Gpsmap 60csx Maps

[+TheMylrea's]

I'm new to all this, but very excited, and was looking at the 60CSx, as I hate obsolesence!

 

In any case, the GPSMAP 60Cs comes with the RECREATIONAL map preloaded, whereas the 60CSx says it comes with the Americas autoroute basemap.

 

Since i'm primarily going to use it for recreational hiking and geocaching, and since I have a nifty GPS built into my Chrysler 300C, I don't need street level maps on my handheld.

 

Does the 60Csx come with the same recreational maps as the 60Cs?

 

I assume the recreational maps are detailed maps with trails, etc....

 

Again, i'm new to this, so be gentle..

[peter]

I assume the recreational maps are detailed maps with trails, etc....

Unfortunately that's a very bad assumption, but easy to make from the name. I won't make any excuses for Garmin's terminology, but the 'Recreational' basemap in the 60c&cs (also in the LegendC/VistaC) is a very coarse map showing only major highways. The America's Autoroute basemap in the 76c&cs (and apparently also in the 60 and 76 'x' models is a bit more detailed, but not by much (the recreational one is 8 MB for N&S America whereas the America's one is 13 MB). Even that one doesn't show more detail than a typical paper state highway map.

 

To get decent map detail on any of these products you'll need to buy one of the optional mapping products like CitySelect or USTopo.

[lumpynose]

I don't think the 60cs came with the Recreational maps. Mine came with a stripped down version of the street maps; just the main highways and such. No stores, food places, or points of interest like that. This stripped down North America map is built into the unit; you don't load it.

 

My impression from reading the manual for the 60CSx is that it's essentially the same as the 60CS except for the Micro SD card and it has SiRF.

 

I'm curious to know if it has the same amount of internal ram and if all of it can now be used for waypoints. The 60CS is limited to something like 500, which may seem like a lot but turns out to not be when you live in an urban area.

Edited January 17, 2006 by lumpynose

[lumpynose]

The 60CS is limited to something like 500, which may seem like a lot but turns out to not be when you live in an urban area.

Hmm, the online specs say 1000 waypoints, for both the 60CS and the 60CSx. My memory is that GSAK only lets me load 500 or thereabouts. I need to test that... I see; the default number for GSAK is 500 but you can change that.

 

Even so, my county has 1028 benchmarks (which is what I do, benchmark hunting, not geocaching).

[+BGunner01]

I'm new to all this, but very excited, and was looking at the 60CSx, as I hate obsolesence!

 

Since i'm primarily going to use it for recreational hiking and geocaching, and since I have a nifty GPS built into my Chrysler 300C, I don't need street level maps on my handheld.

 

Again, i'm new to this, so be gentle.. 

Using the detailed street maps of one of the MapSource products and the "autorouting" feature of your new 60CSx to lead you from benchmark to benchmark would quickly win you over. Use autorouting a couple of times and you'll probably reach over and turn off that built-in Chrysler GPSR.

 

Seriously though, is it possible to load coordinates for, say 200 benchmarks into the Chrysler unit and have it show you their proximity in relationship to your present location and the best route to get there? I must admit I'm not familiar with how the built-in units in new cars work.

[+deere_x475guy]

The base map that comes with the plain legend has more roads than the legend C or the 60 series. The 76 base map and the legend seem to have the same map. I know because I have the Legend and was at Gander Mountain yesterday and compared the Legend C, all the Map60 seriers and the the 3 76 series they had there. The sales guys were surprised to find out that the Legend C and the 60's had less roads.

[+TheMylrea's]

Well, back in January, I bought the 60CS, as REI didn't have the 60CSx in stock yet.

 

I used the 60CS for a couple of months...except for the electronic compass being flakey, I liked it.

 

I decided to trade it in at REI for the 60CSx, and pay the difference, and on our first outing to a

place we'd been before with the 60CS, I noticed none of the roads were showing up on the 60CSx map.

 

I could not figure out how to get them to display. Highways show up, but no major roads...roads that I know were shown on the 60CS.

 

My guess is the 60CSx has lesser maps. That, along with the fact that Garmin felt it necessary to change the USB protocol and break GSAK (why in the world would they futz with that!?), makes me reconsider my "trade-up" to the 60CSx.

 

I do like the Sirf chipset sensitivity, though!

[peter]

... Highways show up, but no major roads...roads that I know were shown on the 60CS.

 

My guess is the 60CSx has lesser maps.

The basemap on the 60CS is very sparse and has the least level of detail of the basemaps that Garmin uses. So it's unlikely that the basemap on your 60CSx is any worse.

 

I wonder if it's possible that some more detailed maps had been loaded onto your 60CS before you bought it as a test or demo.

[+TheMylrea's]

... Highways show up, but no major roads...roads that I know were shown on the 60CS.

 

My guess is the 60CSx has lesser maps.

The basemap on the 60CS is very sparse and has the least level of detail of the basemaps that Garmin uses. So it's unlikely that the basemap on your 60CSx is any worse.

 

I wonder if it's possible that some more detailed maps had been loaded onto your 60CS before you bought it as a test or demo.

 

According to Garmin's specs, the two units come with different base maps. The 60CS has the America's Recreational maps, and the 60CSx says it has Americas autoroute basemap. Two different maps. There MUST be some differences, and in my case, it appears the America's autoroute has lesser detail than America's Recreational. Who knows for sure...Garmin seems to keep more secrets than the US Govt!

Edited April 7, 2006 by TheMylrea's

[CenTexDodger]

... Highways show up, but no major roads...roads that I know were shown on the 60CS.

 

My guess is the 60CSx has lesser maps.

The basemap on the 60CS is very sparse and has the least level of detail of the basemaps that Garmin uses. So it's unlikely that the basemap on your 60CSx is any worse.

 

I wonder if it's possible that some more detailed maps had been loaded onto your 60CS before you bought it as a test or demo.

 

According to Garmin's specs, the two units come with different base maps. The 60CS has the America's Recreational maps, and the 60CSx says it has Americas autoroute basemap. Two different maps. There MUST be some differences, and in my case, it appears the America's autoroute has lesser detail than America's Recreational. Who knows for sure...Garmin seems to keep more secrets than the US Govt!

 

Yes, they do come with different basemaps. Autoroute is approximately 13mb, Recreational is approximately 8mb. Your experience notwithstanding, Autoroute is more detailed, but neither is adequate for any type of serious mapping. They will both have major highways. Autoroute may have a few more state and lesser highways. Autoroute has some railroads, and autoroute has some rivers and water features.

 

As others have stated, for any type of detail you will want to get some software. US Topo has land form and features, State and national parks, trails and limited street coverage. City Select is a routable road map with 6 million POIs (restaurants, hotels and movie theaters)

[+TheMylrea's]

Yes, they do come with different basemaps. Autoroute is approximately 13mb, Recreational is approximately 8mb. Your experience notwithstanding, Autoroute is more detailed, but neither is adequate for any type of serious mapping. They will both have major highways. Autoroute may have a few more state and lesser highways. Autoroute has some railroads, and autoroute has some rivers and water features.

 

As others have stated, for any type of detail you will want to get some software. US Topo has land form and features, State and national parks, trails and limited street coverage. City Select is a routable road map with 6 million POIs (restaurants, hotels and movie theaters)

 

It's not that we're looking for more detail, just noticing that what was once there is no longer on the 60CSx. Basically, where we were, there was a geocache waypoint at the intersection of highway 67 and Scripps Poway Parkway (in San Diego). Highway 67 is a small 4 line backcountry highway, but both of those were on my old 60CS, and the waypoint was clearly at the corner of the intersection of the two. On my 60CSx, we were at the same spot, and the whole intersection was missing on my map! Just a geocache waypoint symbol sitting out in the middle of nowhere.

 

I looked through the menus, thinking street detail was turned off, but I couldn't find such a setting.