TheHFamily

Hangfire -- welcome. I too lurked for quite a while before jumping in. Then I made the investment with a 76c and have never looked back. It is great. In terms of hooking your gps to a laptop. I am not sure of that functionality. But the "normal" (not that you are ab-normal), is to buy the auto-navigation kit for your gps. It comes with a holder that sits in your vehicle, the City Select software, and a cigarette adpater for power. What I do is tell it where I want to go and leave it alone with it giving me directions along the way (it will even recalcuate if you decide to take a different road). Then when I need to look something up (like close restaurants, hotels, etc) I can simply pick it up and use it. That is where the internal memory becomes important, you need to decide how much square-mile area you want for the in-depth info you want along the way. The units come with a base map that, at least for the 76c(s), can be used for basic navigation. You load the maps from City Select for areas where you might be stopping to get the more detailed info. With a laptop, you could certianly go for a unit with a smaller amount of memory and load from the laptop along the way, but be sure it has a USB connection and not serial. The load time can be hours for serial, and is less than 5 minutes for USB. Hope this helps. TheHFamily

Definitely CitySelect

Yes, I know it happens all the time in business. It is just that I have read a lot of posts mentioning both companies and no one had mentioned the connection. I was just passing along information that I did not know that I thought others might find interesting. TheHFamily

I called GPSGeek to check on my order and the woman answered the phone "Gilsson" -- I thought I had dialed the wrong number, but she said she could help me with a GPSGeek order as well. Strange -- maybe I am the only one, but I did not know the two were one company or at the least shared some common employees. TheHFamily

Thanks for the post. I am surprised that I did not get the email from Garmin - I am signed up to. I won't be the first to get it, but once people seem ok with it I will certainly upgrade. I am currently running the 6.5Beta. TheHFamily

I am a big fan of GSAK. I am not sure what you mean by "safe"? If you mean the post about it being picked up by a spyware program - then it was found that the spyware program incorrectly marked GSAK. I am a very careful computer user and I have had no problems with the program and as other people have said it runs and does its job very well. Hope this helps. TheHFamily

Do you have a case for your gps? I have the one from gilsson and I am guessing I would just cut a small hole in the back for the wire? Or do you have a case that can specifically handle the cable? Thanks, TheHFamily

I was out caching yesterday in the woods and was sick of loosing the signal. So I think I am going to take the plunge and buy an external antenna for use in hiking. After reading up some on the forum, it looks like I am going to go for a gilsson 9ft or 3 ft. I don't think I need it in the car..., but I may go for 9ft in case I ever need to. Too bad they don't make extender cables.. What should I be thinking about between the 90 degree vs the 180 degree connector? I guess I don't know why to choose one over the other. How much should I expect to pay for the antenna? Is there a good/cheap place to buy it? Are their generic ones that are just as good? I don't want to pay more than I need to if the performance is the same. If gilsson is better, I don't mind paying a bit more. Thanks, TheHFamily

I compared both before I bought. Neither felt especially bad to me. I think you will quickly adapt to either one.

The 76c/cs series is larger but not like a car vs a breadbox that is for sure. When I held them both, I could not tell much of a difference at all. Here are the exact dimension numbers: 76c/cs: 6.2" H x 2.7" W x 1.4" D unit dimensions and 7.6 ounces with batteries 60c/cs: 6.1" H x 2.4" W x 1.3" D unit dimensions and 7.5 ounces with batteries And yes, the 76c/cs has the exact same firmware and functionality as the 60c/cs and I love my 76c for geocaching. The bigger question you might want to ask yourself is do you really need the cs vs the c. I have not looked up recent pricing, but I would think the 60cs is approx the same price as a 76c. TheHFamily

Boy -- this topic comes up a lot. Is 56MB enough? Some would say you can never have enough I suggest you be specific about what areas you want to "hold" in your GPS and someone (including me) will look and give you feedback on storage requirements. In terms of "easier" it really is a matter of preference. I actually prefer the 76c (the one I own) because of how the buttons are placed. The software and functionality are the exact same. Also the 76c/cs has better basemaps then the 60c/cs. I really suggest you do what I did: go to someplace like Galayans and look and hold both and see what you think. I like the extra memory for basically the same price or at most $50 more. Good luck. TheHFamily

I own the 76c and everything Sputnik 57 said is correct on the 60c vs the 76c. It all depends on what you like. Go see both for yourself and decide. The differences may be a big deal to you, may not be... Also, I think the $50 rebate for the 76c is still in effect which makes the cost a basic wash. It is a great deal.. TheHFamily

OK. For those 4 cities in a square the total is 43 maps and 54.2MB on CitySelect 5 and 47 maps of 63.3MB in CitySelect 6. Hope this helps. TheHFamily

I have Mapsource with me here -- if you want to give me which half you want (top, middle, bottom, etc.) I can do a quick look for you.

I just did all of California with City Select v6 -- it is 96 maps and 122.3MB. For City Select v5 -- it is 98 maps and 113.9MB Hope this helps. TheHFamily

These are the same kind of people that can not get out of the shower due to the shampoo directions... Lather Rinse Repeat

Not sure if this is in the wrong forum or not. If so, sorry. But I could not resist after I read this article. I love my maps and directions, but you gotta have a brain too. Enjoy. http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0...5E15306,00.html TheHFamily

Just a quick story and a question: I was using my 76c driving through Atlanta to go from the airport (south of the city) to my home (north of the city) on I-75. I suddenly was stuck in really bad traffic that had signs of road construction with three lanes closed 3 miles ahead. I went to my gps and told it to "avoid highways". New directions popped up getting me off at the next exit and hitting several backroads to get home. It easily saved me an hour of sitting on the interstate. I smiled like a proud papa. My questions: Is there an option to say avoid current road -- if that had not been an interstate it might have been difficult to tell it to avoid. I guess the answer might be to simply drive down another street and let it recalculate? I am just fearful that it would simply keep putting me back on the road I wish to avoid. Also, is there an easier way to tell it to avoid highway just for this route calculation instead of a system menu (global) option? Thanks, TheHFamily

As I stated before -- I actually prefer the buttons on top. I am sure you can read plenty on this forum for both sides of that issue. I really suggest you go to a store that has both and take a look. I don't think you will be turned off by the slightly bigger size (which I could not really tell) or the buttons on top of the 76. The software is the same on both and that makes both very easy to use. In terms of software I only have for the car -- City Select v6 is great. You can go to the garmin website and see coverage for each package and make sure it has what you are looking for before you buy. Also, GSAK is a great program for use with geocaching. If you are like me you really ponder before making a big pricey decision like this -- my advice: go with your gut, buy it and enjoy. TheHFamily

I was in the exact same boat as you and was concerned over the form-factor for the 76cs (buttons on top). I decided to buy it after looking at it at a local Galyns (sp?). It is an absolutely great unit. I actually prefer the buttons on top in the car -- makes it easier to push. I am 100% glad I did not get scared off and buy the 60c instead. The extra memory is well worth the price and has already come in handy. TheHFamily

I own a 76c for about 3 weeks now. Have had a great time with it. I ditto everything flame1 said about his 60c. Also, I don't mind the form-factor and I love the extra memory.

Has anyone actually tried the beta? If so, do you find it stable? Thanks, TheHFamily

OK -- appreciate the info. Considering how amazing the maps are to begin with -- I can live with the space issues.

Thanks for the reply. I understand it needs to be there when it is installed -- but does it require it once I got an unlock code for 6? I don't quite know why I need to have v5 maps when v6 are assumed to be be better and more up to date.

When I bought my 76c it came with City Select v5. I just got the v6 upgrade and installed it. Can I now uninstall v5 to save hard drive space? Or does it need it to make v6 work? Is there any reason to keep v5 on there? Thanks, TheHFamily