Not long ago I used to carry a pair of binoculars for spotting game and a separate rangefinder to calculate the distance. These days, however, I have a good pair of binoculars with built-in rangefinder, reducing weight while having both items at my fingertips at the one time. The same convenience is now available for another pair of essential devices that many outdoorsmen carry. Garmin’s Rino 750 is an all-in-one, two-way radio and GPS unit with a host of other valuable features.
Offering UHF radio capability and GPS navigation in the one unit, it’s a weight saver for hunters who would carry both. Whether you hunt with friends or simply want a bit of security in new or remote areas, the Garmin Rino 750 is indeed a great choice.
The UHF features 80 channels with a maximum power output of five watts, but you can switch back to 2W or even ½W output in close-by areas or flat country where line of sight will enable reception at longer distances. This in turn will also preserve battery life.
Similar to a normal UHF radio, other features include push-to-talk button, volume control, Bluetooth connection and even privacy channels. The Rino 750 is compatible with most standard 80-channel UHF radios, but additional features are available when using this radio with another Rino 750.
For example, it can track other Rino users, including older models like the Rino 650. This peer-to-peer positioning allows you to track others’ movements and locations, which is set when you press the talk button via the UHF. This location information is sent once every 30 seconds and I’d imagine would work well on driven hunts or simply to know exactly where your hunting mates are in the same area.
On a recent trip away with my son Mick, we put a pair of Rinos to the test and found they worked brilliantly. This was during the fallow deer rut so we both decided to split up and check out as many croaking bucks as possible before they stopped croaking for the morning, as we’d heard numerous bucks from camp.
To cut a long story short, I was lucky enough to get onto a nice buck first and took the shot. Shortly after, I called Mick on the Rino 750 to let him know I’d got one, to which he replied and immediately had my location marked on his unit, allowing him to track across to where I was located in thick bush. How amazing is that, I thought to myself.
The fact we were both carrying Rino 750s made the hunting a lot safer, I believe, as we each knew exactly where the other was located if and when taking a shot.
The Rino 750 can be sync’d with a number of other units, apparently, so if hunting with a party of, say, four or five others, you can each communicate your locations for safety purposes.
Not only can you mark waypoints in the Rino’s GPS, you can also pass on those waypoints to another device. It could be a fresh wallow, or perhaps a meeting spot for lunch; the scope is endless.
Which leads me to another excellent feature, called Sight ’N Go. This will allow you to point your radio at a specific location, plot its coordinates and send them to another radio user. This would work well in pinpointing an animal you’ve shot, perhaps on an opposite face, allowing you to plot where it is before venturing across to look for it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken an animal on a faraway, scrubby hill, only to find that when I got there it all looked quite different, resulting in lost or hard-to-find quarry.
The Garmin Rino 750 has a 76mm (3”) touchscreen GPS and a worldwide base map already included, however, facility to add additional storage and a MAPS upgrade is also available via a micro-SD card. These optional maps, such as BirdsEye Satellite Imagery, will give you enhanced topographical detail and all you need to know about the lay of the land when out bush; and also points of interest, directions and street maps when in the big smoke.
I installed the Garmin TOPO map, a pre-programmed data card by Garmin. These cards include one for Australia and New Zealand combined or, alternatively, other countries throughout the world. I’m yet to try it over on the west coast of NZ, where I frequently hunt for chamois and tahr, but look forward to giving it a go soon.
Here in Australia, it worked as expected. The MAPS upgrade is a real game changer for serious hunters who want the finer details of where they are, what’s around the corner and identifying likely faces that could hold game thanks to its elevations, contours and more.
The Garmin Rino 750 comes complete with a belt clip, power adaptor, mini-USB cable and the battery unit. It is rugged, waterproof and offers an altimeter, compass and barometer, to name a few. You can also wirelessly share your tracks, routes and geocaches with other compatible Garmin handheld devices and even send unit-to-unit text messages to Rino users nearby, so you won’t spook the game. Other features include dual GPS and GLONASS satellite reception, offering emergency reports, active weather updates and lots more.
I’ve never considered myself much of an electronic device guru, but a day or two in the bush with the Rino 750 was all it took to learn the ropes and make use of its many features and benefits. I’m sure there are still a few options available that I haven’t explored yet, but one thing’s for sure, the most important factors to me are the safety aspects, knowing where I am and being able to make contact with someone else in an emergency.
To find out more about the Garmin Rino 750 ask at your local gun shop or Garmin dealer. For more information visit www.garmin.com.au.
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