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: Great upgrade from etrex Legend
Summary: 5 Stars
I recently upgraded from a Garmin etrex Legend the the 60CSx. The differences of the two are like day and night. This was a great upgrade!
The first thing I noticed is that the reception of the CSx is far superior with the new receiver that is found in this unit. I was completely unable to receive a signal in my house with the etrex, but the CSx works almost anywhere in my house. That in itself is great, but there are many more features that I like.
The first is the larger color screen. It is not much larger, but the space management is better. An example is when you are in 'track up' mode, the CSx places your position toward the bottom of the screen, which enables you to see more area in front of you instead of what is behind you. Another cool feature of the color screen are the color schemes. You can have bright colored screens during the day, and dark background screens at night, which are easy to see. The best part is that after you set it up, they change automaticly at sunset and sunrise.
The Geocaching screen is also very handy. When you input geocaches they are defined by the icon used. All you have to do is search for the ones you haven't found yet, and it brings them up, ignoring other waypoints. When you find the geocache, all you do is enter on the 'found' button and it changes the icon and date stamps when you found the cache! Very cool!
Another thing that I like is that it is compatible with Mapsource Metroguide which I purchased a couple years ago when I got the etrex. It also works with Maptech Terrain Navigator. Both of those programs offer software updates to make them work with the new GPS units.
One last thing that I will mention is that when you connect the CSx to your computer via the supplied cable, it will run off the power of the computer instead of the batteries. That is really handy if you are out and about using a laptop for navigation.
There are many other features that I did not list which are also just as impressive. Hunting/fishing hot times, calendar, stopwatch, calculator, barometer, altimiter, and compass to name a few. The built in games look like fun, although I haven't tried any of them yet.
Customer Review: Can't go wrong with this one!
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me start by saying there is no perfect GPS. I don't care whether you go Garmin, Lowrance, or Magellan, none of them will be perfect. But the 60CSx comes close enough to make me one happy user. I use it while driving as well as for geocaching and hiking in the woods. I use City Navigator North America NT version 8 for street navigation, and it works very well. The basemap that comes with the unit is junk and you won't want to use it for driving, so the City Navigator software is a mandatory purchase if you want to use this for turn-by-turn street navigation. The 64MB MicroSD card included with the 60CSx is way too small. Spend $20 and get a 1GB card; that will hold maps of the whole USA rather than just 1 or 2 states. The unit's reception is outstanding; I've repeatedly had a sat lock in the basement of my ranch-style home. Older GPS units can't do that, but the Sirf III chip in this unit makes it possible. Locking onto the sat signal is fast and reliable with the 60CSx, and tree cover isn't an issue. This unit is pricy, and if you don't need the altimeter and compass the 60Cx might be a better, less expensive choice. The 60CSx won't give spoken directions like dedicated dashboard units will -- it uses "beeps" instead. The sounds that tell you when to turn are sometimes easy to miss if you have the radio cranked up, and one common complaint is that the turn warning beep doesn't always come far enough in advance. Fortunately, if you do overshoot your turn the unit will automatically re-calculate the route to get you back on track. Battery life is very good, about 18 hours on a set of alkalines. One great thing with this unit is that you can create your own POI lists containing literally thousands of waypoints and store them on the MicroSD card. This is in addition to the 1000 waypoints that the unit can store in it's internal memory. For a geocacher on a road trip, this is an awesome feature! Tracks can be stored on the data card too, and dumped to a computer for review later. Overall, this is one of the best handheld units available, and I'm glad I bought it. Whether I'm on a business trip for work or hiking in the Appalachian mountains, the 60CSx does a great job of getting me where I need to go.Customer Review: Solid Value and Versatility in an intermediate portable GPS
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this unit as a replacement for my 60CS unit which I literally loved to death. All pieces of hardware have an Achilles heel... that portion that breaks first. The 60CSx will likely suffer the same fate... the power button. As this is a water resistant device the power button is somewhat awkward to use and if you used the unit every day for a few years, it will likely be the unit's failure point. Otherwise the unit is built exceedingly well and is very rugged.
This is a great GPS! The handheld format is perfect for carrying around on the trail, in the car, or even in a small plane as a backup (not an aviation unit and certainly not IFR rated). The builtin pressure based altimeter (with GPS elevation augmentation) works well. Set the altimeter to a known elevation or pressure reading and go... the software algorithms do a great job at correcting for pressure drifts over many hours of travel using the GPS elevation data (which is poor for any given static location but averages well as you travel over distance and time combined with the initial setting). The 60CSx unit has a new GPS chipset with better discriminators allowing for quick satellite pick up and retention of signal even in most buildings and automobiles without need of an external antennae. I use the City Navigator NT database which seems current, accurate, and easy to use with some practice.
Using the cursor to enter text for searching or naming waypoints is a bit awkward but one quickly gets used to it.
The magnetic compass and pressure altimeter are great features for trail use. As a pilot I can plot my altitude over the course of the flight once back home for some flight analysis. You can do the same for those road trips cross country if you're so inclined. The mapping software and road routing is pretty good. If you're looking for spoken directions however, this is not your GPS. Routing prompts are beeps... one beep for upcoming turns, two beeps for "turn now". The prompting is very well timed for my driving style which is neither aggressive nor timid but "average". I find the beeps pleasant enough and not as annoying as the voice prompts. Probably a personal preference though.
Customer Review: Excellent GPS choice for all applications!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this unit from Amazon a while ago, and I had the opportunity to use it in various applications over a one year period:
1) Automobile
2) Boating
3) Biking/Walking
So far, I'm extremely impressed with this device from every perspective; build quality, versatility, performance, value, and functionality. Of all the newer available GPS devices sold within the market, I would still purchase this one, because it's so FLEXIBLE when it comes to applicable uses. Try using the more popular consumer models around water, in the nature, or with you on vacation to remote areas were GPS reception is not very strong. Bottom line is this; if the military can trust this unit in the field, then why wouldn't you? That's right, many special forces units use the 60CSx as backup units to the military grade GPS units. Why? The 60CSx is reliable and it works under the worst conditions. It's built like a tank and it's excellent at getting you from point A to point B - period!
Yes, the newer fancier GPS units do have MP3 capabilities, photo-viewers, up-to-date traffic reporting, and real-road views, etc.. However, you can't take them to the beach, on a boat, in the rain, or out into the cold. If I want to play MP3's and view photos, I'll use my iPod. A GPS is supposed to do one thing and one thing only. Never allow the navigator to get lost. This does exactly that and it does it extremely well. Superb receiving antenna, great satellite reception (even in dense areas), and fast map processing for something this size.
Also, this unit works great in the car. No it will not talk to you, but who cares? Is that really important, not to me. The LCD screen will light up and beep prior to direction requirements automatically. It gives you great information throughout the entire destination track. I've never gotten lost. Enter a point-of-interest, map the route, and off you go. Sit back and let the 60Csx guide you. Works great!
For the money, you will not find a better and more reliable GPS unit! Also, get a 2GB micro SD. That is more than enough memory (and it can be used as a UMS device as well). Enjoy. This is without a doubt one of my favorite toys...
Customer Review: Absolutely thrilled with this purchase! (Still!)
Summary: 5 Stars
*** Updated Review *** (29 Oct 2007)
So I bought the Garmin specifically for Geocaching... so far, I've found 366 caches! The 60CSx is rugged, it gets great reception, and in my experience has been very accurate.
I also use it frequently in the car for road navigation as well. If road nav. is your main need, there are better units, but it does a fine job of getting me where I need to be. It does not have voiced direction, just beeps that let you know that a turn is coming up. The screen is also a bit small for most automotive uses. Yes, you will most likely need additional mapping software to get the optimum use of road navigation.
I purchased the Garmin road mapping software at the same time as the unit and have been very happy with the software as well. All the reviews that say the unit is useless without additional maps are misleading you. A GPS receiver is designed to guide you to coordinates (longitude and latitude). It still does this exceptionally well, even with the provided base map. You do not need extra maps (or any maps) to locate coordinates. I also ended up in an area one night that I didn't have maps loaded for. I still managed to find 10 geocaches with no problems using just the basemap.
The screen on the 60CSx is high and exposed. I would recommend a protective device of some sort. I highly recommend the "InvisibleSHIELD" found at: www.shieldzone.com
Any problems? I did have some accuracy issues at one point involving the compass (the problems were caused by a combination of settings I made in the unit). I reset the device, updated the firmware... and back on the road, operating flawlessly once again.
I can't recommend this unit enough. It does everything its supposed to and more. The sour grapes in some of these reviews are exactly that. Before you spend this kind of money on anything, you should research it thoroughly.... obviously I knew it needed maps, I purchased them in the same transaction as the unit. Anyone "surprised" by the need for maps didn't do their homework.
I've owned this unit for over a year now and I'm still extremely happy. Will I buy another Garmin product... you bet!