Garmin Gps60

[+F1sh]

Hello all,

I am brand new to the hobby and should probably be posting in the 'Getting Started' forum but I thought people here might know best.

I am about to purchase my first unit and would like to do it right the first time. I am about to purchase the GPS 60 but wanted to get your opinion as to whether or not I should be getting the 60c or the 60cs or the 60csx . I don't mind if my screen is color or not and I am not planing on using the sensors that come on the 's' models.

In light of this, the base model seems to be the best value, but are there any other features that I will really miss if I just get this one?

Thanks for your help!

Cheers,

 

- Chad

[moonpup]

If your looking for a nice basic unit to just find geocaches and maybe create track logs, this is a great unit. Since you don't have a need for the sensors or mapping there is nothing wrong with this unit. If your able to afford a bit more, I would recommend the 60C as the color screen is quite impressive and the addition of mapping comes in handy when topo maps are loaded and you are trekking through unfamiliar woods.

[+Team Black Bear]

Hello Chad ,

Welcome to the hobby. If you about to purchase a Garmin 60 series GPS it all depends on what you need your GPS to do for you and what you may expect to do with it in the future. I own a number of GPS's and out of all of them I personally like the Garmin 60CS. For me it is everything I could want and more and I have never had a failure issue of any type. I actually was going to upgrade to the new 60csx, but as it stands right now I would rather wait and let Garmin shake out some of the issues going on with it. I'm sure you have probably read about these issues in this forum. To me the only upgrade that I would need between the two would be the SIRF technology. The extra memory would be benificial to me but not necessary. 56MB is actually a very sizable amount of memory. I think the best feature about the 60CS right now is the attractive prices that it can be purchased for with the forthcoming of the new 60csx. Hope this helps.

Team Black Bear

[+F1sh]

If your looking for a nice basic unit to just find geocaches and maybe create track logs, this is a great unit. Since you don't have a need for the sensors or mapping there is nothing wrong with this unit. If your able to afford a bit more, I would recommend the 60C as the color screen is quite impressive and the addition of mapping comes in handy when topo maps are loaded and you are trekking through unfamiliar woods.

 

Moonpup,

Thanks for your quick and helpful reply. Is the mapping different on the GPSMAP 60 than on the 60c?

I kinda thought that the 60c was exactly the same features - but in color...

I agree, the color models look a lot better, but... as long as most of the other features are the same, I thought I could save a buck...

 

- Chad

[moonpup]

In your original post, you said GPS 60, so I thought you meant the yellow one If it's the GPSMAP 60, then yes it's comparable to the GPSMAP 60C... gosh darn Garmin and their naming conventions

 

One KEY difference is the MAP 60 has only 24 MB of memory compared to 56MB for the 60C

Edited February 14, 2006 by moonpup

[+F1sh]

Hello Chad ,

Welcome to the hobby. If you about to purchase a Garmin 60 series GPS it all depends on what you need your GPS to do for you and what you may expect to do with it in the future. I own a number of GPS's and out of all of them I personally like the Garmin 60CS. For me it is everything I could want and more and I have never had a failure issue of any type. I actually was going to upgrade to the new 60csx, but as it stands right now I would rather wait and let Garmin shake out some of the issues going on with it. I'm sure you have probably read about these issues in this forum. To me the only upgrade that I would need between the two would be the SIRF technology. The extra memory would be benificial to me but not necessary. 56MB is actually a very sizable amount of memory. I think the best feature about the 60CS right now is the attractive prices that it can be purchased for with the forthcoming of the new 60csx. Hope this helps.

Team Black Bear

 

Thanks for the welcome! You brought up a good point about memory space. The plain old 60 has 24MB while the 60c has 56MB of memory. Since, I haven't done any geocaching yet, I have no idea how much memory I will need...

 

From doing side by side comparisons it looks like the 60cs has the following differences from the 60:

 

color

56MB memory

"rapid automatic route calculation" (whatever that is)

slightly shorter battery life

electronic compass and barometric altimeter and Elevation computer

 

I have never used these models so to me it seems like the 60cs is the same as a 60, but with more options. Is that a fair assesment, or is the 60cs really a markedly different instrument?

 

I am wondering whether or not 24MB is enough memory, but aside from that, I think I can live without having the color screen and sensors... as long as there aren't more substantial differences. Eg, The 60cs gets faster or stronger satelite locks than the 60 etc...

 

And like you, I am not even looking at the 60csx yet, I usually like to be a few steps behind the cutting edge of technology... even if there weren't bugs to be worked out, the price is still better there. Thanks again for all your help.

 

- Chad

Edited February 14, 2006 by Team Rascal

[+F1sh]

In your original post, you said GPS 60, so I thought you meant the yellow one If it's the GPSMAP 60, then yes it's comparable to the GPSMAP 60C... gosh darn Garmin and their naming conventions

 

One KEY difference is the MAP 60 has only 24 MB of memory compared to 56MB for the 60C

 

Whoops, ya I meant the GPSMAP, sorry for the confusion . Do you find from your experience that the extra memory is a big advantage? Are you often operating over 24MB?

- Chad

[toddm]

I know when I bought my 76s I didn't get color because I figured I didn't need it. However after using the unit for awhile, the first thing I noticed was that tracks and routes are often very hard to see on the maps, also in the city the routes are pretty well impossible to pick out from streets. So while I didn't really need the "pretty" color screen the grayscale screen makes following routes very hard. It was probably my biggest regret in my 76s.

 

So that is one advantage to the color screen that I did not consider when I was in your position.

 

Now if garmin would just let you change the display color of the route instead of just maroon/red.

[+scott9282]

I just recently got a 60C. I had a sportrak map that was fine until it "forgot" things and magellan couldn't fix it.

 

The 60C has 56Meg of memory, which if you look at some maps, can fill up fast, but give you a lot of map in the unit.

 

One thing I noticed with GPSr units is what the military calls "mission creep". I bought my magellan so I could go geocaching. Next thing I know I'm using the thing for in-car navigation, pedometer duty during long walks, speedometer checks for my cars and so on.

 

My advice is to get the GPSr with the most features that you think you can use, even if you can't think of a use for them right now. My only caveat would be the "s" series. Personally I would rather trust a handheld compass that doesn't depend on batteries to one that is in a GPSr. As far as the altimeter, it is my understanding that they are barometric based altimeters, and can be affected by sudden changes in air pressure not related to altitude change, such as weather changes.

[+F1sh]

Thanks for the input everyone. Todd and Scott, you guys have really swayed me towards the 60c - dang you

I didn't consider the color screen being easier to read or the map sizes being that large.

If possible, I would also like to use my CPSr in the car or on my motorcycle. Now I just have to find one for a good price...

 

- Chad

[vfrpilot]

Thanks for the input everyone. Todd and Scott, you guys have really swayed me towards the 60c - dang you

I didn't consider the color screen being easier to read or the map sizes being that large.

If possible, I would also like to use my CPSr in the car or on my motorcycle. Now I just have to find one for a good price...

 

- Chad

 

I just upgraded to the 60c - GREAT unit. I upgraded from the GPSV which held 10 maps & limited me to 500 waypoints.

I use it on the motorcycle, truck, hiking, caching, backpacking, camping, rafting & climbing 12 months a year.

 

Its a good deal that you won't soon outgrow if you're just starting (I think).

 

Last week, It could be had for as low as 309.00 from shipdog.com with NO TAX, NO SHIPPING.

Now its 315.00

 

Here's the LINK for you.

 

Good Luck.

[+F1sh]

That's good to hear and thanks for the link. It looks like it has all the features that I will ever need. Do you find that you use the routing features while you are riding your motorcycle, or is it more of a rest stop thing? I drive Honda as well - the 919.

 

- Chad

[vfrpilot]

That's good to hear and thanks for the link. It looks like it has all the features that I will ever need. Do you find that you use the routing features while you are riding your motorcycle, or is it more of a rest stop thing? I drive Honda as well - the 919.

 

- Chad

 

I use the auto-routing frequently - on the fly & @ rest stops.

 

I will hopefully take real advantage of the FASTER auto-routing on my trip to Lake George for the Americade this summer.

[+Spyderweb]

I currently have the 60C, and really like it. However, if you plan on going for long road trips, the 60cx may be worth another look. I found it a bit of a hassle on my last trip to have to pull out my laptop and 60c and download the next day's maps. I travelled to California, and found that I could only get about a couple days worth of travelling loaded at a time, because the area's map data was so "dense".

 

But, if long road trips aren't in your future, the 60C will save you some cash.

[+F1sh]

Good point but doesn't the basemap included have enough information on it? For main roadways at least?

 

- Chad

[vfrpilot]

Good point but doesn't the basemap included have enough information on it? For main roadways at least?

 

- Chad

 

yes -

[+F1sh]

Thanks everyone for all of the help. I am watching ebay for a good price... but after talking to my wife... I might be lucky to get an etrex yellow

I guess I should have cleared it with Finance before anything else

Hopefully I will get back to you with some good news.

 

- Chad

[joeshmoe12]

The 60C is $250 on amazon after mail in rebate until tomorrow. Amazon 60C