GPS 60csx

[+wrtiii]

Good Evening Fellow Cachers,

 

I would like to know how everyone is doing their caching with a 60csx. I have been away from the game for awhile now and mostly need a refresher plus need to be brought up to speed on the latest developments. I will be using my 60csx for caching and hunting this year. Previously I have only ever used the NA City Nav map purchased from garmin. Would Topo maps be a big advantage in the bush?

 

I recall using programs such as GSAK and I had a palm pilot I started using to log cache details on the fly. I now have a smartphone although I have No service outside the city so am not sure I want to rely on it very much.

 

I am quite computer savvy and am not looking for basic methods per say. I believe there is a way to use both City Nav and Topo maps without renaming files or changing sd cards by overlaying the maps into a single file and then selecting which to display or not to on the gps itself?

 

What programs are being used in 2012, which utilities, which android phone apps, Is a palm pilot still a viable option or would I just get looked at funny if I pulled that out at a caching event?

 

Thanks for your advice,

William

[+DonB]

Good Evening Fellow Cachers,

 

I would like to know how everyone is doing their caching with a 60csx. I have been away from the game for awhile now and mostly need a refresher plus need to be brought up to speed on the latest developments. I will be using my 60csx for caching and hunting this year. Previously I have only ever used the NA City Nav map purchased from garmin. Would Topo maps be a big advantage in the bush?

 

I recall using programs such as GSAK and I had a palm pilot I started using to log cache details on the fly. I now have a smartphone although I have No service outside the city so am not sure I want to rely on it very much.

 

I am quite computer savvy and am not looking for basic methods per say. I believe there is a way to use both City Nav and Topo maps without renaming files or changing sd cards by overlaying the maps into a single file and then selecting which to display or not to on the gps itself?

 

What programs are being used in 2012, which utilities, which android phone apps, Is a palm pilot still a viable option or would I just get looked at funny if I pulled that out at a caching event?

 

Thanks for your advice,

William

I have a 76CSx but I don't use the maps for caching, just the compass. I also use CacheMagnet which isn't paperless but that doesn't bother me, I can print out more then a day's caching on two sheets of paper, plus if you want you can print out a map. I tried a pda once but thought it was a pain in the a**.

[+The Jester]

I use the 60CSx. I have three different mapsets on the GPSr - CN, a local Topo, and a local trail map. The trail mapset is overlaid on the other maps, but I have to choose CN or Topo on the unit - from the map Menu=>Setup Map and then Menu=>Hide(Show) mapset.

 

I still use a PDA - Palm M515 - for the cache data (bought cheap on ebay, I have a couple of extra as backup if I lose or break mine). I use Cachemate on it. I use GSAK to load both GPSr and the PDA (and various map programs on the computer).

 

As to looking silly - what's sillier than walking in circles (or other patterns) looking at a electronic gizmo, muttering (or yelling) at it, while beating the bushes & trees? Don't worry about what gizmo you have in you hands, nobody's paying attention to that...

[+F33APilot]

Good Evening Fellow Cachers,

 

I would like to know how everyone is doing their caching with a 60csx. I have been away from the game for awhile now and mostly need a refresher plus need to be brought up to speed on the latest developments. I will be using my 60csx for caching and hunting this year. Previously I have only ever used the NA City Nav map purchased from garmin. Would Topo maps be a big advantage in the bush?

 

I recall using programs such as GSAK and I had a palm pilot I started using to log cache details on the fly. I now have a smartphone although I have No service outside the city so am not sure I want to rely on it very much.

 

I am quite computer savvy and am not looking for basic methods per say. I believe there is a way to use both City Nav and Topo maps without renaming files or changing sd cards by overlaying the maps into a single file and then selecting which to display or not to on the gps itself?

 

What programs are being used in 2012, which utilities, which android phone apps, Is a palm pilot still a viable option or would I just get looked at funny if I pulled that out at a caching event?

 

Thanks for your advice,

William

 

I use my 60Csx all the time for caching in addition to GSAK. I only have the CN maps, no topo. Haven't needed them yet with my mainly urban caching. My habits are to keep an up to date database of unfound caches in a 40 km radius from home. From this list I will load about 500 waypoints into my GPS from GSAK for the areas that I might cache in that weekend. I also load as POI all the caches in my GSAK db. So I have all the caches in the GPS and the local ones readily available. I only load the smart name, terrain, difficulty, size and decoded hint to the waypoint. I also use an ipod touch app that has all the cache details and a static google map of the GZ in its image tab. I do all my logging via the field notes function in the iPod and then upload when I get home to either the site directly or GSAK. I also use a blackberry app for getting current logs for caches, logging trackables as I grab them and taking photos (it tags the photo with the GC Code). I am not fully using the blackberry app because the cache names are different then the GPS and I have not fully figured out how to tell how many caches I have found on a specific date which the ipod does really well. I do flip between devices for the features. The google map image is fanastic if I am out of the country and do not want to rack up roaming charges. I also noticed when caching in the Rockies that there is no cell service in the mountains. But the BB can load PQs and receive notifications if there are any close by when I am out.

 

Hope this helps. I am dreading the day my trusty 60Csx no longer functions.

[+JesandTodd]

I got myself a 60CSx after I moved up to the mountains. I got it on eBay and it came with some sort of topo maps but I lost them when I installed NW trails. NW trails is alllllll I really care about anyway, so I didn't care about that loss.

 

For installation and stuff I use GSAK, which, IMO, has a steep learning curve. There's lots of you tube stuff to help out but it's a little overwhelming at first... I only use the garmin for caches on trails, but still use my iPhone for just about everything else...description, hints, field notes, etc.

 

IMO, the smartphone/60CSx combo is ideal for geocaching. As a PM you can store tons and tons of PQs on your phone, and rely on the durability and reliability of your garmin. It's perfect! And you don't need service on your phone if you're running off of PQs. In fact, once I hit the trail, the wi-fi and 4g get turned off. So it's basically an offline phone at that point. Plus, the GC app behaves better when is offline.

 

I still use and heavily rely on my iPhone for the majority of my caching, but I quite like my 60CSx. the two of them together are like peas and carrots...