Buying a GPS for technical savvy person......

[+johnsmb]

I would like our family to get involved in geocaching. I want to buy my husband a gps as a surprise for his birthday. He is a forester and uses GIS and GPS on a daily basis. He is very, very technically skilled. He uses a very high-end GPS for work - I think it might be a Trimble?

 

I am NOT technically skilled, so am having a hard time deciphering different models of GPS. I am also on a budget. The "hot" models appear to be the Garmin Vista HcX for $236 and the Garmin 60CsX for $296 after rebate.

 

So, will these models be "advanced" enough that he will appreciate them????? Is one of these models more "capable" than the other, or more technical than the other.

 

Thanks.

[gratefulHIKE]

all in all when you look at the cSx vs HCX debate, its really which layout you are more comfortable with

 

I believe the 60Csx design is much superior, but its signal drifts more than the newer HCX.....however they will both get you within 15 feet of the geocache EASILY under good tree cover

 

the best person to know what your husband wants is you, and the best way to determine that is to get both in your hand at a store and decide....then order it online for the cheaper price

 

I bought both my Csx and vista HCX from thenerds.net, not sure why but they sold me a solid unit so I went back and they're cheap

 

I use them both regularly, the only downfall with the HCX is its flaw over time with its rubber barrier, which tends to fall apart and according to most garmin still has not fixed it

Edited November 4, 2007 by gratefulHIKE

[+Hynr]

In the world of GPSrs there are several levels of technology. Levels of accuracy and sensitivity are generally correlated with price. Professionals using GPSrs many times need better accuracy than what you can get with the GPSrs that are sold as consumer electronics. Your husband probably has a unit at work that costs several thousand dollars and is designed for surveying. I have access to such a unit at work but would never dream of taking it geocaching because it is simply too clumsy for that. In the end the extra accuracy of such professional units gets you nothing in the geocaching world.

 

Last year the world of consumer electronics GPSrs experienced a technological leap forward with incorporation into the new models of high sensitivity GPS chips. So now you can buy units with such chips or units without. I can guarantee you that your husband would be more frustrated than happy if you bought him a unit that did not have the high-sensitivity chips. The units you mention both have such chips.

 

I would guess that you would want to buy a unit for your husband that does mapping. Others in your family might not want/need/appreciate that, but if your guy is technically savvy, then he will quickly outgrow units that don’t display caches on a map. Again, both units you mention have mapping capability, but note that you buy the maps separately as add-ons. This allows you to select exactly the sort of maps you want. I would suggest not buying maps at this stage and let your husband decide how he wants to deal with that.

 

If your husband does use the Trimble at work and is used to how it works, then he will probably think the interface on the etrex line (use of buttons) to be a bit “stone-age”. I find the button layout and use on the 60CSx to be better (I have both etrex and GPSmap60 units). If your husband does a lot of hiking to where a lighter-weight unit would be appreciated, then the etrex is probably the better one.

 

If you are uncertain about which unit to buy, then don’t buy on-line. Go to a trusted retailer and buy it there. You will get service and your husband can return it if not happy. Returns at internet sites are always more problematic and always cost you money for shipping. Recently REI had a sale on 60CSx units that was the same discounted price as you could get at discount websites. If you use this store and have member discounts, then this is a much better route than trying to guess which discount internet supplier is trustworthy. I would add that when I buy GPS stuff for myself, I always do this on-line at the site that I have found to be reliable.

[+letmein]

As a technical guy, and an occasionally recipient of my wife's good intentions, I think you might reconsider buying a GPS for your husband. If he is like me, he would really enjoy investigating the choices and features, and he would be happier making his own selection. (I almost used the word 'victim' instead of recipient in my opening sentence!)

 

I appreciate my wife's good intentions, but I prefer to make my own selections when it comes to electronic goods.

[+rlridgeway]

Either one of those units would be a good choice.

I had used Trimble's products for several years before I was introduced to lower cost GPS units. I was pleasantly surprised by the features of these units, given they are a fraction of the price of the Trimbles. In fact, I have been trying to convince my employer's mapping folks that we can do most things we need with low cost units.

[+JSWilson64]

I'd agree that, as a tech-savvy guy, I prefer to choose my own gear. But I'm reading an easy way for you to work in the "surprise" aspect for your husband. Since the desire to start geocaching is yours, and your husband probably uses the GPS in his job that most of us would LOVE to use for geocaching, why not just ask him to help you pick one out. For you.

Something like, "This Geocaching thing looks like fun, but I have no idea what to look for in a GPS. Sweetie, could you go to REI with me and show me what to look for?" Pretend you're assuming he'd be using his "work" GPSr if he joins you in your new hobby...

 

Then let him play with the different models and see what he gravitates to.

Edited November 5, 2007 by JSWilson64

[+Sputnik 57]

I would like our family to get involved in geocaching. I want to buy my husband a gps as a surprise for his birthday.

I think the real question is, "Where does a guy find a wife like you?" What a great idea!

 

I've read the other posts. I don't like the letting him pick one for himself or for you. I would buy the 60CSx (actually, I don't like the S version because it doesn't give the correct altitude when I fly in a pressurized cabin, so I would get the 60Cx). Then I would tell him after he opens it that you were really torn between that one and the Vista. Tell him that before he uses it too much, he should check out the Vista and that it won't hurt your feelings at all if he changes units. The only reason I would buy the 60 first is that it costs a bit more, so he won't have to ante up more $ if he wants to change units.

 

He will love either unit.

[Glenn W]

There is little consensus as to which is the better model. However, many feel that the Vista HCX is a better value in that it has most of the features of the 60CSx in a smaller, cheaper package. The money saved could be applied to Mapsource Topo software which really improves the capabilities of mapping receivers such as the HCX and CSx models. Without the maps, most of the benefits in buying a high-end receiver are not realized.

 

However, the Vista has side-mounted buttons that make it less well suited for use as a car navigator. This only matters if you plan to use the street navigation ability both units feature (with optional street maps). I have a 60CSx that works OK as a car navigator, but now that I have a dedicated car navigator (a C550), I would buy the Vista HCX if I was in the market today.

[gratefulHIKE]

I think any unit with a high sensitive receiver can be used easily with a car if you have a notebook to go with it.......I dont own a desktop because of the power consumption and difficulty transporting it, notebooks rule!!

 

unless you are a pc game addict

[+johnsmb]

Thanks for all the responses. I think I will get him one of the units and allow him the option of exchanging. As much as I dislike Walmart, I think if I order through them, returning/exchanging will be pretty straight-forward.

 

I know he might like to shop for it himself, but honestly if I don't get him this, than it's going to be a shirt or something terribly boring like that.

 

My main concern would be if he would be happy with a unit of this caliber after using highly expensive units. But he doesn't have a choice, since I don't see us spending any more than this, and it seems like they are perfectly adequate for geocaching/playing around with/and maybe even helpful in the car.

 

thanks.

[+Renegade Knight]

If he did how own research there is a 70% chance he would end up with a Garmin 60Cx or 60CSx. There is a 20% chance he would get a 76Cx or 76CSx. There is a 10% chance he would get an Onyx or another GPS that can load Satellite imagery (but doesn't so other things as well and they are really Beta GPSs and need fine tuning...). Hmmm...Forester...that may bump it up to 20% satellite imagery and topo...but even then it's still skewed towards the 60CSx.

 

Get the 60CSx and play it safe. The odds are heavily on your side.

 

To answer your other question. The surveyors I work with use the high caliber GPS units and they in turn bought a Garmin hand held because it made certain things simpler to do than futzing with all the high tech junk.

 

Finding a cache, or a route to some address you need to find, is one of those things that is "simpler" that make it not worth the hassle of the high tech gear.

[+PDOP's]

My main concern would be if he would be happy with a unit of this caliber after using highly expensive units.

 

I think he'll be pleased. I did much the same after using survey and mapping grade Trimble units at work and was surprised at the functionality of the recreational receivers and the software that's available for them. The 60 and 76 series aren't dumbed down to the level of the newly released units and still offer things like two communications ports for fooling around with different software.

[TomOfTarsus]

 

I've read the other posts. I don't like the letting him pick one for himself or for you. I would buy the 60CSx (actually, I don't like the S version because it doesn't give the correct altitude when I fly in a pressurized cabin, so I would get the 60Cx)....

 

Now that's a good one. I read somewhere that a guy was able to tell both his actual altitude and the "pressure altitude" of the cabin, I thought he had the CSx. (I'm trying to figure out what to buy as well). I'd like to be able to do that, any idea what he was talking about?

 

Also If y'all don't mind me busting in, what abut the compass in these units? is it magnetic, and does the unit apply the correct deviation? Electronic? Just curious.

 

Best to you, madam, you certainly are doing a nice thing for your husband.

 

Thanks all,

 

Tom

[+Alan2]

 

I've read the other posts. I don't like the letting him pick one for himself or for you. I would buy the 60CSx (actually, I don't like the S version because it doesn't give the correct altitude when I fly in a pressurized cabin, so I would get the 60Cx)....

 

Now that's a good one. I read somewhere that a guy was able to tell both his actual altitude and the "pressure altitude" of the cabin, I thought he had the CSx. (I'm trying to figure out what to buy as well). I'd like to be able to do that, any idea what he was talking about?

 

Also If y'all don't mind me busting in, what abut the compass in these units? is it magnetic, and does the unit apply the correct deviation? Electronic? Just curious.

 

Best to you, madam, you certainly are doing a nice thing for your husband.

 

Thanks all,

 

Tom

 

The "S" stands for sensors which means the unit has an barometric altimeter and a magnetic compass. The compass can be set to magnetic north, true north (the GPS applies the correct deviation automatically any where in the world) or whatever degree offset you want. Display is in digital digits and it also creates a compass rose electronically on the display showing the direction you are walking and an arrow that shows the bearing. If the unit is like a Vista, you can site the GPS and click and store the direction to folow afterwards or project a waypoint.

[gallet]

@johnsmb

 

I hear you. You've done the right thing to come to ask the blokes what a bloke would want.

 

Without a doubt it is between the VistaHCx and the 60CSx. As both units have the same features the choice is not as straightforward as some would have you believe.

 

I have to post this because you've had so many recommendations for the 60CSx but the analytical thinking person who appreciates good design will without doubt go for the Vista HCx.

 

Get the Vista HCx and let him exchange it for the 60CSx if he wants but if you really want to knock his socks off you can give him the reasons why you chose the Vista...

 

Tell him that the new Vista now has the H chipset which makes it as sensitive as the 60CSx so you considered other design criteria and thought the extra bulk, bad battery life and really really bad screen illumination make the 60CSx an unattractive proposition.

 

The screen on the HCx is such a tiny bit smaller that it makes not difference, but the extra brightness makes a big difference.

 

The other design factor is the buttons. At first glance the 60 might seem better because of the big rocker switch instead of the thumbstick. And if the 60 rocker was designed better it would in fact be preferable to the HCx thumbstick. But the 60 rocker if very poorly designed. It has a very imprecise and spongy feel to it.

 

I've got both (actually I don't any more because I sold my 60CSx a week after I bought it for the reasons stated above) and my opinion is that if he's working with a trimble the powerful well designed and compact VistaHCx will make a refreshing change.

 

If he uses a survey gps then I'm certain he will not be impressed with the extra macho look of the 60CSx that does nothing extra. It is looks without substance. Kind of reminds me of those 80's ghetto blasters.

[TOLady]

Well, when my hubby wanted new drivers (golf clubs), and I didn't know which ones to get, I just got toy golf clubs and wrapped the money around the shaft. It gave him the idea of what I was giving, and the funds to buy his own clubs of his own choosing.

 

What about wrapping up a small box, similar size to a GPS, download and print off a pic of a GPS, paste on the front, and put the $$$ in the box. Just tell him that you wanted him to be able to choose his own. Guys HATE it when others choose their gadgets for them - they want to feel master of their toy domaine. LOL

[+parker313]

I am the tech gear person in our house and I have to put in another vote for giving him a "fake" gift and then allowing him to make the purchase decision.

 

Half the fun for me is researching all of the different options

[TomOfTarsus]

Half the fun for me is researching all of the different options

 

Not me. It was fun at first... I'm reasonably tech savvy but tired of looking at contradicting opinons. Just about settled on a GPSMAP 60CSx and the fellow above pans the heck out of it. Oh, I understand, it's the real world, you can't please all the people all the time,... oh LOOK! There goes a Maggie triton 2000! Oh, boy, here we go again! Maybe I'll just wait for L2C!

 

I gotta go to bed, see how grumpy I am!

 

Later,

 

Tom