60csx - Still A Great Unit

[nathantw]

With all the talk about the bugs in the 60CSx (and 76CSx) you'd think that everyone hates their GPS units and that potential buyers should steer clear. Well, I thought that I'd let you know that I had a great experience with my unit today, though it wasn't with geocaching but with biking.

 

I've taken the gps on the same bike route previously and the accuracy was all over the place. I put the track in my computer and found the altimeter took me to 98,000 feet and the tracks showed that I rode an excess of 180mph on the adjacent freeway. That particular saved track didn't make me happy at all.

 

Today I took the GPS with me on the same route with all the latest firmware/GPS software fixes and had a totally different experience. I made sure the routing was on bicycle and that the map was set for not locking on the road. WAAS was set on (couldn't do that before the firmware update since I'd lose satellite signal). I rode the route, came home and uploaded the track onto my PC. I used a saved route so I have no idea what my speed was, but it appeared my altimeter worked perfectly without taking me out of the atmosphere, though it had a 10' discrepancy at the start and end of the ride. The best part was when I superimposed the route with the satellite images on Google Earth. It showed that the gps was so accurate that it displayed which side of the bike path I was riding on. In fact, it even showed the little maneuver I did in a parking lot. The tracks weren't all over the place as my previous experience except where it was expected to go nuts (under the freeway). So, the accuracy was much better than the displayed 11' or 25' that it normally shows on the satellite screen. The accuracy had to be closer to 2 or 3 feet since the path isn't more than 7' across and it accurately showed which side I was traveling on when superimposed on the map.

 

So while we obsess about the bugs in the unit's firmware, it's always nice to find that when you actually go out and use the unit that it's still a very capable GPS receiver.

[+dumketu]

 

So while we obsess about the bugs in the unit's firmware, it's always nice to find that when you actually go out and use the unit that it's still a very capable GPS receiver.

 

Amen. I am very pleased with my unit now. A few nuisances, but otherwise a very capable unit. I look forward to more improvements and tweaks to reslove the remaining issues, and having a really solid GPS that I will use for years.

 

Brian

[+CiscoHiker]

I have been very happy with my 60CSx. Works great on hikes compared to my Garmin Vista.

[sismeiro]

Nice input. It is also important to give a positive feedback when the problems are solved.

 

I also have a 60 CSx and had some of the problems described were in the forum but overall I am very satisfied with my GPSr.

 

And we can see in several post in the forum that many people love their 60 CSx.

 

Regards,

Luis Sismeiro

[+jaym]

Agreed! My 60CSx is doing its job wonderfully as well!

[+geobc]

Likewise, I'm happy with my 60CSX although I wish the compass wasn't so finicky.

 

It also seems to take longer to get a signal lock if I turned it on while driving, than my 76C did.

 

Still, I'm glad I upgraded to it. I love the faster map panning.

 

GeoBC

[-Oz-]

I also love my 60csx. I loved it when I first got it and now that all the bugs are fixed its even better.

 

It also seems to take longer to get a signal lock if I turned it on while driving, than my 76C did.

If you just upgraded the firmware to 2.7(1)/2.50 when you boot it up tell it you're in a new location. That fixed the increase acquisition time for me. I always turn mine on while driving.

[bgarland]

With all the talk about the bugs in the 60CSx (and 76CSx) you'd think that everyone hates their GPS units and that potential buyers should steer clear. Well, I thought that I'd let you know that I had a great experience with my unit today, though it wasn't with geocaching but with biking.

 

I've taken the gps on the same bike route previously and the accuracy was all over the place. I put the track in my computer and found the altimeter took me to 98,000 feet and the tracks showed that I rode an excess of 180mph on the adjacent freeway. That particular saved track didn't make me happy at all.

 

Today I took the GPS with me on the same route with all the latest firmware/GPS software fixes and had a totally different experience. I made sure the routing was on bicycle and that the map was set for not locking on the road. WAAS was set on (couldn't do that before the firmware update since I'd lose satellite signal). I rode the route, came home and uploaded the track onto my PC. I used a saved route so I have no idea what my speed was, but it appeared my altimeter worked perfectly without taking me out of the atmosphere, though it had a 10' discrepancy at the start and end of the ride. The best part was when I superimposed the route with the satellite images on Google Earth. It showed that the gps was so accurate that it displayed which side of the bike path I was riding on. In fact, it even showed the little maneuver I did in a parking lot. The tracks weren't all over the place as my previous experience except where it was expected to go nuts (under the freeway). So, the accuracy was much better than the displayed 11' or 25' that it normally shows on the satellite screen. The accuracy had to be closer to 2 or 3 feet since the path isn't more than 7' across and it accurately showed which side I was traveling on when superimposed on the map.

 

So while we obsess about the bugs in the unit's firmware, it's always nice to find that when you actually go out and use the unit that it's still a very capable GPS receiver.

 

I own a Map76CSx and I have to agree with Nathantw. I went on an 87 mile 4X4 trip this last weekend. When I got home and uploaded the recorded track log to NG Topo, the track log was dead on top of the 4X4 trails we followed. The only time there was any deviation, was due to errors in the map placement of the trails (verified by Google images). When we went out on foot to find an old cemetary I was able to walk right to it following the loaded Garmin Topo maps. When I entered the cemetary, the arrow showing my current location covered the cemetary symbol on the map. I couldn't ask for anything better then the performance I experienced on this trip.

Edited May 15, 2006 by bgarland

[+YuccaPatrol]

I agree wholeheartedly that the accuracy of these units is incredible. I took mine on an 11 mile drive down the "Tail of the Dragon (US-129) in NorthCarolina/Tennessee.

 

All of my previous units would have great difficulty maintaining a lock on this heavily wooded mountain road, but the csx saved tracks that were 100% on the road the whole time.

[Hertzog]

I had a Vista and 60CS before getting the 60CSx, and in my opinion the 60CSx runs rings around the previous units.

[NewZealand]

When I got home and uploaded the recorded track log to NG Topo, the track log was dead on top of the 4X4 trails we followed.

Agree completely. Only one example: Today I was on a 5 hour mountainbike trip with my csx, on a route which contains heavily wooded single trails. On my former 60 CS the track was often interrupted, on my csx I had a 100% track, and as mentioned above mostly dead on top of the trails in the topo map.

I wouldn't even need such an extreme accuracy, but of course it is nice to have.

Edited May 15, 2006 by NewZealand

[alwaysGPS]

I am happy with my 60CSx too except the batteries tend to drain very much faster than the 60CS. I off the track log and back-light and leave it on with 7/8 birds overnight with a set of newly charged batteries and it won't last 10 hours! The situation is worst if routing feature is turned on.

 

Is there a problem with the unit?

[8mmag]

I am happy with my 60CSx too except the batteries tend to drain very much faster than the 60CS. I off the track log and back-light and leave it on with 7/8 birds overnight with a set of newly charged batteries and it won't last 10 hours! The situation is worst if routing feature is turned on.

 

Is there a problem with the unit?

 

I'm not sure about rechargables, but I get 18-20 Hrs out of a set of alkalines, tracklog on, backlight off. Ever since 2.7x firmware came out and fixed the elevation issue, the only things I want Garmin to resolve are the WAAS reception & tunnel reacquisition with WAAS on.

 

It does seem accurate enough w/o WAAS, but it should work. I'd bet the signal reacquisition is related to proper WAAS functionality. My work around is just leaving WAAS off for now.

 

The reception of these things is unbelievable! I think the battery life is more than acceptable, the screen is great, and certainly no complaints about the accuracy either.

 

And Garmin customer service is awesome too!