60csx or vista hcx

[+gcpd957]

My wife has ask me to get the assistance from the forums to pick her first gps unit. Thank you to all who responded to previous post, however it made it harder for her to decide because of the pros and cons of each. She wants one of the two units listed above and will pick the one which gets the most votes for the better unit. PLEASE GET HER OFF MY BACK SHES DRIVING ME CRAZY!

[O-Mega]

My wife has ask me to get the assistance from the forums to pick her first gps unit. Thank you to all who responded to previous post, however it made it harder for her to decide because of the pros and cons of each. She wants one of the two units listed above and will pick the one which gets the most votes for the better unit. PLEASE GET HER OFF MY BACK SHES DRIVING ME CRAZY!

 

Kind of hard to help without any info as to what she is looking for in a gpsr. I have the 60csx and can say it is a great unit, it has a good chip and can aquire a signal where my other units can't. The color screen is bright and very visible in most light conditions, it is also very good on power use so the batteries last quite a while. So for me I vote on the 60csx.

[+gcpd957]

My wife has ask me to get the assistance from the forums to pick her first gps unit. Thank you to all who responded to previous post, however it made it harder for her to decide because of the pros and cons of each. She wants one of the two units listed above and will pick the one which gets the most votes for the better unit. PLEASE GET HER OFF MY BACK SHES DRIVING ME CRAZY!

 

Kind of hard to help without any info as to what she is looking for in a gpsr. I have the 60csx and can say it is a great unit, it has a good chip and can aquire a signal where my other units can't. The color screen is bright and very visible in most light conditions, it is also very good on power use so the batteries last quite a while. So for me I vote on the 60csx.

 

it would be mostly for hiking and geocaching. She really cares mostly about accuracy and reliability though.

[+ergomaniac]

The 60csx and the Vista Hcx have identical features so it's only a matter of which one feels better.

 

I used a 60Cx for 2 years and have switched to the Vista Hcx. I prefer the brighter screen, smaller size and longer battery life of the Vista. I now prefer the click stick over the buttons on the 60Cx but that took awhile. Both GPS's have the same reliability and accuracy when caching or hiking.

 

If your wife has small hands I'd go with the Vista... if she has large hands I'd still go with the Vista .

[+YBLee]

I have the 60CSx and have never used the VistaCSx so the only comment I can make is teh 60CSx is a great GPS. The only feature it has that the Vista does not is Tidal Tables. I use them but if you do notneed them the Vista is probably going to serve you well.

[jimfish]

I have the 60CSx and it seems to never lose a signal even in deep cover. However the Vista is abit smaller and typically cost abit less. The only difference for me was the 60 holds a signal no matter which way you hold the unit and the Vista prefers to be held horizontal. I tend to throw it in my pocket or pack and wanted it to keep on tracking, thats why I picked the 60. Try to get both units in hand that may help her decide.

 

Determine which unit feels best to her.

Determine which screen she can see the best.

Decide how important signal receiption is even if in a pocket or pack.

 

Good Luck

[+JohnTee]

The 60CSx with the quadrahelix antenna is pretty much the Cadillac for Garmin Geocaching. My dad likes his.

 

On the other hand, you have similar features and accuracy in the Vista HCx, with a smaller form and great battery life. My little Vista is great.

 

With a significantly lower price, I vote Vista! []

 

Cache On!

 

JohnTee

Edited April 6, 2008 by JohnTee

[+coggins]

I have the 60CSx and have never used the VistaCSx so the only comment I can make is teh 60CSx is a great GPS. The only feature it has that the Vista does not is Tidal Tables. I use them but if you do notneed them the Vista is probably going to serve you well.

If you want Tide tables on the Vista HCx, you can do one of the following three things:

 

A: download them; http://www8.garmin.com/software/Recommende...desSoftware.exe

 

If you do not own a MapSource product which contains tides, but you do own another MapSource product, you can download and install this free MapSource U.S. Tides software. You must already own a MapSource product for this download to work. You can combine tide stations coverage from the Tides product with maps from other MapSource products and upload this to your unit.

 

B: get TOPO 2008 which has them.

C: or get the Blue Chart maps.

 

Any way works, the first one is free.

Edited April 6, 2008 by coggins

[bigbill25]

The 60CSx is bigger and more expensive for no additional benefit.

 

--Bill

[+Miragee]

I have used the 60 Cx/CSx and much prefer my Vista HCx. I think its smaller size is much more convenient for hiking. I really prefer the action of the click-stick vs. the rocker button and Enter button on the 60 Series.

 

Also, the Vista HCx fits more easily in a purse . . .

[+hdtravel]

I highly recommend the Garmin Colorado 300. I have one and love it. It is very easy to use, acquires a signal very fast and holds it very well. It is really a pleasure to use. Works very well. I have used the 60csx and vista hcx and much prefer the Colorado 300 to either of those units.

[+Chuy!]

Between the two, I'd recommend the Vista HCx. It she only wants the GPS for caching and hiking, why buy the high-end models if she will never use the features. Seems like a waste of money.

 

I think the Venture HC is what she really needs. At about $100 less than the Vista, performance is identical. They only differ in features. Specifically, the Venture lacks altimeter;electronic compass; external media card slot; and auto-routing capability with optional street mapping software.

[moonpup]

I was a 60CSx user ever since they came out and over time with firmware updates it became a fantastic unit! I recently sold mine to pick up a Colorado 400t and that was a huge mistake. My particular unit was incredibly buggy, locked up constantly and sucked up water like a sponge. The seal in that unit is absolutely useless and leaks like a sieve. If anyone tells you otherwise, they obviously have not dunked theirs in a pool of water...anyway I digress.

 

I have since returned the Colorado and settled on the Vista HCx for the interim until the Colorado's become more refined. My reasoning for not buying another 60CSx, was I felt the antenna stuck up to high and over time I hated the buttons at the bottom and found them spongy. I hike a lot and I like the compactness of the Vista, its better display and and longer battery life. I also like the click stick and button layout.

 

Most of this is personal preference and you really need to take your wife to a store that carries the models you are interested in and have her try and see them for real. This will give her a better understanding of each unit. Good luck!

[moonpup]

I have the 60CSx and have never used the VistaCSx so the only comment I can make is teh 60CSx is a great GPS. The only feature it has that the Vista does not is Tidal Tables. I use them but if you do notneed them the Vista is probably going to serve you well.

 

The Vista HCx has tide prediction built in under the Marine section (this may have been loaded with the Topo 2008 maps)

Edited April 7, 2008 by moonpup