Garmin GPSMAP 276Cx

D#head

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I've use a Garmin GPSMAP 276Cx on my bikes for about a year now going from using two different types of Garmin one for road and one for off road, garmin nav 4 and a Montana, switching to the Garmin GPSMAP 276Cx its big and heavy for a navigation unit not got touch screen to many features and buttons but I bloody love it.
so easy to just swap over to different bikes having same cradle on all bikes, 8gb memory to load maps routes waypoints it Supports Garmin TOPO Maps, HuntView Maps, BlueChart g2 HD Marine Charts & More its a All-terrain GPS Navigator thats so easy to zoom in and out, with already having the three power cradles from a garmin Montana it slots straight in, the battery last days without a charge
 

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Do you use ordnance survey maps (OS) on the unit & if so what is the map / redraw speed like?

I have been interested in this unit to perhaps to replace my 8 year old Montana, although I am reluctant to proceed having read many horror stories, on very slow map performance. This is slightly disappointing bearing in mind the price of the unit.

I would welcome your experience & comments on the unit.
 
Me too came from the Montana 650t, I did read up on the unit been slow with map refreshing, I've never had any isssues, I watch a review on you tube on the unit and went into him having slow issues then Garmin released a update to sort that out but that was before I went out and bought it,
I used a Montana on my m8's bike last week and it felt strange using it, I do like mine, the only issue I have with it is the weight, when you take it off the mount you need a big pocket to put it in other than that I love it with the big screen especially off road the detail is brill I don't need reading glass,
:)
 
Sorry to ask again, do you use Ordnance survey maps off road?

Thanks for the feedback!
 
I've just got one if these, with a plan to replace road based Zumo's and Montana's for the trails.
I've loaded up Garmin Topo Pro OS maps and City Navigator Europe.

So far, I've found some major drawbacks.

First, it doesn't cope with UK 6 digit postcodes, only 4 digit. This is like going back to 2003 and makes it pretty much useless as a road GPS here in the UK, unless I'm doing something wrinf

Second, it doesn't have profiles like the Montana has. I'm used to putting the Montana in the van, switching to a profile called van with the Nuvi dashboard and using it as a car GPS.
Get to the trail, switch to the Trail profile with OS maps. Between trails, switch to a trail-road profile with Nuvi dashboard, avoid motorways etc.

On the GPSmap 276CX all these are buried in numerous menus.

Screen is brilliant, as is the GPS fix - even works indoors but it may be just too flawed to replace the zumo and Montana.

And screen refresh on the OS maps seems slow too


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I can see that would be a bigger for you, I only use it on both bikes, I've never used the post code thing but I'll make a note of that, let's hope there's an update
 
But even on the bike, don't you ever need to navigate to an address? With the rocker button entry that takes a lot longer than entering in a post code. I also found that to switch between road and trail modes you either need to switch between maps or switch from track up to automotive and vice-versa - otherwise you're trying to use OS/topo maps on the road, or road maps on the trail
 
I have been using a 276cx for about a year now
Map draw speed with city navigator or OSM is not quick but acceptable ( joke for a £600 unit !! )
But with a raster map like GB Discoverer on it it is very slow
It is a good unit but has some serious performance issues that spoil it and have not been rectified by firmware up dates ( i doubt they ever will be )
Screen is excellent...Just needs a decent processor to take advantage of it
Considering the price and slow performance i suggest anyone who is thinking of buying one to have a good look at one and play before committing yourself
 
I used to use a 176 (the forerunner of the one above) and it's big advantage is the buttons, they are very easy use with gloves. I'm now on a Montana, and while it's an amazing machine it's not has handy when in big wintergloves.
 
Yep buttons is a plus point with gloves on for sure
But also a minus point because it's very slow to enter anything on the rocker pad
Just see how long it takes you to put a address in on the buttons without post code search compared to the montana :bow
 
I second what Garry says:
It only does 4 digit postcodes
Screen redraw is ridiculously slow on raster (GB Discoverer type) maps
There are no profiles, so you can't switch easily between say automotive mode and trail mode
The find function is based on where the maps cursor is set, so by default, your immediate area. If you want to search somewhere else (like where you are going) you must scroll the map there

Plus side, however
Great screen
Very good GPS fixing
Buttons are handy when you have wet or muddy hands.

I had hoped it would replace Montana and Zumo 590/595, but the crap find feature and lack of postcode makes it pretty useless as an automotive device in the UK, and the slow map draw limits it's use as an on the trail device. Maybe it's really good as a marine device!

I have been using a 276cx for about a year now
Map draw speed with city navigator or OSM is not quick but acceptable ( joke for a £600 unit !! )
But with a raster map like GB Discoverer on it it is very slow
It is a good unit but has some serious performance issues that spoil it and have not been rectified by firmware up dates ( i doubt they ever will be )
Screen is excellent...Just needs a decent processor to take advantage of it
Considering the price and slow performance i suggest anyone who is thinking of buying one to have a good look at one and play before committing yourself
 
I've just ordered one of these... but against the internet forums hatred of this device it seems :blast

Bought it for £565 off Amazon.co.uk and free delivery. I was going to hang off and buy one second hand, but on this particular device, I want the full years warranty.

I've read plenty of people have complained about slow performance, slow boot up speeds, poor menu structures, clunky operation, all sorts of complaints..

But, what convinced me to try it was the more recent reviews (2019) seem to show Garmin updates have fixed a few things. Ride the Wild (YouTube Channel) uses it, and he thinks it's brilliant in Snowdonia National Park...

It seems the settings need to be very specific to stop slow map draw speeds.

I don't mind the buttons and clunky menu's as I mainly want it for off-road use, so touch screens are useless in mud. For mapping tracks and trails in the middle of nowhere over rough ground. Apparently the Satellite connections are rock solid, even under trees.. and the battery life is very good, lasting all day long at least.

My Nav VI will do for road use.

I also bought it for that brilliant 5" screen, that you can see in direct sunlight. I already have a Garmin eTrek 60csx from years ago, and the screen is brilliant (albeit too small on that handheld device).

Anyways.... see how I get on with it I suppose.

Also, I've seen really cheap eBay listings for 2019 Garmin SD Cards with Topo Great Britain Pro maps on them for £30.... :nenau Anybody tried these? :confused:
 
Well, having done some research, the Topo Great Britain Pro maps at 1:50k seem suitable to identify BOATS and other stuff useful to an off-road biker.

I've read that the Explorer OS 1:25k are so detailed they are very slow to draw on this 276cx device, due to the level of detail.

So I'll buy the Garmin City Navigator maps for road use. Get that downloaded.

I'll try the cheapo eBay £40 special SD Card 1:50k TOPO OS map to see what it's like. Send it back for a refund if it's crap and buy the Garmin version download.
 
Well today, my new Garmin GPSMAP 276cx device arrived and what a fecking steep learning curve. !!! - to say the least.

The unit is very clever, but it's not straightforward at all.

It appears that the device can hold multiple maps all at once (of different map types, Vector, Raster, Birdseye). You can then select which type of map you want to use.

For example.....

Vector - A vector map is built digitally, so when you zoom in, the data view changes dynamically and the clarity stays crisp. Most modern satnavs are Vector maps

Raster - A raster map is effectively a high quality scanned map in a picture format. Like scanning an Ordinance Survey map into a picture. Great for accurate detail, but the more you zoom in, the fuzzier the image becomes.

Birdseye (Satellite Image) - A Birdseye map is satellite imagery, so you see a google earth type image on the screen.

So this GPSMAP 276cx device can hold ALL THREE of these type maps, and then you choose which one suits your requirements.

For example.....

You may use a Vector Navigation map to route you through the road networks to get you to an off-road site.

Then switch to a Raster map to view your route over Ordinance Survey topographical map, so you can see detail of the terrain. Or switch to a Birdseye map for a real view of the surrounding area from above.

I've also found a guy who's translated Raster OS Maps into Vector style.... so you get the best of both worlds, clarity when zoomed in and OS Detail.

https://talkytoaster.me.uk/

So I've ordered one of his maps for the UK as well.

Can't wait to try this thing out, it's VERY CLEVER.... :cool:
 
The Garmin Topo Great Britain Maps cost a bloody fortune.

Garmin 1:50,000 scale Raster map is £150.00
Garmin 1:25,000 scale Raster map is £350.00
City Navigator Vector map - for road navigation is £35

All are download once only.. no backups allowed. You lose the card, or device and you'll have to buy them again :eek::blast

On eBay, some dirty scumbags are selling copies of the Garmin 1:50,000 scale maps for £40.... :confused: and they're good copies DAMHIK

An alternative is the Talkytoaster https://talkytoaster.me.uk/ guy who sells his own version of Vector maps which cost about £30 all in. Subscription for 2 years is £50 and regular map updates.

So you pick your maps accordingly.
 
Also, the 4 digit post codes still work. They bring up the roads in that area and I don't see the problem here?

Post codes aren't that accurate anyway.
 
Would the Routable Bicycle (Openfietsmap Lite) maps at http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/ be a viable free alternative for trails?

Hi mate,

I've tried this site and downloaded the osm mapa, but honestly... the talkytoaster maps are way way better, so much so, I've subscribed to his map updates for two years.

So... my final maps setup is....

A) Garmin Topo 1:50k GB Pro (just for reference)

B) TalkyToaster 1:50k Look n Feel map subscription (my go-to map for BOATS and off road)

C) Garmin City Navigator UK & Ireland for street navigation

See how I get on with that setup
 


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