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If you are heading into the wilderness, there is no need to leave technology behind. A GPS can be a very useful device to take along with you. In the old days, a portable GPS would set you back a pretty penny, but these days they are becoming very widespread. It is usually possible to find some bargains, but if you spend a little bit more money, you can get something like the Garmin Rino 530 HCx and it is a rocking portable unit.
The 530 HCx packs a lot of different technology into one little unit. The GPS information is displayed on a nice clear color display. While color is not strictly necessary, it does make it easier and faster to interpret information. Where the Garmin Rino 530 HCx departs from lesser models is with the extra features it packs in. It operates as a two-way radio with 14-mile range and manages to pack in an electronic compass, barometric altimeter that monitors weather trends and NOAA receiver. It has a micro-SD card slot, the micro-SD is, of course, not included. You do get one lithium-ion battery, which is good for about 14 hours of use, if you are going for an extended trip and are really getting off the beaten track, it is hardly enough. Sure, you can conserve power by switching it off when you do not need it, but you might want to look into some additional batteries and perhaps a solar charging station.
As for adding maps to the system:
The Rino 530 HCx comes with a built-in detailed base map of North and South America. A removable microSD data card, not included, lets you add memory to your Rino. When combined with Garmin’s optional City Select® software, your Rino provides automatic route generation, off-route recalculation, turn-by-turn directions with alert tones and icon-driven menus for finding points of interest. A mini-USB cable and microSD card, not included, let you quickly download lots of map data from Garmin’s line of outdoor cartography including US Topo®, Recreational Lakes with Fishing Hot Spotsâ„¢ and BlueChart®.
All of the extra maps will probably cost you more, but it is quite a cool alternative to a car based GPS system. Unfortunately, the optional extras are likely to crank up the price a fair amount. Still, if you need a GPS that you can take off the road and you are a person who needs a map and a compass quite often, the Garmin Rino 530 HCx is a very nice piece of technology. If you just need something to feed you some coordinates when you upload photos for Google Earth, get something cheaper. The Rino 530 HCx is an outstanding system but the extras are going to put a serious dent in your funds.
Tags: gps, outdoor, Technology
11 responses
Garmin Rino 530 HCx, navegador GPS todoterreno | Gizmos
Aug 14, 2007 at 7:24 am
[...] UberReview. Tags: Garmin, NavegadoresOtras entradas que te pueden interesar…:Garmin Zumo 550, navegador [...]
Aug 14, 2007 at 7:59 am
This is a good review of the Rino 530hcx. I happen to be a big fan of the Rino family of GPS units by Garmin. Recently I have seen a rise in requests for them as well.
One point to mention, is the Rino 520hcx offers the same new high sensitivity and features, less the barometer, for a slightly smaller price. Of course the 530, 520, 130, 120 and 110 are still available for those with a smaller budget.
I offer deeply discounted prices on all Garmin products and accessories, if interested.
For a small, reliable GPS with built in FRS/GMRS and NOAA radio, it can’t be beat!
Aug 14, 2007 at 8:56 am
PS - My e-mail (since it doesn’t show it on the post) is itecsinc@aol.com
Aug 14, 2007 at 9:29 am
They’ve got a good bit of info on their mini site as well:
http://www.garmin.com/rino/
Aug 19, 2007 at 6:00 am
This is hardly a review. It is essentially a listing of the advertised features. No reason to think the “reviewer†has even seen the unit, let alone actually used it.
“All the extra maps probably cost more…â€
Probably? At least spend a few minutes on the Garmin web site checking out the facts.
I have nothing against this unit, and am considering purchasing it. But please… don’t call this a “reviewâ€.
Aug 19, 2007 at 6:14 am
In addition, the review states, “It has a micro-SD card slot, should you choose to upgrade the puny 56MB of space on the unit.â€
This is untrue. The 530HCx has no user accessible memory at all, according to Garmin’s documentation. The original Rino 530 had 56MB of memory, but not the HCx.
Again, the reviewer should at least read the product docs before posting a “reviewâ€.
Aug 19, 2007 at 9:01 am
Actually, JT I was unable to access the Garmin site at the time I prepped that post. I checked the information from the L.L. Bean site which was in fact, incorrect.
The “probably” was a typo. I meant to type “will probably,” as there are a few sources for free maps around, should people choose those avenues.
It would seem someone has too much time on his or her hands.
Sep 7, 2007 at 8:04 pm
Yeah…like JT said…this review is not really a review at all. Found this other review that has alot more info…if your still looking for a good review check out http://www.gpslodge.com/archives/012909.php
Nov 28, 2007 at 11:10 am
I had a Rino 530 & loved it. It had several useful functions. It was recently stolen & I am replacing it with the new Rino 530 HCx. My only frustration with it was that it didn’t use the mapsource software to route on the GPS. It only used the basemap that came preloaded. The only way around that was to create the routes on the PC & then load them directly to the GPS. Other than that, it was well worth the money with the NOAA weather alert, I never left home without it.
Nov 28, 2007 at 2:27 pm
I’ve not read a “review” or seen product documentation that lists how large (how many MB) the MicroSD can have. Does anyone know? Up to 1GB? 512MB? 2GB?
May 16, 2008 at 9:06 pm
I just picked up a 2GB off amazon for like 12 bux or somethin rediculous.. lol.. I think they come in as large as 4GB (that Ive seen).
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