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So obviously, despite the o-ring seals, my unit was not very waterproof. Nice unit, with interesting and relatively simple interface. I just sent mine back to the factory because the first time I actually used it on the water, it got wet inside and died. It has great charts but I think there are better models on the water because of this issue. Perhaps an Aquapac would be a good thing to put it in and not a ziplock.
Having 15 years of using Garmin products, they clearly missed the mark with this one. I just cannot imagine any real world test that found this acceptable for the intended use. The screen is useless when attempting to use outside in the sunlight. As a marine oriented unit I find this an amazing product development oversight. The best screen viewing is in their ads. First time I have been disappointed in any Garmin product.
Other than that, been pretty pleased with it. I was disappointed when I read the reviews and they said it couldn't use an external power supply, but I attached the power plug from my Garmin Nuvi (mini-usb to car lighter) and it works fine off external power supply. Even removed the batteries to make sure it was only drawing from the external.So that was some people's biggest complaint, but they were mistaken I believe. Not a chartplotter, but a handy GPS nonetheless. Haven't had it on the water yet, but hopefully it will go well.
This is what I found on their website. Hope my 5 star rating remains after I test it thoroughly. I haven't use this much yet but it is way better than my old Magellan Meridian Gold. "2 AA batteries (not included); NiMH or Lithium recommended". In the mean time, one previous reviewer said don't use rechargeable batteries in this unit. He suggested checking Garmin's website for details. My NiMH batteries are rechargeable. Based on Garmin's own recommendation, I'm going to try them.
A must for every yachtsman. Simple single handed operation, large bright screen and packed full of features. Garmin has produced a serious instrument at a reasonable cost. That said, nothing is perfect and the one thing the engineers left out was the ability to connect it to a DC power supply.
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