Sorry newb gps advice

[+a4gom]

Sorry guys I appreciate the answers probably in amongst another thread but I've done some searches and not really come up with it.

 

We are just 1 walk and 4 caches into this business (3 found) We used my sons nokia phone with a bluetooth gps unit which is about 8 years old and although it got us in the area I wasn't impressed by the accuracy. In fact if it hadn't been for local knowledge, studying the location on the p.c. and the clues I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have found anything.

 

So I'm looking at maybe investing in a handheld gps unit. Trouble is it's a minefield out there having never even held one before.

I started looking at one which would do the basics; compass, direction and distance to cache but looking around it appears I would need to be paying over £50 second hand for something like this.

 

I then thought to myself if I'm searching in an area I don't know I'm going to have to buy or download a map for the local to enable me to find rights of way etc.So maybe something with maps on is the way forward (even bigger minefield)

 

I have been offered a Garmin Gmap 60csx for £120 which I believe ticks all the boxes and comes with topo maps of UK 2009 version.

Are these easy to use?

Will it do everything I need?

Are these maps any good?

I've seen a few screen dumps and whilst I didn't necessarily expect them to show all the features of an OS map I was a bit disappointed by the lack of information.

 

All my life I've used 1:50k os maps for my outdoor pursuits, scouting, walking, watching rallies etc and it's easy to find your way round with these so perhaps I've been spoilt. I've seen some gps's with OS maps on, can you upload OS maps to the garmin 60csx?

Are there any other maps available with more detail on?

 

Should I really be looking at something else?

 

Sorry for all the questions but I really don't know what I'm jumping into and I'm jumping with both feet!

[+burtsbodgers]

HI Welcome to the obsession!

I know that the GPSr thing is a minefield, its taken me a few attempts to get it right!

I dont know much about the 60CSX but it does have C colour screen S sensitive antenna X expandable memory (micro sd card).

All of which are good The only downside from your point of view according to the Garmin website the unit will not take the Garmin Discoverer maps but will take the Garmin Topo maps.

The Garmin Topo maps are good but not as good as the discoverer.

Topo Maps: Usefull and show great detail on water features but often missing paths and trails.

Discoverer maps:OS 1:50,000 exactly the same as the paper versions.

However as a starter GPSr this will be far better than most of us started of with, and you can get free openstreet mapping (via Talkytoaster) on this forum, these maps are good but the coverage can be patchy depending on who has submitted info in your area, but are frequently updated and are free!

I use a Garmin Oregon 300 with the discoverer maps OS 1:50k and extra sections of Birdseye

maps OS:1:25k and currently playing with mobile atlas creator for free sections, and this works really well for all applications caching,scouting etc etc

But at the end of the day it all comes down to the justification of funds, but what you have been offered is good stuff and always ebayable when you tire of it.

[+a4gom]

Thanks for that, I've done quite a bit of searching and came to the conclusion that even if the maps weren't as good as I would like they were better than nothing. The price seems good so if something better comes along I would hopefully get my money back. I'll have a look for some oregon / colorado's first though.

[+Amberel]

Thanks for that, I've done quite a bit of searching and came to the conclusion that even if the maps weren't as good as I would like they were better than nothing.

That's exactly right. And burtsbodgers summary was spot on.

The price seems good so if something better comes along I would hopefully get my money back. I'll have a look for some oregon / colorado's first though.

Although I have no personal experience of the 60CSX, it is a good device - fewer features than an Oregon, but better GPSr performance.

 

You can try talkytoaster's free maps - they are patchier than the Topo maps, but where there is coverage it's often better than the Topo.

 

You can print out small sections of OS maps from the web before you go. Try http://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/oswebsite/getamap or http://www.streetmap.co.uk, or plenty of others.

 

Rgds, Andy

[+a4gom]

Thanks for the tips / links, I nearly always buy a map for the area if I'm away on holiday for a week or so anyway (nosey) and I suppose if I'm at home I can print sections of as you suggest. It's more the impulsive caching on route etc where having maps would help. Having said that I'd need access to the internet to get the locations so perhaps I'm trying to find a solution for a problem that won't happen?

[+Bear and Ragged]

The 60 is the unit others are judged by.

 

Topo maps are not the best.

(Nothing beats a good OS map!)

 

Take a look at TalkyToasties maps.

 

It may be worthwhile looking at Premium Membership.

This will allow you to download Pocket Queries with up to 1000 caches in.

Worthwhile if you know where you will be heading beforehand.

 

GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife) has a few macros that will allow you to send a little more cache page info to the GPS unit as POI (Point of Interest) files.

(And they are VERY helpful over in the GSAK forums)

Edited February 1, 2011 by Bear and Ragged

[+D&GPowell]

Been using the Garmin GPSmap 60CSx for about 10 months, in conjunction with TalkyToaster maps and GSAK. I would recommend the device any day, maybe not as good as some for paperless caching but still good.

[+Pharisee]

I've been using a 60CSx since they first arrived on the scene and to be truthful, the only thing I'd swap it for would be the 62 series but only then if the 60 got lost or broken. If you're using GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife) you can load the hint into the unit so you don't really need much else. I use an old iQue3600 and CacheMate to hold the page details but rarely need to look at it so I've no interest in Oregons or Colorados.

[+NickandAliandEliza]

I've been using a 60CSx since they first arrived on the scene and to be truthful, the only thing I'd swap it for would be the 62 series but only then if the 60 got lost or broken.............

 

Or drowned

[+Bear and Ragged]

I've been using a 60CSx since they first arrived on the scene and to be truthful, the only thing I'd swap it for would be the 62 series but only then if the 60 got lost or broken.............

 

Or drowned

 

If that little story doesn't give you at least ONE good reason to buy a 60, nothing will!

 

Found the link

Edited February 1, 2011 by Bear and Ragged

[+Boltonian]

Glad you posted this as I bought one of these on Sunday at the Warrington meet.

It seems OK and as stated takes the Talky maps.

Will be doing a cache hunt this week and will try and update you.

[team tisri]

The 60CSx is a great unit, robust, waterproof, and hardly ever drops signal. The only times mine has dropped signal were when I was in fog so thick I was driving at about 45-50mph on the M3 and feeling like I was probably going a little too fast, and one occasion where it thought I was about 1/4 mile away from where I really was. That's two failures in nearly five years of using it.

 

The UK Topo maps vary from awesome to useless depending on where you are. Seriously, I've seen "tracks" that are little more than worn strips in the grass that have been shown on the map. I've also seen gravel tracks wide enough for two cars and leading to a car park not shown on the map.

 

Talkytoaster's OSM maps are great in my area although using them for navigation is a bit hit-and-miss. They'll get you to your destination but don't always choose a particularly good route. If you're using them for cycling they aren't always accurate regarding where cycling is and is not permitted (every error I've seen has been when it wanted to route me down a path marked No Cycling). The great thing about them is they are free, and if you find an error or omission you can correct it yourself.

 

I'll agree with Pharisee and say the only thing I'd change my 60CSx for is a 62, and at the moment I'm struggling to justify dropping nearly £300 on the 62st when the 60CSx does virtually everything I want.

[+a4gom]

Based on the above I best get it bought then.

 

Thanks for your help.