Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx Handheld GPS Navigator
by Garmin
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx Handheld GPS Navigator
Customer Review: Gadget without a home!
Summary: 4 Stars
The Garmin 60Csx is one of the most beloved of all the handheld GPS units by the Geocaching community. And for good reason! It has a great list of features, and it is accurate and fast! The unit fits nicely in the hand, and can easily be operated with just one hand when required. This is not recomended while driving however, as you can get very involved with the operation of the unit, and lose track of what you should be doing as a driver. It works well on the road, but is best suited to offroad use. The unit provides accurate readings, as well as quick response in both initialization of unit, and recovery of course when drivers "miss a turn" etc.. The screen is easy enough to read for it's size, and the color display helps to sort out the information shown. Controls are responsive, without being overly sensitive. The functions are intuitive once the user is a bit familiar with the various menu selections. This is easy enough to learn with an afternoon or two of "Playing and Exploring" with the unit. This is also the strong point of the provided documentation, as the user manual does little beyond giving a competant roadmap of the menu system. Don't expect any type of in depth discusion of the how and why. You can plan to spend a bit of money on additional map software too, as the included "basemaps" are just about useless. They are enough to let you know what area you are in, but don't even think for a minute that you could use them to navigate. They just don't have enough included detail for that. It's a bit like having a Porsche with no tires.
There is little to none in the way of support once you own the unit, at least from the manufacturer. The manual teaches you enough to get started, but does not supply any type of in depth information regarding the actual functionality, or any type of examples of the applications possilbe with all the various features provided. Things like how to add and create custom POI's are just left out. Expect a fairly steep learning curve, as this baby is loaded with bells and whistles like this for the intermediate to advanced user. A newbie can ignore most of this until they are ready to venture into the advanced functions. Thank heaven we have some great websites available to us that fill the gap left by Garmin. Most of your questions can be answered with a visit to one of these sites. A simple online search will get you the info you need in most cases. Someone had probably asked the question you have at least once already. Don't expect much from the company. You pretty much got what your getting from them in the package! The Garmin website offers little more than updates to the initial firmware and software. They do provide programs to make this process automatic and simple. So expect that whatever Garmin does offer, is going to be good . . . VERY GOOD INDEED!
What you will find in the package is going to be very nice also! The main unit is built like a tank. This is where all the companies efforts were placed. The quality is evident. The main case is made of some type of very high grade plastic that is rubberized in the right places, compact, solid and well laid out. This unit was deffinately engineered for field use. It has rubber covers over all ports, which makes it waterproof. It meets the industry standard which Is something like 3 ft depth of submersion for 20 seconds?. I am not certain of the details, but it will withstand water long enough for you to snatch it out of the creek you dropped it into. And getting caught in the rain should be no problem at all. There are connections for USB connectivity/Alternate power supply, External antenna, and Serial connections. There is also a software disk that provides easy installation of the included "MapSource" software for your PC. It installs easily, and works seamlessly with the unit. This allows you to import and export the maps, points and data required to use the unit. There are adequate "Help" files included to guide you through the program's use, but expect to spend some time with it if you plan to use the more advanced functions. BTW, there are plenty of advanced functions! this is especially true for a newbie like myself. A few weeks of use will have you realizing that some of the advanced functions are becoming routine. The package also includes a "wrist strap" that connects to the unit via a type of superstrong piece of thread. It is light and functional, and it will support the unit nicely if it slips from your hand while your crossing a creek or jumping over a log, but I don't know that I would want to use it for my main means of carrying the unit. I don't think it was designed for that. Garmin included a very nice quick release belt clip. It installs with a simple screw fastener on the back of the unit. I don't use it, but it seems well made and functional. There is also an included USB connector cord. Best accessory that Garmin provided. I use it all the time. It is well made, easy to use, and turns the unit into a powerhouse! Note that it also provides power to the unit to save on battery expense. My unit came with 256k of extended memory, but I hear this has varied in units of the past. I upgraded (very easy) to 2 Gig of memory. With this much memory, you can load more maps than you will live long enough to visit! The unit still limits you to 1,000 waypoints however, as that resides in permanent memory. I tried it (overloading)just to see what it would do. The unit gives a "Waypoint Memory Full" message, and simply stops accepting new points.
I've had my unit for about a moonth now, and I like it . . . A LOT! Once I added the "City Navigator NT" software for 2009, it became a whole new machine! I use it constantly. The batteries hold up extremely well (over 20 hours/set) so I havn't had need of rechargables. It navigates seemlessly and quickly, and rarely makes a bad choice in setting a course. The screen accurately reflects my location, and the auto zooming works very well.
You can customize most of the controls, including the level of detail at various zoom levels. Expect to spend some time tweaking the details for your personal taste. You can select which screens are included in the normal viewing rotation, as well as which related data fields, and how many are shown. Tracks and routes are able to be stored in expanded memory, so they can get fairly extensive. As with all other features, there is almost limitless customization available. Searches are a bit cumbersome with the input methods required,(rocker control and buttons) but then this is a handheld unit, so that is expected. The ultimate test in my opinion was really quite simple in the end . . . It gets me to where I want to be, and allows me to choose how to do it! Enough said!
Customer Review: A Useful and Worthy Update to the 60CS
Summary: 5 Stars
I replaced my GPS 60CS with this unit. I reviewed the 60CS on this site some time ago, and many of the same comments still apply, with some significant improvements and a couple of minor drawbacks. I had the opportunity to do some lengthy testing both on the road and in the field recently, having driven to South Dakota from Michigan for a fall pheasant hunt. I'll share with you some of my observations and how the CSx compares to the older CS.
The new receiver in the CSx is a major improvement over the CS. It's far more sensitive and locks on much more quickly, particularly from a "warm" boot in the same locale. A warm start lock is virtually instantaneous--it'll be ready to go before the welcome screen clears! Even a cold start only takes a minute or two. I really noticed the improvement in sensitivity indoors; I could easily get a lock from anywhere inside my house, a feat that was impossible with the 60CS. Accuracy with the new unit seems about the same as the old one. I've heard and read some complaints about this, as some folks say that it's not quite as accurate, but if so, it's only a couple of feet. Maybe geocachers are more concerned with this than I am. For general hiking, hunting, and traveling, it's not an issue. It's very accurate when in a vehicle, in my experience.
One thing I DID notice, however, is that when stationary the unit has a tendency to "wander." Even when I wasn't moving, the unit showed me moving around my general position to the point that the track looked like scribbling on the screen. I doesn't always happen, and it's more noticeable indoors (where I'm not going to get lost, hopefully, but the satellite lock is weaker), but it does happen. This does not occur at all when moving. I never noticed this with the old unit, either. Weird.
What I love most about the improved receiver is that I can put it inside my pack or inside a coat pocket and still get good reception. The 60CS would sometimes lose reception even hanging off the outside of my pack if something got in the way (my body, a piece of clothing, what-have-you). I had to make sure it was mounted somewhere high and with an unobstructed view of the sky to keep it from losing a lock. This is simply not an issue with the 60CSx.
Next, the memory expansion. This was my tops on my wish list with the 60CS. The onboard memory on that unit was sufficient to load most of a state's info (Topo and City Select), but doing any traveling required frequent updates using the MapSource software. Not a big deal, but somewhat inconvenient. The MicroSD capability in the CSx is just wonderful. You can find 1GB cards really cheap these days, and you can load seemingly half the U.S. on one card (actually, you're limited to 2025 map sets, which is a tremendous amount of detail). You could buy perhaps half a dozen 1GB MicroSD cards and literally have the entire country in your pocket. Also, you can tell the unit to dump track information to the card, which dramatically increases one's ability to store track data.
Battery life using NiMH batteries is excellent, and in fact there is a menu setting specifically for NiMH batteries. I use low-discharge type 2100 mAh batteries (like the Sanyo "Eneloop," for example) and they just last and last. I hunted for five days in South Dakota and had the unit on for about 4-6 hours per day. I had to change batteries once during that time. Using this kind of battery, I'd say conservatively that I got 20-22 hours out of one set. It seems to last longer than the old unit, though I have no direct comparison, so don't necessarily take that to the bank. (Another nice, albeit minor, improvement is that the unit can be powered via USB when hooked to a computer. Not a big deal, though nice since the batteries don't drain while loading maps, which can take quite a while on a 1GB card.)
The processor in the 60CSx must be improved as well. I noticed that it draws maps much more quickly and doesn't seem to "bog down" when faced with lots of contour or street data. Not a night and day difference, but nice nonetheless.
Nitpicks:
The buttons seem more plasticky than the old unit, which had a nice rubbery feel to them. It doesn't affect performance, really--it just feels cheaper. Some people don't like the new "cartoony" icons on the menus, but I couldn't care less about that, and in some ways they're easier to see at a glance, at least to me.
You still can't view more than one map type (i.e., Topo and City Select) at a time. It would be nice if somehow they could be merged to take the best detail from both. Not a huge deal.
Evidently the new unit no longer has the ability to track pressure changes while the unit is powered off. I didn't realize the 60CS could do that, so I guess I don't miss it. There might be instances where this is important to some folks who are really tracking the barometer closely, but I suspect they're already going to have some sort of weather station device anyway.
So, the question for many will be this: Is the 60CSx worth upgrading over the CS? Should I be putting my old unit up on eBay so I can get the latest and greatest?
If you don't already own a 60CS or something similar, I'd say so, particularly if you're going to be navigating in places that will challenge the unit's ability to get a satellite lock--under heavy tree cover, in deep canyons, etc. You will DEFINITELY notice the difference in reception.
If you travel extensively and want lots of map detail, and don't want the hassle of sitting down at your computer every time you go somewhere, then get the CSx. However, if you already own a 60C or CS, don't travel much out of your home state, primarily use it in your car, or navigate on open ground or on the water, I wouldn't be so quick to get rid of that 60CS. It's still a great unit.
What sold the unit for me was the simple fact that I can throw it in my pocket and not have to worry about losing a signal. No more fussing with finding the perfect perch on my backpack. The convenience factor, of course, is another biggie since I routinely travel all over North America. All I have to do is carry a couple of tiny little memory cards to have just about any map I'd ever conceive of needing. My biggest concern is losing the darn things since they're so teensy.
Customer Review: My thoughts on the 60csx
Summary: 4 Stars
Earlier in the summer I made the plunge and purchased a hand held GPS unit. I researched for a couple of weeks. Using the internet of course and also asking friends who are or were familiar with units as civilians, law enforcement as well as a couple of former soldiers. Garmin was the brand that most of the guys came up with. Various units were discuss and after considerable time weighing the advantages and disadvantages of various models I made my decision. I purchased a Garmin 60csx. Once I had the unit I dove into the manual to learn the nuances of the device. GPS units are pretty amazing technology. I even delved into the different satellites that are in orbit and how they work.
Here's some advice on buying a unit. First you need to ask yourself these questions.
1. What do you want the device for? Do you only need a car unit? Do you plan to do anything off-road (hiking, camping, mountain biking, trail running) etc... Probably the most important consideration.
2. What's your budget? That's the second big issue because buying the unit itself is just the beginning. More on that below.
3. How small of a unit do you need? More than a shirt pocket size? A significant issue as the antenna on or in the unit plays a very significant role to the accuracy.
For me I wanted something to use in the car and more importantly on the trail, in the woods. That lead me to look at accuracy issues with the cheaper models in wooded (under the canopy of trees) areas. The cheaper models just do not cut it when you go into the woods. The primary reason I chose the Garmin 60csx is because it is a WAAS compatible unit and it has the SiRF Star III chip set. Two critical systems that give you faster response from the GPS satellites and allow the signals to be captured by your unit under forest canopy. I can even pull signals inside my house and office if I'm close to a window. That's pretty impressive. I've gotten accuracy readings outdoors down to +/-9 ft. The 60csx is the same unit as the 60cx but it adds an electronic compass and a barometric altimeter (won't work in a pressurized airline cabin). Why not get all the bells and whistles when it adds just $20 to the unit? I generally leave the compass off to save battery power in the woods. I use my trusty analog compass I've had since the 70's. It doesn't need batteries and is proven reliable. I also won't go off the paths without a paper topo map. Navigational redundancy is a survival issue.
Here's the deal you don't want to find out after the fact. Buying a $300 unit is just the beginning. The built in maps are very very basic. If you want updated road maps with listings like hospitals, restaurants, gas stations, banks etc... otherwise referred to as POI (points of interest) you'll have to spend another $120 for Garmin's proprietary software called City Navigator 2008 (North America in my case). Only Garmin's software will work on their units. To install the software you have to register the software and it is "keyed" to your unit. Antipiracy is the name of that game. Luckily, in my research I found out that CN 2008 was to be released about a month after I bought my unit. Knowing that in front saved me from buying the soon to be outdated V8 of that software. The other issue is memory capacity. My unit came with a 128MB Micro SD memory card. Certainly not enough to hold all the maps I wanted. I purchased a 2GB card ($20) via a friend which saved me a few bucks. Another tip on software. If you plan to do any land navigation and want topography maps again you'll have to buy Garmin's software. For serious hikers and navigators, you'll want to avoid Garmin Topo 2008. While it covers the entire country the aspect ratio of the maps is only 1:100. If you're used to USGS maps you'll know that you really want 1:24 maps. That said you have to settle for Garmin's National Parks maps. Which is fine with me. I bought the National Parks Topo 24 Eastcoast. A couple of final points regarding maps. I linked you to the NT version of City Navigator 2008. There are two versions of this map. The map data is the same. The NT version has a greater compression rate allowing you to put more or all of the maps onto your memory chip. BUT, the NT software is only compatible on certain units, so if you can use it, buy it. When you get ready to load your maps onto your unit make sure you pick all the maps you want at one time. Each time you load maps onto the memory card you wipe out the previous maps that were loaded (except for the unit's base maps). That said. I have all of the continental US road maps from CN 2008 NT as well as AL, GA, NC and SC National Parks Topo maps loaded on the 2GB card with about 250MB to spare in memory. Not bad! I don't have to worry about changing memory cards etc....
I could go into greater detail about what I've learned but I'll recap a couple of things.
1. Research what you want. There's a lot to know about GPS before buying. Do your homework.
2. Factor in that you'll probably spend close to an additional $200 just for mapping software.
3. Spending doesn't stop there. DC power cord for long road trips. Dash mount, bike handlebar mounts, batteries (more on batteries later). So figure on probably another $50-$100 for all the goodies you'll want.
4. Get something to keep the unit in to protect it. I also recommend something to protect the screen from being scratched. Invisible Shield is supposed to be the hot set up. I had a packet of PDA screen savers laying around that I use on my PDA, iPod, Shot timer and cellphone screens that so far fits the bill.
What starts as a $300 purchase quickly turns into $500+. I'm not one to skimp on quality when it comes to good kit. ;)
Customer Review: Great hardware but...
Summary: 3 Stars
Pros:
Can operate both as a car or hiking unit. Does a good job of route finding (but you will have to accept a limitation of no voice directions) and re-computes the route on the fly (such as when you miss a turn) pretty fast. The screen is just big enough for the job. It has enough memory (with an extra card) to hold the routing maps for about 1/2 or more of the USA so I can load most of where I drive once and not have to re-load maps unless I take a major trip (and don't expect to go there again). This is with a medium sized optional memory I think that you could get more memory if you really needed it. There is enough room to hold topo maps in addition to the street maps, and shutting one or another set of maps off is only a few button pushes. I can convert from street navigation to hiking navigation (usually I need to change the choice of maps, and the choice of orientation of the display) in a couple of minutes. The receiver seems sensitive enough to work in most hiking conditions, like redwood tree cover.
From a mechanical standpoint the unit is pretty good (although the external antenna input failed on mine originally, but I don't use that feature). The buttons have a pretty good feel and the display does not wash out in direct sunlight.
Cons:
Map licenses cost something like $75 each, and Garmin expects you to update every year or so. If you don't update yearly that will charge you more for a full license. I expect that this feature will change, so I would check out their web site for details. Also, the street maps seem to be 3-4 years out of date from what I have seen. The Topo maps are even older so don't think of using them for street information. If you want the full car capabilities you will need a car kit (mount, and adapter). When I bought this a few years ago, I had to buy a kit to get the adapter and arm to hold the GPS, and buy a different kit to get a base that rests on the dash. In my state it is illegal to suction cup stuff to the windshield, which is the standard mounting option. A fully equipped GPS will end up costing a couple of hundred more than the hand held unit.
--- Please see latest edits ---
The biggest con to my mind is something that has happened since I bought it (in 2006). Initially the unit worked nearly flawlessly. However, Garmin has been upgrading the firmware and a year or so ago introduced a bug where the unit will power up in a state where the display shows no satellites whatever, and seems to spend forever trying to acquire them. If I query the version number of the firmware it is now 0.00s (was 3.00s). The only solution is to reload the firmware from a PC. The rate of this happening seems to be a couple of percent of the power ups. This is a big hit to its utility since you never know when you will go to switch it on and it has become a brick and you will need a trip to your PC and about 15 minutes to get it working again. I rate this as almost unacceptable behavior for something to take on overnight hikes since you will have to carry another navigation method and be sure that you can use that method when you need to. The reason I say "almost" is that you probably ought to do this anyhow, it is just you are a lot more likely to need to switch due to the bug. I probably would not take the unit (I would take something like a Gecko instead since my Gecko works *all* the time) due to this bug and the weight penalty.
From what I have seen on the web, this bug is common to the Garmin units that use the same GPS chipset in the unit. This is called Type G some places and in other places SiRFstarIII. I hope that a future release of the firmware will fix the problem. I have not been able to find a way to re-load the firmware that was in the unit when I bought it, I wish I could so I could get my reliable unit back.
Edited ----
It has been some months since I wrote this review. I have had a couple more instances of the software locking up. I have contacted Garmin about this and their only suggestion is to re-load the software. I am beginning to think that since the unit is older, fixing the problem is not a priority.
I'd have to recommend against buy this GPS (IMHO) since this problem has reduced the unit from a reliable navigation instrument to an expensive toy, since it cannot be counted on to work.
Edited ----
I contacted Garmin again and they asked that I send it back for repair. The repair consisted of replacing the unit (which requires that you get new unlock codes since the unit number changed). The new unit works so far, but I need to take it everywhere with me for a month of so to see if it is really reliable or just the same as before. (posted 27-Sep-09)
Edited ----
I have taken the unit commuting to see if it works OK over time and it seems fine now. Also, the failure (failing to acquire satellies) may have started when my original unit was replaced when the external antenna connector on the original unit failed. So the upshot is: The software seems OK, but the unit was faulty. I still have no good idea why it worked for a while and then began to stop acquiring satellites. I now have some reservations about the physical unit since I have had one antenna connection fail (unit replaced) and one unit dump its memory periodically (unit replaced). I hope that the bugs in the unit have been worked out, but this is the third unit I have had. I guess Garmin should be complemented on replacing the units so often (posted 20-Oct-09)
Customer Review: Excellence Has Its Price
Summary: 4 Stars
The 60CSx is a very sophisticated GPS that, while its looks may be intimidating to the novice, is fairly easy to learn. This due in a large part to the manual that comes with the unit. Garmin does a very good job of walking a first time user through the basics of setting up the GPS, learning basic navigation with the unit and letting you know how to change features to your liking. If you previously owned another Garmin with mapping capabilities, you will only need to adjust to where the control buttons are as the menu structure is very similar to the rest of the series. In addition to the manual, the 60CSx comes with a lanyard, a USB cable to connect the GPS to a computer and Trip and Waypoint manager, the software that enables you to pass information between your computer and the GPS.
The display screen is nicely sized for a handheld GPS. With the proper maps, more on that shortly, this will make a very good vehicle navigation aid as well as a hiking / geocaching unit. The 60CSx features inputs on the back if you wish to install an external antenna on your vehicle for added sensitivity. Personally, I feel no need to do this, but if you use this receiver frequently in your car, an external antenna may be an option for you to consider.
The 60CSx is larger than the more popular eTrex series, but it is still very portable. An external antenna housing is the reason for this increase in length. This antenna is not just for appearance, it does make a difference in reception over the eTrex series. Internally, the unit boasts of having the SiRF chipset. I don't know what the acronym stands for, but I will say this GPS has a much better ability to lock onto satellites and hold the lock than my previous Vista Cx did. The 60CSx far less bothered by overhanging branches on the trail or overhead bridges and short tunnels than my Vista Cx was.
As with most other GPS receivers, the unit only comes with a relatively sparse base map burned into the circuitry. It is still fully functional, right out of the box, but you may be missing some details for navigation. Like other units in the "x" series, the 60CSx makes use of a MicroSD card to store additional mapping information. Additional maps, either the CityNavigator series for vehicle navigation or topographical maps may be easily sent to the GPS via supplied USB cable to fill in the blank spots on the base map. You may load both types of maps, but only one can be visible at a time.
The unit comes with a 64MB chip. The chip may be replaced with a larger capacity one for storing more information. 64MB is adequate for storing a fairly good sized area of topo map information, but if you are planning an extended road trip, road maps will eat up a lot of space. Changing the chip is easy, but accessing it a little inconvenient as the batteries must be removed to do this. While this is mildly annoying, it is not something that needs to be done frequently, especially if you get a very large MicroSD card. If you get the 2 GB card, you can fit the entire CityNavigator North America onto the single chip and still have room left over for several states worth of topographic maps. Then you don't need to change the card out when travelling. The alternative to a larger capacity MicroSD card is taking a laptop when you travel and updating the navigation maps appropriate to where you are.
After using this GPS for a few weeks both in the field and on the road, I have a hard time finding flaws with it. If I hadn't previously owned the Vista Cx, I'd give this a full five stars across the board. I feel I can only give this unit four stars for value because of the price difference between the 60CSx and the Vista Cx. Yes, the 60CSx is superior, but the cost of the base unit is about what you would expect to pay for the Vista Cx with either City Navigator or a topographical Map set. In comparison, I found the Vista Cx to be extremely reliable and accurate enough for my hiking, geocaching and vehicle navigation needs.
Does mean I think the 60CSx is not worth the extra cost? I'll answer with a qualified "No, it is very much worth the cost". I think the extra cost is justified as you are getting observably improved performance. Using the 60CSx is every bit as easy as the Vista Cx, so it is suitable for a beginner, but the extra price may make it better suited to someone with a little experience looking for a worthwhile upgrade.