Garmin GPS 12XL Personal Navigator

The GPS 12XL's rugged, waterproof case features military-tough construction, and its rocker keypad design provides true one-hand operation. The 12-channel receiver locks into satellites fast and stays locked on, even in extreme conditions. More than just an ultrareliable receiver, the GPS 12XL is loaded with navigation information including 106 map datums and seven grid formats, plus advanced orienteering features like user datum/UTM/and user grid formats to define your own map parameters.

It features 20 reversible routes with up to 30 points each, plus MOB and TracBack modes. You can store up to 500 waypoints, 1,024 track log points, and 9 proximity waypoints. The large, crisp display gives you a clear picture of where you are. You'll get a host of advanced navigation features like enhanced moving-map graphics, average and maximum speed data, and trip timers.

The GPS 12XL uses an ergonomic rocker keypad for easy one-hand operation and features a user-friendly operating system to keep you on the move instead of pushing buttons. It has a voltage range of 10 to 32 volts and gets up to 24 hours of battery life with 4 AA batteries.

It is a sturdy, compact, and portable unit, only slightly larger than my cell phone (Nokia 6120). It fits easily and comfortably in my pocket.

Battery life so far has been very good.

It is very simple to use, and easy to navigiate once you become familiar with the interface and functions. You can easily operate it with only one hand. The displays are very functional and quite flexible in the information they display.

Whilst it can be a bit of a pain modifing waypoints manually, doing on the computer and then uploading them will save you much time. Download some free software, get the car adapter/pc serial combo cable and you'll be sweet. My first data transfers were trouble-free and easy to do. It works well in the car off the power as well.

I also purchased the car antenna, and this generally provides accuracy down to +/- 4-5 metres which is about the limit due to atmospheric error. If you are going to use the 12XL in your car - get the antenna.

I showed it to a friend recently and he went snap - he had just purchased two units the same for a Search and Rescue team.

I look forward to a good relationship with my 12XL :)


Great... A few years ago   January 26, 2001
Erik Evans (Bryne, Norway)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful

I bought this GPS a few years ago. As I work in the Army and my unit never fitted me with a military GPS, I decided to get one of my own. I was amazed then. It helped me out alot when trying to figure out my position. It's usefulness is limited in forests and in blizzards, which often is when you need the most. It was of course useless inside armored vehicles, but that's more than one can expect unless one has an external antenna.

The GPS can usualy track your position within two or three minutes, which is pretty fast. However, if you keep it turned on, it will drain your four AA batteries pretty quick.

I have always had the philosophy that one should NEVER solely trust a GPS. One should merely use it as a backup for a map and a compass. For this use, the Garmin GPS-12XL is just as good as you'll ever need it to be. However, the extra functions are rather primitive and probably most suited for fishers to mark their good spots.

Having said all this, I must add that GARMIN has come out with several newer, better, more advanced and even cheaper GPS's. I recommend buying one of those instead. Think carefully and decide wisely.


Excellent, but expensive   October 19, 2000
43 out of 45 found this review helpful

I love this product! I used it in the High Arctic as a backup navigation tool while working as a mining exploration surveyor. Like all battery-powered equipment, the low-end temperature limitation is due to the batteries (4 alkaline AA's). It's portable, solidly made, not too heavy, and most importantly it tracks 12 satellites simultaneously to get a fast position fix. This also makes it somewhat more useful than the average GPS in light tree cover since it is more likely that the unit will be able to get enough info for a position fix (GPS usefulness is marginal in the trees).

The keyboard, windows, and text entry are intuitive, fast to learn, and easy to read: comparable in difficulty to programming phone numbers into a cell phone. The backlit screen is useful at night. The unit appears to be internally well sealed against moisture, although the batteries are not fully isolated from the environment. This probably doesn't matter if you don't actually immerse it in salt water. Battery life is good. The unit is thicker than the pictures here make it look (check the dimensions), but this is not a problem: it fits easily into a pants pocket such as a pair of Dockers.

The unit and its case are black in color, so I advise attaching a piece of surveyor's flagging tape to either the case or the split ring at its base, or taping on reflective tape to the unit or sewing it to the case, **so you don't lose it like I did**. Reflective tape is available at bicycling stores.

I bought this exact same unit in 1997 for [the same price] and am very surprised that it hasn't either changed or come down in price more than it has. That said, I'd buy it again after looking at the competition to check for value. Make sure that the competitive unit tracks 12 satellites *simultaneously*.


good navigation   October 5, 2000
1 out of 16 found this review helpful

Well, I have been looking for a good navigator. This is a something you can have on road when you need road assistance. It is also affordable.