GPS question

Oberon · Post by **Oberon** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 9:46 pm

I was looking a getting a new GPS. I'm looking for one that has trail and road functions. I was looking at the Garmin GPS Map 60CSx. It has all of the trail and off road functions, and the turn by turn road capabilities(which I believe the maps need to be purchased and downloaded). Just wondering what you guys and girls are using and if you have any suggestions on one that would be alittle better. I'm looking for a hand held, I think it would be a little more versitile since I do alot of fly fishing and some mountain biking when I get a chance, but mostly it will be for the Pinz. I also like the fact that it runs on regular batteries so there is no need for a charger. I'm just not sure about how much goes into downloading the maps. I think you can buy an SD card with the US map for around a hundred bucks. The one in my truck has a preloaded map of the entire U.S. and Canada which is nice but it doesn't have any trail features. Let me know what you think.
Thanks
Spence

Heed · Post by **Heed** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 7:22 am

Hi Spence,

My research has led me to believe that you can't go wrong with that model.

I am one who tends to research something to death before I buy it (probably to the point where it has been released as a newer model!), and I have come to the conclusion that it is either the GPS Map 60CSx or 60Cx for me.

The only difference (besides $50!) is that the CSx has an electronic compass and a barometric altimeter.

Both can be uploaded from the Garmin Mapsource CD's (your PC) or the MicroSD data cards that Garmin sells for them (Pre-loaded with maps).

Oberon · Post by **Oberon** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 8:54 am

That's what I've been thinking. I've found alot of reviews on the internet and found only one negative one. I've been researching them pretty hard for awhile now and I think I'm going to go with the GPS Map 60 CSX. Newegg.com has them for $309.99. I have found them cheaper on the internet, but that was from places that I've never heard of. I'd like to stick with someplace that I've shopped before. They also offer an extended warranty. (1 yr $32.99, 2 yr. $59.99). I'll post on how it works after I get it and put it to work.
Spence

mjnims · Post by **mjnims** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:37 am

been using the Garmin 176c for some time now. A bit large for handheld but will run on aa batteries. Cool features is it will work on 8 to 35 volts and display can b emodified to meet needs. I like having the volt meter showing when driving down the highway. The memory has been increased in the newer units, which to date has not been a problem for me. My handhelds are just the basic etrex series.

krick3tt · Post by **krick3tt** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:52 am

I bought the 60CSX for off road use. The screen is a bit small for driving and looking at the same time. I haven't used it much. Although, it is great for hand held use while hiking.
Bought the Garmin Nuvi 200W for around towns and city stuff mostly because of the size of the screen and the 'voice' directions. We call it 'she who must be obeyed', as it is a female voice telling us to "turn left in 500 feet". I can punch in all sorts of info, like where to go to get to a restaurant or gas station or hospital in any city.
The Nuvi was about the same as the upgrades would have been to the 60CSZ to load up for city stuff and the screen is three times bigger. Easier to see in the city car.
I am not really a gadget kind of person. Used to always go with map and compass but I get lost in Seattle so easy that the Nuvi just makes sense for me.

Morris

andy · Post by **andy** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 2:05 pm

Take a look at what DeLorme has to offer. www.delorme.com. I've been using their PN 20 and TOPO USA for several years. Before I got my 710 I used one of their models that you can use with a laptop in your vehicle. The Pinzgauers just don't have enough room up front for that though.

Besides TOPO USA you can get Street Atlas USA for city stuff. They also give you some free downloads of USGS topo maps if you want them. You can put tracks and waypoints on your desktop or laptop and print your own maps too.

Seems like prices are comprable.

Andy

Erik712m · Post by **Erik712m** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 7:49 pm

mjnims wrote:been using the Garmin 176c for some time now. A bit large for handheld but will run on aa batteries. Cool features is it will work on 8 to 35 volts and display can b emodified to meet needs. I like having the volt meter showing when driving down the highway. The memory has been increased in the newer units, which to date has not been a problem for me. My handhelds are just the basic etrex series.

Mike I've been looking at that model how did you mount it? Garmin is operated out of kansas. warranty repairs are easy. Hiking and hunting I have the suunto i9mx works great for me. Have you seen the prototype walmart going up in Pheonix

Pinz Enthusiast · Post by **Pinz Enthusiast** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 8:04 pm

I second Mikes choice, I got a Garmin 276c a year ago and love it, color screen, 4" diagonal, wired directly into the pinz 24 volt electric,also has a nicad battey built in for up to 15 hours of operation added a outside high gain antenna that I can change what guages I want to the screen, must be like 40 to choose from, I use speedo, altitude, time, trip odom. had a 64meg memory card for it from a handhelp, even with that little memory I have about 50+ maps loaded, and still have room for tracks and saved locations etc. I will say maps are a bit pricey, just paid $130.00 for the 2008 topo map set and about $80.00 for the metro guide maps, love it have it mounted on top of the wiper motor mount up aginst the windsheild.

I took a few photos of my mount, and one more piece of equipment that I love, my back up monitor. oh and Andy besides the cost diff, my garmin is also portable, pop it out and it becomes a handheld.

andy · Post by **andy** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 9:39 pm

Not trying to dis anybody's choice in GPS equipment, but with the DeLorme PN 20 you get all the maps plus $100.0 worth of downloads, you choose aerial photos, USGS quads, whatever. If you have a 12 volt source in the Pinz all you might need extra would be the RAM mount which holds the PN 20 at a good level right on the windshield above the wiper motor. Or any other suitable place on the windshield.

If I'm gonna walk, all I do is pop it out of the mount and I'm gone. I use it to mark feeder locations on the leases I feed and the routes I use to get to them. Read the reviews on it and it is consistently rated as the best handheld (which is what Oberon wanted in the original post) on the market. You also get a 1 gig sd card and sd card reader with it to hold your extra maps.

DeLorme's tech support is second to none also. Just my very stong opinion.

mjnims · Post by **mjnims** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 10:17 pm

Andy, The delorme units are nice units and once you get used to using them are just as efficient. For what ever reason seems the garmins just "feel" easier to use IMHO. My 176's came with metro usa and bluechart which has been enough for me. I am not familiar with the newer *76 series but I have to imagine they have just improved them. The 176 also sets in a craddle that allows for portable use of the unit when not in the truck.

I have my GPS mounted above the windshield wiper motor next to the XM radio receiver. With the swivel mount the driver, navigator or rear passenges can view the unit.

BTW I keep time, speed and elevation up on the screen when on the trail and change one of the fields to volts when running down the highway.

andy · Post by **andy** » Mon Sep 08, 2008 10:44 pm

Mike, like I said I wasn't putting any other units down. In the Garmin's defense I will give it the larger screen and you can run it straight off the 24V.

The PN 20 is very intuitive to use. In the Pinz, if I'm not looking at the map itself and as a speedometer in the 710, I use the page that gives me the lat and long and the elevation etc. I'm weird like that. I'm big on the elevation changes out here because it makes a difference in the deer's living conditions around here. Also, on one of the ranches I have to make sure I'm above 1,144 feet, so that I stay out of the National Park Service jurisdiction.

FWIW, I've got a good Magellan handheld too, but as far as map quality and versatility it can't hold a candle to what the Delorme units can do.

The Earthmate units from DeLorme were okay, but the PN-20 is better since you don't have to use a laptop or PDA with it.

Did you all murder any doves this week? We had rain right before the first day and it usually blows them south for a week or so. Numbers were way down.

Andy

mjnims · Post by **mjnims** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 12:10 am

Andy wrote: Did you all murder any doves this week? We had rain right before the first day and it usually blows them south for a week or so. Numbers were way down.

Andy

I will be over 100 by the time the weekend is out. Trying to get ready for duck opening day in a couple of weeks. We found a spot where you have to shoot defensive just to keep the birds from hitting you. Never had that many in one place at one time before, lots of fun though.

andy · Post by **andy** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 8:54 am

I just got an email update from DeLorme on their new handheld that should be out on the street in October. The 8 gig version seems a little high priced, but 7 extra gigs for different map types for $ 100.00 might be worth it. I'll more than likely get one to go in the 712.

____________________________________________________________

PN-40 and PN-40se Notification Sign-Up
We will begin selling two new PN-Series GPS models in mid-October. The PN-40 has already been announced and you can learn more by reading below, but we are for the first time in this newsletter announcing the PN-40se – a select edition GPS to be produced in limited quantities and available exclusively direct from DeLorme.

The PN-40se is exactly the same as the PN-40 in every way except it will ship with 8-GB of internal Flash memory (versus the 1-GB on the regular model), and will retail for $499.95 as opposed to $399.95 for the regular model. Having extra internal memory will allow you to quickly transfer more detailed maps and imagery to the internal memory without needing to manage your SD cards to the extent you may be doing now with the PN-20. Both models are terrific choices and offer a fast new dual-core processor and GPS chipset (details below).

We are anticipating very high demand and potential shortages for components for both models so we encourage you to sign up now to be notified about either or both models. We anticipate taking pre-orders in early October and will contact those people who have asked to be notified here in the order they sign up. Those at the head of the line will be contacted via email first.

More about the PN-40
The early buzz from beta testers and internal DeLorme folks has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic. The PN-40 with its dual-core processor is blazing fast, whether the task is acquiring satellites, finding nearby points of interest, or smoothly scrolling a large color aerial image on the device. The resolution of the PN-40 screen and its ability to actually become easier to read in direct sunlight sets it apart from the competition.

Here are the highlights of the PN-40:

Super high-sensitivity 32-channel Cartesio chipset by STMicroelectronics for the fastest satellite acquisition times any of us here at DeLorme have seen anywhere period
Multi-core processor for amazingly fast map and imagery redraw times. Large imagery files now refresh instantaneously and proximity searches are rapid
1-GB of onboard Flash memory (8-GB for the SE model)
3-axis electronic compass with accelerometer, which enables the compass to be held in any position
Sensitive barometric altimeter (with user calibrations possible)
Support for up to 32-GB SDHC cards
Fast USB 2.0 data transfer means you can keep the SD card in the slot without needing a card reader

Erik712m · Post by **Erik712m** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:02 am

Eric, Nice set up is the mount magnetic all the listing say is marine mount? I'm watching one on ebay .

Pinz Enthusiast · Post by **Pinz Enthusiast** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:27 am

Erik,

No it's bolted on, I drilled 3 small holes and used 3 SS flush head screws with nylocks, and yes that is the marine mount, my only complaint is that it's to close to the windsheild, have been looking at some RAM mounts that I may change to.