gratefulHIKE

vista hcx $200.........best handheld gps on the market at a reasonable price

if you dont want to update the firmware.....maps or anything to the gps.........then the 60csx is the way to go, the vista hcx still has a few bugs, but the 60 has been around and it is a nice unit

until they give me 3 dimensional 100% accurate maps.....they both suck!!! but in your case read this? http://www.gpsreview.net/navteq-vs-tele-atlas/

I own both.......and the gist of those links above is, how you want it to look/feel while you operate it

so......what does this update entail?

well......if it comes preloaded I dont know if you will be able to upload it easily or at all without the dvd/cd

the usb to serial shoudl just work fine, Ive used them with several devices including a magellan merdian platinum

just remember.......you can never add anything to the cards the best buy for that gps and what you want would be to search ebay for metroguide v8

I second pigpen.......the only way to choose really is by preference....go get them in your hand, and see which you feel more comfortable with

do you want expandable memory? I know I wont buy a GPS without it......that's what the X in hcX stands for right now the vista hcx is definitely the best gps on the market for the money http://www.thenerds.net/GARMIN_INTERNATION...0100063000.html

I agree, I dont think another unit would make it perform any better..... You should try another test at a different location that you have not done yet and try taking the exact path without any variance......Iam quite satisfied with mine, to each their own though

it looks like an advanced basemap with poi's and such.....the only thing the garmin website says is (regional).....I have no idea what that means exactly but the demo they provide looks decent.... and you can put an sd card in it so the option to improve the maps is always there, the manual lists nothing about checking battery status, but as long as the unit is plugged in that is not an issue Usage: 5w max Charge time: approx 4 hours Battery life: up to 5 hours

barometric electronic sensors have been around for a while now, they are quite simple and quite accurate when calibrated right.......its like any piece of electronics though, sometimes you get a bad one I mean ive had my magellan meridian platinum with the temperature and barometric sensor, and that still works flawlessly

ive had my 60 for a little over 2 years, and never had that issue....odd that it suddenly changed on you like that....did you let anyone borrow your unit?

I own both as well.....I prefer my vista hands down due to low variance while stationary, its battery life, its small size, the metal backing, the push button microsd card slot and its great overall performance for the low price but you can bet your booty that when a new 60 model comes out, the vista will be put on the shelf, becauase I prefer the buttons below the screen and easy to push

the only difference in my opinion between those three is preference, which case layout do you like better? the 76csx floats, do you really need that? The vista hcx has 25 hour battery life, do you want that? The 60csx has the buttons below the screen do you want that? sure you could compare their screen size or antennae's.....but basically they all get arguably the same reception....the same menu's.....etc... the question is, which feels more comfortable in your hand/pocket? https://buy.garmin.com/shop/compare.do?cID=...pareProduct=351

whats your price range? do you have a laptop and are you good with it? use it more in the car or on the trail?

them duke boys drive faster than a cheetah humpin a deer.....yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehaaaaaawwwwww and ofcourse there are always exploits to technology, but the nice thing is.....they have several options for tracking the bug through a transmittable signal

both my 60csx and my vista hcx are typable......you can add any description you want

the invisishields from shieldzone work GREAT! I put one on my 60csx a while back, and I have one on my vista hcx......definitely worth the minimal price, much better than some silly leather protective case I have never personally put anything over 2gb in any of my GPS's......I have not needed it ever and I travel quite often......I generally just buy several different ones and upload my topo maps to one, street maps to another, etc..... the only downfall you will hear people say about the invisishields by shieldzone is that they are micrometers off from the right size, I think it is a bunch of crap and they fit fine.....people just want something to complain about, they do exactly what they are worth, they protect the screen from getting scratched and prevent anything from getting underneath

so you are comparing your 60csx and your vista hcx tracks and they vary? What a surprise........

if you want topo maps, I think the best thing to do for that is to get an actual map of the region you are about to backpack/hike into......I prefer paper topographical maps and then compare them to my gps......its a bit more fun that way

garmin - metroguide v8 (which is availible on ebay).....does not need a key and you can put it on as many computers and gps's as you want, as opposed to city navigator which needs a key and you can install to only one GPS magellan - mapsend directroute

I would guess there is no difference, other than the default settings.....ie feet instead of meters, which you can change odd that the UK model was 50 more

the only issue my vista hcx has is the odometer (which will be fixed in a future firmware update), and ummmm I never used the feature geocaching or in my car while using my GPS..the only time I might use it is when I upload the tracks to my computer and review the route, which it calculates quite well fixing the flaw....also I see no issues what so ever with it tracking my speed unless you are completely anal retentive and want the information updated in milliseconds so the GPS lets you know even when you are thinking of changing directions.........I would much rather have 20 hours of battery life under constant use and forefit useless features rather than know such silly distracting information The vista hcx for the money is the best receiver on the market, as many have stated on this forum over and over again......the tritons still have to prove how long those touchscreens will last after several drops/scratches