Garmin GPSMAP 60CSX gps

[Patrad Fischroy]

Sorry I am a little late to this party, but for anyone looking for decent reviews on GPS
http://gpsinformation.net/

These guys have been very good in the past and while I haven't been on their site in a while I will still go out on a limb and recommend it. I don't know if it will apply to you, Chris, but check out Dale DePriest's documents on using Garmin GPS units, it was really helpful to me when I first got my GPS 3+ many years ago and I think it had updated info when I got my Garmin Vista some years later.
I am envious of you getting the 60csx, I have been looking at that unit for a number of years, but I just can't justify it with the vista still working so well.
As to sources, I have had pretty good luck with these folks. Their prices are generally good and their technical support has been topnotch

http://www.tvnav.com/

[spyboy]

Yes, but I'm not the one with the heated driveway....

You are more than a data geek. You are a pure geek all the way.

I have also called you the Toy Man.

[Brad]

Yes, but I'm not the one with the heated driveway....

It is purely functional.

[spyboy]

so is a shovel

It is purely functional.

[CHRIS]

I got the 60csx on Friday and was playing with it this weekend. I have a question maybe Spyboy can answer. I got the topo map and installed it but I noticed there are some trails that it does not show. Does anybody know if the US Topo 24K National Parks East would show more trails? Any help would be appreciated. I am new to this and never even had one in my hands. I am thinking maybe if the weater is good either this Sat. or maybe Sat. the 5th going up and doing the Ammo-Jewell trail. Thanks in advance.

[spyboy]

Some of the trails only show when you zoom to a certain level. I'm assuming you bought a DVD of maps? So you have MapSource installed on your pc and have the maps loaded there. You'll see the same data on that screen as you will on your GPS.

The Topo 24k are only for the national parks, so unless you're hiking there, you're not going to get any data with that mapset.

Kirk

[CHRIS]

Thanks for the guick reply Kirk. After I loaded it on the laptop and went to the top of Mount Washington I noticed that the Gulf something trail (don't have map right now+forgot whole name) that goes to the Jewell trail does not show. But on the paper map it shows. Thanks again Kirk

[bc529]

I have been looking at the 60csx as a christmas gift I was wondering if I should get the bundle that comes with the topo map or should I get a different map. They will be hiking in NH around the New Found lake region, Franconia notch, and basically White Mountains just wondering what is the best map to get is Thanks everybody

[spyboy]

It's preloaded with the topo I believe, and you can add more maps to the unit (and switch between them).

Buy maps on CD/DVD, don't get them on data cards. The memory card is tiny and behind the battery so switching maps is not easy. Just get the largest memory card supported, put that in and load maps from the DVD's.

The 100k maps are nice, but 24k maps are going to have more detail. While driving I find the 100k can be a little too detailed (you can reduce detail) and the 24k maps are way too detailed to read zoomed out (for driving) but are perfect for hiking.

One accessory I do recommend is the carabiner clip, holds the gps and you can clip to a belt loop or a pack https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=1035

Kirk

[Gorque]

With the GPS capability of many smart-phones, are the days of the dedicated GPS unit over. As long as one can get a cell-phone signal, Google maps of the area can be downloaded and cached beforehand. If a cell-phone signal cannot be received, the smart-phones, with an app, will display accurate longitude and latitude for use with a map. Any thoughts for or against?