There is almost nothing to dislike about this unit.

Useful!Īltitude data was very accurate too, most of the time reading similar figures to the OS paper maps I was holding. This was accurate and indicates off-course drift on the same screen. The compass is a 2-Axis compass that confirms direction to your next waypoint. The data is stored in a GPX format which makes is perfectly compatible with many Navigation apps and devices. The path was recorded continuously and without error. I had a route containing some 20 Waypoints (each waypoint can contain up to 16 Chrs info) which was downloaded to the unit using MemoryMap application and OSGB 1:50k Mapping on my PC.ĭuring the trek the unit was recording my path. Most footpaths were marked and plenty of elevation data (in the form of elevation lines) provided a visual clue of my environment. This map contains vectorised mapping which includes some 1:25k scaled data. I used the GB Topo DVD which was neatly ALL downloaded onto a 2Gb microSD card. the 60CSx served well throughout not losing a satellite fix at all. Some parts of the trail involved thick canopy cover through the forests. The day was cool, cloudy, and damp on the ground. Unit was using the latest firmware as of Feb 2008. I used NiMH 2700maH Uniross rechargeables. I still had 3 bars left (out of 4) after a 15km trek. Obtaining Sat lock is often quick and reliable.īattery life is approximately 16 hours which checked out well in real life. This is a highly sensitive receiver which makes use of the SerifStar chipset. Even in bright sunlight, the transreflective screen shows up well. The screen is bright and large enough to see all of the detail provided. Its IPX standard waterproofing which means you can submerge this unit in water, so heavy rain will not affect this unit. And you certainly won't need directions to the bar! Clip the GPS to your pack and leave it to do what it does best: tell you exactly where you are, where you've been, and where you're going.Ī rugged construction and rubberised buttons make this a good unit to take on a trek. How often will you really need to change the polling interval or the routing strategy or the time zone while you're busy surviving on the trail? You should have setup the unit for travel before you hit the trailhead. There is plenty about the GPSMAP 60CSx I don't like, but as you can see from my strong rating it does the essentials so damned well that I just can't fault it for those shortcomings. Bottom-line: It's there if you want it, but don't buy this unit based that feature. Not ideal in freeway traffic, but I've already devoted too much time to this feature. This forces you to look at the unit, and if you don't have a dashboard or windshield mount for it then that means you're grabbing for it somewhere next to you. There is also no support for voice-guided navigation, instead the unit has two different tones to warn you of upcoming turns. Only the base street map is included with the unit, and the addon maps are expensive. It isn't at all why I purchased the device and it technically delivers on this promise, but the implementation isn't all that convenient. I suppose I'm mostly neutral on the subject. I can't decide which section its Turn-By-Turn direction capability should fall.

I'll also reiterate here that the unit cannot accept lithium batteries, which makes it minimally more expensive to operate in the long run. This results in selecting the wrong letter or menu option more often than I care to accept without frustration. The unit I own often seems to move the cursor in the adjacent direction I pressed on the d-pad. Navigating the menus and typing on the on-screen keyboard is non-trivially difficult. Although the two required AA batteries must be alkaline (lithium cells apparently deliver too high a voltage when new), they seem to last a more than generous amount of time. The unit is also quite rugged, and wears the nicks and scuffs of my mistreatment of it as a badge of honor. I recorded a day hike on an Ohio trail that spent much of its length under trees in a canyon whose depth sometimes exceeded 100 feet it never failed to record my track. The 60CSx has an uncanny ability to maintain a fix. Still, this GPS is extraordinarily capable and, if you need some of its premium features, it might be the sweet spot in the price-to-performance category. This product is not part of Garmin's future in the way that the Colorado, Oregon, and Dakota are. While this review doesn't touch upon the validity of such a strategy, I did think it worth mentioning. While their more budget-conscious trail products (eTrex) retain tactile interfaces the move now is for touchscreen versatility. Garmin's GPSMAP 60CSx marks the end of a paradigm for Garmin.

Accessing gps tracks on garmin 60csx