Trainman Posted July 8, 2005 Share Posted July 8, 2005 Anyone have experience, good or bad, with any brand/model of handheld GPS units? I need to upgrade from a Garmin eTrex Legend to a unit with a better antenna. Am leaning towards the Garmin GPSMap 60C or GPSMap 76C (with colour screens to better view the Canadian topo maps I have for Garmins). Some issues others have brought up: Button placement: top vs bottom Colour display not readable in bright light Colour display using batteries up more quickly (according to Garmin and independent reviews these last two are not a problem) Reception ????? Thanks, Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted July 8, 2005 Share Posted July 8, 2005 I have a 60CS. Bottom line: I really, really, like it. Complaints: - The button location and layout is not really conducive to one handed operation. Works great with two hands or when mounted in cradle (I use RAM cradles - they're fantastic!) but not to well one handed - especially if big hand. - Didn't work too well running off batteries on off road motorcycles. Of course, that's the case with 99% of electronics - the root cause was the jarring impacts causing the batteries to "bounce" off the contacts, shutting the unit off. Since my KTM has a battery, I just hardwired it. No more problems! Likes: Just about everything else. Runs for hours on just two batteries. I use NiMH AA's and carry a couple extra sets on long excursions away from 12 V sources. Display is very bright. It would be even better if the display was bigger, but that would require a bigger/heavier unit. Huge internal memory. The "find an address" function worked extremely well. It literally put me in the driveway of a target house from 600 miles away. Very durable - I have had it on my KTM for several hundred hard miles with no issues. Including mud, snow, rain, fog, dust, crashes, tree swipes, chest slams, etc etc etc. I didn't think anything could stand up to that, but it has! Of course, they will continue to get better and better over the next few years. It's not perfect, and just like all the units available today, there is still a lot of room to make the interfaces more user friendly and intuitive. This is one of the best available now, but the ones coming out in 2 years will inevitably make this look like a hard to use obsolete dinosaur. But I needed one now, so I got it. No regrets. If you decide to get one, check out GPSNOW.com That's where I bought mine, and their service was fantastic. As was the price! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrailChaser Posted July 8, 2005 Share Posted July 8, 2005 Nice write-up... I'm going to be in the market for one soon so this topic is great.. Please keep the reviews coming... I'll be looking on ebay for one unless someone has a better source. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainman Posted July 9, 2005 Author Share Posted July 9, 2005 mws: Good info, that is what I am looking for, thanks. ... I'll be looking on ebay for one unless someone has a better source. TrailChaser, in Canada, we can get very good prices at GPS Central. Their Canadian prices are about the same as the US MSRP. Here is a link to their web site. Some excellent info here on all makes. Another good source of info is here Hopefully we will get some more feedback. I like my Garmin eTrex Legend, it just does not have the right kind of antenna for the work I do (patch vs quad helix). Also, if you plan on uploading any of the extra maps, then a colour display would be best (I use the Garmin Canadian topographic maps and the line work in grey scale can be very confusing). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 I picked up the Garmin GPSMap60C for my husband this spring, and we love it... I dont believe we have had any problems with the unit... We also bought the AutoNav Kit with it so we can mount it in both trucks, plus it came with the power adaptor for the lighter, and a CD for maps... Got everything from Durham Radio. Unfortunately, it looks like youre a few weeks late, as they had a rebate for the 60C for $60 USD up until July 5th... :sniff: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainman Posted July 11, 2005 Author Share Posted July 11, 2005 Thanks Pezzy, Have you had any problems with accidental activation of the buttons (like by being inside a pocket)? This is my biggest concern regarding this unit vs the GPSMap 76 that has the button above the screen. Also a lot more accessories for the 60 than the 76 (like a suction mount and a case). I am leaning towards the 60 for sure right now. Yep, too bad about the rebate :sniff: I snooze, I lose! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted July 11, 2005 Share Posted July 11, 2005 So far we've only used it in the trucks, so I cant say re: accidental activation... The autonav kit also comes with a clip for your belt - similar to some of the phone ones... which might be better than carying in your pocket?? (although I am not really a fan of it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gacruiser Posted July 14, 2005 Share Posted July 14, 2005 Anyone have experience, good or bad, with any brand/model of handheld GPS units? I need to upgrade from a Garmin eTrex Legend to a unit with a better antenna. Am leaning towards the Garmin GPSMap 60C or GPSMap 76C (with colour screens to better view the Canadian topo maps I have for Garmins). Some issues others have brought up: Button placement: top vs bottom Colour display not readable in bright light Colour display using batteries up more quickly (according to Garmin and independent reviews these last two are not a problem) Reception ????? Thanks, Will Well, I don't have one of those new-fangled color GPS units, but I do have an older Garmin GPSMap 76S. It's been a fantastic unit and I really like the ability to plug in an external antenna. Even with the internal antenna, it outperforms our office Etrex units by a large margin. I can even receive 2-3 satellites while sitting in my living room, on the middle floor of my house! Because it's waterproof and floats, I use it all the time on my jetski. Last week on vacation, it worked great for navigating the Intercoastal Waterway and the tidal creeks around Beaufort, SC. We would have had a hard time navigating with maps alone....those tidal creeks all start looking the same after awhile. Of course, I had preloaded the topos for the area, which also shows the navigational markers, marinas, and boat ramps, as well as the coastal island/marsh detail. If I have a complaint, it's because of the slow data transfer to and from the unit. The GPS manufacturers have taken a long time in moving away from the old, slow, serial interface. To load 20 megs of maps in my unit can take 35-45 minutes! I note that the new 76C(S) has a USB interface, which would be worth the extra money to me. http://gpsinformation.us/gps60c/g76Creview.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMike Posted July 15, 2005 Share Posted July 15, 2005 soon there will be more options for GPS. the new type they are developing now is called TV-GPS, it used tv signals to triangulate your position. and as you know tv signals can pass though alot, plus the transmitters for tvs are like 1000 times as powerful as the GPS transmitters now. problem is that the transmitters cant keep the time like regular GPS can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainman Posted July 18, 2005 Author Share Posted July 18, 2005 Well, I bought a Garmin GPSmap 60C. Why? Great screen when used with the topo maps, quick re-draw, available accessories like a suction mount and a nice case. Works very well in the bush. This shows the unit in the Pathy as the driver sees it: This is a side view showing the suction mount: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted July 18, 2005 Share Posted July 18, 2005 Congrats - very nice!! We have ours mounted on the X with the permanant dash mount, and we use the beanbag in the pathy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainman Posted July 18, 2005 Author Share Posted July 18, 2005 Note the 5m accuracy inside the vehicle, on a tree lined forest road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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