Rookie here, looking to buy first GPS.

[Turbobuick86]

Hello, first time poster here. My wife has decided we are going to start geocaching. The choices of GPS are obviously huge and we all want the best bang for the buck. Right off I'm looking at two Garmin units and am confused alread... not surprising says the wife.

 

In a comparison at Garmin.com the 60csx and 76csx are identical in almost every department except the 76 has twice the memory and weighs slightly more. What confuses me is they are priced similarly almost everywhere. Isn't the 76 a much better buy with 64mb additional memory? Is there something obvious I'm not seeing? Having never owned a GPS before, I would prefer to buy one that would not be outdated in a few months. Most hobbies I delve into, I end up with numerous trinkets I wish I hadn't purchased.

 

Are these good choices for geocaching and a road trip or two? Thanks for any advice. Terry

[CenTexDodger]

Hello, first time poster here. My wife has decided we are going to start geocaching. The choices of GPS are obviously huge and we all want the best bang for the buck. Right off I'm looking at two Garmin units and am confused alread... not surprising says the wife.

 

In a comparison at Garmin.com the 60csx and 76csx are identical in almost every department except the 76 has twice the memory and weighs slightly more. What confuses me is they are priced similarly almost everywhere. Isn't the 76 a much better buy with 64mb additional memory? Is there something obvious I'm not seeing? Having never owned a GPS before, I would prefer to buy one that would not be outdated in a few months. Most hobbies I delve into, I end up with numerous trinkets I wish I hadn't purchased.

 

Are these good choices for geocaching and a road trip or two? Thanks for any advice. Terry

 

Those two you mentioned are both good units. Most people don't place much value in the card that comes with the unit. They will replace it with a much larger one. That being said, I believe that popularity is driving the prices, and the 60 appears to be more popular.

[+Miragee]

Many of the people I cache with use the Garmin GPSMap 60CSx. One guy I know uses the 76CSx and he really likes it.

 

I have a Vista C and actually prefer it because of its smaller size. It is more convenient for me, and with the City Navigator maps installed, it also auto-routes me.

 

If possible, I would go to a store, like R.E.I., where you could hold the GPSr and see which one you like better.

[CenTexDodger]

nevermind--double post.

Edited March 29, 2007 by CenTexDodger

[+media601]

The 76 is somewhat larger and has features geared toward marine use. Some people also prefer the buttons above the screen as opposed to below, as on the 60 series. For primarily geocaching I would recommend the the 60 series over the 76, but other people's opinions will differ. The Garmin Venture CX wins in the "most bang for the buck" category, doing just about everything the 60 series does for $100 less. Doesn't have quite the ability to lock onto sats in adverse conditions as the 60 series, but I've never found this to be enough of a difference to warrant the extra $100.

 

I have a 60CSx and a Venture CX and use the Venture CX almost exclusively for geocaching. The small size makes it easier to carry and I prefer the lanyard attachment of the eTrex series (Venture). You will need to buy a mini USB cable if you don't have one. If you want to add maps you'll also need to buy a microSD card. Your overall cash outlay will still be significantly less than for either the 60 or 76 series.

 

Some people find the screen to be too small and the buttons hard to use on the eTrex series. Go to your local outfitter and get a feel for the different types.

 

Happy caching, and welcome to the insanity.

[+Sputnik 57]

As noted, users here ignore the memory. It is cheap and plentiful. You can max either unit out with 2GB of memory for about $40 (less if you shop around). The only real difference is the package. The 76 is square (great for sitting on your dash wedged against the windshield) and because the case is slightly larger, it float if dropped in the water. The 60 is shaped like a baked potato, and some like the feel of it better in their hand (the 60 will also float if you use lithium batteries, but that is another thread). Electronically, it is a push. If you can play with them both, get the one that seems to feel best to you.

[wvnewbie]

I know this is a similar question to the one first asked but.... I am extremely frustrated in my hunt for my first GPS. Here is what i know I am/or at least should be looking for:

 

1) A unit good enough for geocaching in the woods since I live in WV (which is all I plan to use it for - very basic geocaching)

2) A unit that costs $150 or less

3) I know I should be looking for a unit that has a) a helix/quad ant. (no patch, right?) a compass c) memory in total of 1-22 mb d) buttons on front for ease of use e) pc compatibility f) greyscale ok with me. don't care about color.

 

Also - any comments on this issue - some units say "mapping" other say "no mapping"

what is absolutely necessary for geocaching?

 

Is anything I listed simply unneccessary for basic (but very acurate) geocaching?

 

With all that said - can anyone suggest a good unit for me?!

 

Thanks in advance - i can't wait to get started!

[+redcoyote12]

Take a look at the Magellan eXplorist 210. About $100 and has pretty much everything you've listed there. I don't know about the antenna you want though. It comes with a basic map, which is upgradeable if you like, great under cover of trees (I've been told), grey display, buttons on front, PC USB cable and software... I pretty much just use mine for geocaching and I mount it on my mountainbike. No complaints really.

 

Check it out here at Buydig.com or here at amazon.com.

Edited March 29, 2007 by redcoyote12

[wvnewbie]

I do keep looking at the Meg Explorist 210 - but also keep looking at the Meg Explorist 300.

 

Does anyone have experience with them and any ideas which might be best to go with?

 

(and thanks for the advice redcoyote12 - I appreciate it!)

[+redcoyote12]

I believe the major difference is memory, the 210 has 22mb, the 300 has only 8 so I don't think you can install new maps on the 300. From what I read here it seems the vast majority of explorist users have a 210 vs. a 300.

 

Also have a look at the 500 (NOT 500 LE), it comes with rechargeably battery, color screen, and upgradeable memory. I am thinking of upgrading for the battery alone.

Edited March 29, 2007 by redcoyote12

[+redcoyote12]

Stinkin' double postin' server

Edited March 29, 2007 by redcoyote12

[+GRNZOOM]

One important fact not to be over looked is customer service..just in case...

 

Look around here and you will find that Garmin's c/s is outstanding and Magellan's c/s.... well.... sucks...to be blunt.

 

Nick

[Turbobuick86]

Thanks everyone! I'm sure I will have a few more stupid questions as we progress into our new hobby. Nice to know this forum exists to make that learning curve not such a steep slope.

[+jpred1]

Im one of those lucky ones,I called magellan concerning a promblem I had created and they actually called me back and resolved the issue.Does the garmins offer any type rechargable batery that doesnt have to be swapped in/out?I hear all the goods concerning garmin and I cannot see anything Im missing with the Magellan 500.I have topo map,direct route,ion battery with car charger,large color screen,geocaching files that work well-containing descriptions and hints on each cache.Once I learned to think properly ,caching has been easy,almost not nearly exciting as the old way without todays technology.My first cache was picked up with an explorist 200.The 500 le cost me-Gps,$189.00 with topo map at 9.99 extra with the coupon.Battery and charger was like 22 bucks(well worth it,havent ran completely down yet)direct route $55 bucks off ebay.Does anything I need very well for less that $300 bucks.

Edited March 30, 2007 by jpred1

[+redcoyote12]

I've had experience with Magellan support as well, and I was satisfied with the service. Could have been better, but they fixed my unit and it's great now. For me, I wouldn't call it much of an issue, but others might disagree. It's like the Ford vs. Chevy argument, you get loyalists on both sides

 

Regarding the 500LE, can you buy a rechargeable battery aftermarket, is that what you did jpred1? I didn't know that was possible. So the 500 and the LE are the same unit, just packaged with different things?

[+cartographe]

The main difference between the 2 units: the 76csx floats, the 60csx doesn't! If you're boating alot than the 76 makes more sense, if you're only geocaching/hiking then the 60csx is the choice to go for. I have the 60csx myself and it's my 5th garmin unit, I would never buy anything else.

[+jpred1]

I cannot remember which unit I ordered it for.Just ordered straght from Magellan and had it within 2 weeks.I figured out in @ 3 hours the disposalable batteries were not for me.I love the Le ,heck I use it everyday,even if it just tells me how to get home from work.HEHE!!!

[+jpred1]

The batteries are on sale for 19.99 right now for the 500 le which should fit the 400/500/600 series.Magellan .com. Comes with ac charger,I use the car charger though ,I purchased it from Academy.A full charge will outlast me easiily.

[+david.travis]

I have a Garmin 60CSX. Absolutely love it for geocaching, hiking, and city navigating.