GARMIN GPS Map 64 MB 60Cx Without Barometric Altimeter & Compass
I still own my Garmin GPS 10. It's a wireless bluetooth gps device for a Pocket PC/Laptop. This product is so awesome, I decided to stick with Garmin. This led me to the 60Cx.
The biggest con to this device is that the maps are very basic. Notice on all the 60Cx product images, it'll say in small print "Shown with optional MapSource data." This might be bearable for hiking but is horrible for automotive use. You will need to buy detailed maps that can run over $100.
The extra features such as information on sunrise/sunset or fishing/hunting conditions are very convienent. This device is definately a dream for anyone who love gps functionality.
The color screen is also very nice. In direct sunlight, I was able to see it with clarity. The brightness of the screen is at a perfect level for night use. It's not too bright and not too dim.
The controls are clumsy at times but i guess you'll get use to it. The sensitivity is great! I never got signal in my house with my GPS 10. The 60cx picked up signal with no problem.
My customization:
Garmin City Select North America v6 was included with my Garmin GPS 10. I registered the device online. Through Garmin's site, I was able to generate a 2nd unlock code. I used this unlock code to installed City Select North American v6 onto my 60cx. It's funny that Garmin's site doesn't mention it was compatible with City Select. My 60cx now has detailed maps and added functions such as being able to search for addresses which wasn't possible with 60cx's basemaps. I am also very happy with the performance of the device. It basically does everything my Pocket PC and GPS 10 does. Once i installed the detailed maps, this device has been a dream gps device. I used it in the car and for hiking. It will be great when I go visit New York for the first time.
Conclusion:
Overall, I think this is a great gps device. It is solidly built and waterproof at that. Everything about it is great EXCEPT for the horrible basemaps. You will have to shell out over $100 for detailed maps but if you add up the total it still comes out cheaper than my Pocket PC + GPS 10 combo(about $640 for me). I think the 60cx is worth every penny.
EDIT:
May 2006
I've had the 60Cx for 3 months now. It is still an awesome device. One thing I want to comment on is battery life. I do not use regular alkaline batteries. I use Energizer Rechargables, 2500mah, and slow recharge at 8 hours per session. I entered in an address that was 2 hours from where I was started. It tracked my position, estimated time til turn and estimated arrival time. When I got to my destination, the GPS battery meter was at HALF. the GPS will only last on average of 4-5hours while on a route. This is still pretty good comparing it to my Dell Axim + GPS 10 combo. I am not sure how long it will last if you're just using it without being on a route.
I was a bit dissapointed that Garmin did not state how it got the 30 hours battery life. They might just mean 30 hours on standby.
Also, the 60Cx does drain your batteries even while it is off. I had my unit stored in the drawer for a week. The batteries were drained. So it is highly recommended you get rechargable batteries for this device. If you are taking it with you on a trip, bring at least two sets of battery.
I recently received my 60cx from Amazon, and after putting it through its paces, I am extremely impressed with it. I had the older GPSMAP 60c as well, and did some comparisons between the two.
Garmin's not kidding when they say this receiver is more sensitive. I can pick up at least 5 satellite locks from INSIDE my house, about 10ft away from any window. I don't even know how it's possible, but it locks on and maintains its signal.
Navigation is awesome as well. Do yourself a favor and get the CitySelect Maps for this thing, they're great. Highly detailed. The processor even seems faster as well. The re-draw time on the maps is fast, even when at maximum detail.
Bottom Line, if you're looking for a fantastic GPS unit that is perfect for rugged activities like hiking and geocaching, and can also handle "turn-by-turn" road navigation with ease, then this is the GPS for you! Garmin has done a great job with this thing! Buy this now!
I just got back from a two week trip to Italy where I rented a car and drove from Sorrento to Siena. I also drove throughout the Tuscany region of Italy. I couldn't imagine driving in Italy without my Garmin 60Cx. I also used it for our walking tours in Rome. The only problems I encountered were with unexpected detours because of closed roads due to construction. Luckily I also had a good road map and directions for backup. I was amazed with the accuracy of the GPS especially when navigating through the numerous round-abouts and dirt roads that didn't appear on my road maps. I agree with all the previous reviews regarding the 60Cx - fast response, nice color display, versatility, etc. I also recommend purchasing the North American package that includes very useful accessories. The only reason I did not give this product a five star rating is the high cost of the roadmap software from Garmin.
I just bought a garmin gpsmap 60cx. It's excellent!! New SiRF chip works great, I can confirm it does get several sat locks and even 2D and 3D fixes 2 meters away from windows, indoor, ofcrs. Size is just about fine, I will really feel bad on paying US$400 for something smaller than my hand. Love the external connectivity options. Weight is fine too. Lots of features. I would add some others, but nothing important really (ie. volume control). I also think a thermometer will be nice and inexpensive.
After months of research I finally decided on the GPS MAP60CX. I added a 1GB micro SD card and loaded almost the entire US East of Chicago. It is easy to read, accurate with the new WAAS enabled, waterproof and heavy duty rubber "armor" covering. I have used it extensively for car navigation and it works like a charm. Easy to download the routes to and from the software via USB cable. This unit is just plain awesome.
I purchased the Garmin 60Cx for my husband as a college graduation gift. I am so glad I did. We use it for everything. We travel quite a bit and it has come in handy every time, we boat in a few different lakes in TN; the lakes here are huge and the Garmin has prevented us from spending time trying to figure out how to get back to the landing. It is absolutely great. I highly recommend it.
This unit is very easy to use. However, it ships with a map that does not have sufficient detail to navigate. I had to buy the topographic maps for my area (adding approximately $80) to realy use the unit to navigate. The accompanying software makes it easy to add locations that you visit frequently.
I was showing my new toy off at a gathering of GPS type people and the little gem managed to lock on to a signal inside in a metal roof building. It is just that good.
I've had this GPS for a few months now and give it an EXCELLENT rating. I added a 1GB card to it and uploaded City Navigator North America, by Mapsource. With the 1gb card, I now have detailed roads for most of the US. A 2GB card would have given me the whole US, I suppose. I use this GPS almost every day at work. I am most impressed with the function that allows you to type in a street address and the GPS gets me there every time. Way to go Garmin!
This is my first GPS and I wanted a unit that could be used in a variety of environments such as biking, hiking, kayaking, and in the car to. I found this unit to be easy to use with a large display and convenient controls. Also the 2 times I called Garmin with questions I was able to talk to someone who is in the USA as opposed to a person in a foreign country which can be frustrating to some. On the down side to get the most out of this unit you still need to buy additional mapping software.
I purchased the 60Cx to replace a Lowrance H2Oc I received at the beginning of the year. The Lowrance is a nice unit, but lacked trip routing, which I initially thought I didn't really need, but turned out to be wrong.
The 60Cx has an excellent feel in the hands, the buttons are surprisingly firm and responsive, where my Lowrance unit's were a bit mushy. The screen is excellent, highly visible in bright light, and the backlight is effective. The factory settings for turning the light off are a bit conservative, most likely to prolong battery life. As with most anything with a screen these days, the screen itself seems like it would scratch or scuff easily. I suggest putting some kind of protector on it. I cut a protector for a Sony PSP screen to fit.
I have not yet had to test the waterproof claims, but these were important to me, as one of my intended uses for this is mounted on my motorcycle while I'm out and about. I've used it all last season for this and it was great! If you are going to be using the unit for navigation etc you absolutely must acquire City Navigator North America, or whatever is appropriate for your region, or the pre-loaded cards. Base map detail is not enough for more then good sized city routing on highways. I also took the unit to New Zealand and it worked fine there, although Garmin's map availability is laughable, I had to purchase maps from a local shop. This is an advantage though, as apparently it's possible for 3rd parties to create compatible map data, so you are not completely reliant on Garmin.
RAM mounts are probably not your only option for this device but I'd imagine they are among the best. For cars or other vehicles, the suction cup mounts are excellent. For motorcycles there are specific handle bar mounts usually.
The unit also supports external antennas, although I can't imagine needing one, the reception and lock times are excellent, it it sports the well regarded SiRFIII chip. I was able to get solid locks even under thick tree cover while in New Zealand. I can also get a fairly good lock in my home without being near windows(but my house is also not one that would tend to block signal as much as many others).
Realistically, unless you buy preloaded cards, you will also want to purchase an additional microSD card to load maps on to, microSD memory is cheap these days, don't get less then 1GB. There's a great deal of discussion as to if a 2GB card will work or not, but as far as I can tell from said discussion it will. With a 1GB card, I can load full detail and POI data for about 1/2 the continental US.
Another bonus, the unit can be powered from it's USB port. I highly recommend you get some sort of power source for it if you will be using it in a car. This will allow the backlight to stay on while in use, which is very useful.
While in New Zealand, my friend had an older model dash Garmin (color touch screen, voice prompting, the works) and we found that other then the touch interface and voice prompting, my handheld was nearly identical in function. My lock did seem to be faster and better though, which was expected.
I highly recommend this unit. At least 2 people I know have purchased the identical unit after using mine, primarily for geocaching. The 60CSx, one step up, includes a barometric altimeter and electronic compass, which could be useful in certain situations, but I don't think justify the added expense.
Easily seen, has all the features you need and then some. If you do your research you'll find that it has most of what the average person would want without going deeper into the wallet. Performs flawlessly and has a pretty good battery life. Battery life exceeds my Legend.
This is a very good GPS. I am a forester and I use this GPS for work and for hunting. The best feature of this GPS is that it NEVER loses contact with the satelites, even in the house. I recommend that you use batteries that can be recharged. That way you won't care if you leave it on all day.
A great handhelp GPS! Easy menus and very accurate. I use it while driving and Geocaching around the area!
I am sooo glad I got this unit. It's so handy. Very user friendly. I suggest getting some rechargeable batteries. I have been geocaching like crazy... so fun. You will want to get the city navigator DVD with this. It has great turn by turn info. I use it to look up phone numbers, addresses, etc.. it's like having a unit with the internet (not really, but kinda).
I am very impressed with this unit. I've dropped it in the snow twice and it kept on ticking...
I'm giving this 5 stars as I think it is currently the best at what it does, but it does have some negatives.
From a positve standpoint, the new chipset is excellent at picking up a signal, even indoors. I also own an etrex legend and can't get it to pick up a more then 1 or two sats, even by a window, where the 60Cx finds them quickly and was giving me an accurate reading inside my living room. The screen is clear, albiet small compared to a lot of the car units. It is slightly larger then my legend but isn't to big. It does come with a belt clip attachment which allows for easy carry and access to the unit. I paired it with the garmin brand carry case and it works well. It seems well built and all the openings a sealed with rubber gaskets. The biggest selling point for me was that it still uses AA batteries and not a proprietary rechargeable system. When those rechargeable lithium-ions start to go out on people in a few years, they may be scrambling to find replacements, what with the way tech changes so quickly, where with the 60Cx you shouldn't run into that problem. Also it means no waiting when the batteries are dead, you just pop in another set. Expandable memory is also a nice feature.
The biggest negative is the lack of a good built-in basemap. Many of the inexpensive $200-$300 car systems have much better mapping software out of the box. Although Garmin does make much better maps available, they do so at far to high a price point. There are alot of the car units showing up with the SiRF III chipset, with some portabilty features, bigger screens, and addtional fuctions such as MP3 players, that are really looking attractive and may be a better alternative for you if you don't plan to take yours out into the field much and need the waterproofing and battery features. I also looked at the car kit for the 60Cx, but the screen seems a lillte small, and again for the price garmin wants for the 60Cx car kit I can get something like the entire Mio C310x.
If you plan on carrying a GPS around, this and the 60CSx are as good as they get (plan on spending for a map though). If you are looking for an in car model, try something else in the Garmin line. If you want a unit to do both, this will get you close, but the bigger higher resolution screens offered on some inexpensive in car models may make getting those for $50-$100 dollars more instead of the car kit for 60Cx a better option.
This is my fourth GPS I have had and it does everything I could ever want a GPS to do. I use this for Search & Rescue work, Geocaching and general GPS usage.
Realize to really use this unit you need the maps and they are not cheap. I agree that Garmin should provide them out of the box, but they don't and we just keep buying them - so can you blame them. It connected right up to my PC and the new update software gamrin provides makes adding software a snap. I already had the TOPO software and an old version on Metroguide that was not supported by this unit. I do not know why they say that the old Metroguide is not compatible, my copy works fine and even gives routing directions. The last unit I had was the eTrex Vista. I don't miss the compass or altimeter at all, save the $50 and battery life and skip the GPSMap 60CSx. The altitude is given to you via the GPS location and you only have to move a few feet to get the compass direction.
It picks a signal up extremely fast, better than any GPS I have ever seen before. The color screen is really amazing after being used to my monochrome unit for so many years, worth the extra cost alone. Now I can actually read the screen day or night. With the out of the box memory card I was able to load all the topo maps for Colorado and all of the metroguide data for all major cites within 200 miles of home. I was going to purchase a larger manual, but now can not think of a reason to do it.
What I like best:
Battery Life - even with rechargeable batteries it is amazing
USB - easy and fast, fast, fast
Simple Navigation
Automatic backlight
Ability to show topo and Metroguide at the same time
MicroSD slot
Ability to show current any address with one click
Navigate on map to route points
Size
Water Proof (critical for the work I do)
What could be improved:
Slightly larger screen would be helpful
Simplified menu navigation
Main map page
Ability to turn the sound up for turn notifications
Overall for this unit has the best cost vs. performance of anything out there - but figure in the cost of maps when you look at this unit. You will not be sorry if you buy this unit.
My Garmin will NOT talk to either of my PCs, making it impossible to load maps, waypoints, etc. - and the maps that come with it are useless. If you want good maps, be prepared to shell out $100, and then cross your fingers and hope that your GPS and PC will talk to each other.
Garmin's technical support has been useless. All they say is "uninstall and reinstall the drivers!" I've wasted HOURS doing this and it DOES NOT HELP. For the last month or so, Garmin's technical support has COMPLETELY IGNORED ME. I will never buy anything from them again. I would rate it zero stars, but that was not an option.
Great GPS. Intuitive interface, viewscreen large enough to discern details, whole package easy to use and get info from.
I bought this gps after reading the reviews of how sensitive and accurate it is. Add me to the list of very satisfied owners. My Garmin Legend would sometimes lose the satellites inside the house, under heavy tree cover and in the car. If I turned it on for the first in the house or under my metal car port it would take several minutes to lock on. If I turned it on while driving it could take a mile or more to lock on. The GPSMAP60CX will lock very fast under most conditions and will remain locked not matter where you take it. The Legend will give different distance readings on multiple approaches to a geocache, but the MAP 60CX will read the same every time you approach. When I park each day at work in my usual parking space, the MAP60 will read from 4 to 9 ft every time. The legend with the older gps receiver couldn't do that. Sometimes it would read 12ft and other times 35 ft and then wander even though I was sitting still. Somebody challenged me to keep it locked inside our totally metal office so I took him up and moved it all over the building but the only time it lost the signal was when I got deep into the building where there were no windows and next to a closet filled with running electronic equipment. Even then it only said "weak signal" not "no signal." The built-in base map is about the same as most - not much detail, but what do you expect in a handheld gps. I cured that by buying the South Central TOPO microSD card and now I have so much detail that I have to either turn on "declutter" or set the detail default to a lower level. Some say the maps are out of date and that is true but you can buy the latest edition of Roads of Texas or other atlas for your area and find out-of-date features also. The TOPO doesn't name all the streets so if that is your interest you need to buy city maps instead. This week I was trying to find a way to get to train derailment site in a remote area and could only find one dead end "road" on the map that looked promising. So I took it and it turned out to be a long driveway. I would say that is detail enough. If you are used to a Legend or Vista, you will find that the MAP60CX gives you much more control over your default settings. You can reorder the pages and even eliminate the ones you get tired of seeing, like the satellite page or main menu page. You also have more control over how to search for waypoints. I think just about every feature on the MAP60CX is easier to use than on the Legend or Vista. It also has a routing feature that the Legend doesn't. It will actually pick the route from starting point to destination like the auto based gps units do giving you the choice of fastest or shortest route. I don't think handheld gps units are really suitable for routing purposes because the screen is so small. These color units are hard to see unless you hold them in the sun, so for routing you have to drive with one hand. I navigate with mine, but I don't care to use the routing feature. One guy said he can't get his MAP60 to interface with the computer. It interfaces just fine but it may take you a few minutes to figure out how to configure the MapSource software that comes with the unit. I don't have a bit of trouble communicating with the computer. There is just one area where I would like to see changes made. The symbol set with the MapSource software is not the same as the one in the MAP60CX, so if you create waypoints then download them to the gps, they may be different. Also there is a set of customizable waypoint symbols that I don't have a clue as to how to use. There is no documentaion on them either in the gps manual or in the MapSource help file.
I recently used the Garmin GPSMap 60CX on a geologic field trip in the Middle East. I needed to have real-time updating of a mapping package (OziExplorer) where my position was constantly being traced on an ortho-registered bitmap aerial photo.
The included Mapsource software was not useful for my purposes. I only used it to load the Garmin 60Cx device driver so that the laptop would recognize the Garmin when the USB interface cable was in place.
The interface between OziExplorer running on my laptop and the 60CX was a bit unstable, becoming severed occasionally for no apparent reason. Sometimes I could re-establish the communication by just re-starting the realtime tracking in OziExplorer, but sometimes I had to shut down and restart OziExplorer to get it to reconnect. I do not know whether the instability was caused by the Garmin, the laptop, or the mapping software.
However, no data was lost as a result of these interface problems. The Garmin continued to store the Active Track, which I could easily download into OziExplorer and store permanently at the end of the day.
Another 60Cx feature I love is the coordinate averaging ability when marking a waypoint. It resamples the position once per second and calculates a running average. If you've ever taken 20 individual readings at a single location and plotted them, you will appreciate that the GPS coordinates bounce around within the radius of uncertainty, often as much as 6 meters. Just sitting still in the truck at a single location for a few minutes, the realtime tracking would draw a starburst pattern around our true position on the aerial photo. I could eyeball the center of the starburst and store that location with OziExplorer, or I could run the Garmin's waypoint averaging run for 2 minutes, providing me an average of 120 position calculations.
I also experimented with using the Garmin 60Cx with realtime tracking in Google Earth Plus (you have to buy the license, but it's pretty cheap). It works, but there are some problems with Google Earth I never figured out, like how to make it keep the current position centered in the laptop screen and how to fix the viewing elevation to prevent it from zooming in ridiculously close on the current position.
A hint to GoogleEarth users...increase the cache to the maximum 2000MB, then pan around your area of interest while connected to high-speed internet. As you slowly pan around the area, GoogleEarth will store the images to the cache file on disk, thus making them available when you are on the road and not connected to the internet. Be aware that if you exceed the cache limit your earlier panning images get pushed out to make room for new ones. Choose a viewing elevation that is not overly detailed and zoom in for fine detail only where you need it. Be sure the image loading progress gets to 100% (at the bottom of the GoogleEarth image window) before panning the image to the next view.
I am also a Geocacher. For geocaching, the ability to upload waypoints from my computer to the Garmin is wonderful. My old GPS did not have an interface ability, and every position had to be hand entered. With the cable interface, I can load waypoints from various sources quite easily. However, I did need to use external GPS utility software to reformat waypoint files from various sources. For instance, waypoints or tracks digitized in Google Earth had to be stored as KML format, then opened in OziExplorer, which could then upload the waypoints or tracks to the Garmin.
Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase of the Garmin GPSMap 60Cx. I would recommend it to anyone interested in high-sensitivity position determination and to those who need a real-time tracking interface with mapping software like OziExplorer or GoogleEarthPlus.
I concur with all of the positive reviews, the unit can be thrown in a camera bag, taken deep into tree cover, through the downtown canyons--it just never seems to lose lock.
It's obvious upon using it that the design team actually took their "baby" out into the real world and lived with it. The menu items and placement are intuitive and seldom require the use of the manual, and the auto zoom and mapping functions are highly useable while negotiating traffic in unfamiliar cities--a quick glance at the screen after it beeps is all that is required, takes about as much time as glancing at the radio or clock.
Even better is Garmin's service policy. My battery door broke at the base of the unit. This happened after one year of ownership, looking back, I probably caused it by trying to snap the door into place once when the unit was brand new. I called Garmin's support number to order a new one and they instead shipped me one free of charge.
That is the kind of support that will keep me coming back!
The Good
1) Found the GPS works well.
2) It is quick and has a nice and useful set of features.
3) The interface is easy to use and learn
4) Loading the software (MapSource) was easy and the GPS interfaced with my PC with no hitch
5) Transferring data between the GPS and PC was easy and effective.
6) I particularly like the large screen and the large fonts and this was why I bought this unit
7) On the whole I am pleased with my purchase
The Bad
1) MapSource, the software supplied with the GPS did have a glitch with upgrading from the internet. Each time I tried to upgrade the software, a fatal error occurred. Garmin could not assist unless I telephoned a Garmin technician. This remains a problem.
2) Purchasing road map data for South Africa has proved to be very expensive.
Firstly, I labored long and hard deciding between the GPSmap 60Cx and the GPSmap 60Csx... I mean WEEKS!!! The only difference between the two is minimal (just a GPS compass and barometric altimeter).
Just got my 60Cx yesterday. Spent today playing with it and doing a little geocaching. The display screen is beautiful and a good size, too. Accuracy? I almost tripped over one cache today, and the WAAS was OFF!!! I really can't see what the GPS compass in the GPSmap 60Csx would do for me that the Cx doesn't!!
Downloading waypoints is a snap with the various geocaching applications out there. It literally took me a whole 3 minutes to load 40-50 caches / waypoints (using the USB port).
I would absolutely buy another one of these. Thank you, AMAZON, for making the buying and package tracking as painless as it was. Great job and thanks! I'd definitely buy another Garmin and would buy from Amazon again!
Finally a GPS unit that simply works the way it's supposed to! Ok... I admit I am still on my honeymoon with the Garmin Map 60Cx, but so far it has worked like a dream and has exceeded my expectations.
This unit was very easy to use intuitively right out of the box. My greatest surprise was when I turned on the unit for the first time and, literally within a minute, I had locked 6 satellites! (with another 4 on the way). I just have to mention that with my previous 3 GPS units, I would have to wait 10 to 20 minutes for a lock on the minimum 3 satellites. Also, this Map 60Cx seems to keep lock well even with buildings, trees, and obstructions (whereas my previous GPS units would frustratingly lose lock when I entered a forest or even stood next to a building). This really makes the Map 60Cx a great pleasure to use. It initiates right away and keeps lock, just like it should. The displays are easy to read and interpret and it easily navigates through the different pages with simple intuitive controls (with Windows-like menus). Oh! and the colour display is great, very easy to see even without the backlight.
The difference between the Garmin GPS Map 60Cx and the Garmin GPS Map 60CSx is that the 60CSx has an electronic compass and a barometric altimeter built in and it usually costs about $30 more than the 60Cx. I opted for the 60Cx (minus the compass and altimeter) because I already had these instruments on my wrist watch, they were redundant with the GPS compass and GPS altimeter already included with the unit, and I noticed that compared to the 60CSx with an 18 hour battery life, the Map 60Cx sips power with up to a 30 hour battery life. Since the only difference between the two are these two additional instruments (compass and altimeter), I can only surmise that the exta power drain must be related to them.
As for battery life, I have not encountered any problems yet. One of my reasons for choosing this product is because it did NOT use an internal or proprietary rechargeable battery. I needed a unit that used plain, readily available, easily replaceable alkaline batteries. Rechargeable batteries do gradually lose their effectiveness over time (as another reviewer noted and attributed to the GPS unit). For me, it is easier and more reliable to just pop in 2 fresh Duracells than to wonder what the current max charge is on my rechargeables (or to pay $20-$30 for some exotic hard to find "EL-1078-4a" battery when it finally dies). This principle holds true for most consumer electronics. I try to avoid anything that uses some special battery (even a CR123 at $5 each) or worse, some specific proprietary battery made just for the device.
Another key feature that I required was waterproofness. I use my GPS unit on, in and over the water (not to mention inclement weather).
The base map is sufficient for my needs so far (hiking and geocaching), but eventually I will pick up the City Navigator software for road directions when I travel. I have seen this software in use on my friend's GPS Map 60CSx (the sister unit to the 60Cx) and despite the seemingly high additional cost, I think that for what you get, it is a good deal. Not only does it upgrade the unit into a highly effective turn by turn road navigator, but it also adds a nice city guide feature that allows you to find restaurants, gas stations, hotels, and Starbucks.
Also, having had some previous experience in law enforcement and familiarity with the California Vehicle Code, I would like to mention that the suction-cup mount accessory for the windshield is illegal in the State of California. It's CVC 26708(a).
I have been really happy with this GPS. I originally purchased the Etrex Legend Cx, but found that it lost signal too often under dense tree canopies that I find myself all too often under while hiking in Georgia. But I have not that that problem with the 60Cx. It has kept strong signal even under dense canopy. I now also have the Garmin map software, and use the GPS in my car to navigate around. With the windshield suction mount, I am able to easily use it to get around the city, and have found it pretty accurate.
The SiRF chipset in this baby is amazing. I've been using it for a week now and here are some examples:
Oldgrowth Douglas-fir forest, trees 200 ft tall, 90% canopy closure - GPS gets 8 satellites and has my position to 10 m accuracy in about a minute.
Doghair western hemlock forest 100% canopy closure, need a flash to take pictures at noon on a cloudless day. GPS gets 7 satellites and has my position to 10 m accuracy in a little under two minutes.
Dense alder-maple forest at the bottom of a ravine with 70% sideslopes. 95% canopy closure. GPS gets 6 satellites and has my position to 10 m accuracy in about a minute. I put the GPS in the top pocket of my backpack and thrash through the ravine for 3 hours. Subsequent download indicates GPS never lost my position and has almost no random walk component to the trackpoint record.
In short, the SiRF set delivers performance that I could not achieve using a $14,000 Trimble setup three years ago. GPS is finally into the woods. I wonder how it would work in a cave???
By the way - in other respects it's pretty much what you expect of a Garmin GPS, which means great hardware and a pretty good user interface, coupled with crappy software that only runs on Windows. At least you can use Mapsource to save the tracks, routes and waypoints as GPX files which you can then view on Google Earth.
I had a Lorence H2O GPS prior to the purchase of the Garmin GPSMAP 60cs. I have nothing negative to say about that unit and will keep it as an additional or second unit. It is a fine unit for the money. The Garmin 60CX is a big step up if you care to spend the extra cash and you get a lot for that extra. Turn-by-turn, color, twice the battery life, and that sweet SurFer board (or however its called) that performs in areas where I used to have an error rate in the hundreds and now in the tens. My first unit needed to be by the car window to get a lock. This Garmin doesn't seem to care where it sits in the car. The City Navigator software is a bit pricy to get functional street detail, but given the turn-by-turn function of the unit, I also have no problems buying it so the unit reaches full potential. If you want a solid unit, there are others out there that do fine. If you want the best you can get in a hand held, check this one out.
I had a Lorence H2O GPS prior to the purchase of the Garmin GPSMAP 60cs. I have nothing negative to say about that unit and will keep it as an additional or second unit. It is a fine unit for the money. The Garmin 60CX is a big step up if you care to spend the extra cash and you get a lot for that extra. Turn-by-turn, color, twice the battery life, and that sweet SurFer board (or however its called) that performs in areas where I used to have an error rate in the hundreds and now in the tens. My first unit needed to be by the car window to get a lock. This Garmin doesn't seem to care where it sits in the car. The City Navigator software is a bit pricy to get functional street detail, but given the turn-by-turn function of the unit, I also have no problems buying it so the unit reaches full potential. If you want a solid unit, there are others out there that do fine. If you want the best you can get in a hand held, check this one out.
The SiRF chipset in this baby is amazing. I've been using it for a week now and here are some examples:
Oldgrowth Douglas-fir forest, trees 200 ft tall, 90% canopy closure - GPS gets 8 satellites and has my position to 10 m accuracy in about a minute.
Doghair western hemlock forest 100% canopy closure, need a flash to take pictures at noon on a cloudless day. GPS gets 7 satellites and has my position to 10 m accuracy in a little under two minutes.
Dense alder-maple forest at the bottom of a ravine with 70% sideslopes. 95% canopy closure. GPS gets 6 satellites and has my position to 10 m accuracy in about a minute. I put the GPS in the top pocket of my backpack and thrash through the ravine for 3 hours. Subsequent download indicates GPS never lost my position and has almost no random walk component to the trackpoint record.
In short, the SiRF set delivers performance that I could not achieve using a $14,000 Trimble setup three years ago. GPS is finally into the woods. I wonder how it would work in a cave???
By the way - in other respects it's pretty much what you expect of a Garmin GPS, which means great hardware and a pretty good user interface, coupled with crappy software that only runs on Windows. At least you can use Mapsource to save the tracks, routes and waypoints as GPX files which you can then view on Google Earth.
I have been really happy with this GPS. I originally purchased the Etrex Legend Cx, but found that it lost signal too often under dense tree canopies that I find myself all too often under while hiking in Georgia. But I have not that that problem with the 60Cx. It has kept strong signal even under dense canopy. I now also have the Garmin map software, and use the GPS in my car to navigate around. With the windshield suction mount, I am able to easily use it to get around the city, and have found it pretty accurate.
The Good
1) Found the GPS works well.
2) It is quick and has a nice and useful set of features.
3) The interface is easy to use and learn
4) Loading the software (MapSource) was easy and the GPS interfaced with my PC with no hitch
5) Transferring data between the GPS and PC was easy and effective.
6) I particularly like the large screen and the large fonts and this was why I bought this unit
7) On the whole I am pleased with my purchase
The Bad
1) MapSource, the software supplied with the GPS did have a glitch with upgrading from the internet. Each time I tried to upgrade the software, a fatal error occurred. Garmin could not assist unless I telephoned a Garmin technician. This remains a problem.
2) Purchasing road map data for South Africa has proved to be very expensive.
Firstly, I labored long and hard deciding between the GPSmap 60Cx and the GPSmap 60Csx... I mean WEEKS!!! The only difference between the two is minimal (just a GPS compass and barometric altimeter).
Just got my 60Cx yesterday. Spent today playing with it and doing a little geocaching. The display screen is beautiful and a good size, too. Accuracy? I almost tripped over one cache today, and the WAAS was OFF!!! I really can't see what the GPS compass in the GPSmap 60Csx would do for me that the Cx doesn't!!
Downloading waypoints is a snap with the various geocaching applications out there. It literally took me a whole 3 minutes to load 40-50 caches / waypoints (using the USB port).
I would absolutely buy another one of these. Thank you, AMAZON, for making the buying and package tracking as painless as it was. Great job and thanks! I'd definitely buy another Garmin and would buy from Amazon again!
Finally a GPS unit that simply works the way it's supposed to! Ok... I admit I am still on my honeymoon with the Garmin Map 60Cx, but so far it has worked like a dream and has exceeded my expectations.
This unit was very easy to use intuitively right out of the box. My greatest surprise was when I turned on the unit for the first time and, literally within a minute, I had locked 6 satellites! (with another 4 on the way). I just have to mention that with my previous 3 GPS units, I would have to wait 10 to 20 minutes for a lock on the minimum 3 satellites. Also, this Map 60Cx seems to keep lock well even with buildings, trees, and obstructions (whereas my previous GPS units would frustratingly lose lock when I entered a forest or even stood next to a building). This really makes the Map 60Cx a great pleasure to use. It initiates right away and keeps lock, just like it should. The displays are easy to read and interpret and it easily navigates through the different pages with simple intuitive controls (with Windows-like menus). Oh! and the colour display is great, very easy to see even without the backlight.
The difference between the Garmin GPS Map 60Cx and the Garmin GPS Map 60CSx is that the 60CSx has an electronic compass and a barometric altimeter built in and it usually costs about $30 more than the 60Cx. I opted for the 60Cx (minus the compass and altimeter) because I already had these instruments on my wrist watch, they were redundant with the GPS compass and GPS altimeter already included with the unit, and I noticed that compared to the 60CSx with an 18 hour battery life, the Map 60Cx sips power with up to a 30 hour battery life. Since the only difference between the two are these two additional instruments (compass and altimeter), I can only surmise that the exta power drain must be related to them.
As for battery life, I have not encountered any problems yet. One of my reasons for choosing this product is because it did NOT use an internal or proprietary rechargeable battery. I needed a unit that used plain, readily available, easily replaceable alkaline batteries. Rechargeable batteries do gradually lose their effectiveness over time (as another reviewer noted and attributed to the GPS unit). For me, it is easier and more reliable to just pop in 2 fresh Duracells than to wonder what the current max charge is on my rechargeables (or to pay $20-$30 for some exotic hard to find "EL-1078-4a" battery when it finally dies). This principle holds true for most consumer electronics. I try to avoid anything that uses some special battery (even a CR123 at $5 each) or worse, some specific proprietary battery made just for the device.
Another key feature that I required was waterproofness. I use my GPS unit on, in and over the water (not to mention inclement weather).
The base map is sufficient for my needs so far (hiking and geocaching), but eventually I will pick up the City Navigator software for road directions when I travel. I have seen this software in use on my friend's GPS Map 60CSx (the sister unit to the 60Cx) and despite the seemingly high additional cost, I think that for what you get, it is a good deal. Not only does it upgrade the unit into a highly effective turn by turn road navigator, but it also adds a nice city guide feature that allows you to find restaurants, gas stations, hotels, and Starbucks.
Also, having had some previous experience in law enforcement and familiarity with the California Vehicle Code, I would like to mention that the suction-cup mount accessory for the windshield is illegal in the State of California. It's CVC 26708(a).
I concur with all of the positive reviews, the unit can be thrown in a camera bag, taken deep into tree cover, through the downtown canyons--it just never seems to lose lock.
It's obvious upon using it that the design team actually took their "baby" out into the real world and lived with it. The menu items and placement are intuitive and seldom require the use of the manual, and the auto zoom and mapping functions are highly useable while negotiating traffic in unfamiliar cities--a quick glance at the screen after it beeps is all that is required, takes about as much time as glancing at the radio or clock.
Even better is Garmin's service policy. My battery door broke at the base of the unit. This happened after one year of ownership, looking back, I probably caused it by trying to snap the door into place once when the unit was brand new. I called Garmin's support number to order a new one and they instead shipped me one free of charge.
That is the kind of support that will keep me coming back!
I bought this gps after reading the reviews of how sensitive and accurate it is. Add me to the list of very satisfied owners. My Garmin Legend would sometimes lose the satellites inside the house, under heavy tree cover and in the car. If I turned it on for the first in the house or under my metal car port it would take several minutes to lock on. If I turned it on while driving it could take a mile or more to lock on. The GPSMAP60CX will lock very fast under most conditions and will remain locked not matter where you take it. The Legend will give different distance readings on multiple approaches to a geocache, but the MAP 60CX will read the same every time you approach. When I park each day at work in my usual parking space, the MAP60 will read from 4 to 9 ft every time. The legend with the older gps receiver couldn't do that. Sometimes it would read 12ft and other times 35 ft and then wander even though I was sitting still. Somebody challenged me to keep it locked inside our totally metal office so I took him up and moved it all over the building but the only time it lost the signal was when I got deep into the building where there were no windows and next to a closet filled with running electronic equipment. Even then it only said "weak signal" not "no signal." The built-in base map is about the same as most - not much detail, but what do you expect in a handheld gps. I cured that by buying the South Central TOPO microSD card and now I have so much detail that I have to either turn on "declutter" or set the detail default to a lower level. Some say the maps are out of date and that is true but you can buy the latest edition of Roads of Texas or other atlas for your area and find out-of-date features also. The TOPO doesn't name all the streets so if that is your interest you need to buy city maps instead. This week I was trying to find a way to get to train derailment site in a remote area and could only find one dead end "road" on the map that looked promising. So I took it and it turned out to be a long driveway. I would say that is detail enough. If you are used to a Legend or Vista, you will find that the MAP60CX gives you much more control over your default settings. You can reorder the pages and even eliminate the ones you get tired of seeing, like the satellite page or main menu page. You also have more control over how to search for waypoints. I think just about every feature on the MAP60CX is easier to use than on the Legend or Vista. It also has a routing feature that the Legend doesn't. It will actually pick the route from starting point to destination like the auto based gps units do giving you the choice of fastest or shortest route. I don't think handheld gps units are really suitable for routing purposes because the screen is so small. These color units are hard to see unless you hold them in the sun, so for routing you have to drive with one hand. I navigate with mine, but I don't care to use the routing feature. One guy said he can't get his MAP60 to interface with the computer. It interfaces just fine but it may take you a few minutes to figure out how to configure the MapSource software that comes with the unit. I don't have a bit of trouble communicating with the computer. There is just one area where I would like to see changes made. The symbol set with the MapSource software is not the same as the one in the MAP60CX, so if you create waypoints then download them to the gps, they may be different. Also there is a set of customizable waypoint symbols that I don't have a clue as to how to use. There is no documentaion on them either in the gps manual or in the MapSource help file.
I recently used the Garmin GPSMap 60CX on a geologic field trip in the Middle East. I needed to have real-time updating of a mapping package (OziExplorer) where my position was constantly being traced on an ortho-registered bitmap aerial photo.
The included Mapsource software was not useful for my purposes. I only used it to load the Garmin 60Cx device driver so that the laptop would recognize the Garmin when the USB interface cable was in place.
The interface between OziExplorer running on my laptop and the 60CX was a bit unstable, becoming severed occasionally for no apparent reason. Sometimes I could re-establish the communication by just re-starting the realtime tracking in OziExplorer, but sometimes I had to shut down and restart OziExplorer to get it to reconnect. I do not know whether the instability was caused by the Garmin, the laptop, or the mapping software.
However, no data was lost as a result of these interface problems. The Garmin continued to store the Active Track, which I could easily download into OziExplorer and store permanently at the end of the day.
Another 60Cx feature I love is the coordinate averaging ability when marking a waypoint. It resamples the position once per second and calculates a running average. If you've ever taken 20 individual readings at a single location and plotted them, you will appreciate that the GPS coordinates bounce around within the radius of uncertainty, often as much as 6 meters. Just sitting still in the truck at a single location for a few minutes, the realtime tracking would draw a starburst pattern around our true position on the aerial photo. I could eyeball the center of the starburst and store that location with OziExplorer, or I could run the Garmin's waypoint averaging run for 2 minutes, providing me an average of 120 position calculations.
I also experimented with using the Garmin 60Cx with realtime tracking in Google Earth Plus (you have to buy the license, but it's pretty cheap). It works, but there are some problems with Google Earth I never figured out, like how to make it keep the current position centered in the laptop screen and how to fix the viewing elevation to prevent it from zooming in ridiculously close on the current position.
A hint to GoogleEarth users...increase the cache to the maximum 2000MB, then pan around your area of interest while connected to high-speed internet. As you slowly pan around the area, GoogleEarth will store the images to the cache file on disk, thus making them available when you are on the road and not connected to the internet. Be aware that if you exceed the cache limit your earlier panning images get pushed out to make room for new ones. Choose a viewing elevation that is not overly detailed and zoom in for fine detail only where you need it. Be sure the image loading progress gets to 100% (at the bottom of the GoogleEarth image window) before panning the image to the next view.
I am also a Geocacher. For geocaching, the ability to upload waypoints from my computer to the Garmin is wonderful. My old GPS did not have an interface ability, and every position had to be hand entered. With the cable interface, I can load waypoints from various sources quite easily. However, I did need to use external GPS utility software to reformat waypoint files from various sources. For instance, waypoints or tracks digitized in Google Earth had to be stored as KML format, then opened in OziExplorer, which could then upload the waypoints or tracks to the Garmin.
Overall, I am very pleased with my purchase of the Garmin GPSMap 60Cx. I would recommend it to anyone interested in high-sensitivity position determination and to those who need a real-time tracking interface with mapping software like OziExplorer or GoogleEarthPlus.
My Garmin will NOT talk to either of my PCs, making it impossible to load maps, waypoints, etc. - and the maps that come with it are useless. If you want good maps, be prepared to shell out $100, and then cross your fingers and hope that your GPS and PC will talk to each other.
Garmin's technical support has been useless. All they say is "uninstall and reinstall the drivers!" I've wasted HOURS doing this and it DOES NOT HELP. For the last month or so, Garmin's technical support has COMPLETELY IGNORED ME. I will never buy anything from them again. I would rate it zero stars, but that was not an option.
Great GPS. Intuitive interface, viewscreen large enough to discern details, whole package easy to use and get info from.
I'm giving this 5 stars as I think it is currently the best at what it does, but it does have some negatives.
From a positve standpoint, the new chipset is excellent at picking up a signal, even indoors. I also own an etrex legend and can't get it to pick up a more then 1 or two sats, even by a window, where the 60Cx finds them quickly and was giving me an accurate reading inside my living room. The screen is clear, albiet small compared to a lot of the car units. It is slightly larger then my legend but isn't to big. It does come with a belt clip attachment which allows for easy carry and access to the unit. I paired it with the garmin brand carry case and it works well. It seems well built and all the openings a sealed with rubber gaskets. The biggest selling point for me was that it still uses AA batteries and not a proprietary rechargeable system. When those rechargeable lithium-ions start to go out on people in a few years, they may be scrambling to find replacements, what with the way tech changes so quickly, where with the 60Cx you shouldn't run into that problem. Also it means no waiting when the batteries are dead, you just pop in another set. Expandable memory is also a nice feature.
The biggest negative is the lack of a good built-in basemap. Many of the inexpensive $200-$300 car systems have much better mapping software out of the box. Although Garmin does make much better maps available, they do so at far to high a price point. There are alot of the car units showing up with the SiRF III chipset, with some portabilty features, bigger screens, and addtional fuctions such as MP3 players, that are really looking attractive and may be a better alternative for you if you don't plan to take yours out into the field much and need the waterproofing and battery features. I also looked at the car kit for the 60Cx, but the screen seems a lillte small, and again for the price garmin wants for the 60Cx car kit I can get something like the entire Mio C310x.
If you plan on carrying a GPS around, this and the 60CSx are as good as they get (plan on spending for a map though). If you are looking for an in car model, try something else in the Garmin line. If you want a unit to do both, this will get you close, but the bigger higher resolution screens offered on some inexpensive in car models may make getting those for $50-$100 dollars more instead of the car kit for 60Cx a better option.
This is my fourth GPS I have had and it does everything I could ever want a GPS to do. I use this for Search & Rescue work, Geocaching and general GPS usage.
Realize to really use this unit you need the maps and they are not cheap. I agree that Garmin should provide them out of the box, but they don't and we just keep buying them - so can you blame them. It connected right up to my PC and the new update software gamrin provides makes adding software a snap. I already had the TOPO software and an old version on Metroguide that was not supported by this unit. I do not know why they say that the old Metroguide is not compatible, my copy works fine and even gives routing directions. The last unit I had was the eTrex Vista. I don't miss the compass or altimeter at all, save the $50 and battery life and skip the GPSMap 60CSx. The altitude is given to you via the GPS location and you only have to move a few feet to get the compass direction.
It picks a signal up extremely fast, better than any GPS I have ever seen before. The color screen is really amazing after being used to my monochrome unit for so many years, worth the extra cost alone. Now I can actually read the screen day or night. With the out of the box memory card I was able to load all the topo maps for Colorado and all of the metroguide data for all major cites within 200 miles of home. I was going to purchase a larger manual, but now can not think of a reason to do it.
What I like best:
Battery Life - even with rechargeable batteries it is amazing
USB - easy and fast, fast, fast
Simple Navigation
Automatic backlight
Ability to show topo and Metroguide at the same time
MicroSD slot
Ability to show current any address with one click
Navigate on map to route points
Size
Water Proof (critical for the work I do)
What could be improved:
Slightly larger screen would be helpful
Simplified menu navigation
Main map page
Ability to turn the sound up for turn notifications
Overall for this unit has the best cost vs. performance of anything out there - but figure in the cost of maps when you look at this unit. You will not be sorry if you buy this unit.
A great handhelp GPS! Easy menus and very accurate. I use it while driving and Geocaching around the area!
I am sooo glad I got this unit. It's so handy. Very user friendly. I suggest getting some rechargeable batteries. I have been geocaching like crazy... so fun. You will want to get the city navigator DVD with this. It has great turn by turn info. I use it to look up phone numbers, addresses, etc.. it's like having a unit with the internet (not really, but kinda).
I am very impressed with this unit. I've dropped it in the snow twice and it kept on ticking...
I purchased the 60Cx to replace a Lowrance H2Oc I received at the beginning of the year. The Lowrance is a nice unit, but lacked trip routing, which I initially thought I didn't really need, but turned out to be wrong.
The 60Cx has an excellent feel in the hands, the buttons are surprisingly firm and responsive, where my Lowrance unit's were a bit mushy. The screen is excellent, highly visible in bright light, and the backlight is effective. The factory settings for turning the light off are a bit conservative, most likely to prolong battery life. As with most anything with a screen these days, the screen itself seems like it would scratch or scuff easily. I suggest putting some kind of protector on it. I cut a protector for a Sony PSP screen to fit.
I have not yet had to test the waterproof claims, but these were important to me, as one of my intended uses for this is mounted on my motorcycle while I'm out and about. I've used it all last season for this and it was great! If you are going to be using the unit for navigation etc you absolutely must acquire City Navigator North America, or whatever is appropriate for your region, or the pre-loaded cards. Base map detail is not enough for more then good sized city routing on highways. I also took the unit to New Zealand and it worked fine there, although Garmin's map availability is laughable, I had to purchase maps from a local shop. This is an advantage though, as apparently it's possible for 3rd parties to create compatible map data, so you are not completely reliant on Garmin.
RAM mounts are probably not your only option for this device but I'd imagine they are among the best. For cars or other vehicles, the suction cup mounts are excellent. For motorcycles there are specific handle bar mounts usually.
The unit also supports external antennas, although I can't imagine needing one, the reception and lock times are excellent, it it sports the well regarded SiRFIII chip. I was able to get solid locks even under thick tree cover while in New Zealand. I can also get a fairly good lock in my home without being near windows(but my house is also not one that would tend to block signal as much as many others).
Realistically, unless you buy preloaded cards, you will also want to purchase an additional microSD card to load maps on to, microSD memory is cheap these days, don't get less then 1GB. There's a great deal of discussion as to if a 2GB card will work or not, but as far as I can tell from said discussion it will. With a 1GB card, I can load full detail and POI data for about 1/2 the continental US.
Another bonus, the unit can be powered from it's USB port. I highly recommend you get some sort of power source for it if you will be using it in a car. This will allow the backlight to stay on while in use, which is very useful.
While in New Zealand, my friend had an older model dash Garmin (color touch screen, voice prompting, the works) and we found that other then the touch interface and voice prompting, my handheld was nearly identical in function. My lock did seem to be faster and better though, which was expected.
I highly recommend this unit. At least 2 people I know have purchased the identical unit after using mine, primarily for geocaching. The 60CSx, one step up, includes a barometric altimeter and electronic compass, which could be useful in certain situations, but I don't think justify the added expense.
Easily seen, has all the features you need and then some. If you do your research you'll find that it has most of what the average person would want without going deeper into the wallet. Performs flawlessly and has a pretty good battery life. Battery life exceeds my Legend.
This is a very good GPS. I am a forester and I use this GPS for work and for hunting. The best feature of this GPS is that it NEVER loses contact with the satelites, even in the house. I recommend that you use batteries that can be recharged. That way you won't care if you leave it on all day.
I've had this GPS for a few months now and give it an EXCELLENT rating. I added a 1GB card to it and uploaded City Navigator North America, by Mapsource. With the 1gb card, I now have detailed roads for most of the US. A 2GB card would have given me the whole US, I suppose. I use this GPS almost every day at work. I am most impressed with the function that allows you to type in a street address and the GPS gets me there every time. Way to go Garmin!
This is my first GPS and I wanted a unit that could be used in a variety of environments such as biking, hiking, kayaking, and in the car to. I found this unit to be easy to use with a large display and convenient controls. Also the 2 times I called Garmin with questions I was able to talk to someone who is in the USA as opposed to a person in a foreign country which can be frustrating to some. On the down side to get the most out of this unit you still need to buy additional mapping software.
This unit is very easy to use. However, it ships with a map that does not have sufficient detail to navigate. I had to buy the topographic maps for my area (adding approximately $80) to realy use the unit to navigate. The accompanying software makes it easy to add locations that you visit frequently.
I was showing my new toy off at a gathering of GPS type people and the little gem managed to lock on to a signal inside in a metal roof building. It is just that good.
After months of research I finally decided on the GPS MAP60CX. I added a 1GB micro SD card and loaded almost the entire US East of Chicago. It is easy to read, accurate with the new WAAS enabled, waterproof and heavy duty rubber "armor" covering. I have used it extensively for car navigation and it works like a charm. Easy to download the routes to and from the software via USB cable. This unit is just plain awesome.
I purchased the Garmin 60Cx for my husband as a college graduation gift. I am so glad I did. We use it for everything. We travel quite a bit and it has come in handy every time, we boat in a few different lakes in TN; the lakes here are huge and the Garmin has prevented us from spending time trying to figure out how to get back to the landing. It is absolutely great. I highly recommend it.
I just got back from a two week trip to Italy where I rented a car and drove from Sorrento to Siena. I also drove throughout the Tuscany region of Italy. I couldn't imagine driving in Italy without my Garmin 60Cx. I also used it for our walking tours in Rome. The only problems I encountered were with unexpected detours because of closed roads due to construction. Luckily I also had a good road map and directions for backup. I was amazed with the accuracy of the GPS especially when navigating through the numerous round-abouts and dirt roads that didn't appear on my road maps. I agree with all the previous reviews regarding the 60Cx - fast response, nice color display, versatility, etc. I also recommend purchasing the North American package that includes very useful accessories. The only reason I did not give this product a five star rating is the high cost of the roadmap software from Garmin.
I just returned from a trip to Europe. For our trip we flew in to Rome, drove to a rural area an hour outside Florence, spent a week there and drove to Florence, then on to Parma, the Loire valley and finally on to Paris. I purchased this unit and the Garmin MapSource European City Navigator v8 [CD-ROM] and offer the following comments.
1 - The unit it extremely fast and accurate in identifying location. Often I had coordinates in 20-30 seconds. I believe that this unit was more accurate than the GPS unit in my 2005 Accord. The Garmin unit knows exactly when I am at a turning point, even in Italian cities with narrow streets and 3-4 story buildings on all sides.
2 - The ability to load in regional European maps as needed was a big selling point.
3 - The download / upload process was relatively pain free and reasonably fast. There is no need to delete the existing maps in the unit before loading a new map in - your upload simply writes over the current maps.
4 - The battery life seems to be as advertised. I could run the unit for anywhere from 12 to 20 hours on two standard AA batteries. My rechargable batteries ran 8-12 hours. I will probably purchase the car power cord before my next trip.
5 - The turn-by-turn directions were mostly spot on. However there were some places in Italy where I ran in to areas that were recently / currently under construction and in these areas, some wrong turns were indicated. The most useful feature in these circumstances was the automatic recalculation for directions.
6 - A couple of small cool items. Heading through the alps we drove through some multi-kilometer tunnels. Even though we lost satellite reception going through the tunnels, the system kept accurate track of actual mileage driven. Also, when you zoom in to a quarter mile radius, the location of restaurants, local attractions, etc show up with useful symbols, sometimes with amusing results. Outside the door of our hotel in Florence I turned on the unit and saw no fewer than 15 pizza symbols (pizzerias) within 2 blocks of our hotel.
7 - I deduct one star because of the 64MB limit for downloadable maps. This is room for perhaps 5-8 regional maps. A regional map may cover only a relatively small area - for example you need 4-5 maps to cover Paris. This is not a problem for a person sightseeing around a limited area. However in my case, I needed directions for Parma to Paris. This 640 mile trip required 16-20 regional maps. This meant that I had to reload maps to the unit from my laptop a few times during the trip. More annoyingly, the unit could not plot out a direct trip between Parma and paris with only a subset of the maps, even when I downloaded the 'Route' plotted by my laptop. This meant that I had to tell the unit to pick an intermediary spot along the route, reach that spot and then load in the new maps.
This means that a person not traveling with their laptop would be out of luck. It seems to me that they could have used a standard SD or CF card instead of a non-standard 64 MB memory card. Extrapolating from what I was able to do with 64MB, 2 GB would allow you to load in to memory the majority of Europe at one time - Certainly enough for a backpacker on a summer long trip or a group of people on tour with a car. This would be an AMAZING improvement and would make this device practical to a much wider market.
Alternatively, it might be useful to change the way that the maps are segmented in the software package. For example, I was forced to load an 8MB map of a small portion of Paris even though I was only in this section for perhaps 2 miles while on a major highway. If I did not load this map, the device could not render a route to the airport.
One alternative would be to consolidate some areas together in to fewer maps - the center of Paris can be 2 maps instead of 4 while outlying suburbs can be treated as separate maps. The other option would be to break up some large maps in to smaller sets so that you can be more selective in downloading. For example, I was in the northeast corner of Burgundy for a few miles but I had to load in the entire map segment, comprising 6MB.
Hopefully version 9 of the software will offer some option to help solve this problem.
Had to upgrade to the 60Cx from the 60CS due to the larger map file sizes discovered after upgrading to the new City Navigator North America version 8 software. Aside from having to buy a new unit, the 60Cx has a very weak alert tone volume. I rely on the tones to alert me to an upcoming route change, but the volume of the tones is so low, that if you have the stereo on, or are talking on a cell phone, you might not hear the tone. You'd think that Garmin could put a decent speaker in the unit and provide some way to increase or decrease the volume output. Believe it or not the volume of the 60CS was louder than the 60Cx, although still way too weak.
This unit smokes, but it's getting only 4 stars from me because Garmin has failed to improve this feature, or lack thereof.
Since I've gotten this product, it's the best upgrade i've done. recommend this to others
Ok.. here's the deal. I've been an avid Magellan user for the past 3 years. I love my Magellan. I've never liked the Garmins because of their clumsy interface (the buttons placed above the display NEVER made sense to me) and how the menu structure was built.
However.... We're planning a 2000 mile road trip from Utah up to the Oregon coast. We needed something with expandable memory so we could upload more than one state map at a time. My wife bought me the Magellan eXplorist 600 for Fathers Day. I forced myself to use it for two days (and believe me, it was torture). I could go on and on about why I sent it back.
What I ordered as a replacement was the GPSMap 60Cx. Now keep in mind that I felt like someone who had turned to the dark side.
I couldn't be happier with my decision.
While I agree with most of the other reviews about the lack of base maps, and the expense of additional ones, this unit ROCKS! It acquires satellites within seconds. It has expandable memory. It has a color screen. It manages Geocaches. It auto-routes. It stores 1000 waypoints. It has SiRF Technology. It is a USB interface. It has a belt clip. It changes display contrast at night (automatically). It slices... It dices....
Suddenly the Dark Side isn't so dark!!
This is a great unit that I would recommend to anyone.
I ordered mg GPSMap60Cx and had it two days later. Amazon came through in no time. The unit itself is impressive. I sports the SiRF III GPS chip and a quad helix antenna. The SiRF chip is the best one on the civilian market for accuracy, and reception. There are other GPS units, and some by onther manufacturers that use this chip, but I decided to go with a recognisable name brand. Glad I did too. This thing gives me 6 near full signal strength sat's while under thick tree cover and tracks accuratly. I stood in one spot, marked the spot with a waypoint. Then walked a quarter mile, marked the spot, then came back to the first spot and was within a few feet of the waypoint. All under heavy tree cover. The GPSMap60 series is quickly gaining a reputation as a high accuracy reciever from what I already have read.
The only drawback is the fact that the topo and city sreet maps are expensive. The unit is $360, and the maps are over $100 each. By the time I get done, I will be into this about $600.
If you are looking for a hand held GPS unit, I would go with any of the 60 series from Garmin. They all have the same GPS chip and antenna. The only differences are the screen, color vs. b/w, and if it has a barometer and compass or not. The Cx that does not have an electronic compass, DOES have a compass that gives you your heading. It's operated by the sat signals, so you have to be moving to have it show you your heading. But with that, you can figure out north if you need to. I'm against having the sensors because they draw too much power to operate. It also costs another $40 for the CSx model.
Other than that, I'm entirely satisfied with the GPSMap60Cx. It has proved to be everything that I came to expect after much research.
Wayne
I just bought a garmin gpsmap 60cx. It's excellent!! New SiRF chip works great, I can confirm it does get several sat locks and even 2D and 3D fixes 2 meters away from windows, indoor, ofcrs. Size is just about fine, I will really feel bad on paying US$400 for something smaller than my hand. Love the external connectivity options. Weight is fine too. Lots of features. I would add some others, but nothing important really (ie. volume control). I also think a thermometer will be nice and inexpensive.
I still own my Garmin GPS 10. It's a wireless bluetooth gps device for a Pocket PC/Laptop. This product is so awesome, I decided to stick with Garmin. This led me to the 60Cx.
The biggest con to this device is that the maps are very basic. Notice on all the 60Cx product images, it'll say in small print "Shown with optional MapSource data." This might be bearable for hiking but is horrible for automotive use. You will need to buy detailed maps that can run over $100.
The extra features such as information on sunrise/sunset or fishing/hunting conditions are very convienent. This device is definately a dream for anyone who love gps functionality.
The color screen is also very nice. In direct sunlight, I was able to see it with clarity. The brightness of the screen is at a perfect level for night use. It's not too bright and not too dim.
The controls are clumsy at times but i guess you'll get use to it. The sensitivity is great! I never got signal in my house with my GPS 10. The 60cx picked up signal with no problem.
My customization:
Garmin City Select North America v6 was included with my Garmin GPS 10. I registered the device online. Through Garmin's site, I was able to generate a 2nd unlock code. I used this unlock code to installed City Select North American v6 onto my 60cx. It's funny that Garmin's site doesn't mention it was compatible with City Select. My 60cx now has detailed maps and added functions such as being able to search for addresses which wasn't possible with 60cx's basemaps. I am also very happy with the performance of the device. It basically does everything my Pocket PC and GPS 10 does. Once i installed the detailed maps, this device has been a dream gps device. I used it in the car and for hiking. It will be great when I go visit New York for the first time.
Conclusion:
Overall, I think this is a great gps device. It is solidly built and waterproof at that. Everything about it is great EXCEPT for the horrible basemaps. You will have to shell out over $100 for detailed maps but if you add up the total it still comes out cheaper than my Pocket PC + GPS 10 combo(about $640 for me). I think the 60cx is worth every penny.
EDIT:
May 2006
I've had the 60Cx for 3 months now. It is still an awesome device. One thing I want to comment on is battery life. I do not use regular alkaline batteries. I use Energizer Rechargables, 2500mah, and slow recharge at 8 hours per session. I entered in an address that was 2 hours from where I was started. It tracked my position, estimated time til turn and estimated arrival time. When I got to my destination, the GPS battery meter was at HALF. the GPS will only last on average of 4-5hours while on a route. This is still pretty good comparing it to my Dell Axim + GPS 10 combo. I am not sure how long it will last if you're just using it without being on a route.
I was a bit dissapointed that Garmin did not state how it got the 30 hours battery life. They might just mean 30 hours on standby.
Also, the 60Cx does drain your batteries even while it is off. I had my unit stored in the drawer for a week. The batteries were drained. So it is highly recommended you get rechargable batteries for this device. If you are taking it with you on a trip, bring at least two sets of battery.
I recently received my 60cx from Amazon, and after putting it through its paces, I am extremely impressed with it. I had the older GPSMAP 60c as well, and did some comparisons between the two.
Garmin's not kidding when they say this receiver is more sensitive. I can pick up at least 5 satellite locks from INSIDE my house, about 10ft away from any window. I don't even know how it's possible, but it locks on and maintains its signal.
Navigation is awesome as well. Do yourself a favor and get the CitySelect Maps for this thing, they're great. Highly detailed. The processor even seems faster as well. The re-draw time on the maps is fast, even when at maximum detail.
Bottom Line, if you're looking for a fantastic GPS unit that is perfect for rugged activities like hiking and geocaching, and can also handle "turn-by-turn" road navigation with ease, then this is the GPS for you! Garmin has done a great job with this thing! Buy this now!