Garmin GPSmap 60Cx review

MikeB · Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 3:06 am Post subject: Garmin GPSmap 60Cx review

A little over a year ago Garmin introduced the GPSmap 60C and the GPSmap 60CS. A few weeks ago they announced the latest upgrades to the range.

The main new features are the introduction of the super sensitive SiRFStarIII chipset. This is widely acknowledged as being the most sensitive and accurate chipset available at the time of writing. The other main addition to the receiver is the introduction of external storage in the form of MicroSD flash memory. Yep, these storage cards have just got smaller again.

The Garmin GPSmap 60Cx is a Mapsource compatible handheld. This means that just about all maps and applications available in the Mapsource range will work: Basemaps, Street Routing, Topographical, and Marine charts. The receiver is of course compatible with the newly announced Topo GB Mapsource product. (We will review the Topo GB map software in a separate review).

How does this all come together and work out in practice? Click here to read on and find out. First we will describe the GPS receiver hardware, then the GPS software, and finally end up with a description of my experiences using the GPSmap 60Cx in the field.

Garmin GPSmap 60Cx review
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Mike Barrett

oddsock · Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:31 am Post subject:

Mike ,does the cx retain the 56 MB of base memory as in the previous models of 60c and cs??

Cheers
Dave
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TomTom one v1,tomtom one v 3,TT Start20,Garmin Oregon 300,Nuvi 300
Garmin Quest

wrm · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 01, 2006 Posts: 4

I have a map76cs, its good but I am always looking to upgrade. the 76cs supports UK tide tables. I find essential. will the map 60 csx support tide tables
regards Bill

MikeB · Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 10:59 pm Post subject:

Terminator · Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2006 12:12 am Post subject: Re: tide tables

briwy · Lifetime Member Joined: Aug 04, 2004 Posts: 173

Bought one this morning after reading the review.
I have been using Garmins for about 9/10 years. First one was a GPS 2+ which is now hard wired into my PDA running TomTom using a remote aerial.

Second one is an Etrex Vista which is OK but dies at the sight of a tree or other obstruction.

Got the CSx out of the box in Leeds and fired it up. Got 10 satellites within 30 seconds from a cold start.
Put it on the car floor, still 10 satellites, under the dash 9 satellites.
Wired it in place of the GPS 2+ (another bonus for me as it uses the round Garmin plug rather than the fiddly Etrex one) and put it on the dash.
Forgot to set it to WGS84 so TomTom got a bit iffy but reset it correctly and drove back to the Peak District with it INSIDE the glovebox. Never faltered.
The reception is amazing compared with the Etrex so I reckon the tree problem is solved.

The controls are so much better as well. The Etrex is very fiddly with its little buttons and virtually impossible to operate with gloves on.

Menus very easy to get around and screen is incredible after the others.

Looking forward to getting outdoors with it this weekend if possible but so far no complaints. Tell a lie, the lanyard is useless, made for going round a hand rather than round the neck

salrez · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 23, 2006 Posts: 4

compared to the $260 Legend cx,the $500 60csx is a piece of junk! why? first is the screen,totally inferior.the strain on the eyes is to much.the washed out colors cant be seen easy in daylight or direct sunlight.the smaller screen on the legend cx has very strong colors and comfortable on the eyes. thee 60csx seems to have many bugs that needs to be corrected. oh yeah,it aquires faster sats than the legend,big deal!
VERY DISSAPOINTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

briwy · Lifetime Member Joined: Aug 04, 2004 Posts: 173

Im more than happy with my 60 Csx.
I cant comment on the screen variations because my Etrex Vista is only monochrome but all my previous comments stand, even more so now Ive used it more outdoors in bad weather.
As I said my biggest moan about the Etrex is the rubbish satellite reception.
This is not just how long it takes to achieve a fix, which I dont see as a major problem, but the fact that it loses signals so easily.
Doesnt seem much point to me in having a GPS if half the time it hasnt got a fix.

salrez · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 23, 2006 Posts: 4

I use mine for driving.the etrex legend cx is excellent in holding a sat fix.even at 70 mph. the 60cx outperforms it.but the screen should be at least 320x 240 with bright vivid colors.i owned a megellan explorist 600,now thats a nice gps screen! but returned it because of he poor aquisition time and difficult to lock on @ 60 mph.

ernieb · Occasional Visitor Joined: Aug 16, 2004 Posts: 42

It's interesting reading the comments on the 60CSx screen. I've just bought mine recently, my previous GPS being a Meridian Colour. I like many of the features in the Meridian but the Garmin outperforms the Meridan in the out door visabilty stakes every time. (another big bonus over the Meridian Colour - battery life - current estimate is about 16 - 18 hours against at best 6 - 7 hours)
I also checked out lots of potential purchases in day light and the 60CSx was the best of the bunch fo me. I am very pleased with it's viewability - a bigger screen would have been nice but you never seem to get it all.
Overall the 60CSx functionality works, I use it mainly for walking, and the altimeter and electronic compass complete the package.

ernieb

salrez · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 23, 2006 Posts: 4

this is definetly an outdoor unit that works very well under a canopy of trees.this is definetly not a gps screen you want for Florida daytime driving.I am seriously considering to sell my 60csx.

MikeB · Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 2:05 am Post subject:

salrez · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 23, 2006 Posts: 4

I hope I didnt ruffle anyones feathers about the 60cx. my intention is really the safety aspect of the unit meanwhile driving.maybe i was a bit hasty when i stated the 60cx as junk.its not! when I purchased mine the dealer gave it 5 stars across the board for auto,marine,outdoors.just becareful driving with it Smile

henkvangerwen · Occasional Visitor Joined: Apr 05, 2006 Posts: 1

Just read the review. Seems to be a nice GPS unit.
I have still a question, is this unit to adjust that it gives metric output, e.g. km instead of miles etc.
Are maps available from Western Europe and Austria/Hungary?
The unit is WAAS compatible, does it also support EGNOS (I guess it will).
Thank you for the answers.

MikeB · Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 9:59 am Post subject: Re: Garmin 60CX Review

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