Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx Handheld GPS Navigator

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 1.3 x 2.4 x 6.1 inches ; 7.5 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000CSOXTO
• Item model number: 010-00422-00
  

By : Garmin
List Price : $535.99
Price : $386.00
You Save : $149.99 (28%)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description
The venerable Garmin 60CS just got a whole lot better. The 7.5-ounce GPSMap 60CSx now features an insanely accurate, high-sensitivity GPS receiver by SiRF that tracks your position even in tree cover and canyons. Plus, you get a bright, sunlight-readable color TFT display and an included a 64 MB microSD card for storage of optional map detail. Add all that to the 60CSx's integrated barometric altimeter and electronic compass, and you've got a unit that is ready to take you anywhere on land or sea.

The device features the powerful SiRF GPS navigation chip for supreme accuracy in all conditions. You also get an electronic compass and a barometric altimeter.

You also get a large color TFT display and turn-by-turn routing capability.


The 60CSx is a refreshing upgrade of the 60CS, and features a removable microSD card for detailed mapping memory. .You can use the 60CSx's memory card slot with preprogrammed microSD cards from Garmin (sold separately) that provide topographic maps, city streets, and nautical charts. In fact, the unit is compatible with most Garmin MapSource products including BlueChart, City Navigator, U.S. Topo 24K, and U.S. Topo and Recreational Lakes with Fishing Hot Spots. The unit comes preloaded with an Americas autoroute basemap that provides automatic routing capabilities including highways, exits, and tide data. There's also a preloaded marine point database. You can even get turn-by-turn directions when you're driving, and an integrated trip computer provides odometer, stopped time, moving average, overall average, total time, max speed, and more.
The 60CSx's 2.6-inch, 256-color TFT color display is designed to present mapping and trip information clearly and accurately in any lighting conditions. Plus, the case is lightweight, rugged, and water resistant to IEC 60529 IPX7 standards (can be submerged in one meter of water for 30 minutes). When using two AA alkaline batteries, you'll get up to 20 hours of battery life from the unit. The unit's barometric altimeter system features automatic pressure trend recording while providing current elevation, ascent/descent rate, minimum/maximum elevation, total ascent and descent, and average and maximum ascent and descent rate. Meanwhile, the electronic compass allows you to get accurate headings while standing still.
Another key feature of the 60CSx is the 10,000 point automatic track log; 20 saved tracks (500 points each) let you retrace your path in both directions. There's also a large-numbers option for easy viewing, as well as a dual-position display mode.
The 60CSx's trip computer provides odometer, stopped time, moving average, overall average, total time, max speed, and more. Meanwhile, a fast processor allows the 60CSx to provide quick auto-routing, turn-by-turn directions, and audio alerts when you use the optional MapSource software, which can be stored on the unit's included 64 MB microSD card. Downloading information is quick with the USB or serial port interfaces. Using the dedicated serial port, the 60Cx can share navigation instructions with repeaters, plotters, and autopilots. The four-position rocker pad and dedicated high-use buttons make navigating through the unit's features easy, even when your fingers are cold or wet.
Finally, the GPSMap 60CSx is packed with some extra fun features. An integrated outdoor calendar provides ideal hunting and fishing times, plus moon rise/set/location information. There is a dedicated geocaching mode for those of you into the hot GPS community treasure hunt game. Finally, there are indoor/outdoor GPS games to help you and your friends enjoy the outdoors.
If you like the features of the 60CSx, but don't need an electronic compass and a barometric altimeter, check out the Garmin 60Cx.
What's in the Box60CSx unit, 64 MB microSD card, belt clip, USB interface cable, MapSource Trip and Waypoint Manager CD, lanyard, owners manual, and quick-start guide.
Garmin GPS MAP 60 CSx. The GPS MAP 60 CSx is one of the most popular GPS models for outdoor and marine use. It incorporates a barometric altimeter for extremely accurate elevation data and an electronic compass that displays an accurate heading while standing still. The 60CSx also features a removable microSD card for detailed mapping memory and a waterproof, rugged housing. The microSD card slot is located inside the waterproof battery compartment. You can load map data and transfer routes and waypoints through the fast USB connection. In addition, the GPS MAP 60C Sx has a new, highly sensitive GPS receiver that acquires satellites faster and lets you track your location in challenging conditions, such as heavy foliage or deep canyons. Electronic compass displays accurate heading while standing still; Barometric altimeter with automatic pressure trend recording; New high-sensitivity WAAS-capable GPS receiver by SiRF; Built-in quad-helix receiving antenna with remote antenna capability; Supports English, Spanish, Portuguese and French languages; MicroSD card slot allows for storage of optional Map Source detail (64 MB microSD included); LED backlit display and keyboard; Up to 18 hours of battery life from 2 AA alkaline batteries; Includes a built-in Americas autoroute basemap with automatic routing capabilities, including highways, exits and tide data (U.S. only); Internal memory is preloaded with a marine point database Enough memory for 1,000 user waypoints with n

 

Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx Handheld GPS Navigator

 

Technical Details

• High-sensitivity GPS receiver
• Bright, sunlight-readable color TFT display
• Color-handheld mapping ideal for both marine and outdoor use
• 64 MB microSD card for storage of optional map detail; NOTE: microSD card is located in the device, not as a separate, additional item
• Fast USB connectivity makes loading charts and maps quick and easy

Customer Reviews

The first reviewer didn't really do his research before he purchased this or else he would know that it only comes with basemaps. The other fact he would know is that that's how all GPS vendors work. They want you to buy their maps separately and only their maps will work on their hardware.
Now, I previously owned a 60CS which I loved after trading in my Vista. With the newly upgraded 60CSx you get a couple of additional functions that make it much better than the 60CS. First, there's the SiRF III chipset. It is by far the best chipset out there right now. It's super sensitive and super fast. You can lock onto satellites even in your house in many cases! No longer will you loose reception in tricky situations. Most of the time you can even keep the 60CSx in your backpack and it will still track your movements.
The other highly requested function for many years is the expansion memory, now in the form of a microSD. Now you can load almost half of the U.S. into 512mb of microSD. Later, larger capacity microSD cards will be released that will allow you to loan the entire US! That's awesome!
Two things that you will loose by going to the 60CSx from the 60CS, the alarm clock, and the passive barometric tracking. Apparently, the new 60CSx no longer has a sleep mode so that these two things will not continue to work if you turn OFF the unit. The 60CS had a sleep mode so that the altimeter would still record your barometric after the unit was turned off and wake up to sound the alarm clock but not with the new 60CSx.
Most people don't use these functions anyway so I don't think you'll miss them. Also, the SiRF III and microSD more than make up for those two shortfalls.

Before I begin my review, I want to give the reader some information about my background to put this review in proper context.
This is the first GPS unit I've ever owned. I'm an avid hiker and I also enjoy backpacking. I'm also an occasional geocacher. I purchased this GPS as a supplement to the traditional map ; compass. I use it primarily to mark trail heads, track my location when hiking, and navigate the forest roads in the Nicolet ; Ottawa National Forests.
ACQUIRING SATELLITES/LOCATING POSITION (5/5 stars): This unit has excellent sensitivity. It can acquire satellites and determine my position while inside my home. The performance was also excellent under a dense forest canopy. It also acquires a position quite quickly.
EASE OF USE (3/5 stars): I'm a gadget junkie and tech geek in general. I rarely need to read a manual to figure out how a piece of electronics works. I must admit that I had a little difficulty with this GPS. The learning-curve was a bit steeper than I anticipated, but after a couple of weekends of constant use, I managed to figure everything out. The user interface isn't intuitive, so it takes some time to learn how to navigate through the menus. I don't consider this a major negative for the unit. The user interface seems similar to many other GPS units, so experienced GPS users will probably experience few issues operating this one. First-time users should expect to spend a few hours in the field with the unit and manual before feeling comfortable with the controls.
FEATURES (4/5 stars): The unit offers a lot of customization options. As a hiker and backpacker, I find the altimeter and compass very helpful. The microSD card support is a great feature, and I own 2 of the specialized TOPO map cards for use with this unit (Great Lakes Region ; East Coast Region). The microSD card support frees you from having to constantly connect the GPS to the computer to upload a new section of map into the unit. This is particularly important to me since I'm a Mac user and Garmin doesn't currently support Mac OS X (although I'm told that they will have a Mac OS X version of their map products on the market by year-end). The unit ships with a great set of icons that can be assigned to your waypoint markers. The icons allow you to easily identify different waypoint categories by the icon displayed on the map. For instance, it allows me to mark a trail head using the "hiking" icon, and then mark a campsite along that trail using a "camping" icon. The trip computer is a fantastic hiking/backpacking companion. It tracks the number of miles you have hiked, moving ; stopped time, max ; overall speeds, etc. The "tracking" feature is one of the most useful. It automatically creates a track log for your trip. It diplays the track as an overlay on the terrain map so you can see exactly where you are currently and where you came from. The track log is a life-saving feature and it is the one that I rely on most when I'm in the forest. The Sun and Moon page is a nice feature to use when you are overnighting in the forest and want to get an idea of when to begin your day or start setting up basecamp.
GEOCACHING (4/5 stars): The unit offers a special geocache menu that keeps track of the caches that you uploaded into the unit and have yet to find. Since I have a Mac, I'm not able to hook the unit up to my computer and upload the waypoints from geocaching.com. I manually enter the waypoints from the information provided on the web site. The manual provides no information on how to manually enter geocache waypoints -- I figured it out on my own. The manual also did a poor job of explaining how to mark a cache as "found" in your GPS so it automatically updates the cache status and enters the "find" date/time in the calendar. Once you figure out how to do everything, it does a good job of managing your geocaches.
DESIGN OF UNIT (5/5 stars): The unit looks rugged and seems to be designed to handle the rigors of outdoor use. The subdued color scheme makes it an ideal backwoods companion. The layout of the buttons is logical and they are easy to use.
MAP SOFTWARE (3/4 stars): I use the Garmin TOPO map software (preloaded on the microSD cards). I think the maps are average. I find that, in some areas of Nicolet National Forest, the map software provides a lot of detail and accurate forest road information, but in other sections it has barely any information at all. The inaccuracy of the map is probably the most irritating issue with the unit. I find that I still have to consult my DeLorme Gazetteer to get accurate road information in certain parts of the forest. My expectation of the unit when I purchased it was that it would take over the role as my primary navigator, and I'd only consult the Gazetteer in case of emergency. I was a little disappointed when I discovered that the Garmin map software wasn't an adequate replacement.
ROUTE-CALCULATION/CAR-NAVIGATION (1/5 stars): The route calculation function is the biggest failure of this unit. The routes that this unit recommends defies logic in many cases. I asked the unit to create a route to take me from my home to my favorite trail head in the forest. The route it recommended was acceptable until it had to figure county and forest roads into its trip plan. The unit seemed to become confused and, had I followed its directions, would have routed me directly into the trunk of a giant tamarack. The route appeared to be too complicated for the unit, so it just drew a straight line to the trail head from the nearest state highway -- ignoring instructions to follow roads only. The unit has failed to compute an accurate route nearly every time I asked it to do so. It doesn't even do a good job of trip planning from one large city to another using major roads. I should point out that this GPS wasn't designed for these functions (route-calculation/auto-navigation). It can perform them, but the unit is intended to be used in offroad and backwoods type environments. If you require a GPS for use in your car, then I recommend that you buy one designed specifically for that purpose. I don't consider the unit's poor performance in this area as a huge negative since it falls a little outside the unit's area of expertise.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: The addition of the microSD card was a great feature, but it is almost criminal that the unit can't use free space on the card for additional storage. My biggest complaint with the unit is that the limits on the number of waypoints, tracks, and routes seems arbitrary and almost inexcusable given the fact that the unit has almost limitless storage available through the use of microSD cards. I'd gladly pay extra money for a unit that allowed me to save the track log for every trail I hike, along with the waypoint for the trail head, without any internal limit on the total number I can save. This is a serious weakness for the unit, and is the only thing that prevents me from giving it a perfect 5 star rating. As a hiker, I hike several trails that follow old logging roads, cross other trails, or go "off-trail" in some areas. I find it irritating that even though I have a GPS, I still have to rely on memory to some extent, to remember which path I need to take at critical intersections. I understand I can mark those intersections with additional waypoints but, again, the unit limits the number of waypoints you can store. It also limits the number of tracks you can save.
OVERALL (4/5 stars): I think this is the best GPS currently available for hiking/backpacking. It excels in outdoors/backwoods environments and has all the features necessary to ensure that you are aware of your current position, the type of terrain you will encounter ahead, and how to return to your start position quickly and with ease. I feel confidant hiking into areas of the forest that I'm not familiar with using this unit as my guide. Potential buyers should be aware of some of the limitations that I mentioned in my review: 1) The unit's route calculation, when using it as a GPS in your car, is awful. If you need a GPS for your car, then buy one designed for that purpose. 2) The Garmin maps are acceptable, but don't expect them to have every country backroad documented. 3) The internal storage limits could cause problems for some users.