Jump to content

My Garmin 60Csx Is Getting Old....


TexasGringo

Recommended Posts

We are indeed sonar-equipped!

The hat was a sore point. Her mom told her to take it, she didn't like it but wore it anyway, I thought it looked cool and needed a caption like "What's that you said?"

 

For anyone interested that is an active sonar, 7 degree beam angle and logs depths from 40cm to 100m. It means I can get in to shallow places that would impossible with any other type of boat. There is a small 12v sealed lead acid battery in the box.

Link to comment

On the 60Csx you can set to display water depth and temperature. You just need the NMEA input to provide the info. If I've got this right, it shows my setup of assistant, GPS and sonar on the kayak. Antenna is on the top of the pole, sonar at the bottom, feeding into a data logger or the 60Csx...

The Colorado has displays for depth, air, and water temperatures. Not certain but I think the Oregon has none of these. I just haven't a clue what a 'NMEA input' is? Would there be some 'input' to the Colorado so accurate ambient air temperature could be displayed which currently only seems to read internal GPSr temp?

Edited by Ratsneve
Link to comment

On the 60Csx you can set to display water depth and temperature. You just need the NMEA input to provide the info. If I've got this right, it shows my setup of assistant, GPS and sonar on the kayak. Antenna is on the top of the pole, sonar at the bottom, feeding into a data logger or the 60Csx...

The Colorado has displays for depth, air, and water temperatures. Not certain but I think the Oregon has none of these. I just haven't a clue what a 'NMEA input' is? Would there be some 'input' to the Colorado so accurate ambient air temperature could be displayed which currently only seems to read internal GPSr temp?

I think there was . . . until Garmin discontinued the serial interface cable, that only lasted like . . . a week, maybe a month tops!

 

Norm

Link to comment

On the 60Csx you can set to display water depth and temperature. You just need the NMEA input to provide the info. If I've got this right, it shows my setup of assistant, GPS and sonar on the kayak. Antenna is on the top of the pole, sonar at the bottom, feeding into a data logger or the 60Csx...

The Colorado has displays for depth, air, and water temperatures. Not certain but I think the Oregon has none of these. I just haven't a clue what a 'NMEA input' is? Would there be some 'input' to the Colorado so accurate ambient air temperature could be displayed which currently only seems to read internal GPSr temp?

I think there was . . . until Garmin discontinued the serial interface cable, that only lasted like . . . a week, maybe a month tops!

 

Norm

Even if Garmin removed the serial interface why did they leave the water temp and depth displays? Is it possible that the same wireless interface used for geocaches, heart rate and cadence could, with software that works, communicate with other wireless gadgetry such as sonar and temp probes?

Link to comment

Both the OR and CO support depth and water temperature fields. The CO has a broken air temp field based on an internal sensor, nothing to do with NMEA. Presumably depth and water temp come from externally connected NMEA devices such as reefmapper's setup with the 60csx.

 

The whole question around whether/how NMEA works on the OR and CO still bugs me. Both units have support for "Garmin Spanner" and "NMEA In/Out" interface modes. I'm assuming the later is to support serial connected NMEA devices using the RS-232/USB cable that Garmin sells for the Rino -- it however is no longer listed as a supported option for either unit and at one point users had claimed it no longer worked with the Colorado. There is still an FAQ on Garmin's page that indicates the CO works with this cable.

 

If anyone out there has used an OR/CO with serial NMEA devices I like to hear about it.

 

Sorry for the OT post but reefmapper's kayak setup is just too cool.

 

GO$Rs

Link to comment

Thanks for that. It took me many weeks of searching to find out what I needed to know to set this up. A few people have contacted me after I posted about it on the 60Csx forum. Before that I couldn't find any posts or methods for doing this. I bought a $600 data logger from New Zealand before I realised I could log directly from the sonar to a Garmin costing around half that.

 

Still have no idea what NMEA options there are with the PN-40, but in any case I won't be giving up the 60 any time soon.

Link to comment

This is my first posting on any of the Groundspeak forums. Although a neocacher I've been around GPS units for some years, the hubby got his first handheld one in the mid-90s (ancient history now) plus we have one of those DeLorme computer units w/software from years back, and in 2004 I bought the hubby a Garmin Etrex Venture while we were living out in WY. As a Ham Radio operator and all around nerd along with being a cartographer I think in another life, I've been watching the "sport" of geocaching since early 2001 when a couple friends got into it but at that time I was unable to walk much due to some health problems. I joined geocaching.com some time ago and read the forums off and on but I never could find anyone interested in doing this with me, now that I'm back to being able to move about. Now that we've moved back east I found that my best gal pal is getting into it so that did it for me! I borrowed the hubby's Etrex Venture and yesterday went out with her and her brand new Etrex Venture HC and found my first three caches. I'm hooked!

 

Of course I want my OWN unit so I started reading up on them and of course turned to the Groundspeak forums too. When I found this thread started by Drooling Mongoloid (no comment on THAT handle) it really spoke volumes to me. I agree with some here that it does sound a bit like you're just dying for a new and shiny toy but hey, I most certainly understand THAT feeling! But it was good to hear the positive comments about the 60CSx and combined with everything else I read in this thread it was just enough to push me over the edge and I ordered the unit this evening. I just couldn't quite go for the Colorado or Oregon models pricewise but I think I'm going to be pleased with the 60CSx.

 

Reef Mapper, I LOVE your assistant's hat. Even though her Mom made her wear it she looks quite wonderful in it and I now have hat envy!

 

Thanks again everyone and I look forward to many good times with my unit, my friend and a few new friends I'm making here locally in the geocaching scene. I also know this is going to be tons of fun on our next trip to WY, where we still go all the time (I just can't LIVE out there....and have a hubby who understood that, thankfully). I'm also looking forward to a weekend trip next month to visit my dad who lives in the Adirondacks of NY state.

Link to comment

 

Not to worry Ruthie, I can help you with hats.

 

Boot help, anybody?

 

:) Well, well, I saw your avatar pic earlier and DID admire that hat, and the mustache under it. And now I see why, it's a WY hat...and mustache! Not REAL far from where we used to live ... of course nothing is FAR in Wyoming...just one small town with really looooong roads. I was southeast of Jackson but visited often. Sadly, my hats aren't nearly as nice as yours. But I have some nice boots! :)

 

Sorry... waaay OT now.

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...