Product: Garmin GPSmap 478 GPS Receiver
Cheapest place to Buy: Amazon.com
Weight 13.6 ounces
Dimensions 5.7 x 1.9 x 3.2 inches
Display Size 3.7 inches
Display Resolution 480 x 320
Warranty 365 Days (Parts)/ 365 Days (Labor)
My Rating: 8 out of 10
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Recently I met with in my opinion an excellent GPS navigation system – Garmin GPSMAP 478 GPS Receiver.
it can be easily used on boat as well as in your car
What so cool is in this device? This Garmin GPS receiver began to produce for many years 
ago, and satnav technologies have in the meantime taken a significant step forward. But why is it still today are quite satisfactory purchased?
The main reason for me is durability and multipurpose. I mean that it can be easily used on the boat as well as in your car. You even could not switch it off. Just unplug from boat charger, if it used, and put on car’s dashboard.
Garmin GPSmap 478 GPS Receiver comes with preloaded Marine Detail Charts Of The United States Coastline and Alaska and Hawaii included.
If you want to used it as street navigator not necessary even switch it over or change something in menu. Just enter “Destination Home” and the device will guide you to sweet home doors.
From seller it in standard packaging this Garmin GPS is Preloaded With City Navigator Nt Detailed Street Maps Of The United States, Puerto Rico and Canada.
‘Hey Siri play music”
As stated in the manual as additional options are weather data on the display and even satellite radio with optional GXM 30 antenna. The time is ticking, and such features are not so actual today. Almost everyone has a smartphone in his pocket, and information, such as weather forecast or any genre of music you love is ”Hey Siri play music” away.
Those additional options some five-six years ago were good for overall trading competition but now rare any used.
What I like most in Garmin GPSmap 478 GPS Receiver is simplicity. For years, tested and corrected navigation software as well as the marine charts and land road maps. Straight forward, navigate to your favorite fishing spot just keep safe 10 feet under keel clearance.
And the same in a car. Just find closest Burger King from points of interest stored in the unit and drive.
able to catch a satellite signal under rather solid ceiling
I find a rather wide range of reviews about this unit and found many pros and cons. For me the biggest cons are antenna. For me, it is important as latest iPhone and Samsung smartphones can catch a satellite signal under rather a solid ceiling. In some reviews read that for better sat signal reception is good to plug in outdoor antenna? Strange, as I see rather a big antenna fitted on the same unit.
I suppose that it took place years ago when those reviews were written. I know that new GPS generation satellites were launched last years, and terrestrial receiver signal receptions are significantly improved. I have a prove. Somehow I found old Garmin handheld GPS, which I navigated in 1998. No words that it was able just to get geographical coordinates and store about 100 waypoints in memory. I plotted my position on navigation map as well as a waypoint. Old classic fashion marine navigation just position has been obtained not by Celestial Objects as Sun or stars, but from GPS constellation.
old Garmin was excellent inside the yacht
So, I remember those days and there were no way to read GPS display readings down in Chart room because of the deck above my head. A month ago I try the same procedure and signal strength in my old Garmin were excellent inside the yacht with 5-8 satellites in view.
As other cons were found is a poor battery. That problem nowadays is almost every GPS receiver as well as smartphones. Not a big difference battery holds 4 or 24 hours, everywhere are available different charging possibilities as additional charger battery solar or even portable wind generators on the boat.
==>My verdict about Garmin GPSmap 478 GPS Receiver is<==
, durable, years proved and tested money worth GPS Navigation Device Not the best one in the market, but “THE BEST” is a subjective evaluation.
Stay Safe and drive with caution
Great review on Sat Nov had a few over the years and many left me going down the wrong Road to my destination I like the idea it can be used on land and off shame I don’t have a boat any more is there any plans to extend the marine maps and is it better than my Tom Tom
Thanks Steven for stopping by.
You are right that sometimes GPS navigators leads us to dead end or wrong roads. First and main reason is absence of updates. Yes, you mentioned TomTom, actually is my favorite brand, but when came time to make update maps..money, money. TomTom update politics is not so cheap and that is main reason why people claim for bad mapping. Good solution is purchase of TomTom smartphone application. Updates are for free and my iPhone 6s Plus 5,5 inch screen sidze is big enough for navigation use.
I am so glad that I came across your review of the Garmin GPsmap 478 GPS receiver. I have been researching the best GPS receiver to purchase. I seem to have an issue remembering routes and directions as I am always getting lost – even on routes which I travel quite regularly.
It is good to know that the receiver comes loaded with maps covering the USA, Puerto Rico as well as Canada.
Hi Victoria and thanks for stopping by! Yee this Garmin GPS unit is cool and durable. If you are owner both a car and boat it is definitely good choice. Drive safe.
Great website it’s nice to have all the information and comparisons in one place. I personally like to use a free app on my phone as it costs so much to update a satnav as often as it needs to be done but I couldn’t be without one. The background information is also very intresting as you don’t often hear about how it all works!
Hello and welcome!
I know that GPS smartphone apps are rather big competitors of stand alone GPS navigation units. And it just normal development of progress. More and more people use cell phones as GPS navigators but to go in open sea or drive off road your vehicle has to be equipped with stand alone GPS navigation device.
The only thing you need to worry about is price assuming the same GPS melods are available to you in stores in your area (of course the biggest selection will be online).This site lists 16 different melods for sale for under $200: 12 new, 11 new, and 10 refurbished.If you look around online enough, you will almost always find a better deal because online vendors do not have to pay for store space, customer service employees and stuff like that. When there’s no store front you can charge less, and since most deal in bulk, the prices are lowest.Look to places like Amazon whose vendors often have free shipping. Of course, if a store has a special sale in your area on a model you want, go for it if the price is better. That takes a lot of shopping, waiting, and hoping though it’s not really something to rely on, just an opportunity to jump on in the rare instance that it happens.ANOTHER thing black Friday’ sales are often hyped even when the deals aren’t actually that good. They use tricks and hucksterism to barely legally put up huge numbers (50% OFF!) but read the fine print; they couldn’t stay in business if that were the case. The quieter online vendors often undercut the big noisy stores.