Garmin Service

[Michigan Hunter]

I have had Garmin GPS's (Garmin 38, Garmin12, now Garmin eTrex Legend) and am impressed by Garmin's service.
I bought the Roads and Recreation maping and it sucked (best answer I have). Orginal dealer wouldn't take it back. Called Garmin and for a small fee they took it back and I got the Metro Guide CD in exchange!
Returned from California hunting and the screen had white lines in it. Called Garmin, they said to send it in, they fixed it sent it back in 1 week, NO CHARGE.
So very few companies do not have any need to act this way it is a real pleasure to find one that actually treats you fair.
My hat is off for Garmin and I wouldn't take any other brand in Fishfinders and GPS than Garmin.

[kingfisher 11]

A few years back I had mine garmin GPS on Higgins and it fell into the minow bucket when it was on. You guessed it , it was shot. I called garmin to ask them for a quote for repair. I tried to explain what was wrong. The guy quickly quoted $59. I said you don't even know what is wrong with it. He said, you send us your broken one and we will send you a new replacement for a flat fee.

I got a new one returned within 1 week and it came brand new with the carrying case, plus it was the newer version.

You can't beat that service, it was even my fault for the damage, no questions asked.

[gunrod]

That's good to know. I had picked out one of the eTrex models as a Christmas present. Thanks......:)

[Michigan Hunter]

Great. Glad to hear another one. I am really impressed. Mine was only 6 months old and they guarantee free one year repair. If over, they said $99. which still isn't bad.
I have the Garmin 160 Fishfinder on my boat and wouldn't trade it for any other.
I have used my Legend in Michigan and California in up to 13,000 acre ranches and find it the most valuable thing (other than the gun) in my kit.

[Michigan Hunter]

I wish more people would try GPS. I have a couple friends that have one and they say 'it's too difficult to use'. If they would just read the manual, and USE it in the woods they would find it is really easy and just outstanding to have. I actually carry mine on my belt around town. The Metro Guide CD maps have street and street addresses! (even have bars, service stations, fastfood, etc. as part on the pgms) I have use GPS for about 4-5 years and am very comfortable using them. Once you use them they are really easy to understand.

[kingfisher 11]

Michigan Hunter, maybe mine was $99 also, the old memory is not quite the same anymore.

[Swamp Monster]

Michigan Hunter, I have a question for you concerning my Garmin 12. With your experience I hope you can help. I have just started using mine and so far I am impressed. I'm hardly proficient yet but in time I'm sure I will be. My only concern is that my unit seems to take a long time to change directions on the compass page and on the running compass tape (can't remember which page). For example, this past weekend I was scouting out a very large swamp, I had good satellite coverage and fresh batteries. In this swamp it is impossible to walk a straight line due to all the obstacles, water etc so it seemed like every time I would change direction I would have to walk for 2-3 minutes or more before the compass would show my direction. I spent most of my time trying to make corrections to my travel routes and it seemed almost impossible to follow the compass readings. I ended up using my regular compass more often than not to keep me heading in the right direction. It was just as bad once I had marked a couple of waypoints to return to later in the scouting trip. Now, in some areas I could travel a fairly straight line for some distance and never had a problem with the compass showing the correct direction. Is this delay I seem to be experiencing commen? Or do I need to have a little more patience? Or is it just operator error? I had no problem returning to my waypoints which is ofcourse a beautiful thing but it just seemed very slow to update if you got off course. In most places, the canopy was real thin and I had 3d satelite coverage, though I did notice that the satelites I was reading the best were not the ones directly overhead according to satelite map. If this is all just normal, I can live with it, just have no experience otherwise to compare it with. I had planned on trying the tracback function but it would have been zigzag crazy and I felt that the compass would have too much delay to make it a useful function, atleast in the situation I was in. Any suggestions or experience you can offer would be much appreciated! Anybody else's experience would be appreciated also!

[1fish2fish]

I have that unit and something doesn't seem right. I haven't used the compass unit on mine in quite a long time, because I know where my fishing spots are but not "exactly" where they are so latey I've just been using the waypoint list to tell me when I'm on the spot.

But I used the compass feature a few years ago all the time in Canada and I don't remember this long delay. If you turn your bearing should change with you as you turn. When I get home tonight I'll take mine out and wander around the yard and see exactly how it works and give you some feedback tomorrow.

Also, if I remember right the arrow on the compass points to where you "should be" pointing no to north like a compass would.

[1fish2fish]

I did a little searching and I found this:

http://www.huntinfo.com/product/g12.php

I'm not a hunter so I normally use my GPS on lakes but I have also used it to hike into fishing spots on rivers and still never noticed this delay problem. But the above site does mention something about a delay under heavy canopies.

[Swamp Monster]

1fish, Thanks for the info! I basically just use the waypoints also. I just want to go from point a to point b and back again. I use it to mark my blinds and my partners blinds and so on. In the area we hunt there is no such thing as a straight route though, and sometimes we walked quite a distance before the compass updated our position in relation to the waypoint we were headed to. then we would just try to adjust our path. Its really not a major problem, just have to have a little patience I guess. The unit had no problem initializing the satelites at start up and only once did the unit give me a message that there was poor satelite coverage and that was only when we were in an extremely thick stand of cedar, so I was not surprised. Overall I'm happy with this unit, seems pretty user friendly. I'm just not sure if the delay is normal, but sounds like it might be. I'm gonna play with it again tonight and see what happens.

You are correct about the compass when you are in goto mode, it points in the direction that you need to go to get to your waypoint.

[northern_outdoorsman]

Don't forget if you have a PC Connect Cable you can go to www.garmin.com and download all the new updates for your Garmin GPS AND Mapsorce Cd's....

[Michigan Hunter]

Swamp Monster: The Garmin 12 is an excellent unit (although I now have the eTrex Legend). When you initially turn on the unit, for a cold start it takes a minute or two. Then it should up date fairly quickly. Be sure the unit is set to normal operation and not battery save. Also check Garmins site for latest up-dates and download the latest. You'll see it on the side of the site 'up-dates and downloads'. Also when traveling through the woods, you have to maybe hold it in your hand out a little so it gets the satellites quicker. And, ya, the compass points straight up when you are on course. If it is left or right, you turn that way and it will snap to the top. I have used it in some thick stuff and it sure pointed great for me.
I guess the more you use it the more comfortable you get with it. I have actually strapped it to the top of my hat and let it record a track on the way in. Then simply Trackbacked out with it in my hand. Just keep using it and you will become expert in it and know what it's try to tell you.

[Cap'nJon]

Garmin is the best because they were the first company contracted by the Military to make the units...I have used a couple different models from them while in the military...Your compass swings slow because of your signal fade from time to time due to the canopy and other interferance. It sure beats dead reckoning and using Loran-C...;)

[Swamp Monster]

Thanks for all the info! I think I can live with the little bit of delay, just wasn't expecting it. It got me where I needed to go and it got me back out again with no problems (other than the delay). With some more time under my belt I'm sure I will have more confidence in my ability to use it and have more trust in it than initially. It will definitely be with me on all my outdoor activities!

[Michigan Hunter]

That's key. Use it all the time and you'll be suprised what it can do. I'm still checking in the manual on different things I can do with it that I didn't know. I have a couple hunts coming up Nov. and Jan. in California and Alabama and have checked locations on the eTrex with topo maps. I already know what I am getting into and will be ready. (CA is 13,000 area ranch and AL is a 16,000 acre plantation.) I won't go into those places unless I have the GPS in one hand and the gun in the other.
A hint: when you get out of your vehicle set the unit down as you get loaded and mark a waypoint when it locks in. Then you can shut it off and go about your hunt. When you want to return (even if you know the way) you'll know how far and how long it will take to get back.