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Technology Bytes
by Francine Brokaw
Garmin 276C GPS
Some of us are lucky enough to have a GPS (Global Positioning System) included in our cars. If you do, you know how handy they are. But many of us don’t have a GPS built into our cars or motorcycles (yes you can use a GPS with a motorcycle). Well, that’s not a problem because you can easily add one without tearing up your dashboard or messing with the car at all. The Garmin Company manufactures several models.
The Garmin 276C is an easy-to-use portable system that doesn’t require a degree in rocket-science or nuclear physics to work. It has a color screen which measures 3 ½ inches diagonally and uses rechargeable batteries or can be hard-wired to your car or motorcycle or plugged into a cigarette lighter with an adaptor. There are removable memory cards that can store different downloadable maps. The software can be downloaded through the Garmin website.
The 276C is basically their marine model, but it’s just as useful for cars as it is for boats. The user can display road maps, cartography (water) maps, or topography (land) maps on the screen. The screen is bright and easy to read. Once the unit is turned on it takes only a few seconds for it to acquire the satellites which then references where you are. Once your position is acquired, you can set the display to show several different options. You can see which direction you are heading (North, South, East, or West), the distance you’ve traveled, the maximum speed, the time you’ve been moving, and many more configurations. The point is you have the ability to personalize the system to your specifications. So, if you want it to display certain parameters, you can set it to do so.
The display can show where you are at any point in relation to the roads. This way you can see what’s ahead and where you’ve been. In some residential neighborhoods that wind around like noodles in a plate of spaghetti, this can be very useful since you can often get confused and might keep going in a circle unless you know where you are. And for those of you who don’t ever ask directions (you know who you are) this is the perfect tool.
The unit has easy buttons that are self explanatory. The system can locate cities, addresses, fuel services, points of interest, food and drink, exits, lodging, entertainment, attractions, shopping, emergency services, government offices, and much more. Just select what you want to find and in a few seconds you’ll have a map directing you to exactly where you want to go. If you select food, a list will pop up telling the distance to the nearest restaurants with a list of those restaurants. You can select what kind of restaurant you desire (Pizza, Chinese, etc.) too. There is no keypad on the unit, but the buttons are used to scroll through the alphabet to select the specific locations. If you choose “pizza,” a list will pop up with the names of the restaurants, the addresses, phone numbers and distance to the location. How handy is that?
When you choose a selection, whether it is a business address or home address, you get to select the way you want the unit to direct you to that address. Do you want the fastest time or the shortest distance? You can select if you want to see your journey on a map or if you want step-by-step directions.
The unit can be plugged into your speakers to get verbal directions too. With an optional bean bag, you don’t need to anchor the GPS to your dash. The bean bag keeps it steady right there on your dash and makes it portable so you can easily transfer it to another car. If you’re attaching the unit to a motorcycle, a Touratech mount is the best way to go. Check their website.
In these days of high technology, some of the things out there are just little gadgets with very little usefulness in everyday life. But a GPS is one of the useful ways technology has benefited our lives. With a Garmin GPS, you will never get lost and will always know exactly where you are. It’s easy to use and handy to have. Once you have one you’ll wonder how you got along without it!
© 2005 Francine Brokaw
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