Garmin 60Cx review

[ebbo]

The review is on Pocket GPS World here:- http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/garmin-60cx-review.php

Garmin 60Cx

The 60Cx could be an alternative to the Quest, look at these features.
256-color transflective TFT display
12 channel SiRFstar III™ high-sensitivity GPS receiver (WAAS-enabled)
Uses ‘plug in’ microSD memory cards
Can store 50 reversible routes with up to 250 points each
Has a 10,000 point tracklog
Runs for up to up to 18 hours on just two AA cells
Perhaps best of all, it will run direct from the bikes 12v power.
Vertical format means you don’t cover the display when your pressing buttons
And, dare I say it, looks less of a toy than the Quest does!

Note, the 60CSx version features electronic compass (works when you’re standing still) and a barometric altimeter

Mounting:
Touratech make a posh mount for it, or you can make your own with a piece of Poly waste pipe as my mate did for his 60cs

Worth a thought?

 

[Gecko]

I use a 60c and given the extra memory of the CX I'd rate this as a very good all round unit. It works great on the bike and as long as you don't want voice over routing instructions wired into your helmet the 60 range of Garmin GPS's is worth a look. Even the 60c and 60cs with their limited 56mb memories can hold a suprising large number of detailed maps. The CX's extra flash card just means you can have even more maps preloaded but you'll maybe only ever use 10% of them any....I did all through France ,Andorra and round the Pyrenees on my 60c and it was fine.

 

[ebbo]

Cheers Gecko, no voice, quite a lot of people like that. Personal I find it ‘drives’ me mad and turn it off. Still, the 60cx has a menu with about 10 different configurable beeps for different events, such as Turn warning (early) Turn warning (final), message, power & key but you can’t feed this to an Autocom or headphones.

 

[samwise]

Only downside (apart possibly from voice) is that you have to buy the map data seperately (City Navigator) - with the automotive kit (no memory card), it would come to just over £500 from GPS Warehouse

 

[araspitfire]

I'm a 60C user, and I love it that I don't get nagged... Just a beep 30 seconds before the upcoming turn, and another at the turn.

Problem is that it's only from a little speaker on the back, no way to send sound out of the thing to an intercom... And I do need the beep to keep from missing turns while enjoying the drive...

So what I'm doing is this.. I'm building a little microprocessor based computer to monitor the NMEA text string that most GPS's put out the serial port, and I intend to make some flashy lights and a beep to match the 60C's beep, that I can pipe into my intercom. Added bonus is I get to display the temperature, and whatever stuff from the NMEA string that I want.. (I plan to display the name of the next street when I'm following a route.

I've got the project to the point where everything works separately right now in prototype form... I just need to take the time to integrate it all and build a box/hook it up.

I'm not tempted at all to buy a more automotive GPS either... I like it that I can use the 60C for cycling, hiking, walking around the city....

Al...

 

[shedracer]

Having been a previous owner of a 60cs, I have to agree with the comments posted here, its a great gps which for me was only lacking on two counts, lack of memory space which has been sorted with the x series and voice/alarm prompts that can be heard whilst riding. I would have replcaed the 60cs with the new 60csx if a head phone jack plug had been included in the upgrade, but sadly garmin ommited this.

I went with the 276c which covers all areas I wanted and works out at about £100 more with memory card/auto kit. Of course the new 60csx does have the new sirf chip set for much better sat signal recption which I understand is fantastic which is kind of important if your walking along a cliffedge on a mountain in fog

I would highly recommend the 60 x series if you not bothered with audio prompts.

 

[ebbo]

I'm a 60C user, and I love it that I don't get nagged... Just a beep 30 seconds before the upcoming turn, and another at the turn.

Problem is that it's only from a little speaker on the back, no way to send sound out of the thing to an intercom... And I do need the beep to keep from missing turns while enjoying the drive...

So what I'm doing is this.. I'm building a little microprocessor based computer to monitor the NMEA text string that most GPS's put out the serial port, and I intend to make some flashy lights and a beep to match the 60C's beep, that I can pipe into my intercom. Added bonus is I get to display the temperature, and whatever stuff from the NMEA string that I want.. (I plan to display the name of the next street when I'm following a route.

I've got the project to the point where everything works separately right now in prototype form... I just need to take the time to integrate it all and build a box/hook it up.

I'm not tempted at all to buy a more automotive GPS either... I like it that I can use the 60C for cycling, hiking, walking around the city....

Al...

Well done araspitfire I thought all there was in the NMEA string was positional information, I’d be very interested in progress of this one, I’m sure others would too.

I did wonder if the GPS audio out could be used to light a bright LED somehow, that would do for me.

 

[araspitfire]

I plan to post a "how to" for those who are electronically inclined..

Lots of info in the NMEA (both normal and "Garmin")... The name of the next street is available in full text (can be dozens of characters long)... distance to the turn, heading to the turn, speed made good... enough information to do a creditable job of getting a beep off in time to see the turn page pop up... and maybe enough to flash direction lights at the second warning...

Here's a picture I took of my prototype rig:

Al...

 

[ebbo]

I plan to post a "how to" for those who are electronically inclined...

yes please