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Garmin 60cs Or Vista C ?


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Hello All, Since reading about geocaching in a local paper I've decided this is not only a great way for me to incorporate biking/hiking/& treasure hunting (getting my kids involved too), but also another great reason to buy a new toy! My original plan was to get a basic Etrex model strictly for geocaching. After much research I now see that getting a gps with auto routing would be very helpful for the driving trips we take.

 

I have narrowed down the field to either the Garmin 60cs or the Vista C. Yes, I may not need the extra bells & whistles with the 60cs over the 60c, or the Vista C over the Legend C, but, hey I like my gadgets and would rather have it all up front rather then to not get it and regret it later.

 

From what I have found out so far I can get the Vista C for around $330, smaller size, latest and greatest(?) or the 60cs for $390, more memory (hard to pass up more memory on anything), larger size which can be good or bad... bigger to hold but also larger display.

 

Here's where I need some help...

 

1) Which unit's antenna will provide me with the best, or should I say, the most reliable, constant reception? The 60cs with the quad-helix antenna or the Vista C with the built in patch antenna?? Has Garmin made any significant improvement to the internal antenna on the Vista C or is the quad-helix better?

 

2) The 60cs has a connection on the back for an external antenna, I don't see this mentioned in the Vista C manual, is that true or am I missing something?

 

3) Memory, I am planning a trip from NY City to Orlando and I realize I cannot fit the maps for every state along the way into either unit but if I were to store just the blocks needed for my intended route would it all fit into either one? I would be using Mapsource City Select which I have yet to purchase.

 

4) Driving, in one other post (gps 60cs oddness) I read that if the 60cs loses lock on the sats will estimate your current postion, is that true for the Vista C also?

 

5) Geocaching, from the manual it appears that the 60cs has a nice setup for storing found/unfound caches. The manual on the Vista C doesn't have much info at all regarding this. Is it the same?

 

6) Ease of use, the extra buttons on the 60cs or the stick on the Vista C, which one is easier to use?

 

I realize alot of this is opinion, but I appreciate everyones thoughts on this. So far the 60cs is the one I am leaning towards but I just want to cover all bases.

 

Thanks!

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2) The 60cs has a connection on the back for an external antenna, I don't see this mentioned in the Vista C manual, is that true or am I missing something?

 

There isn't a jack for an external antenna on the Legend C/Vista C. You'd have to use one like this if you want an external antenna:

 

Vortech Re-Radiating Kit with Titan III Antenna

 

I don't know anything about them though.

 

5) Geocaching, from the manual it appears that the 60cs has a nice setup for storing found/unfound caches. The manual on the Vista C doesn't have much info at all regarding this. Is it the same?

 

I have both a 60 CS and a Vista C and so I can tell you first hand that the geocaching mode on the two units are identical. In fact, the firmware/software is nearly identical between the two in every way. The Vista C is just like a mini version of the 60CS only with a patch antenna and a little less memory is all.

 

6) Ease of use, the extra buttons on the 60cs or the stick on the Vista C, which one is easier to use?

 

This is a tough one... I MUCH prefer the click stick on the Legend C/Vista C over the rocker button on the 60 C(S). It's MUCH easier to use when scrolling/panning the map page and when entering in letters and numbers. However, Garmin screwed up big time with the side mounted buttons on the Legend C/Vista C in that they put the Menu and Quit buttons on the opposite side of the unit. This makes the unit hard to use because you have to keep switching from one side of the unit to the other in order to get most things done. If they would have just put the two buttons on the same side of the unit, then I'd say that the buttons on the Legend C/Vista C win hands down for ease of use over the 60 CS. However, since they didn't do that, I'd have to say that it's a draw between the two (although, the usefulness of the click stick wins me over to the Legend C/Vista C).

 

I realize alot of this is opinion, but I appreciate everyones thoughts on this. So far the 60cs is the one I am leaning towards but I just want to cover all bases.

 

As I already mentioned, I have a 60 CS and a Vista C (we also have a Legend C as well), and I'd take the Vista C over the 60 CS any day (mostly due to its super small size and the click stick). But as you said, that's just my personal opinion.

 

The ONLY draw back to the Legend C/Vista C when comparing it to the 60 C(S) is the smaller amount of memory it has. If Garmin offered it with 56 MB of memory like the 60 C(S) has, then there wouldn't even be a contest in my eyes.

 

Most folks will tell you that the quad-helix antenna in the 60 C(S) would be the decision maker for them (and the memory too), but I have to say that I've used my 60 CS and Vista C side-by-side and I really can't tell much of a difference between the antennas. If you live in (or often visit) a location with heavy tree cover (which I don't), then you'll notice a difference in the antenna. Otherwise, that parts a wash for me and doesn't even factor into the decision.

 

No matter what you decide, they're both GREAT units and you'll be happy either way. :smile:

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As mentioned, the 60C/S has the better antenna - and it has a jack for an external antenna connection too (take it on airplanes).

 

No external antenna connection for the Legend/Vista C

 

NY to FL? - you'll need the memory of the 76C/S for that. Even the 60 doesn't have quite enough for that trip (not even just for the desired route). If you have a laptop computer, you could lug it around and upload the necessary maps when you get 1/2 way there.

 

(I can't answer 4 or 5)

 

I find the 60C easier to use than the Legend

Edited by Neo_Geo
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From what I have found out so far I can get the Vista C for around $330, smaller size, latest and greatest(?) or the 60cs for $390, more memory (hard to pass up more memory on anything), larger size which can be good or bad... bigger to hold but also larger display.

 

Looking for a 60cs, Could you let me know where you found a 60cs for that cheap. I would really appreciate it.

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I had the Vista(not the c model) and I now have the GPSmap60cs. I like the 60 much better. The rocker switch versus the peg is not as nice but have gotten use to it. But I love the larger screen since my CSTSS is getting bad. I like the City Select and the maps but you won't get all the mapsrequired to go on the trip you explained. You will need bring along your laptop and add as you go, otherwise send me the route you plan on taking and I could load my 60 and see how much of the route I can actually get in for you.

 

murph

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Just felt like throwing in my $.02: If you can, go hold a 60cs and a 76cs, if you dont mind how the 76cs feels, it is only about 50 bucks more (at least at the place I found, www.jjielectronics.com, 60cs 399.95, 76cs 454.95, that is not a plug just letting you know what I paid!) and you get 2x the memory! Plus I have heard that using the 76cs in the car is easier than the 60cs because the 76's bracket is much easier to get it out of. And of course there is the external antenna option. Here is what I ordered and would recommend: Garmin GPSMAP 76CS and 76CS Auto Navigation Kit (City Select, beanbag mount, auto mount, cigarette lighter adapter)

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From what I have found out so far I can get the Vista C for around $330, smaller size, latest and greatest(?) or the 60cs for $390, more memory (hard to pass up more memory on anything), larger size which can be good or bad... bigger to hold but also larger display.

 

Looking for a 60cs, Could you let me know where you found a 60cs for that cheap. I would really appreciate it.

I bought mine at http://www.getfeetwet.com/

it cost $395 plus free T-shirt.

 

regarding VistaC vs. 60CS:

I was affraid rocker button would be a a problem compared to ClickStick but it turned out to be just fine, I like it more then ClickStick already.

24 meg seems a little too small for CitySelect maps to me.

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I just made the exact same decision and went with the Vista C. I can't compare to the other, but I can tell you that the Vista C is amazing -- see my earlier forum post to hear me raving about it.

 

If, as others have said, the software is pretty much the same, I don't think you can go wrong with either one. I was totally blown away by how great the garmin software is, both in the unit and on the desktop, and the map data (I use the Topo Canada) is extremely accurate.

 

The Vista C antenna works great. I was getting 8 sats no problem, and that was using it inside a carrying case and in trees.

 

I think the biggest upside is the smaller, lighter unit at a lower cost. Also, the 60CS looks like it would be harder to use one-handed -- just guessing here. I found the Vista really easy to use in one hand with the wrist strap.

 

Probably the biggest downside is the memory, but since the garmins use vector-based maps you can get a ton of map data into that 24 MB.

 

Also, for your trip, don't forget that the built-in base map is reasonably detailed and includes routing capabilities, including (for the US) interstate exits and things like that. So, you wouldn't need to have every inch of your route in detail maps -- just get the maps for areas you plan to spend some time.

 

Let us know what you choose!

 

Regards,

Anthony

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I am about 10meg short of being able to load both City Select and Topo for my entire state :ph34r:

 

Do you need to have both? What is in the City Select?

 

I only ask because I was pleasantly surprised to have my Vista C give me street routing directions while walking home from work the other day, and I only have the Topo maps.

 

Regards,

Anthony

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I am just wonderingif everyone forgot about the stupid rubber gasket falling off the etrex line? I have the camo and the old legend. I have had to glue the gasket back on to both units. I have also heard of the click stick being a pain in the rump. I would like to get as new unit soon. I am going to get the 60c because no gasket, no click stick, more memory, and from what i have heard a better antenna.

So far I have not heard of a rocker switch going bad has anyone heard of one?

The size of the etrex is great but the gasket falling off is a big down side. Ron

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I have also heard of the click stick being a pain in the rump.

 

The click stick on the Legend C/Vista C is far superior to the rocker button on the 60C(S). I have both units and I can tell you first hand that the click stick outperforms the rocker button hands down. I can pan maps twice as fast (and with much more pinpoint accuracy) and I can probably enter in text and numbers ten times as fast with the click stick as opposed to the rocker button on the 60C(S).

 

My units are still relatively new, and so I can't really tell you if the click stick will have problems in the future, but for now I'll take it over the silly rocker button on my 60CS any day.

 

Also, I'm not having any problems at all with the "rubber gasket" on either of my eTrex color units.

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From what I have found out so far I can get the Vista C for around $330, smaller size, latest and greatest(?) or the 60cs for $390, more memory (hard to pass up more memory on anything), larger size which can be good or bad... bigger to hold but also larger display.

 

Looking for a 60cs, Could you let me know where you found a 60cs for that cheap. I would really appreciate it.

That is the price I found at buy.com, actually it is $388 but that does not include shipping.

 

The $395 price at getfeetwet.com includes free shipping, free t-shirt and free 1 year extended warranty.

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I have the 60CS and have seen but not used the other. I really like the larger screen and the additional memory. I am able to load all of Idaho and Montana into this unit and still have plenty left over. The problem is that more populous areas will take a lot more memory. I am currently working in Los Angeles and to load Idaho and Los Angeles to Tucson takes all of the available memory. You might want to selectively load town along you route that you plan on stopping in. This along with the basemap should be sufficient. If you decide to buy either one I would suggest you get the Auto kit. This includes a permanent mounting base, a bean bag mounting base, the lighter power adaptor, City Select, and manuals. I bought mine on Ebay for $150.00. This was cheaper then I could get City Select locally. Either way I think you will be really pleased no matter which unit you purchase. :o

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Thanks for all the help everyone. I decided to stick with my first choice and get the 60cs, mainly for the extra memory, ability to add an external antenna if needed and partly because I prefer the look & layout of it over the Vista C. I know either way I couldn't go wrong. I looked at the 76cs and even though it has even more memory I do not care for the layout with the buttons on top, plus I was already maxxing out my spending on the 60cs... I'm also getting the auto nav kit!

 

thcri; Special Thanks to you! that was very nice of you to offer to load up my intended route. Since the bulk of my ride will be down I95 I really only need certain areas loaded, mostly destination and stopovers. I just wanted a rough idea if anyone knew for sure whether or not the entire thing could fit.

 

Well that's it for now... I just have to wait! and wait and wait...

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It's probably already been said, but here's my .03.

 

The LegendC/VistaC models are a complete waste of money and it was useless for Garmin to start selling them with a competing model so rich in features and memory for not all that much more.

 

You have a smaller screen (yes, with color), and 42% of the memory between the VistaC and 60C/CS models. I still shake my head at the thought of a color GPS with a mere 8MB of memory, which is exactly what the LegendC has.

 

I would certainly be interested in knowing who their supposed target market is for those overpriced, underfeatured GPS's. Granted, the VistaC has the compass/altimeter feature, but it's much more worth the cost going to a CS over that if you really need to have them.

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It's probably already been said, but here's my .03.

 

The LegendC/VistaC models are a complete waste of money and it was useless for Garmin to start selling them with a competing model so rich in features and memory for not all that much more.

 

You have a smaller screen (yes, with color), and 42% of the memory between the VistaC and 60C/CS models. I still shake my head at the thought of a color GPS with a mere 8MB of memory, which is exactly what the LegendC has.

 

I would certainly be interested in knowing who their supposed target market is for those overpriced, underfeatured GPS's. Granted, the VistaC has the compass/altimeter feature, but it's much more worth the cost going to a CS over that if you really need to have them.

I agree almost everything you said, but both the LegendC and VistaC have 24 MB of memory.

 

http://www.garmin.com/products/etrexLegendc/

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Hi Brian,

 

I just bought the Vista C and I'm thrilled with it in every way. After using a Palm/Bluetooth GPS combination with bitmapped maps, I found it incredible to be able to use accurate vector maps. The speed and features in this unit are amazing.

 

The LegendC/VistaC models are a complete waste of money and it was useless for Garmin to start selling them with a competing model so rich in features and memory for not all that much more.

 

You have a smaller screen (yes, with color), and 42% of the memory between the VistaC and 60C/CS models.  I still shake my head at the thought of a color GPS with a mere 8MB of memory, which is exactly what the LegendC has.

 

I really don't feel like I wasted my money. I considered both units, and probably would have been very happy with the 60CS as well.

 

Agreed, the memory was the biggest knock against the Vista. However, with the vector-based maps you can still get a lot of them into that memory -- more 1:50,000 topo data than I could get onto a 256 MB card in my Palm using bitmaps. I might need to swap maps out more often, but I can't imagine a time when I'll need more maps in the unit than I can hold unless I am covering some serious ground.

 

Also, the Vista screen is smaller in size but the same (actually slightly higher) in terms of pixel resolution. 160 x 240 pixels on the 60CS vs. 176 x 220 for the Vista C.

 

Key decision points for me were the fact that the Vista is $100 cheaper (in Canada), has a smaller form factor, good one-hand controls and a nice rugged design. I wanted the compass so that ruled out the 60C.

 

I have no plans to use this with an antenna, as I have the Bluetooth GPS semi-permanently installed in the car now. Besides, you can't get lost on roads up here, there just aren't very many of them. ;)

 

I would certainly be interested in knowing who their supposed target market is for those overpriced, underfeatured GPS's.  Granted, the VistaC has the compass/altimeter feature, but it's much more worth the cost going to a CS over that if you really need to have them.

 

Not sure what you mean by underfeatured. It does everything a normal mapping GPS does -- map navigation, compass/bearing navigation, routes, tracks, waypoints, trip computer. Unlike the previous Vista models this one will also do autorouting and elevation profiling, like the 60CS. It also has a whole pile of features that I don't even use -- calculator, calendar, GPS games, moon phases, fishing and hunting times, stopwatch, and alarm to wake you up in the morning. What is missing?

 

To give you an idea of what I bought it for:

- geocaching

- mapping trails and routes for hiking, running, skijoring, and cross-country skiing

- keeping track of places where I catch fish

- hunting -- I am in the process of creating a custom map for hunting that will show game management zones, native land selections, park boundaries and other vital information.

 

Best Regards,

Anthony

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The LegendC/VistaC models are a complete waste of money and it was useless for Garmin to start selling them with a competing model so rich in features and memory for not all that much more.

 

I'm not sure why you think this??? The Vista C has all of the power of the 60CS and yet it can still fit in your pocked just like a cell phone. While I agree that the smaller amount of memory kind of stinks, but it's really not that much of a difference over the 60CS (i.e. 24 MB vs. 56 MB). The 24 MB is ample for me to load all of the City Select maps I need for where I live (in So. Cal.) and the TOPO maps for the same area as well.

 

You have a smaller screen (yes, with color)...

 

The screen is nearly the same size as the one on the 60/76C(S) especially if you consider the loss of space caused by the status bar that can't be turned off on the 60/76C(S) units (which the Legend C/Vista C doesn't have). Not to mention the fact that the screen on the Legend C/Vista C has a higher resolution than the one on the 60/76C(S) (not by much mind you, but it is higher). Thus, the screen size isn't an issue that you can argue.

 

I would certainly be interested in knowing who their supposed target market is for those overpriced, underfeatured GPS's. Granted, the VistaC has the compass/altimeter feature, but it's much more worth the cost going to a CS over that if you really need to have them.

 

I have both a 60CS and a Vista C and I'd take the Vista C over the 60CS any day. It's small size totally wins me over and the click stick hands down out performs the rocker button on the 60CS. I've also used my two units side-by-side and I can't tell the difference in the antennas between the two (and so the patch vs. quad-helix antenna point isn't worth arguing much about either). Other than that, the Vista C has the EXACT same feature set as the 60CS and so I don't know how you can say that it's "underfeatured". You really should LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP. ;)

 

EDIT

 

You are correct. I had forgotten about that little tidbit, which makes the LegendC all the more ridiculous.

 

This comment makes no sense either... The Legend C vs. the Vista C is exactly the same as having the 60C vs. the 60CS and/or the 76C vs. 76CS. So why is that so ridiculous???

 

Also, the Vista C can be purchased for around $80 to $100 (U.S. $) less than the 60CS and the Legend C can also be purchased for $80 to $100 less than the 60C (money that could go towards maps or accessories for the unit). Thus, I think that the are competitively priced and definitely have a market place along side the larger and more expensive 60/76C(S) units.

Edited by TheOfficeMaven
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I would certainly be interested in knowing who their supposed target market is for those overpriced, underfeatured GPS's. Granted, the VistaC has the compass/altimeter feature, but it's much more worth the cost going to a CS over that if you really need to have them.

 

Interesting point of view. I pretty much see it the other way around though. The Vista C/Legend C are obviously targeted towards the outdoors enthusiast as a field type unit. They're obviously designed for field use by hikers, backpackers, climbers etc. and set up for quick easy one handed use for field navigation purposes. They did a great job of improving the old etrex line in just about every area from processor and mapping speed to reception. From what I have seen so far, sensitivity in the trees with a vista C is somewhere in between the GIII+ and sportrak, yet it doesn’t appear to suffer the sportraks positional problems in steep canyon areas. (Need a few hundred more trail miles to say for sure) They also added virtually all of the features of the general purpose units like the 60 series to the new eTrex color line, differing basically only in the amount of memory available, and the capability of using an external antenna which isn’t something most people are going to care about for field use.

 

The 60 series which is designed to basically be a general purpose unit not really designed for field or vehicle navigation use is the one I find hard to figure the wisdom of. The functionality of the more targeted units has reached the point where you have to wonder what the need is for a general-purpose unit that doesn’t really have an area it excels in.

 

Just a different way of looking at it I guess

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Since someone bumped this I thought I'd get in also. Can the owners of the 60CS and VistaC tell me how well the street routing works? Are they fairly accurate and how quickly do they re-calc if you go off-course? Are the turn directions easy to see from a foot or so away? Do they route you fairly appropriately if you "goto" a cache? I'm assuming they take you to the closest possible street to the cache. Appreciate any responses.

 

I'm sick of getting lost on NJ side-streets and the zillions of tiny routes and highways, was looking for a unit to route me at last within the general vicinity of a cache, then take the same GPS with me in the field.

Edited by Crouching Hiker, Hidden Cache
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Well I have a 76CS (same firmware and all that) and I can tell you the autorouting calc is excellent! I haven't tried too far away from home, but I have tried places as many as 8 miles away and it calculated the route in about 5 seconds, started at 1%, then 2%, then jumped to 98%, 99%, done! It has taken me to several caches with the exception of one when it told me to turn right off of a major highway (there wasn't an exit or anything, it just wanted me to turn right into the grass LOL, but hopefully that will be fixed whenever my city select v6 update cd gets here, seeing as how it's several days overdue already) The routing is great though, it will give you an early warning of upcoming turns, give you a very large zoom and a huge arrow showing you which way you are going to go along with the direction and street name, then as you approach it gives you a final warning with the same info. I have my early warning set to tone 11 which is kind of an electronic whistle (like you'd make with your lips to get someone's attention) and final warning set to tone 8 (which is like someone blowing a whistle at a sporting event) But yeah as far as getting you to the closest road to a cache, it has done a supremely excellent job, taken me right into park parking lots, taken me to streets that run right into the hiking trail where a cache is, excellent little unit! BTW, I'd have to disagree with searching_ut, the 60C(S) is a general purpose unit, but it excels in all the general areas, it is great for autorouting because it has a highway mode that is almost like a 3d representation of the roads you are on (I think someone compared it to the screen while flying a fighter jet), the dedicated geocaching mode will take you right to the cache, using city select will get you to the nearest road, using topo will take you on the right trail, the option of an external antenna (which I highly recommend) will get you more often than not +/- 6 foot accuracy, and 56 MB of memory will hold a few major metropolitan areas, and depending on how dense the roads are in your area, it could even hold a state or two! If you are looking for a small size, the Vista seems fine, but just remember that the smaller size comes with sacrifices. If you are considering the Vista, don't bother, go ahead and get the 60C(S) and if you really want to go all out, I'd recommend the 76C(S) for a floating case, better basemap, and 2x the memory!

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Thanks for the reply. I'd rather spend my time actually caching, instead of pre-planning my exact routes, or trying to consult street-maps or the GPS map while driving. I can buy the 60CS for about 399.00 and probably will. Although I love the small size of the VistaC, I owned a normal Vista for a while and had major problems under tree cover.

 

Any other users have specifics about the auto-routing? Thanks.

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Any other users have specifics about the auto-routing?  Thanks.

Yeah, it will let you spend more time caching and less time figuring out how to drive to the cache with paper maps. It will also give you detours if you cant take the intended route. Your never lost!

Edited by Team Lyons
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Yeah, it will let you spend more time caching and less time figuring out how to drive to the cache with paper maps. It will also give you detours if you cant take the intended route. Your never lost!

Yea this is what I want. I haven't held it in my hand yet, but the form factor looks rounded enough such that its still pocket-able and not too obtrusive?

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Yeah, it will let you spend more time caching and less time figuring out how to drive to the cache with paper maps. It will also give you detours if you cant take the intended route. Your never lost!

Yea this is what I want. I haven't held it in my hand yet, but the form factor looks rounded enough such that its still pocket-able and not too obtrusive?

It comes with a belt clip. I'll just wear it around my neck using a lanyard once I get mine. I assume it has a ring to attach one.

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Yeah, it will let you spend more time caching and less time figuring out how to drive to the cache with paper maps. It will also give you detours if you cant take the intended route. Your never lost!

Yea this is what I want. I haven't held it in my hand yet, but the form factor looks rounded enough such that its still pocket-able and not too obtrusive?

It comes with a belt clip. I'll just wear it around my neck using a lanyard once I get mine. I assume it has a ring to attach one.

Finally got it! Well it wasn't a real long wait, ordered from GetFeetWet on the 11th dropped off by UPS on the 17th. This unit is truly amazing!

 

Form factor is perfect for me. Nice rounded feel when holding it, easy to hold and navigate thru the menus single handed. Just like using a flip phone, no problems there. Thicker in feel then a cell phone but still pocketable if needed.

 

There is a D-ring in the back that a lanyard could be hooked to.

 

In addition to the belt clip it also comes with a wrist strap.

 

Just have to figure out the best way to mount it for use in both vehicles. Read in another post that someone used a cell phone mount in combination with the belt clip... anyone have any ideas on that?

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I'm a newbe at the cache game, but I do have some broader experience in the computer and nav game as I've been using GPS units since way back when 1 channel devices like the Garmin GPS 45 was selling for $300.

 

My choice was not based on a single use. I wanted a device that would satisfy a wide range of 'missions'. Perhaps my uses will be unique, but I figured that since many of the posts here are of the 'opinion' nature, it is justified.

 

Device: Garmin eTrex VistaC

 

I met a person on a century bicycle ride to the summit of Mt. Wachusett (CRW's "Climb to the Clouds") which is a 105 mile one day ride. That person had what appeared to be an eTrex Summit (although I could be wrong) and the part that amazed me was not that he could map his route and all the wonderful things like speed, distance, time to destination, etc, but that it told him his cumutitive climbing. On a ride that climbed MANY hills with the ultimate to the summit of a 2000 ft peak (the ride started about 100 ft above sea level), the statistic was nice to have. I also liked the size of the unit and that it was neatly and snugly attached to his handlebars using a Garmin Accessory.

 

At this time, I knew NOTHING about Geocaching.

 

I did my research for my new GPS based solely on the old uses I had wanted to use the GPS 45 (like hiking) and this new use of being an amazing cycling computer.

 

I read a lot (missed the Geocaching somehow), tried out several devices, and found that I also loved the mapping and auto-routing features.

 

I tried a Legend on loan from a mutual friend and was in awe at how quick and how well it captured signals compared to the old GPS 45. It even worked in the woods on my property fairly well where the 45 would lose all signals. I was hooked.

 

When my wife got me the VistaC as a "get well" gift (see My first Post for the details) I was excited as you can imagine.

 

I also noticed that the performance of the VistaC was even better than the Legend was. Out of the box, it found itself in just a few minutes where the old 45 would take 20-40 and even the Legend took 10 on initial start. Yes, I know that different times and conditions can play havoc with reception, but i have even had this thing get contacts while on my desk in the basement. Never enough to navigate, but just seeing a single contact was amazing.

 

Heavy tree cover seems to be a non issue. It may be a newer patch antenna, better software, unique to my unit, unusually great contact conditions, or a host of variables, but I can not see ever wanting to be able to get better signals. Maybe I'd say otherwise in a rain forest or other extremely dense terrain, but the wooded area of my property is not what I would call open by any means. The trails I cut to get the lawn tractor and trailer in and out was a lot of work and there are some pretty tight areas. Yet, I get very good signals here.

 

So, my reasons why I still love my VistaC:

 

Bike Mount - All the features when i ride is just too cool!

Small size - Tuck it in a pocket. vanishes in your hand

Click Stick - Nice handy nav tool

Easy Car mount - Jam it between dash and windshield and the rubber keeps it in place both in our Passat and in my Dodge Ram.

Fairly smooth - doesn't catch, and with the exeption of the click-stick doesn't get buttons pressed by accident when in a pocket. This used to annoy me on the GPS 45.

 

Wishes? Yea, there are some, but Nothing major.

 

Memory - OK, I was really hoping to get all of New England's TOPO loaded,but alas I had to trim out most of Maine and Conn.

Anti-glare screen - Reflections are annoying.

NON-USB power port - $40 for a cigarette cord is highway robbery. Although i LOVE the fact that while the device is connected to the computer, it uses NO Batteries.

 

Anyway, that's one opinion. As always, take it for what it is worth. For my uses, the VistaC is just superior to the 60 or 76 Series mainly due to size with very little loss of features (mostly in memoy size)

 

Does anyone know how the street data compares to the TOPO data in terms of how much similar areas requirement of memory? That is, All of New England is 37.4 Meg of TOPO, how much is the Street Data for the same area?

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Not to knock your VistaC (I had a regular Vista before upgrading to the 60C), but I really hope Garmin managed to fix the rubber seal problem. After just over a year in Arizona, the seal failed and had to be sent to Garmin for repairs. They sent me a refurb unit, but with the original 'guts', but it was still a PITA for something that never should have happened.

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Which rubber seal? The surround on the outer edges? The battery compartment? The cover to the data port? Around the click-stick? Read something about seals, but nobody ever said where. The VistaC and LegendC are in new housings (slightly different sizes) and hopefully Garmin addressed that issue.

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The geocaching screens on the 60 series, and vista C are virtually identical. As for being useful, ??? Basically they let you search your downloaded geocaches via a geocache catagory of the waypoint manager. It gives you the basic search functions of name, nearest etc. The neatest thing about it I think is that you have a button for "Found" on the compass screen. When you find the cash, you hit the found button and the icon on the map changes to an opened treasure chest. It then takes you right to a screen allowing you to set the next nearest cache as your goto. I personally like the setup, but your mileage may vary.

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