Garmin GPS MAP 276 User Comments by Mike Emery.
          Comments? Questions?  Email Mike
 
1)  Why you picked out the GPS you did.
    I was looking for a good mapping GPS receiver with a larger display to use in a car.  I've got a Garmin 12XL that I originally got for hiking, but quickly found I used it more driving.  I finally decided to bite the bullet and get a good mapping unit, and decided on the Garmin GPSMAP 276C.
    I also went ahead and purchased the automotive kit at the same time, which includes the Garmin City Select software, a 128MB memory card, bean-bag mounting, and cigarette plug adapter with a built-in speaker.
 
2)  What you like about your choice.
    I am delighted with the sharp, easy to read color display.  Although it looses some contrast in direct sunlight, it still remains fairly easy to see.  Anything less than direct sunlight and it is as good as anything I have seen.
 
3)  What you do not like about your choice?
    This is my first experience with a mapping GPSR, so I don't have a basis for comparison, but so far I have found very little to complain about with the 276C.    However, the Garmin car cigarette plug with the little built-in speaker is a potential weak point.  The plastic cap that holds the fuse in place is threaded so that it screws into the main body of the plug, and the wall thickness of the plastic threads is too thin to provide sufficient strength to withstand the stresses of insertion and removal from the car's cigarette outlet.  I am now on the second car plug after only about 2 weeks of use.
 
4)  Your experiences in using your GPS receiver.
    I received my 276C with software version 2.5, and I quickly stumbled upon the bug that Garmin described in their update section of their web site (but I had not read).  This bug causes the unit to shutdown every time you go to the map page, and can even get into an oscillating situation of powering on then off continuously.  I installed the newer version 2.6, and did a system reset (which is QUIT + ON) and haven't had any more trouble.
 
5)  Does your GPS perform as you expected.
    After installing the newer software, it has worked flawlessly.  The front end electronics seem to be a little more sensitive than the 12XL, subjectively, because it seems to maintain a lock under conditions that the 12XL could not usually handle.
I had the 276C determine routes to locations I was already familiar with, and found that it seemed to pick very good routes consistent with routes I normally use.
 
6)  How is the manual?
    Overall, fairly good.  It should have included the system reset sequence, but Garmin's support provided that for me after an email request.
 
7)  Other comments. 
    All my experience with it has been in the Automotive Mode.  I have not used it at all in the Marine Mode.
    The autorouting function seems to do a good job.  The unit has several nice features such as high and low tides, sun and moon, hunting and fishing times.  (Not very useful for driving, but still neat.)  The GPSMAP 276C is a very new entry to the market, and few software bugs can be expected.  It looks as if Garmin is patching them quickly and posting software updates on the website just as quick.  Just be sure to update from 2.5 to a newer version as soon as possible.