igr00ve

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=...amp;dcaid=17653 I haven't seen a better price anywhere.

I finally got an answer from Garmin on this. Here's what they said... "Thank you for contacting Garmin International. Currently our units will only support cards up to 2GB in size. I don't know if the units will be able to support the larger cards. Once we have the larger cards available for testing our Software Engineers may be able to update the software so they will be compatible. At this point though, it's too early to tell. Please let us know if you have any additional questions." So for now, we're stuck at 2GB.

hehe same here and I just turned 36 yesterday! If fact I got the UPS tracking number and I'm sitting in front of the computer refreshing the page every 5 minutes. No not that much seriously but tonight I will lookup again. question for those who currently have it, how much map wise, could you hold on a 2gb sd card? i'm curious to know how much i can cram on there. also i'm upgrading from a etrex Venture i've had for soooo many years,i think i got it like 4-5 years ago, so how does geocaching mode work? does that take up additional space on my SD card? if so, how much? In MapSource TOPO 2008, I've loaded all states except for the following... Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Wyoming, California, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Alaska, and Hawaii, for a total of 1949.2 MB used. Which still leaves about 50MB of space left on the 2GB card. Geocaching mode just gives you the ability to mark a geocache as "found" on your GPSr in the field. Once marked as "found," it changes the icon associated with the waypoint from the "Geocache" icon, to the "Geocache Found" icon. Also, it makes a note on your calender showing the date that you found the geocache. No, it does not take up any space on your microSD card because waypoint and calender information is stored on internal memory. Hope this helps!

I've got serial number 16D000492. I've got the WAAS bug, but that's it.

I think the expense lies in SiRF chip. The H series are shipping with a MediaTek chip, which I believe is less expensive (but just as effective).

You mean like this... <----- I guess being a premium member does have it's benifits!

Atti, that seems odd because I have never had a problem receiving a WAAS signal with my unit after I enable it. Maybe a problem/setting with your GPSr?

I have the same 5 yr old unit and upgraded to the Vista HCx (I got it Monday). What a difference!! You will absolutly love this GPSr coming from an old Vista B&W...

Alright, I've sent an email to Garmin support. This is what I've asked... "Hello, I received my Vista HCx earlier this week and have a question about the memory card. With 4GB, 6GB, and 8GB microSDHC coming out later this year, will this unit (or any unit for that matter) support the HC (high capacity) memory cards? If not, will you be able to add support for them with an update, or are we stuck with 2GB maximum? If so, is there a limit to the amount of memory the units will support (for instance, when 16GB, 32GB, or lager cards are available in the coming year)." I'll report back when I get an answer.

But the WAAS problem folks are experiencing is still there, right? I am thinking of getting one, but don't want to wait forever for firmware updates from Garmin, particularly if it turns out to be something more serious. Yes, the WAAS problem still exists, but it's not really that big a deal. I just enter the menu when I power up and check to see if the WAAS is enabled (half the time it is, half the time it isn't). If it's not, I turn it on. Simple as that. The high sensitivity chip is so fast that even when I have to scroll through the menus and enable it, I'm still ready to navigate much faster than my last unit (Vista).

Thanks for the info. Reb, I don't know of any reason that you couldn't load up TOPO and City Navigator map sets all on the same card and just choose whichever you needed at the time. That's actually the reason I was asking about the 4GB cards. I think that you could only view one at a time (and I say that because when I have TOPO map sets active, the base map information, like gas stations, etc is not available until I turn off the TOPO maps), but I'd be nice to have both sets available if you need them. I often go on hiking trips where my buddies and I drive out of state. It sure would be nice to have the city info for the car, and the topo info for the trail all loaded on my GSPr. Of course, I could just buy another 2GB card and load the other maps on there, but with companies coming out with 6GB and 8GB cards this year, it's a shame that we would have to tote around 3 different cards with 3 different map sets on them. Maybe it's something Garmin can address later with an update. *crosses fingers*

Does anyone know if the Vista HCx will support a 4GB microSDHC (high capacity) card? It sure would be nice to double the memory in my unit. Thanks!

FYI... the power up problem captain454 was having with his unit (mentioned in some of the posts above) was solved with a hard reset. See below: "Just wanted to let you know, the "hard reset" fixed the on/off problem, so everything's OK now!" - captain454

Take a look at this thread. Thanks sput!

Here is a comparison between the two chips. http://www.gpspassion.com/forumsen/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=67511 Note the headline, "MTK Chipset : GPS power of SiRFstarIII, 50% power use." That may explain the difference in battery life (60SCx = 18 hours, Vista HCx = 25 hours).

THANKS FOR THE INFO!! I read this post on the day that I received TOPO 2008 and I still had the packaging in the trash can. If I hadn't seen this it, I'd be out the $30. Thank you CenTex Dodger!! Does anyone actually know what the difference is between the two? I now have both, but I'm curious. They call it an upgrade, but what are the changes? Better map detail? Updated roadway information? Added functionality? I'm sure the topo lines haven't changed that much, so what could it be?

I just want to comment on a few things that were said in the above post for clarification purposed. FYI, I just received my Vista HCx yesterday (I'm upgrading from a +/- 5 year old Vista). 1. According to the "Vista HCx mini review" thread, Garmin is aware of the WAAS issue and I assume they are currently working on a fix. 2. The power issue has been confirmed as an isolated incident for one forum users unit. My unit does not have any power on problems and I haven't heard of any more people having this issue. 3. You do not have to scroll through the main menu to use the "Find" function. Simply hold down the MENU/FIND and the Find menu will appear. 4. Again, you do not have to scroll through the main menu to "Mark" a waypoint. Just hold down the rocker button to mark a waypoint. The Vista HCx is designed to be operated with one hand, which makes it ideal for driving (that was a joke ). Seriously though, if you're looking for a unit to be used mostly in a car and sometimes on the trail, the 60CSx is probably the better choice (larger screen, buttons on the front, etc). But if you're going to be walking, hiking, or biking... I suggest the Vista HCx due to it's superior battery specs, one-handed operation, compact size (it's smaller than my cellphone... I know, time to upgrade), and lighter weight. Good luck in your search!

I just got my Vista HCx this afternoon, and I also have the WAAS problem. I assume after reading through this topic that Garmin is aware and working on it (thanks reb8600). I DO NOT have the power up problem, so that seems to be an isolated issue, captain454.

admo1872, you do know that the HCx takes microSD cards, right? So there is no need for built-in memory. I just bought a 2GB Sandisk microSD card for under $25 with free shipping. FYI. I've highlighted the relevant part of my post admo, you did say it was superior in 2 places... as far as memory goes, I don't see it that way. Just my opinion. I ordered a Vista HCx to replace my aging Vista yesterday.

admo1872, you do know that the HCx takes microSD cards, right? So there is no need for built-in memory. I just bought a 2GB Sandisk microSD card for under $25 with free shipping. FYI.