kenk

After having the GPSMAP 60CSx I really really like having the electronic compass. I used to be one of those folks who say you don't need an electronic compass, but now, after having one, I won't buy one without it again -- even though I am VERY skilled at using an electronic compass and map. It is just so convenient to have the GPS point to the destination even when not moving. My advice is to look at the Garmin eTrex Vista HCx, GPSMAP 60CSx, or GPSMAP 76CSx. The HCX is the smallest and lightest unit and has the brightest display. It seems to be your best bet. The 60CSx has the labeled buttons on the front. The 76CSx is similar to the 60CSx but floats.

For a magnetic compass I recommend a plastic baseplate compass with adjustable magnetic declination. Probably the best deal in a compass right now is the Suunto M-3 Leader without the Global Needle for $20. http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_...age.asp?mi=1283 The Brunton 9020G is a great small compass for stuffing in a pocket. I even carry one when going to places like Disney World or similar. http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_...age.asp?mi=7091 For a bit higher bearing accuracy my favorite mirrored compass is the Brunton 15DTCL, which is the original so-called "ranger-style" compass designed by Silva of Sweden. The other thing I like about the 15DTCL is that it has a built-in UTM grid for transfering UTM coordinates from the GPS to topo maps, and vise versa. http://www.forestry-suppliers.com/product_...age.asp?mi=7088 BTW, Silva SE owns Brunton ... a compass sold in the US with the Silva label is NOT a real Silva of Sweden compass. Brunton's "Eclipse" compasses (8099, 8097, 8096) are also real nice, but they tend to be a bit more expensive than some other alternatives. Their magnified displays are great for those of us with "aging" eyes.

Since I got my first GPS I was firmly entrenched in the philosophy that electronic compasses on GPS's were entirely unneeded and not worth the price added. Besides, I have lots of very good magnetic compasses and am very experienced at use of maps and compass together. Why in heck would I need an electronic compass. And then I got my GPSMAP 60CSx - with the electronic compass. Now my view has changed 180 degrees!!! The ability to stand still and have the compass waypoint pointer point exactly (almost?) at the waypoint is absolutely AMAZING!!! I will never again get a GPS without the electronic compass. Oh, and yes, the GPS does need to be held horizontally for it to work accurately. I've also found it best to recalibrate the compass fairly often, but that is very very easy to do.

I've gotten them for my Palm, my 60CSx (saved it from a major scratch), my Geko 201, and the Geko 301 my son is getting for Christmas (shhhh). I am working on getting a custom one for my Nikon L15 digital camera (they don't have that model listed yet). Great shield. I've used several for my palms through the years (started with the original PalmPilot) and the one from shieldzone.com is by far the easiest to install I"ve seen. Don't wait! Go ahead and order your shield from shieldzone.com NOW!!!!!

Ha! Glad you "fixed" your 60CSx. I used to have a cell phone case that had a magnetic fastner. On a business trip I checked into a hotel and got my room's key card. I walked to the room to find the key card didn't work. Went back to the desk and got the key reprogrammed. Walked back to the room to find it didn't work again!! It wasn't until I was walking back to the front desk for the second time that I realized I'd put the key card in the same pocket as my cell phone case - and the magnet was wiping out the card. Sigh. Enjoy your new GPS! Don't forget to buy a screen protector from http://www.shieldzone.com - mine saved me from a major scratch already when I put an extra memory card loose inside the case. Whew!

I have no experience with the NP-20, but I really like my Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx. In reality I probably use it more inside the car than outside, though outside is where it really excels. Personally I prefer the simple Garmin nylon case. Don't forget to get a display protector from http://www.shieldzone.com - great product and already saved my screen from one major scratch. I use a RAM mount and a 12VDC power cord in the car.

To be clear ... If you have EasyGPS you do NOT need the Garmin Mapsource software to upload/download waypoints/routes/tracks. Eventually I'd suggest you look at EasyGPS's bigger "brother" GeoBuddy. Its on-line topo maps and aerial photos are REAL handy when you're planning your caches.

I simply use GeoBuddy. I upload the caches to my PC and see their locations on the USGS topo map. Then I upload the cache waypoints to my GPS. Its real easy to plan my day. http://www.geobuddy.com

Solid. I have the aluminum and it works well. Very adjustable & very solid. I've even hit it hard with my arm a few times and it stayed solidly on the window.

Two differences between the eTrex HCx and the GPSMAP CSx not yet mentioned are: 1. The 60 series units have a connector for an external antenna. 2. The 60 & 76 series unit have a quad helix antenna which works with the unit held in both vertical and horizontal positions. The eTrex units have patch antennas which do best when held horizontally, though with the high sensativity receiver it would probably work OK in either position.

Definitely a RAM mount.

I use mine for both auto and field use. What I bought: Invisible Shield screen protector by Zagg Simple Garmin black nylon case Mapsource City Navigator -- I bought the microSD version RAM suction cup aluminum mount - from gpscity.com 12V automobile power cord Later I bought the Mapsource 24K National Park West maps - they all fit on a single MicroSD card

I've tried printing maps from the NG Topo software but never got it to meet my expectations. Now I purchase topo maps from http://www.mytopo.com. Though the maps are a bit more expensive, I can customize the area - rather than use standard quads, and I buy pre-folded waterproof maps with UTM grids printed on them. They are very nice.

Save your pennies to get MapSource maps when you can. They are worth it. PC-based mapping and geocaching tools are very different - though very useful. Does GSAK provide on-line aerial photos and USGS topo maps? Can GSAK import scanned maps (jpg, tiff, bmp)? I've used ExpertGPS for a number of years and have found it to powerful and amazingly easy to use. Topografix has taken ExpertGPS and added a lot of features specifically addressing the needs of geocachers. Pretty cool!

I had two GPS's without electronic compasses and supplimented directions using a magnetic compass. I am VERY proficient in use of a map, compass, GPS, and UTM grid. BUT when I bought my GPSMAP 60CSx last year I decided to "go for it" and get the model with the electronic compass. I like it and am glad I did buy it. The short of it is that it allows me - with the push of one button - to stand still and still have the GPS's compass point to the destination waypoint without bothering to pull out a compass, reading the bearing off the GPS, setting the compass, and boxing the needle. Its a matter of convenience for me. I'm geocaching - not risking my life trudging through wilderness or surveying property lines. The 60CSx's compass is accurate enough for my needs AND is very easy to turn on/off. For the roughly $30 it costs I think the electronic compass is well worth the price. Still, if you are heading out into the wild, make sure you ALWAYS bring along a map and compass and know how to use them.

Regarding the UTM grids, do take a look at http://www.maptools.com Those are ones I use. They are invaluable in making it easier to easily and accurately convert a GPS coordinate to a location on the topo map ... and vise versa. Ken K.

I think you're already looking in the right direction. I have a Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx and LOVE it! To get the reception in wooded areas you'll need to get a GPS with the high-sensitivity chipset. Right now the only hand helds that have that are the Garmin 60 series, 76 series, and the eTrex "H" units. I'm not familiar enough with the new eTrex "H" units to know how they compare to the 60/76 series units. From what I can tell it may be a difference of the form factor and the antenna type. Better accuracy - Except for better reception and making sure you have the WAAS turned on, I'm not sure what you could do to improve this. Waypoint downloads - All (?) Garmins use the same software by default. I use ExpertGPS to manage my waypoints and find it easy to use. You might look into it at http://www.expertgps.com . I know there are other packages that are good too.

Can you elaborate on what you mean by these coordinates not being adjusted? You mean if I switch to the appropriate datum that the documented coordinates aren't what my GPS "should" be displaying? Ken

I do the exact same thing as Jonners with my GPSMAP 60CSx. I have the screen protector (note that ShieldZone Corp. just change their name to ZAGG Inc.) to protect it while in use, and then store it in Garmin's low-cost nylon case while its not in use. A few weeks ago I made the mistake of stowing a MicroSD card case inside the nylon case with the GPS and got a minor scratch on the screen saver. Lesson learned. I had purchased and tried the neoprene case with the platic window and found it a pain to use, kind of a pain to take off with the clip mount attached, and not compatible with my RAM mount. If I knew the unit would be in rough use for some reason then I'd probably slip the neoprene case on.

If you haven't already seen http://www.maptools.com I think you'll find it useful when working with UTM coordinates. Keep in mind that you can change the coordinate style on your GPS without affecting/damaging any of the waypoints already stored. The GPS does the conversions for you. Don't forget to also change the GPS's datum setting to match that of the map you are using.

I use a RAM suction cup mount - the aluminum one with the large suction cup. It works GREAT! Lots of other people use the Garmin beanbag mount with good success. I tend to avoid beanbag mounts as I worry that they'll go flying in a real panic stop.

If I were to get an automotive-style GPS I'd probably get the Garmin Nuvi 350 - actually have been thinking of getting one for my wife. It has a high-sensitivity receiver (SiRF III), will allow entry of waypoints in longitude/latitude format (I don't think it uses UTM format), comes with a window mount, and comes pre-loaded with City Navigator. Make sure you get the North American version which covers the U.S. and Canada. The drawback for use outdoors is that it uses rechargable batteries (4-8 hours on a charge), its not the most convenient form for hand-holding, and it is NOT waterproof. By the way, I'd also get her a screen protector from http://www.shieldzone.com ($12) to protect the screen from scratches.

I had the very same thing happening with my 60CSx on my WinXP laptop. I can't recall the details - old age. As I recall I simply found the driver folder on the CD (maybe it was /USB Drivers) and manually copied it to c:/Garmin/USB Drivers on my laptop. The next time I was asked to identify the driver I pointed to the one on the hard drive. I haven't had a problem since.

Also, remember that WAAS won't work if it is in battery saver mode. That took a visit to this site for me to figure out. I've also read that to get a good WAAS lock it helps to stay in one place with a good view of the southern sky (equator) in order for the GPS to upload the necessary WAAS differential information - at least until you see the "D"s on the signal strength bars.

OK, here is a bizarre, but true story related to the Invisi-Shield on my GPS: Wekend before last my wife and daughter were heading off to a kiddie birthday party, and my wife hates to find new addresses. So, I grab my Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx, enter the address, setup the route and hand it to my daughter telling her to just follow its directions. Hours pass, my wife and daughter come home with the GPS, and I put it safely in its case. A few days later, while watching "Fox Friends in the Morning" before work I pull out the GPS to play with it a bit and am horified to find that there is a big 3/8" scratch across the screen. I can actually see where the protector's plastic has been scraped and wrinkled. Whew, good thing I put on the Inisible Shield!! Later that day I tell my wife what I found - she says she didn't think anything had happened to the GPS though she did recall it almost sliding off the dashboard but my daughter catching it. I figured that must have been when it got scratched. Regardless I put in an order for a new Invisi-Shield - plus one for my Palm too - just to make things right. Maybe two days later I pull the GPS out again to enter some waypoints for the next weekend's backpacking trip, and after a while of using it I realize that the scratch isn't so noticable after all. Huh. As a matter of fact, I can't see it at all. I pull out a flashlight and shine it at the screen from all sorts of angles and low and behold I can't find a scratch or scar at all - nothing. It is a clean as the day I put the protector on. Here is the really bizarre part ... honestly, all I can think of is that I just dreamed that the screen got scratched. Sigh. I think I need a vacation. Ken