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Garmin GPS 60CSx Review
What can I say about this thing? The Garmin GPS 60CSx completely surprised me from the first day I got it. The menu was very simple and intuitive allowing me to be able to begin using it immediately. Now keep in mind I am not technically challenged in the least but I feel that I could hand this unit to anyone and they would be able to use it in 5 minutes or less. This is a fully featured unit that is really packed with many features and options. The 1.5" x 2.2" color display is very bright and detailed boasting 160 x 240 pixels which made it easy to read under most light conditions. I did have some issues over the past weekend ride with dust on the screen but this was of no fault of Garmins’.
Battery life on the 60Csx is claimed to be 18 hours on a set of AA alkaline batteries, which I found to un-believably hold true. I had hard wired it into the battery of my quad so I would not need to woory about carrying extra batteries. This is a very nice feature since the unit will work with 12 volts from a standard 4 wheeler or car battery.
Using most GPS units mounted on the handlebars are usually a problem when trying to zoom in and out of maps while in motion. I did not experience any issues with this one what so ever. Base map transitions in and out with the simple touch of two buttons.
At first I was not sure that the internal compass was a necessary option. This proved to be incorrect as It makes it much easier when trying to navigate while also using a standard paper type conventional map. For what it's worth I recomend always carrying a redundant set of navigational tools just in case the electronics would happen to fail.
Satellite acquisition was another surprising aspect that sets this unit aside from the competition. The 60Csx’s built in quad helix antenna was able to track satellites within 2 minutes after it powered on. Not once during our testing did we encounter any problems with reception even down in the bottom of a valley with heavy overhead cover.
Here are some specs from the Garmin website.
In conclusion, the Garmin 60CSx is the best GPS receiver I have used to date. It was so easy to use and packed with so many features that can be used off road as well as on road. We couldn’t find a single flaw with it, and have used it quite extensively now and don’t believe there is one single thing that the 60CSx could be improved upon. If you want a GPS that is easy to use then this is the one you need to take a close look at.
I feel confident to give the Garmin 60CSx GPS the “TORTURED” stamp of approval.
For more information on the Garmin 60CSx visit www.garmin.com.
What can I say about this thing? The Garmin GPS 60CSx completely surprised me from the first day I got it. The menu was very simple and intuitive allowing me to be able to begin using it immediately. Now keep in mind I am not technically challenged in the least but I feel that I could hand this unit to anyone and they would be able to use it in 5 minutes or less. This is a fully featured unit that is really packed with many features and options. The 1.5" x 2.2" color display is very bright and detailed boasting 160 x 240 pixels which made it easy to read under most light conditions. I did have some issues over the past weekend ride with dust on the screen but this was of no fault of Garmins’.
Battery life on the 60Csx is claimed to be 18 hours on a set of AA alkaline batteries, which I found to un-believably hold true. I had hard wired it into the battery of my quad so I would not need to woory about carrying extra batteries. This is a very nice feature since the unit will work with 12 volts from a standard 4 wheeler or car battery.
Using most GPS units mounted on the handlebars are usually a problem when trying to zoom in and out of maps while in motion. I did not experience any issues with this one what so ever. Base map transitions in and out with the simple touch of two buttons.
At first I was not sure that the internal compass was a necessary option. This proved to be incorrect as It makes it much easier when trying to navigate while also using a standard paper type conventional map. For what it's worth I recomend always carrying a redundant set of navigational tools just in case the electronics would happen to fail.
Here are some specs from the Garmin website.
- New high-sensitivity WAAS-capable GPS receiver by SiRF
- Built-in quad-helix receiving antenna with remote antenna capability
- Unit dimensions: 2.4" W x 6.1" H x 1.3" D
- Display: 1.5" W x 2.2" H, 2.6"-diagonal, 256-color, transflective TFT (160 x 240 pixels)
- Weight: 7.5 ounces with batteries (not included)
- Sensors:
- Electronic compass displays accurate heading while standing still
- Barometric altimeter with automatic pressure trend recording
- microSD card slot allows for storage of optional MapSource detail (64 MB microSD included)
- LED backlit display and keypad
- Battery life: 18 hours (typical use) using two AA alkaline batteries
- Includes a built-in Americas autoroute basemap with automatic routing capabilities, including highways, exits, and tide data (USA only)
- Internal memory is preloaded with a marine point database
- 1,000 user waypoints with name and graphic symbol; 50 reversible routes
- Position formats include Lat/Lon, UTM, Loran TDs, Maidenhead, MGRS, user grid, and more
- Audible alarms for anchor drag, arrival, off-course, proximity waypoint, and clock
- Large-numbers option for easy viewing; dual-position display mode
- Trip computer provides odometer, stopped time, moving average, overall average, total time, max speed, and more
- 10,000-point automatic track log; 20 saved tracks (500 points each) let you retrace your path in both directions
- Elevation computer provides current elevation, ascent/descent rate, minimum/ maximum elevation, total ascent and descent, average and maximum ascent and descent rate
- Navigation instructions can be shared with repeaters, plotters, and autopilots using NMEA protocols through the dedicated serial port.
- Built-in celestial tables for sun and moon calculations and the best times to fish and hunt
- Compatible with most MapSource products including BlueChart, City Navigator, U.S. TOPO 24K, U.S. TOPO, and Recreational Lakes with Fishing Hot Spots
- Water resistant: IEC 60529 IPX7 standards
I feel confident to give the Garmin 60CSx GPS the “TORTURED” stamp of approval.
For more information on the Garmin 60CSx visit www.garmin.com.
- Customer Service / Technical Service: 10
- Price competitiveness: 8
- Packaging: 10
- Ease of installation: 9
- Fit: 10
- Finish: 10
- Performance: 10
- Test Mileage: 421
