Garmin Rino 110 Handheld GPS Navigator and 2-Way Radio

Within those limits the 110 is a nifty little device. I am quite keen
to see that the folks at Garmin come up with next. I for one would be
willing to pay more for a unit that is more "ruggedized" or requires a
license but gives you more radio output power in return (and removes
the FCC restriction about sending GPS data at GMRS power levels).
Also a more clever approach with regard to batteries/power management
would be a huge plus.


Too Dang Confusing   September 17, 2003
 4 out of 22 found this review helpful

I had hoped that I could take these out of the box and start GPSing. Apparently you have to read the manual. Not a good start. So I get out the manual and start reading. I learn how to get a name and an icon for myself and whoever I would like to keep track of. OK. But I still can't keep track of anyone or determine my position in any meaningful way. I tried to use these out on a lake where I was looking at a boat with one and I had one on my boat, but I still couldn't figure out where they were using the gps.
The radio is ok. It works. But radios you can get for about 50 bucks at Wal Mart.
Really, what I wanted these things for is to keep track of my daughter when we traveled to Disney World or NYC etc. So far they are worthless for that purpose. At least they are not any better than a pair of MUCH less expensive radios.
I am not a tech geek or anything but I like to think that I am reasonably intelligent. But after hours of reading the manual and trying to figure it out it was still just too damn confusing.


Fun Toy, Awkward Tool   May 9, 2003
 10 out of 12 found this review helpful

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.


A must for outdoors people   November 20, 2002
 36 out of 39 found this review helpful

For those who love to hike, camp, hunt or enjoy outdoor activities, this little device may soon become a standard. It has remarkable communications range, with the option of choosing from the Family Band (range: 2 miles or so) or the wider-ranging (but more battery-consuming) General Mobile Radio Service (5 miles or so). These frequences aren't used nearly as much as other bands and are more likely to be free from unnecessary cross-talk and interference, which makes for clearer communication. But what makes this stand out from standard outdoor devices is the GPS satellite link, which allows you to pinpoint your position accurately, and even has a feature that keeps tabs on your trail, making backtracking a breeze. You can also send your current position to another person (as long as they are using one of these, of course), which is handy if someone gets separated, hurt, or needs assistance. In addition, they are waterproof up to one meter (so dropping one into a stream--as I did--won't kill it), and it's pretty durable--one of my friends dropped his nearly twenty feet onto rock, and it still works! All of these features help account for the somewhat high price, and since they are sold singly, count on having to buy two or more. But they are more than worth the cost, especially for those who take their outdoor activities seriously. Highly recommended.