The true outdoorsman turns to the Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx for hiking and biking the backcountry. One online reviewer called this Garmin model "the current Cadillac of outdoor GPS receivers." This portable hand-held device has a user-friendly interface, with all the information you could ever want or need right at the press of a button.
The Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx retails around $535.70, but can be found for as low as $191.50 at www.bestpriceaudiovideo.com or $339 at www.zappos.com. Compared to the $249 Garmin GPSMAP 60, this upgraded version comes with three important new features. First, the new SiRFSTARIII chip set has received wide acclaim for its ability to beam signals under canopies, around buildings, down into canyons and in typically hard-to-reach places. Secondly, this new Garmin model has traded in the dated internal memory system for a microSD card slot that can be upgraded instead, giving you unlimited storage capacity and the ability to use any new map software that comes out. Thirdly, the 60CSx comes with an electronic compass and barometric altimeter that the GPSMap 60CS doesn't even have.
There are many pros to the GPSMAP 60CSx. The microSD card with improved storage ensures that your device will be able to load more complex maps and perform valuable auto-routing tasks. If you're heading over to a European country, then you can simply buy that map set and plug right in easily. You can also download your track logs onto your PC through a USB connection, which can also charge the device. Secondly, the maps are displayed and redrawn much quicker than previous versions. For instance, a map drawn using the Garmin GPSMAP 60CS will be 2.4-2.8 times slower than with the 60CSx! This is important when you're changing zoom levels, as the details change, and also when you're scrolling or panning across your map. Older site navigation devices may occasionally show blank screens as you pan across the map, unable to draw in real-time, whereas the newer version can move perfectly. Lastly, the points of interest feature is much better on the 60CSx because you can load as many points as you like onto your SDcard, you can define categories using icons, you can add proximity warnings and you can write longer names, as well as descriptions.
There aren't many glitches or problems associated with the GPSMAP 60CSx, but as with any technical gadget, you may occasionally run into something. A few times, your GPS navigation system won't reach a fix within a few seconds, so you'll need to turn it off and back on again to reset. Additionally, even though you save the same amount of points in your track log, the newer model will use more memory for some reason. There was an early altimeter bug that has since been fixed with firmware version 2.7. Sometimes the "find by name" in the points of interest doesn't work either. Even so, Garmin has been working on improvements and the 60CSx is still one of the most highly rated GPS devices you can buy.
