Garmin 76Cx Handheld GPS
Review

The Garmin 76Cx handheld GPS is an upgraded mapping version of the original Garmin 76 model. It gets the 'x' designation for the addition of an included 128 MB microSD card for storage of optional map detail and a high-sensitivity GPS receiver.

Its sister model adds both an altimeter and electronic compass and carries the CSx model name. The 76Cx GPS is fairly large for a handheld at 6.2 inches high, 2.7 inches wide and 1.4 inches deep. With batteries installed it weighs in at 8.5 ounces.

Garmin 76Cx Handheld GPS

Eight pushbuttons and a rocker switch near the top of the Garmin 76Cx GPS front panel operate this unit. Pressing the power button for a second or so turns on the unit. Two more quick pushes brings the screen brightness to its highest level.

A 2.6-inch 256-color TFT screen with a resolution of 160 x 240 occupies the lower half of the front panel. This high-resolution screen provided us with readable map images plus sharp and clear text and numbers. We rated daylight viewability very good on this Garmin handheld GPS.

You can choose from one of ten daytime color palettes. Night lighting on this unit is very sophisticated. It has a 21-position slider to set screen brightness and an automatic day/night color palette selector. This last feature can also be set manually.

There are ten night color palettes to pick from too. The power button can be used to select three screen brightness levels. Pushbuttons are backlit for easy night viewing; however the cursor pad is not lit.

The pushbutton location on the upper half of case front makes it possible to operate this unit with one hand and not block your view of the screen with your fingers.

The Garmin 76Cx GPS interfaces with the user through dedicated pushbuttons and a number of main pages.

To save a waypoint at your present position press the Enter/Mark button. This also brings up the waypoint edit page and allows you to change the symbol, name, note, and coordinates. Waypoint names can be up to 14 characters long and are input to memory using an onscreen cursor pad controlled keypad.

The Satellite page shows you tracked satellite position graphically and lists signal strength for each with a bar graph on the bottom of the page. Icons at the top of the page reveal battery condition and GPS status.

Three navigational pages follow with each successive push the Page button. The Trip Computer page displays either three data boxes with large numbers or eight data boxes with smaller numbers. The data displayed in each box can be user selected.

The Map page displays a full page map or you can add from one to four data boxes, again all user selectable.

The last of the navigational pages is the Compass page. The lower half of the page is filled with a large compass rose. Above this you’ll find either two, three, or four data boxes. The number is your choice as are all the data points.

Another press of the Page button takes you to the Menu page. Here you will find a number of other lists or sub-menus including Tracks, Routes, Setup, Calendar, Calculator, and others.

The page list and sequence can be changed by the user. We decided to add the Highway page to our list of active pages.

The Highway page uses two, three, or four data boxes on the top of the page with a graphic directional display at the bottom.

The 76Cx GPS ships with a blank microSD card with at least 128 MB of capacity to store optional downloadable data like charts, user waypoints, and routes. You can load optional map data by purchasing either a Garmin MapSource CD or a pre-loaded map card.

Access to the battery compartment, data port, external antenna jack, and USB port are all located on the rear of the case. The microSD card slot is located inside the battery compartment but does not require battery removal for access.

This Garmin 76Cx GPS handheld can store up to 1000 waypoints and as many as 50 routes. A TracBack feature lets you navigate a track backwards. This makes going back home the same way you came very easy.

This unit ships with Garmin MapSource Trip and Waypoint Manager software and a USB cable to allow transfer of waypoint, route, and track data between the 76Cx GPS and a personal computer.

The warranty period is one-year and the unit is rated water resistant to IPX7 standards. That means it can be submerged to a depth of 1 meter for 30 minutes and not be damaged. This one passed our submersion test. It floats too. If you like the features of the Garmin 76Cx, but require an electronic compass and a barometric altimeter, check out its sister model the Garmin GPS 76CSX Handheld GPS with Barometric Altimeter and Electronic Compass.



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