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 enlarge | Brand: Garmin
Category: CE
List Price: $535.99
Buy New: $285.00 (On sale from $299.89)
You Save: $14.89 (5%)
New (73) Used (2) Refurbished (5)
Avg. Customer Rating:  401 reviews
Sales Rank: 199
Media: Electronics
Memorabilia: No
Tracks: 20
Batteries Included: No
Native Resolution: 160x240
Display Size: 2.6
Includes MP3 Player: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 1.5 x 2.2 x 2.6
MOB (Man Overboard)
Heading
Speed
Distance
ETA (Estimated Time of Arrival)
ETE (Estimated Time Enroute)
Legal Disclaimer: Warranty does not cover misuse of product.
MPN: 010-00422-00
Model: 010-00422-00
UPC: 753759049126
EAN: 0753759049126
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 FANTASTIC Device, But Be Prepared to Buy Map Chip January 2, 2008
36 out of 36 found this review helpful
Shortly after I bought this (before it arrived) I began to suffer buyer's remorse; I started thinking this was just an expensive toy and a waste of money. But after receiving it [and the North American detailed street maps chip (another $160)] I don't regret a single penny spent.
It's great for mapping (showing a route, down to the foot, you've taken) so you can backtrack and not get lost while hiking. And, with the North American street maps microSD Data card, I travel to new destinations stress-free now. With the detailed street map chip, it gives driving directions as well as any automotive gps with the exception that the 60CSx doesn't give voiced instructions and, of course, the screen is smaller. And it'll show all the restaurants (or gas stations, atms, etc) near my location and sorts them according to distance. This comes in handy when you're in an unfamiliar area and need a Starbucks STAT. I know, this is starting to be a review of the Maps microSD Data chip/card, but I think anyone buying this unit should definitely invest in the extra chip, too. Doing so makes the unit many times more useful.
Regarding battery usage, it has accomodations for both alkaline and lithium batteries (supposedly lithium batteries have more energy than alkalines and can cause problems with some electronic devices). And I find that the 20 hour battery life is accurate as long as you don't use the backlight too much. When I first got this, I was playing with it all the time, using the back light and got about 10 hours on Duracell Ultra alkaline batteries.
It also has other cool features like the ability to tell you the exact location (current or any time in the future) of the sun or moon. How cool would it be to know where the shade will be when you get out of that Phoenix movie theatre and have your car already parked there, in a spot that was blazing hot two hours earlier? Knowing the exact time the sun will set or rise can come in handy, too.
When I first got it, I didn't care for the economy of buttons on the device. But after using it almost daily for two weeks now I appreciate that I can effectively operate the unit with one hand because of the smart design/layout of the buttons.
I'd also invest twenty bucks in a protective case. The case is nicely designed with very good functionality allowing you to clearly see the screen and operate the buttons through a thick, tough, transparent barrier.
Great all-around GPS February 27, 2006
40 out of 41 found this review helpful
I recently upgraded to the GPSMAP 60CSx from the 60CS. I've had a chance to run the "x" through its paces and am very happy. The reception is excellent-- manifest in very fast time to initial position and good tracking under tree cover, amongst tall buildings, inside some buildings!, and from within a backpack or pocket.
I use the unit (as I did its predecessor) for auto-mapping when I travel and also for outdoor fun. In the spirit of full disclosure, I own and use the Garmin TOPO and City Navigator North America software (about $100 each).
Auto-Mapping:
I never travel to a new city without the 60CSx loaded with the appropriate City Navigator data. Finding hotels, appointments, dining, airports is now an absolute breeze. Unlike the StreetPilot units, the 60CSx doesn't provide voice feedback and the interface takes a little practice--but these are small concessions when you consider the handheld flexibility of the 60csx. The automatic route calculation works well and provides very good guidance at the point of turns, etc. The CS could hold data for 2-3 destination cities-- but I can load destination data for everything west of the Mississippi onto one 512mb chip in the CSx. Pre-load 3 chips and you'll have the full US. This increased storage capacity and flexibility was the feature that motivated my upgrade.
Outdoor Fun:
With the help of the Topo software and some USGS quadrangles, I've had great success plotting waypoints and creating routes on backpacking and hiking trails. I typically do all of the plotting on the PC and upload the data to the GPS--it is a great comfort to have the route and waypoints in-hand as you explore new areas. On a recent cold weather bacpacking trip, the CSx kept my position locked under dense foliage while the unit was in my breast pocket-- under similar conditions the CS reception would have been spotty (but still useful). It is amazingly fun to return from a hike and upload your track (electronic breadcrumbs) to the PC and then view the data in GoogleEarth.
I think the CSx has slightly poorer battery life than the CS. Hours of battery life varies widely with conditions--my current pair of Energizers have sustained the unit through about 10 hours of cold weather hiking (hard on batteries) and another 3-4 hours of auto-navigation. The battery level navigator is down to a single bar and I'm going to replace them before the next trip.
I heartily recommend this unit for the all-around user--it's not often you get a toy that is so much fun while still being useful.
Best reception available June 4, 2006
36 out of 37 found this review helpful
The SiRF chipset in this unit is amazing. When I first saw the 60csx in person, it was in the middle of a giant warehouse-type store, and it *had reception*. No other unit can get as strong a signal indoors, under trees, inside my backpack, etc., as this one can. (Of course it still won't work in the middle of a windowless room, for example -- it isn't magic!) That alone was what sold me about it. Everything else works as all the other reviewers have described -- the software is very intuitive, and the compass and altimeter work great.
My one complaint is that the SiRF receiver is *so* sensitive that when indoors, it can pick up a poor signal that yields relatively inaccurate position data. That means your track log will "jump" around all over the place. I hope that Garmin will provide better filtering to detect when the unit is not in motion in the future, but for now this is an acceptable compromise since it's better to have slightly inaccurate location info (within 50 meters instead of 5 like you get outdoors) than none at all.
There's one important note I'd like to make about the future expandability of this product. In regard to B. Goodman "Coaster"'s review which stated that you can't save tracks, waypoints, routes, etc., to the microSD card, Garmin has apparently made steps to remedy that problem, at least with regard to tracks. Firmware version 2.71 (which is currently Beta, so I wouldn't recommend installing it just yet -- and please note that Garmin might very well change what I describe here in the future) supports saving tracks to the microSD storage! Presumably this will give you an effectively unlimited track log. I've tested this new feature, and the way it currently works is that it saves a duplicate copy of the "active log" to the microSD card. This lets you periodically erase the "real" active track log, while keeping the backup which you can view later on your computer. This is perfect for long trips when you don't want to carry your laptop. The tracks are saved in standard GPX format, and even include time and elevation data (unlike the normal "saved" tracks that you can save and view on the receiver itself).
The new 2.71 (Beta) firmware also enables a USB Mass Storage interface, so you can view the files on the microSD card directly, which will let you easily upload third-party maps (not very high-quality, but available from sites like mapcenter.cgpsmapper.com). You can also use this to retrieve the saved track logs. And you can do this even from a *Macintosh*! This proves that Garmin is committed to providing OS-X support by the end of this year, and also that they're committed to providing continued support for their current (and older) products, rather than saving all the new features only for new products.
This unit has it all! May 4, 2006
29 out of 30 found this review helpful
This is my fourth handheld GPS (I have 6 total). My handhelds are an old first-run eTrex, an eTrex Vista, and a Magellan Meridian Platinum. The 60CSx is definately the best. The most important aspect of any GPS unit is the ability to pick up the satellites. The 60CSx does this without fail while hanging from a belt loop, while in deep woods, at the bottom of 500 foot ravines in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. My other units have to be held up overhead at full arms length and get only spotty reception at best. The Magellan is definately the best of the others but I do not like the size of it or the button locations or the software nearly as much as the Garmin 60. I can palm a basketball, yet the Magellin is too large for my hand to comfortably operate the buttons. The stability and reproducability of the 60CSx is excellent. Consider my return trip to the trailhead on a recent hike. At one point the 60CSx said I was about 150 feet off the earlier track. This seemed too much. I bushwacked over about 150 feet to find the trail and then realized that a cross country ski path intersected with the trail and I had not noticed it on the way in. In my humble opinion this is excellent performance. I purchased the MapSource software which has all the trails I will ever need for about $100. My only complaint is that top quality, alkaline, batteries only last about 10 hours, and not the 30 hours listed in the ad copy. I carry another set of batteries for a day hike. I am very happy with this purchase.
Complete Versatility December 3, 2006
29 out of 30 found this review helpful
I am nothing less than completely impressed with this GPS unit. I have been using this model for over a month now and I am totally and completely satisfied with my purchase. I travel all over the US for my work by airplane and I was interested in purchasing a GPS that was versatile and portable without being too bulky and cumbersome to pack when traveling through airports. Now that I have acquired all the various parts and pieces (i.e GPS unit, software, mounting bracket, and charging cable) I have a complete and portable set up that I carry with me on all of my trips. This allows me to save over $10/day on rental cars by not having to rent a car with a GPS unit. With the Garmin Street Navigator software for the US and the purchase of a 2GB mini SD card, I have the entire US road system on board and ready for travel anywhere in the country including Alaska and Hawaii.
The other major selling point for me was that with this unit not only do I have a highly accurate GPS unit for traveling and navigating the nations highways, but I also have a compact hand held unit that can hold topographic maps allowing me to hike and explore the countryside anywhere in the US (or the world). This all-in-one strategy was perfect for my needs not to mention that this unit is about half the cost of a unit specifically designed for an automobile such as a TomTom Go or other similar device. I love the fact that I can mount this to the windsheild and go and then when I arrive, just pop it loose and throw it in a back pack and I'm good to go for a hiking adventure on the trail. However, I should mention that this particular unit does not feature audible voice directions which are commonly found on units specifically designed for automobiles. This may be part of the reason why there is such a drastic difference in cost. Even though this unit doesn't talk, it does provide audible warning tones and flashes on screen pop up advisories when you are approaching your turns and exits.
As other reviews have mentioned, the main thing to be aware of with any GPS unit is the fact that you will probably have to spend additional money than the original purchase price for the unit to get the full functional benefit from the device. As I've mentioned, in addition to the actual cost of the unit I have also spent a minimum of over $250 on software and other accessories to give me full advantage of the capabilities that I needed. If you do your homework, you will find that this is true for any GPS unit and not just this one. Realizing this ahead of time will help you to avoid any unpleasant realities later on that you will probaly need to spend more money on additional equipment. You can think of the GPS like purchasing a computer - it represents only the hardware. The other half of the equation is the software needed to make it complete.
With that said, I would also say that even though this is a very fast and highly accurate GPS unit, it is not without a couple of design flaws and it certainly has room for some improvement. None of these items warrant enough for me to lower my score of 5 stars, but are worth mentioning for prospective buyers to be aware of. The most important one is the glare problem with the screen. Under very low light and night time viewing conditions there is no problem at all with the screen. But, when trying to view in high ambient light levels or indirect sun conditions in an automobile, the screen can be quite difficult to see and exhibits a lot of glare and reflectivity. However, in direct sun light conditions, with the sun shining directly onto the screen, the graphics are quite easy to see and there is no glare problem. The second issue is the brightness level of the back light. It could stand to be significantly brighter for better viewing. Even at 100% the screen is still relatively dim by my estimation, but I am assuming it is scaled back like this to help conserve battery power. Other than these two issues, I can find little wrong with this powerful GPS unit. If you are looking for a versatile device that works excellent as a cross country highway navigator, or as a personal step by step guide when trekking through the woods and mountains, you will be very happy with this unit. Just be aware of the fact that you will probably have to invest in some additional add on equipment to get the full use and enjoyment out of the unit.
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