gallet

But my new HCx has 2.40 for the GPS SW version. EDIT: just to clarify, my old HCx is 2.40 2.30 and will not update further but my new HCx has 2.40 2.40 already installed.

I have downloaded the latest firmware/software using Webupater and run it a few times. At the moment it is showing Software Version 2.40 GPS SW Version 2.30 But when I checked a new HCx today it was showing 2.40 2.40 for both settings. I checked the Garmin site but I cannot find the GPS SW version 2.40 I don't even know if this one is firmware or software. Has anyone else been able to update to 2.40 2.40?

Highly recommended, much better than ruining the gps with some sort of case. I tried the Gilsson neoprene cases once but they were terrible. Bad fit, buttons didn't line up with the holes and the stitching fell apart. I'm waiting for Boxwave to release their Vista HCx shield so I can do a comparison test against the Invisible shield, they say it's coming soon...

There's a "HOLD" on the left and a "LEVEL" on the right. They go together to form the sentence 'Hold level'. It comes on when you are on the compass page and you are not holding the compass level. It is just to remind you, that's all. I haven't checked but I presume that when the unit is using GPS compass, the 'Hold Level' sign is not there because it wouldn't matter.

It would probably be a great idea to get a new Vista HCx because it is so much more useful than a Legend with a serial port. The signal is so much stronger that it can easily keep a lock even in city canyons or very heavy tree cover. There are many Pro's for the HCx and the only 'con' I can think of is that there is some sort of a bug which may or may not be fixed in the future with a firmware update which means that it does not register speeds below 2 KPH. For most people this is not a big deal at all, but there are some people who need this info. The pro's are, fantastic battery life, unlimited memory, compact, very bright screen, and excellent button layout. The button layout is a personal preference and compared with a 60CSx it can be called neither a pro or a con, it's just different. Having said that though I think the buttons on the HCx are much better but others disagree.

Current GPSr's show excellent altitude accuracy but they are not as 'fine grained' as a barometric altimeter. A baro altimeter will show your changes by the metre but gps accuracy is only about plus or minus 5 metres. With regards to accuracy, aeroplanes use baro altimeters and I don't see many of them crashing into hillsides so they must work pretty well. Yes a baro altimeter needs to be calibrated constantly just like the ones on aeroplanes.

It's not a magnetic compass it is a 'Fluxgate' compass, you can check on the web how it works. The compass on th 60CSx is a single axis compass and needs to be held level to work. That's all there is to it. There are 3 axis compasses on a Magellan that can work in any axis. I have not seen the 'hold level' screen, but if you see one then the purpose of that message would be (and I'm only guessing here) to remind you to hold it level. The purpose of holding it level is so that it works. Yes you can use GPS to work out the compass, in fact it automatically does that, and when it does you can then hold the GPSr any way and it will stay constant. However you need to be moving for GPS compass to work. In the Set Up menu there is a setting where you can tell the unit at what speed to auto switch to gps compass and also how long you are stationary before the fluxgate compass switches on.

Really, the only way to know if you purchased the best one for *you* is to try them both because as far as doing the job they are intended to do, they are both virtually equal. If you like macho chunky stuff with a '10—4 good buddy' look, or you prefer cars with 'go faster' stripes and useless airfoils on them then the 60CSx is the go. If you prefer your devices to be compact and unobtrusive yet powerful then the HCx is the one. But the important thing is they are both top units. I will be looking forward to the next gen 60's

@'SiliconFiend OK I've had another look and you are partly correct. If one adjusts the backlight and lets it timeout (although I'm not sure why anyone would want to) then it does persist but only ffor the session, it does not persist after a restart. To persist after a restart then it must be 'entered'.

That sounds about right. And I guess we now have the answer as to why the 60CSx backlight at 100% is equivalent to the HCx backlight at 20%.

<elaborate explanation for simple function> The power button is a 3 way toggle OFF, USER SETTING, FULL The user setting starts off at 50% but once it is changed it STAYS at whatever it is set at and this persists even with a battery change. To set it one needs to change it then press the enter key. After the display backlight has been set then a slight touch on the rocker switch will turn on the back light, (I really like this feature) If the light is already on then moving the rocker switch will put the map into 'scroll' mode. Now when the unit is powered off then on, the light comes on during the initialisation but then returns to off. That is, after the light comes on then off again, touching the rocker switch will not turn on the backlight but rather it will put the map into scroll mode. Basically after powering back on, it is as if before powering it off the power button was pressed until the light went off then the 'enter' button was pressed. BUT... The second position between on and off REMAINS at whatever it was set at. So this is how you use it... Turn the backlight on then set the level that you prefer then press the 'enter key' (rocker switch). Once that has been done the light can be switched on by moving the rocker switch. When the unit has been powered off and on again if you want your previous light setting back then you press the 'on' switch twice then press the 'enter' key. Note: If you press the power key till the backlight is at 100% then change the backlight to something less then press enter, you *do not* alter the 'full power' toggle, the change is reflected in the 'middle' 'user setting'. So if the three settings are Off, 50%, Full, and you then toggle to the 'full' (or 'off') setting and change it to 10% then the three settings will be Off, 10%, Full. </elaborate explanation for simple function>

I'm assuming that users of the 60CSx use both hands to enter data with the rocker, one hand to manipulate the rocker and the other to manipulate the 'enter' button. Although I will concede that one has the choice to use the same thumb for the rocker and 'enter' button but that would be even worse. Yes the rocker button is in a central position however the enter button is very close and to the lower right of the rocker. Meaning if you wish to use your right thumb on the rocker then your left thumb will be operating the 'enter' button to the lower left and the right thumb gets in the way. In fact if one does prefer to use a digit on each hand to enter data then the unit cannot be held in an ergonomically comfortable position. What's crazy about he 60CSx with all its buttons and larger size compared to the HCx is that it should be easier to operate but it isn't, it's different and some may prefer it but it is not better.

The "Hands on Test." thread has lots of useful info, I have been meaning to upate soon. My personal opinion is that the rocker switch and buttons on the 60CSx are very very badly designed. The rocker is spongy with no tactile feedback and the buttons are illogically placed. The 60 Screen is also very dull compared to hcx. (ie at 100% it is as bright as the hcx on 20%) The more I use the buttons on the 60CSx the more I dislike them compared to the HCx. The latest problem I've encountered is that Garmin forces one to use the left thumb on the rocker switch when it is more natural to use the right as this is a more dexterous digit. (hint, dexter=right) Bear in mind that until the H series eTrex were released a few months ago the 60CSx was always the one to get due to the chipset.

Is it possible to load locked mapsource products to an sd card in a card reader rather than through the gps.

$30 won't go far towards mapping software, but it will get you a decent compass.

Yeah, USD$40 to ship which puts the cost at AUD$285 landed, but 2 months ago it was AUD$330 landed due to the stronger greenback. But as the HCx is not on sale here yet and the Vista Cx is AUD$575 it's not too shabby.

Ebay, like anywhere else requires common sense. These are the people I buy off and they do indeed give a full sales receipt, so it's all good with regards to warrantee. I've bought 4 HCx's off them recently, (as well as a few 60CSx's) and it's been great hassle free service and speedy delivery. I'd rather avoid shops as they generally give very poor advice. So if you have to do all the research yourself, why pay a shop for service you aren't getting?

Good grief, give it a rest! I have several friends with the 60CSX. It may be less dull than the HCX, but they never use the backlight during the day when they are geocaching and it is plenty bright in the car at night. You can like it or not but it is an objective fact is that if you put the 60CSx and HCx side by side on the same screen and you set the 60 to 100% you will need to set the HCx at 20% to match the brighness. "Plenty bright in the car at night" Rolls on the floor laughing and choking on bits of my own vomit. What if you want to use it in the car in the day? You see, one of the excuses left for buying the 60CSx is that even though the screen is lower res it is nonetheless fractionally brighter and therefore in the car it can be used a tiny bit further away. But even this is negated by the massive brightness discrepancy, in that the HCx on 100% is far far easier to see in the car than the 60CSx even at the same viewing distance. Look common sense is going to tell you that if the 60 is bright enough then surely the HCx at twice the brightness would be more than adequate. And to have the HCx at twice the brightness it needs to be set at 50%. So why, when battery life is so important, would Garmin make it 400% brighter? Answer can only be because they deem that there will be times when even twice the brightness of the 60 is not enough. But then you may say why did Garmin make the 60CSx so dull then. I would guess that as the 60 is already only getting 18hours battery life that they can't make it any brighter without sacrificing the battery life.

The thing is that the 60CSx was by far and away the top Garmin hand held for a year and a half, due to the SiRFStar III chip. So lots of people who wanted the best would have already bought it. However once the HCx came out a few months ago the main thing why the 60CSx was a 'must have', is no longer valid. Now that the 60CSx no longer has any advantage with regards to ability to hold a signal in difficult conditons, then the extra bulk, weight, bad battery life and extremely dull screeen, must be considered. Not to mention the bad ergonomic design of the rocker switch. Also, with the HCx screen you get to see more map as well.

They are available every day on eBay for less than $210.

Hurry hurry, while stocks last!

Between the two I think the HCx has the edge on the 60CSx for many reasons now that the H chips have been added. However if you have your heart set on a 60CSx then my gut reaction says wait for 6 months because I feel pretty sure that a new one will come out that will not be earth shattering but will restore the 60CSx (or whatever it will be called) back to its rightful position as the top dog. If you must have a gps now then get the HCx however if you can wait a few months into the new year you will have a better idea if any new 60CSx may come out. Almost certainly it will have a better screen and hopefully a better designed rocker switch which is an ergonomic disaster. Look at it this way, if you get an HCx now you won't really be bothered if a new 60 comes out in a few months but you'll be mightily annoyed if you get the 60 now and a new one comes out and you find that not only do you not have the top dog but you don't even have dog number two.

@johnsmb I hear you. You've done the right thing to come to ask the blokes what a bloke would want. Without a doubt it is between the VistaHCx and the 60CSx. As both units have the same features the choice is not as straightforward as some would have you believe. I have to post this because you've had so many recommendations for the 60CSx but the analytical thinking person who appreciates good design will without doubt go for the Vista HCx. Get the Vista HCx and let him exchange it for the 60CSx if he wants but if you really want to knock his socks off you can give him the reasons why you chose the Vista... Tell him that the new Vista now has the H chipset which makes it as sensitive as the 60CSx so you considered other design criteria and thought the extra bulk, bad battery life and really really bad screen illumination make the 60CSx an unattractive proposition. The screen on the HCx is such a tiny bit smaller that it makes not difference, but the extra brightness makes a big difference. The other design factor is the buttons. At first glance the 60 might seem better because of the big rocker switch instead of the thumbstick. And if the 60 rocker was designed better it would in fact be preferable to the HCx thumbstick. But the 60 rocker if very poorly designed. It has a very imprecise and spongy feel to it. I've got both (actually I don't any more because I sold my 60CSx a week after I bought it for the reasons stated above) and my opinion is that if he's working with a trimble the powerful well designed and compact VistaHCx will make a refreshing change. If he uses a survey gps then I'm certain he will not be impressed with the extra macho look of the 60CSx that does nothing extra. It is looks without substance. Kind of reminds me of those 80's ghetto blasters.

Lock on road has nothing to do with the compass. As you know the GPS has a small margin of error, so it might show you fractionally off the road that you are on. Lock on road just makes your position pointer 'snap' to the nearest road. You can leave it on all the time. Some people suggest that it may be the cause of erratic cache finding behaviour but that would only be the case if a cache was very close to a road which is not generally the case. I have done some tests with my VistaHCx to see how it would track me walking near a road with 'lock on road' on. It didn't seem to make much difference.

Yes I had already investigated that when I was enquiring if I could get the rebate outside of the USofA. However the big ebay sellers who do these at knock down prices also have real shops and are indeed able to give the certificate for the rebate.