60cs Users Info

[+mgoose]

Would like to know how user friendly they are. How tuff they are. If you can do paper less caching very easy with them. Saving up to buy a gps with maping.Every thing you read about them sounds good but would like to hear from people that use them.

[Keystone]

Moving topic to the proper forum.

[+Seay me]

This may not be the exact type of info you are looking for but there is tons of good stuff there bout the 60cs

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=72160

[+EireNerd]

I bought a GPSMAP 60CS two days ago and I can't put it down.

It's my first GPS and I find it highly easy to use. Its the most user friendly

GPS I shopped for over the last 2 months.

 

EireNerd

[Kermode]

They are the best.

[Neo_Geo]

Regarding paperless: not so good for that. One may be led to believe that you can put an entire clue in the comment field, but that is NOT the case. You can squeeze in about 20 characters is all - that's about enough to put in a street address and phone number, or a few key words of the clue.

 

Still, overall, it's a great GPSr! The autorouting feature is really great as is the color display!

[+briansnat]

Tough as nails. I slid a 1/4 mile on my butt down a snow covered boulder field with the 60CS clipped to my pocket and banging on the rocks and it came through it fine.

 

My one quarrel with it is that the screen isn't recessed, so is subject to scratching. I have a PDA screen cover on it cut to size and it's done a great job protecting it.

[+mgoose]

I have bend reading about gps . would like to up grade to somthing with maps. Is the 60cs user friendly. How tuff is it . Can you do paper less caching with it.

[+briansnat]

Its tough as nails, very easy to use and no, you can't do paperless caching with it. It does have a note field that you can value with up to 30 characters. Some people use GSAK to put a shorthand cache name, terrain and difficulty in there. I have the cache name and owner in the field becasue that's what the GPX file comes with.

 

The color screen is very readable and becomes more readable in sunlight. It doesn't wash hout like color screens on other electronic devices. The geocaching mode is a nice feature, but not a something I'd miss if I didn't have it.

 

Reception is excellent, map memory is plentiful and I could go on.

 

My only quarrels with it are its size (I upgraded from an eTrex and liked the compact size of those units) and the fact that the display isn't recessed. I have a PDA screen protector on it and that has done the job so far in protecting the screen.

[+BigHank]

I've had one for about three weeks now, so I am probably too new to it to really make any valid evaluations. However, I do like it so far, and I find some of the same points that Brian made. Also, I like the idea of the screen protector....thanks. I have noticed thatt the battery life is exceptional for a GPS. So far I have had mine on for a total of about 40 hours and the indicator still shows just under half the battery life left. I have not used the backlight, or the electronic compass or WAAS, which I understand using any of those will cut down battery life a bit. I have big hands, so the size of it fits me just right...I had a smaller one and it never "felt" right. There is a bit of a learning curve with it, but once you get the hang of it, you will find it a real joy to use.

[Mighty Tiggers]

Greetings,

 

I have a Garmin 196 that I use for aviation and a Garmin 60CS that I use for Geocaching. A few days ago, I put the two side by side with some interesting results...

 

The Garmin 196 costs 2-3 times what the Garmin 60CS retails for, so I was surprised when I discovered that the 196 was only half as accurate as the 60CS (on the ground)! Specifically, the zone of inaccuracy of the 196 was normally double that of the 60CS. Perhaps the 196 doesn't have very good performance when operating in "Land" mode. In "Aviation" mode, the 196 was very sensitive to altitude changes, but it still wasn't as accurate as the 60CS in the field.

 

Both have WAAS and both had the most recent firmware updates installed. Sometimes I fly helicopters and the Garmin 196 is very accurate when I'm out. However, the antenae is usually mounted on the instrument panel and there are no trees or overhead cover to worry about when flying. Today, I was mapping out the final locations for a new multi-cache I'm almost ready to release. So, there were a lot of trees that partially obscured the sky.

 

I found the Garmin 60CS was able to receive and process WAAS signals through overhead cover much better than the Garmin 196. The zones of inaccuracy were very different. For example, I would have a 22' zone on the 196 and only a 12' zone on the 60CS for the exact same location, each unit running side by side. I realize that each unit was designed for a different task, but I was also disappointed that the coordinates weren't close to each other.

 

MT

[+KnifeMaker]

I have used mine for a few months now and I really like it, especially the dedicated Geocaching functions. I have found it to be very accurate and as mentioned before it has exceptional battery life. I have over 400 local caches loaded into the GPSR and I use a Palm IIIc to do my paperless caching. One of the best features of the 60cs is the map view showing cache icons. I can put the GPSR on my dashboard and just drive around and see any caches that are nearby.

[+trippy1976]

IMHO the 60CS is hands down the best unit going right now. I've had mine for about a year and have loved every minute of it.

 

Tons of map memory, great color, and I love the POI & address lookup on it.

 

You'll buy it for geocaching, but use it for everything else too. I don't leave home without it. We take it on vacations and such even when caching's not on the docket.

 

You won't regret buying one.

[+cudlecub]

I own a 76C and a caching buddy has the 60cs. He had ordered a 60c but the company he ordered from messed up and sent a cs instead. Pretty sweet deal, if ya ask me. Both units are solid units and they have similar features. I feel the big selling point on the cs line is the electronic compass. The owners manual tells you to calibrate it each time you power the unit up. When out in the field, we have noticed that the electronic compass isn't all it's built up to be. I would personally suggest a c instead of a cs with either the 60 or 76. The big thing will be how much memory you need. The 60 has 56 mb of internal memory while the 76 has 112 mg and there's no way to add additional memory to either of the units.

[Moun10Bike]

Moving this to the GPS Units and Software forum...

[+Team Perks]

I've had a 60CS since last May and it's been as reliable and durable as I could ask for. I use the address/POI look-up function all the time, and the auto-routing feature is great when I'm not in a familiar area.

 

The 56MB memory capacity isn't spectacular, but it will hold a full 1000 caches and at least 14-15 detailed map areas (I've never needed to load more) without noticeably bogging down the performance.

 

The geocaching feature is nice in that it can distinguish between caches I've found and those I haven't, but not something I couldn't live without.

 

As noted by others, I'm not terribly fond of having the screen flush with the front of the unit, but a screen protector or a neoprene carrying case will fix that problem easily.

[+Seay me]

Thought someone deleted my reply to this thread then realized you posted the same question twice...

[+Sputnik 57]

There is a good review of the 60C here.

[Mighty Tiggers]

Ya, cudlecub has a good point about the compass. I don't find the compass very good on the 60CS AT ALL, but I carry a regular lensatic compass anyway. I've been using the Garmin Topo USA maps uploaded to the 60CS and the contour lines and maps are right on. The streets aren't exactly accurate, so you may want to get one of the street map series (you can upload more than one map type). That said, I use the unit in "off-road" mode anyway and really don't need the street detail. I would rather see the exact details of streams, hills, valleys, and ridgelines on the display... very useful and very accurate.

[indybill]

I've only had mine a couple of weeks, and I admit to being a little apprehensive about my purchase choice...until I had the unit in my hands. What was worrying me was the limit of 56mb memory. But once I loaded every map for Oregon and even a little around the edges from City Select v6 into it and saw it only took about 38mb to do this I was exstatic. The cs is very easy to figure out with most of the features being very intuitive even without the aid of the manual. The color screen is phenominal; bright, sharp, and easy to read an arm's length or more away. The antenna is very good on the c & cs too. When I first got it I tried it INSIDE my house and I was able to get a satellite lock on 3-4 birds even there.

Paired with the City Select software this unit will automatically route you from where you are to where you want to go with turn by turn directions and audible signals to warn you that you're approaching your next turn. If you miss a turn, no problem the c & cs will recalculate the route to get you back on track; very cool!

I spent about two months researching gpsr units from Magellan, Lowrance, and Garmin. I was torn between the cs and iFinder Hunt near the end of my quest. The idea of buying the cs kind of happened accidentally...long story short I had a heck uv a deal pop up and I happened to get lucky enough to snatch it up first. But I can say that I probably would have ended up buying the cs even if I had to pay full new price. The color screen, geocache features, auto routing feature and barometric trend graphing were features that put the cs at the top of the heap for me. Best of luck to you on your quest.

 

-Indybill

[+The Blue Quasar]

I also upgraded from an ETrex to a 60C. Very durable, and accurate.

 

The GEOCACHING feature is a nice start with room for improvement in selection, as it only has "GEOCACHE FOUND" or "GEOCACHE UNFOUND"" as choices. But then again I would have about 48 different Geocache icons if I had my choice.

 

Still, easy to update from a computer. Key controls are very easy and intuitive.

 

When you add in the maps from other Garmin software, usually purchased separately, it is fantastic!

 

I use mine for work, batteries last a full day even using rechargables.

 

Like someone above mentioned... use GSAK with notes, and create filters for cache classifications so when you upload you see different icons for cache types. This option disables the Geocaching Feature, but with 1000 waypoints you can double up and have loads of space and information.

 

The Blue Quasar

[+Svenster]

I posted this in the incorrect area, so I'm re-posting here. Sorry!

 

Just got my 60CS as well, and I agree with all of you, that this is one fine unit. The screen is so great in direct sunlight as well as at night with the back light on. I've started geocaching, and this is going to get very addictive. I do have a question though. I download my *.gpx file, then using easygps, I download the cache waypoints into the 60cs. Then when I go out geocaching, I hit the find button, then select geocache, and a list of nearest caches appears. Select one, go-to, and I'm off navigating. When I found it the geocaching screen allows me to mark the cache as "found" and logs a find in the calander. However, when I go to the calander, there are two entries for every cache I found. This does not make sense to me. Any thoughts?

Edited February 25, 2005 by Svenster

[+Hemlock]

Combined duplicate threads.

[+RJFerret]

However, when I go to the calander, there are two entries for every cache I found. This does not make sense to me. Any thoughts?

 

Yes, the first instance was when the waypoint was created and the second when you found it.

 

hth,

 

Randy

[+DBleess]

What was worrying me was the limit of 56mb memory.  But once I loaded every map for Oregon and even a little around the edges from City Select v6 into it and saw it only took about 38mb to do this I was exstatic.

To help illustrate capacity, below is a screen capture of the Mapsource loader showing my current selected TOPO US data loadout. Everything shaded pink is loaded into my GPSMAP 60C's memory (56mb)

 

There is still some roads data outside of the pink but it is much less detailed and there is no topo data.

 

[+Rubberhead]

I have a 60CS which I use it mainly for hunting and saltwater including offshore fishing.

 

I found about 20 caches with it and have recently started using it for driving directions.

 

Everybody get excited about getting a new gadget. Everybody spends a lot of time with a new gadget when they first get it. A good measure of a gadget is how much it gets used a year after it is purchased.

 

Using that measure; my 60CS is great.

 

I wish it had more memory, but the amount of memory has never been a problem since the USB interface allows me to upload 56 MB of memory in just a few minutes I can wait until I'm putting on my shoes before loading the necessary maps for the upcoming trip.

Edited March 10, 2005 by Rubberhead

[Streak!]

So far I really like it. I've been Geocaching for some time now, but with a Lowrance I-finder. This new unit is far superior to what I had before. Its also very easy to use right out of the box. The manual DOES leave a thing or two out though, so thank god for this forum!!! You'll want the better maps if your travelling, but the built in base map is adequate for most tasks..........

[+horsegeeks]

We've had one for about 7 months now and love it. Mine has been swimming with me twice (accidentally of course), landing face down with me on top of it, and has most of the paint off of the buttons from accidents and scrapes and has never missed a beat. It is great on batteries and very accurate and holds a lock well. If I had to replace it I would buy another of the same. They are great units.