Home > Consumer Reviews > Garmin GPS 12MAP Map Compatible

This recent model from Garmin is probably their best all-around performer. It's identical to their most popular model, the III+, but its housed in a sturdier case and has an internal antenna--perfect for outdoor use! For some reason, it has yet to catch the publics fancy (probably the case---its the same case from their lower cost, bare bones receivers), but with the current $50 rebate (good thru March 2000)it should see more sales. The only down side is the amount of maps you can upload is limited. I live in the Phoenix area, and all I can get in is the metropolita area. Other than that, this is the perfect all-around handheld receiver!

I finally got a chance to put this unit to the test and it performed flawlessly. 4 days and 70 miles on the Laberinth Canyon section of the Green river in Utah. The GPS 12 Map worked all day in 115 deg heat and even survived a 20 minute swim in my pocket, all with only 1 battery change. Well Worth the price. Would also recomend a third party map program (Delorme's 3d TopoQuads).

I just returned from 3 weeks sailing in the San Juan and Gulf Islands in the Pacific Northwest. Navigation was ultimately derived from marine charts (NAD27) but also from daily tracking with my newly acquired Garmin 12 Map. I supplemented the charts with GPS coordinates (NAD83) for harbor entrances, moorings, and anchorages given in a regional marine guide book (Douglass and Douglass).

Good: The GPS 12 Map is easy to use for marine navigation. It's waterproof. It has a non-slip rubber bottom. The size of the GPS and its display is just about right for use in small craft like a 30-ft sailboat. Button size and separation is good even for cold, wet hands. The overlay of the land maps proved quite helpful for generally locating the boat position with respect to nearby land masses like islands and continental coasts. I found the overlays more useful than the traditional "highway" views. Creating, entering, and modifying waypoints is easy. The wide choice of waypoints symbols proved quite useful. Battery life is adequate. Sailing only during the day, I changed batteries every 5 or 6 days with periodic connections to a 12VDC outlet on the boat's electrical panel. I could have used the external DC power exclusively if I had brought a 10 ft extension with me.

Bad: Believe the warning on startup. The land mass overlays are approximate. Even with care as to the correct datum, several anchorages in small coves were shown to be on land even at maximum zoom. The data included for positions of marine buoys and lights were not always correct. Some buoys were shown in incorrect locations or absent altogether. The US Waterways MapSource may fix this for US waters but will exclude the contiguous Canadian waters (Gulf Islands).

Conclusion: A good product for coastal navigation but the pre-loaded land mass and navigation data are not always accurate. I suspect loading ad hoc navigational databases would greatly improve the unit's usefulness.

The GPS 12 MAP is great! While a little skeptical at first, after a couple of trips (including a recent flight in which it tracked speed and altitude through an 737 aircraft window) it has become a required traveling equipment.

The accompanying manual doesn't fully explain the unit's capabilities (i.e. altitude)and the unit tends to be a bit of a battery hog, but overall, it's great!

This is the first GPS I have ever purchased, or used, and was alittle apprehensive about making the right choice. I can sum up my experience with few words.. It's a GREAT choice.. I bought it right before a fishing trip to Florida.. It was super easy to learn to use, was able to use it on the plane just by holding it up to the window. I used it on 3 offshore deepwater fishing trips, and worked flawlessly.. I don't think I could have made a better choice in purchasing a GPS.