Before I begin my review, I want to give the reader some information about my background to put this review in proper context.

This is the first GPS unit I've ever owned. I'm an avid hiker and I also enjoy backpacking. I'm also an occasional geocacher. I purchased this GPS as a supplement to the traditional map & compass. I use it primarily to mark trail heads, track my location when hiking, and navigate the forest roads in the Nicolet & Ottawa National Forests.

ACQUIRING SATELLITES/LOCATING POSITION (5/5 stars): This unit has excellent sensitivity. It can acquire satellites and determine my position while inside my home. The performance was also excellent under a dense forest canopy. It also acquires a position quite quickly.

EASE OF USE (3/5 stars): I'm a gadget junkie and tech geek in general. I rarely need to read a manual to figure out how a piece of electronics works. I must admit that I had a little difficulty with this GPS. The learning-curve was a bit steeper than I anticipated, but after a couple of weekends of constant use, I managed to figure everything out. The user interface isn't intuitive, so it takes some time to learn how to navigate through the menus. I don't consider this a major negative for the unit. The user interface seems similar to many other GPS units, so experienced GPS users will probably experience few issues operating this one. First-time users should expect to spend a few hours in the field with the unit and manual before feeling comfortable with the controls.

FEATURES (4/5 stars): The unit offers a lot of customization options. As a hiker and backpacker, I find the altimeter and compass very helpful. The microSD card support is a great feature, and I own 2 of the specialized TOPO map cards for use with this unit (Great Lakes Region & East Coast Region). The microSD card support frees you from having to constantly connect the GPS to the computer to upload a new section of map into the unit. This is particularly important to me since I'm a Mac user and Garmin doesn't currently support Mac OS X (although I'm told that they will have a Mac OS X version of their map products on the market by year-end). The unit ships with a great set of icons that can be assigned to your waypoint markers. The icons allow you to easily identify different waypoint categories by the icon displayed on the map. For instance, it allows me to mark a trail head using the "hiking" icon, and then mark a campsite along that trail using a "camping" icon. The trip computer is a fantastic hiking/backpacking companion. It tracks the number of miles you have hiked, moving & stopped time, max & overall speeds, etc. The "tracking" feature is one of the most useful. It automatically creates a track log for your trip. It diplays the track as an overlay on the terrain map so you can see exactly where you are currently and where you came from. The track log is a life-saving feature and it is the one that I rely on most when I'm in the forest. The Sun and Moon page is a nice feature to use when you are overnighting in the forest and want to get an idea of when to begin your day or start setting up basecamp.

GEOCACHING (4/5 stars): The unit offers a special geocache menu that keeps track of the caches that you uploaded into the unit and have yet to find. Since I have a Mac, I'm not able to hook the unit up to my computer and upload the waypoints from geocaching.com. I manually enter the waypoints from the information provided on the web site. The manual provides *no* information on how to manually enter geocache waypoints -- I figured it out on my own. The manual also did a poor job of explaining how to mark a cache as "found" in your GPS so it automatically updates the cache status and enters the "find" date/time in the calendar. Once you figure out how to do everything, it does a good job of managing your geocaches.

DESIGN OF UNIT (5/5 stars): The unit looks rugged and seems to be designed to handle the rigors of outdoor use. The subdued color scheme makes it an ideal backwoods companion. The layout of the buttons is logical and they are easy to use.

MAP SOFTWARE (3/4 stars): I use the Garmin TOPO map software (preloaded on the microSD cards). I think the maps are average. I find that, in some areas of Nicolet National Forest, the map software provides a lot of detail and accurate forest road information, but in other sections it has barely any information at all. The inaccuracy of the map is probably the most irritating issue with the unit. I find that I still have to consult my DeLorme Gazetteer to get accurate road information in certain parts of the forest. My expectation of the unit when I purchased it was that it would take over the role as my primary navigator, and I'd only consult the Gazetteer in case of emergency. I was a little disappointed when I discovered that the Garmin map software wasn't an adequate replacement.

ROUTE-CALCULATION/CAR-NAVIGATION (1/5 stars): The route calculation function is the biggest failure of this unit. The routes that this unit recommends defies logic in many cases. I asked the unit to create a route to take me from my home to my favorite trail head in the forest. The route it recommended was acceptable until it had to figure county and forest roads into its trip plan. The unit seemed to become confused and, had I followed its directions, would have routed me directly into the trunk of a giant tamarack. The route appeared to be too complicated for the unit, so it just drew a straight line to the trail head from the nearest state highway -- ignoring instructions to follow roads only. The unit has failed to compute an accurate route nearly every time I asked it to do so. It doesn't even do a good job of trip planning from one large city to another using major roads. I should point out that this GPS wasn't designed for these functions (route-calculation/auto-navigation). It can perform them, but the unit is intended to be used in offroad and backwoods type environments. If you require a GPS for use in your car, then I recommend that you buy one designed specifically for that purpose. I don't consider the unit's poor performance in this area as a huge negative since it falls a little outside the unit's area of expertise.

AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT: The addition of the microSD card was a great feature, but it is almost criminal that the unit can't use free space on the card for additional storage. My biggest complaint with the unit is that the limits on the number of waypoints, tracks, and routes seems arbitrary and almost inexcusable given the fact that the unit has almost limitless storage available through the use of microSD cards. I'd gladly pay extra money for a unit that allowed me to save the track log for every trail I hike, along with the waypoint for the trail head, without any internal limit on the total number I can save. This is a serious weakness for the unit, and is the only thing that prevents me from giving it a perfect 5 star rating. As a hiker, I hike several trails that follow old logging roads, cross other trails, or go "off-trail" in some areas. I find it irritating that even though I have a GPS, I still have to rely on memory to some extent, to remember which path I need to take at critical intersections. I understand I can mark those intersections with additional waypoints but, again, the unit limits the number of waypoints you can store. It also limits the number of tracks you can save.

OVERALL (4/5 stars): I think this is the best GPS currently available for hiking/backpacking. It excels in outdoors/backwoods environments and has all the features necessary to ensure that you are aware of your current position, the type of terrain you will encounter ahead, and how to return to your start position quickly and with ease. I feel confidant hiking into areas of the forest that I'm not familiar with using this unit as my guide. Potential buyers should be aware of some of the limitations that I mentioned in my review: 1) The unit's route calculation, when using it as a GPS in your car, is awful. If you need a GPS for your car, then buy one designed for that purpose. 2) The Garmin maps are acceptable, but don't expect them to have every country backroad documented. 3) The internal storage limits could cause problems for some users.

Lots of people are expecting this GPS to be the perfect GPS. I really like it so far and I don't have any complaints. Most of the complaints you'll see are people comparing the features of this GPS to the 60CS. The issues most people are complaining about are really minor.

Icons: Ok the new icons are more cartoon like. None of them are hard to tell what the function is which is the point of an icon. It's an artistic style choice some people will like it and some will not.

No alarm: I have about 10 devices with an alarm clock on them I don't see where not including this feature is such a big deal.

No barometric trends while off: Garmin has stated this is a limitation of the new hardware. Useful if you're in the back country and can't get a weather radio broadcast. Otherwise a mostly unused feature.

Expectation of indoor reception: I can personally get reception in my house. This is not going to hold true for everyone. It's still a GPS and needs a somewhat unobstructed view of the sky. The new receiver is a HUGE improvement over the old one though and gets a lock much faster and holds it better in terrain that is tough for a GPS to work in.

Over-Expectation of accuracy: People keep forgetting that this is still a consumer GPS and is limited as to the accuracy it can get. Just because the GPS says it's got 3' accuracy doesn't mean it's correct. The 60CS and the 60CSx calculate their accuracy differently.Since the 60CS claims it is more accurate people fully trust the number the GPS is reporting and claim the 60CSx is less accurate. This isn't the case however in real world tests in clear skys both units have similar accuracy. However in challenging reception situations the 60CSx get better signal and is then "more accurate".

GPS "Walking": The 60CSx tends to walk around when stopped for a while causing the stopped time and distance traveled to be inaccurate. Garmin is aware of the problem and has stated it will be fixed with a firmware release.

Mini SD Card issues: This is the first offering by Garmin with a removable memory card. There are a few limitations however compared to other brands. First the cards are ONLY used to store maps. No waypoints, tracks, routes, etc. are stored on the cards. It would be nice to have these features but it doesn't seem that this is something that will (or can??) be changed with a firmware update. People also complain that there is no way to view information about the memory card (Space left, file listing, etc.) since there is no way to add data without having the GPS hooked into MapSource this is a non-issue. You can't write to it so why does it matter how much space is left? Oh and if you haven't seen a Mini SD card in person, wow they are really tiny about the size of a fingernail. People without good dexterity might have issues changing the card.

This is a really great GPS. If you have a 60CS already you need to carefully weigh your decision to upgrade since this unit will really only add increased reception(not accuracy) and the removable memory card. If you're upgrading from something other than a 60CS you'll love it, I sure do.

The first reviewer didn't really do his research before he purchased this or else he would know that it only comes with basemaps. The other fact he would know is that that's how all GPS vendors work. They want you to buy their maps separately and only their maps will work on their hardware.

Now, I previously owned a 60CS which I loved after trading in my Vista. With the newly upgraded 60CSx you get a couple of additional functions that make it much better than the 60CS. First, there's the SiRF III chipset. It is by far the best chipset out there right now. It's super sensitive and super fast. You can lock onto satellites even in your house in many cases! No longer will you loose reception in tricky situations. Most of the time you can even keep the 60CSx in your backpack and it will still track your movements.

The other highly requested function for many years is the expansion memory, now in the form of a microSD. Now you can load almost half of the U.S. into 512mb of microSD. Later, larger capacity microSD cards will be released that will allow you to loan the entire US! That's awesome!

Two things that you will loose by going to the 60CSx from the 60CS, the alarm clock, and the passive barometric tracking. Apparently, the new 60CSx no longer has a sleep mode so that these two things will not continue to work if you turn OFF the unit. The 60CS had a sleep mode so that the altimeter would still record your barometric after the unit was turned off and wake up to sound the alarm clock but not with the new 60CSx.

Most people don't use these functions anyway so I don't think you'll miss them. Also, the SiRF III and microSD more than make up for those two shortfalls.

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.

I purchased my Garmin GPSmap 60CSx in June 2006 from Amazon, because they had the best price available ($100 less than any place else I could find). I also purchased and installed Garmin MapSource USA Topo software on my 60CSx. I recently returned from a 10 day canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, which is in northern Minnesota adjacent to the US-Canada border. I paddled and portaged over 100 miles, and used my Garmin GPSmap 60CSx throughout the trip. It performed flawlessly! Some particulars:

- I used the tracking feature to keep an exact record of where I went. I set the sampling frequency to "least often" so as to not fill up the unit's internal memory with track data. This unit begins overwriting the existing track data once memory is full, so I wanted to avoid this. Despite sample frequency being set to "least often" the unit still kept an incredibly detailed record of my track. What's more, at the end of the trip I had only used 45% on the unit's internal memory!

- I purchased a 1GB microSD card for my unit, so that I could load as many topo maps as possible. Interestingly, I found that Garmin's MapSource Topo software limits the number of maps you can load onto the unit's removable memory. As a result, I was up against the map limit number long before I was up against the 1 GB limit. I understand that Garmin may be working on a fix to correct this limitation. I'm sure this was no problem for Garmin until the recent arrival of 1 GB cards.

- My GPSmap 60CSx was water resistant as advertised. Mine got wet regularly as we paddled, and on a few days when it rained. I kept right on using it, with no ill effects at all.

- Advertised battery life is 20 hours on 2 AA batteries. I purchase a set of 8 Energizer 2500mA NiMH rechargable batteries for less than $10 at Wal Mart. I ensured that all 8 were fully charged before I left, so I had 2 fresh batteries in the unit and 6 spares. I returned home with one set of spare batteries completely unused! I found that a set of batteries lasted 3-4 days on the water, using the unit 8-10 hours each day. I guess Garmin's 20 hour battery life estimate assumes standard AA batteries. (Note: If you use rechargable NiMH batteries - and you should - be sure to go into the settings menu of your unit and set it for NiMH, because the factory default is Alkaline.)

- I recommend you purchase a Garmin carrying case to protect the screen from scratches while using it in a wilderness area.

- I found the SIRF chip in this unit to be very sensitive. It readily tracked several satellites - even under dense forest cover. When we were portaging I put my 60CSx inside a zipped up daypack, and it still maintained a solid track. Very impressive!

In summary, I found this unit to live up to all of Garmin's advertised capabilities, and in some cases (i.e., battery life) even exceed their advertised performance. I am very pleased with this purchase, and I highly recommend the 60CSx for hiking, camping, biking, canoeing, or boating.

Earlier in the summer I made the plunge and purchased a hand held GPS unit. I researched for a couple of weeks. Using the internet of course and also asking friends who are or were familiar with units as civilians, law enforcement as well as a couple of former soldiers. Garmin was the brand that most of the guys came up with. Various units were discuss and after considerable time weighing the advantages and disadvantages of various models I made my decision. I purchased a Garmin 60csx. Once I had the unit I dove into the manual to learn the nuances of the device. GPS units are pretty amazing technology. I even delved into the different satellites that are in orbit and how they work.

Here's some advice on buying a unit. First you need to ask yourself these questions.

1. What do you want the device for? Do you only need a car unit? Do you plan to do anything off-road (hiking, camping, mountain biking, trail running) etc... Probably the most important consideration.
2. What's your budget? That's the second big issue because buying the unit itself is just the beginning. More on that below.
3. How small of a unit do you need? More than a shirt pocket size? A significant issue as the antenna on or in the unit plays a very significant role to the accuracy.

For me I wanted something to use in the car and more importantly on the trail, in the woods. That lead me to look at accuracy issues with the cheaper models in wooded (under the canopy of trees) areas. The cheaper models just do not cut it when you go into the woods. The primary reason I chose the Garmin 60csx is because it is a WAAS compatible unit and it has the SiRF Star III chip set. Two critical systems that give you faster response from the GPS satellites and allow the signals to be captured by your unit under forest canopy. I can even pull signals inside my house and office if I'm close to a window. That's pretty impressive. I've gotten accuracy readings outdoors down to +/-9 ft. The 60csx is the same unit as the 60cx but it adds an electronic compass and a barometric altimeter (won't work in a pressurized airline cabin). Why not get all the bells and whistles when it adds just $20 to the unit? I generally leave the compass off to save battery power in the woods. I use my trusty analog compass I've had since the 70's. It doesn't need batteries and is proven reliable. I also won't go off the paths without a paper topo map. Navigational redundancy is a survival issue.

Here's the deal you don't want to find out after the fact. Buying a $300 unit is just the beginning. The built in maps are very very basic. If you want updated road maps with listings like hospitals, restaurants, gas stations, banks etc... otherwise referred to as POI (points of interest) you'll have to spend another $120 for Garmin's proprietary software called City Navigator 2008 (North America in my case). Only Garmin's software will work on their units. To install the software you have to register the software and it is "keyed" to your unit. Antipiracy is the name of that game. Luckily, in my research I found out that CN 2008 was to be released about a month after I bought my unit. Knowing that in front saved me from buying the soon to be outdated V8 of that software. The other issue is memory capacity. My unit came with a 128MB Micro SD memory card. Certainly not enough to hold all the maps I wanted. I purchased a 2GB card ($20) via a friend which saved me a few bucks. Another tip on software. If you plan to do any land navigation and want topography maps again you'll have to buy Garmin's software. For serious hikers and navigators, you'll want to avoid Garmin Topo 2008. While it covers the entire country the aspect ratio of the maps is only 1:100. If you're used to USGS maps you'll know that you really want 1:24 maps. That said you have to settle for Garmin's National Parks maps. Which is fine with me. I bought the National Parks Topo 24 Eastcoast. A couple of final points regarding maps. I linked you to the NT version of City Navigator 2008. There are two versions of this map. The map data is the same. The NT version has a greater compression rate allowing you to put more or all of the maps onto your memory chip. BUT, the NT software is only compatible on certain units, so if you can use it, buy it. When you get ready to load your maps onto your unit make sure you pick all the maps you want at one time. Each time you load maps onto the memory card you wipe out the previous maps that were loaded (except for the unit's base maps). That said. I have all of the continental US road maps from CN 2008 NT as well as AL, GA, NC and SC National Parks Topo maps loaded on the 2GB card with about 250MB to spare in memory. Not bad! I don't have to worry about changing memory cards etc....

I could go into greater detail about what I've learned but I'll recap a couple of things.

1. Research what you want. There's a lot to know about GPS before buying. Do your homework.
2. Factor in that you'll probably spend close to an additional $200 just for mapping software.
3. Spending doesn't stop there. DC power cord for long road trips. Dash mount, bike handlebar mounts, batteries (more on batteries later). So figure on probably another $50-$100 for all the goodies you'll want.
4. Get something to keep the unit in to protect it. I also recommend something to protect the screen from being scratched. Invisible Shield is supposed to be the hot set up. I had a packet of PDA screen savers laying around that I use on my PDA, iPod, Shot timer and cellphone screens that so far fits the bill.

What starts as a $300 purchase quickly turns into $500+. I'm not one to skimp on quality when it comes to good kit. ;)

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.

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.

I just received my map 60cs-x in January from Amazon. Anyway, I really like my "old" Map60cs and its 56 mb of internal memory, but that is now my daughter's unit. The Map 60cs-x comes with 64 mb of trans-flash memory which is "semi"-removable. Garmin intends to sell trans-flash cards w/ pre loaded maps, but they are as yet un-available. However, 512 mb Scan-Disk trans-flash cards are available for about 45 bucks. That aughta hold just about every map in existance. I just purchased one, put all 40 mb of maps i had in my Map 60cs, and, as you can immagine, hardly put a dent in the available memory of that gihugeic memory card. I'm sure a 1 gb card is not far off in Scan-Disk's future.

Scan-Disk says the trans flash card is "semi" removable because its tiny size, about the size of your pinky nail, is rather delicate. However, once you lock one in, i doubt you'll ever need to remove it.

Other improvements: the Map 60cs-x seems to lock sattelites better than my Map 60cs and the backlight seems brighter, but that my be my elaited sense of reality.

My only criticizm of either unit is that the stated battery life of either is grossly exagerated. Also, i wish, in some conditions, that i could make the screen brighter. Oh, and Garmin refuses make their products MAC compatible. But Magellin dosn't work with MACs either (nativelly) so, whatchagonnado? A visit to MACgpsPro dot com gives hope, but not full functionallity. The only solution i found to this MAJOR flaw from either manufacturer is Virtual PC. Yuck!

Either unit is tough and rugged and probably the best choice for a hand-held. I also have Garmin's auto mount and handlebar mount, which work pretty good as well. I don't do product reviews very often, but I like this product so much that i have to say: GET ONE! (either one...) You won't be dissapointed.

If it wern't for my two and 1/2 criticizms, I'd give either unit a "5".

-jg

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.

When I buy this unit, it will be my 4th hand-held GPS. My current is an eTrex Vista, which does everything I could ever want except work when I really need it! The Vista looses signal in not-so-steep canyons, under moderately dense trees, and when storm clouds get too thick.

I took the CSx for a spin at REI. It wouldn't lock inside their big metal wearhouse building, of course, so I took it outside. It worked fine and did NOT wander when I was standing still. If I took one big stride (~5 feet) it noticed, but added some noise into the odometer too. (said I went 9 feet instead of 5. I can live with that)

Next I held it right up against the 30 foot tall concrete wall of the store, expecting it to lose 1/2 the satelites. Nope. Signal strength dropped but it stayed locked.

Finally, I took it back inside the store, which again has a solid sheet metal roof and only occasional skylights. It struggled there, but kept enough satelites locked (throught the skylights?) to tell me where I was. That's VERY impressive.

In a car, I have to throw the vista on the dashboard so it can see through the windshield. I expect the CSx will work fine in the passenger or back seat. I also expect I can leave the CSx in my pocket or daypack while hiking and it will track. (The vista only works if I rig it to the shoulder strap of my backpack)

The e-compass was just a toy. I always carry a paper map and old-school compass anyway, just in case the batteries die or I drop the thing and break it. (learned that one the hard way, when my first GPS's batteries froze on the way down shasta)

Can't tell if I'll use the barometer and altimeter or not, but I'll give it a shot. At least you can shut it off to save batteries.

Overall, I'm very impressed. I'll keep this unit for a long time, I think.

My first day impression. I'm pretty certain you already know all of the written specs on this GPSr.

Good:

Very quickly locks satellite signals, even inside my house. The SIRF receiver technology is great. The display can easily be read in the day. Uses the same power cables as some of the older Garmins. Magnetic compass turns on automatically when you walk at a normal pace which keeps the arrow pointing at your waypoint (cache), assuming your magnetic north is close to true north. The GPSr includes a thumbnail microSD memory chip for adding digital maps. It is located inside the battery compartment. Battery door has a rubber seal to keep out water. Color display is very nice. Using the arrow mode with the magnetic compass in this high sensitivity receiver makes geocaching much easier. The GPSr should work well in urban jungles.

Needs work:

Can't read the display at night without turning on the display light. Oh well. That's what battery chargers are for. The included Americas base map is a very bad joke. Doesn't show a single city main street. Only major highways. My ancient, plain vanilla, Garmin GPSIII+ has a significantly better base map. Because of this you will probably be FORCED to buy the Garmin City Navigator DVD. Then comes the fun of installing the included Waypoint Manager CD and drivers. It took me two tries to get the drivers to install and talk to the microSD chip. When all this is finished you'll quickly discover that the 64mb chip only has enough room to hold one or maybe two City Navigator state maps. At that point you'll probably want to buy a 512mb microSD chip.

I hoped to add a street map for an upcoming vacation in London but I'm now in major map price sticker shock because of the price Garmin is asking. It seems that Garmin has developed a perfect business model. Include a truly bad base map in your receiver and then pick your pocket for usable maps.

First, a couple years ago I had an e-trex legend, non-color. That thing stunk, always losing signal, very slow, and pretty much painful. My job had given me a really nice Dell Axim X30 so I decided to d/l a gps program for it (destinator) and buy a bluetooth GPS receiver. This worked ok. Really fast and was ok for the car, but still I hated the cables and rechargers and stuff I had to use. and frequently, right in the middle if driving it would lose bluetooth connectivity... annoying. No good for hiking/off-road either which i really missed and hated using the etrex also.

So finally, after reading some reviews and comparing this product to the older gpsmap 60CS which you could have just purchased for dirt cheap at REI btw, I sucked it up and spent the money and bought the 60CSX.

This thing is great. I ahve been using about 2 weeks now. I get amazing reception even in the middle of my house nowhere near a window!!! Unheard of! It has yet to ever drop a signal driving in the city (downtown boston) or through really deep woods in the white mountians. I have used this thing a lot and I am still on my first set of batteries for it. No complaints there. Others must have the backlight on full blast while they sleep or something...

Also, this thing re-draws really fast like when panning and zooming. Way faster, maybe even 2X or more the 60cs.

Navigation in the car is great to. The display is obviously not as big and pretty as my Dell Axim was but I can still see all i need to and more while driving.

Complaints:
1) The basemap is worthless as everyone says. Seriously Garmin, we spend all this $$$ for the top-of-the line and you chince out...
2) The city navigator software is critical if you want to use it for driving, and thats another $130 !!! what a SCAM! And good luck trying to d/l this. you cant. no one has broken it so dont wast your time. Luckily I already owned US Topo East (which is not locked so I could use it)
3) lastly, there should be adjustable volume for the alerts for turning etc... It is not very loud.

All in all, this product is the perfect comprimise of in-car navigation combined with outdoor functionality. Really is the best of both worlds. I see why it has won the "Gear of the Year" award.

This is without a doubt the best non-professional GPS one can buy today. The only problem is with the topo maps which you are required to purchase either on a insertable memory card, or as software. In order to get any detail for hiking you need to use these maps. Compared to other Topo Maps, specifically National Geographic's State Topo or Delorme Topo 6, the Garmin maps are significantly outdated and inferior in quality/level of detail. I actually contacted Garmin and asked why they would produce such poor quality maps for such an oustanding device and are there any plans for something better. They replied that compared to the two competitors, they agree and are (always) looking at ways to improve the MapSource product - with no further committment. I currently upload an appropriate section of Mapsource into my 2G memory card (an option), but transfer all Waypoints and Tracks after a hike to my PC NG or Delorme Topo maps.

I have owned a lot of hand held GPS units in the past 15 years, starting with Trimble, Nexus, Magellan and many Garmin units. I used these for recreation but wanted to use them for search and rescue. I am a paid Captain with a fire department in Western North Carolina that does lots of searches in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Because of our steep, deep and heavily vegetated terrain, no GPS has been more than another navigation aid to confirm basic map and compass locations. (Don't get me started on how important map and compass skills are; you simply have to have them.)
That was true until I spent the $300.00 for a Garmin 60 CSx. This unit works like a charm and so far I have never lost a signal for more than two minutes when on foot. I can throw this unit in my pack or side pocket of my pants and still pull in 6-9 satellites, for that matter I receive 5-6 in my office at the fire department!
Add a 1GB memory card and the 1:100,000 topo maps from Map Source and the GPS is a great tool for any outdoor endeavor. I have most of the east coast loaded on my one card. The altimeter is as accurate as any GPS I have used and the electronic compass is a very useful upgrade. The screens can be customized as needed and for those of us who use 1:24000 topo maps, the 60 CSx will allow you to display UTM coordinates on the same screen as Latitude / Longitude so we can call in aircraft or boats as needed, eliminating having to convert between the two. The symbols library is very Emergency Service friendly with ICS symbols as well as tons of other markers for waypoints and routes. Battery life is great and the backlight works wonderfully as well.
Overall this is a huge improvement over the earlier generations of GPS handhelds. My two wishes are for a true fitted custom case to mount on a backpack, and for map software compatibility with Maptech or Topo! State series using 1:24000 scale digital maps.
Folks, this is the best money I have spent in a long time on a piece of outdoor gear.

As the owner of a GPSII+ who has used computer-or PDA-based GPS solutions exclusively for the past five years, I'm amazed with the progress that Garmin has made since way back when I last used their stuff. Not that their devices were ever substandard, but I just hadn't been paying attention to the developments, and I can't believe that this little gizmo can do everything I was doing on my laptop or PDA (albeit with a smaller screen), and then also do things my other software GPS' can't. Plus it's small and light, and waterproof. The expansion cards are a little expensive, but in my opinion very much worth it. The thing I find interesting is that I expected working all this technology with the limited buttons and small screen would make it harder to use, but in fact the designers of the unit have taken that into account (as they should), and optimized everything from the color scheme, to the layout, to the features, so that everything is very easy to get to. Quite a departure from computer systems, where everything often feels hashed together, and the designers don't have to worry about having enough buttons or screen space, so they don't put any effort into designing their interfaces efficiently. Overall I'm very impressed. I will be even *more* impressed when Garmin releases Mac versions of their software (since that's what I have, and which they have promised to do). Way to go Garmin!

I have had my GPXMap 60CSX for about 3 months now. It is an absolutely fantastic GPS. Reception is incredible (I pickup 12 satellite in the middle of my two story house). Routing is fantastic. The geocaching features are awesome. With the new WAAS satellites in position I am getting WAAS error correction 100% of the time (this was not the case previously, not the fault of the GPS like stated in previous reviews). Garmin has updated the firmware and software 3 times since purchase with great improvements. You can't go wrong with this unit. Maps are extra money, but the whole package is still worth it.

I live in a Chicago suburb and travel on my insurance and financial planning appointments that somehow people constantly give the wrong directions, and Mapquest cant find!

I wanted a GPS that I could use for camping up in the UP of Michigan, go out on the ATV, and use in the car. Finally Garmin came out with this product that can do both well and I bought it.

Why? Because most hand helds have limited memory, which I did not want for traveling because you have to have a computer with you to keep downloading detailed street maps. The unit only comes with a general highway map. The other choice was to buy 2 units, one for the car and one for the outdoors. Not what I wanted to do!

This unit has expandable memory sticks with up to 256mb each that can hold detailed maps of several states. In addition, you can add the TOPO map for hiking and offroading. Just put it on a seperte memory stick if you don't want to delete the street maps on your other memory sticks. When you update the maps the old info is wiped off of the memory stick.

I have been using the unit for about 2 weeks now in the car, and it is awesome. Very accurate, and very, very fast, too.

It can find satellites and work in my basement! It calculates routes in a matter of 3-5 seconds or so for a 350 mile trip. It recalculates a route when you miss a turn in about 2 seconds.

Amazing!

Since it's portable and waterproof, it's prefect to take along on your biking or hiking trips. I tested my Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx on various excursions in the US and Europe -- and always loved it. I wish I had purchased my little friend long time ago.

Cons:
a) no external memory can be added
b) The mapping software has some flaws. For example, many highway exits are not properly indicated. I tried to see if an upgrade was available on the Garmin website, and the 2 times I tried, the upgrade functionality was not working. :-(

Overall, I do recommend it. This little gadget will add years to your life....

This is my second GPS. I use it for hiking, geocaching, and street navigation. This unit performs flawlessly. When in the woods under a heavy canopy, I can still have 20' accuracy when other units have lost satellite connectivity all together. Great features, tough, accurate. Highly recommend.

This unit completely outperforms the Garmin ETrex Hcx and Garmin Vista Hcx. The quick access buttons for find, menu, quit, etc speed up your use of the unit. The SirfStar chip, external antenna and larger screen also create an advantage. I recently completed a two week trek near Yellowstone park. I had the GPSMap 60 Csx while the other two members had the ETrex and Vista. My unit held a signal in dense trees, valleys and thundestorms while theirs lost signal and became confused at times. I stored my unit deep in my pocket and held signal while my team had to attach their units to their shoulders. There is no substitute for a reliable GPS when you are hiking through a pitch dark rainstorm in grizzly country. The only drawback was some lighting issues when the unit became soaking wet from rain. The backlight flickered in and out a few times when wet.

I recently upgraded from a Garmin etrex Legend the the 60CSx. The differences of the two are like day and night. This was a great upgrade!

The first thing I noticed is that the reception of the CSx is far superior with the new receiver that is found in this unit. I was completely unable to receive a signal in my house with the etrex, but the CSx works almost anywhere in my house. That in itself is great, but there are many more features that I like.

The first is the larger color screen. It is not much larger, but the space management is better. An example is when you are in 'track up' mode, the CSx places your position toward the bottom of the screen, which enables you to see more area in front of you instead of what is behind you. Another cool feature of the color screen are the color schemes. You can have bright colored screens during the day, and dark background screens at night, which are easy to see. The best part is that after you set it up, they change automaticly at sunset and sunrise.

The Geocaching screen is also very handy. When you input geocaches they are defined by the icon used. All you have to do is search for the ones you haven't found yet, and it brings them up, ignoring other waypoints. When you find the geocache, all you do is enter on the 'found' button and it changes the icon and date stamps when you found the cache! Very cool!

Another thing that I like is that it is compatible with Mapsource Metroguide which I purchased a couple years ago when I got the etrex. It also works with Maptech Terrain Navigator. Both of those programs offer software updates to make them work with the new GPS units.

One last thing that I will mention is that when you connect the CSx to your computer via the supplied cable, it will run off the power of the computer instead of the batteries. That is really handy if you are out and about using a laptop for navigation.

There are many other features that I did not list which are also just as impressive. Hunting/fishing hot times, calendar, stopwatch, calculator, barometer, altimiter, and compass to name a few. The built in games look like fun, although I haven't tried any of them yet.

I would have given it 3.5 stars but it was not an option. I only give it 3.5 stars because of the poor software and useless base maps. The unit itself is a nice unit.

I have had the 60CSx for about a few weeks now. There was a learning curve at first but now I have it setup to my preference it is a pretty nice unit. It took a week to get use to how the unit functions. After that it was pretty simple to use and navigate through the GPS functions.
I was looking for a unit that had mobile capability like my eTrex Legend and yet wanted something that had the detail map and Navigational capability like my Garmin 2720. I purchased the 60CSx as a well rounded solution for my needs. So, far it fit perfectly with some additional cost of course.

Pros: Handy unit, it can be removed from the car and carried unlike the 2720. Screen was large enough to read. Well laid out buttons. Rugged. Good screen resolution.

Cons: Software that comes with the 60CSx is pretty much useless. Need to buy the extra memory Card and additional software for better maps, I purchased and extra 1gb memory chip ($$$$). The 1gb chip was an over kill but I like the flexibility. Without the extra items the 60CSx is no better than a eTrex Legend.

Fortunately, I also had a Garmin 2720 with the North America NT V7 software w/ full unlock code. If you register on-line with Garmin you can reuse the code to unlock another GPS unit (2 units max) - you need this to download sectional maps to the 60CSx. If I did not have the other units unlock code and software I would have spend another ~ $150 for additional software.

To figure out how to get the unlock codes to work and download better maps to the on the 60CSX took another 1.5 weeks. Not an intuitive process. Email tech support several times, it was much faster than calling them and waiting on the phone. Email response was less than 2 days.

Update: The 60CSx works with the Garmin 2720 external antenna. Sat lock on much faster...even thou the 60CSx does lock on pretty quick already. Ordered the window suction mount, waiting for it now.

I purchased this item specificaly for geocaching, and for that purpose it is excellent. I think that the dedicated "talk to you units" are better for driving directions, and I have no idea about marine use. For geocaching the unit starts up very quickly, has excellent error margins of typically 15 to 20 feet or so, and down loads the coordinates for the caches, keeping them separate from other way-points. It even lists the caches you have found separately from the ones you have yet to find. Note that you do NOT need to purchase the Map Source and Waypoint Manager, as this is included with the GPS unit.

Great state of the art GPS! I am a veteran GPS owner. I have a Garmin Etrex Summit and the 60CSx not only adds a tremendous amount of functions (mapping, etc.) it also makes many of the older generation of functions more user friendly. I do all my hiking in the eastern US, mostly in the heavily forested mountains of North Carolina and New England. My old etrex would struggle to get a fix here and there along the trails but this 60CSx locks onto my every footstep continuousely thanks to the new microprocessor (SIRC)

I am a USMC grunt and have recently returned from Iraq. I brought a Garmin GPSMap 60CSx with me, and needless to say, I have put this unit through it's paces. I believe my experience may be useful to others considering purchasing a rugged, outdoor GPS unit.

First off, the 60CSx is an extremely rugged unit. I have put this unit through more than 200 combat patrols, 130+ degree weather and freezing cold temperatures. It has been dropped, submerged in water, knocked, covered in mud, and crushed against my gear innumerable times. The only evidence from all this wear and tear is that the text on the "QUIT" and "ENTR" keys have worn off, which is more from me taking it in and out of its pouch over and over than a poor design of the unit. Throughout all this abuse, it has performed extremely well. When I wento to Iraq, I brought a Magellan Explorist unit with me as well. The screen cracked on our third patrol, rendering the unit worthless. I am still using my Garmin.

The 60CSx has a fast acquiring time. From a warm start, it will have your location within a few seconds, and a cold start, in about a minute. The sensitivity is significantly above any other GPS unit I have seen. I have yet to see any other unit on the market that can get reception inside an up-armored Humvee. (Not only did it get reception, it was accurate to within a few meters.) This accuracy proved to be extremely useful in country, and a few times it helped my squad find the right house in a packed urban area where otherwise we would have been left scratching our heads. I would assume for someone in the United States, where WAAS is available, the accuracy will be higher. It's battery life is also good, although with the backlight on the battery can drain fairly quickly. Average lifetime without the backlight is about 17 hours. You could probably drain the battery within a few hours if you turned the backlight brightness all the way up and turned off the auto-dimming feature. I also liked how easy the LCD screen is to see in direct sunlight, instead of being washed out. The sun actually seems the help the brightness and contrast of the display.

The 60CSx uses two AA batteries. I found this to be useful, as sometimes I would be away from a power source for weeks at a time so I would just grab some extra AA batteries and I'd be good. Some other units (such as a few of the Rhino series) use lithium batteries. While lithium batteries may last longer, I have found that they are much less convenient as you are tied to an outlet, although you can purchase (often bulky) AA adapters for those units.

For the most part, I have been pleased with the menus and features. It's tracking and mapping abilities came in handy. I was able to generate a map of my location simply by using the tracking feature. It is fairly easy to customize what screens and data you want to display, so you can see what you need, and avoid what you don't.

One thing I do not like is that it does not have the ability to overlay user-generated maps on the screen. Many times I would have to juggle physical maps with the GPS unit. I believe a few devices on the market now offer this feature. So if you are in a situation where you need to consult maps other than the ones available for purchase from Garmin, you will have to bring them with you. Another minor negative, and one relevant primarily only to those in the military, is that the screen cannot be seen with night vision equipment unless the backlight is turned on, meaning you either have to cover up or emit a small amount of light in order to see your location.

Overall, I highly recommend this product. Anybody looking for a rugged outdoor GPS unit that is accurate and light, with fast acquisition times and long battery life need look no further. I can honestly say it is one of the best purchases I have made in my lifetime.

The review is more for how well Garmin handles/supports their product..

E-mailed their tech support a few days ago because my new 60CSX isn't indicating a "D" fix (WAAS)or any signal from a PRN above 30. Got this in reply:

"I'll be glad to help. The new SiRF units are not really capible of obtaining a WAAS fix at this time. Alone, the units can get down to 6-7 feet of accuracy without WAAS, and according to engineers, even with WAAS the correction is less than 6 inches at best. At this time, I am not sure if they will go though the effort to make the units work with WAAS or not. Most likely the option will be dropped with future updates because of the lack of
benefit."

Umm right.. First of all the box indicates that it's WAAS enabled, the website says it's WAAS enabled, and there are gobs of other users on the Groundspeak forums who are getting DGPS fixes and much better EPE's than I am. My older units are outperforming circles around this thing. It has some of the worst positional drift that I've seen in a HH GPSr. (sitting on a chair in my backyard for 30 minutes this afternoon, the trip odometer logged .6 miles) As such, I've had it for a couple of weeks and consider it not much more than a pretty paper weight.

The unit has excellent TTFF, is great to look at/use in any condition. But having been sold on a WAAS unit only to have a tech rep tell me that the packaging doesn't match the product gets me a little riled up.

Truth in advertising anyone? I'm gunna confirm this issue with others at Garmin, and if what the rep told me winds up being true, I'm going to pursue it with the FTC....

I've had my 60CSx for a couple of weeks now. Have read the manual thoroughly and feel I have a grasp of the functions of the unit (cause it's got a lot!).

I love it!

A fantastic tool, well built and a breeze to use.

One suggestion... I bought a protective shield for the screen as it is large and exposed and I would suggest that folks protect it from scratches and dings.

Rugged design, waterproof, compact, and with a great color screen.... what more could you ask for!
I use this unit for boating and in my car. I recommend the vent mount over the windshield mount for the car.
The unit gets fair-good reception inside my house and perfect reception outside or in the car.
The color screen is top notch. Very clear display when the back light is on. Fair display with it off.
Mapping is super easy and the unit comes packed with so many features, probably more than I've ever use.
The only down side is that you really need to buy city navigator and blue chart to make use of Garmin's units. The maps that come with the unit are 99% useless. So figure in at least another $100 for city navigator maps. If you want to use this unit in the car, you'll also need to pick up the cigarette adaptor, which will conserve the batteries and allow the back light to be left on.
This unit can be used for turn by turn navigation in a car. With it's early turn warning tones, and high accuracy, this unit works like a charm every time.
I picked the 60csx over the slightly more expensive 76csx because it has a much better feel in my hand and the buttons are easier to access.
I also suggest picking up a 1Gig MicroSD card. The 1 gig card can hold 90% of the US map on it. If you backpack, boat, Ski, and love the outdoors like I do, than this unit is for you! I hardly leave home without it and either will you!

Had the older Garmin 60CS and the 60CSx blows it away. It is so fast at acquiring the satellites and even works inside my house! It also works great in the canyons of the Wasatch mountains in Utah. In the car,it works well from inside the car without having to be on the windshield mount with a view of the sky.

My first GPS. I waited, in part, for Macintosh support. I live in the Redwoods, and this GPS has no problem in tall, dense forests, something I was looking for in a GPS, or inside my car without an external antenna. It's also very readable in sunlight. I found this unit fairly intuitive, after reading about how technically difficult it is to learn to use a GPS. I also purchased Garmin Topo 2008. Using the Garmin map converter for Macintosh on a friend's pc, transferring the file to my Macintosh and then to the GPS was much easier than I feared. Garmin has a ways to go before their software is complete, but I'm very thankful for this meager beginning. I'm very pleased with my purchase.

I bought this GPS with a sole purpose:to avoid speed limit fines.
I work in Macae city and have a house in Rio. I use to drive about 220 Km (140 miles) each way every weekend. There are 18 radar detectors with cameras in which you have to reduce from 80 to 50 km / hour. I got 8 fines in the past 12 months and a loss around USD 2000.
There are limited offer of Mapsource to my area. I created tracks which navigate with the GPS and marked as waypoints all the locations where there is a radar. The proximity alert feature tells me I am near these radars. I also marked radars locations downtown Rio.

I found the GPS sensitivity exceptional. It can keep track even seated inside a bus. The visor has good visibility, battery consumption is low and it is small enough to keep in my briefcase.
I also bought an external antenna which is positioned on the top of my car dashboard, under the windshield. I can keep the unit inside the car.

It is my first GPS and I am happy I purchased it.

The device was delivered to a friend's address in Houston on time before he travelled to Macaé on vacations.

The new "x" series is the only way to go.

I recently upgraded from my 60CS and am amazed at the increase in performance in the new unit.

The 60CSx quickly locks in a signal even in the house, where my 60CS rarely worked. Under tree cover it does not lose the signal.

Scrolling on maps is much faster and cleaner.

Tremendous improvement over the solid performing 60CS series...

Reception is very good, screen is clear, unit is well designed and light enough. Haven't dropped it but looks pretty sturdy. Problem comes with quality of downloadable maps, especially topo maps for the Catalan pyrinnees, were information becomes visible only at the 300m level screen. Not very useful to get the big picture of where you are. But this is not something to blame on the unit. For US users, US topo maps should be much better than this.

I've used the 60CSx for three months and carry it with me on all my hikes - mostly bushwhacks in deep, old-growth pacific northwest forests - often in deep canyons - and have never lost signal - (and I'm talking 200 foot trees and thousand foot deep, steep-walled canyons, too.) Accuracy suffers in such challenging terrain but seldom gets worse than +/- 100' and is usually in the 20' range. As previous reviewers have noted, the unit's standard base map is worthless so you will have to purchase another $100 worth of software to correct that problem. Unfortunately, and again as other reviewers have noted, there is a lot to be desired with the extra Garmin software but I've found it to be pretty good for my purposes on the trails and most city data is pretty accurate but there are some glaring mistakes and ommisions here and there.

The unit has a few idiosyncrasies such as adding up distance on the odometer while sitting still for long periods in poor reception areas but, oddly, not recording all distance covered in poor signal areas when you are moving. Strange - but a minor annoyance. Another annoyance is that in an airplane, the unit will only give pressure altitude, not GPS altitude on the readout. You can get GPS altitude by going into the setup screen, but it won't stay on the readout. Again, a minor annoyance.

I download all my hikes into NG TOPO! and there is no comparison with old tracks I've saved from my older 60C Garmin. In tough terrain, the older unit would lose signal constantly and often record data points 1,000 feet off when it did manage to get a signal.

If you are a hiker, hunter, explorer, mushroom gatherer, geocacher or just want a highly accurate GPS, this is the unit!

I purchased an eTrex a few years back and have been pleased with that and resisted upgrading for a while. I'm glad I did as I would have ended up with a unit that was inferior to this. Everything I was missing on my eTrex or the other units I looked at is here. This unit is light, actually not much bigger than an eTrex but with a much larger screen, and is full of great features.
First and foremost the satellite lock is exceptional. This was the biggest complaint I had, and others too, with the eTrex series, that their internal antennas were not that great. With this unit I have kept a lock in deep tree cover, canyons, cities with high rises and more.
Next the color screen. Again, this was one of the things I looked for, and the screen really lives up to the promise. It is visible in all kinds of conditions, and when it is lacking a little, turning on the backlight slightly brings the clarity back.
Another thing that made me stick with my eTrex was that very few handheld units allowed for memory upgrades. This unit does this and with the cost of transflash/microSD coming down so much, you can carry just about as many maps as you like. I have a 51MB card and have all of the western United States topo and street maps on there.
Another thing I wanted but couldn't satisfactorily find in a HH unit was auto route generation. This has it and it works great. I love being able to drive somewhere and just take a turn off the road to investigate a new place and having the unit just put me straight back on track again when I am ready. You do have to purchase additional software, and for those who are complaining about this, it is quite clear that this is the case when you buy the unit. I agree with a couple of the other reviewers that without the supplemental maps you may as well just stick with the eTrex. I love the eTrex and would recommend it to any one who wants a basic GPS. For what this unit can offer though and when you compare it to comparable in car units, that are limited to the car, the price is actually not so bad. If you want to spring for the other maps though, or have a license for them from another GPS that you have only registered once, this GPS stands head and shoulders above the rest.
Personally I love it and at the current price on Amazon ($[...] after rebate as I write this!) I don't think it can be beaten.

By far this is the Best GPS unit I've owned. It is easy to setup and ease of use for any level of user is superior to all other units. It's ability to connect to multiple satelites is second to none. I have used the unit from the mountains of Maine to the shores of New Jersey and have had nothing but great experiences with using it. I purchased the unit for hunting but have found a new use that my kids love "geo caching". Using the unit with the kids has proven it's toughness and level of water resistance. I could not say enough about the unit. I highly recommend this unit to anyone who wants a quality GPS at a practical price.

I originally purchased the Garmin 60CSx because I wanted a mapping GPS for my ATV rides out in the puckerbrush of Minnesota. (With all the tall trees around, I get lost alot) While I was waiting for my GPS to arrive, the word GEOCACHING caught my eye and gave me a second reason to buy it.

My purchase arrived quickly and like everything else, I skipped the owners' manual and installed the batteries to give it a try. Receiving satellite signals while sitting at my kitchen table impressed me and the unit is quite intuitive making the manual optional in most cases.

After purchasing and installing the optional map software(why don't they just give you that?) it was ready to go. It's been on my ATV for over 400 miles of trails, bumps and jarring and worked flawlessly. It's nice to have so much memory, I tend to save alot of waypoints. And it's pretty rugged on it's own, but I got a case for a little extra protection.

The accuracy has been as low as 9ft at times. Even when I'm in thick forest areas it gets good signals. For GeoCaching it's so accurate that it's almost like cheating. I don't have any real complaints yet, I'm very happy with my choice. It sure is a change from my old GPS12!

It was time to upgrade my old Magellan Sportrak soI went with the best out there - the 60CSX. Out of the box I loved it.. but the basemap was horrible.. far worse than any of the magellan products. Strike one.. So after spending $400 I decided I needed a $100 topo map.. I went on line to Garmin and they DO NOT OFFER DIRECT DOWLOAD of maps... CDs only and it takes a week to get them! Strike Two.... So I picked up the phone and called EVERY dealer listed in the Phoenix metro area to see if they carried the Topo disc... after over an hour calling walmarts, REIs, Sports Authorities.. I end up paying full retail $116 + tax at a small ma and pa hiking place. WHAT A JOKE! Garmin needs to step up its software effort BIG TIME. Honestly, I was one step away from taking the unit back.. but alas - I uploaded the maps and the unit truly is a work of art... 10X better than my Sportrak.. I would agree it probably is the nicest handheld unit out there right now.... albeit an expensive one. Garmin - if you ever read these ... how about a usable base map + a user friendly website where customers with $$ can go to download your products instead of wasting time looking for CDs... and getting aggravated!!! Anyone considering this unit... I give it a 5 for hardware... 1 (Zero?) for software and support! DA

I've owned a GPS12, and a Vista before I purchased this GPS. The GPS12 when I bought it several years ago did the job, but there were no maps. I then bought a Vista, and I can say that this was a "dog". The receiver on the Vista was extremely poor, and I got better satellite coverage with the old GPS12. Now fast forward to the GPSMap 60CSx, wow, this is the GPS I've been waiting for. The satellite coverage is amazing, and the unit is extremely easy to use. This is without a doubt the best Garmin handheld yet.

I've been using this unit for a couple of weeks now to geocache with my sons. Since this was my first GPSr, I found that straight out of the box it was quite confusing to use. The documentation, while seeming exhaustive, is more about navigating the menus than actually using the unit. The manual sometimes points the user to the Garmin website, which too is often not helpful.

However, I found that there is a very active community of 60CSx users out there who are more than happy to help sort out the intricacies of this very powerful little unit. In my experience, a quick search usually yields an answer to anything I couldn't figure out from the manual.

After several simple cache hunts, I've quickly become accustomed to the way the unit works, though I am still discovering new features almost every time I use it.

As others have noted, the base map is nearly useless, being limited to highways and a few secondary roads. It lacks the detail to be useful for finding your way around unfamiliar areas (on- or off-road) without resorting to a paper map. You are also unlikely to find compatible free maps on the Internet, though I was able to find a very detailed one for New Zealand.

The included MapSource software is also pretty bare-bones, though it does the job for moving waypoints, maps, and other information between your computer and GPSr. Its interface looks, however, as though it hasn't been seriously updated since about 1995. At times it is not very intuitive, but like the unit itself, once you get the hang of how it works, it works fine.

That said, if you plan to use the unit to geocache, there are a wealth of programs and sites that will make playing the game with you 60CSx a snap.

Overall, I am very pleased with the 60CSx. I give the unit itself 5 stars, but only 3 stars for the software, manual, and basemap.

This was our first GPS, and the unit is cram packed with features, so early experiences can't possibly touch on all its capabilities. The unit very easy to set up and within a few minutes we were acquiring satellites and geting aquainted with some of the capabilities. We got this unit primarily for geocaching and it was very easy to set up for that. A few minutes to calibrate the altimiter and the magnaetic compass and we were ready to begin downloading a list of waypoints to geocache locations near us.

The base map provided with the unit is very primitive, showing only interstate roads and primary surface roads. If you want to do any significant routing with the unit you will have to buy digital maps for the areas you are interested in. This can amount to another 60 to 200 dollars

The unit is WAS enabled, but my area can only access one antenna, so the improvements in precision, while detectable, are relatively modest.

All in all fairly easy to set up and use. Perfomance is good to excellent. We havent used the tracking feature, but the trip, routing and caching features all work as advertised. I am very satisfied.

Wow! I previously had a Garmin GPSMap 60c which I thought was great. This one is even better. I have not yet lost a signal. The batteries last longer. The accumulated altitude is a great feature. Just an over all improvement over the previous model. Not a single post purchase regret.I use this GPS about twice a week and have yet to discover anything I don't like about it.

While there are a lot of uses for GPS handhelds, this is such a great geocaching tool. Unlike my old eTrex, it is very accurate, picks up reception in trees, and has an electronic compass. Of course, you pay for all of this relative to an eTrex. Nonetheless, all of sudden I am able to find many more caches than I had previously.

After 247 reviews, there's not much to add, but perhaps this: for the first time, the Garmin CX series is compatible with the Apple Macintosh USB system. Under either [[ASIN: B000GHIV2Q Parallels Desktop 3.0]] or Boot Camp, part of Apple's [[ASIN: B000FK88JK Mac OS 10.5 "Leopard"]] you can run Garmin's software on your Mac and actually, truly communicate with the GPS. Finally!

It's been a Garmin hardware issue that has driven Mac-o-philes and Mac developers to tears of frustration. Even highly skilled programmers like James & Associates found the Garmin USB interface to be flakey and maddening. All those issues seem to be resolved. If you own an Intel Mac and want a full-featured GPS that can talk to your computer, this is the GPS unit you want. Communications to and from the GPS Map 60CSx are nearly flawless.

Upgrading from a Magellan Sport Track Map I have nothing to say, a huge diference, not only because the color display, This GPS it's very easy to use and understand it, very intuitive functions, icons, pages, buttons everything.
I received and right away I started to use it, I found inside a 128MB card instead the 64 MB WUAU

You have games, a good plus when you are stucked inside your camping tent rainning outside...
The battery compartment is very easy to open it, not like the Magellan that you have to unscrew it, just turning a litle bit a kind of half ring and its open.
The construction in general is very tough, and scratch resistant, very good resolution of the screen, the contrast of the colors let you understand it in a very easy way. Good signal reception
Not complains at all.

The support that Garmin gives by Internet it's amazing, they answer every question you make right away solving your problem.

Highly recomend it !!!!

I have been using Garmin GPS units in my work for quite a few years; I find them easy and reliable to use. Recently I was working in tight canyon country with my old model and found it unable to locate satellites, while a colleague with the GPSMap 60CSX was having no problem - so I upgraded. I love the new unit. This model seems durable, has good battery life, has a nice large readable screen, and provides very accurate locations and tracks.

We had a street guide GPS, but that wasn't easy to use for geocaching. This machine is great!

Screens are intuitive. It took a bit of work to learn more advanced features, but we were able to use it right out of the box the first day we got it.

Satellite reception is awesome. Our other GPS can't find a satelites indoors or even when the sky is overcast - and loses reception every time we pass under a bridge. This device is rock solid. I have never had a time when I could not receive enough satellites to naviate.

REALLY glad I bought it!

This is the second handheld receiver I have owned in as many years. My first was a Magellan ExPlorist 500. I purchased it in haste and did not read any reviews or do any research about it. I purchased the street map software in addition so as to be able to navigate to any desired location. I broke it in on a road trip from Alabama to Tennessee to Ohio to Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C. to Virginia and finally back home to Alabama. In all, I was happy with the ability to enter a destination and be directed close enough to find the exact location.
The cable connection on the back of the unit is its weak link. There is a very small screw on the cable that threads into an equally small hole. This cable is used to send and receive data and also recharge the battery. I accidentally overtightened, just a bit, and stripped the threads on the hole. The cable would not stay attached without taping it to the unit....frustrating. The rechargable battery's life was not very long either.

In desperation I looked for a replacement. I got over the inital sticker shock of what a quality unit would cost. I spent two weeks researching different units but all reviews pointed toward the 60csx. It had more "bells and whistles" and the quality Garmin name. The additional software needed to navigate down to street level is awesome but pricey.

The data cable for this unit is more solid and the connection has no screws to overtighten. The included cable is a miniature USB connection and the software is a breeze to set up. The unlock code process will prevent you from using more than one unit with it but you can install the software on more than one computer.

Some argue that you can get a "car only" unit for less that already has all of the maps...true. But I can take mine with me anywhere...car, woods, bicycle, walking, etc....try that with a car unit that does not come with a belt clip.

I did not care if it played movies, pictures or mp3's...I'm driving! I should not need to watch movies or pictures while doing that. As for music, I already have that covered.

There is no voice that tells you what turns to take. I did not need that feature....my wife does just fine in that area (I love you dear).

In all, this unit packs a lot of features that I have yet to explore and I am very pleased with it. I found the best price here with amazon.com and also purchased the windshield mount which is rock solid and adjusts to any needed angle...it even allows the unit to be rotated 360 degrees once it is attached.

My unit shipped with a 128MB card instead of the listed 64MB. I purchased a 2GB card and had plenty of room to load the entire US and Canada maps. Batteries are rated for 18-20 hours and I would have to agree with that....have used for the past month on a daily basis.

Lock on with satellites is very quick as compared to the Magellan unit....really quick. I turned unit off before leaving my house and turned back on after traveling for 60 miles.....it took about 52 seconds to find me. Magellan would have taken minutes!!!! Garmin has got a winning vote from me!

This unit is also great for geocaching! Just check out www.geocaching.com and discover that they are very Garmin friendly!

Very sensitive reception. Excellent unit with a lot of functionality for business and recreation.

This is a good unit. It performs great, locks quickly, almost too many features. But a real downer lies in the display of Garmin's topo map. All the ads you see both on Garmin's site, Even the operation materials shipped with, and every where else show a good contrasting yellow background, Beware that it isn't, and they know it is misrepresented and don't care. I know this as I have contacted them with a promise to get back to me in a couple of days. That was over 2 weeks ago. The back ground is a tan with brown street level roads. Really poor contrast and very difficult to see at times. Certainly leaves you in the lurch, since you can only use their maps.

This unit is not so great for typical driving; you'd be better off with a unit designed specifically for a vehicle that is stationary and enunciates verbal directions. The 60CSx only beeps. But for outdoors or a convenient GPS to take along on out of town trips, it is very useful. I use mine all the time on the airplane to figure out where in flyover country I am, and it is simple to take out of my briefcase to navigate around an unfamiliar city once I get out of the airport. I use it on my ATV in the forest which makes exploring far more enjoyable. I always know which unmarked fork in the road to take back to my starting point (and my vehicle) without worrying if I made the right turns while it gets dark.

I bought a 4GB microSD so I could load the entire US on one chip (probably overkill as it will all fit on a 2GB chip); along with some areas of topo. It would not work until I figured out that I needed to upgrade the unit's internal software from the Garmin web site. I had an older version that did not recognize the newer, higher capacity microSD chips. The upgrade is free and easy. Just plug the unit into your computer and follow the steps on the web site.

The only thing I would like to have, but don't with the 60CSx, is a better topo overlay. I see ads for the Delorme GPS that looks pretty good in this regard, but the screen seems even smaller than the Garmin. I would check it out before buying a 60CSx again, but that doesn't mean I would switch units. I really like the Garmin. Add-on maps, a must for this unit, are expensive though.

So far I have taken this thing skydiving, snowmobiling, snowboarding, backpacking, and navigating the city streets. I could not have asked for a better GPS. the altimeter, speed, compass works perfect.

The product worked flawlessly on my hikes into the mountains of Washington state and it gave me great data and worked well with the Garmin topo maps. Excellent reception from the satellites. I agonized on the idea of giving up features available on the newest Magellen product (voice recording/camera) but those features are not worth the wait and cost at this time. It has a shortcoming of not being able to save tracks to the SIM card which is especially glaring when the meager memory fills and it starts to overwrite the data. Its basic road feature that gave me a little more confidence when I drove unfamiliar roads but I wish it was able to transfer data from road map software. Overall I'm pretty happy with the purchase and product.

I was very dissappointed with the Garmin 60 CSX. I am a regular NUVI 360 user and like it very much. The 60CSX is no where near as bright as I had expected. The manual is very poorly written and very little of the product is intuitive. You need to purchase and additional $100 TOPO 24 map for trails and a $50 2 GB SD micro chip to store the data. hen you can't read the topo information on the GPS. The downloading of data is a real pain. Also the SD card holder is very fragile and poorly designed.
Amazon was great and let me return it. Go Amazon!

So far Sooo good, to date this gps keeps making me smile. I had the etrek, which for my use was very limited. The 60csx gives me more options for tracking and recording and expanding. The screen is clear and bright. You must read the instructions and follow them but once you get used to them its smoth sailing. Only problem I've seen is in day light you have to angle the screen of the sun washes the picture out but thats an easy fix. Love this unit.

As usual Amazon delivered the product on time and at a great price. I replaced my old Garmin 12 with the 60Csx and this unit is amazing for acquiring satellites quickly in obscure places and for its accuracy. It's high accuracy led me to within 7 feet of my first Geocache. It is a WOW machine from that standpoint.

However, the Csx is also rather user unfriendly--its operation is not very intuitive. The manual walks one through the miriad menus, options and screens but it is not a very good operating manual. Unfortunately the online manual is a duplicate and the GPSMAP instructional DVD is not very useful. Garmin's FAQs page was is down so I don't know how helpful it is. Luckily my friend has an identical unit, has worked through some of the bugs and is a good tutor.

For hiking you'll need to purchase one of Garmin's topo programs and a high capacity microchip. Of course, I ordered mine from Amazon.

About a month ago, a friend lent me his eTrex Vista C to get me into the "sport" known as geocaching. After a couple of weekend jaunts, I decided this was a "sport" (hobby?) I wanted to get into. So, I started looking for a decent price on a unit.

Last weekend, I found a slightly used 60CSx for a steal on Craigslist. For the past few days, I have been playing and I must say I am impressed. For most of the review, I am going to compare to the Vista, as that was the unit I cut my teeth on.

Both units have similar start up time. From a cold start, it generally takes me about 35 seconds to get a postion lock. The screen on the 60CSx looks much nicer, with all of the color for the satellites. I would not buy a unit for the Satellite screen, however.

On accuracy, I generally get around 21ft (~ 7 meters) inside my house. Outside, the unit is generally more accurate, but I am not seeing much greater accuracy than the Vista in most applicatons. As I have only tested for a few days, I may have a setting off somewhere, although I have added WAAS/EGNOS and do not really see much of a difference. For thsi reason, I would suggest buying on features rather than accuracy, as you are not guaranteed to be spot on just by spending more money.

On the feel of the unit and controls: I love the feel of the 60CSx. It is much nicer than the square eTrex units. The rocker control is much nicer than the bullet and the extra buttons are a godsend. I find myself hitting the menu button, instead of enter, at times, but I will eventually train myself to use that.

Having the extra buttons is great. Navigating around the eTrex is a pain compared to the 60CSx. Having a find button that brings up a menu separate from the main menu is also nice. Instead of having to scroll through the paging to get to the second menu (which can be configured to be more convenient on the eTrex, but not completely convenient), I click one button and find the geocache item. It is also nice having a separate menu and page button so I do not have to include menus in my paging cycle.

One of my favorite features, over the eTrex, is the context sensitive menus. Click menu on the map screen and you are presented with a tab bar of additional menu items. Very nice feature.

Coming from the Pocket PC world, I wish there was a keyboard option for the unit when entering locations, but the rocker and the drop down key menu are sufficient, as long as I remember to hit enter instead of menu. :-)

The 64MB micro SD should be adequate for most of your local and trip mapping needs. I have both Navigator NT maps and Topo maps for central TN loaded and I am using up less than 20MB in card memory. I am still considering getting a 2 GB micro, as I just saw one on sale for $25. Small price to pay to go ahead and load up my normal destinations. The ability to increase memory instantly, or even load different cards with different maps, is great, although you can load a lot of maps in the memory in most eTrex units.

The electronic compass and altimeter act just like the eTrex, so there is really nothing to write home about.

The screen size is a bit bigger, which is nice, as you can have geo-coords on the screen at all times without interfering with your map.

I am not sure I like highway mode, but I have only tested it around my house. Unless it is giving me a good perspective view, with roads, it is largely useless to me. I have not been able to get the roads to show up, so I either have this set up incorrectly or it is not a compelling feature, or I am expecting too much (car GPS or Streets & Trips highway view).

One other ability is very nice. Unlike the eTrex, where you have to do most of your routing work ahead of time, the 60CSx allows you to create routes on the unit itself, provided you are using the correct mapping software (at least that is the case per the site). While the computer software makes it very easy, it is nice being able to put routes into the unit without having to hook it up to a computer. It will be a great benefit when we go on vacation.

Overall, I am very impressed with the GPSMAP 60CSx. I was already sold on the eTrex, but this is so much nicer. I am about to take it out and see how it works on the road. ;-)

Okay, I'd rate it five stars, but the unit wont make coffee in the morning.

I used a small etrex while deployed to Iraq. Easy to use and dependable it gave me good coordinates faster than the military GPS units we carried with us. Sad, but true. When I got home I bought a Magellan Explorist and I ended up HATING that unit. It was difficult to use the small buttons, wasn't intuitve to use, the little knob thing was terrible, and wasn't easy to use tactically with gloves on.

Okay, this isn't a Magellan review. I purchased this one when my Magellan's display broke. I did a lot of looking around and comparing notes and went with this model. I also bought the topographic maps CD and installed it. I'll say now that if you buy the topographic map you don't have to buy the streets maps CD as it installed the streets onto my GPS also when I downloaded the Oregon topomap to the unit.

I use it a lot for Geocaching and I really dig how I can download the geocache straight into my Garmin directly from the website. I click on 'find' and select 'geocache' and it has all the caches listed from nearest to farthest away and you can select 'found' after you find one. Easy.

I did not read the manual at all when I got it. I put the batteries in and started fooling around. Easy to use and not a lot of tomfoolery with buttons like on the Magellan. The electronic compass that is on it works fine. Not as well as a regular compass, mind you (and it is a good skill to learn anyway, how to use a compass and map). But it works a LOT better than the latest version of the military GPS unit. Really... who makes those things... not infantry guys who have to move and handle rifles, that's for sure.

I used the GPS with the streets to cruise to another city and find a location. It worked fine and once it gets dialed in it was spot on when I made my turns and when passing POIs.

I've not used it in its more specific mode yet. When I did I noticed the battery drained faster. I turned it off as I didn't need it to find what I was looking for. I did notice a bit of a drift with it, but this is to be expected with a GPS unit... it must have some error in it after all as per military/civilian gear agreements. Funny thing is, I was able to get accurate to within 5 meters with my little Garmin side by side with the military Plugger getting much worse.

Great GPS. Works great. Rains a lot on me while using it and, because it is submergable, it doesn't affect its performance.

We are new to geocaching with a GPS but we were finding caches the first day. I still haven't downloaded the maps, and have no problem finding our way around. I look forward to trying it on the water and I especially like the elevation feature even though it needs calibration. The controls are on the face and very easy to use. The book explains everything very well, in language that the kids can understand. They are the primary users at 9-14 years old. excellent machine! One trip several had their GPS's and with a little patience, ours took us to our goal more accurately than any of the others.
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br /Remember, for your own safety, it is a tool that is man made and you need to know how to read and use maps and compass on your own -just in case something goes wrong.

I purchased the 60csx for an extensive road trip over the west coast of the U.S.. I was overwhelmed at the excellent sattelite reception and auto-routing capabilites. I was easily able to locate hotels, parks, and food along the way. I logged over 3400 miles in three weeks without any real route planning before hand. I let the 60csx do it all for me and it worked great!! As for postings about battery life, I have used lithium ion batteries without any problem and they lasted 10-12 hours. The trick is to turn off the compass which isn't really needed if you are moving. I highly recommend getting the City Navigator and Topo maps from Garmin. The extra expense is worth it and also the car power adapter.

I replaced my GPS 60CS with this unit. I reviewed the 60CS on this site some time ago, and many of the same comments still apply, with some significant improvements and a couple of minor drawbacks. I had the opportunity to do some lengthy testing both on the road and in the field recently, having driven to South Dakota from Michigan for a fall pheasant hunt. I'll share with you some of my observations and how the CSx compares to the older CS.

The new receiver in the CSx is a major improvement over the CS. It's far more sensitive and locks on much more quickly, particularly from a "warm" boot in the same locale. A warm start lock is virtually instantaneous--it'll be ready to go before the welcome screen clears! Even a cold start only takes a minute or two. I really noticed the improvement in sensitivity indoors; I could easily get a lock from anywhere inside my house, a feat that was impossible with the 60CS. Accuracy with the new unit seems about the same as the old one. I've heard and read some complaints about this, as some folks say that it's not quite as accurate, but if so, it's only a couple of feet. Maybe geocachers are more concerned with this than I am. For general hiking, hunting, and traveling, it's not an issue. It's very accurate when in a vehicle, in my experience.

One thing I DID notice, however, is that when stationary the unit has a tendency to "wander." Even when I wasn't moving, the unit showed me moving around my general position to the point that the track looked like scribbling on the screen. I doesn't always happen, and it's more noticeable indoors (where I'm not going to get lost, hopefully, but the satellite lock is weaker), but it does happen. This does not occur at all when moving. I never noticed this with the old unit, either. Weird.

What I love most about the improved receiver is that I can put it inside my pack or inside a coat pocket and still get good reception. The 60CS would sometimes lose reception even hanging off the outside of my pack if something got in the way (my body, a piece of clothing, what-have-you). I had to make sure it was mounted somewhere high and with an unobstructed view of the sky to keep it from losing a lock. This is simply not an issue with the 60CSx.

Next, the memory expansion. This was my tops on my wish list with the 60CS. The onboard memory on that unit was sufficient to load most of a state's info (Topo and City Select), but doing any traveling required frequent updates using the MapSource software. Not a big deal, but somewhat inconvenient. The MicroSD capability in the CSx is just wonderful. You can find 1GB cards really cheap these days, and you can load seemingly half the U.S. on one card (actually, you're limited to 2025 map sets, which is a tremendous amount of detail). You could buy perhaps half a dozen 1GB MicroSD cards and literally have the entire country in your pocket. Also, you can tell the unit to dump track information to the card, which dramatically increases one's ability to store track data.

Battery life using NiMH batteries is excellent, and in fact there is a menu setting specifically for NiMH batteries. I use low-discharge type 2100 mAh batteries (like the Sanyo "Eneloop," for example) and they just last and last. I hunted for five days in South Dakota and had the unit on for about 4-6 hours per day. I had to change batteries once during that time. Using this kind of battery, I'd say conservatively that I got 20-22 hours out of one set. It seems to last longer than the old unit, though I have no direct comparison, so don't necessarily take that to the bank. (Another nice, albeit minor, improvement is that the unit can be powered via USB when hooked to a computer. Not a big deal, though nice since the batteries don't drain while loading maps, which can take quite a while on a 1GB card.)

The processor in the 60CSx must be improved as well. I noticed that it draws maps much more quickly and doesn't seem to "bog down" when faced with lots of contour or street data. Not a night and day difference, but nice nonetheless.

Nitpicks:

The buttons seem more plasticky than the old unit, which had a nice rubbery feel to them. It doesn't affect performance, really--it just feels cheaper. Some people don't like the new "cartoony" icons on the menus, but I couldn't care less about that, and in some ways they're easier to see at a glance, at least to me.

You still can't view more than one map type (i.e., Topo and City Select) at a time. It would be nice if somehow they could be merged to take the best detail from both. Not a huge deal.

Evidently the new unit no longer has the ability to track pressure changes while the unit is powered off. I didn't realize the 60CS could do that, so I guess I don't miss it. There might be instances where this is important to some folks who are really tracking the barometer closely, but I suspect they're already going to have some sort of weather station device anyway.

So, the question for many will be this: Is the 60CSx worth upgrading over the CS? Should I be putting my old unit up on eBay so I can get the latest and greatest?

If you don't already own a 60CS or something similar, I'd say so, particularly if you're going to be navigating in places that will challenge the unit's ability to get a satellite lock--under heavy tree cover, in deep canyons, etc. You will DEFINITELY notice the difference in reception.

If you travel extensively and want lots of map detail, and don't want the hassle of sitting down at your computer every time you go somewhere, then get the CSx. However, if you already own a 60C or CS, don't travel much out of your home state, primarily use it in your car, or navigate on open ground or on the water, I wouldn't be so quick to get rid of that 60CS. It's still a great unit.

What sold the unit for me was the simple fact that I can throw it in my pocket and not have to worry about losing a signal. No more fussing with finding the perfect perch on my backpack. The convenience factor, of course, is another biggie since I routinely travel all over North America. All I have to do is carry a couple of tiny little memory cards to have just about any map I'd ever conceive of needing. My biggest concern is losing the darn things since they're so teensy.

Great product! Excellent GPS reception, even indoors. I've used it mostly for hiking/geocaching and love it. If you want to use it for auto-navigation you MUST buy additional maps (i.e. City Navigator). The included road maps are very minimal. I've upgrade the SD card to 2GB, no problems.

This is the my third handheld gps unit and without a doubt it's the best I have used or seen on the market to date. I primarily use it for recording fishing spots and water-related waypoints. I also use it to download my many other personal POI files. I'm extremely pleased with the unit's overall performance and would highly recommend it to anyone. On the con side, to fully take advantage of the unit's extended features you must purchase additional expensive mapping software. It's fast when acquiring-refreshing, accurate and reliable and integrates nicely with related Garmin Mapsource products.

There are plenty of "what were they thinking" when you get comfortable with the unit, and plenty of things for the engineers to work on with the next model. That said, this unit works brilliantly even in partial cover, getting satellite locks when other units fail. This isn't the sexiest handheld GPS out there, the Garmin Oregon and Colorado units, along with the Magellan Tritons seem better on paper. However, all of those seem to be having serious issues that still need to be resolved. (See the relevant amazon listings for some of the customer complaints.) This is, however, a reliable, established GPS that covers most of what anyone would want on the trail. The compass and pressure altimeter are nice additions to make this a general-purpose device.

If you are doing anything with a GPS (except for strictly using it in a car), this is the model you want. Forget the newer, "gee-whiz" PDA/GPS/Mobile-phone devices - they simply will not work as well as this excellent, single-purpose device - though they're more expensive.
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br /Over the years i've watched others struggling to get a satellite lock, loose their satellite signal, their device locking up, and all sorts of problems. I watched and appreciated the abilities of a GPS, but wanted nothing to do with all the problems i had been seeing so i just didn't buy one.
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br /As new technology is developed, the prices for "older" technology always drops. At some point the "older" technology reaches a point of where it is excellent and new innovations are added to the device. Such is the situation with the Garmin 60Csx - it is the best for what a handheld GPS is made to do - it locks onto satellites fast and accurately and rarely loose the signal. Though there are lighter units, smaller units, and more energy efficient units this 60Csx simply outperforms them all. Incidently, the battery life in real-world useage (in the mountains or trips around home) is more than adequate, the weight difference between other "light-weight" models is indistinguishable, and the larger size of the 60Csx helps ensure it isn't accidently left somewhere.
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br /This GPS locks onto satellites so fast i am still amazed by it. When i bought mine, i was still living in West Michigan along the lakeshore. When i turned it on for the very first time, the device required maybe 2 minutes to have a "satellite" lock. Each subsequent time i turned it on the longest it took was maybe 30 seconds to get a satellite lock and usually half that.
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br /When i moved to Bosnia and turned it on for the first time the 60Csx took another 2 or 3 minutes to get a satellite lock. It is just as fast here as in the States.
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br /The accuracy is utterly amazing. I used to find a couple of geocaches and everything about it was easy to use. Initially, i forgot to "zoom" in the screen map, but as i neared the coordinates for 1st cache i remembered and went directly to the cache.
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br /I've since used it in deep forest cover, valleys, and on mountains. It has been infallible.

Just got the CSx thru Amazon and absolutely love it. Its not as hard to get the software downloaded as I thought. I read most of the good and bad reviews and was worried I would have issues with getting all of the maps on the unit and that I would have trouble getting the unit to work for me. The instructions that Garmin includes (while vague), get you to the places you need to go on the Mapsource software in order to get the unit working. Don't forget to watch the tutorials and give yourself some time to get the Mapsource setup. I have a 7 year old laptop that has issues and I was able to get my unit working, I just took me a while.
br /
br /One problem I had, which I discovered was a common problem, is that the day after I loaded all of my maps and caliberated the compass, I no longer could "acquire satellites". Kinda bad timing as I was heading for the great outdoors for a weekend of camping. I googled the problem online and found the solution. I had to re-install the GPS software and the "Chipset G". Once I did this thru webupdater I was set and the unit has worked flawlessly.
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br /I did all of this and I think a computer is an expensive typewriter.

I am 100 percent happy with this handheld gps. I have had it for about 6 weeeks now. I have a 2gig card that is loaded with most of the western states from the City Navigtor NT disc and Topo 2008. I use the City Nav for creating routes with turn-by-turn directions and I use the topo when I get into the forests so I can view more of the roads and trails with topo view.
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br /I was looking for a gps that would offer me the most flexibility on my dual sport motorcycle. After lots of research, I found that this gps offered the most features and flexibilty...period. I like that I can use it on the bike, in the car or as a handheld.
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br /For me the CSx was only complete after purchasing the City Nav NT and Topo 2008 maps and a larger 2gig card to hold the large portions of these maps. these additions make the CSx much more expensive but, still the best for the money and my needs. I found Amazon had the best prices of each of the these items that I could find.
br /
br /It should be noted that you can only view either the City Nav map or the Topo map at a time and only the City Nav map is routeable. I have found that I use the City Nav most of the time and turn it off to view the Topo map when I get into the forest. I have also found that you can set a route with turn-by-turn directions in City Nav then turn City Nav off to viw Topo and it still retains the turn-by-turn capability.
br /
br /Best all-around gps with little compormise!
br /

This GPS is great. Ideal for geocaching and hiking. Built in basemap is pretty lame though. Plan on buying USA topo map for it and a larger micro sd card if you want to load in lots of maps.
br /This GPS will do turn by turn street navigation with "city" maps. But if you want a gps primarily for driving, pick a dedicated automobile navigation GPS.

This was revolutionary 3-4 years ago, but with new handheld devices like the iPhone, etc showing how a handheld interface should work, this begins to feel ancient.
br /+ Great reception
br /+ Rugged (get a screen protector)
br /+ Reliable
br /- Hard to remove memory card, which makes the next negative even worse.
br /- For the US Topo Mapsource CD set, you can only can transfer 2026 of the 7000 US map segments per memory card. This means you cannot simply load the entire US (7000 segments) on a memory card. You need 3 512MB memory cards.
br /- The Mapsource data is OLD. The 2003 Mapsource Topo CD set is missing streets that are 20 years old in southern St Louis. The new 2008 Mapsource DVD is missing streets that are 15 years old. Google/Yahoo/MapQuest find these streets easily. Don't surprised if the forest you are hiking thru leads to an undocumented MegaMall.
br /- Poor UI for driving directions, etc. This is a hiking boating device, DO NOT buy for exclusive use with your car.
br /- Searching for POI is very difficult.
br /- Map Management is TERRIBLE. If you have multiple maps, good luck figuring out how to change the map in use. An example, if you install City Navigator, your topo will disappear bc the City Navigator covers the topo maps. You have to turn off City Navigator, but it's buried deep in the menu system.
br /- Worst designed bike attachment mechanism ever. It is too small for almost all handlebars. :(
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br /Overall, I love it for hiking, find it occasionally useful for biking (prevening me from getting lost), and dislike it for car use, city exploration. Google Maps on an iPhone or Windows Mobile is much better.

I bought the Garmin 60CSx in February of '07, primarily to use for Geocaching. Although I have owned many GPS receivers in the past, including the somewhat similar Rino 130, I had a hard time getting used to the controls on the 60CSx. For me at least, they are not at all intuitive. I kept pushing the wrong button or having to cycle through all of the screens in order get to the feature that I desired. The display is just so-so, the contrast and the color seems soft and the screen is small.
br /
br /I lost the unit due partly to the faulty design of the case that Garmin makes for it (it feel off while I was climbing and could not be retrieved). When it came to a replacement I waited until the Colorado became available, primarily because I was never really happy with the 60 series and I hoped that the Colorado series would be superior. It is!
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br /I will be writing a review for the Colorado 400t on it's own page. What I would like to say here is that if you are considering buying a top of the line, hand-held GPSr, (and, if you don't already own the Garmin mapping software that you plan to use with it) I would strongly suggest that you consider the Colorado models. They are must easier to learn, quicker to use, have a better display and can be purchased with the desired software already preloaded. I really love my Colorado, I couldn't say that of the 60Scx.

Having read several complaints regarding customer support, I was prepared for a lengthy wait and little or no real help. I was totally wrong: I had a human being on the line(Andrew)within five minutes. Andrew tells me Garmin has added over forty new support people. He took as much time as needed with no urgency at all. If the wait is usually as short and the support so hassle free, then the rest of the hardware/software industry should take notice.

I had previously used a Garmin III Plus to help me find my way around the state and country while on my job and while hiking/hunting. Loved having one, but finally decided that a color display, upgradable base map and more sensitive receivers in the newer units made it silly not to upgrade.

I know a guy that works with some pretty high powered GPS technology and could have gotten me a price break on a Magellan unit, but said that the 60CSx was getting good reviews. He was right, but my two minor complaints is that there is no serious base map loaded (need to buy the $129 CD) and the display doesn't/can't rotate the image so I can lay it on my dash while I drive; I need more gadgets to hold it steady.

The features are top notch and the computer interface (once I figured out all the settings needed to get them talking to each other) is solid. I upgraded the memory from the 128 that comes with it to a 2 gig in anticipation of downloading the map files, based on some on line chatter.

I'd recommend it to anybody that wants a solid portable unit.

I have waited to have a year of use of my Garmin GPSMap 60Csx to write my review. The unit works very well and the buttons are easy to navigate. Battery life is strong since most of the time there is no need for the backlight. The packaging is deceiving though; there is no mapping software that comes with the unit.

Contacting Garmin is not easy either. When the unit was new to me I tried emailing them and calling them to determine what software I needed. The message came across as "You own the unit, you figure it out". As annoyed as I was that I had to invest more money in it they didn't act like they wanted more. And the service rep that I did talk to said the memory card the unit comes with is all but worthless for storing data; so plan on investing in a data card too. And a case, and a cover.

On the whole I love the unit. Try using in on a plane! That will ring up some fancy trip numbers. But I do not love Garmin.

The strength of this GPS is in its versatility. I have used it for navigating around unfamiliar parts of town, trail hiking and geocaching and it has handled everything with ease. The botton locations and intuitive menu layouts make getting what you need a snap. Proximity alerts are useful as well. I've heard claims of +/- 5 ft resolution but I've never seen better than +/- 18 ft.
I would have given this unit 5 stars without hesitation but for the HORRID basemap. C'mon Garmin! When someone shells out over $300 bucks for a GPS you could provide a far better map than this. It seems a bit greedy to ask another $100+ bucks for City Navigator or your TOPO maps just so you can do some reasonable navigating. Makes me far more likely to look for alternate map souces in the future.

This has turned out to be a great little unit. The mapping could be better (the additional software) but so far so good. It is great for geocaching, etc. I've only had the unit a month or so but have had zero problems. Signal strength is excellent and picks up signal very quick. This unit probably has more bells and whistles than I will ever use, but for the price it has been a great buy. Unit came highly recommended by Cabela's staff as well. In my preliminary research I could not find a "bad" review and now I know why. It is fairly easy to use without getting consumed reading the manual, although it is handy to have. Still waiting on Garmin rebate so my impression could change if that refund is prolonged.

a great unit, added city nav n. america nt 2008 to it and turn by turn is the best. Off road is good too with compase and alt. a plus.

I got this GPS to mainly use for Walleye fishing to mark hotspots, and to use for hunting and mushroom hunting to mark good spots for the next year. It is very easy to use and accurate. It's still frozen lakes here in Nebraska, so I haven't been able to use it for fishing yet. But I have taken it on hikes, bike rides, car rides, and even in an airplane. It mapped my travel from here to Baltimore and was very accurate. It gave eta and distance to next point (Detroit) and the pilot came on the intercom and said we're about 100 miles to land and will be there in about 20 min. And my 60 CSX said the same thing. I LOVE IT!. The only thing I haven't found yet is downloadable lake maps for this unit in my area. They are mostly made for the big market areas and the coasts. That's why I gave it four stars instead of five. Most of the good lake maps are for the bigger units.

Outdoor performance is just great. It takes 5 to 10 seconds to locate satellites and show you where you are. Even in urban valleys. Precision is satisfactory. But it has poor performance indoors. The satellites show up but don't help you with the map.
Base map is poor and once you get used to the device, you need map support. Which means extra payment.
It takes some time to get used to the menus. But considering the job the device manages, it's not that long. The real problem is with the manual. It is prepared for the expert users. It just explains the basic functions. Submenus are shortly defined. I found out some of the tricks myself trying out some button combinations. It doesn't even have a troubleshooting section. Some blogs and forums have more information than the manual.
None of these is a real problem for preffering this device. You get what you need for the right price.

The memory chip contains only a small chip, meaning that I have to spend extra money for a new, bigger chip that contains a good map.

The elevation is not actuate.

Other things are OK.

This is a great piece of gear, with the otional map packs. Being able to find anything instead of calling information is a great ability. Sometimes navigating the find features becomes a pain with the quit button instead of a back feature. There needs to be software for maps of the middle east, that do not cost $350 and are incomplete.

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.

After several months of research into the many different types and styles of GPS units and reading dozens of reviews on several different websites, I settled on the Garmin GPSMap 60CSx. I could not be happier! The functionality, ease of use, ruggedness, and sensitivity make this an extremely versatile unit. I was showing the unit to a friend, inside a building, when he asked me how sensitive the unit was. I turned it on and within seconds got a lock on 5 satellites. I have been hiking and geocaching in many types of terrain, ie: narrow canyons, dense tree cover, and near buildings and have yet to see the ominous message "Lost Signal". The Compass is easy to use and the Altimeter shows a moving graph of ascent/descent in feet. Setting in Waypoints for Geo-caching is also quite easy. The size and shape of the unit makes it very easy to hold in my big hands and all of the controls are on the front of the unit (except the on/off button which is on the top next to the antenna, making it difficult to accidently press). The menu layout is also quite intuitive and easy to understand. The 2-1/2" x 1-5/8" screen is easy to read in all types of lighting conditions. All-in-all an excellent and well-designed unit.

Awesome product. Very pleased with this purchase. Total breeze to use.

I'm very fortunate as in New Zealand we have auto-routing maps free for the entire country! There is also quite a strong world-wide open source community developing Topographical maps for Garmin GPS devices. This can save some money, provide exciting GIS computing challenges, and benefit mountain biking, tramping (hiking for you guys), geocaching and other outdoor pursuits.

Highly recommended! You will need to get a new memory card for it though (mine came with a 128MB card although it stated 64MB on the box!) but it is still way too small for proper mapping. You can get 1GB cards for 15-20 bucks though! :-)

Have fun with it - I know you will!

I purchased the GPSMap 60 when it came out. While it was nice to have a color screen, you had to be careful to give the antenna a clear shot at the sky. I bought this beast early this year when my '60 died and am really glad I did. The antenna is much better on this! I can leave this in the top pocket of my fishing vest and it still works even if the flap covers it up. So far, it has been a great performer in the woods - the old version would go dead under a lot of trees.

This is really worth it!

The only thing I have to compare it to is my old Magellan 315 that was about 13 years old. The Garmin unit blows this one away. I find it very accurate, easy to use, and fun. After some initial problems transfering the maps they work great for turn by turn on the streets. I also use it off road with ATV's and it is fine.

I wish the back lighting was a little brighter in the sunshine.

This GPS was purchased for Geocaching. I don't think you can get a better GPS. The new enhanced receiving is fantastic. I can lock on to 7 satellites while in my basement. No more worries about tree and cloud cover blocking the signals! Maping is great! I can even use it if my automobile GPS dies on me.

We use this religiously overseas in Japan, so we don't get to use all of the features such as the road maps. Even with that being said the product is incredilbe. It does what you want it to and is very accurate. The only thing that does not work that well is when you approach a the entrance to a cave, but that is to be expected when dealing with satilites. We use this product for geocaching and could not be any happier with the product. Easy to read and Easy to use.

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!

I was gladly suprissed by the accuracy of this GPS and how fast it locked the satelites.
Batteries last forever, its small, light, reception is great, I'm getting satellite reception on places where other GPS can't.
Compass is good and extremly accurate but you have to be moving. If you stand still it will start pointing north everywhere, having north moving back and forth up to 180 degrees from its true position is a little annoying until you get used to it (but its reasonable considering that its not a true compass and its based on satellite positioning).
MicroSD card is a blessing, with a 2GB MicroSD I starting to believe that it wont be possible to ever run out of memory, even when I downloaded maps of 5 countries plus nautical charts of countless rivers.
Although I use it mostly for sailing, I sometimes use it on the road, the screen is a little small and "it doesn't talk' but it starts beeping and showing every turn very well. It's not perfect to use it on the road, but its not bad either.
I truly like it, its a great device.

My son was excited when he opened this little gem. Now that he has had the opportunity to use it while geocaching he loves it. Easy to set up, easy to use. We have downloaded some topos into it, they were very accurate and helped quite a bit. I have two early generation GPS's, this is by far the best for what we do and at a great price.

great GPS. gets excellent accuracy under heavy canopes. i've tried it in the heavy forest and city canyons. in the suberbs i get about 9ft of accuarcy. excellent features. rugged. would be nice if it had voice navagation but it's not a biggy because this gps isn't designed for driving.

I originally bought a 60CS in 2004, so the only thing holding me back from the 60CSX was convincing the financial director that a second unit was justified.
The main changes are the use of a removable SD card and better reception. Better reception is fantastic.
This is a general purpose GPS so it can be used on the road and on the trail. It hangs on your side like a cellphone and is often mistaken for one. On the road I use a windsheild suction mount and a dual powercable/serial connection. There are no voice prompts, however the beep notification and text and graphic are sufficient for me. Some navigators may not like taking their eyes off the road to check the unit however if located properly this is not an issue. On the trail use with TOPO maps is also very good.
The unit is designed around Geocaching and I have done this a couple of times and was easily able to find the cache.
As far as "City Navigator North America 2008", the complete map set takes about 1.7 GB of a 2 GB Micro SD card. 2GB is the maximum size that you can use. Private data can also be stored on the SD card.
Pre "City Navigator North America 2008", Garmin allowed two units to register with each map purchase, however retrictions imposed by NAVTEQ have forced Garmin to only allow one unit per licence.
Overall, an excellent product that covers a lot of applications. Satellite aquisition is extremely fast and I am able to get coverage in my house.
If you are going to only use the GPS in your car and are looking for voice prompts and fancy features, then you are probably better off with a NUVI, however if you want general GPS in the Car, on your plane, on the handlebars of your Motor Cycle or Bicycle or strapped to your belt, then this is the unit.

I love my 60CS and 60CSX.

After having owned an early-1990's hand-held GPS, I'm very impressed with the user-friendly 60CSx. I bought this one to use on a motorcycle and have found that the interface is logical and easy to use. I haven't even looked at the manual yet, as it's quite simple to navigate the various screens. I'm also pleased by the fact that I can use this with my lightweight gloves on.
I haven't purchased any maps yet, but intend to get City Navigator soon.

Great Advanced-Featured GPS for Historical & Genealogical Research

One of the strengths of GPS technology is the myriad uses of a hand held GPS device, ranging from hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, camping, and a host of other outdoor applications. Many hunters and fishermen also enjoy the many features of a good GPS device. I have even used my device to report nesting pairs of eagles and pollution sites.

While I also use my device for these other activities, I also use my GPS frequently in my historical and genealogical research. Selected examples include reporting the precise location of a gravestone of interest in a very large cemetery; accurately reporting locations of gravestones or small family cemeteries that are located well off the road and in some cases completed overgrown with thick brush and coverage; using waypoint features to pin the boundaries of very early deeds or historic locations; doing field surveys of historic or family sites; translating historic locations back and forth between maps, aerial photographs, and actual boots-on-the-ground field surveys, and many similar applications. In one of my own applications, I have accurately reported the sites of over 79 grist mill locations dating from the late 1700s, and well as a number of very remote Civil War entrenchments. Many of these sites are now only accessible by kayak, canoe, or hiking in, and GPS makes finding theses sites a snap.

While the Garmin GPSMap 60CSx is a bit pricey, this is a top-of-the-line device that will truly impress even the most experienced GPS users. I have been a frequent GPS user since 1998, and this is my forth device.

* The most dramatic improvement over previous models is the sharply increased sensitivity. This provides for a much quicker lock on more satellites, and the ability to hold the lock much longer when moving in and out of heavy tree cover or in deep canyons. My unit is so sensitive, I can even get a lock inside my house if I am reasonably close to a window.

* I like the large, bright, easily read color screen display. This unit is easily read even in bright, direct sunlight.

* I also like the durable, compact, waterproof design; the easily understood menus and controls; and the excellent battery life. And, it just feels "right" in my hand...

* A major selling feature for me was 64mb of memory to hold plenty of waypoints, routes, tracks and such, as well as the ability to download a truly huge number of USGS topo maps or other mapping software. I immediately loaded about 5 entire states, and have plenty of space for many more.

* The unit comes with a handy lanyard and belt clip pouch, but I also bought a windshield mounting device, and as well as a mount for the handlebars on my mountain bike.

If you are an experienced GPS user needing advanced features and an incredible amount of storage for topo maps, this is a great GPS for not only your routine recreational use, but also for the historical and genealogical applications I outlined above.

This is my GPS of choice -- I never leave on field research trips without it.

CHT in Virginia

Nice tool works really nice, only that you can't upload maps with an Mac is a bit of a pity. Otherwise no complains.

I was looking for a new GPS to replace my 5-year-old Magellan SporTrak. I wanted a GPS unit that could do a good job with street routing as well as hiking and cycling while still being portable, and the GPSMAP 60CSx (with the addition of the City Navigator 2008 NT mapping DVD) has proven more than up to the task. Everything worked right out of the box, and it's fun to use. The 'find' feature (whose scope is greatly expanded with the use of the City Navigator maps) has proven useful already. The most surprising feature, however, has been the sensitivity of the receiver. I was in my mom's house the first time I powered it on, and it was able to give a 3D position from the kitchen.

I like using this GPS. It has never lost a signal. It's portability makes it useful on the farm. Works well on an ATV or in the truck. Doesn't even need to be mounted on the windshield to maintain it's signal.

I've owned several Garmin GPS units and have loved them all! Then I upgraded and got the 60CSx. Amazing! Loved the color screen, easy to use, rugged, and best of all it picks up satellite signals quicker than my other GPS. I use it mainly for geocaching, driving, and hiking. I also have several of the accessories to go along with it. Love it!

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...

I am a member of a major Search and Rescue team. I teach the use of GPS for our members and obvioulsly use one too. I had a Magelin 400, but had lousy customer service. I contacted Garmin Customer service (Dwight O.) and got great service then ordered the unit. It works as described and when I had problems with the unit (I could have read the instructions, but Oh well) the customer service person was fantastic!
br /I have tried the various screens and it appears to be very accurate and easy to use, even on horse back and on Quad. I love the altimeter and trip stat screens. I strongly recommend the garmin line for my friends and students. Be safe!

I use my 60CSx for both mapping my deer and turkey hunting areas as well as for autobile trips. I bought the automobile kit because of the small screen. The dash mounts in the kit allow me to position the GPS where it be easily seen.
br /
br /It meets all of my needs and is very accurate in mapping.

I bought this specifically for Geocaching and it has done a great job helping us find caches that we could not find with satellite pictures. I would like to get the street map software and try this out as I hear that it works great when you need to find your way from one cache site another using roads. The 2 AA batteries lasted about 30 hours so I can not complain there. The only thing this GPS needs is a mosquito repellent dispenser.

my old garmin gps12CX finally gave up the ghost after many years of good service, i thought it would be hard to beat the performance i had from the old one, the 60CSx is miles ahead in the lock time and maintaining the satellite lock in difficult terrain. places where the old one lost lock or bounced around terribly this one is steady as a rock. i also like the geocaching feature. it would be nice if the buyer could chose the initial map data base at the time of purchase

Wonder what Patrick is talking about. The product was launched less than 6 months ago. Patrick said his warranty expired...and complained about the short one year warranty.Sorry Patrick...but the math does not make yours a credible story. I own this product and love it.Matt

Looked Good. Functioned Well. Map Upload Was great.
Unfortunately, the Backlight stopped working on Day one!
GREAT CREDIT to Amazon for immediately replacing it though!
Hopefully, the replacement unit will last longer.

Got this recently and have been happy. It represents a serious improvement over previous GPS receivers, because the new GPS chip that it has gives significantly better reception under trees. It also has very good battery life. The biggest complaint I have is that you are stuck using Garmin's Mapsource software, which is damn near to worthless. The only way you can tell any topographic details is to carry, in addition to the GPS, both a printout of their Mapsource map and a printout for the same area from a real topo. It's enough to make me go with another brand. I wish Garmin would decide that they were in the business of making GPS units and not mapping software.

I have used sevearl of Garmins units over the last ten or so years. The map 76 was a good unit for it's time. My company bought over 500 of the 60 Csx units and distributed them to the field. They work great on land and water. Reception is very good and like all Garmin products it is very user friendly. Most of the reviews I have read are very accurate so I won't bore you with the same details. It is an awesome unit. I do recommend it. The ONLY drawback it has is that it doesn't float like the 76 series. The 76Csx and the 60Csx are the same exact units except for screen size and shape. The 76 screen is a little larger, but the functions and capabilities are the same on each. The sugg. retail price is the same on each. So, one would ask how to choose between the two. May I recommend the 76 series simply because my 4 month old 60Csx is in the bottom of a boat ramp in the South Texas marsh. My partner lost his just 2 weeks ago in the marsh also. I know exactly where mine is and he's pretty sure when he lost his. If they floated I know I would still have mine. If you have no intentions of using it in the water then you can't go wrong with either unit, they are both excellent.

Just purchased this unit and am getting used to its features and quirks. I researched handhelds for a month before deciding on this unit and all of the features for which I chose it are present. That said....my only issues are that Garmin should be ashamed of the paltry base maps included with the unit. Yea, I know that the idea is to sell you more products, but don't even imagine that you can use the maps that come with the unit. Plan on forking out some more cash. The other issue is that you may as well plan on figuring out how to use the thing on your own as the product guide and the MapSource software help leave a lot to be desired. The process for registering and unlocking the maps involved two calls to Garmin support. They were great and answered incidental software and use questions while attempting to correct the unlocking problem.

I received this unit yesterday and played with it for a few hours. With a little bit of common sense all of its functions are straight forward (even if you never used a GPS unit before,like me). I did have to go to the manual to learn how to fine tune this device. Over all this is a easy to use mapping GPS. The only reason I didn't give this a 5 star rating is because it's software (maps,updates) are not Mac compatible. I had to use MacGPS Pro for mapping and my wifes PC for updates.

GPSMAP-60CSX Hand-Held GPS Receiver with Barometric Altimeter and Electronic Compass

Support for Mac is non-existent which makes it totally useless for me.

This is my 4th GPS and it blows the others away. It basically does everything - Roads, Topo, turn-by-turn, etc. For me, the key point is that you can load the entire US Topo and North American Road/city map simultaneously and use it on or off-road. Of course, you need a 4G card to do it all... The flexibility of the unit is amazing and accuracy and satellite reception is great. Only drawback is more of a "wish-list" complaint - the user-interface would be much easier to use - especially while driving - if it was more of an "auto-style" interface with a touch screen and icons.

I received this product for a Christmas present, and have used it extensively for geocaching and driving since that time. The reception from this unit is impressive - I went for an 8 mile hike searching for a cache in the pouring rain and dense forest. Despite the cloud cover and foliage, I still kept an average accuracy of about 15 feet. It shrugged off the rain and mud without any trouble. I have also had a lot of luck with the elevation feature. Without calibration, my 60csx typically provides an elevation within 10 feet of the elevation listed on Google Earth.

My only complaint about the unit is the very basic and mostly useless base map. I have played around with Topo 2008, but for some reason I cannot use the "follow road" feature with the rural roads on that map so I am contemplating purchasing City Navigator NT. If you are going to purchase this unit, expect to be spending an additional 100 bucks on a better map to maximize its potential.

it is a great machine. be sure to do your research on the software you will need. also check the accessories you will need. i'll bet most of us will sprend hundreds on software and accessories. i have five 60csx's and two nuvi 660's. the 660 isn't bad cuz it is ready to go with no accessories or software.

Works great but dislike Garmin's money grabbing policy of having to pay lots more to put a map of NA in the GPS, when they should have a good one installed initially. I wished I had bought a magellan instead

This unit is easy to use and the controls are user friendly. The face is easy to read and includes a backlight which can be adjusted. It includes a data chip which stores mapping data, although you have to purchase an additional chip which has enough memory to utilize the Pacific area. This could have been easily avoided by dividing all the regions into smaller sections. It's unfortunate that Garmin was not more forthright with their advertising concerning this feature.

I love this GPS unit.The battery life is good. The battery life is better if you have the tracking feature off. You can get around fine navigating from way point to way point. I mostly use this in east coast cities. Once you have the latest software your good to go.

I bought this unit due to its high-sensitivity (I have yet to try it under tree canopy, which is why I bought it) and more accurate locations (I've achieved up to 10-foot accuracy). Nice color display, cool tide feature, barometer, compass, video games (yes, video games)....lots of satellites and advanced features. Much easier to label waypoints. Nice map features. Great improvement over the original Etrex. Just wish it was the same size.

Very nice instrument! I used a Garmin E-trex first and liked it then, saw this one. I like the features it has, especially the electronic compass, find screens and geocaching features. I was a little disappointed in the accuracy (not up to date)of the built-in descriptions. The info about my local exit was out of date, many of the businesses are gone. The flexibility is great. I'd recommend it!

I already have a Garmin E-Trex Vista unit, and bought this Garmin Map 60CSx as the second one for personal and family use. It is used primarily off road as a handheld for geocaching. I love the larger 2.6 inch screen for the ease of viewing maps and trails. It's accuracy has proven to be very precise even in thick foliage or thick cloud cover during inclement weather. I also like the fact that you can swap out the micro disc for different maps as the need arises. The location of the micro disc under the batteries is a little tricky pulling out because of it's tight sapce. Memory so far has not been a problem! The directions on using a couple of the features were vague, but with the help of friends owning similar units and owning another Garmin handheld helped. I would (and have) highly recommend this unit especially for off road and geocaching!

This is excellent hardware, the only problem is that Garmin wants you to pay for each software that unlocks the capability of this machine. the base map sucks, for road driving, has a few major roads and basic guidance. if your using it for hiking and going in a straight line W/o needing to use the road its good. If you can find updated maps online get those and unlock them, then the system really shines.

This is a nice sized unit. The display is adequate in size and VERY clear. I especially like the fact that the screen is so clear in sunlight. The only problem is that it is a bit difficult to read when in the shade or mottled shade. The auto-night screen is very handy as the contrast changes to be more useful at night. I have already dopped it a few times with no ill results. The buttons and menus seem to be arranged in a logical fashion. However, the toggle could be slightly larger so that one doesn't accidentally toggle to the wrong place. My thumb is large so this is a bit of an issue. It uses 2 AA batteries, which I favor as that is what my camera and flashlight use. Therefore I only need one type of batteries on a trip and can always use the batteries from another device as spares if my actual spare supply is depleted. I haven't had this long, so can't be more specific on features. However, this unit was recommended by a professional surveyor as a good unit for the money.

I bought this unit to replace the buggy and unreliable Lowrance i350 that I have used for the past 8 months. The 60CSx acquires satellites very quickly, is highly sensitive in my car, and has most of the features of a larger dash-mounted nav unit--except the bluetooth and MP3 bells and whistles that you don't really need or want.

It is very intuitive to use and setup, and exceptionally user friendly. I lay it on the seat next to me while I drive and look at it as needed.

This is such an exceptional product that it has me thinking of buying one of Garmin's dash-mounted cousins for our other vehicle.

For an all around hand held you will not go wrong buying the 60CSx, and that's from someone who now has driven thousands of miles following its guidance without getting lost.

It took me a long time decide on a GPS unit that would be above average in many different categories and I'm happy with my choice in the Garmin GPSMap 60CSx. I have had this unit over a year now and have only had one serious problem with it. After a few months, the power button would not work (sometimes it would, sometimes it wouldn't) and I finally had to send it in to Garmin for a warranty claim. They replaced the unit quickly and the power button on the new unit has a different feel to it making me think that the original was defective all along. Besides that problem (which has nothing to do with rating its performance), this unit has been a great companion when I travel. I have used it to hike, mountain bike, and navigate through city streets. The screen is a little small for navigating in a car, but this is a compromise considering you can put this unit in a big pocket for hiking or mounting it to your bike or boat. Many units seem to focus in one area (like only auto navigation), but this unit excels in many areas. The altimeter and compass are great supplements to the GPS capability and I'm glad that I paid extra for these features. You do have to be a little savvy and technologically aware to use this unit to its full capacity, so if you're looking for a very dumbed-down unit, this isn't it. But if you're looking for a good all-around unit for hiking, biking, boating, car navigation, and more, you should be happy with the GPSMap 60CSx.

I purchased this product for my husband's birthday. We really like it. It has tons of features and once you read the manual is very easy to use. Would highly recommend.

I upgraded to this product from the Garmin e-Trex Vista. I love having GPS on my outdoor adventures, and the 60CSx is great. I've downloaded MapSource maps to the unit, but even better is the color screen and rapid location of satellites. There is so much you can do with the unit, from determing exact location (correlating either with a paper map or with the map on the unit) and altitude, to figuring out which direction it is to where you are parked. I can't imagine being out there without a GPS.

I've had this GPS for several months now and I love it. I also bought Map Source, which I would highly advise. It look a little time to learn all it's neat features, but no too bad. It helps if you have some computer knowledge, but I'm not a geek. I have used it on trips and Geocaching and it's done quite well for both. I did find a street that had the wrong name and reported it to Garmin. They said they would get it changed. So, beware of the street name thing. That can get a little confusing. Overall, the 60CSx is a nice size to carry around, is not too hard to learn and is really a fun "toy".

We really purchased this for geocaching, but also use it for trips and to mark hunting and fishing spots. This was an awesome tool on our recent vacation. It was so accurate in predicting time of arrival, it was scary! I only say this because we got off target a few times -- traffic jams and such and without fail, we were always within 1-2 minutes of the arrival time. We planned our route -- 3500 mile trip with the unit and had caches pre-programmed. When we got close to the cache, the unit beeped -- alerting us that it was near. This is our third GPS (second Garmin, other was a Magellan) and this is by far well worth the money.

This is our 4th handheld GPS unit. It is by far the best we've had. The unit is rugged and easy to handle. Screen is bright and clear. The various pages are easy, simple and intuitive to navigate. Lockon to satellites is almost instantaneous and it can lock on even indoors (as long as it's near windows or doors. We haven't had the chance to try it in the 'concrete canyons' of a city, however, but we anticipate it will work well. It certainly does in wooded areas.

I find the GPSmap 60CSX very easy to use and easy for beginners like me.

I am sure that I am going to enjoin a lot my new GPS, specially in the mountains and long trips around the nature.

It is a great GPS!!

We bought this GPSr mainly for geocaching, and are very pleased with its performance. It acquires satellite signals under heavy tree cover much better then our old unit. It also works well for navigating while driving if you buy the map software and auto accessories.

This is our second GPSr. We bought our first one in November and figured we would like to have a 2nd one. It is absolutely wonderful for geocaching...our new and exciting hobby/sport! Would highly recommend*****

Having owned 2 Magellan units in the past and having had both of them just die unexpectedly with no known cause, including dead battery, I decided to give Garmin a try. What a great product! Getting a satellite fix happens seemingly in seconds versus several minutes with Magellan. The maps are as good as Magellan's. I got the miniSD version of NA cities maps. I can't wait to get out geocaching with this unit. The compass actually works even if you are not moving! Plus just walking from my sofa to the kitchen seems to show the correct distance. Oh, I should mention, I have no problem picking up satellite signals inside (within close proximity to a window, of course). Just try that with a Magellan! 100% glad I made the switch.

This is a GREAT GPS. The only thing that sucks is that you have to buy the highway and topy maps to get the most out of it. but their is so much packed into this unit that I will never go backpacking again with out it. I started with a Garmin Trek series, it got wet and died, so I upgraded to this model and am very pleased with the purchased and with the service from Amazon in getting the product.

I bought this for my Fiance and it exceeds expectations . We used it for Geocaching and it brought us to within feet of the Cache .Fun and easy to use .Would definately recommend .

I reviewed numerous reports on the various GPS devices available and finally settled on this one. I have been completely happy with this purchase. I laid out a series of waypoints for a Boy Scout Klondike Derby, and then went back the next week and found them with uncanny accuracy. This device is excellent!

Ii bought my husband the Garmin CSx 60 for his birthday and to say the least, he is more than thrilled with it. He has used it several times with amazing results. We originally got it to survey some new property that we bought but have subsequently added the city mapping software and it's really great.

We would recommend this product to others.

I gave it to my son for Christmas and he is very happy with it. Am thinking of getting my husband one for his birthday.

Great unit. Very pleased with it. Use it for road travel and hiking. Easy to read screen. For road travel, it lists food, gas, hotels, etc., which are nearby. Nice feature if you pull of the road and need something. Highly recommend this unit.

The 60CSx is finally what a GPS receiver should be. The latest antenna and chip technology is a huge step in reliability and accuracy. The ability to "see" through walls, cloud cover and heavy foliage makes this receiver the best yet on the civilian market. The GPS system itself is continually being upgraded and with the 60CSx you will be ready to take advantage of the improvements as they occur.

Compared to my older Garmin GPS12, the 60Csx is lightyears ahead in technology. Satellite acquisition is fast, even in mountain valleys with heavy tree cover, but acquisition is a bit slower inside my vehicle. The base map is just that, a base map, but I used the unit to fly an aircraft on a direct route from one airport to another. It put me directly over the target airfield! Software allows me to backup waypoints and other data to my PC for future reference. Battery life is better than I expected. Garmin telephone tech support is outstanding.

This is a great product for Geocaching, for which it was purschased for. It is easy to learn how to use and is very accurate.

I received the Garmin 60 CSx as a Christmas gift from my wife. We used it on Christmas day and New Years and now I am looking for my own GPS as my wife and daughter took over the one I got for Christmas. It works wonderfully. Great satellite reception, very accurate, and easy to use.

This GPS is all they say it is with the topo maps you can fin your spot in the mountains with no problems. With the electronic compass it makes finding a location easy.

this gps unit is far better than i expected.geat capacity and easy to use.i highly recommend this gps unit.

br /As everyone else here has said, the unit is great.
br /I just wanted to highlight that it uses
br /A) standard AA (or NiMH) batteries
br /B) MicroSD memory
br /(mine came with a 128 MB card, but for $8 I bought a 2GB)
br /C) MicroUSB cable
br /
br /Pretty much anything you will ever need to replace is available everywhere for cheap. It's as if the heavens above smiled on Garmin and the perfect GPS was born.
br /
br /I even like the turn by turn better than my TomTom.
br /

The Garmin 60Csx unit performs very well. Its reception of satellite signal is outstanding. It even tracks inside buildings. The case package and belt clip is durable. The display is bright and clear both in bright light and darkness with its back light. The user interface menu is a little awkward but navigate able once accustom to. I purchased this unit with Garmin MapSource U.S. Eastern Parks Topographical. I am very happy with this hiking GPS.

Garmin Map 64 MB 60Csx With Barometric Altimeter Compass
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br /I had one of these before and really found it easy to use. When my first one was lost, I decided to replace it with the same. The large and bright screen makes geocaching so much easier to see.

Very pleased with product. Very accurate. Locks on GPS satellites quickly. Compass and altimeter are very useful features.

this is the 3rd one purchased so far in the past 2 years. No, they didn't break, we just needed more units and it was the obvious choice.

Decided on this unit after wearing out a 60C geocaching over several years. The electronic compass on the 60CSx takes a bit of getting used to after years with a satellite-based compass, but I've been quite pleased with the unit overall. The memory card feature for storing maps is a huge improvement over previous GPS models that I've used; I bought a 2 GB card to go with this, and now have street maps for the eastern half of the US, with plenty room for more.
br /
br /Interestingly, my unit came with a 128 MB card rather than the 64 MB card listed in the product description.
br /

I have the Garmin GPS MAP 60CSx. I am a scoutmaster in the boy socuts, so I use a GPS a lot. I also enjoy geocaching quite a bit. I used to have a Magellan, which, while a satifactory unit, ate batteries enormously.
br /.....The Garmin has MUCH bettery battery life, lasting on the order of 10 times longer on a set of batteries.
br /.....I also am much happier with the 60CSx's screen layouts, and colors. It is very easy to tailor the screen data information to what I want to have on each screen. It holds at least 500 waypoints, and is very compatible with geocaching downloads from the website.
br /.....I waffled between the 60Cx and the 60CSx at first. The only differencs is that the CSx has an altimeter, and an electronic compass. I went for the CSx with both features. Having used the GPS a lot, I feel that for the extra $50 it is not that great an advantage.
br /.....Since I usually carry a compass anyway, I find it much easier to just pull it out and take a reading. To use the electronic compass, you must calibrate it by doing several turns whild holding it level. I rarely use the electronic compass (which is supposed to help when not moving, as opposed to regular GPSs shich show a direction only when moving). Therefore, I say go for the one without this feature and save the $50.

This unit is everything you expect from a Garmin GPS. This is my fourth product from this manufacturer and all were excellent experiences.I love the top side controls. Superb costumer support.
br /To use this unit at night for instance is a thrill, to say the least.
br /The regular down loadable Topo maps are all but useless. If you need Topo, than the 24K series is the way to go.However only two or three of such is available and they are prohibitively expensive and slow to appear. A 3D viewing function would be nice to have, but presently its not in the cards. This lack of feature does not in anyway short change this unit.Some claiming the unit is not pocket friendly, but I find these statement very general and lack of useful definition.
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I purchased this a little over a year ago and yet I am still learning on a daily basis something new this bugger can do! My only gripe is that I can't seem to figure out how to turn off the "extrapolate data points when satellite lost" function. This would require a small software fix, but probably not even worth Garmin's time. Just have to remember to turn it off when I go inside. When outdoors though, this thing is the best!

i am very happy with this product, it is VERY accurate and Very dependable, with all the off roading and hunting we do this gps unit is the only essential item for anyone who needs one... from navigating large cities to finding the best trail through the mountians, this unit can do it all...

This is a great GPS but does require a small learning curve. Buy this unit if you are good with electronics. This may not be a good fit for some older folks. We got this unit for my father and he felt a little overwhelmed by it. Good battery life and rugged. It does exactly what it is supposed to do if you are willing to learn the functions and play with it a little.

Garmin 010-00422-00 GPSMAP 60CSx 2.6-Inch Mapping Handheld GPS
br /
br /I have researched this product extensively per internet and through friends who are using this type of GPS. I decided to buy this unit after getting lost in the forest one day. However, I found that I also needed to purchase topographical software to make it useful for trail hiking. The software is now on its way and I am very keen on installing it soon.

I bought this for my boyfriend for his birthday and he loves it! Worth the money!

this gps is the best...it's has all the funtions tha you need to trip as easy as got the world into yours hands......

This handheld is a very good buy. It is quick to start up and quick to obtain satellites. It seems to operate in the +- 12ft range most of the time. It never drops signal and even works in the house, truck, or deep tree cover. Great product.

I have heard so much Hoop-La about this item that I just had to get myself one. WOW!! Now that I have had a chance to ust the CSx i was impressed with it's ability to keep tracking and hold on to satellites even in Alaska's deeply vegitated woodlands and mountain terrain. The CSx performs as good if not better than some higher priced GPS's. Well worth the investment.

I love this Garmin GPS. I am happy that I bought this instead of the other one I was looking at. I have had a lot of fun using it for Geocaching. I was using the built in GPS in my phone and found this to be much more reliable.

Garmin makes the best GPS, so this is highly recommended. Replacement map cards are a bit expensive.

I have owned this unit for over a month now and I can say nothing but good things about it. I was out in the woods with a friend looking for orchids, and while my friend's GPS would occasionally lose its signal entirely, this unit kept a steady lock on the satellites and claimed a +-20 foot accuracy even within the deepest of swamps. The built-in compass means that you can just point and watch the map rotate around to determine direction to a waypoint or geocache that you're trying to locate (or see your previous track into the woods and find a way to get back to it).
br /
br /The fact that it keeps track of unlocated geocaches as a separate set of waypoints (although you can view them in the overall waypoint list) makes it a great tool for geocaching.
br /
br /The included map is not very good (but that is to be expected with any unit, it seems), but I was able to find freeware maps on-line that are nicely detailed down to streets, water features, etc. I can't speak as to the quality of the topo maps, as I haven't gotten them. I also have not tried using street mapping and route calculation, as this is not what I purchased this unit for.
br /
br /It has also proved to be a good exercise tool, keeping track of time and distance traveled while walking, and also giving you an instantaneous speed reading as well as overall moving and overall (moving and still) average speeds. I have logged over 69 miles hiking over about 4 weeks with this unit so far.
br /
br /

Upgraded my old Magellin to this 60Csx. Wow, i loved my old Magellin but compared to the 60Csx it's not even in the same class. The screen colors are bright and vivid and easy to read. The sattalite signals ore a good 25-50% better on the 60Csx. I have not figured everything out yet but I have tried the auto navigation and it is amazingly accurate. It even took me the back way and stayed off busy roads. For under $300 it's a great investment.

Great GPS with great accuracy and fast sattelite acquisition. Works well in heavily wooded environments. We had an E-Trex Legend before, but this is clearly a step above and well worth the money if you desire an accurate and fast updating GPS.

I bought this device so my wife could expand her geocaching hobby. She's enjoyed it very much for that purpose, but we've also really enjoyed it while travelling. The altimeter feature was a definite highlight during a recent trip to Colorado

wow! I have never owned a GPS before but with this GARMIN 60CSX Im sold! it does way more than I thought it would and is right on when putting in lat long manually, I purchased a topo map seperately and was happy with the added results, much more detail including city streets,
br /it seems pretty rugged and has only not aquired sats once, I don't know why but it may be something all GPS do from time to time,
br /I highly recomend this for the novice! it gives way more info an a trip or around your area than you could imagine! time on the road ..speed..time until you reach a destination, beeps when your close.. it's unreal!! get this device and have some great times outdoors!
br /
br /

Garmin 60CSx returned, because half of menu buttons did not function.
br /Amazon promptly replaced with new functioning unit.
br /

i got this for a great price of just above 300 bucks and i still remain a tad disappointed. i downloaded a bunch of mapsource maps off torrents so all the maps cost nothing and not a single map lives up to its title. the maps blow. because of the maps alone i wish i would have gotten a different brand like megallen with the national geographic maps that are real nice and easy to read.
br /
br /as for the handheld unit. it works as its designed to, but there are a few blips in it. overall i dont think this product is worth 300 dollars and the maps arent worth a penny.

I like a lot this GPS, I get a lot more satelites than with other receivers and up tp +/-3m/10ft accuracy, it is really fast to redraw heavy maps and quick for routing.

but I find very dissapointing:
- I can't pick to use the GPS altitude over the barometer and this makes no sense at all to me.
- I couldn't find a way to get the barometric sensor readings out to my computer to plot the pressure changes, aparently the nmea output only shows GPS altitude and not the altimeter information.

there are other functions missing from other GPS's like altitude trend, and tide predictions but not that important.
also something very weird is the barometer/altimeter difference, I get over 100mbar difference between both readings.

in other words I'd recomend this GPS to anyone, but one need to be very carefull picking, getting the 60 C"S"x serie (Sensors) might no be what you look for or what you expected.

I'm using my Garmin for geocaching... so far so good, just one thing that drives me nutz.. the electronic compass. It seems whenever I get near my target.. the compass loses its mind. It doesn't stay on target. My friends who have the Cs and C models of this same GPS don't seem to have this issue w/ their compass, so that leads me to believe it's the electonic "ness" of this specific model. Other than that, no complaints.

Purchased the unit for a vacation trip. It worked well and was fun to have along. Fortunately, I didn't try the suggested online software upgrade until after I returned. The unit died right after the upgrade completed. After a 45 minute phone wait, a Garmin service tech recommended I return the unit for replacement. The was two weeks ago and I still haven't received the replacement. Garmin is doing who knows what with it? If some one had told me this story prior to the purchase, I might have reconsidered. Maybe my star rating will change if I only had the unit to play with.

The product performed very well, even in the narrowest canyons of Utah. It is well made, rugged case, definitely gives you the feel of a solid piece of hardware.

My only complaint is with the documentation that came with it. Much of it was written in broken english and left you wondering "how do I do that?" The only real way to learn how to use it was by trial and error.

I'm entirely happy with this one. I didn't want to buy separate units for the car, boat, trail. Looked at the Crossover and Numi series. But they lacked either battery life or weather resistance. I hooked a floaty on it for the boat and liked the smaller size as compared to the 76. The interface is quick to learn and easy after that. I loaded City Nav for better street detail and have been very satisfied with the performance of the 60CSx. As long as voice prompts aren't a deal breaker for you I'd recommend it.
Downside is that Garmin , as far as I know, is now requiring you to purchase another full price license if you want to load one software title to another device. What the?

I bought this recently to replace an aging and less than reliable Etrex unit. I tried it out backpacking with my son's troop and it received wow's from the other adult leaders.

The good: The performance is impressive - it can get a signal inside my house (occasionally even in the basement!) and routinely receives many satellites even in fairly dense cover. The USB connection works well on a windows box (although I'd be ecstatic if they'd release the specs so i could build a Linux version). The battery life is as described. I used it tucked into the top pocket of my pack on a weekend backpacking trip and easily recovered the paths. It's possible to post them to Google Earth which is quite fun. The elevation profile matches the topo maps and my impressions very well. The Garmin software for loading maps to the unit worked well, and it was good to be able to see the topographic maps on the display.

The bad: Even though it receives many more signals than my old unit and latches on much faster it still wanders a bit. This is an inherent feature of how GPS works, but it can be a bit disconcerting. The averaging feature for marking waypoints is a bit illusory - you're averaging regression error which isn't quite the same as averaging errors. The Garmin software won't print the map, path and elevation profile at the same time.

The ugly: Our route took us down a deep valley by Ellicot's rock in the Sumter National Forest. I tracked both in and out on the same path. When we were out of the valley (but under cover) the paths converge very nicely. However the unit is sensitive to reflections off of the valley walls (which in one area are a canyon) and the calculated path would wildly flip around. (at one stage it said we were backpacking at 12 MPH! - we do OK, but aren't masochists). Again this is probably a feature of GPS, but is something to be aware of.

All in all, I'm very pleased with the unit.

Great GPS. Fairly easy to use. With high sensitivity receiver, quickly locks on to signal. Display is clear. I read other opinions about this GPS and agree that mapdata base that is included is very poor. I have a 2008 street map database for North America I got for my nuvi 350 GPS and disc said it is compatible with 60CSx. I need to figure out how much memory I need as I'm sure it is more than the 128MB chip that gave with the 60CSx. Highly recommend this product for land navigation, geochaching, etc. Don't get it if you want to find you way on the road.

I bought the Garmin GPSMap 60CSx before leaving for a trip through Europe, cities and mountainous countrysides.

I was disappointed to find the limited nature of the maps that come with the unit. This was tempered by the kindness and openness of the garmin and gps community on the we. I was also excited to find the range of products that exist on the net.

The bad: the limited maps. But, you have to keep in mind that this is true for ALL gps units.

The good: the size (small, slightly larger than a cell phone), readability (day and night-no problem), expandability (I have 1 64 mb card, and 2 2 gig cards--all can be stored inside the waterproof battery compartment with a small dab of rubber cement each), ease of use.

Thanks Garmin,

Richard

I love this gps. works well in all conditions. very user friendly. works will with city navigator.

We received our GPS very quickly. I only had about a week to play with it before using it on our 2 week vacation out to the Southwest. I also bought the Topo 2008 software. It had enough road info for me as we took mostly major roads and we had other maps also. I mainly bought if for the "Geocaching". But on this trip it helped more than a few times with navigating and identifing landmarks and rivers and such. Lots of fun to play with. And as I said we learned new stuff along the way as we went.

It is a very powerfull tool.

I picked up the 60csx last Summer after doing a lot of research. 6 months later and I can say that it's been an excellent investment. I've tested it in costal rain forest, mountains, canyons and cities. I always get a signal, and the battery life is excellent. The programability aspect is nice, and topos are good as well, but this little device really shines in it's ability to tell you exactly where you are no matter what kind of environment you find yourself in.

I originally had a old Magellan Explorist 500 that I used for geocaching and hiking. Unfortunately it just became a little to outdated and I wanted to upgrade to something with the new SirfIII chip. I first purchase a Magellan Triton 400. That was a bad move. Although it was a nice unit the functionality was just not there and the unit lacks a lot of features. I then purchased the 60CSx from Amazon and have been incredibly pleased with the unit. The unit has quick satellite acquisition, good battery life, great accuracy and a very impressive feature set. On top of that the unit is versatile and works well for trail hiking, geocaching and driving so long as you have the required maps. The unit has a very rugged design and has taken quite a few falls and still works great. Negatives are all minor - purchase a screen protector, electronic compass needs constant recalibration and geocaches can't be loaded directly onto the unit via GPX files. All in all a great unit and top of the line if you are going to be geocaching. If you don't want to spend the big bucks on one of the underdeveloped touchscreen models this the tried and true GPS of choice.

It's a great unit alright, but those of you out there who use lithium batteries to power your portable electronics gear will be in for a major disappointment. The 60CSx CANNOT use fully charged lithium batteries! They won't work. The unit does not power up. All you get is the splash screen, which quickly fades away. Garmin tech support provided the reason: fully charged lithium batteries are too powerful for this unit to start up properly! Garmin has set an upper voltage limit for your batteries of choice. If they exceed that limit, your receiver will not work. You have to use alkalines, or some lesser powered battery, which don't have nearly the same lasting power, and this little baby eats batteries like candy. Using Duracell's top-of-the-line alkalines got me a lousy thirty minutes worth of usage with only occasional use of the backlight. This is an inexcusable design failure. Lithiums are widely used by outdoor enthusiasts and every other Garmin device I have owned over the years would accommodate them without a problem. Coming from an industry leader in GPS technology at a cool $400, I expected more. Perhaps this can be remedied with a future software update, but Garmin made no promises. Note that you can still use lithiums, but they have to have lost some of their charge before they will work, which sort of defeats the purpose of using them in the first place. This just really takes the fun out of using this receiver, as you must constantly monitor the battery charge meter to make sure your device is not about to peter out. If you take it on a long outing, be sure to take along LOTS of spare alkalines with you. Come on Garmin, this is stupid!

Fantastic handheld, I have Garmin's in my boat, car and this is my 2nd handheld. This is the only GPS I have ever owned that actually works in doors. Needless to say in works in the forest.

A good quality rugged GPS. A good all rounder for hiking, boating and driving. Buyers should be aware that it comes with relativly basic maps; so the maps have to be bought to go along with it.

If you are planning to use a mostly GPS for driving then there are other cheaper options out there. Get a GPS that is designed for driving because it will already come with a detailed road map.

Great product; exceptional reception even indoors and under forest canopy; easy to use software; highly recommend

Gave this to my husband for Christmas. He is still learning how to use. it will do just about anything. It is a good size for a man's hand. Very user friendly!!!! BB

This is my all time favorite GPS unit for hiking. I use an Edge for cycling and played around with quite a few units before I bought this one. Its display is visible at almost any angle. Its bright, clear and works well in the rain! It just doesn't get any better than the 60CSx IMHO.

I am new to GPS handhelds and so far, I haven't had a great deal of luck. Regarding functions of this unit; I haven't yet used it in the field due to problems with two separate units having dead pixels (the first unit had one at the top of the screen and the second one had one in the middle).

The build quality aside, I was quite satisfied with the features and overall function of this GPS. As mentioned, I am new to GPS handhelds and I found the 60CSx easy to navigate and to figure out the basics of its use. I was especially impressed with the speed at which it acquired a signal and the speed with which it drew its basemaps.

Overall, however, I only give this unit a 2 stars due to having 2 separate units with a screen problem. Something at this price point should have better quality control than this.

By far the best toy i have ever bought myself. I do alot of hiking in W.V. and this gps has worked great with the garmin topo disc i bought. Just started geocaching with my wife and friends, this is a great way to get your fat [...] off the couch. I'm only giving it 4 stars because some of the roads are mislabeled and off.

I'm really loving it!
The batteries last a lot.
My only question is about the altimeter, it never matches the signs in the places...

The product ARRIVED with no problem. I had to download so many updates to actually use it for the intended purpose I needed--Geo Caching. After 3 uses (used it on 3 different occasions) it stopped working. DID NOT DROP IT, did not do anything to it but place it in a drawer, and when I turned it back on there was NO DISPLAY. After calling the company Garmin, who will be replacing the product, they stated that I had received a corrupted product. I am annoyed at having spent $360 only to have to spend another $30 to send the product back. Will I ever buy an electronic product over the internet..NO. Will I ever buy another electronic product from Amazon--NO!!

I bought it as I was traveling to Croatia and wanted a rugged, waterproof GPS.
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br /I discovered after buying it that the maps were very expensive ($300). And Garmin does all it can to prevent open source mapping applications from accessing the internals of their devices. So I used it without a map.
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br /It would at least help me get back to my hotel every night.
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br /The warranty on the unit is only 1 year. This is absurdly short for a premium priced product.
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br /The keypad failed on my unit shortly after the warranty expired. After a 25 minute wait on the phone for customer service (that's service?) the woman on the phone informed me that the cost to swap my unit for a functional gps would be $150!!!!!
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br /That is WAY more than half the amount I payed for the the unit in the first place.
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br /I took meticulous care of this GPS. For example, the plastic is still attached to the LCD screen to prevent scratches! Yet it failed.
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br /I have never owned a Garmin product before and am now very dubious about their quality control.
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br /And I am extremely unhappy with their customer service. I plan on spending a great deal of time and effort getting out the word on their customer service.
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br /Patrick
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next gps i will buy is a magellan triton 2000 and then use the national georaphics topo maps. the best hiking gps/map combination available in the market today.

I used the 60csx to mark my boundaries on a 27 acre wood lot. It performed great

I got a Garmin Colorado, which was horrible, with buggy software, so I returned that and got this based on the quality of the reviews. I should have known better -- this unit is buggy as well. I loaded map data into it and off I went for a family trip to Vermont. Well, when the unit figured out I was in Vermont, it forgot all the map data! I had luckily brought the data with me, so I reloaded it. Then the same thing happened again when I returned home to Oregon -- no more map data.
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br /The hardware seems sound, but Garmin needs to ship products with software that works. I tried calling customer support and was told to expect a 15-20 minute wait. Their phone support gets one star out of five from www.gethuman.com, and I understand why.

Could not make contact with the USB connection with the computer. After a 30" wait on phone, tech support tried and was unable to connect with a Compaq, Windows XP, explaining that GPSMAP 60CSx was incompatible. Therefore, could not download maps.

I was disapointed that my new Garmin 60CS still has the old exit numbers for I-95 in its integrated basemap. The planning and migration to the new exit numbers has been in process for years. Yet Garmin has not taken the time to update the exit numbers for their newest GPS units. Garmin's response to my inquiry was "yes, the basemap is old" and "no, we aren't planning on updating it." At $500 a unit, I feel customers deserve an accurate basemap.

I would love to buy this but they don't have Mac support despite their press release to the contrary months ago.

I might buy it and tape it to a GPS with Mac support just to have a second opinion.

The features do not remotely live up to the hype. The base map is close to useless and without the addition to the add on map, will do no more than a $150 gps. If I still had the box, I would send it back

In terms of quality and performance the Garmin GPSMap 60CSx is superb.

The unit itself works great, I love it, but it does not come with any detailed base maps. Plan to spend extra money with the purchase and get the map(s) that fit your needs.
Have fun, and try GeoCashing when you get it.

the GPS came as advertised, quick shipping, packaged properly, I would purchase another from this Seller again, if I needed one. A+

LOOK NO FEARTHER,IM VERY PLEASED WITH THIS SERVICE
FAST SHIPING AND VERY REASONABLE PRICE INCOMPAIRSON,
I WILL SHOP AGAIN THE GPS HAS A LOT MORE UPDATES AND
WORKS GREAT WHEN YOU GET GOOD SERVICE YOU GIVE KUDOS.]GARMIN GPS MAP 60CSX "EXTREME" HAND-HELD GPS UNIT