Your Garmin, Your Story ...

We're constantly amazed at the positive feedback we get from people who use our products for just about anything you can imagine. Their stories range from geocaching to surviving life-threatening situations.

Scroll below to read about testimonials for this product and don't forget to check out the amazing testimonials and human interest stories on our Garmin Blog!

View testimonials on Garmin Blog

 

"Rino 120 and Army sergeant led missions in Iraq"

I'm a truck driver with the U.S. Army, and I have recently returned from Kuwait/Iraq. I gotta tell you and the rest of the world, your Rino 120 is a lifesaver and an indispensable tool to have.

On our first mission, we had to go from Baghdad to southern Iraq and look for Army equipment (mostly engineering equipment) left behind. Because of the 3rd ID's rapid movement through Iraq to the north, equipment that broke down and could not be repaired quickly was simply left behind. The equipment we were to recover consisted mostly of Army bridging trucks. They are about 14 feet tall and weigh about 60 tons. They use the same hull as a tank. So our unit, which is a Super HET unit, (a Super HET is a M1070 Heavy Equipment Transporter - a 126,000-pound, 80-foot-long, 12-foot-wide, 14-foot-high, truck with 48 tires) was tasked to recover this equipment. Armed with three days of food and water, a 1st lieutenant, a map, and the finest in American technology - the army's Precision Lightweight GPS Receivers (PLGR, pronounced "plugger"), we set off on a two-day mission. We got to southern Iraq, and the Lt. fired up his GPS (the PLGR, a new way to spell "lost"). We were off on our geocaching mission from hell.

On the first day, we found nothing and spent all day driving in circles (easy to do in the desert with no landmarks). Everyone was convinced we were going in a relatively straight line, but the track log on my Rino is telling my co-driver and me something else. You see, the Army GPS only tells you to go left or right to get to the waypoint you entered. Hence you zigzag to your objective. Well, being a squad leader and a sergeant, I could no longer stand for this, as we only had food and water for two more days. With much coercion and a few choice words, I was able to obtain the grid coordinates for the lost equipment and put them into my Rino. We recovered three vehicles that day and three more the next. We even came across a previously unmarked mine field and were able to save it as a waypoint and send this info back to headquarters. We did this using a laptop, with the PC cord and the Rino 120 (the PLGR battery died on the evening of day one). The built-in radio was a big help too, because our convoys, even if they were just a few vehicles, could stretch quite a ways. And on our first mission, we had no radios provided to us by the Army, only the FRS/GMRS radios that we had brought from home. While in Iraq, the Rino 120 and I led several missions with success. Because of your technology, we were on time and on target.

Thank you, Garmin, from a sergeant back from Iraq.

"Rino 120 shows quality engineering"

I have been very impressed with the Garmin GPS product line. I appreciate the thought that the Garmin staff puts into the firmware. The menu system and page options are intuitive and easy to learn, while in a complicated system. I have had cell phones with more confusing menus than the Rino 120 and GPS V. The Garmin products give indication of a exceptional quality of engineering. I anxiously await the Rino 130 because I still do not have a GPS system with an integrated electronic compass.

Congrats,

J. O.
RF Engineer

"Rino 120 goes hunting in Maine"

My brother and I have a set of Rino 120 GPS radio units. These units are outstanding, and they do exactly what they claim to do. We use them for hunting in northern Maine. It is so great to know where your hunting partner is and to be able to communicate, at any given time, about what you are seeing and the terrain you are in.

Thanks Garmin. Happy hunting.

Mike

"Rino 120 battles fog for this motorcyclist"

I bought a Rino 120 and it is the best map I have ever used. I put it on my motorcycle and went on a ride to Shenandoah National Park. The ride was great until the fog came in. I could not see at all, but the map page on the 120 showed me where I was in real-time. Each turn in the road was there. The Rino 120 got me back home. Every time I go out on the motorcycle, the Rino 120 is right with me.

C. W. S.
Washington, D.C.

"Seven-year-old Rino® user (with a little help from grandpa)"

My story is not hair-raising, exciting, or about life saving. It's just a test of the Rinos.

I took my 7-year-old grandson to our cabin and 80 acres. This was his first time there and he also had the company of my buddy's 7-year-old grandson. The boys asked if they could go for a walk in the woods. The other boy is familiar with the property. It is fenced and all the trails eventually loop back to the cabin, so we let them go.

I gave my grandson my Rino 110 and showed him how to work the radio. The location reporting feature was on, and I told him if he ever felt he was lost, to let me know and I would find him. They both had radios and we could hear them talking back and forth. Every time my grandson keyed the radio, I had an updated position and could keep track of him on my Rino 120.

They split up and we could hear them talking about deer tracks and squirrel sightings. Sure enough, my grandson called me and said he was lost. I took my quad runner out and drove right to him. Another bonus is the position polling. If I don't hear from him for awhile, I can poll his radio and find him.

I have a number of different Garmin® GPS units and the MapSource program on my computer. I use them for traveling, quad running and hunting. As far as I am concerned, if it is not a Garmin, it's not a GPS!

D. N.
Michigan

"Combat medic and his Rino 120"

 

Here is a pic of my friend, Cpl. J. P. of the PA Army National Guard. He is on a 10-month deployment to Kosovo and serving as a combat medic. Note the prominent position of his Rino 120 (sent to him by his wife, who uses hers at home for geocaching and search and rescue).

 

 

 

 

"Rino 120 goes 'adventure racing'"

Adventure racing is a new type of sport that has become more popular in Canada over the past few years and many people enjoy participating in such races. It requires physical and mental challenges throughout the race as team members have to plot courses using a topo map and a compass. Unfortunately, GPS units are not permitted. As a medical response unit to an event, we rely on accurate navigation to get to a location where a racer may be injured. Since we purchased the Rino 120, it has been a great asset to our team—both as a GPS and a short range peer-to-peer communications unit.

Well done Garmin!

Greg

"120s on the move in Kosovo"

I thought I should add in my own two cents regarding your company's innovation after reading some of the comments by other service members.

 

While in Kosovo, where I served as a platoon leader, I bought a Rino 120. This little piece of equipment quickly became the "cool thing to have" in my platoon. Since most of the leadership in the platoon purchased one, I had a complete view of where most of my squads were located and could talk to them over some hilly terrain.

During an operation to capture weapons’ smugglers, we used Rinos to move between observation posts, create cache points, and even record the coordinates of some Serbian fox holes that were found. The Rino quickly became our communications equipment of choice while on foot since it was reliable, updated the map on its own, and saved almost 30 pounds of gear compared to the SINCGAR's radio.

Thanks for the innovation. It made our operations go a lot smoother.

 

 

1st Lt. E. M.
" Ice" Platoon

"Ft. McCoy soldier uses the Rino 120"

I recently bought my Rino 120 at Ft. McCoy, WI, while waiting to deploy to Kuwait. I used my Rino to track our whole trip home to Michigan, and it was great knowing exactly where we were on the road all the way. I also used my 120 with detailed city maps downloaded from MapSource to guide me to the homes of friends and family to which I have never visited. I am so amazed at how accurate my GPS is. I am really excited about the MGRS coordinate system built into the Rino. It is a valuable tool for navigating with military maps. Keep up the good work. I will always be faithful to Garmin GPS products.

M. M

"Rino 120 makes Canadian hunter happy"

I can say the Rino 120 is the answer to any guide or location problems you can come up with. On the flat, hills, or deep in the trees, you know where you are. I live in Canada, and some of the areas you hunt are nowhere near roads of any kind. If you get turned around, it is easy to be in a bad situation fast. You might have a walk of 20-30 miles—if you can go in the right line and know what that line is. I looked at a lot of GPS units, and I am happy to say I ended up with your product. Thank you for making a product this good.

Anonymous

"Making it home safely with the Rino 120"

I would like to take the time to express to Garmin how completely pleased I am with the quality product made by your company. In this time of war, we send loved ones off to fight and cannot help but worry for their safe return.

My best friend and former teammate from the U.S. Marines has recently returned safely from Iraq. Nothing was harder for me than to watch him leave and not be able to go and assist him and my friends. Prior to departing the country, he and a couple of other operators in the unit decided to invest in your Rino 120. Despite the issued communication gear, they opted to include this in their personal gear list. I asked him upon his arrival home how he liked the Rino and all he could say was "this is the best piece of equipment that I should have been issued." He began to explain to me the features that were the most handy: the exchange of individual positions when sent, distances to and directions from waypoints, durability, ease of use...well, you get the point.

I know that the use of this GPS played a fundamental role in the safe return of not only my friends, but also all 65 who deployed in the unit. I hope that your company realizes what a profound impact this has had on so many levels: to the service members who risk their lives and to the friends and family who sit and await a safe return. On behalf of all the friends and family of these fine Marines, thank you and God bless!

Sincerely,
D. A. F.

"Rino 120 and the U.S.M.C."

Garmin,

I just returned from a 3-month tour in the Middle East, serving with the U.S. Marine Corps in Kuwait and also in Iraq. I purchased your Garmin Rino 120 just before leaving on the advice of a friend. I led several convoys, over thousands of miles in and out of Iraq, with usually zero terrain to associate with my maps. My GPS guided me through without so much as taking one wrong turn. I was amazed with the accuracy and the amount of information that it provided. Your product truly saved American lives and is an integral tool used in the war against terrorism.

Thank you.

J. C.
U.S.M.C.

We contacted J.C. to thank him for his letter. Here's what else he had to say:

Thank you for replying to my letter. Please do use my comments however you would like. I actually still find myself showing my GPS to my wife as we drive down the road, saying "see... we just turned here". I will be sure to use it this weekend as we go on our family camping trip. Also, just a side note: Of the many GPS units I saw in my travels overseas, I don't believe I saw any other product other than Garmin. I hope my comments will sway any potential customers your way.

Take care.

"Lost in the sands of time, if not for Rinos"

I’m a sergeant in the U.S. Army. I purchased two Rino 120 handhelds. These units have become a very valuable asset to our mission. We are given pluggers for movement in the desert. But my two Rino 120 handhelds are more reliable than the military equipment we are given. They are also more accurate. My commander has asked time and time again to borrow it for convoys. We as a unit have come to the conclusion that without the Rino 120 handhelds, we would be lost in the sands of time. Thank you for helping us find our way through Iraq.

Sgt. C.P.

"Army journalist and his Rino were good company to 101st Airborne in Iraq"

As an embedded journalist with the 101st Airborne in Iraq, my Rino 120 came in handy a few times. The first time we were out for a few hours before dark looking for another unit. Having no luck, we turned around to head back to our base. With the sun going down fast, darkness surrounded us and swallowed up the few meager landmarks the driver used for navigation. I was actually in the back of the truck, sitting in total darkness without a window, watching our progress on the backlit screen of my Rino. I had marked our camp as a waypoint and hollered when we had gone past it. The driver had no idea we had gone off track and kept going for a while before he heard my yelling over the noise of the rattling vehicle. We turned around and navigated back, with me yelling directions!

The second time was during the battle of Karbala. For some reason, the “pluggers” (military handheld GPS) that the fire support team was using couldn’t get a signal while they were trying to send a fire mission back to the artillery. They tried two different units before I offered a 10-digit grid from my Rino; to which they replied (and I echo), “Thank God for that unit.”

Rob Curtis
Senior Photographer
Army Times Publishing Co.

"Couple enjoys their 120's in Alaska"

I just wanted to say what a great GPS/GMRS the Rino 120 is. I attended a sportsman show in Anchorage, AK in April 2002 when I first heard of the Rinos. I waited patiently for the Rinos debut.  What a great device Garmin has made.  My wife and I each have one to use when we ride our four-wheelers, fish, and hunt.  Well worth the money, thank you.

J. R.
Elmendorf AFB, AK

"ATV-ing in Tennessee with a Rino 120"

Hi,

I would like to share a short story about our 4-wheeler rides in East Tennessee and my new Garmin Rino 120. My son and I purchased a couple of Suzuki ATVs a few months ago. We have taken them on several rides with friends, but we were a little nervous about going by ourselves because we don't know the trails very well and we didn't want to get lost. Since getting the Rino 120 for Christmas, we have made several trips (some by ourselves and some with friends). On each trip, I enable the track log so it will map the trails we ride. This does two things. First, if we have to turn around and head back, we can backtrack the trail we have ridden all the way to the beginning. Second, once home, we download the tracks into the computer and overlay them on the satellite view so we can see exactly where we've been. I was amazed at the accuracy of the trail ridden when viewing the track log on the map. Having the Rino 120 has given us greater confidence during our rides, as well as made them more enjoyable since we don't worry as much about getting lost.

Find attached a satellite view with tracks overlaid on the trail we rode the day after Christmas 2002.

Thanks to Garmin for an outstanding product! 

M.K.

 

"Rino 120s lead the way on memorial motorcycle ride"

Hello,

I thought I'd share a story about a motorcycle ride here in the California desert in which your new RINO GPS units had part to play. A close friend of mine's father recently passed away. In addition to being a 30-year veteran of the United States Navy SEAL, he was also an avid desert motorcycle racer and weekend rider. We decided a weekend memorial ride was what he would have wanted. A spot in the Barstow Desert area, Lucerne Valley, was chosen to host the ride.

The challenge was to lay out and navigate a course in the middle of the desert, keep ourselves from getting lost while doing so, and have some sort of map that could later be printed and then given to all those who would join the ride the following weekend. After researching several GPS units, we chose the new Garmin Rino 120 series for our navigation and communication needs. The units would have to be rugged enough for surviving the desert wind and rain (we had both the weekend we laid out the course) and have enough features to allow the downloading of maps and uploading of waypoints, routes, and tracks. We purchased two units and they performed flawlessly, providing us with a "picture perfect" track, that, along with Garmin's MapSource® software, gave us the much needed maps and navigation aids for what should be a splendid memorial ride this coming weekend.

I've attached the course we laid out, superimposed onto a satellite photo. (view)

Sincerely,
L. S.