Garmin GPSMap 60CSx MAP SOFTWARE QUES...NOOB

[+Analog Girl]

I've been using a Magellan Explorist 600 for two years now, and I think I'm ready to upgrade. I hear good things about the Garmin GPSMap 60CSx, and I'm wondering, what is the typical and/or best map software to buy for caching? Is there only one? I do mainly city/town caching, so topo maps are not necessarily of much use to me.

 

I'm also curious about the ease of transfer of cache data. Since Vista came along, I have this laborious and incredibly obnoxious process I have to go through to get new caches onto the Explorist, all of which I have foregone, and have just started entering them manually. This is easy, but annoying.

 

Thanks!!

[eaparks]

I've been using a Magellan Explorist 600 for two years now, and I think I'm ready to upgrade. I hear good things about the Garmin GPSMap 60CSx, and I'm wondering, what is the typical and/or best map software to buy for caching? Is there only one? I do mainly city/town caching, so topo maps are not necessarily of much use to me.

 

For Garmin's street maps you would want City Navigator NT this would get you street level detail with auto-routing. Ibycus has created free street maps for the U.S. and are very good, they just won't auto-route, but they are free. Also, some free topo maps are available for some of the states.

 

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/

 

http://www.miscjunk.org/

[+Analog Girl]

Thanks so much!!!!!

[+Rockin Roddy]

Thanks so much!!!!!

 

Are you stuck on only Garmin or would you entertain buying a DeLorme PN-40?

[+coggins]

I'm also curious about the ease of transfer of cache data. Since Vista came along, I have this laborious and incredibly obnoxious process I have to go through to get new caches onto the Explorist, all of which I have foregone, and have just started entering them manually. This is easy, but annoying.

 

Thanks!!

With the Garmin Communicator, on any cache page click the "Send to GPS" button to send the cache info to that unit.

[+vwaldoguy]

By the way, you can buy the City Navigator maps in NT format or non NT format. The NT format is just a compressed format allowing more maps to be stored. The 60CSx can only hold 2025 map segments. The NT maps compress more map space into each segment. But, that also does come at a price, as the GPS has to uncompress the maps to display them. So, the NT maps will be a little slower when the map needs to refresh, when the map is panning or zooming, etc. If you're not worried about the number of map segments on your unit, get the non NT maps.

[+JSWilson64]

By the way, you can buy the City Navigator maps in NT format or non NT format. The NT format is just a compressed format allowing more maps to be stored. The 60CSx can only hold 2025 map segments. The NT maps compress more map space into each segment. But, that also does come at a price, as the GPS has to uncompress the maps to display them. So, the NT maps will be a little slower when the map needs to refresh, when the map is panning or zooming, etc. If you're not worried about the number of map segments on your unit, get the non NT maps.

 

Do they still make City Nav North America non-NT? I've only seen the NT version on Garmin's site.

[+Analog Girl]

Thanks for all the advice, guys. I'm open to any suggestions - I am leaning towards the garmin, simply because if I find new caches, I'd like to be able to just transfer the info quickly before I leave from work, for example, so I can do a couple on the way home.

 

My explorist takes awhile to reroute - so I'm really looking for ease and efficiency.

 

**would you guys recommend that I purchase the map software in cd or sd? I'll only be using small map sections at a time, of course.....

Edited February 6, 2009 by Analog Girl