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Colorado 300 vs GPSMap60Csx


oikumene

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I have recently purchased the Colorado 300, Europe. It is a good GPS but I was very disappointed with the features of the Colorado. The features in the Csx as floows are absent from the crude software of the Colorado.

 

1) Proximity Alert,

2) Tones,

3) Trackback,

4) Trip Computer swapping to MAP when waypoint is reached automatically

5) other features

 

I was intending to return the Colorado 300 back to the outlet and swap it with a Csx but before doing that I want to know whether Garmin intend to upgrade the software of the Colorado dramatically and insert all features of the Csx.

 

I am to understand that the satellite receiver chip on both Colorado 300 and the Csx are the same.

 

:laughing:

Edited by oikumene
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Trackback exists, or rather track forward, as it will guide you along the track, the same way as you did the trip when the track was recorded.

 

If Garmin intended the Colorado to be just an upgrade from the 60 CSx, not a different development route, then it would probably have everything the 60 CSx has from the beginning. From that, one can guess that they don't intend to include everything the 60 CSx has, but support some of it and add a few other new things, that aren't on the 60 CSx at all.

 

As far as I know, the 60 CSx doesn't switch to the map page just because you reach a waypoint? Or are you referring to the turn previews? Or maybe it does, but I've never noticed.

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I picked up a 60CSx off of Craigslist for $275 (including an auto adapter kit and NA maps - great deal). I had been geocaching with a friend's eTrex Vista C and I LOVE this unit.

 

I have not used the proximity alerts at this point in time. I am very familiar with the concept, as my company sells GPS recovery and tracking units (we call it a geofence when placed on a particular location). I have used the routing feature, however, and I love it. Does not talk like the in-car units, but who really needs a GPS unit blathering at them? :laughing:

 

I looked into the Colorado at one time, but everyone I know that has a 60CSx loves it, so I figured it was my best option. Plus, it was the first one I found on Craigslist.

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I am to understand that the satellite receiver chip on both Colorado 300 and the Csx are the same.

I don't think they are the same. I think the 60CSx uses the SiRFstar III. The Colorado may be using the MediaTek chipset (at least, that's what people think the Type M chipset is).

 

As far as the crude software goes, I personally love it. Like I've said in other threads, assuming the Colorado will do everything that the 60SCx does is probably a bad assumption. It's not the same GPS, even though it is from the same company. The fact that I didn't have a 60CSx previously might have something to do with how much I like the Colorado.

 

Which version of the crude software were you running? Version 2.4 is much less crude than the previous versions, but I don't know if it addresses any of the features you mentioned.

 

Garmin seems to be updating this platform based on consumer feedback, so if a lot of people are asking for the features you mentioned, then they very well may be added in the future. You can always post your feature request to the issues thread and g-o-cashers can add it to the issues wiki.

 

--Marky

Edited by Marky
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One would think that a TrackBack feature would be standard on a handheld unit! Tracking forward doesn't do you any good if you get "misplaced" out in the woods!

 

Just curious since my experience with other Garmin GPS units is limited: is "trackback" the same thing as "reverse route"? If so, then the Colorado supports this; see page 20 of the manual.

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One would think that a TrackBack feature would be standard on a handheld unit! Tracking forward doesn't do you any good if you get "misplaced" out in the woods!

 

Just curious since my experience with other Garmin GPS units is limited: is "trackback" the same thing as "reverse route"? If so, then the Colorado supports this; see page 20 of the manual.

 

Trackback is like a route but a track converted in a route, sort of.

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I am to understand that the satellite receiver chip on both Colorado 300 and the Csx are the same.

I don't think they are the same. I think the 60CSx uses the SiRFstar III. The Colorado may be using the MediaTek chipset (at least, that's what people think the Type M chipset is).

 

As far as the crude software goes, I personally love it. Like I've said in other threads, assuming the Colorado will do everything that the 60SCx does is probably a bad assumption. It's not the same GPS, even though it is from the same company. The fact that I didn't have a 60CSx previously might have something to do with how much I like the Colorado.

 

Which version of the crude software were you running? Version 2.4 is much less crude than the previous versions, but I don't know if it addresses any of the features you mentioned.

 

Garmin seems to be updating this platform based on consumer feedback, so if a lot of people are asking for the features you mentioned, then they very well may be added in the future. You can always post your feature request to the issues thread and g-o-cashers can add it to the issues wiki.

 

--Marky

Agreed - much of the disappointment I have read about the Colorado is centered around the unit not being a direct uprade to all the features of the 60CSx. I LOVE the 300 and find it has all of the feature I want and then some. I just don't think that Garmin intended for it to be an upgraded 60CSx - just a new unit with some interesting new features.

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Proximity alert is an alert that sounds when you come within a certain radius from a user defined waypoint.

 

A speedcam alert is when you come within a certain radius from a custom POI, and also are above a certain speed (for a camera).

 

The Colorado doesn't support any of these. The 60 CSx supports both. nüvis support alerts for custom POI.

 

Trackback is the option to be guided along a recorded track, in any direction (either back to where you came from, or once again along the track). The Colorado supports this in the context of redoing the recorded journey once again, not going in the opposite direction. If you want to follow a track backwards, to get you out of wherever you went in, you have to follow the graphical representation of the track on the screen. If there are roads available, you can let the unit compute an autorotue to your origin, if you have the maps supporting autoroutes.

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I am to understand that the satellite receiver chip on both Colorado 300 and the Csx are the same.

I don't think they are the same. I think the 60CSx uses the SiRFstar III. The Colorado may be using the MediaTek chipset (at least, that's what people think the Type M chipset is).

 

As far as the crude software goes, I personally love it. Like I've said in other threads, assuming the Colorado will do everything that the 60SCx does is probably a bad assumption. It's not the same GPS, even though it is from the same company. The fact that I didn't have a 60CSx previously might have something to do with how much I like the Colorado.

 

Which version of the crude software were you running? Version 2.4 is much less crude than the previous versions, but I don't know if it addresses any of the features you mentioned.

 

Garmin seems to be updating this platform based on consumer feedback, so if a lot of people are asking for the features you mentioned, then they very well may be added in the future. You can always post your feature request to the issues thread and g-o-cashers can add it to the issues wiki.

 

--Marky

Agreed - much of the disappointment I have read about the Colorado is centered around the unit not being a direct uprade to all the features of the 60CSx. I LOVE the 300 and find it has all of the feature I want and then some. I just don't think that Garmin intended for it to be an upgraded 60CSx - just a new unit with some interesting new features.

 

I thought that the Colorado was an upgrade of the CSX and I bought it and was disappointed. Garmin did not market the Colorado correctly. I found the Colorado manual very short and concise.

 

Yes, the Colorado is a different typeof GPS than the Csx. The Colorado seems like a glamourized GPS that's all. Maybe we are not yet aware of its potential but Garmin has not told us how far they are going to take the Colorado software wise.

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I think everyone who assumed it was just a GPSmap 60 CSx+ were disappointed. I looked at it as a fresh restart for a hiking/all purpose GPS, and liked the idea. I didn't like everything in the implementation, but frankly, there are several features in the 60 CSx I've only used once: To test that they worked.

 

But I didn't read any advertisements (there weren't any, as I got it before it was officially announced), so I was never tricked by something that seemed to promise something I could interpret as something it really was not.

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I am about to be mad. Why the ¤#"%4. Removing speed alert and proximity alert.

I thought Garmin would like to earn as much money as possible?

 

Sorry to say, but they do some very stupid marketing decisions..

 

PS alert on POI can be used for much more than speed alerts.

Edited by jotne
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I think everyone who assumed it was just a GPSmap 60 CSx+ were disappointed. I looked at it as a fresh restart for a hiking/all purpose GPS, and liked the idea. I didn't like everything in the implementation, but frankly, there are several features in the 60 CSx I've only used once: To test that they worked.

 

But I didn't read any advertisements (there weren't any, as I got it before it was officially announced), so I was never tricked by something that seemed to promise something I could interpret as something it really was not.

 

This is a fair statement. I'm an owner of the GPSmap 60CSx and purchased the Colorado. There is a huge learning curve, in my opinion, between the two units if you consider the Colorado as an "upgrade." If you own any other unit, then the features of the Colorado are probably more than expected and you'll be happy.

 

On several occasions over the last two weeks, I considered shipping this Colorado back because I got frustrated. However, I'm slowly coming around and finding the Colorado to be a pretty functional unit. The last software update, Version 2.40, on February 18, really added some important features that were missing on the Colorado. I wouldn't doubt more updates in the future. While I didn't have the CSx when it was first released, I'm sure it too had it shortcomings in the beginning. If you look at the Garmin site, there are a number of software updates that make the CSx what it is today. I'd expect the same about the Colorado.

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The csx units did have a lot of issues when they first hit the market, some that were not addressed for a few firmware updates, such as it not being able to re-aquire satellites after going through a tunnel etc.

 

I encourage everyone to email garmin and ask for the trackback feature added to the colorado, this a key gps feature for any unit, the most basic $100 units have this feature.

 

When garmin first game out with the gps12 this was their huge feature, that you could hike into somewhere, and use the gps to get you back by reversing your track on the way in. What is a gps for if not to get you back from somewhere that you got lost along the way.

 

It does allow for reversing of routes, but the unit does not store a route as you move with it, it stores a track.

 

I certainly understand the colorado is not a 60csx, and won't have the identical feature set, but not having the ability to reverse the track you hiked in on to get yourself back out, is a serious screw up at best. Yes you can mark a waypoint of your car etc. and then have the GPS route you strait back to it, but more than one person has died walking off a cliff etc. blindly following a strait line course from a gps unit at night. This is why having the ability to retrace your exact track into where you are only in reverse is key.

Edited by toddm
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Proximity alert is an alert that sounds when you come within a certain radius from a user defined waypoint.

 

A speedcam alert is when you come within a certain radius from a custom POI, and also are above a certain speed (for a camera).

 

The Colorado doesn't support any of these. The 60 CSx supports both. nüvis support alerts for custom POI.

 

My Colorado beeps when we get close to a waypoint or cache and says something like "Arriving at...) Haven't tried it with a POI and I don't recall seeing any speed alarm, but I didn't mess with the automotive profile much.

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