Jump to content

60c Vs 60cs


Recommended Posts

I have a chance of a good price on a 60c, but I wonder if I should go for the 60cs ? (The standard difference between the two here in Europe is about $60; in this case I can save another $60 on the 60c but not the 60cs.)

 

Reasons I might want the 60c:

- two less chips to go wrong

- two less functions to drain the batteries (can you turn them off ?)

- I don't need the altimeter at all (can you turn it off individually ?)

 

Reasons I might want the 60cs:

- I like to imagine that it will eliminate "arrow-spin" - I currently use a Geko 201 and it can get frustrating sometimes, but maybe if reception is bad enough for the arrow to be sticky, that won't help me find the cache anyway

- because if I don't get it, I might feel like I'm missing it !

 

Does anyone have strong opinions about the usefulness of the electronic compass for geocaching ? By the way, that's my only GPS application, so I don't need it to keep me alive etc.

 

Thanks

Nick

Link to comment

I have not read of anyone having any problems with the compass "chip" going bad.

Yes you can turn off the compass which is very easily done and it will save on battery life.

I beleive that you have to have tracking turned on for the altimeter to be on (if I am wrong, someone will correct me).

 

Go for it, get the CS.

There is still the $50 rebate goin on.

Link to comment

Most people who have a compass on their GPS love it,and most people who don't have a compass on their GPS don't miss it!!!

I have a Map 76c and it's great.....it also has about 10hrs more battery life,which is also cool (although 20 hrs typical for the 60/76cs isn't bad either!!)

And besides that.....it's always wise to carry a backup compass and map with you!!!

You can find a good recta/silva compass in any outdoor shop for a fraction of the price it is going to cost you to upgrade from a "c" to a "cs"

 

(by the way....I have a suunto watch with all the bells and whistles so that's another reason I don't need a GPS with a compass)

Link to comment

I just bought a 60CS after using an eTrex Vista for 3 years. The electronic compass is handy, but hardly necessary. I used the altimeter once on a hike in the mountains just to see how accurate it was at measuring altitude. But after satisfying my curiousity I never had an occasion to use it again. The compass devours batteries, and it doesn't point toward the cache any better than the GPS navigation pointer - it simply indicates which way is north, like any other compass. It does eliminate that frustrating "180 degree turnaround syndrome" when you are standing still or moving slowly.

So for $60 you can fill your gas tank, buy a good quality Silva compass, a book about how to use it, and know you did the right thing. OR you can succumb to the "because chicks dig it" school of thought and get all the bells and whistles even though you won't actually NEED them :) . Your call.

Link to comment

I've got the 76CS, and while I'm a gadget geek, and like having it, I have to admit, for the amount of use I get out of it, I could have well stood to save the money. The electronic compass is the one area where Magellan has Garmin beat, IMHO. The Maggies uses a 3-axis compass, which works well at any angle, whereas the Garmin's must be held level, not always an easy feat bushwhacking through a forest....

Link to comment

I can see I have to disappoint either benjamin921, or Raoul and Zingerhead :)

 

In fact I don't know how the electronic compass "appears". Does it just show up as a replacement for the simulated compass on the "arrow screen" (just always oriented right), or is there a separate chunk of functionality for it ?

 

Thanks again

Nick

Edited by sTeamTraen
Link to comment

Save your money...You will find that you will hardly use either the compass or the altimeter after a while. And, if you do use the compass, you'll be whining about how much battery life it consumes! Now I know, someone will counter with "I use mine all the time and love it!", but after selling these things for 6 years, I just telling you what I see (and I have not bought these extras myself!)

Link to comment

When you are a distance from the cache the compass will keep the arrow pointed more or less at the cache (I never figured out why it would point off one way or the other maybe it was a declination setting).

 

However when I was close the pointer was just as worthless as before.

 

The 60CS has it so you can turn the compass on by pressing and holding a button. I like it that way, because the Vista I was using was just odd when the compass was engaged to the point hwere I turned it off except when I had been standing still for a short time.

Link to comment

I like the compass and altimeter. I figure that if you are spending $400 on a toy what is another few $$ for some extra features. You can set the compass to only come on when you are below a certain speed which saves on the batteries. So far the altimeter has just been interesting to look at but climbing season is almost here so I'll be using it more then.

Link to comment

For everyone who has this problem:

 

... frustrating "180 degree turnaround syndrome" when you are standing still or moving slowly....

 

Forget everything about compass or similar, just go to SETUP/MARINE and set SPEED FILTER to AUTO. And you dont need to have compass turned on when standing still to avoid this turning aroung.

Link to comment

I think that the electronic compass on the 60cs is very useful for geocaching. It will point in the direction of the cache while you are stationary or moving very slowly, unlike the compass pointer derived from satellite signals alone. The jumpy movement of the pointer as you get very near the cache, with the electronic compass as well as the GPSr compass pointer, is due to variations in the local position as determined by the GPSr. One button-push is all that's needed to turn the compass on or off. It does use more battery power, but it can be turned off when not needed. One thing to remember is to re-calibrate the electronic compass after the batteries are replaced. However, the altimeter, in my opinion, is of little value while geocaching. It can't be turned off, but it takes very little power.

Link to comment

For my three years of geocaching with a basic yellow eTrex I used a physical compass conveniently hung from my gear.

 

But I am SO glad I sprung for the electronic compass even after presuming the extra cost wasn't worth it.

 

It's VERY nice to have the arrow point toward GZ no matter what. You don't have to move, you can rotate, you can look for hiding spots, etc. If the sats change the compass doesn't suddenly jump. If you have poor/no sat reception it'll still point reasonably.

 

The extra battery drain is so minimal as to be negligable IMO. Although I tried setting it to only turn on under 2 or 3 MPH I've found manual activation is better.

 

It's one of those things, if you never have it, you won't miss it--but as I get close to a cache I invariably turn it on and appreciate it.

 

hth,

 

Randy

Link to comment
The 60CS has it so you can turn the compass on by pressing and holding a button.

Sounds just the ticket - but I haven't found where to set/enable that. Any clues RK? <_<

hold the page button.

 

and to the OP, yes, yes, 1000 times yes, get the compass.

Link to comment

Ok, I have to weigh in on the other side of this argument. I personally do not like the electronic compass. I started caching using a Garmin Legend. I upgraded to a Vista (with electronic compass). I found that the compass needle jumped around more with the electronic compass than it did on my Legend. I sold the Vista and went back to using the Legend.

 

I also purchased a Magellan Meridian Platinum (once again thinking the one with the electronic compass would be better). It's even worse! I can't use the compass screen on that unit at all - I usually go by the map if I use that one. For the most part, I just used it for navigation. I wouldn't even take it out of the car - just used my trusty Legend to find the caches.

 

I recently decided to buy the Garmin 60c, and I love it. Lots of people swear by the electronic compass, but I have talked to a few others that agree with me.

Link to comment
I recently decided to buy the Garmin 60c, and I love it. Lots of people swear by the electronic compass, but I have talked to a few others that agree with me.

I'll be going out this weekend, I'll pay more attention to it, but the fact that it will point to the cache when not moving is a huge plus. When you were down here, we should have compared. :lol:

 

I agree about the Magellan compass.... never quite got the hang of it, but as always, I know some that are smarter than me and figured it out! :D

Link to comment

Obviously from the thread, everybody has an opinion -- as do I :mad:

 

I've got the 60CS and use it the same way others have said -- as I approach the cache, I switch the compass on. While I'm walking TO the cache, all my other caching friends are walking in circles to keep the arrow moving. No guarantee that I'm the one who FINDS the cache first, but it sure makes it easier.

 

As for the altimeter, I rarely use it other than just for the sake of having that euphoric feeling of knowing how "high" I am!! Then again, since I bought the 60CS WITH the compass, the altimeter just happened to come along for the ride, so I'll use it "because it is there!"

 

When hiking and backpacking in the Sierra's it seems a lot easier to carry JUST the GPS rather than a GPS, a Silva compass, AND an altimeter -- all around my neck. Then again, everybody knows NOT to depend solely on an electronic GPS when going off into the wilds (nothing beats a REAL compass and a REAL topo map -- and knowing how to use them!!!!)

Link to comment

Thanks to all for the input.

 

The 60c I was thinking of getting was on eBay - unused, original packaging, unwanted gift, but German manual no warranty. The auction finishes in 15 minutes but already it's within 80 bucks of the price with English manual and full warranty. So I'm going to buy new whatever happens (although kudos to Garmin for making their PDF manuals downloadable for free), as the warranty is worth the difference (as well as the eBay uncertainty; I like eBay, but there's always a risk to factor in).

 

So I need to think if 65 Euros is worth it for a function which I might not use, but I would know I didn't have. :rolleyes:

Link to comment

 

So I need to think if 65 Euros is worth it for a function which I might not use, but I would know I didn't have. :rolleyes:

There. You said it again. Let me remind you of your first post - because if I don't get it, I might feel like I'm missing it !

 

You won't be happy without it. Splurge! :rolleyes:

Edited by Alan2
Link to comment

I started I am a hunter and fisherman much more than a Geocacher, but I'll never get another GPS without a built-in compass.

 

For me, it was trying to locate reefs and wrecks with the wind and the current pushing the boat in several directions. This caused the marked locations to swing all around.

 

I have a $130 Richie compass on my boat but even following a good bearing doesn't help when you get lateral movement from wind or current.

 

I use the Sight-N-Go feature of the compass models to"mark" places when I see ducks working a distant location. I hunt tidal marshes where it's easy to get disorentiated especially at low tide. Even if the distance is difficult to estimate, I can get another angle and draw another Sight-N-Go and mark the intersection of the two course lines.

 

The Barometer is useful as a method of predicting short-term weather trends when not changing elevations.

 

I use the Altimeter when hiking the Blueridge Parkway. I calibrate the Altimeter against the elevation markers on the Parkway. I can then turn the GPS off (since I keep it in my pocket where it doesn't get a good view of the sky) and record the elevation over time.

 

The turning the compass on when about twice the accuracy circle and sighting the geocache really helps in locating geocaches. Some may apperciate the disadvantage of not having an electronic compass. If so, they may actually have even more fun by not using any GPS at all.

 

Sorry for being so long winded. My point is that the barometer and compass have uses, you might just have to dream up a few of your own.

 

Good Luck, Rubberhead.

Link to comment

I just splurged !

 

I ordered the 60cs with the Automotive package. Apparently this is the only way to get the European CitySelect package at a reasonable price. It added about 180 Euros to the total. I already have all the auto stuff I need apart from the 60cs-to-auto-stand clip, but I guess that just means that if I sell the Geko I can sell the car stuff which I already had as well.

 

For European readers: I found the 60cs about 100 Euros cheaper than anywhere else at two locations: Aspidshop and Sportextreme. However, Aspidshop had a better deal: first, they had the automotive package, and second, they included FedEx shipping anywhere in Europe at no charge.

Link to comment
I just splurged !

 

I ordered the 60cs with the Automotive package. Apparently this is the only way to get the European CitySelect package at a reasonable price. It added about 180 Euros to the total. I already have all the auto stuff I need apart from the 60cs-to-auto-stand clip, but I guess that just means that if I sell the Geko I can sell the car stuff which I already had as well.

 

For European readers: I found the 60cs about 100 Euros cheaper than anywhere else at two locations: Aspidshop and Sportextreme. However, Aspidshop had a better deal: first, they had the automotive package, and second, they included FedEx shipping anywhere in Europe at no charge.

Allright,

I guess which ever unit you would choose,you couldn't go wrong....so congratulations!!!

Now....one thing you should do in a couple of months is trying to answer your own question!!! (is the compass worth it?)

 

Have lots of fun with it,though!!

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...