Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx Handheld GPS Navigator
by Garmin
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx Handheld GPS Navigator
Customer Review: Can't go wrong with this one!
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me start by saying there is no perfect GPS. I don't care whether you go Garmin, Lowrance, or Magellan, none of them will be perfect. But the 60CSx comes close enough to make me one happy user. I use it while driving as well as for geocaching and hiking in the woods. I use City Navigator North America NT version 8 for street navigation, and it works very well. The basemap that comes with the unit is junk and you won't want to use it for driving, so the City Navigator software is a mandatory purchase if you want to use this for turn-by-turn street navigation. The 64MB MicroSD card included with the 60CSx is way too small. Spend $20 and get a 1GB card; that will hold maps of the whole USA rather than just 1 or 2 states. The unit's reception is outstanding; I've repeatedly had a sat lock in the basement of my ranch-style home. Older GPS units can't do that, but the Sirf III chip in this unit makes it possible. Locking onto the sat signal is fast and reliable with the 60CSx, and tree cover isn't an issue. This unit is pricy, and if you don't need the altimeter and compass the 60Cx might be a better, less expensive choice. The 60CSx won't give spoken directions like dedicated dashboard units will -- it uses "beeps" instead. The sounds that tell you when to turn are sometimes easy to miss if you have the radio cranked up, and one common complaint is that the turn warning beep doesn't always come far enough in advance. Fortunately, if you do overshoot your turn the unit will automatically re-calculate the route to get you back on track. Battery life is very good, about 18 hours on a set of alkalines. One great thing with this unit is that you can create your own POI lists containing literally thousands of waypoints and store them on the MicroSD card. This is in addition to the 1000 waypoints that the unit can store in it's internal memory. For a geocacher on a road trip, this is an awesome feature! Tracks can be stored on the data card too, and dumped to a computer for review later. Overall, this is one of the best handheld units available, and I'm glad I bought it. Whether I'm on a business trip for work or hiking in the Appalachian mountains, the 60CSx does a great job of getting me where I need to go.Customer Review: Excellent GPS choice for all applications!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this unit from Amazon a while ago, and I had the opportunity to use it in various applications over a one year period:
1) Automobile
2) Boating
3) Biking/Walking
So far, I'm extremely impressed with this device from every perspective; build quality, versatility, performance, value, and functionality. Of all the newer available GPS devices sold within the market, I would still purchase this one, because it's so FLEXIBLE when it comes to applicable uses. Try using the more popular consumer models around water, in the nature, or with you on vacation to remote areas were GPS reception is not very strong. Bottom line is this; if the military can trust this unit in the field, then why wouldn't you? That's right, many special forces units use the 60CSx as backup units to the military grade GPS units. Why? The 60CSx is reliable and it works under the worst conditions. It's built like a tank and it's excellent at getting you from point A to point B - period!
Yes, the newer fancier GPS units do have MP3 capabilities, photo-viewers, up-to-date traffic reporting, and real-road views, etc.. However, you can't take them to the beach, on a boat, in the rain, or out into the cold. If I want to play MP3's and view photos, I'll use my iPod. A GPS is supposed to do one thing and one thing only. Never allow the navigator to get lost. This does exactly that and it does it extremely well. Superb receiving antenna, great satellite reception (even in dense areas), and fast map processing for something this size.
Also, this unit works great in the car. No it will not talk to you, but who cares? Is that really important, not to me. The LCD screen will light up and beep prior to direction requirements automatically. It gives you great information throughout the entire destination track. I've never gotten lost. Enter a point-of-interest, map the route, and off you go. Sit back and let the 60Csx guide you. Works great!
For the money, you will not find a better and more reliable GPS unit! Also, get a 2GB micro SD. That is more than enough memory (and it can be used as a UMS device as well). Enjoy. This is without a doubt one of my favorite toys...
Customer Review: Absolutely thrilled with this purchase! (Still!)
Summary: 5 Stars
*** Updated Review *** (29 Oct 2007)
So I bought the Garmin specifically for Geocaching... so far, I've found 366 caches! The 60CSx is rugged, it gets great reception, and in my experience has been very accurate.
I also use it frequently in the car for road navigation as well. If road nav. is your main need, there are better units, but it does a fine job of getting me where I need to be. It does not have voiced direction, just beeps that let you know that a turn is coming up. The screen is also a bit small for most automotive uses. Yes, you will most likely need additional mapping software to get the optimum use of road navigation.
I purchased the Garmin road mapping software at the same time as the unit and have been very happy with the software as well. All the reviews that say the unit is useless without additional maps are misleading you. A GPS receiver is designed to guide you to coordinates (longitude and latitude). It still does this exceptionally well, even with the provided base map. You do not need extra maps (or any maps) to locate coordinates. I also ended up in an area one night that I didn't have maps loaded for. I still managed to find 10 geocaches with no problems using just the basemap.
The screen on the 60CSx is high and exposed. I would recommend a protective device of some sort. I highly recommend the "InvisibleSHIELD" found at: www.shieldzone.com
Any problems? I did have some accuracy issues at one point involving the compass (the problems were caused by a combination of settings I made in the unit). I reset the device, updated the firmware... and back on the road, operating flawlessly once again.
I can't recommend this unit enough. It does everything its supposed to and more. The sour grapes in some of these reviews are exactly that. Before you spend this kind of money on anything, you should research it thoroughly.... obviously I knew it needed maps, I purchased them in the same transaction as the unit. Anyone "surprised" by the need for maps didn't do their homework.
I've owned this unit for over a year now and I'm still extremely happy. Will I buy another Garmin product... you bet!
Customer Review: Excellent choice for multi-use GPS
Summary: 5 Stars
I did a lot of research and am happy with my GPSMap60csx. It does everything and more - from navigating in the woods in deep tree cover to driving to an address in suburbia. When researching which unit to buy - my main concern was that when I am in the deep forest - that it retain reception of the satellites. It did that last month while in deep fir forests of SW Mt. St. Helens area. I was able to navigate accurately. My old Etrex Vista didn't have the new SirfStar chip. The GPSMAP60csx does have it and it is phenomenal. However, the Magellan Crossover (I've tried it and returned it) had it too -but it wandered a lot! So I guess the big antenna on the 60csx really does help. Additionally, it's automotive application is just fine too. It can't speak directions - but I found that distracting anyway. I am using TOPO and City Navigator on my unit. But you can't use both at the same time. Also, you should plan on spending the money for the extra maps (TOPO & CN). The default maps that come with it are just not good enough to do much with. IF you are not going to use the power that this offers - then just buy a cheap $100 unit. The screen is hard to see during the day unless there is ambient light shining directly on it - or if you angle the unit just the right way. But that is the nature of color screens unless you have a backlight on. But that would run down the battery. Battery life is excellent. I used this for about 10 hours total over 3 days on the same batteries. I am sure they would go a lot longer than that (regular alkalines).
One last item... Garmin HAS to develop two things:
1. Topo and City Navigator should work together or overlay. Right now, you have to manually switch from one to the other to use in the same area.
2. Topo is not detailed enough with their contour lines. Their parks version of topo is detailed good - to a better scale. However, the regular Topo is barely detailed enough with elevation data to use effectively while hiking in rough terrain. Really steep areas don't look that steep on the maps due to the contour lines.
Customer Review: I love the GPSMap 60CSx!
Summary: 5 Stars
I returned the Vista CX to get the 60CSx and never looked back. The major difference for me was the SiRF 3 chipset which allows me to pick up 3 or 4 satellites inside my house! I have mapped over 130 miles of mountain biking trails, which I use for trip planning and leading rides. It rarely fails to lock on to a signal for an entire 2 hour trip even inside my Camelbak. I recently picked up a RAM mount for my handlebars and it works great! I've used it about 20 times so far mountain biking, XC skiing and snowshoeing in some pretty cold temperatures and am still on the original batteries (Energizer E2 lithiums). I popped in a 4GB micro SD card and installed Map Source for the entire US and Canada. I now have about 200 waypoints and about 30 geocaches stored as well. The electronic compass works great and the 60CSx recently steered me to within 6 feet of a geocache and then 5 miles back home through the woods on snowshoes. It's rugged, has a hole that I have a caribiner clipped to, is easy to read, and I can view my tracks on Google Earth (too bad you can't save them as a link). I'm heading to the Caribbean on a 9-day cruise this Friday and will take it to track as much as I can (zip-lining!). It's not as small or light as the Vista was, but the features and usefullness far outweigh that; I think. I had a coupon and a rebate so the price was a no-brainer, but I would definitely pay full price for the fact that it locks on and stays on wherever I've been so far, and I'm in the woods all the time. As with all electronics with a display, I strongly suggest putting on the protective films, as I have done. They haven't hindered any of the displays. Highly recommended!
Update 3/20/11: Not long after my original review the hole for a clip/caribiner tore through. I thought it would be reinforced, but it's just plain old rubber and is the weakest link by far. I contacted Garmin several times and have never received a response. Otherwise, years later and it still finds geocaches within a couple of feet with no problems. Would I buy it again? Absolutely!