Garmin 60csx questions

[+Stubob76]

Hey all,

Can anyone offer advice on some 60csx issues? My unit is having serious problems navigating on the road. I plot the route to a cache on City Nav and then send it to my GPSr. The route on the computer is fine and the one I want to take. Then I begin navigating on the route and it changes and starts telling me to do different things than on my computer. It will do crazy things like telling me to go in the absolute opposite direction from where I need to go. Also when I select a new cache on my GPSr and make a route to get there, the thing sends me on a wild goose chase, even passing right by the cache and never recognizing it. HELP I'm starting to think I wasted $500. Thanks

[+Prime Suspect]

Your not accomplishing anything by creating the route on the computer first. Since your GPS has auto-routing, it simply takes the final waypoint (and any intermediate waypoints you may have set) and creates it's own route. It may be different from what your PC did, since the settings may be different (no U-turns, avoid toll roads, etc.).

 

Also, you have to remember that when you use Follow Road, it will find the closest road to the cache, and lead you to that point, not to the cache itself. When I get to within 1000 feet or so of the cache, I have it recalculate to Off Road, so it shows me where the cache is, rather than some point on the road.

[+Stubob76]

Your not accomplishing anything by creating the route on the computer first. Since your GPS has auto-routing, it simply takes the final waypoint (and any intermediate waypoints you may have set) and creates it's own route. It may be different from what your PC did, since the settings may be different (no U-turns, avoid toll roads, etc.).

 

I have done it both ways, but the GPSr is giving me unreasonable suggestions. ie telling me to get on the interstate and then get back off at the same point. The turn by turn directions are not even close.

[+briansnat]

Do you have City Navigator maps showing? If not the unit will try to route on the basemap and you'll get strange results.

 

Also, as Prime Suspect mentioned, it will try to get you near the cache, but the nearest point is not necessarily the best access. For instance if a cache is not far from an Interstate, but the actual access is from a park entrance in town CN will try to take you along the Interstate.

 

City Navigator is a great program and I've encountered very few problems with its on unit routing, so I suspect you're doing something wrong, either with your settings or with your expectations.

[+Stubob76]

Do you have City Navigator maps showing? If not the unit will try to route on the basemap and you'll get strange results.

 

Also, as Prime Suspect mentioned, it will try to get you near the cache, but the nearest point is not necessarily the best access. For instance if a cache is not far from an Interstate, but the actual access is from a park entrance in town CN will try to take you along the Interstate.

 

City Navigator is a great program and I've encountered very few problems with its on unit routing, so I suspect you're doing something wrong, either with your settings or with your expectations.

 

I have CN v8 loaded on the 60csx. I have even gone so far as setting up a route between two preloaded POI's that are on main roads. The only logical option being to follow the main roads and make one to two turns. It won't even do that. I don't expect it to do turn by turn as well as a Nuvi, but I can't believe folks would praise the unit if this was normal. There has to be something wrong. Could it be a problem with the compass calibration?

[Laurontario]

Could it be a problem with the compass calibration?

 

The compass calibration has nothing to do with autorouting (other units without compass do autoroute).

 

Probably your CN map is hidden.

Go Setup ->Map -> Map Setup Information and see if your CN appears there.

 

Even with same settings on your computer and GPS (no U-turns, avoid toll roads, etc. - as PrimeSuspect said) the unit might suggest a different route than the one calculated by MapSource.

[+Stubob76]

 

Probably your CN map is hidden.

Go Setup ->Map -> Map Setup Information and see if your CN appears there.

 

Even with same settings on your computer and GPS (no U-turns, avoid toll roads, etc. - as PrimeSuspect said) the unit might suggest a different route than the one calculated by MapSource.

 

Ok so you're saying that even though I downloaded my waypoints that I plotted in City Navigator, my GPSr may still be on the basemap? I'll try that and see if it works.

 

On a sidebar, when recalibrating the compass, should I be out in the middle of a field or is out in my driveway ok. I know being close to cars or buildings can affect it but how close is too close? Thanks for helping a noob.

[Laurontario]

Ok so you're saying that even though I downloaded my waypoints that I plotted in City Navigator, my GPSr may still be on the basemap? I'll try that and see if it works.

 

 

Just because you created some waypoints in CN/Mapsource and then you uploaded to your GPSr doesn't mean you also uploaded the MAPS.

 

You need to select some map tiles too, otherwise you are still on basemap. And, when you choose 'Send to device' in Mapsource you need to check the Maps box under 'What to send'. If this is greyed out that means there are no maps selected.

 

Again, when you upload waypoints you don't automatically send the map tiles too.

 

Check this when you have a chance and let us know.

As someone said before, it seems that you only have the basemap installed.

[+Stubob76]

Thanks for the help, that was exactly the problem. I don't know why, but only one of my map sets transferred and it was not the one I was driving in. (I'm sure I didn't forget to select it, yeah right) Thanks again for helping a newbie, I'm sure I'll be back begging for help.

[Neos2]

Glad you got that figured out! There are a couple of other things you might not yet have run into.

 

The GPS unit has options for large vehicle routing vs car routing. We learned the hard way that can cause interesting diversions when we went on a road trip with two GPS units--one set for cars and the other for trcuk routes.

 

And if you happen across a stretch of road that isn't in the maps on the GPS, the GPS freaks out and starts trying to reroute you--We usually just keep going until it "finds" the road again. Sometimes we have to actually look at a larger view and double check our path to make sure we haven't really driven off course, but usually the "new" road meets up with the "old" road fairly quickly.