Alf Posted June 30, 2016 Report Share Posted June 30, 2016 Well I recently got a Rino 650. Overall seems OK. But it has a bug on the UHF, if you have "send coordinates" option turned on, the audio transmissions are intermittently really noisy with heaps of static (they are all crystal clear if this option is turned off). I contacted Garmin hoping they would release a firmware fix, their response was "product is working as intended" and "this is by design" so it looks like all the units have the same problem. If it was a cheap radio fair enough, but they cost a lot of money, and it sounds like a cop out that they either don't want to investigate the bug, or it can't be fixed in firmware and if they acknowledge the fault then maybe they will be up for a lot of money replacing all the faulty units out there. Who designs such an expensive product like this with an "intended" major flaw "by design" !!! End rant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafloss Posted June 30, 2016 Report Share Posted June 30, 2016 The static/noise is the unit transmitting the gps info. It's horrible for anyone on the same channel. That's why some folks get really upset with Rhino users. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whistler Posted June 30, 2016 Report Share Posted June 30, 2016 The static/noise is the unit transmitting the gps info. It's horrible for anyone on the same channel. That's why some folks get really upset with Rhino users. Duncs loves Rhino users.........just like Clowns........ Whistler 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waza Posted June 30, 2016 Report Share Posted June 30, 2016 Sounds like a old dial up internet modem or just old fashioned garble ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncs Posted June 30, 2016 Report Share Posted June 30, 2016 After the week I've had at work, and now talk of rhinos and clowns....where's my axe??!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kikka Posted June 30, 2016 Report Share Posted June 30, 2016 Lol, I was waiting for Duncs to chime in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiz Posted June 30, 2016 Report Share Posted June 30, 2016 Small flaw that I can live with for what you get. Ovwrall I think they are a great unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alf Posted June 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2016 The static/noise is the unit transmitting the gps info. It's horrible for anyone on the same channel. That's why some folks get really upset with Rhino users. The gps noise is only at the end of the audio transmission. The static noise I'm referring to is throughout the whole audio transmission Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alf Posted June 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2016 Small flaw that I can live with for what you get. Ovwrall I think they are a great unit. I too like the unit. I was just hoping they would treat the bug more seriously given their reputation. Anyways I asked them to escalate their response as I wasn't satisfied they tried hard enough so fingers crossed it might still get fixed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alf Posted June 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2016 Sounds like a old dial up internet modem or just old fashioned garble ?It's more like a loud buzzing over the top of your voice. What's annoying is its intermittent every time the flag goes red. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
optic Posted June 30, 2016 Report Share Posted June 30, 2016 (edited) Im with duncs. Not permitted on my shoots. Clowns are OK. Plenty out there. From another pub. I bought the pair of Rhino 650's when they were at the 2 for 1 offer. One has a cooked battery and I've also lost the a/c charger, so I'm up for a couple hundred bucks to keep using them. I've been running them for a few years now and while they are better than nothing, they have their limitations. The location polling feature seems pretty cool at first but its unreliable. It sometimes works well, more often hardly works or usually not at all. TBH when it doesn't work I hardly miss it. The unit has a tiny screen as half of the front face is taken up by the UHF speaker so I'm constantly zooming in and out. In to see an accurate track marking and out to see general direction/location. The menus are very user unfriendly and it takes an IT degree to save and then re display a previous track.So wandering of its worth spending the coin to keep these going or just put it towards a better single unit? Edited June 30, 2016 by optic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samburstalker Posted July 1, 2016 Report Share Posted July 1, 2016 One of my rinos does it, I stopped the noise on mine by turning it to 2 watt output instead of 5 Topo maps in the rino work brilliantly and don't like hunting in the bush without other rino users Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alf Posted July 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2016 One of my rinos does it, I stopped the noise on mine by turning it to 2 watt output instead of 5 Mine does it on all 3 power settings... 1/2W, 2W and 5W Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiz Posted July 1, 2016 Report Share Posted July 1, 2016 Have you updated firmware? I have had mine for at least 2 years and when I first bought it got onto garmin website and there was a firmware update which I downloaded and installed as did a couple of mates that i hunt with and we have been very happy. Polling is accurate as have had to locate one of the party who wasn't familiar with how to use the unit and got lost in a gully and was required to sit put till I found him due to light having faded requiring assistance to get back to vehicle. I just followed gps once I had polled his device. If it wasn't for the unit he would of had to sit it out till morning in winter to find his way out. The rino put me right on him and boy was he grateful as he didn't want to spend night in the cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alf Posted July 1, 2016 Author Report Share Posted July 1, 2016 Have you updated firmware? I have had mine for at least 2 years and when I first bought it got onto garmin website and there was a firmware update which I downloaded and installed as did a couple of mates that i hunt with and we have been very happy. Polling is accurate as have had to locate one of the party who wasn't familiar with how to use the unit and got lost in a gully and was required to sit put till I found him due to light having faded requiring assistance to get back to vehicle. I just followed gps once I had polled his device. If it wasn't for the unit he would of had to sit it out till morning in winter to find his way out. The rino put me right on him and boy was he grateful as he didn't want to spend night in the cold. Yep got the latest firmware 4.50 Garmin came back to me again and said it's a limitation, which I guess translates to "won't be fixing it" (sigh...) Anyways, overall still pretty happy with it. I'm sure in a few years someone will come up with a newer, better model anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spiz Posted July 1, 2016 Report Share Posted July 1, 2016 Yep I agree, only a matter of time till something new comes along and supersedes current model or something even better. At least we have something for now anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waza Posted July 1, 2016 Report Share Posted July 1, 2016 They are a great idea, I wish they would update them with a new model . I have heard on the bush telegraph that they are not making them anymore 8-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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