I am called all the time for advice about
what kind of E-collars to buy, dog breed or breeder is worth
the investment and other things people just don't get enough
information about. So I thought I'd take a few of those answers
and share some of my limited wisdom with you. I'll try to give
you the straight poop even if that means stepping on a few toes.
My first product review is about a Christmas present I received
from Ellen my wife over a year ago. I was looking forward to
this thing for over a year. It was the handiest thing any grouse
or deer hunter may want. It is the Garmin Rino 120 Combination
GPS and Radio. A great idea for a product, with dreadful implementation.
I'm a computer guy from way back. I have used punch cards, I
have designed pacemaker and Supercomputers and written software
for them and everything in between. But you know something as
much as I wanted to, I could not figure out how to use this GPS.
I sat down with the book for over an hour at my sons football
game and though I was able to figure it out with the manual in
front of me, there is no way I could use this device in the woods.
The Garmin Rino 120 is my third GPS so I know what I'm doing.
With my other models when I find a spot |
I wanted to save I hit the MARK button, use the arrow
buttons to get the letters to save the spot and hit save. Then
to return to that spot I hit the GO TO button and use the arrow
keys to go to that spot again.
Not so with the Rino 120. With the Rino 120 you have to use a
joystick type button and find way points then... somehow and
I forget you push the select button and select go to... hell
I don't know and I'll be damned if I'll get out the book to figure
things out.
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I know you can add maps to the GPS so you can zoom in
on rivers and creeks in the area... great idea, I just can't
figure out how to do that. And again I have been in the computer/software
field for some 25 years. And as my Brother-in-Law Ryan Hill puts
it: "You're a computer guy and can't figure this shit out,
I don't have a prayer!"
So the best I can tell you is the Garmin Rino 120 is a hell of
a idea for a product, with terrible implementation. I would love
to have the product they wanted to create with an interface we
all can understand.
If anyone from Garmin is listening you need to add about four
more buttons so us commoners can use your product. When you do,
send me one and I'll tell our million readers a month.
As far as my one to ten rating I'll give it a one... I carry
the thing along in case I get really lost and need a radio, but
then if I really wanted I could buy a radio for about $50. The
price tag on this thing is about $250 about double what a GPS
and radio separately cost.. but it fails miserably as a GPS.
Though I'd pay that if the thing worked as advertised.
So my buy recommendation is only if you don't have enough frustrations
in life and like to take the chance of getting lost... go ahead
and spend the money. Better yet, for half that price, I'll borrow
you mine.
Next issue I will look at digital cameras. I got a sweetheart
from my sweetheart for Christmas. If you want your product evaluated,
send it too me... but again, I write the truth.
Dennis Guldan hails from New Brighton, MN
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