GPSmap 60CSx question

[+withanhdammit]

I just bought a GPSmap 60CSx the other day ($270 on E-Bay) and so far I freaking love it!

 

I went hiking today and have a question about viewing my current location. Some background, I loaded the appropriate TOPO map and created a route for the trail we were planning on following. All good, I was able to display the trial route on the TOPO no sweat. But, as we were hiking along (8 mile hike) the current location did not stay centered in the map, it would move along and eventually go off-screen, so if I wanted to glance at the GPS to check our location on the route, I first had to find the current location by scrolling around, sometimes even had to zoom out to find the route then get it centered better then zoom back in. A major pain.

 

So my question is, how do I get it to keep the current location centered and have the map scroll around?

 

The way I loaded the TOPO & route was hit MENU 2x, Routes, select the route, Enter, Map. Then it displayed a box on top with my Lat & Lon.

 

Any ideas/suggestions? I have seen the "default" map screen that doesn't show the Lat/Lon box on top and does appear to scroll the map, but I couldn't get it to show the TOPO & my route...

 

Thanks for helping!

 

h

[+Don_J]

I just bought a GPSmap 60CSx the other day ($270 on E-Bay) and so far I freaking love it!

 

I went hiking today and have a question about viewing my current location. Some background, I loaded the appropriate TOPO map and created a route for the trail we were planning on following. All good, I was able to display the trial route on the TOPO no sweat. But, as we were hiking along (8 mile hike) the current location did not stay centered in the map, it would move along and eventually go off-screen, so if I wanted to glance at the GPS to check our location on the route, I first had to find the current location by scrolling around, sometimes even had to zoom out to find the route then get it centered better then zoom back in. A major pain.

 

So my question is, how do I get it to keep the current location centered and have the map scroll around?

 

The way I loaded the TOPO & route was hit MENU 2x, Routes, select the route, Enter, Map. Then it displayed a box on top with my Lat & Lon.

 

Any ideas/suggestions? I have seen the "default" map screen that doesn't show the Lat/Lon box on top and does appear to scroll the map, but I couldn't get it to show the TOPO & my route...

 

Thanks for helping!

 

h

 

It sounds like you scrolled the map. On the map screen, when you press the round rocker button with the arrows on it, it will scroll the map. It will then stay locked where you scrolled to, until you press the QUIT button. Once you press QUIT, it will scroll back to your current location with the arrow cursor centered in the middle, and then track your progress.

[+withanhdammit]

It sounds like you scrolled the map. On the map screen, when you press the round rocker button with the arrows on it, it will scroll the map. It will then stay locked where you scrolled to, until you press the QUIT button. Once you press QUIT, it will scroll back to your current location with the arrow cursor centered in the middle, and then track your progress.

 

Hi Don,

 

Thanks for replying! I thought that might have been the issue. That's how my GPSmap 195 (aviation) works, but that was not the case here. I rechecked my steps and there is no question I did not hit the scroll button. And, when I hit quit, it takes me back to the text list of the route with the two options on the bottom of navigate or map.

 

Any other ideas?

 

h

[Yearofthegoat]

Did you originally select 'Navigate' or 'Map'? If you want to follow the route (i.e. you want to 'navigate' it) then select Navigate. If you just want to see the route on the map (e.g. to check it's correct) select Map.

 

When I'm navigating a route and I press Quit, it takes me to the previous standard screen (in my case the satellite strength screen).

 

If I highlight a route, press enter and then select Map - and then press Quit, it takes me back to the route screen with the two options - which is what makes me think you're selecting Map, not Navigate.

 

When you select Navigate you get a choice of 'Follow Road' or 'Off road' before it shows the route on the map. If you select 'Follow Road' it will use the Topo road database to calculate a road route. Therefore you need to select Off Road for hiking/rambling/off-road biking etc.

 

Hope that helps.

[+withanhdammit]

Well, it does help explain what happened, but I´m not sure it totally helped. I was selecting map not navigate, but the reason is because my trail had more than 50 points on it and when I selected navigate it said I couldn´t have more than 50 points. The trail has more than 50 points because, well, it´s an 8 mile loop following a trail, I really can´t do it with less than 50 points.

 

I guess since the trail is pretty clear when you´re on it, I can build the trail route with fewer points and not try to follow it so closely, just use it as a general overview of where I´m at on it.

 

So I guess you did help after all! Thanks for helping explain to me what I was doing wrong.

 

h

Edited October 14, 2008 by withanhdammit

[roybassist]

I was selecting map not navigate, but the reason is because my trail had more than 50 points on it and when I selected navigate it said I couldn´t have more than 50 points.

It sounds like you may have your routing preferences set to “Follow Road”. “Follow Road” routes are limited to 50 points; “Off Road” routes may have up to 250 points. It sounds like you’re doing point-to-point navigation, so “Off Road” should work ok.

 

Try this: MENU>MENU>Setup>Routing. If under Guidance Method it says “Follow Road”, try setting it to “Off Road” or “Prompted”. Prompted means that it will ask whether you want Follow Road or Off Road when you initiate navigation. If you use the Prompted option, select Off Road when you try to navigate that route.

 

I think if you do this, then try navigating your route, it will work.

[+withanhdammit]

Try this: MENU>MENU>Setup>Routing. If under Guidance Method it says “Follow Road”, try setting it to “Off Road” or “Prompted”. Prompted means that it will ask whether you want Follow Road or Off Road when you initiate navigation. If you use the Prompted option, select Off Road when you try to navigate that route.

 

Thanks for the suggestion roybassist! I will do this when I go home for lunch today and will let you know if that was the deal.

 

h

[rickzman]

Since you live in Washington State and are hiking with 60CSX, you might want to look at http://www.switchbacks.com/maps/NW_Trails.html . This web site has a map which overlays on your GPS and contains all trails for Washington, Oragon, etc. It should overlay you topo map.

 

Check out the web site.

 

Rick

[+LandRover]

Since you live in Washington State and are hiking with 60CSX, you might want to look at http://www.switchbacks.com/maps/NW_Trails.html . This web site has a map which overlays on your GPS and contains all trails for Washington, Oragon, etc. It should overlay you topo map.

 

Check out the web site.

 

Rick

Not all the trails but it certainly does have a lot of the them.

[+withanhdammit]

Since you live in Washington State and are hiking with 60CSX, you might want to look at http://www.switchbacks.com/maps/NW_Trails.html . This web site has a map which overlays on your GPS and contains all trails for Washington, Oragon, etc. It should overlay you topo map.

 

Check out the web site.

 

Rick

 

Sweet, I will check that out for sure!

 

Still haven't checked out the routing deal with more than 50 waypoints. Getting ready to vacation in Mexico and got busy...

 

h

[+withanhdammit]

Try this: MENU>MENU>Setup>Routing. If under Guidance Method it says “Follow Road”, try setting it to “Off Road” or “Prompted”. Prompted means that it will ask whether you want Follow Road or Off Road when you initiate navigation. If you use the Prompted option, select Off Road when you try to navigate that route.

 

That was the deal, thanks for the great suggestion.

 

I love this GPS more and more every time I use it. I'm sure there are others that are as good or better, but man, this one is sweet IMHO!

 

h