Garmin GPSMap 60CSx Handheld GPS Navigator

I purchased a garmin GPSMAP 60CSx. I like a fool for purchasing this unit. I am returning it.

Don't get me wrong. The display is wonderful. The unit is small, light and easy to carry. The display is easy to read even in daylight. The unit even comes with a "bonus cable enclosed," according to garmin. But wouldn't you expect them to enclose the cable? Isn't the whole purpose of spending the additional $$$ for this unit to receive the ability to connect it to your computer and download the maps you want to use on your hiking trip (or whatever)? They had better include a cable, right?

And, what about the maps? The base map that is preloaded on this unit is useless. Do not purchase this unit if you expect any mapping functionality from the base map. To get any half-decent mapping functionality from this unit, you will have to shell out another several hundred dollars to garmin and only to garmin. As far as garmin knows, no other maps will work on their units. By the way, garmin's maps don't rate that well by customers either.

I feel cheated by garmin, because all of their marketing, including the box cover, shows only the additional maps. Sure, they cover their butts by including small print that reminds us all that the wonderful pictures of the amazing display are, of course, "Shown with optional MapSource data." However, the optional data could be the font for all one knows. There is nothing that details or even mentions the exceptionally poor quality of their base map.

Do not purchase this unit unless you are willing to shell out another several hundred dollars to garmin for maps. The cost of the unit is only half of what it could cost you to put maps on this thing. I had wanted mine to use for hiking, sailing and perhaps even driving. The maps alone would have cost me over $600.

Unless you are willing to shell out several hundred dollars more for maps, do yourself a favor and purchase a less expensive model and pick up some topo maps. The lesser expensive models will still give you grid coordinates like this one will. You can use the extra cash to buy a new tent, a new stove and probably some climbing gear.

On a more personal note: I would also ask that you don't purchase garmin products because we shouldn't support companies that do business this way. The maps should be available for people who purchase their products. They shouldn't be screwing over their customers like this.

The first reviewer didn't really do his research before he purchased this or else he would know that it only comes with basemaps. The other fact he would know is that that's how all GPS vendors work. They want you to buy their maps separately and only their maps will work on their hardware.

Now, I previously owned a 60CS which I loved after trading in my Vista. With the newly upgraded 60CSx you get a couple of additional functions that make it much better than the 60CS. First, there's the SiRF III chipset. It is by far the best chipset out there right now. It's super sensitive and super fast. You can lock onto satellites even in your house in many cases! No longer will you loose reception in tricky situations. Most of the time you can even keep the 60CSx in your backpack and it will still track your movements.

The other highly requested function for many years is the expansion memory, now in the form of a microSD. Now you can load almost half of the U.S. into 512mb of microSD. Later, larger capacity microSD cards will be released that will allow you to loan the entire US! That's awesome!

Two things that you will loose by going to the 60CSx from the 60CS, the alarm clock, and the passive barometric tracking. Apparently, the new 60CSx no longer has a sleep mode so that these two things will not continue to work if you turn OFF the unit. The 60CS had a sleep mode so that the altimeter would still record your barometric after the unit was turned off and wake up to sound the alarm clock but not with the new 60CSx.

Most people don't use these functions anyway so I don't think you'll miss them. Also, the SiRF III and microSD more than make up for those two shortfalls.

I just received my map 60cs-x in January from Amazon. Anyway, I really like my "old" Map60cs and its 56 mb of internal memory, but that is now my daughter's unit. The Map 60cs-x comes with 64 mb of trans-flash memory which is "semi"-removable. Garmin intends to sell trans-flash cards w/ pre loaded maps, but they are as yet un-available. However, 512 mb Scan-Disk trans-flash cards are available for about 45 bucks. That aughta hold just about every map in existance. I just purchased one, put all 40 mb of maps i had in my Map 60cs, and, as you can immagine, hardly put a dent in the available memory of that gihugeic memory card. I'm sure a 1 gb card is not far off in Scan-Disk's future.

Scan-Disk says the trans flash card is "semi" removable because its tiny size, about the size of your pinky nail, is rather delicate. However, once you lock one in, i doubt you'll ever need to remove it.

Other improvements: the Map 60cs-x seems to lock sattelites better than my Map 60cs and the backlight seems brighter, but that my be my elaited sense of reality.

My only criticizm of either unit is that the stated battery life of either is grossly exagerated. Also, i wish, in some conditions, that i could make the screen brighter. Oh, and Garmin refuses make their products MAC compatible. But Magellin dosn't work with MACs either (nativelly) so, whatchagonnado? A visit to MACgpsPro dot com gives hope, but not full functionallity. The only solution i found to this MAJOR flaw from either manufacturer is Virtual PC. Yuck!

Either unit is tough and rugged and probably the best choice for a hand-held. I also have Garmin's auto mount and handlebar mount, which work pretty good as well. I don't do product reviews very often, but I like this product so much that i have to say: GET ONE! (either one...) You won't be dissapointed.

If it wern't for my two and 1/2 criticizms, I'd give either unit a "5".

-jg

I recently upgraded to the GPSMAP 60CSx from the 60CS. I've had a chance to run the "x" through its paces and am very happy. The reception is excellent-- manifest in very fast time to initial position and good tracking under tree cover, amongst tall buildings, inside some buildings!, and from within a backpack or pocket.

I use the unit (as I did its predecessor) for auto-mapping when I travel and also for outdoor fun. In the spirit of full disclosure, I own and use the Garmin TOPO and City Navigator North America software (about $100 each).

Auto-Mapping:
I never travel to a new city without the 60CSx loaded with the appropriate City Navigator data. Finding hotels, appointments, dining, airports is now an absolute breeze. Unlike the StreetPilot units, the 60CSx doesn't provide voice feedback and the interface takes a little practice--but these are small concessions when you consider the handheld flexibility of the 60csx. The automatic route calculation works well and provides very good guidance at the point of turns, etc. The CS could hold data for 2-3 destination cities-- but I can load destination data for everything west of the Mississippi onto one 512mb chip in the CSx. Pre-load 3 chips and you'll have the full US. This increased storage capacity and flexibility was the feature that motivated my upgrade.

Outdoor Fun:
With the help of the Topo software and some USGS quadrangles, I've had great success plotting waypoints and creating routes on backpacking and hiking trails. I typically do all of the plotting on the PC and upload the data to the GPS--it is a great comfort to have the route and waypoints in-hand as you explore new areas. On a recent cold weather bacpacking trip, the CSx kept my position locked under dense foliage while the unit was in my breast pocket-- under similar conditions the CS reception would have been spotty (but still useful). It is amazingly fun to return from a hike and upload your track (electronic breadcrumbs) to the PC and then view the data in GoogleEarth.

I think the CSx has slightly poorer battery life than the CS. Hours of battery life varies widely with conditions--my current pair of Energizers have sustained the unit through about 10 hours of cold weather hiking (hard on batteries) and another 3-4 hours of auto-navigation. The battery level navigator is down to a single bar and I'm going to replace them before the next trip.

I heartily recommend this unit for the all-around user--it's not often you get a toy that is so much fun while still being useful.

Lots of people are expecting this GPS to be the perfect GPS. I really like it so far and I don't have any complaints. Most of the complaints you'll see are people comparing the features of this GPS to the 60CS. The issues most people are complaining about are really minor.

Icons: Ok the new icons are more cartoon like. None of them are hard to tell what the function is which is the point of an icon. It's an artistic style choice some people will like it and some will not.

No alarm: I have about 10 devices with an alarm clock on them I don't see where not including this feature is such a big deal.

No barometric trends while off: Garmin has stated this is a limitation of the new hardware. Useful if you're in the back country and can't get a weather radio broadcast. Otherwise a mostly unused feature.

Expectation of indoor reception: I can personally get reception in my house. This is not going to hold true for everyone. It's still a GPS and needs a somewhat unobstructed view of the sky. The new receiver is a HUGE improvement over the old one though and gets a lock much faster and holds it better in terrain that is tough for a GPS to work in.

Over-Expectation of accuracy: People keep forgetting that this is still a consumer GPS and is limited as to the accuracy it can get. Just because the GPS says it's got 3' accuracy doesn't mean it's correct. The 60CS and the 60CSx calculate their accuracy differently.Since the 60CS claims it is more accurate people fully trust the number the GPS is reporting and claim the 60CSx is less accurate. This isn't the case however in real world tests in clear skys both units have similar accuracy. However in challenging reception situations the 60CSx get better signal and is then "more accurate".

GPS "Walking": The 60CSx tends to walk around when stopped for a while causing the stopped time and distance traveled to be inaccurate. Garmin is aware of the problem and has stated it will be fixed with a firmware release.

Mini SD Card issues: This is the first offering by Garmin with a removable memory card. There are a few limitations however compared to other brands. First the cards are ONLY used to store maps. No waypoints, tracks, routes, etc. are stored on the cards. It would be nice to have these features but it doesn't seem that this is something that will (or can??) be changed with a firmware update. People also complain that there is no way to view information about the memory card (Space left, file listing, etc.) since there is no way to add data without having the GPS hooked into MapSource this is a non-issue. You can't write to it so why does it matter how much space is left? Oh and if you haven't seen a Mini SD card in person, wow they are really tiny about the size of a fingernail. People without good dexterity might have issues changing the card.

This is a really great GPS. If you have a 60CS already you need to carefully weigh your decision to upgrade since this unit will really only add increased reception(not accuracy) and the removable memory card. If you're upgrading from something other than a 60CS you'll love it, I sure do.

The new "x" series is the only way to go.

I recently upgraded from my 60CS and am amazed at the increase in performance in the new unit.

The 60CSx quickly locks in a signal even in the house, where my 60CS rarely worked. Under tree cover it does not lose the signal.

Scrolling on maps is much faster and cleaner.

Tremendous improvement over the solid performing 60CS series...

My first day impression. I'm pretty certain you already know all of the written specs on this GPSr.

Good:

Very quickly locks satellite signals, even inside my house. The SIRF receiver technology is great. The display can easily be read in the day. Uses the same power cables as some of the older Garmins. Magnetic compass turns on automatically when you walk at a normal pace which keeps the arrow pointing at your waypoint (cache), assuming your magnetic north is close to true north. The GPSr includes a thumbnail microSD memory chip for adding digital maps. It is located inside the battery compartment. Battery door has a rubber seal to keep out water. Color display is very nice. Using the arrow mode with the magnetic compass in this high sensitivity receiver makes geocaching much easier. The GPSr should work well in urban jungles.

Needs work:

Can't read the display at night without turning on the display light. Oh well. That's what battery chargers are for. The included Americas base map is a very bad joke. Doesn't show a single city main street. Only major highways. My ancient, plain vanilla, Garmin GPSIII+ has a significantly better base map. Because of this you will probably be FORCED to buy the Garmin City Navigator DVD. Then comes the fun of installing the included Waypoint Manager CD and drivers. It took me two tries to get the drivers to install and talk to the microSD chip. When all this is finished you'll quickly discover that the 64mb chip only has enough room to hold one or maybe two City Navigator state maps. At that point you'll probably want to buy a 512mb microSD chip.

I hoped to add a street map for an upcoming vacation in London but I'm now in major map price sticker shock because of the price Garmin is asking. It seems that Garmin has developed a perfect business model. Include a truly bad base map in your receiver and then pick your pocket for usable maps.


The review is more for how well Garmin handles/supports their product..

E-mailed their tech support a few days ago because my new 60CSX isn't indicating a "D" fix (WAAS)or any signal from a PRN above 30. Got this in reply:

"I'll be glad to help. The new SiRF units are not really capible of obtaining a WAAS fix at this time. Alone, the units can get down to 6-7 feet of accuracy without WAAS, and according to engineers, even with WAAS the correction is less than 6 inches at best. At this time, I am not sure if they will go though the effort to make the units work with WAAS or not. Most likely the option will be dropped with future updates because of the lack of
benefit."

Umm right.. First of all the box indicates that it's WAAS enabled, the website says it's WAAS enabled, and there are gobs of other users on the Groundspeak forums who are getting DGPS fixes and much better EPE's than I am. My older units are outperforming circles around this thing. It has some of the worst positional drift that I've seen in a HH GPSr. (sitting on a chair in my backyard for 30 minutes this afternoon, the trip odometer logged .6 miles) As such, I've had it for a couple of weeks and consider it not much more than a pretty paper weight.

The unit has excellent TTFF, is great to look at/use in any condition. But having been sold on a WAAS unit only to have a tech rep tell me that the packaging doesn't match the product gets me a little riled up.

Truth in advertising anyone? I'm gunna confirm this issue with others at Garmin, and if what the rep told me winds up being true, I'm going to pursue it with the FTC....

I live in a Chicago suburb and travel on my insurance and financial planning appointments that somehow people constantly give the wrong directions, and Mapquest cant find!

I wanted a GPS that I could use for camping up in the UP of Michigan, go out on the ATV, and use in the car. Finally Garmin came out with this product that can do both well and I bought it.

Why? Because most hand helds have limited memory, which I did not want for traveling because you have to have a computer with you to keep downloading detailed street maps. The unit only comes with a general highway map. The other choice was to buy 2 units, one for the car and one for the outdoors. Not what I wanted to do!

This unit has expandable memory sticks with up to 256mb each that can hold detailed maps of several states. In addition, you can add the TOPO map for hiking and offroading. Just put it on a seperte memory stick if you don't want to delete the street maps on your other memory sticks. When you update the maps the old info is wiped off of the memory stick.

I have been using the unit for about 2 weeks now in the car, and it is awesome. Very accurate, and very, very fast, too.

It can find satellites and work in my basement! It calculates routes in a matter of 3-5 seconds or so for a 350 mile trip. It recalculates a route when you miss a turn in about 2 seconds.

Amazing!

Very sensitive reception. Excellent unit with a lot of functionality for business and recreation.

I was disapointed that my new Garmin 60CS still has the old exit numbers for I-95 in its integrated basemap. The planning and migration to the new exit numbers has been in process for years. Yet Garmin has not taken the time to update the exit numbers for their newest GPS units. Garmin's response to my inquiry was "yes, the basemap is old" and "no, we aren't planning on updating it." At $500 a unit, I feel customers deserve an accurate basemap.

This is my fourth handheld GPS (I have 6 total). My handhelds are an old first-run eTrex, an eTrex Vista, and a Magellan Meridian Platinum. The 60CSx is definately the best. The most important aspect of any GPS unit is the ability to pick up the satellites. The 60CSx does this without fail while hanging from a belt loop, while in deep woods, at the bottom of 500 foot ravines in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. My other units have to be held up overhead at full arms length and get only spotty reception at best. The Magellan is definately the best of the others but I do not like the size of it or the button locations or the software nearly as much as the Garmin 60. I can palm a basketball, yet the Magellin is too large for my hand to comfortably operate the buttons. The stability and reproducability of the 60CSx is excellent. Consider my return trip to the trailhead on a recent hike. At one point the 60CSx said I was about 150 feet off the earlier track. This seemed too much. I bushwacked over about 150 feet to find the trail and then realized that a cross country ski path intersected with the trail and I had not noticed it on the way in. In my humble opinion this is excellent performance. I purchased the MapSource software which has all the trails I will ever need for about $100. My only complaint is that top quality, alkaline, batteries only last about 10 hours, and not the 30 hours listed in the ad copy. I carry another set of batteries for a day hike. I am very happy with this purchase.

Before I begin my review, I want to give the reader some information about my background to put this review in proper context.

This is the first GPS unit I've ever owned. I'm an avid hiker and I also enjoy backpacking. I'm also an occasional geocacher. I purchased this GPS as a supplement to the traditional map & compass. I use it primarily to mark trail heads, track my location when hiking, and navigate the forest roads in the Nicolet & Ottawa National Forests.

ACQUIRING SATELLITES/LOCATING POSITION (5/5 stars): This unit has excellent sensitivity. It can acquire satellites and determine my position while inside my home. The performance was also excellent under a dense forest canopy. It also acquires a position quite quickly.

EASE OF USE (3/5 stars): I'm a gadget junkie and tech geek in general. I rarely need to read a manual to figure out how a piece of electronics works. I must admit that I had a little difficulty with this GPS. The learning-curve was a bit steeper than I anticipated, but after a couple of weekends of constant use, I managed to figure everything out. The user interface isn't intuitive, so it takes some time to learn how to navigate through the menus. I don't consider this a major negative for the unit. The user interface seems similar to many other GPS units, so experienced GPS users will probably experience few issues operating this one. First-time users should expect to spend a few hours in the field with the unit and manual before feeling comfortable with the controls.

FEATURES (4/5 stars): The unit offers a lot of customization options. As a hiker and backpacker, I find the altimeter and compass very helpful. The microSD card support is a great feature, and I own 2 of the specialized TOPO map cards for use with this unit (Great Lakes Region & East Coast Region). The microSD card support frees you from having to constantly connect the GPS to the computer to upload a new section of map into the unit. This is particularly important to me since I'm a Mac user and Garmin doesn't currently support Mac OS X (although I'm told that they will have a Mac OS X version of their map products on the market by year-end). The unit ships with a great set of icons that can be assigned to your waypoint markers. The icons allow you to easily identify different waypoint categories by the icon displayed on the map. For instance, it allows me to mark a trail head using the "hiking" icon, and then mark a campsite along that trail using a "camping" icon. The trip computer is a fantastic hiking/backpacking companion. It tracks the number of miles you have hiked, moving & stopped time, max & overall speeds, etc. The "tracking" feature is one of the most useful. It automatically creates a track log for your trip. It diplays the track as an overlay on the terrain map so you can see exactly where you are currently and where you came from. The track log is a life-saving feature and it is the one that I rely on most when I'm in the forest. The Sun and Moon page is a nice feature to use when you are overnighting in the forest and want to get an idea of when to begin your day or start setting up basecamp.

GEOCACHING (4/5 stars): The unit offers a special geocache menu that keeps track of the caches that you uploaded into the unit and have yet to find. Since I have a Mac, I'm not able to hook the unit up to my computer and upload the waypoints from geocaching.com. I manually enter the waypoints from the information provided on the web site. The manual provides *no* information on how to manually enter geocache waypoints -- I figured it out on my own. The manual also did a poor job of explaining how to mark a cache as "found" in your GPS so it automatically updates the cache status and enters the "find" date/time in the calendar. Once you figure out how to do everything, it does a good job of managing your geocaches.

DESIGN OF UNIT (5/5 stars): The unit looks rugged and seems to be designed to handle the rigors of outdoor use. The subdued color scheme makes it an ideal backwoods companion. The layout of the buttons is logical and they are easy to use.

MAP SOFTWARE (3/4 stars): I use the Garmin TOPO map software (preloaded on the microSD cards). I think the maps are average. I find that, in some areas of Nicolet National Forest, the map software provides a lot of detail and accurate forest road information, but in other sections it has barely any information at all. The inaccuracy of the map is probably the most irritating issue with the unit. I find that I still have to consult my DeLorme Gazetteer to get accurate road information in certain parts of the forest. My expectation of the unit when I purchased it was that it would take over the role as my primary navigator, and I'd only consult the Gazetteer in case of emergency. I was a little disappointed when I discovered that the Garmin map software wasn't an adequate replacement.

ROUTE-CALCULATION/CAR-NAVIGATION (1/5 stars): The route calculation function is the biggest failure of this unit. The routes that this unit recommends defies logic in many cases. I asked the unit to create a route to take me from my home to my favorite trail head in the forest. The route it recommended was acceptable until it had to figure county and forest roads into its trip plan. The unit seemed to become confused and, had I followed its directions, would have routed me directly into the trunk of a giant tamarack. The route appeared to be too complicated for the unit, so it just drew a straight line to the trail head from the nearest state highway -- ignoring instructions to follow roads only. The unit has failed to compute an accurate route nearly every time I asked it to do so. It doesn't even do a good job of trip planning from one large city to another using major roads. I should point out that this GPS wasn't designed for these functions (route-calculation/auto-navigation). It can perform them, but the unit is intended to be used in offroad and backwoods type environments. If you require a GPS for use in your car, then I recommend that you buy one designed specifically for that purpose. I don't consider the unit's poor performance in this area as a huge negative since it falls a little outside the unit's area of expertise.

AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: The addition of the microSD card was a great feature, but it is almost criminal that the unit can't use free space on the card for additional storage. My biggest complaint with the unit is that the limits on the number of waypoints, tracks, and routes seems arbitrary and almost inexcusable given the fact that the unit has almost limitless storage available through the use of microSD cards. I'd gladly pay extra money for a unit that allowed me to save the track log for every trail I hike, along with the waypoint for the trail head, without any internal limit on the total number I can save. This is a serious weakness for the unit, and is the only thing that prevents me from giving it a perfect 5 star rating. As a hiker, I hike several trails that follow old logging roads, cross other trails, or go "off-trail" in some areas. I find it irritating that even though I have a GPS, I still have to rely on memory to some extent, to remember which path I need to take at critical intersections. I understand I can mark those intersections with additional waypoints but, again, the unit limits the number of waypoints you can store. It also limits the number of tracks you can save.

OVERALL (4/5 stars): I think this is the best GPS currently available for hiking/backpacking. It excels in outdoors/backwoods environments and has all the features necessary to ensure that you are aware of your current position, the type of terrain you will encounter ahead, and how to return to your start position quickly and with ease. I feel confidant hiking into areas of the forest that I'm not familiar with using this unit as my guide. Potential buyers should be aware of some of the limitations that I mentioned in my review: 1) The unit's route calculation, when using it as a GPS in your car, is awful. If you need a GPS for your car, then buy one designed for that purpose. 2) The Garmin maps are acceptable, but don't expect them to have every country backroad documented. 3) The internal storage limits could cause problems for some users.

I've owned a GPS12, and a Vista before I purchased this GPS. The GPS12 when I bought it several years ago did the job, but there were no maps. I then bought a Vista, and I can say that this was a "dog". The receiver on the Vista was extremely poor, and I got better satellite coverage with the old GPS12. Now fast forward to the GPSMap 60CSx, wow, this is the GPS I've been waiting for. The satellite coverage is amazing, and the unit is extremely easy to use. This is without a doubt the best Garmin handheld yet.

The SiRF chipset in this unit is amazing. When I first saw the 60csx in person, it was in the middle of a giant warehouse-type store, and it *had reception*. No other unit can get as strong a signal indoors, under trees, inside my backpack, etc., as this one can. (Of course it still won't work in the middle of a windowless room, for example -- it isn't magic!) That alone was what sold me about it. Everything else works as all the other reviewers have described -- the software is very intuitive, and the compass and altimeter work great.

My one complaint is that the SiRF receiver is *so* sensitive that when indoors, it can pick up a poor signal that yields relatively inaccurate position data. That means your track log will "jump" around all over the place. I hope that Garmin will provide better filtering to detect when the unit is not in motion in the future, but for now this is an acceptable compromise since it's better to have slightly inaccurate location info (within 50 meters instead of 5 like you get outdoors) than none at all.

There's one important note I'd like to make about the future expandability of this product. In regard to B. Goodman "Coaster"'s review which stated that you can't save tracks, waypoints, routes, etc., to the microSD card, Garmin has apparently made steps to remedy that problem, at least with regard to tracks. Firmware version 2.71 (which is currently Beta, so I wouldn't recommend installing it just yet -- and please note that Garmin might very well change what I describe here in the future) supports saving tracks to the microSD storage! Presumably this will give you an effectively unlimited track log. I've tested this new feature, and the way it currently works is that it saves a duplicate copy of the "active log" to the microSD card. This lets you periodically erase the "real" active track log, while keeping the backup which you can view later on your computer. This is perfect for long trips when you don't want to carry your laptop. The tracks are saved in standard GPX format, and even include time and elevation data (unlike the normal "saved" tracks that you can save and view on the receiver itself).

The new 2.71 (Beta) firmware also enables a USB Mass Storage interface, so you can view the files on the microSD card directly, which will let you easily upload third-party maps (not very high-quality, but available from sites like mapcenter.cgpsmapper.com). You can also use this to retrieve the saved track logs. And you can do this even from a *Macintosh*! This proves that Garmin is committed to providing OS-X support by the end of this year, and also that they're committed to providing continued support for their current (and older) products, rather than saving all the new features only for new products.

When I buy this unit, it will be my 4th hand-held GPS. My current is an eTrex Vista, which does everything I could ever want except work when I really need it! The Vista looses signal in not-so-steep canyons, under moderately dense trees, and when storm clouds get too thick.

I took the CSx for a spin at REI. It wouldn't lock inside their big metal wearhouse building, of course, so I took it outside. It worked fine and did NOT wander when I was standing still. If I took one big stride (~5 feet) it noticed, but added some noise into the odometer too. (said I went 9 feet instead of 5. I can live with that)

Next I held it right up against the 30 foot tall concrete wall of the store, expecting it to lose 1/2 the satelites. Nope. Signal strength dropped but it stayed locked.

Finally, I took it back inside the store, which again has a solid sheet metal roof and only occasional skylights. It struggled there, but kept enough satelites locked (throught the skylights?) to tell me where I was. That's VERY impressive.

In a car, I have to throw the vista on the dashboard so it can see through the windshield. I expect the CSx will work fine in the passenger or back seat. I also expect I can leave the CSx in my pocket or daypack while hiking and it will track. (The vista only works if I rig it to the shoulder strap of my backpack)

The e-compass was just a toy. I always carry a paper map and old-school compass anyway, just in case the batteries die or I drop the thing and break it. (learned that one the hard way, when my first GPS's batteries froze on the way down shasta)

Can't tell if I'll use the barometer and altimeter or not, but I'll give it a shot. At least you can shut it off to save batteries.

Overall, I'm very impressed. I'll keep this unit for a long time, I think.

The unit itself works great, I love it, but it does not come with any detailed base maps. Plan to spend extra money with the purchase and get the map(s) that fit your needs.
Have fun, and try GeoCashing when you get it.

I purchased this item specificaly for geocaching, and for that purpose it is excellent. I think that the dedicated "talk to you units" are better for driving directions, and I have no idea about marine use. For geocaching the unit starts up very quickly, has excellent error margins of typically 15 to 20 feet or so, and down loads the coordinates for the caches, keeping them separate from other way-points. It even lists the caches you have found separately from the ones you have yet to find. Note that you do NOT need to purchase the Map Source and Waypoint Manager, as this is included with the GPS unit.

The features do not remotely live up to the hype. The base map is close to useless and without the addition to the add on map, will do no more than a $150 gps. If I still had the box, I would send it back

Great state of the art GPS! I am a veteran GPS owner. I have a Garmin Etrex Summit and the 60CSx not only adds a tremendous amount of functions (mapping, etc.) it also makes many of the older generation of functions more user friendly. I do all my hiking in the eastern US, mostly in the heavily forested mountains of North Carolina and New England. My old etrex would struggle to get a fix here and there along the trails but this 60CSx locks onto my every footstep continuousely thanks to the new microprocessor (SIRC)

Had the older Garmin 60CS and the 60CSx blows it away. It is so fast at acquiring the satellites and even works inside my house! It also works great in the canyons of the Wasatch mountains in Utah. In the car,it works well from inside the car without having to be on the windshield mount with a view of the sky.

This was our first GPS, and the unit is cram packed with features, so early experiences can't possibly touch on all its capabilities. The unit very easy to set up and within a few minutes we were acquiring satellites and geting aquainted with some of the capabilities. We got this unit primarily for geocaching and it was very easy to set up for that. A few minutes to calibrate the altimiter and the magnaetic compass and we were ready to begin downloading a list of waypoints to geocache locations near us.

The base map provided with the unit is very primitive, showing only interstate roads and primary surface roads. If you want to do any significant routing with the unit you will have to buy digital maps for the areas you are interested in. This can amount to another 60 to 200 dollars

The unit is WAS enabled, but my area can only access one antenna, so the improvements in precision, while detectable, are relatively modest.

All in all fairly easy to set up and use. Perfomance is good to excellent. We havent used the tracking feature, but the trip, routing and caching features all work as advertised. I am very satisfied.

This is a great piece of gear, with the otional map packs. Being able to find anything instead of calling information is a great ability. Sometimes navigating the find features becomes a pain with the quit button instead of a back feature. There needs to be software for maps of the middle east, that do not cost $350 and are incomplete.

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.

So far Sooo good, to date this gps keeps making me smile. I had the etrek, which for my use was very limited. The 60csx gives me more options for tracking and recording and expanding. The screen is clear and bright. You must read the instructions and follow them but once you get used to them its smoth sailing. Only problem I've seen is in day light you have to angle the screen of the sun washes the picture out but thats an easy fix. Love this unit.

By far this is the Best GPS unit I've owned. It is easy to setup and ease of use for any level of user is superior to all other units. It's ability to connect to multiple satelites is second to none. I have used the unit from the mountains of Maine to the shores of New Jersey and have had nothing but great experiences with using it. I purchased the unit for hunting but have found a new use that my kids love "geo caching". Using the unit with the kids has proven it's toughness and level of water resistance. I could not say enough about the unit. I highly recommend this unit to anyone who wants a quality GPS at a practical price.

I bought this GPS with a sole purpose:to avoid speed limit fines.
I work in Macae city and have a house in Rio. I use to drive about 220 Km (140 miles) each way every weekend. There are 18 radar detectors with cameras in which you have to reduce from 80 to 50 km / hour. I got 8 fines in the past 12 months and a loss around USD 2000.
There are limited offer of Mapsource to my area. I created tracks which navigate with the GPS and marked as waypoints all the locations where there is a radar. The proximity alert feature tells me I am near these radars. I also marked radars locations downtown Rio.

I found the GPS sensitivity exceptional. It can keep track even seated inside a bus. The visor has good visibility, battery consumption is low and it is small enough to keep in my briefcase.
I also bought an external antenna which is positioned on the top of my car dashboard, under the windshield. I can keep the unit inside the car.

It is my first GPS and I am happy I purchased it.

The device was delivered to a friend's address in Houston on time before he travelled to Macaé on vacations.

Reception is very good, screen is clear, unit is well designed and light enough. Haven't dropped it but looks pretty sturdy. Problem comes with quality of downloadable maps, especially topo maps for the Catalan pyrinnees, were information becomes visible only at the 300m level screen. Not very useful to get the big picture of where you are. But this is not something to blame on the unit. For US users, US topo maps should be much better than this.

First, a couple years ago I had an e-trex legend, non-color. That thing stunk, always losing signal, very slow, and pretty much painful. My job had given me a really nice Dell Axim X30 so I decided to d/l a gps program for it (destinator) and buy a bluetooth GPS receiver. This worked ok. Really fast and was ok for the car, but still I hated the cables and rechargers and stuff I had to use. and frequently, right in the middle if driving it would lose bluetooth connectivity... annoying. No good for hiking/off-road either which i really missed and hated using the etrex also.

So finally, after reading some reviews and comparing this product to the older gpsmap 60CS which you could have just purchased for dirt cheap at REI btw, I sucked it up and spent the money and bought the 60CSX.

This thing is great. I ahve been using about 2 weeks now. I get amazing reception even in the middle of my house nowhere near a window!!! Unheard of! It has yet to ever drop a signal driving in the city (downtown boston) or through really deep woods in the white mountians. I have used this thing a lot and I am still on my first set of batteries for it. No complaints there. Others must have the backlight on full blast while they sleep or something...

Also, this thing re-draws really fast like when panning and zooming. Way faster, maybe even 2X or more the 60cs.

Navigation in the car is great to. The display is obviously not as big and pretty as my Dell Axim was but I can still see all i need to and more while driving.

Complaints:
1) The basemap is worthless as everyone says. Seriously Garmin, we spend all this $$$ for the top-of-the line and you chince out...
2) The city navigator software is critical if you want to use it for driving, and thats another $130 !!! what a SCAM! And good luck trying to d/l this. you cant. no one has broken it so dont wast your time. Luckily I already owned US Topo East (which is not locked so I could use it)
3) lastly, there should be adjustable volume for the alerts for turning etc... It is not very loud.

All in all, this product is the perfect comprimise of in-car navigation combined with outdoor functionality. Really is the best of both worlds. I see why it has won the "Gear of the Year" award.

I would have given it 3.5 stars but it was not an option. I only give it 3.5 stars because of the poor software and useless base maps. The unit itself is a nice unit.

I have had the 60CSx for about a few weeks now. There was a learning curve at first but now I have it setup to my preference it is a pretty nice unit. It took a week to get use to how the unit functions. After that it was pretty simple to use and navigate through the GPS functions.
I was looking for a unit that had mobile capability like my eTrex Legend and yet wanted something that had the detail map and Navigational capability like my Garmin 2720. I purchased the 60CSx as a well rounded solution for my needs. So, far it fit perfectly with some additional cost of course.

Pros: Handy unit, it can be removed from the car and carried unlike the 2720. Screen was large enough to read. Well laid out buttons. Rugged. Good screen resolution.

Cons: Software that comes with the 60CSx is pretty much useless. Need to buy the extra memory Card and additional software for better maps, I purchased and extra 1gb memory chip ($$$$). The 1gb chip was an over kill but I like the flexibility. Without the extra items the 60CSx is no better than a eTrex Legend.

Fortunately, I also had a Garmin 2720 with the North America NT V7 software w/ full unlock code. If you register on-line with Garmin you can reuse the code to unlock another GPS unit (2 units max) - you need this to download sectional maps to the 60CSx. If I did not have the other units unlock code and software I would have spend another ~ $150 for additional software.

To figure out how to get the unlock codes to work and download better maps to the on the 60CSX took another 1.5 weeks. Not an intuitive process. Email tech support several times, it was much faster than calling them and waiting on the phone. Email response was less than 2 days.

Update: The 60CSx works with the Garmin 2720 external antenna. Sat lock on much faster...even thou the 60CSx does lock on pretty quick already. Ordered the window suction mount, waiting for it now.

This is without a doubt the best non-professional GPS one can buy today. The only problem is with the topo maps which you are required to purchase either on a insertable memory card, or as software. In order to get any detail for hiking you need to use these maps. Compared to other Topo Maps, specifically National Geographic's State Topo or Delorme Topo 6, the Garmin maps are significantly outdated and inferior in quality/level of detail. I actually contacted Garmin and asked why they would produce such poor quality maps for such an oustanding device and are there any plans for something better. They replied that compared to the two competitors, they agree and are (always) looking at ways to improve the MapSource product - with no further committment. I currently upload an appropriate section of Mapsource into my 2G memory card (an option), but transfer all Waypoints and Tracks after a hike to my PC NG or Delorme Topo maps.

I've been using this unit for a couple of weeks now to geocache with my sons. Since this was my first GPSr, I found that straight out of the box it was quite confusing to use. The documentation, while seeming exhaustive, is more about navigating the menus than actually using the unit. The manual sometimes points the user to the Garmin website, which too is often not helpful.

However, I found that there is a very active community of 60CSx users out there who are more than happy to help sort out the intricacies of this very powerful little unit. In my experience, a quick search usually yields an answer to anything I couldn't figure out from the manual.

After several simple cache hunts, I've quickly become accustomed to the way the unit works, though I am still discovering new features almost every time I use it.

As others have noted, the base map is nearly useless, being limited to highways and a few secondary roads. It lacks the detail to be useful for finding your way around unfamiliar areas (on- or off-road) without resorting to a paper map. You are also unlikely to find compatible free maps on the Internet, though I was able to find a very detailed one for New Zealand.

The included MapSource software is also pretty bare-bones, though it does the job for moving waypoints, maps, and other information between your computer and GPSr. Its interface looks, however, as though it hasn't been seriously updated since about 1995. At times it is not very intuitive, but like the unit itself, once you get the hang of how it works, it works fine.

That said, if you plan to use the unit to geocache, there are a wealth of programs and sites that will make playing the game with you 60CSx a snap.

Overall, I am very pleased with the 60CSx. I give the unit itself 5 stars, but only 3 stars for the software, manual, and basemap.

It's a great unit alright, but those of you out there who use lithium batteries to power your portable electronics gear will be in for a major disappointment. The 60CSx CANNOT use fully charged lithium batteries! They won't work. The unit does not power up. All you get is the splash screen, which quickly fades away. Garmin tech support provided the reason: fully charged lithium batteries are too powerful for this unit to start up properly! Garmin has set an upper voltage limit for your batteries of choice. If they exceed that limit, your receiver will not work. You have to use alkalines, or some lesser powered battery, which don't have nearly the same lasting power, and this little baby eats batteries like candy. Using Duracell's top-of-the-line alkalines got me a lousy thirty minutes worth of usage with only occasional use of the backlight. This is an inexcusable design failure. Lithiums are widely used by outdoor enthusiasts and every other Garmin device I have owned over the years would accommodate them without a problem. Coming from an industry leader in GPS technology at a cool $400, I expected more. Perhaps this can be remedied with a future software update, but Garmin made no promises. Note that you can still use lithiums, but they have to have lost some of their charge before they will work, which sort of defeats the purpose of using them in the first place. This just really takes the fun out of using this receiver, as you must constantly monitor the battery charge meter to make sure your device is not about to peter out. If you take it on a long outing, be sure to take along LOTS of spare alkalines with you. Come on Garmin, this is stupid!

I bought this to accommodate driving, biking and hiking. I think it's a good compromise for all three. I you are exclusively going to use your GPS in the car, this one is not for you. In the car it's better to have a larger screen and voice commands.
The reception on this unit will only cut out in tunnels. Otherwise, it seems always to be locked on, even when inside the car. The display is extremely clear. The screen size difference from ETrex models makes a huge difference as a bigger screen gives you better perspective on a map.
Before you buy, keep some things in mind:
1. You must buy Garmin City Select software for street maps to use this for navigation. The price was $100 at this writing. You will need to unlock the software. You use the 8 digit code on the CD, then they email you with another 25 digit code you will use to unlock it (a bit of unnecessary pain there). I had trouble with the software not recognizing my unit through the USB cable. When I unplugged the unit, rebooted and then plugged back the unit, it was recognized and I could start loading maps.
2. National Geographic's current version, 4.2.2 (I believe), works with this unit. NG's software is great for hiking/biking. I don't think you can use both Garmin City Select and NG simultaneously on the GPS. I've heard people talk about `subscriptions' but you don't need to pay anything once you have the software.
3. Garmin's bicycle mount on Amazon.com does not hold the GPS well. The GPS is too expensive to chance losing it over some road bumps. Look for the Touratech motorcycle mount. Garmin's Automobile mounting kit is great. It has one stick-on mount and one beanbag mount that can be moved from car to car.
4. I think it's a good idea to read a lot of reviews here as many problems identified in one review are addressed in other reviews (i.e.: battery problems).
5. Garmin's customer service phone wait time is 30-60 minutes and is only available weekdays during working hours. It will take as much as a week for them to respond to email.
6. I recommend you get additional memory chips for the unit, $40 for 1G at this writing as you'll never have to wonder what area maps you have inside.
Now, have some fun and play with the unit. Once you have learned its logic, it is very easy to use. When learning in the car, have someone else drive while you play with the unit. You have to know the key positions and screens before you use it while driving.
The case is rugged and buttons are sturdy. The display is recessed to help protect it. Just the same, I recommend the protective case, which is a pricey piece of vinyl at $15.
I tried to address some things not already in other reviews. One last thing is to add up the costs of all the accompanying items you will need to make the unit useful to you. None of these things are cheap. They are all on the net somewhere and might include:
Street software
Topo software
AC adapter/Car holder
Bicycle mount
Protective case
Rechargeable batteries

I purchased an eTrex a few years back and have been pleased with that and resisted upgrading for a while. I'm glad I did as I would have ended up with a unit that was inferior to this. Everything I was missing on my eTrex or the other units I looked at is here. This unit is light, actually not much bigger than an eTrex but with a much larger screen, and is full of great features.
First and foremost the satellite lock is exceptional. This was the biggest complaint I had, and others too, with the eTrex series, that their internal antennas were not that great. With this unit I have kept a lock in deep tree cover, canyons, cities with high rises and more.
Next the color screen. Again, this was one of the things I looked for, and the screen really lives up to the promise. It is visible in all kinds of conditions, and when it is lacking a little, turning on the backlight slightly brings the clarity back.
Another thing that made me stick with my eTrex was that very few handheld units allowed for memory upgrades. This unit does this and with the cost of transflash/microSD coming down so much, you can carry just about as many maps as you like. I have a 51MB card and have all of the western United States topo and street maps on there.
Another thing I wanted but couldn't satisfactorily find in a HH unit was auto route generation. This has it and it works great. I love being able to drive somewhere and just take a turn off the road to investigate a new place and having the unit just put me straight back on track again when I am ready. You do have to purchase additional software, and for those who are complaining about this, it is quite clear that this is the case when you buy the unit. I agree with a couple of the other reviewers that without the supplemental maps you may as well just stick with the eTrex. I love the eTrex and would recommend it to any one who wants a basic GPS. For what this unit can offer though and when you compare it to comparable in car units, that are limited to the car, the price is actually not so bad. If you want to spring for the other maps though, or have a license for them from another GPS that you have only registered once, this GPS stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Personally I love it and at the current price on Amazon ($[...] after rebate as I write this!) I don't think it can be beaten.

I purchased the 60csx for an extensive road trip over the west coast of the U.S.. I was overwhelmed at the excellent sattelite reception and auto-routing capabilites. I was easily able to locate hotels, parks, and food along the way. I logged over 3400 miles in three weeks without any real route planning before hand. I let the 60csx do it all for me and it worked great!! As for postings about battery life, I have used lithium ion batteries without any problem and they lasted 10-12 hours. The trick is to turn off the compass which isn't really needed if you are moving. I highly recommend getting the City Navigator and Topo maps from Garmin. The extra expense is worth it and also the car power adapter.

Having read several complaints regarding customer support, I was prepared for a lengthy wait and little or no real help. I was totally wrong: I had a human being on the line(Andrew)within five minutes. Andrew tells me Garmin has added over forty new support people. He took as much time as needed with no urgency at all. If the wait is usually as short and the support so hassle free, then the rest of the hardware/software industry should take notice.

While there are a lot of uses for GPS handhelds, this is such a great geocaching tool. Unlike my old eTrex, it is very accurate, picks up reception in trees, and has an electronic compass. Of course, you pay for all of this relative to an eTrex. Nonetheless, all of sudden I am able to find many more caches than I had previously.

I've used the 60CSx for three months and carry it with me on all my hikes - mostly bushwhacks in deep, old-growth pacific northwest forests - often in deep canyons - and have never lost signal - (and I'm talking 200 foot trees and thousand foot deep, steep-walled canyons, too.) Accuracy suffers in such challenging terrain but seldom gets worse than +/- 100' and is usually in the 20' range. As previous reviewers have noted, the unit's standard base map is worthless so you will have to purchase another $100 worth of software to correct that problem. Unfortunately, and again as other reviewers have noted, there is a lot to be desired with the extra Garmin software but I've found it to be pretty good for my purposes on the trails and most city data is pretty accurate but there are some glaring mistakes and ommisions here and there.

The unit has a few idiosyncrasies such as adding up distance on the odometer while sitting still for long periods in poor reception areas but, oddly, not recording all distance covered in poor signal areas when you are moving. Strange - but a minor annoyance. Another annoyance is that in an airplane, the unit will only give pressure altitude, not GPS altitude on the readout. You can get GPS altitude by going into the setup screen, but it won't stay on the readout. Again, a minor annoyance.

I download all my hikes into NG TOPO! and there is no comparison with old tracks I've saved from my older 60C Garmin. In tough terrain, the older unit would lose signal constantly and often record data points 1,000 feet off when it did manage to get a signal.

If you are a hiker, hunter, explorer, mushroom gatherer, geocacher or just want a highly accurate GPS, this is the unit!


Since it's portable and waterproof, it's prefect to take along on your biking or hiking trips. I tested my Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx on various excursions in the US and Europe -- and always loved it. I wish I had purchased my little friend long time ago.

Cons:
a) no external memory can be added
b) The mapping software has some flaws. For example, many highway exits are not properly indicated. I tried to see if an upgrade was available on the Garmin website, and the 2 times I tried, the upgrade functionality was not working. :-(

Overall, I do recommend it. This little gadget will add years to your life....

I bought this unit to replace the buggy and unreliable Lowrance i350 that I have used for the past 8 months. The 60CSx acquires satellites very quickly, is highly sensitive in my car, and has most of the features of a larger dash-mounted nav unit--except the bluetooth and MP3 bells and whistles that you don't really need or want.

It is very intuitive to use and setup, and exceptionally user friendly. I lay it on the seat next to me while I drive and look at it as needed.

This is such an exceptional product that it has me thinking of buying one of Garmin's dash-mounted cousins for our other vehicle.

For an all around hand held you will not go wrong buying the 60CSx, and that's from someone who now has driven thousands of miles following its guidance without getting lost.

Rugged design, waterproof, compact, and with a great color screen.... what more could you ask for!
I use this unit for boating and in my car. I recommend the vent mount over the windshield mount for the car.
The unit gets fair-good reception inside my house and perfect reception outside or in the car.
The color screen is top notch. Very clear display when the back light is on. Fair display with it off.
Mapping is super easy and the unit comes packed with so many features, probably more than I've ever use.
The only down side is that you really need to buy city navigator and blue chart to make use of Garmin's units. The maps that come with the unit are 99% useless. So figure in at least another $100 for city navigator maps. If you want to use this unit in the car, you'll also need to pick up the cigarette adaptor, which will conserve the batteries and allow the back light to be left on.
This unit can be used for turn by turn navigation in a car. With it's early turn warning tones, and high accuracy, this unit works like a charm every time.
I picked the 60csx over the slightly more expensive 76csx because it has a much better feel in my hand and the buttons are easier to access.
I also suggest picking up a 1Gig MicroSD card. The 1 gig card can hold 90% of the US map on it. If you backpack, boat, Ski, and love the outdoors like I do, than this unit is for you! I hardly leave home without it and either will you!


The Garmin GPSMap 60CSx is the best GPS unit that I have used. I have found it to be very accurate where others failed such as in wooded areas. This is very good for geocaching. Initial setup is a little difficult, unless you read the directions that are included. Other than that, it is a very good value. My only wish for this product would be for a better road map to be included.

I bought this GPS principally for fishing/camping trips. What I didn't realize is that it's actually an OK automobile navigator as well. No voice prompts, and the mapping screen is a little small. But still very usable.

With a 1 GB MicroSD card, I can store maps for about half the US (the unit isn't compatible with the new 2 GB cards).

I had the Garmin 60CS and it worked great. I now upgraded to the 60CSX. The 60CSX is awesome. You get signal just about anywhere even inside your house. I like to geocache every once in a while and this unit is perfect for it. Especially when you have a lot of tree cover in the woods, the unit can still hold a strong signal. Also add the 1 gig memory card and you can get all of the US installed on it, and if you use the topo and city nav. together you can get half of the US installed. It stores lots of data and gives accurate door to door directions. If your thinking about it, go for it you wont be sorry. I bought it here on amazon and signed up for the mazon credit card and got [...]dollars off and then had a Garmin [...] mail in rebate, so I saved [...] on the unit. I love it. I Love all Garmin products I have used them for years on land and sea.

I could not be more satisfied with this unit. As an experienced GPS user, I considered this an upgrade and has far surpassed my expectations. I have found the MapSource product to have worked great in my region. While there might be some problems with errors as has been reported, I have been very happy with the accuracy and detail thus far.

This is my first GPS unit and I have no complaints about it. Very easy and simple to use. Excellent signal and operation under different weather conditions (following owner's manual suggestions). I combined it with the Garmin City Navigation Map of Mexico City and it works perfect. Also I use it for off-road activities and it is great as navigation tool, very complete information and data provided by it. If you are planning to buy it, let me suggest buy an additional micro SD card of a least 512 MB (2 GB would be great) to store in it all maps you want.

This Garmin handheld GPS is right on most of the time, even under dense forest cover. However, it does not work in an area of urban skyscrapers. It is perfect for non urban "geocaching" or even for driving directions on trips. The downside is that if you want street level and or topographic map software, you have to purchase them separately. Also the micro memory card that comes with the device is not really large enough to cover a whole state like New York. That said, considering the cost, I still believe this is the best portable, handheld GPS on the market today.

This is my third Garmin GPS, they always get it right. Being able to down load LARGE areas of both Topo and Street maps is a great utility. I recently used the street map to find my way through SJ Ca. It was extremely helpful. I use the Topo section All the time for keeping track of my position in the woods either GEO caching or hunting. Worth every $$$

This is my second GPS (I upgraded from a eTrex Legend) and I Love it! It does an excellent job keeping a signal when in the woods where my old one wouldn't have had a signal at all. I also like the digital compass and altimeter even though I thought they would just be another toy feature when I bought it. I have some maps loaded on it now too and with a 1GB card I can hold most all of the US. You can also save the tracks to the memory card. The navigation features don't seem to work well for me though but I think that may be because I am using an old version of Mapsource (v7). Overall I would highly recommend this.

I am not a techy kind of guy but this gadget is magic. It took me alot of study but once I was up to speed I would not be without it. These days we don't even carry a map, I don't need one.

I have been using this GPS for about a month and I have come to some conclusions you may find useful.

I bought this model to use for both adventure touring on motorcycles and as a back up GPS when I go sailing. It has worked well on my motorcycle up to a point and it has proven unreliable for navigation inside harbors.

On my motorcycle it rides on the bike mount, which does manage to hold it securely (but I still tie a lanyard from the GPS to the handle bar) and it is reasonably viewable during most daylight hours. The sun can wash out the screen when low over your shoulder. The audio prompts are useless over the ambient noise and the visual turn alerts are often missed, requiring frequent glances down at the screen in unfamiliar routes.

I also bought the street map software to help me find my way around urban areas. Finding new addresses is slow and inconvenient. The interface is clumsy and time consuming. The accuracy of the street map is dubious and I often found that the exact addresses I entered were not found by the software. The database search often required me to enter a less accurate address and scroll through a sometimes long list of possible destinations. Not confidence inspiring when looking for places I have never visited before.

If you travel slow enough or stop for a few seconds, the location indicator starts to wonder all over the screen. I had stopped to have lunch for about thirty minutes while on a trip and discovered that the location marker had wondered almost a mile from my true location. Worse still, the auto tracking function had recorded the wondering position marker as though I was moving and added almost three miles to my trip log when in the real world I was stationary. This is not acceptable. I use distance on a trip to find trailheads, turns, and points of interest. With this kind of error the GPS becomes a liability rather than an asset.

The location variance is even more appalling on the water. I wanted to have a handheld GPS on the helm while making night time and low visibility approaches to docks and while entering harbors. But the wondering location marker makes this undoable.

On the plus side, the unit is very durable and I have had several occasions to validate the water proofing. The buttons are easy to access and the menus are workable, if not overly intuitive. Battery life is above par and the screen lighting is bright and easily adjustable.

After purchasing a number of gps units over the last decade, I finally have a unit the does not leave me with that nagging feeling of dissatisfaction after plopping down a sizable chunk of change.

Cons:
1)Audible alerts could be a touch louder.
2)Turn notification could come a bit sooner.
3)Lat/Lon data fields appear to be missing though manual says they should be available (you can only view lat/lon from satellite page)

Pros:
1) SanDisk 2GB microSD works in my unit(I have seen statements that 2GB cards don't work) so I have entire US street detail easily stored, with plenty of room to spare if i decide to get Topo maps.
2) Abilty to acquire sat. connection is unparalleled in places any previous unit I owned would not have a chance without an external antenna. In fact, I can take the unit on walks in my jacket pocket and it maintains a consistent lock.
3) Auto-routing is very impressive with the MapSource v8 street detail. I was able to even get routing along unimproved country roads.
4) I am impressed with the PointsOfInterest database for locating all types of services such as food, lodging, shopping, etc...

I would not hesitate to recommend this unit for those wanting to cover a broad range of applications from hiking, geocaching to on-road navigation. I suppose if I were only interested in auto navigation I might focus on those units designed specifically for that purpose.




Garmin announced in early 2006 that they planned to make all of their hardware and software Mac-compatible by the end of 2006, but there have been no further announcements, and there are no rumors suggesting progress.

If you are a Mac user, do not purchase this or any other Garmin product which requires or allows uploads of maps, new software or waypoints unless you have access to a PC.

Garmin will not license it's proprietary USB drivers (which are said to be quite flaky, even on PCs), so Mac users are locked out of the Garmin world until further notice.

I purchased this model after losing my old 60CS, and while I would have originally preferred not to spend the extra cash to replace it, I am now convinced it was worth the money. I didn't have much to complain about on the 60CS, and I certainly have nothing to complain about with this model.

Some highlights compared to the 60CS:

I love the microSD card. I certainly don't need to store all of North America in my GPS, but it was nice to be able to load my entire home state of California as well as a handful of other states I occasionally visit.

The display seems brighter, and the maps/icons easier to read in sunlight.

The satellite lock is lightning-fast. Even after a "cold start" in a different area, it only takes a matter of seconds. Moreover, it retains satellite reception under tree cover and around buildings much better, though of course all GPS units will still have their limitations in heavily urban areas.

The "walking" problem that was mentioned in several older reviews seems to have been fixed; although I was worried about that happening, I have yet to see it occur. Either they got their firmware fixed or I happened upon the right setting.

All in all, the 60CSx is an excellent GPS and is certainly worth the cost.

If all you are doing is navigating to a campsite or back to your car in fairly open country the Etrex units will do just fine at a much lower price. Plus the 60csx is bigger and heavier than an Etrex. However if you ever need a gps in steep or heavily wooded country the 60csx is amazing. Being a GIS (geographic information systems) professional the thing that gets me excited about the 60csx is that it starts to bridge the gap between recreational grade and mapping grade gps units without having to bother with differential correction or the significant added expense of a unit that will allow you to do that (not to mention being three or four times as big and heavy). As WAAS satellites are added units like the 60csx will continue to move closer to the accuracy of the differentially correctable units.

I have used it quite a bit to map trails and except for a little clean up at the ends of the lines the gps files hardly need any editing and what little editing that may be necessary can be done with the included MapSource software. This unit is a great tool used in conjunction with say Google Earth or Google Maps. GPS data can be saved as gpx files and there is a menu item that will open your GPS file in Google Earth. (I imagine all the Garmin units will do this now with this included MapSource software but the 60csx produces much higher quality results)

I have used the unit on the handle bars of a mountain bike in the woods and it will keep a good satellite fix the whole time. I have also tested the 60csx side by side with a several thousand dollar industry standard 2006 Trimble GeoXT and an Etrex Legend in steep heavily wooded terrain, inventorying potential land slide areas. In the most challenging scenarios there, even with the PDOP set the to the max, the GeoXT typically would not be able to get a fix at all, the Legend would be at plus or minus 80 feet after taking several minutes to get a fix and the 60csx would quickly lock in at about plus or minus 20 feet.

The other astounding bit of technology as other reviewers have mentioned is being able to load all the roads in the US and Canada on a 1 Gigabyte Micro SD card the size of a finger nail for under a hundred dollars.

If only Garmin would make a unit like this that you could add more attribute information to the GPS data without having to have it hooked up to a laptop or tablet PC and specialized software.


I am nothing less than completely impressed with this GPS unit. I have been using this model for over a month now and I am totally and completely satisfied with my purchase. I travel all over the US for my work by airplane and I was interested in purchasing a GPS that was versatile and portable without being too bulky and cumbersome to pack when traveling through airports. Now that I have acquired all the various parts and pieces (i.e GPS unit, software, mounting bracket, and charging cable) I have a complete and portable set up that I carry with me on all of my trips. This allows me to save over $10/day on rental cars by not having to rent a car with a GPS unit. With the Garmin Street Navigator software for the US and the purchase of a 2GB mini SD card, I have the entire US road system on board and ready for travel anywhere in the country including Alaska and Hawaii.

The other major selling point for me was that with this unit not only do I have a highly accurate GPS unit for traveling and navigating the nations highways, but I also have a compact hand held unit that can hold topographic maps allowing me to hike and explore the countryside anywhere in the US (or the world). This all-in-one strategy was perfect for my needs not to mention that this unit is about half the cost of a unit specifically designed for an automobile such as a TomTom Go or other similar device. I love the fact that I can mount this to the windsheild and go and then when I arrive, just pop it loose and throw it in a back pack and I'm good to go for a hiking adventure on the trail. However, I should mention that this particular unit does not feature audible voice directions which are commonly found on units specifically designed for automobiles. This may be part of the reason why there is such a drastic difference in cost. Even though this unit doesn't talk, it does provide audible warning tones and flashes on screen pop up advisories when you are approaching your turns and exits.

As other reviews have mentioned, the main thing to be aware of with any GPS unit is the fact that you will probably have to spend additional money than the original purchase price for the unit to get the full functional benefit from the device. As I've mentioned, in addition to the actual cost of the unit I have also spent a minimum of over $250 on software and other accessories to give me full advantage of the capabilities that I needed. If you do your homework, you will find that this is true for any GPS unit and not just this one. Realizing this ahead of time will help you to avoid any unpleasant realities later on that you will probaly need to spend more money on additional equipment. You can think of the GPS like purchasing a computer - it represents only the hardware. The other half of the equation is the software needed to make it complete.

With that said, I would also say that even though this is a very fast and highly accurate GPS unit, it is not without a couple of design flaws and it certainly has room for some improvement. None of these items warrant enough for me to lower my score of 5 stars, but are worth mentioning for prospective buyers to be aware of. The most important one is the glare problem with the screen. Under very low light and night time viewing conditions there is no problem at all with the screen. But, when trying to view in high ambient light levels or indirect sun conditions in an automobile, the screen can be quite difficult to see and exhibits a lot of glare and reflectivity. However, in direct sun light conditions, with the sun shining directly onto the screen, the graphics are quite easy to see and there is no glare problem. The second issue is the brightness level of the back light. It could stand to be significantly brighter for better viewing. Even at 100% the screen is still relatively dim by my estimation, but I am assuming it is scaled back like this to help conserve battery power. Other than these two issues, I can find little wrong with this powerful GPS unit. If you are looking for a versatile device that works excellent as a cross country highway navigator, or as a personal step by step guide when trekking through the woods and mountains, you will be very happy with this unit. Just be aware of the fact that you will probably have to invest in some additional add on equipment to get the full use and enjoyment out of the unit.

All the raves by the others are true...fast satellite acquisition, big color screen, huge memory (if you buy the chip) but one thing makes me want to throw it out the window: the routes it calculates to navigate from one point to another absolutely suck. I have yet to get one that was even close to useful--some backtrack, some will take backroads the whole way (even if you've selected "fastest" route), some will end in three places. And the system recalculates the route as you're driving, which you think would help since it should see that you're on a road heading directly toward the destination, but it will still route you miles out of the way. And don't think you can load a route you made with Mapsource and follow that like I used to do with my Etrex Vista. The GPS will only acknowledge the beginning and end points and calculate a useless route between them, even if you've designated midway "via" points. For example, a route a take often to my friend's house is 108 miles. The GPS will calculate a route that is 189 miles, once even 247 miles. If there's a way to shut off automatic routing, it's not the least bit obvious...I've read the manual a dozen times and haven't found a way. And Garmin customer service never answered my queries about it.
So get it for geocaching or hiking, but do not get it you're thinking you'll ever use it in you car. You'll be frustrated.

I cut my GPS teeth on an eTrex Vista (a great little handheld in its own right) for a couple of years before stepping up to the 60CSx. After five months of use, I have only positive things to say about my latest purchase. I was aware of some owners' early concerns about "wandering" and the seeming inability to enable WAAS, but figured Garmin would eventually address such firmware issues, and so decided to take the plunge. The first thing I did (the first thing any purchaser should do) was to download all of the available updates from Garmin's website, and my 60CSx performed flawlessly from the get-go. So yes, I can enable WAAS, but I don't bother to use it because for me the slight increase in accuracy isn't enough to justify the additional battery drain. Consistently getting within ten feet or less of a waypoint is good enough for me. I'm not doing cadastral surveys, after all.

I replaced the supplied 64mb micro SD with a 1 gb card and have installed selected maps from both City Navigator and US Topo 24K Western National Parks (both relatively pricey extras). I recently used the former to navigate a familiar route all the way from western Colorado to Cincinnati and back, and the directions it generated differed from the route I've long been accustomed to in only one minor way: it chose a different bridge (the MLK) across the Mississippi River at St. Louis than I usually use. That switch obliged me to exit the interstate and wait at one traffic light for a minute or so, but also saved me a couple of miles, so I guess the net effect was zero. On the return trip, I was unable to make a necessary lane change due to heavy rush hour traffic and was forced onto an exit from the Interstate at Louisville. The 60CSx and City Navigator automatically recalculated and got me back on course in a jiffy via a route through the downtown area that would otherwise have been anything but intuitive. The I-70 route through the Colorado Rockies features numerous tunnels, and only in the longest of them did I lose my satellite signal. In those few instances, the unit promptly reacquired the signal upon exiting the tunnels.

I am a retired National Park Service ranger and now volunteer at Colorado National Monument, where I spend a lot of time in the backcountry identifying and plotting the location of cultural sites. The 60CSx and US Topo 24K are incredibly useful for that. I particularly like the unit's ability to average satellite fixes for increased accuracy over whatever interval I choose. I'm regularly able to mark waypoints to within 3 meters, even in forested areas and in the depths of the area's many canyons. The MapSource software that came with the 60CSx lets me print topo maps of the Monument with those waypoints clearly delineated and labeled.

In the early fall, I carried my 60CSx on a recreational climb to the summit of 14,048-foot Handies Peak in Colorado's San Juan Range. Once on top, I photographed the display to document the precise location and elevation of the summit for my records. Since then, I've learned that it's also possible to transfer a bitmap image of any 60CSx display screen directly to my computer using the xImage application available as a free download on Garmin's website. That's a neat way to build a file of memorable waypoints and to share them graphically with others.

I've found the Garmin 60CSx to be a most capable unit. Teamed with an accesssory 12V cable and City Navigator software, it works well as a vehicle navigator at relatively low cost. Used by itself, with or without US Topo 24K, it's a great hiking companion. It has a great color display, commendable acquisition and refresh speeds, myriad useful functions, a long battery life (months, if you don't leave it on continuously to mark tracks), decent ergonomics and superb accuracy. Finally, the additional storage afforded by removable memory cards is a definite plus with this sophisticated unit. The only change I'd urge Garmin to consider would be to add a temperature sensor.

If you can afford it, and even if you can't, get a Garmin 60CSx.

My wife and I are just getting into geocaching and want to buy a GPS that we could use for that, plus ordinary hiking as well as in the car.

We had originally tried a Magellan GPS, but it lacked many of the features we needed and didn't have particularly good sensitivity.

The Garmin 60CSx is a very sensitive, well-engineered GPS with a well thought out interface and many accessories available.

The battery life of the 60CSx is about 20 hours. If you use the back-lighted display a lot, battery life will be shorter. Supposedly, you can get marginally better life if you disable the build-in compass.

The screen is visible in sunshine (not washed-out), but glare can be a problem if the sun is at the wrong angle.

I'm very happy with the sensitivity. When I tested the Magellan from my office window, I was unable to get a fix. I was able to receive 6 satellites with the Garmin and had pretty good signal strength. Inside my homes second floor, I'm able to get good signal strength. We had extremely good strength under fairly heavy tree cover as well. I had purchased an external antenna for use in our car, but it looks like I'll never have to use it because we get very good reception in the car.

The base maps that come with the 60CSx are adequate for gross navigation (highways only), but if you plan on using it for travel, you'll want to get the North America maps (assuming you live there).

The search and routing functions work well and I find that the auto-recalculate feature is quite helpful.

I'm very happy with the 60CSx and recommend it for others.

Remember to buy a 2GB microSD (NOT Ultra II) card and get the auto nav kit with it. This thing does not ship with any mounts and you need the cig lighter adapter. Has a very low volume speaker but is an excellent unit. I rate this top of the line with the only problem being the lack of a gas mileage calculator. These units should ship with a 2GB card by default and a auto nav kit by default since everyone needs one anyway. gpsinformation net forums are very useful for finding all the hidden features in this unit for example pushing the up right left down in the trip computer will bring up the debug log which is not mentioned in the manual. Other than that im very happy with the unit. also has a rebate for now which gives you some money back. all accessories are compatible with my GPS V which i owned, so i didnt need the autonav kit. the 76CSX is the exact same unit other than the larger case which floats while this doesnt.

I bought my Garmin GPS 60 CSx for Hiking, Geocaching, and Road Trips.
Let's me modify "data fields" of display, and provides all the info I NEED.
"Nuff Said" 105pg owner manual and all. I liked it so much I bought
the GARMIN CD US TOPO EAST and NAT'L PARKS.

About 9 months ago, I discovered the sport of Geocaching. I started out with a Magellan Explorist 200, and was amazed at how well a small device could track your position and find remote locations.

Soon I was ready to move up to a more sophisticated GPSr with connectivity to my computer to load the waypoints, etc. A fellow geocacher recommended the Garmin GPSMap 60CSx as one of the best available - so I ordered one in April 2006.

From the start I was not impressed with the tracking stability. As "Coaster" mentions in his review, the display "walks" while you are standing still. Sure, most GPSr's will do this to some extent, but the 60CSx goes nuts. I upgraded my firmware a couple times, the last time as recently as Dec 2006 - with no improvement. It does work, but you will get a bit more exercise finding a cache when you are chasing around and around trying to zero in on your target.

On the good side, Garmin's customer service is the best around. Whereas Magellan's customer service could use a lot of improvement. The mapping software from Garmin is top notch and some of the best. The battery life in the 60CSx is also top notch! I can cache for a couple days on the battery life from one set of alkaline AA batteries! The 60CSx also has just about everything that you could ever want in a portable GPSr! It even has games!

So, why didn't I keep mine? Simple: the basic functionality. I need a handheld GPSr to find caches, and I occasionally it use to find an address. I tried my 60CSx and a Magellan Explorist 500 side by side caching. I tried it in the open and under a thick, dense canopy of trees. Both picked up a good signal under these conditions and led me to within 30 feet of the target cache, but the 60CSx started dancing me around the cache - while the Explorist 500 pointed me straight at the cache and was accurate within 4 feet!! The Explorist was consistent and didn't "walk" very much- and was much more stable. The result was spending a lot less time shrub hunting and more time finding caches.

Garmin can brag about the sensitivity of the 60CSx, but Magellan has had the same or better sensitivity for several years. Garmin just has a much better marketing department - another lesson that Magellan could learn.

So before you buy, do the same test that I did. Borrow a 60CSx and an Explorist model 400, 500, or 600 and see for yourself.


This has been one of the best purchases I have made. I spend a fair amount of time in the mountains (both in the summer and winter) and this is a great tool for replicating off trail hiking and off trail snowmobiling. I find it very easy to move to new and/or between drainage basins without spending a lot of time reviewing maps. I have downloaded the information to my PC with ease, have edited the information, and find this to be very helpful. I also love the color screen.

My amazon experience was a 5 star rating.




I upgraded this year from the Garmin eTrex. This unit is wonderful, the color display and the electronic compass are worth the extra $$.

I'm sure the Garmin GPSMAP 60CSX is a fine product,but I'm still not sure how to use it. I've called Garmin's help line and they make you feel like they are too busy to give you time to understand the functions that make the unit usefull to you. I would say the unit is capable of doing many things if you can understand how to do them

It is very good device with strong support from Garmin LTD.
I have broken one device already, and the company replaced it for flat rate of 175 $ in US.
I feel very comfortble to use it and recommend it.

I've been a Garmin user since the Garmin 45 back when GPS was starting to become popular with the general public (little did anyone know that GPS would be so popular and so depended on by various communities today). That unit never failed me. The Garmin 12XL came out many years later, being their first popular 12 channel receiver. It too has never failed me.

For Christmas I decided to gather up the 60CSx because of its mapping capabilities, data storage, sensitive receiver and other features. Judging from my old 45 and 12XL, I don't expect the 60CSx to let me down for as long as I own it.

It is extremely sensitive, packed with many relevant features (except for the goofy games, stopwatch and perhaps the calculator), and is rather user friendly. I've not needed to consult the manual once, and I'm sure other users who have owned other Garmin products can agree. A newcomer wouldn't need much time to become proficient with it either.

Garmin is a wonderful brand for GPS receivers and I stand by their product as one who uses a GPS receiver to putter around town, to geocache, during Scouting campouts/backpacking trips, and for use within certain ham radio applications.

Have used this GPS extensively on my ATV for Tracking, Mapping, and Routing. All functions perform perfectly and it is a very user friendly device.

My last CS was stollen. That is probably the only disadvantage of these units is that they are very portable. But it gave me an excuse to get the latest model. This new CSx is much faster at satelite aquisition and 100% better whn under heavy cover of trees, buildings, car tops, or whatever. I love this unit!!!

Excellent device, greatly improved battery life over models from 2years ago. Maps need some updating in rural areas.

It does it all. Super sensitive, even in heavy cover. The only down side to this GPS is the base map is not very detailed and if you want to use the autorouting feature you need to buy a mapsource product that will allow you to autoroute with the unit. I had to get City Navagator V.8 to get this function to really work. (an additional cost of about $120) However, it still is a great GPS, the best in its price range, accurate enough for profesional use and IMHO the best you can get for personal (geocaching)use. I highly reccomend it.

I bought this unit to replace my GPSMap 60CS, and use it primarily for bicycling, cross-country skiing and hiking. The 60CSx is a significant improvement over the 60CS in that it keeps a better lock on satelites in heavy cover, better battery life, and faster software. The expandable memory also allows the unit to easily store many more POI's and maps. Also, my 60CS had a problem with the batteries losing contact, which I subsequently had repaired by Garmin. So far, my 60CSx has not had that problem. I am very satisfied with this unit.

I just recently purchased a 60CSx as my first GPS. So far, I am very impressed. My dad has the 60CS, and although they are very similar, the upgraded antenna and removable microSD are a huge plus. On average, I get 7-8 ft better accuracy, and definitely can use it in more places. So long as there are not more than two floors above me, or I am not in the middle of a building, the thing works flawlessly. Sitting on my couch at home using it, is something he cannot do. The microSD that comes with it is 64mb, but for a little extra money, bumping that up to a 1gb microSD/SD conversion card is more than I will need. If I wanted, I could put the whole USA City Navigator program on it, instead of select areas. I have not used it out in the woods yet because hunting season is over, however I do have loaded topo maps on it and have played with those options. Overall, I am very impressed with the ease of use, and the numerous functions available. The altimeter is a definite must. Kind of interesting watching that driving around, especially being in a mountainous state as I am. I would suggest this unit to anyone looking to get into the handheld gps world. Just as nice as a car navigator, but you can pick it up and walk through the woods with it as well. A+++++

This is my fifth GPS unit from Garmin and it is certainly the most versatile. While there are better ones for the automobile, it will certainly work there but it excels at hiking, skiing, Geocaching and any other outdoor adventures that you would like to have information on where you are going and where you have been. The electronic compass and the barometric altimeter are a big advantage to this unit.

I have two months using it and it is very nice, with lots of features, not too big, so it is good for using in the car with autorouting and hiking. It have good accurasy. You only require the detailed maps for your destiny.

This is my first GPS system and after doing much research and reading may reviews, this was the unit I decided upon. Making trips throughout the country and the world, the unit is easy to use, easy to download maps via the USB interface to Garmin's software (using separately purchased data DVDs of areas). I especially like to record the trips which can be later uploaded onto the computer for archiving.
It wasn't until I talked with other GPS owners that I realized just how powerful a system the 60CSx is with regards to signal reception (no problems inside a house to get 5 or more satellites locked in). Owners of other system complain that they cannot get a good position lock unless their system has a clear view of the sky.

I purchased two of these on behalf of my brother and brother in law. It is jam packed with features catering to Hikers, motorcyclists (which is its primary use for me and my brother) and aiding in car navigation with the correct mapsource mapping software loaded.
Update speeds could be quicker, but with that said it is compensated by excellent reception (it happily picks up a strong signal in my apartment and garage). It has been tested by shock, rain and mud (all in one afternoon of heavy and dirty off road riding) and you want to use it in these conditions with a good mount (Touratech is highly recommended).
It is fully compatible with City Navigator 8.0 and does autorouting on the fly, TOPO both national and regional and of course bluechart for water nav (something I will never use it for)
The basemap is pretty much useless so you want to figure a mapsource product into the purchase price that caters to your needs.
All in all a super and life saving unit (when you are lost you do not have to ask for directions :-), highly recommended!!

Great color. Easy to use. The external antenna gets better reception than the internal ones. In combination with the world map CD it will be a great asset when I deploy to Afgainistan

This GPS unit does way more than I expected. I have been using a Garmin eTrex Legend. This unit is more functional in those situations where heavy tree cover may cause older units a problem getting satelite signals. I am still learning, but so far very happy.

Cool. Does everything you need a GPS to do. Easy to use. Very sensitive antenna. Fast satellite acquistion. Highly recommend this GPS Handheld unit.

All in all this is a great GPS unit. this unit was awarded 2006 GPS unit of the year. Highly recommended for field geocaching. It dates all cache finds. I use the internal compass all the time. Trip routing is great and it auto-corrects if you make a wrong turn. I only had one lock-up. Power reset is all it needed. Garmin has the best email tech support on the planet. The only thing I would like to see is an upgrade on their topo mappinng software.

I use a gps primarly for geocaching, great lakes sailing, returning to fishing spots and distance bicycling. The 60csx is an upgrade from my garmin etrex legend, which i also like and am keeping for a back up.
The 60csx is a little larger and easier for my 60yrold eyes to see. It will pick up satellites while in a single floor house - i have never lost a signal in the woods. I like the "geocache mode" and find the button locations easier to use than the legend. Garmin has been helpful to ans. most questions regarding operational questions. My only caution would be not to count on using MapSource City Select V6 - it doesn't want to load.

Bought this for myself as an early Christmas present (before traveling over Thanksgiving), and I couldn't be happier!! Read many, many, of this unit's and other's reviews, and am VERY HAPPY with my choice. Sure, the extra software is a necessary evil, but has been very useful.

Incidentally, I can vouch for this devices "waterproofness", as I managed to dunk it in a creek within the first month!

I find this product to be excellent for using in the forests I hunt and fish in the north east. Being able to mark locations where I have seen game and to save the tracks is a benefit for future hunts. I was very pleased with the vendor "The Digital Pavilion" that supplied the device.

I received this as Christmas gift from my wife. I'm very happy with it so far. The directions are pretty good and the accuracy is dead on. Like others had posted, it has the ability to track while indoors, and under heavy tree cover. I talked about getting one of these for a long time and my wife did her homework and in my opinion she found the perfect GPS device for me (us). I bought the Map Source software and the 2 GB card. Both work perfect and it's nice to have all of the maps with me. I travel all over and can take a turn in another direction and get off the beaten path. I won't have to worry about what states are loaded to the device. We also both love to fish and we have a tone of lakes here in East TN. I can't wait to get out on the boat and use the new BlueChart®: US Inland Rivers maping software.

The quality seems sturdy and tuff. The batteries life is great and we enjoyed the accuracy of the direction while on a trip to Chicago for the holidays. We also have been enjoying the sport of Geocaching. The whole family is having fun with it.
I had this about a month, I use it all the time and so far I have nothing negative to say about it. Good quality, great accuracy and easy to use.


This GPS was going to be the replacement for the Garmin etrex legend but I can't really use it yet because the map program preloaded is not good enough to nav by. I have not purchased the mapping program required to do this for two reasons; first, its expensive ( $120.00 or so)second, you have to have a DVD reader on your computer to use it ( which I don't have, another $40.00). After spending almost $400.00, not including the above $160.00, I can't Nav as well as my $170.00 Etrex Legand. Sure the color screen is better by far and it has more bells and whistles but useless until I come up with more $$$$$.. Absurd!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Had they told me about these requirements in thier explaination of this product I wouldn't have bought it.

This is my first GPS. My experience so far is great. We took it on a trip from southwestern Ohio to Chicago. Although I know the route, it was a great help finding two places I had not been before. If we made a wrong turn, it quickly recalculated to get us back on track. The only complaint I have is that when I tried to route it via the Chicago Skyway, using the Map Source City Navigator N. America program that I also purchased for it, I had trouble getting the right segment of the Chicago Skyway onto the route. However, once I was on the skyway for a few miles, it routed me correctly to my destination.

This is a great unit for hiking and driving. If you are mainly using a GPS for in car navigation, don't buy this and get one that is more designed for car use. As some people have find out the hard way, you have to spent additional dollars to get the street maps for North America, a car mount and charger, and at least 1G of memory in order to make this unit function for car navigation. The start up time for this unit to acquire a "bird" is very fast and you don't need to have a clear view of the sky. Once again, do not buy this if you are mainly using a GPS in your car.

Great product. Garmin stuff just keeps getting better and better.
But the promised $50 rebate was missing.

This is a great GPS with good performance. The only reason I can't give it 5 stars is, that because of it's multiple capabilities, it is somewhat complex and might not qualify as a "user friendly" unit for some people. Anyone buying one of these should understand that until it is loaded with the proper navigation software, (About $116.00 plus tax and shipping.) it is not capable of a detailed navigation display. Since it only comes with a 64K memory chip, it will also be necessary to install a larger memory chip to accommodate the software. (I would recommend 1 GB) This will cost anywhere from 30 to 90 dollars, depending on whether you can find one on sale or not. I did have to contact Garmin on one occasion, and was impressed with their support. If you are looking for a great handheld, I would recommend it unless you want complete performance right out of the box.

This is the best gps I have found for people on the go. I use this gps when I drive and go for walks. I really like the waterproof protection it provides. Make sure you buy rechargable batteries, Gps will drain batteries in about 15-18 hours.

I bought this item whilst last in the States for six weeks. I drive a lot while I am here and tend to get really lost on a regular basis. It's difficult concentrating on a totally different driving style and watching for direction signs. I found it invaluable.

I didn't really use any of the hiking, mountaineering, sailing, or fishing features just the traffic navigation. I opted for this unit as I can buy the European map set when I get back home, plus it's really portable and has a good AA Alkaline battery life. It's tough too and survived several knocks and being dropped from waist height. The screen is bright enough to see and large enough overall.

I don't like the fact that the beep is so quite and it can take a while to show the next turn and re-calculate routes. As with anything the screen could be larger and brighter. What would be really good is spoken directions and maybe an easier way of entering street addresses. On the whole though it's a well balanced multi function unit and I would recommend it to others.

You will need to buy an in-car kit (if using it on-the-road) plus more detailed maps and a 1GB or 2GB micro SD card. Make sure it's the micro SD format though, it's tiny, a little larger than a finger nail. I didn't use this unit for off-road activities but I understand it's pretty damn good at that also.

I recently purchased the GPSMAP 60CSx through Amazon, and am completely satisfied with the unit. Just to cover a few earlier 'cons' that I read on other reviews:

(1) The customer service from Garmin was outstanding for me. The button that screws into the back of the unit was missing (as I found when I ordered the Auto Nav Kit), so I called to talk to Garmin about getting one shipped. I had someone on the phone in less than 1 minute and they immediately took care of the problem with no quesitons.

(2) Yes, the basemap that comes with the unit isn't that great. What people need to understand is that a full installation of the City Navigator maps for North America would take up about 1.5 gigs... the chip is only a 64M. If you're willing to spend the money on this unit, buy good maps and a larger microSD card. It's like buying an RV and then complaining about the fuel economy. Plus, some people may not even want those maps, and prefer the topo maps. Just buy what you want.

For the pros: This thing is full of them. I receive reception of 5 satellites in the basement of my house: Unbelieveable. I remember having problems getting that kind of reception when I worked for a mobile mapping company with a $30K unit.

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.

My part of the world (Portugal) is notorious for lack of good mapping, even on new GPSr's. I was managing quite well locally geocaching with my Foretrex 101, but it was a pain if you didn't know the local area, and the cache was in the bundu! I heard there was a new European map for the Garmins coming out, and as the base map is pretty useless opted to buy my 60CSx in the States. It was a great deal compared to Euro prices, but then I found that in the US the v9 City Navigator which is touted to have wonderfully improved Portuguese mapping, was $300 and not available yet in Europe!!
I agree with other reviewers that a high end GPS like this should come with better mapping included, and a choice of base mapping wherever you buy the machine. Is it unlikely that any US purchaser would opt for a Euro base map if planning a trip to Europe? GPS by their nature are International products, so I wish Garmin would cut out this xenophobic attitude and embrace the world wide market fairly. The receiver is top class, but the price of the essential add-ons is prohibitive!

This unit has it all. i put a 2mb card in min and loaded it. gets 20 to 25 hours of batter life with my rechargeables.

I bought this as a tool mainly to measure property, but my wife and I have quickly found it indispensible for travel. (1) It is very easy to use. Both I (a gadget nut) and my wife (gadget averse) found it intuitive and mastered it on our first trip. (2) If you buy the software, AND you buy a one-GB smart card for it (it comes with a small smart card), you can load detail maps of over half of North American into it AND upload found waypoints (that campsite up on the lake) back to your maps on your computer. That is plenty for most of our driving trips. (3) With the included Waypoint software and with the additional mapping software, computer synchronization is a breeze -- at least if you have Windows XP Pro. This is important because it is so easy to lay out a route with multiple waypoints using your computer. (4) It finds satellites quickly and reliably in deep woods and even in most residential buildings. (5) While it is ideal for using in hiking, biking, etc., it does make a decent automobile navigational device. We did not notice a need for any additional antenna. Of course -- it does not TALK to you, but it does give you turn by turn directions and plenty of notice (via beeps) as you approach your turns. (6) We own a couple of other GPS devices, and this one is far more accurate. (7) It is very rugged -- we did not get a case for it, but it doesn't seem to need one by design -- it comes with a belt clip.
If you are using it heavily -- especially with the backlite, it can eat batteries (10 hours or a little less on recharegeables), so I would recommend rechargeable batteries and also getting the auto charger. It will power itself from your computer's USB port as well.

I am so glad I decided to go with the 60csx!! I can't put it down! What this unit can do is simply amazing. Truly a top of the line GPS unit!

P.S. Get It

I would not trust the 60CSx while hiking!

Both of my 60CSx units were initially within Garmin's +/- 45 ft accuracy specification. After just one week of daily usage the first 60CSx lost sensitivity and could not lock on to more than 4 satellites. Position errors were typically +/- 200 ft as viewed on the Satellite page. This error would also show as erratic tracks when viewed on the Map page. Using the WAAS feature did not improve its performance. Large Trip Computer errors would build up when the unit was stationary.

The replacement 60CSx held to Garmin's +/- 45 accuracy for 7 weeks. It could decode and track 8 to 10 satellites. Suddenly, position accuracy degraded to over +/- 200 ft. This unit could lock on to 6 satellites. The WAAS feature did not improve accuracy or reduce display noise. When held in one position in my back yard for 1.26 hours in Tigard, Oregon the Trip computer showed the following drift: 1.34 miles, 23 minutes of moving time, maximum speed 7.7 mph, moving average speed 3.7 mph. These errors occurred when the 60CSx is motionless!

A similar drift test with motionless a Garmin eTrex and Lowrances' iFinder units did not show any significant drift.

In conclusion, the 60CSx cannot be trusted for hiking.

I have had this unit for about two weeks. At first it tended to drift, get a bad signal and drift. I discovered something very interesting about the use of this unit. Hold this unit at a 45-90 degree angel and the reception improves greatly. Now it gets nine foot accuracy all the time, when I average a position I can get it to improve instead of jumping around. Apparently (according to my father who was an Electronic Warfare specialist) antennae can be polorized based on the expected use, some for holding level others like this one get a better reading pointed up. In the Garmin manual it actually says this. My father says you should get somewhere around 50% better accuracy then when it is missaligned. I have found this to be true. Now I get excellent fast locks and dead on bearing. Personaly I think this unit can