Info on a Garmin 12 GPS

Very good reliable GPS, is it a 12 or 12xl?
The 12xl has external connections for power, data transfer and external antenna.
From memory a 12 doesn't have external conns for power/data and external antenna.
Do a search on the garmin site for more info.
External power, data and antenna conns are very desirable in a vehicle mounted GPS.
I've had a 12xl from when they first came out and it is still working ok. If you stick to well known brands like Garmin and Magellan you should have no probs with the unit and obtaining accessories.
As far as value, a 12 would prob be worth around $100 - $150 if in good condition, a 12xl a bit more and more again with external cables/antennas.
As they are a sealed unit they would have to go back to GME (aust agents) for repair/swap. Check battery compartment for corrosion from leaking batteries etc.

I had the 12xl for years. It was a fantastic unit for the day. Ultra-reliable, small and rugged. I'd have another one but my GPS-III is the go for me now.

I sold our GPS12 to a fellow club member who then used it in the Outback Challenge. It never missed a beat.

The only thing you might have to do in short time is have the backup battery replaced by Garmin - as it's not user-servicable. Other than that - go for it - they're a good unit.

Very reliable and good unit.

One drawback with them is the internal memory battery. If it's faulty you keep getting an annoying error message.

External power is recommended. Cables are cheap enough.

They only have one track memory compared to more modern units with have at least 10.

How much are they worth? Well considering
- They are discontinued
- A a modern equivilant (ETREX) only costs about $200 new
- Not as much functionality as newer ones
- Internal battery problems
- They use more battery power than modern units (4 batteries instead of 2)
- I wouldn't pay more than $20 to $50 for a Garmin 12.

Jeff

PandJ,

Have a look again at the Garmin site for the manufacturers comparison of all the Garmin range. If you tick the GPS 12 and DPS 12XL boxes you will see the differences.
Garmin - Under Consumer select Outdoor, in the box at the left click on Product Comparison then select the models.

Price is what you are prepared to pay. On eBay there have been a few sold recently for around the $120 mark with one at an asking price of $239 which has been there for a while and will probably never sell at that price.
I recently sold a 12XL for $202 which although a long way off the new price of near $700 I was happy enough with. You will be very lucky indeed to get one for under $50.
As other have said they are a good, but older device and lack the modern day functionality of the new Garmins. That said they are tough and if you only want to drive an Oziexplorer moving moving map application it would be ok and a very cost effective solution.

Ken

Hi.

My Garmin Etrex works in the car. Best if on the dash near the windscreen.

Better still if I drive, holding it out the window but that gets a bit tiresome.

I suppose the Garmin 12 would be the same.

Check out price of Etrex on Ebay as a guide to second hand price of Garmin 12. You might be better off to go with a new one unless you can get the old one for a song. You'll probibly find a Garmin 12 on Ebay to get a price.

Etrex is an entry level GPS and is fine for a beginner but you need to study the book a play around for a while. Again, I suppose the Garmin 12 would be the same. If you don't get a book with it you may be able to download the book. Otherwise you'll need many lessons from a good friend.

Regards,
Laurie.

The Garmin 12 was regarded as a base model GPS. It does have external power and data, BUT it needs a regulated power lead. There is a small plastic pin in the middle of the socket to prevent you from plugging in the wrong power lead and frying the unit.
It also does not have an external antenna socket, so it would need to be mounted at the top or on top of the dash to get a good coverage of the sky.
Like most Garmin GPS's, they are quite intuitave to use and most things can be picked up by a newbie. 'PAGE' cycles through the screens, 'QUIT' takes you backwards through the screens and also backs you out of any selections you are in. 'ENTER' confirms a selection, 'MARK' allows you to enter where you are as a waypoint. 'GOTO' will bring up a screen to select a waypoint to naviagte to.
Easy!

We've had a Garmin GPS12 for several years now and have found it a very good, reliable unit. We have it mounted in a universal holder clipped onto the air vents in front of the dash and have never had any trouble picking up satellites, hence no need for an external antenna. Initially ran it using rechargable batteries and home made data cable connected to laptop to run moving maps or just for straight data transfer. Worked well but became frustrated with batteries running out, not noticing and ending up with gaps in our tracks etc. Recently bought a power/data cable with USB connector from GPS OZ and the whole thing ran like a charm during our 8 week trip up north. Good unit for the right price.

:o) Melissa

G'day All,

Thanks for all the replies, good to know it was a reasonable purchase. Yes I got it ! Tis like new, book has not been read, box is perfect condition with the original price of $390 on it, unit has not had batteries in it as it was not used.
Wanted $200 I paid $150.

Only two problems are; 1) I have to fire it up somehow. 2) The Quick reference card is missing.

As a friend gave me the cig lighter power supply earlier so I can use it in vehicle as I found out prior to paying.

Thanks all