit display you can save up to 20 different routes and 500 waypoints in the unit's 1 MB of memory. Plus, in addition to the built-in cities database, you can even upload maps from Garmin's Points of Interest CD with an optional adapter.
The fun really starts when you combine these two features. The Rino can transmit its location to others at up to two miles and track up to 50 contacts simultaneously. So, for instance, you can display a map on the screen with the names and locations of all of your friends, or select a friend and have the Rino guide you to their location.
The Rino's graphical interface makes it easy to control its myriad functions with a 5-way cursor, similar to those found on laptop keyboards, which lets you move quickly across the menu screens. This waterproof device runs on 3 AAA batteries.
Once you use the Rino 110, it's hard to imagine purchasing a two-way radio without GPS functionality, the two features go so well together. --Ken Feinstein
Pros:
- Two-way radio with GPS functions
- FRS and GMRS support
- Waterproof
- Large backlit display
Cons:
- 1 MB memory not upgradeable
Customer Reviews:
wish both of them worked.......2007-12-01
Big tip...set up is fairly easy...but read the WHOLE manual TWICE!!! before attempting set up! One of the two I bought had a short circuit in it somewhere and didn't work for very long (should a set up before the big hunting trip!). It got pretty hot then just quit. The other one was fine..batteries lasted a day and a half...it did lose satelite in some of the deeper valleys when we were high in the mountains but regained 2D sat nav soon enough. I liked the tracking feature. I marked junctions in some of the logging roads and it led me right back the way I came. I also liked knowing the elevation. The best time to hunt and fish feature was cool...(jury's still out on usefulness though) Navigating the screens was not simple and the menu select button is a little touchy. It will scroll up/down or left/right when you just want to select (push in) if you get even a little off center when you push it. Before the other one died it did store a location in the working unit and I liked knowing exactly how far away I was getting from the last known location of the defective unit. I can't wait to recieve the repaired unit. I'll let you know how long it takes Garmin to fix and repair or replace the defective unit....to be continued!
Warning: Rino should not be used in Iraq.......2007-09-01
There are several testimonials from soldiers who have used/are using the Rino 110 in Iraq or concerned loved ones looking to buy one for their Soldier. While commercial GPS receivers have definitely filled a gap (the old PLGR is laughably outdated, and the new DAGR is more complicated than what you can buy off the shelf), the Army Program Manager for GPS has specifically target the Garmin Rino as a security risk.
Every time the mic is keyed, the Rino broadcasts the sender's location over a non-secure channel to anyone on that same channel. With the built-in scanner, anyone with a Rino 110 within range can pick up the transmission and determine the sender's location--including our enemies. So, every time you key the mic in the FOB, you may be giving away important locational data to the insurgents--especially if you and your buddy use the radio to find each other. "Hey, I'm in the DFAC, where are you?" "I'm at the PX".
I'm not saying that the Garmin Rino is a bad GPS receiver; I'm sure it works fine. But if you're a Soldier or are buying a GPS receiver for a Soldier, you should probably look elsewhere.
DO NOT PURCHASE IF! .......2007-05-14
Every picture I saw advertised for this unit showed detailed maps. Even in the owner's manual on several pages you'll see detailed maps downloaded from MapSource. This is not possible, even if you purchased the expensive software, it is not possible to download this info to the Rino 110 Unit. If you can live with a totally blank screen and 'bread crumbs' (because this is all you get in the GPS mode) then this unit is okay. If you would like more detail or even the most basic detail in the GPS mode, then purchase the 120 or 130 unit. These units will store additional info and include the cable for downloading from laptop to unit. The 110 does not include the cable. I own a 110 and 120 unit and both are great and are easy devices to work with but beware of the 110's blank screen in the GPS mode, it offers nothing but a blank screen and bread crumbs! (items were purchased for deer hunting and emergencys)
Defective Product.......2006-08-16
The radio portion was inoperative straight out of the packaging. Made this "discovery" after ordering a second unit but one couldn't send or receive messages. Figured out which was the defective unit by using a third two-way radio. Wrote to Garmin who suggested that I send in both units. Thanks to Amazon who was very accomodating with an excahnge. Wonder what hoops Garmin would have put me through. Maybe the product is "normally" ok but I ended up with a lemon.
great safety item.......2006-04-10
Got this as a gift for my soldier daughter who was on her way overseas. She has already used it and been proud she has it. That's good enough for me.
Youngest son has another Garmin he uses for hunting. Quality products - top of the line electronics and sturdy.
Average customer rating:
- Great Gadget
- Well designed, mission-ready unit
- Troublesome
- Battery could last longer if you use a throat mic
- The Best GPS I have Owned
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Garmin Rino 130 Handheld GPS Navigator and 2-Way Radio
Manufacturer: Garmin
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Accessories:
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Rayovac NM715-8 Rechargeable NiMH AA Batteries, 8-Count Package
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Garmin 8MB Memory Cartridge
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Garmin 010-10344-00 2.5mm-to-3.5mm Jack Adapter
Product Features:
- WAAS-enabled GPS receiver
- 38 sub-audible squelch codes per transmission channel for semi-private radio communications
- External voice activation (VOX)
- 14 FRS channels, 8 GMRS channels, and 8 GMRS repeater channels (using GMRS frequency in the U.S. requires a FCC license)
- Package Includes: Rino 130 receiver, PC-interface cable, Wrist strap, Belt clip, User's manual, Quick reference guide
ASIN: B0001OHH06
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Product Description
The Rino 130 is the most feature-rich unit in the Rino family, with a built-in electronic compass, barometric sensor, weather receiver for seven NOAA weather channels, and 24 MBs of internal memory. This handheld radio has a built-in electronic compass to give a heading while the user is standing still, and a barometric altimeter to provide extremely accurate elevation and pressure information, which will assist users in identifying weather data.The Rino 130 provides two-way radio communication with a transmission range of up to two miles using FRS channels and up to five miles with GMRS. The integration of two-way radio and GPS enables users to transmit their position with a simple button press, allowing others to navigate to their position. The Rino 130 also has a polling feature, which allows a user to manually request GPS location information from other Rino units.
Amazon.com Product Description
The the most feature-rich device in the Rino family, Garmin's Rino 130 combination 2-way FRS/GMRS radio and GPS receiver comes fully loaded with an electronic compass, a barometric sensor, a weather receiver for 7 NOAA weather channels, and 24 MB of internal memory for downloading and storing MapSource detail--including data from products like U.S. Topo 24K, U.S. Topo, Recreational Lakes, BlueChart, and MetroGuide (MapSource products sold separately).
The Rino 130 is also outfitted with a marine-point database and a basemap of North and South America. The database includes nautical navaids for North and South America. The Americas Highway basemap includes the United States, Alaska, Canada, Mexico, and Central and South America, and covers an area from W180 to W30 Longitude and S60 to N75 Latitude. Also included is a high-level worldwide map with political boundaries and major cities. Among many other included elements are oceans, rivers, and lakes (greater than 30 square miles), principal cities and many smaller cities and towns, major interstates and principal highways, and political boundaries (state and international borders).
Integration has its advantages: the Rino 130 sends and receives GPS locations using FRS channels and shows them on the map. The GPS device is a 12-channel, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver. WAAS, which stands for Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), is the global-positioning-system of choice for mariners. The handheld's built-in electronic compass give a heading while you're standing still, and its barometric altimeter provides accurate elevation and pressure readings to help you identify and analyze weather conditions.
The Rino 130 also provides two-way radio communication with a transmission range of up to two miles using FRS channels and up to five miles with GMRS (be aware that use of GMRS requires an FCC license). The integration of two-way radio and GPS lets you transmit your position with a simple button press, so others can easily navigate to your position. The Rino 130 also has a polling feature so you can manually request GPS location information from other Rino units.
You get 14 FRS channels, 8 GMRS channels, and 8 GMRS repeater channels, as well as 38 sub-audible squelch codes per transmission channel for semi-private radio communications.
The unit's ergonomic design grants single-handed operation, with its Call, Page mode, and Press-To-Talk (PTT) buttons mounted on the side, Power/Backlighting button on top, Volume and Zoom buttons on front, and a Thumb Stick positioned in the center. The thumb stick allows channel selection and volume adjustment in FRS/GMRS mode, as well as quick map panning, enter, and selection functions in GPS mode.
Other features include a backlit display (160 x 160 pixels), external voice activation (VOX), waterproof construction to IPX-7 standards (immersible in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes), storage for up to 500 waypoints with graphic identification and 20 reversible routes, 10,000 trackpoints and up to 20 saved tracks to retrace your path or a companion's path via the location-reporting feature, trip computer with speed tracking, sunrise/sunset read out, trip time, and trip distance, and multiple grid formats including MGRS and Loran TD. The Rino 130 even sends and receives short text notes for quiet communication.
The Rino 130 has a battery life of 14 hours (typical use) on 3 AA alkaline batteries (not included).
What's in the Box
Rino 130 receiver, a PC-interface cable, a wrist strap, a belt clip, a user's manual, and a quick-reference guide.
Customer Reviews:
Great Gadget.......2007-03-30
I have had this for a year now and it works great. Matches ACU color. I would buy the 430 or 420 with the color screen but I don't need the color screen. I haven't downloaded any new base maps but I intend to do so at some point before a deployment. If you want a cheap GPS to give you MGRS grids, purchase the Foretrex not Forerunner. The Forerunner is only for lon/lat. So unless you are a flyboy and you want a cheaper, smaller unit get the Garmin Foretrex. I would like to get another unit that has an MMC slot, currently the only ones that have that are the E-Trex and some other models.
Overall it is a great item.
Well designed, mission-ready unit.......2006-08-02
After reading all of the online reviews here on Amazon, and on the manufacturer's web site, I decided to purchase the units and judge for myself. I had been planning a trip to the Michigan sand dunes, and thought it would be nice for safety to have at least two units in case any member of my family got lost, or seperated during the trip.
Within the first few hours of using the units, we learned a few of it's idiosyncrocies. One thing you have to know is that the units must have time to "locate" at least 4 satellites before it will accurately report location info. The time required can vary, depending on the environment. Terrain with buildings, or other barriers, natural or otherwise, will increase the time required for the unit to "lock-in" satellites.
Once the unit's find the satellites needed for self-navigation, the unit works without much intervention. My 14 year-old son was able to learn how to use the tracking-navigation feature within a couple of hours of tickering with the unit.
Out in the field, my 14 year-old son made a miscalculation, and ended up in a chest-high pond of water, with him, his ATV, and the Garmin Rino 130 fully submerged for about 3 minutes. After the initial panic of making sure he was ok, and removing the water-logged ATV from the water, we immediately checked the Rino 130, and it was still working great. However, the external PTT microphone that is sold as an accessory did not survive the plunge.
The unit works so well, and is so simple to use, it can seem almost "toy-like" until you realize how much data it keeps track of at one time. Once I initiated the "tracking" feature for the other two units I purchased, it maintained location data for the duration of the trip, without any further manipulation. I was actually stunned by the simplicity of locating any of the units, even standing still. Although the compass feature works better when moving, it is still very accurate in a fixed location under the right conditions.
Overall, I would recommend this unit for anyone needing basic communication and GPS capability. The Radio was a bit under-powered in my opinion, but they were suitable for short distances in wooded areas. Near some metro areas, RF interference is definitely a problem, but that's no fault of the unit. Many of the people who have complained about this unit seem to either have received a defective unit, or don't like to read manuals.
Troublesome.......2006-04-11
I bought 2 of the Rino 130's for my wife and I to use for hiking, boating, and geocaching. We were excited about the prospect of peer to peer positioning, etc. After 10 minutes, one of them locked up, then the second one would not transmit only receive a radio communication. The only way to get either one of them to function properly again was to remove the power source, wait a few seconds and reinstall and power up again. The first time this happened I was hoping it would be an isolated incident; then it happened again 10 minutes later. I checked the software; one was running ver 5.40 and the other 5.20. Webupdater would not work with one of them. It would lock up during the firmware upgrade.
I chose to immediately return the items, thinking that if it is this much trouble now, what will it be like later. I expected better quality than this from Garmin. Great features and an intuitive user interface are a plus; however, dependability in the long run is apparently non-existent. The GPS portion of the unit is terrific. The problem seems to be aligned with the communication creating instability. I am purchasing a different unit and plan to make it a Garmin product again.
Amazon is easy to deal with on returns; 5 stars to Amazon.
Battery could last longer if you use a throat mic.......2006-02-19
We have many sets of radios as we use them for airsoft and paintballing. When we decided to buy a 2in1 system (GPS and radio) we deicided to look at these. The GPS unit is awesome.
When using the radio, I find that the batteries drain a little too fast. We therefore purchased a set of IASUS throat mics online (AMAZON doesn't carry them!) so we could save more battery power. That actually made the unit sound better also! If the radio didn't eat up so much power and sounded better, I would give the Garmin a 5 star.
The Best GPS I have Owned.......2005-11-26
I have been using the Garmmin Rino 120 and 130 for two years for Boondocking Snowmobiling in Alaska, and Hunting. As for hunting my son lost his 120 in the tundra caribou hunting and I used the poll for position function and it locked on to his 120 and I used the GOTO function and it brought me right to the lost GPS. I have had no problem with the radio I think it works great, I was able to locate and communicate with other members of my hunting party when they were out of sight in a draw and at an 800 foot higher elevation and 1 mile away. The MapSource is easy to use and down load the needed maps fairly easly, and the Garmin web site is easy to download software updates. I have found the altimiter to be spot on when snowmobiling. The batteries last about 8 -10 hours depending on how much you use the radio and you get about 45 mins of time after you get the low battery warning but the radio does lose clarity and transmission strength at this time.
I find the function buttons and zoom fuction easy to use, I would diffently buy this unit again.
Product Description
No matter where your outdoor activities take you, the Rino 520 keeps you on track and in touch. This rugged, two-way radio with GPS packs a bold color display, 14-mile communication range, and turn-by-turn directions - giving you peace of mind in the great outdoors. Taking it a step further, the Rino 530 adds an electronic compass, barometric altimeter, and NOAA weather receiver, making it a favorite with hikers and climbers.Exclusive position-reporting capability and a host of other unique features, make the 520 one of the best all-in-one two-way radio and GPS receivers around. As with other members of the Rino family, the 520's patented location-reporting feature allows you to send and receive GPS positions with other Rino users in your group. One call to your partner's Rino, and your location shows up on the map page. You can even poll another Rino user's location in emergency situations.
Customer Reviews:
Love it! / hate it!.......2007-10-23
My Rino 520 is almost the most awesome electronic gadget I've ever purchased. The 2-way radio works great - better speaker sound and range than any other radio I've owned. Almost great GPS with the color screen and optional topo mapping. User friendly interface. Above all the location feature of a fellow user is the killer asset. If the unit worked perfectly I would highly recommend anyone to buy it. But I must add my agreement to previously mentioned issues:
My screen goes blank occasionaly. Comes back on after a power off-on cycle then sometimes will stay on long term, sometimes requires another off-on cycle.
The optional topo map usually shows some incredible detail about very obscure roads, but yet hasn't been updated to a major highway rerouting in my state which was completed 30 years ago.
Overall I would definitely buy another of these after knowing the bugs have been worked out. For now I'm glad I own it even with the bugs.
Looking forward to when Garmin corrects the quality issues.
Still buggy after firmware upgrade.......2006-09-26
I purchased a Rino520 to use with a Rino530. Several times, the screen would blank out after pushing the "push to talk" (PTT) button when using the radio. The screen would recover after turning off the unit, however, it would blank out again after pushing the PTT button. In order to temporarily provide a more "long-term" solution, I had to disconnect the battery to power down the unit. After doing that, the screen would still blank out intermittently, but not with almost every push of the PTT button. Even with the screen blank out, the radio would still function, but then one is left with an expensive two-way radio.
I'm much happier using a GPS60CSx and a pair of Motorola Talkabouts. My Rino's have been such a headache. The convenience of being able to communicate location to another Rino user while out in the wilderness is a great idea. I still anticipate owning a pair of Rino's in the future. However, I'm waiting until Garmin improves their quality control.
Nice Unit, Optional AA Battery Function would be nice.......2006-03-24
I recently purchased the 520 for backpacking and canoeing. I found it very easy to use, with screen navigation, track information and user interfaces being surprisingly intuitive. It took me about 10 hours of drive time, primarily to and from work, to master most of the features. The color map, while not a necessity in any manner, is also a nice feature, although I don't know if it is worth the money. I would imagine that the grayscale display would be more than adequate. The batter life is absolutely, positively phenomenal. I got close to 90 hours out of mine without a recharge. I don't know if this was typical, but it far exceeded my expectations. Although I have not used the 2-way feature on it, I expect it to be quite useful when canoeing and backpacking with multiple parties, and is one of the primary reasons I purchased the unit.
Contrary to the above poor review, the FCC and the Canadian government have granted Garmin a waiver so a license is not necessary to use it.
FCC LICENSE REQUIRED.......2006-01-07
ATTENTION BUYERS: Use of this product within the United States requires the purchase of an $80 FCC license because this radio operates on frequencies in the General Mobile Radio Service. FALIURE TO PURCHASE A LICENSE WILL RESULT IN A FINE OF UP TO $10,000. For more information, visit www.gmrs.net.tc or wireless.fcc.gov/services/personal/generalmoblie. FRS/GMRS radios are marketed incorrectly because they are treated like regular consumer electronics. YOU MUST PURCHASE A LICENSE IN ORDER TO USE THIS UNIT. To apply for your license, visit www.fcc.gov/wtb/uls.
Essential Military Tool.......2005-12-01
For the longest time, I resisted geting a GPS. Any soldier worth his stripes should be able to figure out his ground position to within 100m just by comparing the ground to his map, and maybe shooting a bearing with his compass.
But then I picked up a cheapie Garmin Etrex, and while it doesn't replace the map and terrain reading skills (by a long shot) the ability to generate an exact position fix at a moment's notice comes in very handy, especially when one is operating in an unfamilliar area. GPS may be a crutch, but it is an *effective* crutch.
There were a few small problems with the Etrex though. It was very sensitive to sky view, such that it often lost signal inside a vehicle unless it was on the dash. It didn't do mapping, and it would eat AA batteries at a ferocious rate. With the newer, fancier units on the market, I started thinking about upgrading.
Many of the troops in my unit have Rino 120 FRS/GPS units. It can be handy to have an additional means of communication other than the issue radios, and the position reporting function was interesting, so I bought a Rino 520 - specifically a 520 vice a 530 because of reports of better battery life, and the extra geegaws on the 530 didn't seem to have much practical purpose.
Wow!
1) The 520 has tons of memory, such that I could upload topo maps for every area I was likely to operate in and still have room to spare. The detail and accuracy has been outstanding, and having street names (which the issue 1:50k maps lack) has been a godsend.
2) It is much less sensitive to sky cover than the Etrex was. It'll still lose signal if (say) stuffed in a glovebox, but it'll work on your lap in a vehicle, where the Etrex would not.
3) The "breadcrumb" track mapping means I can record everywhere I go, and then download the tracks to my computer later via Mapsource - which can then be overlaid on satellite imagery via Google Earth (which has already proven useful in proving that I was at a certain place at a certain time)
4) The routing function and the turn-by-turn instructions were recently tested on a 900km road move, and worked - although the unit made a couple of odd suggestions, and I think it may have been hampered by not having detail maps loaded for the entire route.
5) It has a nifty "alarm clock" mode, where you set the alarm, and the unit shuts off - and then turns itself on and screeches at the appropriate time. Cool!
6) The data pages are customizable, meaning you can set up pages that contain just the info you need.
7) The radio and position location/transmit functions work exactly as advertised. I don't yet have a good feel for the max range of the radio (even in 5W mode) but it's not huge. The speaker gets all distorted at max volume, but when used with an earbud it is just fine. My gut tells me the radio is fair to good.
8) The only real concern I've had has been battery life and the fact that it uses a proprietary batty pack that must be recharged from wall current - which can be tough to find sometimes. But so far, battery life has been exceptional (a three day exercise with heavy radio use only dropped to 60%, and a 2-day road move with the radio turned off finished at 90% used) and an add-on pack that uses normal AA batteries (at the cost of dropping max transmit power to 2W) is availible.
Overall, this is a great unit, and highly recommended.
DG
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