Home :: Audio :: Portable Audio :: Radios  

AM-FM
Headset Radios
Shortwave
Shower Radios
Garmin Rino 120 Waterproof GPS / FRS / GMRS

Garmin Rino 120 Waterproof GPS / FRS / GMRS

List Price: $269.99
Your Price: Too Low To Display
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 3 4 >>

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Unit continually locks up
Review: 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.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Radio won't work with Mororolla's FRS
Review: 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 . . . .

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great product
Review: 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.).

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great product
Review: 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.).

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Good other than battery issues
Review: 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.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Fun Toy, Awkward Tool
Review: 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.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Rhino 120 GPS
Review: This is a great product! I recommend it to anyone who is a serious hunter, fisher, or just travels a lot! I'd give it more than five stars if I could!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great combo unit!
Review: 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!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Still Ticking.
Review: 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.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Underimpressed
Review: This is my first GPS. I was underimpressed with its reception for both the radio and the GPS. I hope this is not "State of the Art".


<< 1 2 3 4 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates