Anyone know how to use Garmin GPSmap 76?

[Lootas1]

Bought a new Garmin GPSmap 76 and have spent at least 8 hours over past three days trying to figure it out. I follow the book step by step until it goes to some place other than what the book shows. I'm about to give up on it. Any ideas how to make it work?
Actually, same kind of deal with my Eagle Eye fish finder. I follow the book and it does other things. Yesterday I tried setting the shallow water alarm. I couldn't change the depth setting as the book showed. the fish finder was showing 5.4 feet of water under the boat (correct or very near) and I was at a point where the rocker up should have allowed me to set a minimum depth where it would sound alarm. It was at 0 feet when I got it and it wouldn't change.
Nevermind, the alarm started beeping as soon as I hit "enable" and wouldn't shut off. I hit "disable" but it kept beeping. I unplugged and waited a couple of minutes. Plugged it in and turned on power and alarm beeped. So, I found where I supposedly could changed from beep to song. Tried it and it showed "song" but still beeped insessently so I turned the volume all the way down. Now it is quiet but I have no useable alarms.
Can it be that I've reached an age where all electronic things mock me?
Jerry

[Dave C]

Have you got any Grandkids ?
They should be able to whip right through it (probably with out the manual)
They are our only salvation.

[Lootas1]

Boy, do I agree with that! Have only one grandchild and she is 5. She has her own computer and knows how to use it but don't think she can do the GPS or fish finder yet. Give her some kindergarten and maybe the first grade...

[Captain Jack]

Tech Support

Have you got any Grandkids ?
They should be able to whip right through it (probably with out the manual)
They are our only salvation.

People often tell me: It's so easy a child can do it, but there's never a child around when you need one!

Any time I have problems with a Garmin unit, I just take it back to the factory (there's one at the south side of town).

The Cap'n

[McSkagit Tim Jones]

Garmin GPS

The GPS is laughing at you. What you need to do is "BOOT IT UP" with a size 10 Brogan.
McSkagit

[Skagitguy]

Jerry, I think i would call my granddaughter . She just might surprise you or better yet take it over to her and maybe grandpa and granddaughter might be able to get it going beween the two of you.Have her play with the buttons as you read the instrucrions ! Is half of the instruction book in English and the other half ( upsidedown ) in another language ? Try that language. I had my son help me about 10 years ago with mine. When i sold the boat in 2003 i kept the GPS because i did not want to go thru what you are trying to do now on another unit. Both the Rosario & Farallon are wired so i can switch the GPS from one to the other. I think i might take it back to the store and see if they can help you. I still don't remember all the things mine will do. Best,Chuck

[Lootas1]

Manual is 78 pages long all in English (but Greek to me). I'm encouraged by all the good suggestions. I'm taking the 5 year old granddaughter fishing Sunday. She has been an enthusiastic fisherman for three years now. Guess I should go slow and steady. I can now find a tide chart for 3 miles from my house, the speed I'm making over water and see the pointer move along as I do. I can get my compass on it and my Lat. and Long. Need to work on the waypoint thing and see how to change distance from meters to feet or miles. (Do any of us measure distance in meters?)
I'm planning to do the around Fidalgo Island in a month and perhaps I'll have it mastered by then so when the rest of you guys run off and leave me and the fog rolls in and I can't see the Deception Pass bridge overhead, I'll at least know where I am and how fast the current is taking me toward the unseen rocks!

[Helmar]

Hey Jerry.
I have one of those and Was able to figure it out at one time.
now for some reason it Lost the extra map Detail that I paid for and added.
I contacted Garmin and they are stumped as well, told me to Reload everything again...

There is really too much stuff on those darn things but at one time, mine was pretty skookum and it showed me ever step of the way when I went up to LaConner and around Whidbey.

Now, I can't make it work like that again so there Has to be some better support...
I think calling them and hoping they Speak English..

Problem with most of the manuals are they are written by Foreign Geeks and then Convert to English..

Some of my Ham Radios are the same way, its hard to fig them out.
Might try a Forum for GPS's and ask your detailed questions.
http://www.gpsinformation.org/forum/...php?f=4&t=6504
This one is talking about our unit.

[Lootas1]

Thanks Joe for input. How much are those charts and how big of an area do the cover? Took the boat from Lummi to Clark Island Saturday and the pointer followed me around Lummi but, when I reached Clark, it didn't show it or the ajacent Barnes Island so I pulled the boat up on the beach but the chart showed me a mile out from Orcas. Planning to do the circumnavigation of Fidalgo with the group. Was thinking of running down from Lummi to join the tour (it costs me $50 to take the boat across on the ferry) but lacking a dependable kicker motor and traveling alone, I guess I'll trailer to Cornet Bay. Of course, I paid $33 yesterday for a trailer license and that will probably be the only time I'll take the trailer on public roads this year.
Many years ago I powered a 17 sail boat through Deception Pass against the current with two kids and a large dog onboard and wasn't sure I was going to make it. I was at WOT on a 9.5 Johnson with transom almost at waterline and wakes from big boats going by were trying to swamp us. Now I have some respect for that pass and small boats.

[Helmar]

Hi Jerry.
I didn't get the chips that are available for it, I got the Code to open up the Puget Sound area. I think it was right at a hundred bucks?
It would show the detail for the area.

Just as I rounded the corner off Marrostone Island or just south of Port Townsend, the detail went away until I got that extra code to plug in for the Puget Sound.

Other than that, it covered pretty much everything else I would possibly need including the Columbia River.
The sweet part is that it shows were You are and the Center of the Shipping channels, tide stations as it will adjust itself for the tide if you select a tide station. Can't say as I got that far with it.

Anyway, I lost all my detail and will have to reload the stuff, so Garmin tells me.

When the thing was working right, its Great as it shows you Where You are. In the fog, all one would need is Radar to know were Others are :eek:

[Steve_Kiesel]

Joe, so very true about the radar. After loosing my bearings in the fog off Hat Island about ten years ago, I got a GPS with map background.

The next time out in the fog I was very happy to see exactly where I was in relation to the land. Then a Bayslimer comes flying out of the fog right at me. It was too close for comfort. I was shaking so bad I had to power down and clean myself up.

Guess you can never have too many electronics. Never did get radar, but I've never gone out in the fog since then.