GARMIN 010-00270-02 Rino Series 120 GPS with 2-Way Radio Reviews

• Great two gadgets in one...

  
  By AVEF34D4X6QUE on 2002-11-11
  Garmin Rino 120 is the new GPS/Walkie-Talkie that my group picked up for out last kayaking outing. I already own Garmin Legend but I figured that I can sell it and for extra money have a reliable communication and navigation tool in one.
  Well using it all weekend proved that it was worth the money. It has the standard features of the radio and GPS unit so you already know what to expect out of the box but there are some extra functions that are unique for Rino. I love the trip odometer feature which allows me to time my progress, adjust speed and control break point. With the buddy to buddy reference positioning system I can do sweeps on the river and keep my group spread out without fear of loosing anyone. Also it's easier to manage food and camp if you know how far people are away from you and what's their ETA is. Obviously I wasn't able to hit every possible feature but from what I got to use it I already establish the possible pros and cons of the unit.

  Pros:
  -GPS with WAAS build in. Very accurate.
  -Unit is small and waterproof (ok no diving).
  -Build in very loud alarm clock
  -Build in games will kill some boredom (kills battery)
  -When talking to your buddy your unit automatically sends your position out so he knows where you are (you can shut it off).
  -Strong clip
  -Easy to access even in the kayak
  -Walkie-talkie has nice scrambler and coding device.

  Cons:
  -When using GPS (waas on) and Walkie-Talkie batteries drain fast
  -Window needs screen protector because it scratches too easily
  -Unit doesn't feel that solid as big priced Motorola radios (goes for all Garmin units)
  -Like with all GPS units (or at least the one I worked with) you need open (partially open or steady position) sky for clear accurate signal
  -Radios even if functional will only have 2 mile radius. Enough for camping and woods but not enough for any other land movement tactics cooperation SAR.
  -Screen size was reduced. It still looks ok but I got used to bigger screen from my previous unit so I'm still adjusting.
  -Cool white backlight that was a trademark on most of the Garmin units was substituted by green glow one. Is it a problem? No, but I think I was able to see a bit clearer with the white light.

  At the end it's a nice tool to have. GPS, radio, alarm clock and games all packed into one nifty unit.
  
  

• It's currently defective

  
  By on 2002-12-03
  I bought 3 units and they all have the same problem: the slightest impact can cause them to lose power and require that the power be switched back on. Specifically, when dropped from a height of less than an inch, they shut off w/o beeping or other notice. While attempting to use them in practice, everyone's unit was always off due to this problem, so I will be returning mine in the hope that they will fix this problem in future units. The problem is that the batteries are on squishy springs, unlike the Motorola Talkabout's taut ones; and the circuit lacks a capacitor or other means of storing milliseconds worth of power. They will probably fix it, so not the date of this review: 12/3/02.
  Also, I assumed that the units would provide automatic position updates to others in a group, but discovered that it only transmits one's location if one presses TALK. Perhaps this will be fixed by a future software release.
  
  

• Excellent GPS, Below Average Radio

  
  By on 2003-12-02
  I bought this device to cut down by one the number of electronic gizmos that I carry around while traveling with my family, not for its position transmission feature. After using the Rino I think that the combination of radio and GPS in one device is an excellent idea in theory, but the execution of the idea in the Rino is flawed because of the poor performance of the radio.
  
  The GPS in the Rino 120 is very similar if not identical to the Garmin etrex Legend and even the included basemap is useful for rough navigation. I found the GPS user interface to be quite intuitive. Further, the satellite reception was considerably better than I expected; surprisingly, I could get a 2d lock from inside my house. More memory would be nice for downloading MapSource maps, but really I don't have any substantive criticism of the GPS - this is what Garmin does, and does well, in the rest of its product line.
  
  However, I was so disappointed in the performance of the Rino as a radio that I returned the unit. I'm an amateur radio operator and I well understand the limitations of FRS / GMRS in simplex (no repeater) operation. (If you didn't already know, those "2" and "5" mile maximum range claims that all radio manufacturers seem to make are obtainable only under the most favorable conditions and in the real world you will do well to get, at best, half of those distances.) Even within these limitations, the radio in the Rino is poor by comparison to good standalone FRS radios (We use Icom 4008A's).
  
  When I was testing the Rino, I set it side by side in my house with my Icom and used both to scan the FRS channels for traffic. The Icom repeatedly picked up clearly audible conversations (by people using unknown types of FRS radios) that the Rino never heard. When I turned off the squelch on the Rino ("monitor mode") and set it to the channel the Icom stopped on, I could hear only the faintest echoes of transmissions that were clearly audible on the Icom. On a recent trip, I was using the Rino and was standing right next to my wife who was wearing an Icom. Another in our party called us from perhaps 1/2 mile away using his Icom. I could hear him clearly on my wife's radio while the Rino barely broke squelch and was unintelligible.
  
  If your use for this device is heavy on the GPS side and light on the radio side, then I would consider it. If you are looking for a radio that incidentally contains a GPS, I would pass on the Rino for now, go for the Batman look and buy standalone GPS and FRS / GMRS devices. No, you won't have the position reporting feature this way, and that is one of the strongest points of the Rino. However, given that this feature is tied to the Rino's FRS performance, don't expect too much.
  
  All in all, kudos to Garmin for this truly excellent idea, and I will certainly buy another release of the Rino in the future if Garmin will give us radio performance equivalent to their excellent GPS. Frankly, I would be willing to pay more for the unit if it had that kind of performance.
  
  

• Easy to use, but that isn't the best part!

  
  By AIXKMXT72E7S1 on 2003-01-14
  I bought a set of these for my wife and me to go Geocaching with. They do an excellent job of showing you the distance, ETA and even an approximate location on a basemap already provided in the unit (which actually saved me, when I misread a set of directions).

  However the best part of this unit is the ability to send and receive the location of your friends and family. It works perfectly and behind the scenes, whenever you transmit or push the call button. I love this device and it's already become a "must have" piece of equipment for any trip.

  UPDATE: OK, I don't normally return to edit my reviews, but this product deserves it. I just pulled my Rino 120 out of the WASHING MACHINE. Yes, I might not be too bright, but the people who built this thing are. The waterproof device still works perfectly and there is no external damage to the unit either!
  
  

• rino is junk

  
  By A25T45PGR8MP8J on 2002-12-02
  im very disappointed in my rino 120.its plagued without problems.the microphone is not sensitive enough no matter how loud you talk into mic people can not here you on other 2 way radios.the input jack for headset is faulty you have to wiggle headphone plug around to get headphones and mic to work.basemap that is included with rino is vagued so plan on spending at least another [money]100 for mapsource cd.rino uses a click and stick button to switch modes and change setting the botton is small and difficult to use.lcd screen is so small you need a pair of binoculars to read it.i contacted garmin and they said tey were aware of the problems and were working on solutions.they would contact me when they come up with something.that was a month ago.
  
  
• Unit continually locks up
  By A2I6D781S7G81T on 2004-06-22
  My unit is in Iraq in combat. We made the mistake of purchasing 30 of these units, 1 for each soldier and they are a disaster.

  They lock up continually for no reason, whether using only the GPS or only the radio or both.

  Our serial numbers indicate they are fairly new models and we have a series of them starting with 39914168, but I have talked with other owners of this unit here in country and they attest to the same problem.

  Imagine you are on a combat patrol and you are using the Garmin as a commo device between the men of your team. You keep calling for the lead vehicle but he doesn't respond because his radio has locked up once again. He doesn't know this of course because the screen is still on (sometimes).

  I'm more than disappointed, I'm kind of angry because we had the opportunity to buy Motorolas and the reliable Etrex Garmins which would have saved us nearly $100 per soldier and given us something reliable.
  
  

• great!
  By on 2003-05-16
  I have just purchased my second unit and have a few things to share with the first time buyer.

  This unit comes with a serial cable that is used for programming the unit and sending GPS data to the computer. after getting a new unit, check for updated firmware at garmin.com. the newest firmware helped the start time of my unit (the time it took to find a satellite) and improved its reception capability. after I updated the firmware I got a solid sat. lock from my living room couch.

  some of the older units are effected by a poor audio quality due most likely to a faulty microphone in the unit. read the footnote at [website] and it says Rino 120 - Serial Numbers 38905977 through 38941463 are recalled. I have two units in this range. they are usable but you have to speak at just the right level. I will be returning them and getting updated ones when they become available in my area.

  The FRS radio works well with my other motorola radios, and from my limited testing the sub channels (0-38) appear to all use the same tones as motorola. the FRS radio has the ability to 'scan' for conversation. something that is very useful if you were using it in conjunction with search and rescue (trying to find someone that you knew had an FRS radio)

  some people have commented that when you are driving down the road the unit shows you as being off the road. the reason for this is that the basemap is VECTOR based (straight line between points) and there is a limited number of points stored in memory. If it bothers you to have your point shown off the road, there is a feature that you can use 'snap to road' or something like that. The actual position reported by this is VERY accurate. I have gotten the unit to 9ft of accuracy which is helpful for such things as geocaching.

  There is limited third party software to generate your own map. do a search for 'garmin custom map' at google.com

  this device is a great integration of GPS and FRS. the... pricetag seems steep until you realize that the exact same GPS WITHOUT a radio (and the vibrator that is in the model) is about that price. The features over the 110 are well worth it. it has a basemap of North/south america, 8 meg of memory for downloading map data, and a vibrator that will vibrate when you receive a call after 45 seconds.
  
  

• Great product
  By A3HVIXLT2E8ZUO on 2003-10-14
  Since purchasing this I have been using quite extensively, but never with someone who also has a Rino so I cannot comment on the ability to beam locations. I have several Motorolas that I use for various reasons and have had no real issues with communicating with them. When I use the radio in conjuction with the GPS, you can almost feel the batteries draining though.

  The GPS is quick to acquire and is fairly decent at keeping a signal. I have used this from Detroit to Biloxi St. Louis and over to South Korea with excellent results. The ability to find an exit on a highway and tell what is there is a really nice feature, and so far as I can tell is pretty accurate too. I have also purchased the Topographic Maps for the US as well which are really nice. I do wish there was a way to get downloadable maps from Garmin for other parts of the world though. One downside is that it is not USB and my laptop is, so I have to do all of my downloading/uploading on my desktop pc at home which is not always convenient.

  It is an easy unit to become familiar with and the display is not too small or too big, considering that it doubles as a radio. The menus are set up so that navigating within the different menus is easy and intuitive. The screen clarity is quite good and the thumb button used for navigating feels just right to me. The unit comes with a quick start guide and a more detailed manual which I have referred to several times to ensure I am doing things right. This thing even has a calculator, games and hunting/fishing tables. No real complaints other than it does not support USB and battery consumption (which you can control somewhat with how often it updates, etc.).
  
  

• Amazing Power in a Small Package
  By A3FT7EBQACZYDC on 2003-10-28
  When I ordered this product, I read many reviews and tried to get a good background of the Rino 120 to see if the product was worth purchasing. I have had 2 other GPS units, and still have an older GPS III from Garmin and really like the capabilities of that unit. The changes that have happened since purchasing the GPS III are truly amazing. The 120 is packed with so much stuff that I find out new things about it frequently. The greatest benefits (in my opinion) are having a gps and radio incorperated into one unit (less to carry). The Position Reporting is also a HUGE new deal. One can see all sorts of potential uses for Position Reporting - from military operations , to seach and rescue, to rounding up the kids on a camping trip. Other features include the moving map, an alarm clock, calender, and other little trinkets
  After the initial position fix, satellite aquisition is much quicker than the old GPS III. Between SA being switched off and the new WAAS system, I have achieved accuracy (based on what the unit says, of course) of 7 feet.
  Light and compact, battery usage is not as bad as I had figured, still on first set and my existing headset (motorola frs radios) works fine with this unit.
  The only downsides to this unit are you have to watch Garmin's software update page for changes, I have owned the unit a month or two and have already done two updates, mind you the updates are free and the 120 comes with the data cable, while I think the 110 does not. The other thing I noticed is that the factory loaded basemap is somewhat crude - roads have been "straightened out" to make the map simplier - not really a surprise though from what I have seen with gps's and maping software.
  Overall I think that the 120 is a fantastic new tool, with great new features. While pricey for a frs radio, it is fairly cheap for a maping GPS and (in my opinion again) a great price for a unit with both a radio and gps.
  
  
• GPS Great/ Radio
  By ARKGLWV184WXQ on 2002-12-09
  In Regards to the GPS functions/features it a great deal for the price. While the 2 way radio, well my title says it all, it's not a Motorola. The microphone is not sensitive enough no matter how loud you talk into mic, in addition people can not here you on other 2 way radios. However on Dec 23, 2002 new firmware (version 2.20) was released, and this appears to have fixed the several key issues, i.e. the microphone sensitive.
  
  
• An excellent unit for the price!
  By A1GCFBTEGG4XYR on 2003-09-02
  For me the rino 120 is an upgrade from the etrex. I have no problems like a lot of you are mentioning. Mic works great, it works great with my Motorolas and I can send my position to another rino user using the GMRS range. Someone mentioned It's a real hassle to register with the FCC for the GMRS use. Go to FCC.com fill out two short forms and pay $$ fee which is good for 5 years and they send you your license and call sign. The 120 works better in dense leaf coverage beacause of it's external antenna. I have no bad comments about the 120, well, maybe the battery life could be better? Anyway, it's a great product. p.s.- I own 2!
  
  
• 'Waterproof' It's Not!
  By A2P1FAQWC6MDSP on 2005-09-08
  The Rino 120 manual says this: "The Rino 120 is waterproof to IEC 60529 IPX7 standards [30 minutes at 1 meter depth] and is rugged enough to endure the most trying use." My experience was otherwise, and the Garmin response was troubling.
  
  After about 8 hours of paddling a sea kayak with the Rino 120 on my foredeck (light-moderate splash for 4 of those hours, no splash for the other 4 hours), it stopped working. I found a small amount of water and corrosion in the battery compartment, so I conclude that water got further into the unit and killed it. But what bothered me the most was the Garmin reaction: water damage is not covered by the warranty!
  
  The following exchange may tell volumes about their product support philosophy:
  
  My Question: "Can you please explain why a product whose own manual describes it as '... waterproof to IEC 60529 IPX7 standards [30 minute submersion to 1 meter] and is rugged enough to endure the most trying use' would be out of warranty for water damage incurred from splashes of water?"
  
  Their Answer: "Because that standard (is) for motionless water. When you add motion to water it introduces a new dynamic to the being waterproof. Water in motion can get into alot of places that motionless water cannot."
  
  Draw your own conclusions.
  
  
• FRS and GPS? No.
  By A1BEMIIZMJYQ47 on 2003-01-11
  Looking for an FRS radio and GBS in one unit? This is not it - Yet! FRS communications are garbled and intermittent between
  other 120's and Motorola handhelds.

  Per Garmin support, microphone and speaker have problems working
  together. Software fix to adjust mic gain fail to fix the problem. I hope there is a hardware fix soon.

  Had to return two units.

  To be fare, the GPS works well and has lots of nice features.
  The serial interface also functioned with Topo USA well.

  I Truly look forward to a unit that works as advertized.
  
  

• Great combo unit!
  By AC5AGZTLM3QO on 2002-11-28
  This is a nice, handy item that performs both functions well, at a reasonable price. Do keep in mind that you have to have a ... FCC GMRS license to operate this GMRS radio!
  
  
• Radio won't work with Mororolla's FRS
  By on 2003-02-11
  Radio won't work with motorolla's FRS radios - transmissions from garmin sound encrypted and are untintelligble on motorolla radios. Found better reception between 2 motorolla frs channels than 2 garmin's on gmrs. Kinda steamed - hope internet retailer will take them back . . . .
  
  
• Fun Toy, Awkward Tool
  By A3PR0KNBP01UR9 on 2003-05-09
  These radios cram a lot of great features in a package that almost fits in a pocket. And the price isn't bad for the combination of a decent radio and an adequate GPS, especially when you can do neat things like broadcast your position to other Rinos so that it appears on their GPS map display. But all these great features only really work if you are paying close of attention. There are simply too many features to use conveniently as part of any real outdoor activity. A superb, well thought out user interface might solve the problem, but that's not what you get with this product -- not by a long shot. Garmin has done a decent workmanlike job with its menus and buttons, but it simply isn't nearly enough to save these from being much more than toys.

  Two further points worth noting. The longer range GMRS radio does not broadcast location information, and in order to use GMRS you must apply for a license with the FCC, involves a fee and several very confusing forms.
  
  

• Recommended
  By A3MZK90G2R5WTV on 2005-10-30
  I purchased the Rino 120 about a year ago. It has been on many trips with me. I have had it attached to my camel pack while mountain biking and hiking. It has been through several crashes on the bike with me. While Geocaching, I dropped it into a stream. I snatched it back up, and found it to be operating perfectly. I have had this on the outside of my pack during light to heavy rain, with no problems. I can do many trips on a set of batteries. I use it often when 4X4'ing with my Jeep. I'll preset coordinates for intersections or points of interest, and it keeps me right on. When Geocaching, it has always led me within a few feet of cache.
  
  My only "gripe" would be that there is no connection for an external antenna. My screen has a "dark" patch on it...kind of like when you press on an LCD screen. It does not interfer with the view on the screen though.
  
  
• Good other than battery issues
  By AQI7UG4XUC6T5 on 2005-01-04
  The unit has some great features, I love the tracback and goto. I am new to using a GPS and find these very valuable. The problem is the batteries now do not last more than 1-2 hours. The first set I put in the unit lasted substantially longer, at least 10 hours. I quite literally went through two sets of batteries (first set I thought were duds)in 4 hours this weekend, without even using heavily. I searched around and looked through the manual, but there is no documentation to this problem.
  
  
• WORKED PERFECT!
  By A2S4ZX4H3DR698 on 2002-11-10
  I got this for my husband to take hunting, it worked great! He was able to keep track of all the other guy's he was hunting with, he could list there names and where each of them were.He also was able to find his way back to camp with no problem since it gives you a back tracking option. No more getting lost with this great GPS!
  
  
• make the motorola talkabouties jealous
  By A1WVMDRJU19AFD on 2003-06-17
  I would have given it three stars due to its mediocre usabilty, but the concept of this radio alone earns it the 4th star.

  PROS
  Looks really cool in dark green, people have asked me if its a satellite phone or military grade etc..
  Its a really great concept, and is the forerunner of next generation mobile phone location systems.
  Its a fun novelty to use, and the gps feature alone can be used in non-extreme adventure settings too- to track a run, bicycle or car trip in detail- times, average speed, top speed route, time stopped etc..., and also has a feature called area calculater which you can use to measure sizes of land by walking around the lands perimiter.

  CONS

  As you probably know, the coordinate sending capabilities only work in the low power FRS channels of the radio (due to FCC restrictions). I thought maybe I could find some kind of hack to override this restriction on the radio, but no luck, still searching. The way to make best use of the rinos is to coordinate with other rinos both one FRS and one GMRS frequency, and always scan between the two, just in case.

  The unit will continue to send old, stale coordinates to the other unit if it hasn't gotten a new position fix to replace it. This is annoying because when you think you know where the other one is, so proud of your technology, you can be way way off, much to the humor of the person your showing it off to.

  You can not use this radio as a homing device- It cannot be set to automatically send out data at intervals. (I think it would be against FCC rule for unattended broadcast, but it would be great- to attach to your child, pet, or girlfriend to make sure they stay out of trouble while at the park or beach.)
  
  

• A combination long awaited
  By A3QFZJZ22WHX80 on 2003-03-20
  I was delighted to see the RINO models, as we found that carrying both a GPS and a separate radio while hunting was a real juggling act. This combination was an answer to prayers. I expect a significant number of my family and hunting friends will end up with these units.

  Some of the reviews mentioned problems with radio compatibility with the Motorola FRS units. We have six of the Motorola units and have had no problems between them and the Garmin. I have also, so far, not had problems with battery life, and have used the unit in all combinations of operation. One hopes these problems were isolated events.

  I find the RINO's operation to be very intuitive, little or no reference to the manual was necessary (though I have now read the entire thing). The unit is certainly the easiest of all the various GPS units I've used. This one even picks up signal while in our house, something no other unit I've seen has done.

  A factor I had never considered with other units is how well the machine fits/holds in the hand.

  So far, in our short association, I'm both very impressed and pleased with the machine. I would recommend it highly.

  --------------------------
  June 03.
  The RINO and I have now been together for a number of months. It continues to be an excellent tool.

  In addressing the reports of battery life and radio reception, I feel it necessary to report that I STILL have not had problems with battery life. I get two full days of 8-10 hour use from a set of batteries, with power left over.

  Between my wife and kids, we have five different Motorola units and have zero problems communicating with them. Both my parents and my in laws have generic "no name" radio sets and the Rino also "talks" to them with zero problems. My unit has software version 2.10, and that may be a factor.
  
  

• Nice gps/radio combo
  By A2BPD7FN5TQEN6 on 2004-11-24
  I have a rino 110 also but wanted the 120 for the mapping capabilities. It is worth the extra money because the rino 120 comes with the pc interface cable and a basemap of highways and routes. I bought the metroguide software and was able to install 4 area maps onto the 8 megs of memory. The unit works well when navigating around town. Radio range is expected with the 1/2 watt frs radio. When I received the unit, it had a minor defect. I returned the unit to garmin tech support and I had a replacement within 8 days. The 120 does have some features that the 110 does not have like vibrate, voice scramble and the ability to send a text message. It works well with my other rino 110's and I am happy with my rino 120.
  
  
• Not too bad but has some issues.
  By A2EP01W5W7DL65 on 2003-05-21
  This unit works fairly well. I can tell you that the radio feature of it does not seem to work as well as a regular FRS radio. I was in a situation where I was standing right next to someone with a regular radio and they were picking people up that I could not hear. My communication abilities were not as good as the rest of our group. They were trying to talk to me several times and I never heard them. I am not sure if this radio just doesn't have the transmit strength of a regular FRS radio. I am also not sure if it possibly has a higher squelch threshold which would cause it to not hear as well as other radios.

  Overall it is not a bad product. I will be interested to see version 2 of it. It think they will fix some of the minor issues that it has.
  
  

• Garmin Rino 120
  By on 2003-08-05
  I purchased my fist Rino 120 a little less than a month ago. It operates as advertised. I like it so much I purchased a second unit today. No, not one for each hand. The second unit is for use by other members of my family.
  
  
• GREAT PRODUCT
  By A1EPDGLPWLV1XS on 2003-08-13
  I BOUGHT THIS FOR MY HUSBAND WHO HAS NOT SET IT DOWN
  WHEN HE HAS TIME TO USE IT AND LEARN W/IT.
  WE ALSO PURCHASED GARMIN UNITED STATES TOPO MAPSOURCE,
  WE ENCOUNTERED THAT W/ NEW LAPTOPS THEY ARE DOING AWAY W/SERIAL PARELLEL PORT,SO GARMIN SHOULD CONSIDER OPTIONS
  FOR USB PORTS ALSO. WE DID FIND AN ADAPTER..
  LIKES BATTERIES ....SO CONSIDER RECHARGABLE .
  
  
• Still Ticking.
  By A5AYQRKHFW8Z2 on 2003-10-03
  This is my 2nd garmin product, GPS V Deluxe being the first. I admit when I first purchased this product, I had mixed feelings. There were problems with the microphone clarity as compaired to motorola's frs group. However, one thing with Garmin is that they are always working on their products, www.garmin.com, updated software for you to download and update your units. Location and map detail on this unit matches that found in the GPS V, right down to the on screen options. My two complaints: 1)Batterious Carniverous... ie Eats Batteries, prefers AAs. 2)I have a bike mount for this unit, and when subject to vibrations, it sometimes shuts itself off. This has become a geocacher's friend, more so if you have more then 1 person you go caching with.
  
  
• Awesome GPS, Average Radio
  By A3QAO2W8WQDR7 on 2004-06-28
  I bought the Rhino 120 for Hiking with my Daughter & we also ride quads & motorcycles on remote trails. The GPS was simply awesome. Accurate & easy to use the basic features, their are alot of features & I am still working on learning them. The basics are easy to learn so you don't get lost & it is easy to find your way back with the tracking & waypoints. We used the radio, however it did not seem to work that well with other brand FRS radio's. The range was very limited, but this may not be Rhino's fault, but rather the different brands of radio's, I did not get the opportunity to give a good range test on GMRS. Anyway, my riding buddy was so impressed he is going to get one as well. I am pleased.
  
  
• short battery life
  By A3LQJ7UHRUC4ZE on 2003-02-25
  I have the rino120 dnathe bartters go dead in about 3days. Is there somthing that i can plug into my 12v system in my car or logging truck cig liter.i am always on the road and it is hard to put batters in it while moving . thank you . larry logan 4008 wilson way lincoln dalif 95648.
  
  
• Almost there ...
  By A2XNH2G6A3MT43 on 2005-10-19
  The Rino 120 is VERY easy to use. It has many user-friendly options, and it does not require vast knowledge of global positioning. I did not give this product 5 stars because of the need to purchase additional detailed maps, and the only choice of them being US and Canadian maps (I live overseas and travel world-wide). I really enjoy the integrated 2-way communications capabilities -- it has enhanced the scope of my own employment performance.
  
  
• Great product. BUT
  By A1VQ2ZDFBBHAOH on 2006-11-10
  I have nothing but great things about the Garmin RINO 120. The Navigation is good to go. Some people complain about how much more work it is compared to a dedicated GPS model. Well, when you have to combine the radio and the GPS, there is bound to be some compromise somewhere. The radio feature is great. I got scambling security function, different beeps and tones for different parties, and the GPS location works with the radio.
  
  My negative opinions is about the computer to unit cord.. It is a old style nine pin serial port, but the more expensive model have the USB to unit cord. Can't they just update the lineup so all of us have the newer connection. Another issue is the software.. All the new maps are not compatible with the RINO 120, but it is compatible with the new RINO 520. Yes, I know they still sell the software that is compatible with the RINO 120, but it isn't updated since 2000, and I would hate to find out the road is no longer there... That kind of thing...
  
  So overall, it is a good product, just that it needs some updating...
  
  

• Garmin 8MB Memory Cartridge
• Garmin PC Interface Cable for Garmin GPS Units (010-10141-00)
• Memorex High Performance AA Alkaline Batteries, 12 Pack
• Memorex High Performance AA Alkaline Batteries, 50 Pack
• Garmin Automotive Windshield Mounting Bracket

• GARMIN 010-10326-00 12V Adapter Cable
• GARMIN 010-10325-00 Smash Guard
• GARMIN 010-10351-00 Bike Mount
• GARMIN 010-10347-00 Earbud With Ptt Microphone
• GARMIN 010-10350-00 Automotive Mounting Bracket