Garmin Rino GPS users?

[welpro222]

My brother inlaw and I are thinking about getting either the Garmin Rino 650T or the newer 755T model. Our main use for it, would be for navigation, keeping track of each other if we split up, and using the messages rather then radio for communications.

Anybody have any input on these? Do they work good? The radio part does not really bother me, as I know most handhelds do not reach very far anyways. Being able to track the other persons location and communicate VIA text are the most important parts to us.

 

[boom]

I think mine is a 500 series. My bros is al step up with a 600. Both 5v radios. They kickass in the radio dept. I've whispered into them and gotten heard. The ranges vary but I'm impressed. Maybe a couple of miles easy. I like the track your oartner feature. Never sent actext.

 

[choovhntr]

I've heard mixed reviews. Was on a hunt where a lot of the guys used them and they were great. Made me want one. But it was pretty flat terrain. They also told me they had gone through quite a few of them as some had hiccups. However, they kept replacing them with the same thing so it must have been worth it. My suggestion is to look where you will be using them and what is most important to you. If your in a group and wanna talk somewhat often, they are nice as you can see who is trying to reach you. If it's very hilly though and you are far apart, it will be spotty for the two way. Being able to track one another is nice if you are doing pushes or trying to separate from one another on stalks, but again may be a little spotty. Overall I think they have their place in the right setting. If your doing backcountry with only one or two other people I would choose a strict gps and or a two way. Gps will have better battery life. Having too much connectivity to the people around tends to push to communicate more often then necessary( personal problem but seems to be common). A strict gps allows you to focus and track just yourself and where YOUR hunt is taking you.

 

[DaveS]

I have a couple of 650's. The guys I hunt with all have them as well and they work great for us. There are times we can't communicate because someone is down in a hole or on the back side of a ridge but most of the time there isn't any problem and if you really want to talk to someone you can climb out of the hole.

The ability to track other people in your group is great. Most of the time we don't even have to talk to each other because knowing where the other guys are located is enough to tell if they are still hunting or coming back to camp. Also if you hear a bugle you can check if someone in your party is in that area.

 

[warrior80]

We use the Rinos too. Have the 650 but just picked up the new 755t. Being able to see where everyone is at is nice and the radios work better than most 2-way radios.
Haven't used the messaging function a whole lot, but it's a nice option.

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[live2huntelk]

I have the Rino 530's . I have had limited success using the radio, texting, and tracking features in the area we hunt. The mountain is mostly dense pine trees with some parks. I have had some luck hunting areas that are good glassing type mountains...with better line of sight transmission.

 

[Beendare]

I have the rino 520 and a couple buddies have the older 110. If you hunt as a group and want to know where the other guy is...its cool.

The radio works as good as any other line of sight radio....so essentially not at all if you are in one deep canyon and your buddy is on the other side of the mtn.

I killed a bull one yr in Co on a steep sidehill-too steep for pack animals- and my buddy went to go get the mules. He pinged me on the way back in and I could follow him on the topo in my rino. I guided him down a long ridge past me and when he hit the countour I was on I had him find a game trail. He got the mules real close to the downed bull on a hands and knees hillside. That Rino kicks butt in situations like that.

Of course the pics never tell the tale of how steep.. we dragged the bull to a little flat spot.

 

[colersu22]

I used one last year and tracking a partner or partners is really nice. You can also track other rino users that you don't even know if they are on the same channel which is a good/bad thing. If you do use the radio pick up an ear piece because it sucks when someone uses the radio and your volume is up.

I have an older 110 and took it just for the tracking since the maps are not very good and I can't put a chip in it so I had my gear in gps 62s as well. He new 700 series is a huge improvement though, I just can't justify the cost to upgrade it when I normally hunt solo.

 

[welpro222]

I'm still up in the air about getting the new 750. I am doing some research on the new Garmin inreach explorer to see if we can locate each other on the screen like you can with the rinos. The only down fall is each user having to buy the service plan, but I intended to do this anyways for areas with no cell service

 

[Beendare]

FWIW, I bet you can find a used one cheap.....no inReach tho.

 

[mcmurder77]

I like mine, we used them with great success in the eagle caps here in Oregon this year. Only thing I wish was better was charging it, so far I haven't been able to figure out a way to use a power bank for charging mine.


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