Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx Handheld GPS Navigator by Garmin
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Digital camera reviews of Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx Handheld GPS Navigator
Digital camera Review: Accurate and easy to use
Summary: 5 Stars
The GPSMap 60cx is my first GPs unit. I'm a gadget head, and I figured it was time to invest in a GPS unit, since I still get lost in my home town. In fact, I need directions to go anywhere, even if I've been there before. It's one of my personal limitations that I acknowledge and accept. I also wanted a GPS to start geocaching, which sounds like a cool idea that the kids and I could get into.
So I got the unit and I'm very impressed. The screen is large and bright. With Metroguide loaded I get detailed mapping data and directions around town. It's even got a special repository for geocaches. Very cool!
There are probably units that will do the same thing for less, but not with all these features. If you want a great GPS handheld for geocaching, or just getting around town, this is a good one!
Digital camera Review: Accurate with Google Maps
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a great product as many other people mention. I recently took this on a motorcycle ride out in the desert and turned the tracking feature on. When I got home, I uploaded the tracks to Google Maps and it matched the satelite imagery perfectly. I was pretty amazed that they matched up so good, a testimate to both Garmin and Google.
Digital camera Review: All That Plus Macintosh USB Compatibility
Summary: 5 Stars
After 247 reviews, there's not much to add, but perhaps this: for the first time, the Garmin CX series is compatible with the Apple Macintosh USB system. Under either [[ASIN: B000GHIV2Q Parallels Desktop 3.0]] or Boot Camp, part of Apple's [[ASIN: B000FK88JK Mac OS 10.5 "Leopard"]] you can run Garmin's software on your Mac and actually, truly communicate with the GPS. Finally!
It's been a Garmin hardware issue that has driven Mac-o-philes and Mac developers to tears of frustration. Even highly skilled programmers like James & Associates found the Garmin USB interface to be flakey and maddening. All those issues seem to be resolved. If you own an Intel Mac and want a full-featured GPS that can talk to your computer, this is the GPS unit you want. Communications to and from the GPS Map 60CSx are nearly flawless.
Digital camera Review: All the things you need in a GPS
Summary: 5 Stars
I purchased an eTrex a few years back and have been pleased with that and resisted upgrading for a while. I'm glad I did as I would have ended up with a unit that was inferior to this. Everything I was missing on my eTrex or the other units I looked at is here. This unit is light, actually not much bigger than an eTrex but with a much larger screen, and is full of great features.
First and foremost the satellite lock is exceptional. This was the biggest complaint I had, and others too, with the eTrex series, that their internal antennas were not that great. With this unit I have kept a lock in deep tree cover, canyons, cities with high rises and more.
Next the color screen. Again, this was one of the things I looked for, and the screen really lives up to the promise. It is visible in all kinds of conditions, and when it is lacking a little, turning on the backlight slightly brings the clarity back.
Another thing that made me stick with my eTrex was that very few handheld units allowed for memory upgrades. This unit does this and with the cost of transflash/microSD coming down so much, you can carry just about as many maps as you like. I have a 512MB card and have all of the western United States topo and street maps on there.
Another thing I wanted but couldn't satisfactorily find in a HH unit was auto route generation. This has it and it works great. I love being able to drive somewhere and just take a turn off the road to investigate a new place and having the unit just put me straight back on track again when I am ready. You do have to purchase additional software, and for those who are complaining about this, it is quite clear that this is the case when you buy the unit. I agree with a couple of the other reviewers that without the supplemental maps you may as well just stick with the eTrex. I love the eTrex and would recommend it to any one who wants a basic GPS. For what this unit can offer though and when you compare it to comparable in car units, that are limited to the car, the price is actually not so bad. If you want to spring for the other maps though, or have a license for them from another GPS that you have only registered once, this GPS stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Personally I love it and at the current price on Amazon ($[...] after rebate as I write this!) I don't think it can be beaten.
Digital camera Review: Almost perfect
Summary: 4 Stars
While the Garmin GPS60CSx was designed by excellent engineers, its manual must have been designed by monkeys randomly pecking away at the keyboard. At best the manual is just a "fast start" booklet geared more to someone who might be driving a car - not for someone who would take it into the woods on a hike or for geocaching. It's amazing how many "key strokes" or "button pushes" you have to use to get to where you want to go. Perhaps they should call in the people from Apple Computer to organize the layout to make it much more user friendly.
Garmin allows you to enter POI's (points of interest) but the procedure is not readily available in the manual. There is, however, great help on third party web sites. Thus using theGarmin GPS60CSx for geocaching, I was able to load 200+ geocaches in seconds - once I found the correct procedure. It also was easy to load an icon for these geocaches - - once I found the correct procedure. I'm stilling looking for a procedure to draw my own icons.
I still can't determine why the screen isn't as bright during the daytime as some of my other Garmin's that I owned - without using the backlight. I tried various background themes, but I can't seem to find a brightness or contrast control that doesn't use the backlight.
I am also looking for a procedure to overlay a topomap on the map that comes with the unit. What will I see when I take this unit to Australia?
All in all, it sure beats a compass.