GPSMAP 60CSx vs GPSMAP 66sr

[IL-Tracker]

Used primarily for geocaching and limited hiking.  Is it worth the $500?  The 60CSx is loaded with the 100K mapset and and works like new, but is becoming a pain to load caches.  Just wondering if the newer technology, topoactive maps, compass, battery life, etc. are worth the extra cost, or best just to take the extra time to transfer caches onto the 60.  tia

[+Atlas Cached]

There are a few frequent flyers here in the forums that have made that very leap, I hope they will chime in soon.

 

Yes, 20 year old GPSr will get you to the cache just as well as any new fangled GPSr will, but, as you point out, not without substantial pre-planning and prep.

 

I have access to nearly every 'On The Trail' or 'Garmin Outdoor Handheld' GPSr produced since the late 90's, and my current favorite to grab every time I go out the door is the GPSMAP 66sr, with the Montana 7x0 being a close second.

 

The additional capabilities and features available to you with the GPSMAP 66st vs the GPSMAP 60CSx are many, and while some may consider them all 'fluff', once you use some of them, you likely will never want to go back. Be aware, there is a learning curve to go with those 15 years of refinements, so be prepared for some initial frustration while you are getting to know your way around the new device. 

 

l I know some others in this forum that thought they would keep their 60CSx close by in case they decided to revert... And now they say they will never go back.

[+cerberus1]

On 2/8/2021 at 11:19 AM, IL-Tracker said:

Used primarily for geocaching and limited hiking.  Is it worth the $500? 

The 60CSx is loaded with the 100K mapset and and works like new, but is becoming a pain to load caches.  Just wondering if the newer technology, topoactive maps, compass, battery life, etc. are worth the extra cost, or best just to take the extra time to transfer caches onto the 60.  tia

 

Sorry, but I can't understand how 16 caches since 2009 is a pain to load.  

I've loaded caches I'll do manually since starting, and just a pocket-sized notepad for hints n stuff is all that's needed.

The only pre-planning is finding caches that are more than 30' from parking, and entering caches to the handheld is less than two minutes each...

We now have two lightly-used  60cxs' as spares, but I'm still using the same one from 2005  (we started with blue legends...).  

A newer unit will allow you to easily  bulk-load every cache in any given area, and if that's okay with you, a newer unit may be worth it.

I feel that if starting new, not realizing that GPS "accuracy" still hasn't really changed with the other tech advances, it may be worth it. 

[IL-Tracker]

13 minutes ago, cerberus1 said:

 

Sorry, but I can't understand how 16 caches since 2009 is a pain to load.  

 

Excellent point - and I'll probably just manually load - at least for a while. 

Just retired on 12/31/20, and lots of excuses prior to that as to why I haven't been in the "field". 

Work and work related travel has a tendency to get in the way of the more important things in life.

So now am hoping to spend more time fishing, hiking and geocaching in my now unlimited spare time, so have been researching some of the new technology.  The only thing to interrupt my free time now are the grand kids, and maybe I can get them involved in some of these activities as well.   

Anyway, have been mainly trying to figure out if the newer technology is worth the cost, and right now it really doesn't appear to be so. 

I appreciate the input.  Thanks

[+cerberus1]

4 minutes ago, IL-Tracker said:

Excellent point - and I'll probably just manually load - at least for a while. 

Just retired on 12/31/20, and lots of excuses prior to that as to why I haven't been in the "field". 

Work and work related travel has a tendency to get in the way of the more important things in life.

So now am hoping to spend more time fishing, hiking and geocaching in my now unlimited spare time, so have been researching some of the new technology.  The only thing to interrupt my free time now are the grand kids, and maybe I can get them involved in some of these activities as well.   

Anyway, have been mainly trying to figure out if the newer technology is worth the cost, and right now it really doesn't appear to be so. 

 

Just to be clear ... if you intend to go all-in with the hobby, and want to do PQs, lists, and such (a PM is helpful then too ;), these new handhelds do everything but hoist the container to you.            But they definitely aren't a necessity.

I'm outside almost as much as in.  If this was the only hobby I had, I'd probably think more about one as well.   

Civilian GPS "accuracy" is still only around ten feet, that hasn't changed (yet).  All the new tech stuff does make things easier to do. 

Most of our (much) younger friends are simply using their phones now.

[+Viajero Perdido]

Got a modern cell phone?  See Cachly if iOS, Locus Map Pro if Android for full-featured caching, or the Groundspeak app for basics with upsell.

 

Heck, for $500 you could buy a ruggedized phone purely for caching (SIM not really needed; those apps work offline), with hundreds left over.  Search AliExpress for "rugged android" for plenty of options; I use an indestructible BlackView for caching and everything else.

[+mty55]

4 hours ago, Viajero Perdido said:

Got a modern cell phone?  See Cachly if iOS, Locus Map Pro if Android for full-featured caching, or the Groundspeak app for basics with upsell.

 

Heck, for $500 you could buy a ruggedized phone purely for caching (SIM not really needed; those apps work offline), with hundreds left over.  Search AliExpress for "rugged android" for plenty of options; I use an indestructible BlackView for caching and everything else.

 

Why play games for 299.95 you can get yourself an Oregon 750t Actually your choice 700, 750 or 750t from The GPS Store.

[+Viajero Perdido]

Games?  That's a glove across the face, but I'll ignore it.

 

GPSr vs phone is a now-ageless question, and there are plenty of threads about it with no clear winners.  Actually both sides are winners, because both approaches let us play this game of finding little treasures.

 

Merely pointing out an alternate reality / religion.

[+gpsblake]

Is the Oregon 700 worth $200 over the GPSMAP 60?  Yes, if you are going to be geocaching frequently enough. It has everything you really need for geocaching, hiking etc.

 

If the GPSMAP 66 worth $300 more than the Oregon 700? Absolutely not in my opinion. If you don't want a touch screen, I would recommend a GPSMAP 64 for half the price of the 66.

 

Another option since you said you are hiking and  perhaps size and weight are an issue is perhaps something like a Etrex (except for the 10)  which is smaller in size and saves an ounce or two.

 

As others have chimed in, geocaching accuracy isn't a factor anymore, all units will get you to a cache site, FINDING that micro or hard to see cache, well, that's a whole other matter.

[+Mineral2]

13 hours ago, gpsblake said:

If the GPSMAP 66 worth $300 more than the Oregon 700? Absolutely not in my opinion. If you don't want a touch screen, I would recommend a GPSMAP 64 for half the price of the 66.

I would probably recommend the GPSMAP 65 over the 64 at this point.

[IL-Tracker]

Wanted to thank all that responded and end with a quick follow-up. 

Although it takes thought and prep (and still a pain) to transfer geocaches from Geocaching.com, to a PC folder, then into BaseCamp, and finally onto the GPS, this is what I intend to do for now.  However, it was also a real challenge to get BaseCamp loaded on this PC, but found a YouTube video showing how the  computer's "power options" needed modified to allow this to actually open.  

So for now I will use the 60CSx in conjunction with Cachly and see how that goes.  

Although I have a few more than the 16 finds listed in my profile (haven't logged them all), I look forward to adding a lot more now that I am retired.

Thanks again,

Mike

[+Atlas Cached]

The Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx should be used with MapSource, not BaseCamp, which is intended for newer 'Mass Storage' devices.

[IL-Tracker]

If that is the case, how do you load geocaches onto MapSource from geocaching.com?

 

[+Atlas Cached]

57 minutes ago, IL-Tracker said:

If that is the case, how do you load geocaches onto MapSource from geocaching.com?

 

 

GSAK or similar third party software is much better suited to that activity. In fact, GSAK was created just for this very purpose.

[IL-Tracker]

2 hours ago, Atlas Cached said:

 

GSAK or similar third party software is much better suited to that activity. In fact, GSAK was created just for this very purpose.

Thanks, I’ll look into that. 

[+Styk]

GSAK is a great tool but sadly the creator has dropped support due to health issues a few years back. I still use it because I have used it for quite a few years.  As far as GPSrs goes , the ol' 60 series pre Mediatek chip sets was probably the best receivers made for the civilian users.  I still have my old 60Cx and it still works.  I have like atlas used most of the Garmin lineup. I have not however used any of the newer units that have the active mapping so I cannot speak to that feature but I hear its the bees knees.  LOL.  I am on my 4th Montana 600 series, 2 hardware issues during warranty period, one screen that broke around 3 sides after quite a few years of constant use in cold and heat extremes so I certainly can't complain on the durability of that one.  Now rocking a 610T that I got a few months prior to the release  of the 700 series of Montana.  I have a few cradles setup in my vehicles for the 600 series so not interested in upgrading for a couple years yet. 

 

Now the downside to the 60 series of the GPSMAP is it works wth mapsourse which is no longer supported and I haven't been successful at installing on a fresh windows 10 install.  But GSAK if you can find it will overcome that.  The other option if you want hardware button input is move up to a more recent generation like the GPSMAP 6s series, works with Basecamp but way cheaper then the latest 66/65 series.

 

[+The Jester]

2 hours ago, Styk said:

GSAK is a great tool but sadly the creator has dropped support due to health issues a few years back. I still use it because I have used it for quite a few years.  As far as GPSrs goes , the ol' 60 series pre Mediatek chip sets was probably the best receivers made for the civilian users.  I still have my old 60Cx and it still works.  I have like atlas used most of the Garmin lineup. I have not however used any of the newer units that have the active mapping so I cannot speak to that feature but I hear its the bees knees.  LOL.  I am on my 4th Montana 600 series, 2 hardware issues during warranty period, one screen that broke around 3 sides after quite a few years of constant use in cold and heat extremes so I certainly can't complain on the durability of that one.  Now rocking a 610T that I got a few months prior to the release  of the 700 series of Montana.  I have a few cradles setup in my vehicles for the 600 series so not interested in upgrading for a couple years yet. 

 

Now the downside to the 60 series of the GPSMAP is it works wth mapsourse which is no longer supported and I haven't been successful at installing on a fresh windows 10 install.  But GSAK if you can find it will overcome that.  The other option if you want hardware button input is move up to a more recent generation like the GPSMAP 6s series, works with Basecamp but way cheaper then the latest 66/65 series.

 

Gsak is still to be found at GSAK.net as it has always been.  While Clyde had to step away, volunteers have stepped up to maintain it.  So after downloading and installing it, goto the GSAK forums and get the latest update patch.

[Tahoe Skier5000]

As far as I'm concerned, if the GPS does what you need it to do, and the supporting PC software (i.e. Mapsource) still works, then keep using it until you no longer can.

 

I still use an Etrex Legend (purchased in 2004) from time to time. It works great. I did have to correct for a GPS date rollover issue last year, but that was easily resolved with a utility program I found online (gpseow.exe). Also, Garmin Mapsource is hanging on by a thread... last update from Garmin was 2010, but it still works on Windows 10, for now. I believe you will also need Mapsource for the 60CSX if you plan to transfer any waypoints, tracks, and maps to the unit, so keep that in mind. Data transfer to these old GPSrs is extremely slow by modern standards, but it will still do the job (as long as you have patience).

 

That said, the 66sr (with AA batteries) is a great, modern GPSr option. If you see yourself needing tons of map space (or constantly transferring maps to and from the unit), are interested in all of the (IMO) gimmicky wireless features they tend to load on GPSrs these days, or just really want high performance in general, then the 66 may be worth the price. It really becomes a question of: do I just need it to be a GPS, or do I want all the bells and whistles?

Edited February 28, 2021 by Tahoe Skier5000

[Tahoe Skier5000]

On 2/26/2021 at 5:43 PM, Styk said:

 

Now the downside to the 60 series of the GPSMAP is it works wth mapsourse which is no longer supported and I haven't been successful at installing on a fresh windows 10 install.  But GSAK if you can find it will overcome that.  The other option if you want hardware button input is move up to a more recent generation like the GPSMAP 6s series, works with Basecamp but way cheaper then the latest 66/65 series.

 

 

FYI, Mapsource will still work on Windows 10. I have it working on mine.

Edited February 28, 2021 by Tahoe Skier5000

[IL-Tracker]

Maybe I am missing something, but I cannot seem to transfer geocaches from geocaching.com to MapSource.  The only way I can do that is by using BaseCamp.  Now that I have reconfigured my computer, I was able to install BaseCamp.  Once the caches are in BaseCamp, they are easily transferred to my 60CSx.  

 

It sounds to me that you all are saying my GPS should work with MapSource, but it does not - or, like I said, I may be missing something.

 

Either way, I will continue to use my 60, along with the website and Cachly app.  

 

Thanks all for your input.  

 

[Tahoe Skier5000]

18 hours ago, IL-Tracker said:

Maybe I am missing something, but I cannot seem to transfer geocaches from geocaching.com to MapSource.  The only way I can do that is by using BaseCamp.  Now that I have reconfigured my computer, I was able to install BaseCamp.  Once the caches are in BaseCamp, they are easily transferred to my 60CSx.  

 

It sounds to me that you all are saying my GPS should work with MapSource, but it does not - or, like I said, I may be missing something.

 

Either way, I will continue to use my 60, along with the website and Cachly app.  

 

Thanks all for your input.  

 

You go to File, Open, and select the .gpx file from geocaching.com. Be sure you're exporting GPX version 1.0, not 1.0.1 (setting can be changed in your geocaching.com profile settings).

 

That said, I didn't realize the 60csx worked with Basecamp. I assumed since it was an older model that it would only work with Mapsource (some of the really old units like the legacy etrexes don't work with Basecamp). Regardless, Basecamp is a much nicer program overall, so if it's working for you then stick with it! Are you able to transfer your maps to and from Basecamp to the 60csx? Some of the older Garmin maps (like early 2000s topo) aren't compatible with Basecamp.

 

 

Edited March 2, 2021 by Tahoe Skier5000

[IL-Tracker]

Well, my 60CSx is from 2009.  It appears my profile settings are for version 1.0.  The geocache files are not visible/available when opening in MapSource.  But, I can use BaseCamp, so that is what I'll be using for now.  Upgrading to a 66 model will be based on usage. 

 

Again, thanks all.

 

[+Styk]

On 2/28/2021 at 1:27 AM, Tahoe Skier5000 said:

 

FYI, Mapsource will still work on Windows 10. I have it working on mine.

Yes it will working on mine but i had installed it several years ago.  When i did a fresh install of windows 10, mapsourse refused to install.  Not sure what the original version is but the fresh install is the pro version

Edited March 4, 2021 by Styk