ImpalaBob

To do the very basic geocaching stuff: A GPS unit with a data transfer cable (com port or USB). An Etrex would be fine. A copy of EasyGPS Freeware loaded on your computer. Links at geocaching.com. I would not reccomend a unit that does not support data tranfer and required only hand entering of coordinates! Try the GPS Garage Sale forum section for used units. The reason that we have used units is that once you get a GPS and start to see all the other uses for it (like driving directions, or mapping software) upgrading is in your future! Happiness is not in having what you want ..... but wanting what you have! ImpalaBob

I would suggest you try downloading the file again from Garmin and re-installing after unzipping the files....MAKING SURE you have all other programs closed and all virus dectecting tools turned OFF. This is probably the number 1 cause of failure. I did the 3.7 upgrade and recently the 3.8 upgrade with no issues. I did not have to change any USB driver settings. While you are getting downloads .... also get your POI stock map database file. ALWAYS save every upgrade in a new file folder so that you can revert to a previous version if you have problems. ImpalaBob

First off I would advise you to call Garmin tech support and ask for help. You have paid for it in the price of the product! Try checking the C:\WINNT\Windows Updqate.log file and see what happened on the date you tried the install .... look for SUCCESS ??? Try uninstalling the Garmin Hardware and re-installing it before messing with the registry. Start>settings>control panel>add/remove hardware. I have messed with the registry files when I got into trouble with a HP Printer Fax Copier update .... but am not knowledegable enough to give you guidance. ImpalaBob

My friend has one. Great unit for driving in that it has the complete City Select N/A on it's hard drive ... and it gives audible directions. Can use SD cards with unit ..... very cool. He has an auto mount and a cycle mount with 12 volt power cable. He does not geocache with it. It is a slick unit!!! I use a Garmin Map 60C with Garmin autokit and City Select and a remote Gilsson antenna. Works great for driving (beeps when turn prompts are displayed) and super for geocaching. Smaller and able to take much more abuse. ImpalaBob

Easily found some on E-Bay .... one of which could function for transfer and auto 12 volt remote power.

Regarding WAAS in a 60C .... WAAS does not function properly in battery saver mode. Check System Setup and make sure WAAS is enabled, correct battery type selected, and Mode is set to NORMAL (not battery save). Let it have 10 to 15 minutes to download the WAAS Almanac in clear sky. WAAS birds are 33, 35, and 47. You should get at least 2 dependent on East or West Coast location. It is possible you may have to do a total 60C system reset indoors (no possible sat fix), set everything up properly for WAAS, then go outside and turn it on and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes to get the WAAS almanac loaded. Save your waypoints out before reset as they will be lost ..... have back-up files! ImpalaBob

I used to use EasyGPS to download .loc files from geocaching.com and then upload waypoints to my Garmin Map 60C using USB. It worked just fine. Recently with the newest 6.5 Garmin MapSource Program software release, I now download .gpx files from geocaching.com (Premium Member feature) and open them in MapSource. By having 2 versions of MapSource open I can open with 1 and then copy & paste into the other until I have all my .gpx waypoints in one copy. I then can edit or catagorize all of them and re-save the waypoints for future use or upload to the 60C from MapSource. I can plan an entire days "route" in MapSource for geocaching...... detailed driving directions and all! ImpalaBob

IF I understand you correctly ..... you have gone to the Garmin site, downloaded the latest file with USB drivers, executed the file to install it on your system, connected your Garmin 60 by USB cable and it opened the found new hardware wizard ..... and you were not able to direct the wizard to the Garmin directory where the drivers are located ..... otherwize the wizard will only look in the microsoft directory of drivers. I would suggest you contact Garmin tech support directly by phone because it sounds like you are doing everything correctly. REMEMBER because of registry issues you MUST have the drivers loaded before USB connection of the 60C so the connection wizard can find them. Not sure but I think the 60C should also be communicating correctly before EasyGPS or GSAK are loaded.

The USB driver file should already be on your computer. If you remember, you had to put these files on your system BEFORE connecting your 60C to the USB port. I would suggest you START>SETTINGS>CONTROL PANEL>ADD/REMOVE HARDWARE ...... next ..... Try troubleshooting hardware first. If that does not work remove/uninstall the 60C and then when you connect it again with the USB it should go into its add new hardware routine. ImpalaBob

Eastern Mountain Sports has a 20% off everything sale the 29th and 30th of April. 60CS at $499 minus 20% plus Garmin $50 rebate good for purchases up to July 5th 2005 = $350 for the unit. Not a bad price for one heck of a GPS unit.

I have a Map 60C and it is working fine with 3.80. The advice I got earlier from the forum is to always save the upgrade files so if a new version is suspect you can always go back to the previous version. techsupp@garmin.com E-mail them and ask for help. They have always treated me well. If all else fails you can always try a complete unit reset. ImpalaBob

I upgraded Ver 6.1 City Select N/A to 6.5 just the other day. 6.5 allows opening .gpx files. It was a free upgrade on Garmins web site. ImpalaBob

We bought ours through Amazon.com for $22 plus shipping. We found that it made little difference between the roof and just sitting it up under the windshield. Get the autokit for a nice mount and the 12 volt supply cable. Screen stays in backlit mode and no drain on the batteries. Coupled with MapSource City Select 6.5 this unit is incredible. We get driving directions to the cache sites and then switch to "off road" and walk to the cache. Make sure you get the 3.80 latest firmware for the 60C off the Garmin website. If you want MapSource N/A City Select 6.1 and the autokit .... provantage.com has a great price. Update to latest 6.5 MapSource is available from Garmin for free. We are going to make a hat mount for the Gilsson antenna in the near future. ImpalaBob

As a geocaching.com Premium Member you can download .loc or .gpx files. Version 6.5 of MapSource supports opening .gpx files. EasyGPS will let you open .loc files and do a save as .gpx ..... but mapsource will not open those "saved as .gpx files". Since .gpx files come in with the cache closed treasure box symbol, and .loc files do not ..... have you checked to see if your .gpx downloads from GSAK are on the geocache waypoints page ...... FIND > GEOCACHE? ImpalaBob

Get a Gilsson remote antenna from Amazon.com $22 and you can mount the unit anywhere you want in the car. I use the automunt kit from Garmin and put the unit down on the console when driving with the bean-bag mount. Nothing obstructs my vision and the unit is not in direct sunlight. You get a 28db gain with the remote antenna. Mine has a magnetic back but I just sit it on the dash under the window. You can get it with a suction cup mount also. ImpalaBob

A while back Magellan dropped all its support for its aviation units .... They will not get my business. We have a Garmin 60C with autokit, MapSource City Select and a Gilsson remote antenna. This combo does it all. It gets me to the cache location and then to the cache. I really like provantage.com for Mapsource products. I bought the Gilsson thru Amazon.com (28db gain). ImpalaBob

When geocaching in woods ..... get a good bearing and distance in an open area with good sat reception. Take out your compass and compare bearing noting that true north and magnetic north have deviations based on geogrphical areas. Hopefully you know your pace distance. Use the compass to go into the thickly wooded area and pace off the distance. Orienteering is what this is called. We have a 60C and have added a Gilsson remote antenna (magnetic mount) with 28db gain. In the woods this helps. In the car (automount kit with city select from provantage.com) I just put the antenna on the dash under the windshield and mount the 60C down on the center console. (works as good as the roof) Best $25 I have spent for the remote antenna. The city select NA with autokit really makes the 60C an all around great gps unit by giving me driving directions to my geocache locations .... then switch to off road and away we go. Oh The autokit comes with 12 volt adapter which keeps the GPS in constant backlight mode with no drain on my batteries. ImpalaBob

You might try uninstalling Mapsource and then re-installing using the 60CS as the default install unit. Otherwise contact Garmin tech support using the E-mail address techsupp@garmin.com