Forkeye

Magnetic fields are not only caused by magnetic materials. Try dropping a magnet through a copper tube sometimes to see the Lenz's law in action! Oh yes, very slow, how about a non magnetic aluminum pop can spinning in a 3 phase rotating magnetic field.

I see two subjects in the topic's title: Is The Compass And Altimeter Really Worth It? A lot of discussion about the former above - but that concerning the latter, a relative paucity I use my altimeter a fair bit {but not starting a discussion about it} as well as the compass, used to have an altimeter watch and still have my Thommen 6000 meter altimeter from years ago and I always have my Suunto Global compass with me, crampons and ice axes too, just too much fun!

I think the off course with distance still exists it just doesnt say left or right any more , another data field says turn left or right in degrees, but I dont have my gps with me this moment to check. And distance to course as well still exists I think. The highway page on the 60 and 76 series also had some kind of cross track scale if I remember, but I don't have that unit any more to check.

On the newer units with a compass you can choose a CDI course deviation pointer that shows your cross track error on either side of your bearing line to a point and has 3 different scales which you choose with the in/ out buttons . Also you can have a field box that tells you turn left or right #degrees or mils to get back on course and there is still an off course box as well but if I remember it doesnt say in which direction, hope thats what you wanted to know.You can also set cross track or off course alarms for a specific distance. Also proximity alarms for approaching a point and anchor drag for leaving, just in case you didnt know. Same as Jholly said basically

Totally agree, and from your statement a person can learn something, but if I ask is the compass worth $50 as was the original question and the awnser is yes or no, I havent learned a thing about how it could be usefull or not ,all you learn is who likes them and who doesnt.

The compass and altimeter thing is getting old. With my old Garmin GPS 38 I could find geo caches, no real compass and no real maps, just shows where I am and where I want to go...simple, in the most basic form its all you need to know, anything more is for your own pleasure, needs or likes or whatever so why base it on others likes and dislikes. You should educate yourself and then decide what you may like or need. Otherwise if just by chance 12 people chime in and say get it you will and if 12 chime in and say its not worth it you wont. Do you always do what others say to do. If so maybe you will make the wrong choice. I have all the bells and whistles,and have no regrets and didn't base my decision on a survey.

I like having mine, and I never seem to have issues with it, it always seems to be such an issue on this site. It's not at all necessary for geo caching, but I do use it for other activities and whats another 50 bucks, like a couple of cases of beer or a third of a tank of fuel for my truck.

Today as a point of interest I took a pair of vernier calipers and measured the length of a AA Duracell Copper top alcaline, a, AA Eveready Energizer alkaline, a AA Duracell rechargeable NiMH, and a AA Nexcell rechargeable NiMH that came with my 62sc. All four were the same length to within +/- 0.002" and varied in diameter to +/- 0.006",those four at least seem to be very close to each other, and I doubt I would be able to note any difference installing or removing any particular battery. I can install them and remove them all out without too much trouble. Though I am sure there are hundreds of other battery brands on the market, which may be different.

Sounds like you live in the northwest US. Northwest topo. California topo all show trails and are free from gps file depot. Garmins National parks west also. Topo USA AND CANADA ,no. Here in BC where I live I use Backroads map chip, their BCv4 is very good, has terrain shading and shows actual trails and tracks, snowmobile and ATV routes, people have submitted. Northwest topo is actually better than Garmins National Parks West in my opinion. Sounds like you already know this, but in basecamp you must select each map product individually and on your Garmin each map product has a hierarchy as to which one is displayed, and so to get the one you want to show you just turn off one or more of the others if needed. Its good to have a few map products as some show things others dont.

I use a piece of 6mm {1/4"} gift wrapping ribbon, say about 2" long. Lay it under one end of both of the batteries and then grab both ends to pull out one end, of both batteries. Works great. Fold the ends over each other and then put the cover back on. Got the idea from the 480 volt 3 phase disconnects at work.They have a plastic puller at each end of the 3 fuses. I don't know why Garmin still makes these battery holders so tight. At one time the 60 and 76 series ones were breaking where the metal bends. Its not like the batteries can fall out.

I think this is pretty true we don't remember phone numbers anymore now that we have cell phones. In fact some people with cell phones don't even know their own numbers. Then there's calculators and we can't do grade 6 math anymore without them. I once car pooled to work with a guy who always set his GPS to guide him every morning. He said it was so he wouldn't go to the wrong job site. I did not feel safe driving with that guy. I don't have a vehicle GPS and don't want one, I'll stick to a map book if I even need that. Geo caching like all outdoor activities does get you out there and so you do learn about your city/area though. Like all things in life only when we challenge ourselves do we learn and grow.

Yea I would not want to buy an extra one just because its a good deal and then a new unit like a 64sc with glonass and a good camera and who knows what else comes on it. I dont really collect them.

GPS CITY 62s for $199 in CANADA ships from Calgary and the 62sc for $249 todays price for black Friday sale

The 62sc does fine in thick forest to bad they missed putting glonass in it though. Still like my Etrex 30 too, smaller, lighter,25hrs battery time Much slower but its still a good unit and I dont seem to have the problems others seem to.

Wow..$249 is excellent, http://www.gpscity.ca/garmin-gpsmap-62sc.html , $359 at GPS City in Calgary, I think that's what I paid. I never thought of Costco online. GPS City is supposed to have some Black Friday deals coming up ,but I bet they wont be going for $249.If you get one and get the Garmin Case for it, which is good, make sure you get the correct one as the one for the 62sc has a little different cut on the back for the camera lens as opposed to the one for the 62s. I am sure you guys will like the 62sc, its very fast and gets the same displayed accuracy as my Etrex 30 does with Glonass Oh..I remember my 62sc came with a 120/240 volt battery charger, with different power plugs for use any where, and 2 AA rechargeable batteries too, while the 62s I had for a couple of days didn't come with it. Here is the battery/charger kit $30 separate... http://www.gpscity.ca/garmin-aa-rechargable-battery-kit.html not worth the $100 more I paid, who knows maybe you will get it too for $249 Costco one comes with the batteries and charger too..great deal

I saw them last night on REIs site still for sale at $199 shipping only to USA address only though. If you had a postal drop box you would be fine, but the duty and taxes could make it not worth it for Canadians. GPS City is having some sort of black Friday sale but I dont think it will be as low as $199 for a 62s

Oh really, maybe thats what causes the slight decrease in battery life. Map panning is very fast. When I bought my 62sc I also had the 62s for 2 days and then sent it back. I dont remember comparing map redraw times though.

The basemaps are useless. look for free maps at GPSFileDepot.com . Also Garmin topo USA and Canads are also so so. Garmin topo National parks and Backroads topo in Canada { not Garmin } are pretty good as is the free Nortwest topo, but I have no Idea where you live either. I have the 62sc, the jury is still out on the camera....its a little disappointing, photos are darker and really not as good as an Iphone but not bad if shot in bright light. Lets just say on a hiking trip, I will use my Panasonic Lumix for trip photos any day, even beats my Iphone hands down. Also you cant see the camera screen on the 62sc at all in bright sunlight, even if you turn on the backlight, its not like looking at the daylight gps screen at all, which was another disappointment. Just aim and hope for the best. I got it for geo tagging photos other than that the differences are 62s gets 4 hours more battery life, has less internal memory and has a jack for an external antenna which the 62sc lost for the camera. I wouldn't worry too much about the internal memory because you can put either maps or photos on an add on chip. Unless you buy maps pre loaded on a chip and then you may have to use your internal memory for other maps and photos, thats when internal memory can be an issue. This is a plus the 62sc has. I am glad I have lots of memory since I have lots of different maps since I live on the 49th parallel and spend lots of time in the USA and Canada, but my situation is a bit unique, and since I hike alot topo maps are what I load on my unit. I like the color of the band around the 62sc better than the red on the 62s...but who cares about that. The 62 series has a battery saver mode where the screen shuts off, but it keeps recording tracks and receiving your sat. signal tracking your position ,press any key to wake it up, you set the screen time out for battey saver mode by setting the backlight display timeout. So unless you want the screen on all the time then maybe the 4 hrs extra time on the 62s may not be an issue. I may pick up a 62s this black Friday as well...I have no real regrets buying the 62sc though. I have lots of memory in my 62sc as I have the internal and then ordered my deadicated chip for Backroads topo with a 4 gig chip which has just over 2 gig extra unused space when all my map tiles for the topo are installed on that chip. Those map tiles will only work ,be unlocked on that chip. Hope I didn't confuse you too much. The 1.7 gig of internal memory on my Etrex 30 has never been an issue for me either. Just load less map tiles or geo tagged photos, the camera on the 62sc is really for geo tagging photos for Garmin Adventures, not for taking great trip pictures.

I think its ridiculous to think cell phones will replace stand alone gps. In North America you can be out of cell phone coverage in no time once you leave many large cities. GPS was originally developed for navigation purposes, and then geocaching came along later. There are also many hundreds ,perhaps more geocaches that I know of that are way out there, planted by backpackers, hikers, climbers, ATVers, way beyond cell phone coverage. Geocaching is not just a game played in cities.

I hike in any weather here in Canada on the west coast in the 3rd largest city and can be out of cell range in no time flat due to mountains ,there's a huge market here for boaters, hikers, snowshoers, climbers ,ATV'ers ,hunters, to have GPS non cell units, and I know the same for the same activity users to the south in the USA ,as I go there quite often to the Cascades Mt range, where all you can see are mountains forever and NO cell towers.

I must be an extreme or unusual GPS user and in minority then, 90% of where I go has no cell coverage.

Dont really need them I guess

Great thx,,,They get in the way sometimes when I want to view a point and get the position co ordinates from the btm of the page. And while you are at it..lol...I would like to see a center screen cross hairs like mapsource had and make that so it is a user option as well.

Is there some way to turn off the cursor popup balloons in Basecamp that popup every time the cursor touches a contour line, creek, lake, etc.

Ok thx that works on mine too. I was trying to do it using settings/units as that works with my Etrex 30,where you get to change all your other unit values and every thing changes at once for distance. Your way works on Etrex too, thx again.