0ur opinion:

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handheld GPS navigator for use in car, boat, or outdoors * 256-color backlit TFT LCD display (160 x 240 pixels) * LCD size: 2-3/5' measured diagonally * pre-loaded basic basemap of the Americas includes select cities, highways, interstates, rivers, and lakes * microSD card slot allows for storage of optional MapSource detail (64 MB microSD card included) *

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The venerable Garmin 60C just got a whole lot better. The 7.5-ounce GPSMap 60Cx now features an insanely accurate, high-sensitivity GPS receiver by SiRF that tracks your position even in tree cover and canyons. Plus, you get a bright, sunlight-readable color TFT display and an included a 64 MB microSD card for storage of optional map detail. Simply put, this powerful unit is ready to take you anywhere on land or sea.

Main menu. View larger.

Map page. View larger.

The GPSMap 60Cx features the powerful SiRF GPS navigation chip for supreme accuracy in all conditions.

You can use the 60Cx's memory card slot with preprogrammed microSD cards from Garmin (sold separately) that provide topographic maps, city streets, and nautical charts. ln fact, the unit is compatible with most Garmin MapSource products including BlueChart, City Navigator, U.S. Topo 24K, and U.S. Topo and Recreational Lakes with Fishing Hot Spots. The unit comes preloaded with an Americas autoroute basemap that provides automatic routing capabilities including highways, exits, and tide data. There's also a preloaded marine point database. You can even get turn-by-turn directions when you're driving, and an integrated trip computer provides odometer, stopped time, moving average, overall average, total time, max speed, and more.

The 60Cx's 2.6-inch, 256-color TFT color display is designed to present mapping and trip information clearly and accurately in any lighting conditions. Plus, the case is lightweight, rugged, and water resistant to lEC 60529 lPX7 standards (can be submerged in one meter of water for 30 minutes). When using two AA alkaline batteries, you'll get up to 30 hours of battery life from the unit.

Another key feature of the 60Cx is the 10,000 point automatic track log; 20 saved tracks (500 points each) let you retrace your path in both directions. There's also a large-numbers option for easy viewing, as well as a dual-position display mode. The also unit includes built-in celestial tables for best times to fish and hunt, plus sun and moon calculations.

The 60Cx's trip computer provides odometer, stopped time, moving average, overall average, total time, max speed, and more. Meanwhile, a fast processor allows the 60Cx to provide quick auto-routing, turn-by-turn directions, and audio alerts when you use the optional MapSource software, which can be stored on the unit's included 64 MB microSD card. Downloading information is quick with the USB or serial port interfaces. Using the dedicated serial port, the 60Cx can share navigation instructions with repeaters, plotters, and autopilots. The four-position rocker pad and dedicated high-use buttons make navigating through the unit's features easy, even when your fingers are cold or wet.

Finally, the GPSMap 60Cx is packed with some extra fun features. An integrated outdoor calendar provides ideal hunting and fishing times, as well as moon rise/set/location information. There is a dedicated geocaching mode for those of you into the hot GPS community treasure hunt game. Finally, there are indoor/outdoor GPS games to help you and your friends enjoy the outdoors.

lf you like the features of the 60Cx but require an electronic compass and a barometric altimeter, check out the Garmin 60CSx.

What's in the Box
60Cx unit, 64 MB microSD card, belt clip, USB interface cable, MapSource Trip and Waypoint Manager CD, lanyard, owner's manual, and quick-start guide.









Piece Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

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Buyer's feedback: - * Nice unit, but not for hiking or kyaking, Etc. ...
My second GPS unit. First one was a DeLorme attached to a PC, which worked well but was VERY slow to start up, and cumbersome.

I agree with all the 5 star review comments about quality of construction and sattelite capture speed of the GPSMap 60CSx. I am, however, greatly disappointed in the "Base maps" sold with the unit. These maps are so limited as to render the unit useful for city to city navigation only. The base maps show major highways only (state/county highways or larger roads-interstates), and include no local roads, a fact Garmin does not disclose in any of the sales material I read. They should be clear that you must buy more detailed maps, and where to get them.

After looking over the Garmin web site, I purchased the suggested MapSource Topo maps on CD for almost $100, and was stunned at the poor detail on these maps also. On first use in my back yard, the unit indicated that I was across the street in a neighbor's yard perhaps 100-200 feet away, and that was in New Jersey with eight satellites in view. The unit also could not accurately locate the 100+ acre lake near my home. These maps cannot be useful to anyone attempting to navigate off road, hiking on trails, or travelling on streams/small rivers. The maps simply bear little resemblance to actual geography except they do seem to indicate location of 25 foot topogtaphical elevation lines fairly well (not too useful). I kayak a great deal and had hoped to use the unit to navigate around New Jersey rivers and the sedge islands in Barnegat Bay. Forget about it! There is no correspondence between the Topo map and the actual geography! Totally useless for kayaking intercoastal bays or any of south Jersey's fabulous streams. As it stands, I have invested just under $400 and have little to show for it. I wonder if my ten year old DeLorme maps will work on the Garmin GPSMap 60CSx? I don't know what to do. At this point the unit is practically useless.

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Buyer's feedback: - takes a beating
I keep this unit on my off road motorcycle while trail riding in Montana. It keeps working and always seems to have a strong signal. I don't trust the handlebar mount without securing it with additional heavy rubberbands, but no issues to date.

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Buyer's feedback: - * You can't get any better than this unit..... ...
The reason I bought this unit in the first place was because I hike--deep woods and high mountain hiking. This system is a life saver. I love the 10,000-point automatic track log; 20 saved tracks (500 points each) lets you retrace your path in both directions. Also features 1,000 user waypoints with name and graphic symbol; 50 reversible routes
Trip computer provides odometer, stopped time, moving average, overall average, total time, max speed, and more, much more.
The battery life on double A's is about 20 hours--and this is really neat; built-in celestial tables for sun and moon calculations and the best times to fish and hunt. (Come on, this is great!)

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Buyer's feedback: - Great piece of technology.... poor map support
This purchase was to update an older Magellan Map 330. I was excited to see the device and quickly found it easy to use. I purchased the Garmin MapSource 2008 and then disapointment set in. After loading a section of the local topo map, i went out of the house to test it. It had my location almost 200 feet to the north of my house with 8 stations in view. A driving test had me as much as three streets off at times. I would stop the car and check outside and the error remanined. A Dolorme LT-20 with a laptop on the car seat was dead on. After comparing a friends 60Cx, he had the same problem. It's a shame that Garmin does all this development and then provides such inaccurate maps. It is sitting in the glove box for emergency use only to determine north and south.... pitty...

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Buyer's feedback: - * Pricey, but Great GPS unit ...
After alot of research into all of the GPS units out there, I decided on this handheld unit. My choice was based on my need to cover both automotive and marine needs. I've been using GPS since the late-80's on a sailboat that converted from Loran. I'm quite accustomed to navigation, and the terminology and concept of GPS. Others who are new to navigation may be confused by the terminology. Since I race sailboats (and I drive), Bearing/Heading/Velocity Made Good, etc., all made sense to me. This unit is one of the few that is useful for my land and marine requirements. The internal memory and expandable MicroSD slot allow for conversion to either mapset.

The base map that comes with this unit is limited. Aside from showing major highways, it isn't much useful beyond that. I took it on a road trip in the first few days after my purchase, and the base map it came with was very limited. Aside from telling you what state and major highways you're on, it won't tell you much more than that. But I was surprised that it new the approaching highway exit name, even with just the base map. Shortly after my purchase, I invested in the City Navigator software, and wow!, what a difference. Suddenly it is smart enough to plot my route to specific addresses, although it doesn't pick the best route...it just picks a route that works (would've had me going on some small roads unnecessarily).

I've also begun geocaching with this unit because it is set up nicely for that purpose. This unit allows you to enter waypoints easily, and it comes with various icons to depict most waypoint types.

This unit is bulkier than some of the automotive units on the market. But I've found that many of those "card deck" size units don't work well for marine use. They are limited mostly to automotive needs. But it's amazing that they can pack so many features into this small device.

I decided on the GPS Map60Cx rather than the Map60CSx. The Cx simply doesn't have an electronic compass or altimeter function. Interestingly, the unit does plot heading and bearing (both directional and degrees), but you have to enter a waypoint so it knows where you want to go. You just can't stand still and get a compass heading. Also, the unit will tell you your altitude above sealevel, so I'm not clear on what the CSx altimeter could improve on. Since I don't fly or climb mountains, I didn't see the need for an altimeter. I also don't mind taking a step or two to determine my compass heading. These two functions seemed irrelevant for my needs.

I had difficulty getting my PC to recognize the GPS unit. But after exchanging a couple of emails with Garmin, my problem was solved (it seemed to be a missing Registry command which Garmin Tech Support helped me work through. I thought that was nice considering the problem appeared to be my PC, not the driver or unit itself. I have to say that Garmin Tech Support was very good with me. My only comment would be that live tech support is only available during daytime hours which might make it difficult to handle if you work all day (and who doesn't?). But even so, I corresponded with Garmin through email and they responded quickly and accurately. I'm pleased.

I intend to purchase the Bluechart map software (marine use), but even with the base map, the unit recognized the Freighter Channel, Range Lights, and International Border found in Lake St. Clair (Michigan).

One note when trying to decide whether to purchase the maps on MicroSD card versus DVD software, I understand the MicroSD card can't be viewed on the PC, while the DVD software is viewable on the PC and you select which "areas" you want to download to the GPS unit. The download speed is relatively slow, but not rediculous. I loaded up the 64 meg card in about 10 minutes. I've read that a 2 gig card may take an hour or more. I've also read that if you intend to load a 2 gig card, you're better off with a card reader rather than the USB interface.

I can't think of a single "Con" for this unit except that the maps are too expensive, considering you can get the same detail on a $3.00 paper map (but then you couldn't enter an address I suppose). Still, the maps aren't cheap. It isn't as pretty as the automotve GPS's on the market, but then, you can't trek through the woods or sail a race course on the automotive units either. The screen size also isn't as big as the automotive units, but this size is perfectly functional too.