Gpsmap 60cs Disappointments

[+Team Blackcomb]

I finally decided to replace my Palm Pilot/NavMan/GeoNiche setup (mainly because the Pilot's battery would only hold a charge for about 20 minutes after all these years and its 8MB of internal memory is inadequate). I moved on to the Garmin 60CS and I have to say that I'm a bit (lot!) disappointed.

 

First off, the Mac support is nonexistent. I knew that going in - I'm just saying that in today's technological age, ignoring Mac users is inexcusable. I bought MacGPS Pro, and I'm using MapSource and GSAK through Virtual PC, but the requirement to use the Keyspan USB/Serial Adapter instead of the USB cable is annoying and excruciatingly slooowwwwwww.

 

Next, I'm really surprised at how little waypoint info you can download to the 60CS. With my Pilot/GeoNiche combo, I could download all finder logs and hints - to be used in case I needed them. With the 60CS, it seems my only option is to use GSAK, with a special column activated upon printing, and print out all this info on paper. I mean come on - this is 2005 - the 60CS has 56 MB of memory! I had better features on an 8 MB Palm Pilot.

 

Finally, I am perplexed at how long it is taking me to find the answer to what I consider to be a simple question. I want to delete ALL the waypoints on the 60CS (during testing, I uploaded a bunch of irrelevant waypoints - hundreds - as I was exploring the features). There doesn't seem to be an option to allow this operation. I have searched high and low - the Garmin documentation, online, etc. - no luck. Anyone know how to do it? And while I'm on the "please hire user interface designers at Garmin" soapbox (sorry to Garmin employees reading this, but your UI does need an overhaul), why on Earth does the unit erase the existing mapset when new maps are transferred? Why not just leave the existing maps there and let the USER decide what they want to do.

 

I will give this device a few more days of trial, but I may be trying to sell it sooner rather than later and go back to a Palm Pilot type of solution. GeoNiche is one of the best designed products I have ever used - whether Palm OS, Mac OS, Windows or Linux - and I miss it. If you wanted it to, it practically walked you to a cache.

 

If anyone has any advice at all, I'd be forever in your debt. I have spent 2 frustrating days learning about what the 60CS CAN'T do, rather than what it CAN. Not a great start.

Edited May 29, 2005 by Team Blackcomb

[+Moony Padfoot and Prongs]

Sorry to hear you are having some many problems. I love my 60C, but maybe thats because I haven't used anything else..

To delete all of the waypoints, go to the Trip Computer screen (the one with the odometer, speed, and moving times) and press the Menu key. choose the Reset option. You will see the option to clear out all of the waypoints.

 

I use GSAK with mine, and I agree, I really really wish I had more information stored in the unit rather than having to print out the information.

 

I will be honest, I REALLY like my unit, but again I haven't used anything else. Hope you have better luck!

[+Team Blackcomb]

To delete all of the waypoints, go to the Trip Computer screen (the one with the odometer, speed, and moving times) and press the Menu key.  choose the Reset option.  You will see the option to clear out all of the waypoints.

Thanks for the pointer to delete all waypoints. Boy, that's the last place I would have looked. I am normally one for barking out RTFM!, but I can't say that even reading the manual would have worked in this case. A simple Index entry in the manual would have been in order.

 

I'm so glad to hear that you like the 60. I will keep trying.

 

Regards,

 

Team Blackcomb

[+hardwire]

I don't have a 60CS but I do REALLY like my 60C..... I use my PDA with GSAK to down load ALL the "stuff" on the geocaches that I want to read, including all the log comments incase there is some additional clues I need when I get "stuck"..

[+webscouter.]

You can also delete waypoints from the find waypoint screen. When you have the waypoints listed hit the menu button. The bottom selection is delete. You can then delete all or by icon type.

 

As far as the GPS not holding logs and such; Geocaching is only one very small use for a GPS. The device is primarily a navigation tool. As such it holds more than enough information and can be used either in a boat, car or plane. It has several features that are aimed at all of these users including, boat.. tide tables and fishing guides, car...autorouting, hotels, gas stations etc, airplane, course correction, drift, glide path etc.

 

If you still have your palm pilot download Cachemate from http://www.smittyware.com/palm/cachemate/ This will allow you to have all the logs, hints, descriptions from the GPX file. As you don't have to leave it on all the time you should not have any problem with the 20 minute charge time.

 

After saying all that if you end up not keeping your 60CS let me know. I'll make an offer on it because I really like mine and wouldn't mind having another.

[outrigger3]

I only have plain jane gps map 60 my wife pickup at ayard sale and i really like

it if you want to sell the cs I be glad to buy it from you this little unit is great and

with what I'm doing a second with all the bells and whistles would be like going from a 13inches tv to a 42 in plazma please let me know

[+Sputnik 57]

There is an 18 page thread with lots of good advise on how to use the 60CS. I admit that it is pretty intimidating to read through, but it has more views than any other active thread in this forum.

 

I've tried to distill many of the tips in the thread into an FAQ. The link to it is in my signature line. I hope you'll find something helpful there. If not, post a question here. There are lots of helpful folks around.

 

As for Mac support, well . . .

[Repod]

my guess is that in about a week or two you'll be lovin your 60cs

[+Team Blackcomb]

Thanks to everyone above who responded to my despondency. I spent all day with my 60CS. Certainly, there are some features that are great - especially with regard to street navigation. Sputnik 57 - I am reading through your 60/76 site - I wish I new about it before I posted last night!

 

I may indeed learn to accept this device, but I still will not let up on the Mac support issue. That really is inexcusable. As for geocaching being only a small use for GPS, I agree - it is. But with, let's say, 1000 caches downloaded to the 60CS, if Garmin set aside an extra 1K per entry for logs and hints, it would take up only an additional 1 MB of memory - not too much to ask IMHO.

 

And, finally, the requirement to override complete map sets when uploading new maps is still not a great "feature".

 

But, for the mean time - mainly thanks to the replies of everyone above - I'll stick with the 60CS and keep my rapidly fading Palm Pilot (with GeoNiche) handy so I can refer to cache log notes and hints.

 

Thanks again.