GARMIN 010-00564-01 Rino 530 2-Way Radio With GPS/FRS/GMRS Reviews

• This is the cat's meow

  
  By ASC8R3LIT9C9R on 2007-08-30
  I just don't know if I can say enough about the rino 530HCX But I am very impressed. I've had it for a few weeks now, but wanted to try it while archery hunting before I made a review. What an neat and handy tool for hunting with a groop. I can concentrate on hunting with out having to wory about where I'm going, where I left my ATV, or where those in the groop are. At anytime I want, I can poll there location, and just like that, there position shows up on my map screen. I know where I've walked, and I know where they have walked. It's great. Defenatly 5 stars.
  
  I searsly doubt that you'll ever be able to comunacate at 14 miles, unless maybe at night and I'm on one mountain peak and someone else is on another mountain peak. But I have been able to communacate for a little over 3 miles during the day, with out much obstruction. Most of the time while archery hunting, the grupe is with in a mile or so anyway, and the radio and location locater works well, even in thick trees. The satellite reciever is exelent, I have yet to lose the signel, it even keeps a lock on the satelltes in bottom flore of my two story house.
  
  I have the topo 2008 maps loaded on the 530HCX and they work great. I have the city navagator maps unlocked for the 530HCX and I know they work, but I haven't used them yet, because I have a Garmin IQ3600 with the city navagator maps on it , and also a Zumo 550 with City navagotor NT on it. Great products also, and I use them for travel in the car and motorcycle. But the 530HCX Is the cat's meow for the mountains, and hunting and those kinds of outdoor recreation, especially with a group.
  
  I really haven't any complaints yet, but If I do, I'll post them.
  
  Bottom line.... If you are out and about, and would like to keep track of those in your group, I don't think you can buy a better product right now than the Rion 530HCX. I totally recoment it. Yes, it is expensieve, but peace of mind is priceless. Get lost, or loose someone in your group in the mountains, spend all day looking for them, or worse yet, all night... And then the price of a good raido with the ability to beam your location to your friends becomes priceless.
  
  

• Don't buy this product!

  
  By A35OCPJW2MTT1R on 2007-08-29
  I bought two 530Hcx's and Garmin Mapsource City Navigator and US Topo plus two microSD cards. I tried to load the maps on the devices but was suddenly shocked to learn that you can only load maps onto one device. Garmin support told me that I needed to purchase two more map licenses.
  
  In addition, the range of the radios at a supposed full 5 watts is just over 1 mile, with clear line of site.
  
  I returned the whole set and will never purchase anything from them again.
  Forget Garmin.
  
  

• Great Two-In-One

  
  By A1ZP87UF0VJF6P on 2007-11-12
  I purchased the 530HCx about two weeks ago to use while deer hunting in East Tennessee. Everyone in our group has GPS and two-way radio to find our way around and communicate when we are in unfamilar territory. I have been searching for a device that will take care of both needs, without having to handle two seperate pieces of equipment, and the 530HCx has worked flawlessly so far.
  
  The satellite positioning seems to be right on and positioning after start-up was quick. I used the unit to mark several deer trails, rub lines, and possible stand placements and I was able to return to those areas very easily. I used the averaging feature to fine tune the locations and was able to get within 5-7 feet of everything I marked.
  
  Everyone in the group said that radio transmission was crystal clear, they could hear my transmissions better than anyone elses. Don't get me wrong the Garmin in definetly a GPS first and radio second but I was very pleased with its two-way capabilities. It performed as well, if not better, than the midlands and motorolas in the group.
  
  I also invested in TOPO US 2008 to install on the unit. I wasn't that impressed with the TOPO map but area detail is alot better than the basemap. We make several trips to Fort Campbell every year and all roads, creeks, and even fire
  
  

• Poor Manual and Documentation

  
  By A25CWS7F6G8CL on 2007-11-09
  I found it frustrating trying to figure out Garmin's brief descriptions of features in the manual that came with my Garmin 530HCx. There is no information on why you might want to use a feature or its advantages.
  
  Same again for the included Trip & Waypoint Manager and separetly purchased Topo USA 2008 PC software. There is no information that ties them together.
  
  As a Tech Pubs Manager, I think Garmin's documentation is third-rate.
  
  

• All things to most people...

  
  By AAKVCFG5K5YDY on 2007-10-30
  Garmin has delivered a well rendered product that simplifies communication, GPS and coordination of movement with the 530 HCx. I was looking for a combo unit for sometime for Hunting, kayaking and hiking that would enable me to stay in contact with other memebrs of my party, exploit GPS land nav and keep tabs on my travelling companion's position. Boy did this field test well. Easy to use and intuitive, out of the box I field tested it Kayaking and hiking; worked fine though would have liked more battery life, the radio reception was excellent but found range approx 2 miles max on line-of-sight but otherwise held up well. GPS was outstanding - had no problems with uploading topos, using the various mapping features and found the compass and altimeter were very precise. An excellent and handy product -wish I had this 20+ years ago in the USMC.
  
  
• Best GPS reception I've ever seen.
  By A30E1YS8GW0FUZ on 2007-12-27
  While I must agree the documentation which comes with the unit is lacking, the unit itself has operated flawlessly. I can "lock-up" 9 sats from my lower level family room and never loose lock in deep canyons. Otherwise very quick acquisition. I think 14 miles is "stretching it" for any low-powered handheld, but it is much better than the FRS unit I had been using. The electronic compass and altimeter work very well and reception on the NOAA freqs is good!
  
  
• battery life info
  By A1HGBY77N4VA3T on 2008-01-30
  Just received this unit -- arrived quickly from Amazon, as usual. Display is bright, controls simple to use, sensitivity of gps receiver is excellent (I can get reception in my basement, although I have lost signal inside my local, small-town, one-room grocery store). I have an older Garmin which is working fine, but I purchased this one for the added benefit of the radio capability, in case of emergency in wilderness while treking with my 9 and 12 year old daughters.
  
  With a fully charged, brand new rechargable battery as supplied with the unit, I got 40 hours of continuous use. I turned off the radio during all but 1 hour of this time but had the WAAS enabled. During this time, I took it with me while I ran errands, took 2 short day hikes, and went to work, but did not carry it on my person around the home. With 4 brand new, high quality brand name AA batteries (using the separately purchased alkaline battery pack), I got 19 hours of continuous use under similar conditions. After reading Hinch's book on GPS use, I did turn off the WAAS after about 8 hours into this trial. I did not have the radio on at all during the alkaline battery trial, although I did "fiddle" with the pages and settings more often than the rechargable trial (was reading the Hinch book simultaneous with the alkaline trial, so I tried a couple of the tasks in the book during this time).
  
  The base map supplied with the unit provides minimal street information and (as with any map from any source) some inaccuracies. Lists our grade school parking lot as "Black Partridge Park" -- which is actually a very large prairie/forest preserve located just outside of our little town.
  
  Be aware: you cannot load any map onto this unit except those specifically provided/sold by Garmin. To my knowledge, this is true for all gps units; the units with mapping features will only accept those from the manufacturer of the receiver. You can, however, download waypoints generated from other mapping software programs.
  
  Have not tested the radio capability in the wild, but I see others have reported 5 mile range under typical wilderness conditions. The discrepancy between this irl range and the 14 miles listed on specs (which is always the maximum obtainable under totally optimal conditions) is entirely par for 2 way radio range estimates. If you plan to use the GMRS radio frequencies, you will need an FCC license. No training or test required; just an $85 fee. Easy to obtain online.
  
  BTW: highly recommend Stephen Hinch book, Outdoor Navigation With GPS. I've been a basic-feature gps user for several years, but wanted a better understanding of the more advanced features and the jargon.
  
  
• Garmin Rino 530HCX is a TOP of the line portable gps
  By APSPPCXCL7XM9 on 2008-01-03
  The Garmin Rino 530HCX is waterproof GPS with a 2 way radio & 22 channel radio (& NOAA weather, barometric pressure, altimeter, electronic compass (with true North & magnetic North. It's great for the out doors man that likes to go far beyond the normal traveled trails. If you have more than one Rino series you can ping your location and others Rino location and their tracks. By keeping track of your group's base camp you will never get lost. Keep in mind that the base map is basically useless and that you will need to buy the mapping software that you want. The TOPO 2008 is great for outdoors and off-road. The Map Source City Navigator is great for in the city or road trips with all of its point of interest and detailed city information. You will also want to buy at least 2 2 GB microSD chips, one for each type of software. You can still save your way points and routes across both. In my opinion this GPS has it all and is very accurate.
  
  
• I can't believe this thing, it's too cool
  By A3CTI58WAWB8VD on 2008-01-20
  This thing is too cool. My wife purchased the Rino530 for Christmas and it wouldn't do what I needed. Amazon was great about the return. They said it may take a couple of weeks but I had return credit in four days.
  
  I got the Rino530HCX so that I could load topo and street maps on it. I had a little trouble to begin with loading the map but Garmin's support was great. They haven't outsourced it to India and there wasn't any problem understanding them. The problem that I had was because I had an unlock code for the 530 that I traded in. The Garmin rep had to get permission from a supervisor and called me back instead of putting me on hold. She was right on the money and I have no trouble with the new unlock code.
  
  The only map that I have had a chance to use is the City Navigator. I work for the Dallas Fire Department and the GPS on our equipment is all but useless. The Rino is great. It's easy to use and so far accurate. I was driving down a street that I've known as a kid. The Rino called it's name as Bryan but I just knew I was on Beltline. I mean I've been driving this street since the 60's. I looked over at a street sign and sure enough I was on Bryan. It warns you by beeping when you get close to a turn and it double beeps when you are there. The screen is easy to read both day and night and it has an automatic zoom feature that enlarges the map when you need it.
  I have been very impressed with this unit and can't wait to get it on the trail. I'm sure it will take a long time to learn everything it can do but it is a huge help already.
  
  
• Garmin 530HCx if feature packed
  By A1E8EK7NY21EJS on 2008-01-07
  I upgraded to the 530HCx from the Garmin Etrek Legend for Christmas. I recently started geocaching and wanted the built-in geocaching features of the 530HCx. I have been caching and hiking with it and have found it to meet my needs. We used the radio while hiking to stay in touch with the rest of the group and to listen to the NOAA weather forcast. We were rained on and the water resistant case did it's job. I really like the USB connector versus the old Garmin interface for downloading maps and waypoints from my computer. The menu stick is easy to use for both left and right handed people. Overall I am very pleased I purchased the 530HCx.
  
  
• Met our expectations
  By A1Z2PF06JJBEHJ on 2008-01-01
  Two friends and I discussed purchasing the Rino 530Hcx, friends that spend time hunting, fishing, 4 wheeling and snowmobiling together. The feature of being able to pin down one another's location in relation to our own was the primary reason this unit intrigued us. We commonly lose each other while snowmobiling and the ability to radio each other, locate each other on our respective GPS's seemed to really meet our needs. So Amazon handled the transaction of 4 units(one wife included)and on the first trip out, the Rino worked just as expected, it proved to make a difference. I was concerned about battery life because we are in Alaska and the cold is hard on batteries, but pleasantly surprised at how well the battery held up. Having an older Etrex Vista I was also pleased with how intutive the Rino 530Hcx to operate as well as quick to locate satellites. Already owning a GPS, I was a little hesitant to do the upgrade but the Rino is definitely a vast improvement, so well worth it.
  
  
• Worth about $200
  By A51BY7JDX36O6 on 2008-07-13
  I have had this unit for a few months. I should have returned it. First the positive: It is durable, I have dropped it once, and it has flown off my bike twice and still works. The trip manager is very nice. You can choose many different types of information to view and the "big numbers" feature is great for cycling.
  Now the negs. I have found the "track back" feature worthless. If you are counting on this to lead you back to camp after getting lost, forget it.
  If you use the belt clip, you will likely lose the satellite connection, and you won't get it back unless you reboot (I had to figure this out on my own). Therefore, while hiking, you must carry the unit in your hand or attach it to the top of your backpack (very inconvenient). I agree with the review that states the manual should explain more on how the features could be used. Very poor documentation. The very expensive topo map does not have good trail information at all. It tells you the elevation of the surrounding mountains and shows major waterways but for the money it cost, it should have all established hiking/biking trails. The optional bike adapter is cheaply made and broke under the weight of this unit. I should have just purchased a cycling GPS instead.
  
  
• Not received radio over 20 feet apart
  By A2W6V1UOA2UAFU on 2008-01-02
  I bought 2 of the Rino 530 HCx for 2 weeks now. I'm not satisfy what I have so far. I tested both of them with 2 of my regular Cobra radio.
  
  *Unit 1 can transmit and receive radio from around 1 mile.
  *Unit 2 can not transmit radio farther than 20 feet away. I test this with my other regular Cobra radio and confirmed it.
  *Unit 2 does not receive any weather radio station at all.
  *The Map that come with unit is very poor, it only show the highway. You need to buy separate map in order to use the GPS.
  *Very complicated to use all of the features.
  
  I will continue test some more and post more of what I found.
  
  
  
• One of the best handheld GPS in the market
  By A23KKP1YY839ST on 2008-02-04
  I have spent a lot of time researching handheld GPSs and I think that the Rino 530 is by far one of the best in the market. It is very durable and accurate. I had enter a benchmark as a waypoint and I was standing on the benchmark and it said I was within 2 feet of the way point. For a handheld GPS this is scary accurate. With all its features, and its accuracy it is the most bang for your buck.
  
  The thing that was the most impressive is the battery life. I kept it on for almost 30 hours and it only used up about 40% of its battery, and it was not a idle on, but using the GPS and radio constantly. Too many features to elabrorate on each one of them. But for serious hikers and Geocachers this is a great tool.
  
  
• Excellent Handheld GPS
  By A3IU3PRZN90VRG on 2008-02-13
  I have had this GPS now for about 2 months. Primarily purchased it for use with backpacking although I have now been geocaching with it as well. The screen is easy to see and controls are fairly straightforward. The added radio works well (although to use GMRS, you need a FCC license) and picks up NOAA weather easily. You can create your own topo maps for this GPS, not the easiest to do, but gives you the most freedom. I have loaded a few topos I've made myself into the GPS. Connection to a computer is simple. Battery works well, lasts ~14hours before giving out. I have used the optional alkaline (NiMH) pack and gotten about 10 hours with it. Note that this does not include transmitting on the radio. The really neat option is being able to transmit your position and reading in other RINO positions which I have done.
  
  One drawback is indeed the documentation. You will learn to use it the most just by using it and using the guide as a starting point.
  
  Overall, good GPS with lots of options.
  
  
• Great Product?
  By A248K4NGYAV9GT on 2008-08-19
  I recently purchased a Garmin Rino 530HCX, it is a great product, I am having a problem using the peer to peer with the Rino 120, in a dense forest the position updates take longer than I would like but i dont think this is because of the 530HCX, its most likely the fault of the rino 120. It gets bad reception even at a 1/4 mile from a moving vehicle, and unless it has a clear pathway to the 530 it doesnt seem to update. I would assume that if both parties had the 530HCX the recpeption and the peer to peer would be better, this is a case of "your only as strong as your weekest link" and in this case its the 120.
  
  
• Field use of 530hcx
  By AQIE1WG9JNQHB on 2008-09-11
  I have used man GPS receivers and 2 way radios. I have to say I am most impressed with the function of the 530 HCX. IT does an amazing job at locating others. I used it primarily at a music/art event called Burning Man in the Nevada desert. There is no cell coverage there so 2 way radios are the only way to communicate. I was able to place on in my wife's purse and one in our mobile art car. In the past 2 way radios only worked if both people were trying to find each other. With the 530hcx, when separated, I could page out "Poll" my wife and see just where she or our art car were. The party on the other end of the device does not need to have any knowledge as to how it works. I would then walk to where she was on the map, look around and in most cases find her within 25 feet.
  
  The reason I did not give it 5 stars is that the polling feature is buried deep within several levels of menus. It would be nice to make it available on the top level. Many of the features require a day or two of use to become fluid with. Be sure to practice before you need anything in a real life emergency.
  
  
• Great start poor endind
  By A294SR2X913GLH on 2008-09-22
  This is a great powerful GPS given the right conditions. I praised the improvements from the rino 130. Great features and options.
  
  Unfortunately my GPS battery wont re-charge after the first use. there goes 50 in one battery pack.
  
  To my surprise i could not load the routes from the computer to the GPS. OK, the routes would load but an error would come up when I tried to use the roads. This feature was no problem with the rino 130
  
  Maybe it is an defect in my system or the battery pack.
  
  I was initialy pumped and impressed and ended up disappointed.
  
  
• Garmin Rino 530HCX
  By A31JWJNRXJI4ON on 2008-10-04
  best thing going for keeping track of your buddies as long as everyone has a Rino. Reception can be a problem in rough terrain but I heard and tracked someone on a mountain 76 miles away. uses battery power fast so I recommend the AA battry pack backup. It's big and ugly but it works.
  
  
• Great Upgrade to the base 530 version!
  By ARHT4NKVRYYA8 on 2008-05-17
  I wish I had waited 6 months last time when I bought the base Rino 530 - that was not expandable. For $20 I was able to get a 2 GB memory card that goes into this one and can hold every map I could ever need.
  
  Now with 2 units I can keep track and keep in touch with other members of our party when we are out enjoying nature!
  
  

• Garmin Serial Port Cable for eTrex Compact GPS (010-10206-00)
• NAVGEAR ME201133 Universal Dash Mount
• Garmin MapSource BlueChart CD-ROM for Garmin GPS Units, Americas (010-10317-00)
• Garmin 010-10318-00 MapSource BlueChart Atlantic Version 5.5 CD ROM
• GARMIN 010-10319-00 Mapsource Bluechart, Pacific CD Rom

• Garmin Vehicle DC Power Adapter for Rino 520 and 530 (010-10570-00)
• Garmin MapSource Topo U.S. 2008
• Garmin Alkaline Battery Pack for Rino 520 and Rino 530 (010-10571-00)
• SanDisk Micro Secure Digital 2 GB Memory Card (SDSDQ-2048-A11M) Retail Package
• Garmin 010-10676-00 Carrying Case for GPS Units