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Difference In Sat Reception Betwwen 76cs And 60cs?


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Started with the Vista and then got the 76CS and have also used the son in laws 60CS. A big improvment using either the 76 or 60 over the vista for sure.

 

The only real difference between the 76 and 60 that I can see as they operate is the slight size thing. I love my 76CS and it really hangs in there in the thick stuff.

 

Also the battery life is greatly improved with the 76 or the 60.

 

The 76 does have more memory than the 60 I believe. Can load a bunch more maps into it.

 

I think as usual it comes down to personal choice.

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Wilkens,

I just bought the etrex vista last week. Today I went out with a friend and kept loosing sat reception under tree cover.....hmmm....

 

I will be watching to see what people have to say about this.

Be sure to hold your Vista flat, face up to sky. If you don't you will lose reception under trees. All units have some difficulty under trees so its important that you orient them the way the mfr. recommends.

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I recently purchased the 76CS and so far I’m very impressed with it.

There are several differences between the units.

The 76CS has a much larger section of memory, 56 MB in the 60CS vs. 115 MB in the 76CS.

The basemap in the 76CS has more detail. Is's the same map as used in the Streetpilot 2620, 2650, and 2660 also in the GPSMAP 276C, 296 and the Quest. They both have built in quad helix antennas.

The 76CS is just over 2 ounces heavier than the 60CS and about $40.00 more mail order.

Also accoding to Garmins website the 76CS battery life is 10 hrs longer.

 

Garmins product comparison page:

http://www.garmin.com/outdoor/compare.jsp

 

For me the differences were worth the extra money. We travel 5 or 6 states at a time and this way I can have all the maps I may need in the unit without having to stop and upload maps from the laptop.

As far as reception goes I really can’t compare as I have never used the 60CS. I normally get 6 to 7 satellites in my backyard with a huge tree right behind me to the west. I can sit inside the house and get 4 or 5 satellites pretty regularly.

I have used it in the car holding it right in front of me against the steering wheel while changing settings and had no problem receiving several satellites.

In the holder on the dash I have never lost signal even on country roads with lots of tree cover.

For me the 76CS is definitely the right unit. But I don’t think you can go wrong with either one.

Good Luck!

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Normally cited differences between the 60CS and 76CS:

 

76cs is larger

76cs floats (60cs floats if used with lithium batteries)

76cs has a 13MB base map, the 60cs's basemap is 8MB

76cs has more memory (128MB chip, less 13MB basemap=115MB for user maps--60CS has 64MB chip, less 8MB basemap=56MB for user maps)

76cs buttons are above the screen--60cs are below

 

In general, forum lore says that a quad helix antenna will get better reception when obstructions are overhead (such as heavy tree cover). Patch antenna will get better reception when obstructions are to the side (canyons, natural or concrete). YMMV.

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Thanks for all the replies.

 

Looks like I'm going to go with the 76CS.

 

Battery life, and buttons on the top sold me since the sat reception between the units is the same.

Before you do, make sure you check them out in person. The 60cs is already a bit bulkier than desirable, but the 76cs is positively like a masonry brick.

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