Garmin Gpsmap 60csx Software For Mac

The Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx can hold 50 routes, each containing up to 250 turns or stops. ExpertGPS lets you build up long routes quickly - just click waypoints one-by-one on the map to connect them into a route for your Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx. Route names on the Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx can contain up to 14 characters. The reliability of unit software updates on the Nuvi 800 series has been improved. Fixed problem which occurs when using Safari on Chinese computers when sending data to eTrex, GPS Map60Csx and similar GPS receivers. Changes made from version 2.5.1.0 to 2.5.2.0: Enable unit software update from Garmin's support and map unlock pages.

You can download this Garmin 60CSX GPS Best Tricks guide as a free ebook! Choose your format:
MOBI (Kindle, Mobipocket)
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This is a guide to save you time on the 60CSX.
Before we get to the good stuff, I'd like to point out that in a perfect world you would not be reading this. You would turn on your 60CSX and you'd be able to do all the things you expect to do with a well-designed GPS, such as transfer multiple maps through an intuitive interface.
Ahhh... But you're here, so you already know a thing or two about Garmin. Yes, it's an amazing company. On the one hand it makes products that many people love to use for the features that do work. On the other hand, it makes design choices that waste hours and hours of many people's time, adding up to a cost that might range somewhere in the hundreds of millions. If you've used Mapsource, you know what I'm talking about.
And on the hardware side, Garmin is the most stingy consumer electronics company I know. It chronically skimps on essential features and components. For instance, it leaves obsolete products on the market for years and years and years. As I write, you can still buy the basic yellow Etrex. I remember when I upgraded from that unit to the blue Etrex Legend, back in 2005. At the time you could buy a 256MB USB key for twenty dollars. How much memory did Garmin ship with the Legend? Eight megabytes! And could you transfer maps via USB, the standard already for many years? No, you had to use a Serial port at one tenth of the speed... if you had the good luck to have a computer still equipped with such an antique port. One word for Garmin: Scrooges.
I love the 60CSX. But I don't love how long it takes to zoom in and out of a map. Would it break Garmin's bottom line to use a chip that can honorably provide this basic function? It would probably bump up the unit cost by something like 94 cents. And why can't we upload maps that have no tile limit, instead of the skimpy 2025 Garmin lets us have? Hello Garmin, it's not 1978, we can do these things nowadays. And why doesn't the unit let us switch to a different mapset without having us connect to a computer and rename the files on the card? Somewhere at Garmin, an engineer probably wrote that basic firmware upgrade for himself long ago. But you know the rant. It's here less for you than in the hope that someday Garmin will start respecting their customers.
It took me many days and nights to understand certain aspects of the 60CSX. Hoping to spare other people that ordeal, in the ebook I share what I gradually learned. Certain aspects will apply to other Garmin units besides the 60CSX.

A Word of Gratitude to the GPS Community

A collection like this is never the work of a single person. What makes it possible is thousands of people who visit the internet and share their experience on newsgroups and websites such as forums and blogs.
The places where I have learned bits of information that made it into this ebook are too many to mention, but many are linked in context in later sections. Nevertheless, two sources stand out for the dedication of their members and for their concentration of 'GPS intelligence': the Groundspeak forum and the 60CSX Yahoo Group.
Deep gratitude to everyone who contributes to making the internet such a treasure trove of useful information… My own website, A Site About Nothing, proceeds largely from my desire to give back to the internet, from which I take so much, by contributing information on subjects as diverse as the Kindle, the most useful knots, movies that make you laugh and the Southern accent, to name just a few.
Garmin gpsmap 60csx software for mac computer

A Word of Caution

Some of the procedures in this guide may possibly break the licenses granted to you by Garmin and other parties for software, maps and electronic devices. I don't know. If you follow some of the information presented here, you do so at your own risk.

How to Unselect Multiple Map Tiles in Mapsource

So you thought you were in the zoom tool and you've dragged your mouse across your map. But you were in the Tile selection tool, and now your whole map is pink. You try to deselect, but all you can do is click the tiles one by one, all 976 of them! Arrgh, isn't there a faster way?

Garmin Gpsmap 60csx Software For Mac Download


There is! Press 'Ctrl' while you drag across the maps you want to deselect.

16GB MicroSD card on the 60CSX

Yes, since recent upgrades, you can now have large cards in your unit. I have a Sandisk 16GB MicroSDHC in my 60CSX. I am using firmware version 4.0 (see below for a discussion of version 4.20). I have read that large cards have been working since firmware version 3.20. What changed as of 3.90 is that your map can now be as large as 4GB. However, Garmin still limits you to 2025 map tiles, so you're unlikely to have a map that large. Before attempting a transfer in Mapsource, do yourself a favor and count the number of tiles: look at the bottom left of the screen (the list of selected tiles). It will say something like '944 Map(s) - 670 MB'.
Although the card says 16GB, the true capacity is 14.8 GB. That will hold a lot of maps but I am not sure this is the best strategy, because the 60CSX interface does not let you switch directly between map files (see 'Multiple Maps' below). As long as you have access to a computer, this is not a problem. However, I am starting to think that the most elegant solution might be to carry a collection of smaller cards (256MB to 4GB), each with a single map file (the 'gmapsupp.img' file).
A word of caution about fast cards (class 4 and above): Garmin warns against the Sandisk 'Ultra' series. I've read a report that the 60CSX fries these cards. However, I've also read reports from users who use Kingston's class 4 cards without issues. Perhaps Garmin's warning no longer applies since recent card-related firmware upgrades? Would the Sandisk Extreme (class 6) get toasted? I don't know, but class 2 is fast enough for me, and it's way cheaper. As I understand, the speed benefits of class 4 and above would be felt while transfering files to the unit, not in the unit itself, where the limit is Garmin's chip, which can slow down to a crunch when zooming in and out of large maps.

Using Multiple Maps on the Garmin 60CSX

Say you have a map of Australia and a map of New Zealand. Can you upload the files separately to the 60CSX and give them different names, as on some Garmin units, such as gmapsupp.img, gmapsup2.img, etc? The answer is no. Am I sure? Yes. So does that mean no? Yes, it's a 'no'. Forget it. Sorry everyone, the 60CSX can only use one 'img' file at a time. Thank you Garmin. You'd imagine that this would be a simple thing to fix in firmware upgrades. My feeling: it is, they just don't want to do it.
But there is good news. Before we get into this, let us state for the record that the one and only active map file that the 60CSX will use is called gmapsupp.img. It is located in the Garmin folder, in the root of the SD card. Forget about other kinds of files, like 'unl' files, they are for other models.
Now the good news. It is that you can store multiple mapsets on the card.
1. Upload a mapset to the card via Mapsource.
2. As soon as the mapset is transfered, rename the file on the card (Garmingmapsupp.img) to something descriptive, such as 'NewZealand.img'.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for all the maps you want to load on the card. With a large card, you should be able to store all your maps.
4. Rename the map you actually want to use to 'gmapsupp.img'.
5. Whenever you need to switch maps, you just need to rename files. First, rename the current gmapsupp.img that you will no longer be using to something descriptive. Next, rename the file you want to use to gmapsupp.img.
How to rename a file? There is no direct way to do so on the GPS unit. Some people remove the SD card, pop it into their cell phone, and rename it from the cell phone interface. A second method is to take out the SD card and plug it straight into your computer. My favorite way to rename the file is to hook-up the GPS to the computer and switch it to USB mode. How? Press Menu twice, then select 'Setup', then select 'Interface', then choose 'USB Mass Storage' at the bottom of the screen.
The benefit of storing mapsets on the card is that you don't need to use Mapsource again to generate those mapsets. As you know, it can take hours to generate and transfer a large mapset. So once you have a good mapset, rename the file and store it. If your card is too small, you can back it up to your hard drive or to a DVD, and transfer it again when you need it. The fastest way to transfer files is to take the SD card out and pop it into your laptop's card reader. But if you're not in a rush and prefer not to mess with the card all the time, switch the GPS to USB mode (see instructions above); it should only take about twice as long.
The first time you transfer a mapset to the device, do yourself a favor and use Mapsource only. You can try to generate the img files using other software, but more than likely you will waste a lot of time trying to do so. The Mapsource-generated gmapsupp.img file will work. And the great news is that you can take several of these Mapsource-generated files and glue them together into a single large gmapsupp.img file. How? Read on.

How to Combine Multiple Maps

Here is the typical problem as it happened to me. I own Australia City Navigator and New Zealand City Navigator. I wanted to have both at the same time on my unit. After all, aren't Oz and NZ almost the same country? :) All I needed to do was to select both maps in Mapsource and transfer them to the unit as a single mapset, right? Wrong. That didn't work for me. The maps uploaded to the unit, but I couldn't zoom into the maps.
And yet there is a way to do it. It is a brilliant little piece of software called GMapTool, which you can download from the author's Polish site here. Here are the instructions:
1. In Mapsource, upload your first mapset (eg, Australia) to the 60CSX. Copy the gmapsupp.img file to your PC, rename it (eg, australia.img).
2. In Mapsource, upload your second mapset (eg, New Zealand) to the 60CSX. Copy the gmapsupp.img file to your PC, rename it (eg, newzealand.img).
3. Run GMapTool.exe. Click 'Add Files'. That may take you a while to navigate to your directory. (Your best bet might be to put the img files in a folder right below C:, where it will be easy to find. Or, if you are good at navigating the tree structure of your computer, click 'Favorites' then 'Add to Favorites' when you get to your folder. Later, you will be able to navigate to that folder in one click by clicking 'Favorites' again.)
Add the two maps (or more) that you want to join. However, make sure that together they do not contain more than 2025 tiles! (You can check that in Mapsource by selecting the tiles on the original maps.)
4. Click 'Join'. Under 'Output File', type in a file name, eg newmap.img. Under 'Mapset Name', you can type a descriptive name. Leave everyting else blank. Click 'Join all'.
5. Upload the new img file to your unit. Rename it gmapsupp.img. It should work!
Note that you can use GMapTool for the reverse operation: splitting a gmapsupp.img file into several IMG file, one for each map included in the Mapset.
You can also play around with GMapTool to try to join the tiny img files in some of your folders in C:Garmin folder. It may or may not work. For me, I find that GMapTool works perfectly to glue gmapsupp.img files that were first generated and transfered to my GPS by Mapsource. I've also read that if you ever buy a card preloaded with a map (I'm unsure what the benefits of that would be), you can use GMapTool to load the gmapsupp.img file into Mapsource.

Overlapping Maps

You can use the technique above in GMapTool to create one big gmapsupp.img file with two map files of the same area. Or, if you don't yet have the two maps' image files, you can use Mapsource to create a mapset of the two overlapping maps. When is this useful? I use this for an area where I want to go hiking and have both a topo map for the hike and a routable map for the drive (turn-by-turn directions) such as City Navigator. I also use this when I want to compare two maps, such as Mapsource New Zealand and the free map of the same area, which may well be superior. To switch between maps on the 60CSX, go to the Map page. Press Menu, then Setup Map, then press the Right rocker button until you get to the icon with an 'i' in a circle at the top of the screen. On that screen, you can select or unselect maps tile-by-tile, which may not be so useful on a 1000-tile map. Press Menu again, and you will be able to hide or show entire maps from within the mapset (not from other img files on the card, of course, but from from the big gmapsupp.img file you created).

How to Install Mapsets on Multiple Units

This situation arises in hiking clubs (in Australia they're called bushwalking clubs). Typically, one member is very knowledgable about GPS'es. Other members buy the same maps and the same unit. They have a hard time installing maps on their units, so they ask the club's GPS wizard. This poor bloke or gal has to sit for hours while Mapsource generates the very same maps that he or she already has! Isn't there a faster way? There is! This assumes that the members are using the exact same version of the map, and that Garmin has already given them the code that unlocks the map for their particular unit.
Now what to do? Simple. The club's GPS wizard can take his or her img files and substitute the unlock code with the unlock codes of the members who just bought the map. How? Again, GMapTool.
Open GMapTool. Open the working img file. Click Join. Click 'Remove unlock code'. Click 'Add new unlock code' and type in the member's 25-letter code. In 'Output File', give a name for the new map, eg map2.img. Click 'Join all'. Take the new map and transfer it to the member's 60CSX, renaming the file to gmapsupp.img if it will be used immediately. Remember that the file must be placed in the 'Garmin' folder on the member's SD card.
I read on discussion forums that you can download a 'Garmin Unlock Utility' to unlock maps on any unit, but I am a tad too conservative and virus-wary to set foot in that world. Besides, I already have all the maps I need, many of them high-quality open-source maps, and I didn't mind paying for the few I bought. What is money for?

Strange Error Message: Not Enough Space

With a custom map that I downloaded (Desert Tracks), MapSource gave me a strange error message. Apparently, there wasn't enough space on my 8GB card for a tiny 3MB map! If you use Mapsource, you will see this message regularly:
'This mapset is approximately xx MB, but only yy MB is available in the destination. Please select fewer maps and try again.'
Typically, xx is very small and yy is very large. After you get the hang of it, you start to appreciate the humor of Garmin software engineers. So I gave up trying to transfer to the unit. Instead, I asked MapSource to transfer the mapset to a USB key, then I took the img file from the key and copied it to the GPS. It worked fine. I also tried to ask Mapsource to transfer the mapset to an SD card plugged into the laptop. It worked too. But as the next topic explains, I would not do this with commercial maps.
Garmin Gpsmap 60csx Software For Mac

Transferring Commercial Maps Straight to the SD Card

With the exception of free maps (see previous topic), I advise against asking MapSource to transfer maps to USB keys or to SD cards that are plugged into the laptop. Instead, I advise transferring straight to the 60CSX recognized as such by Mapsource ('60CSX'), i.e., not in 'USB Mass Storage' mode. Why? For some maps, transferring straight to the SD card has not worked for me. The map transferred, but once I placed the card in the device, the map did not work. This may be because for some maps, MapSource will not embed the map's unlock code unless it is transferring to the 60CSX. All Mapsource maps have their quirks, so it may well work for your map. Nevertheless, for me, the potential time saved does not justify the potential time lost. More than half the time of transferring maps from Mapsource has to do with building the mapset: You will have to spend that time regardless of how you move the maps. I also prefer not to unscrew the back of the unit all the time.

Fix Mapsource Installation and Registry Problem

If you install new maps in Mapsource, sooner or later you will have a message like this:
'There is a problem with the MapSource registry. Please re-install Mapsource and start again.'
You will uninstall, re-install and it will not work. This happened to me with a 2009 map. After hours trying to fix this (twice!), I am pleased to share the exact sequence that works for me:
1. Do a 'System Restore' to the restore point before you installed the map that caused the conflict. (Run rstrui.exe under Start / Run, and read up on 'System Restore' first so you don't wreck your system.)
2. You will then need to edit the registry, which can also wreck your system, so if you are not familar with this topic please research how to do this safely. Remove these three Garmin keys and their subkeys:
HKLM/Software/Garmin
HKLM/Software/Wow6432Node/Garmin
HKCU/Software/Garmin.

3. Reinstall and see if the problem is fixed. If not, there may be some keys leftover. They may perhaps be located with a little tool called Mapsource Fix. Run Mapsource Fix. Click 'Check'. Click 'Show Results'. Click 'More Details'. The keys are there. Hopefully, when you reinstall Mapsource this time, it will work.
4. Wish yourself good luck!

Point N' Sight is greyed out

60csx If this happens to you, you probably need to calibrate the compass. Lucky you, you'll be dancing in circles. Press Menu on the compass page, select the option and follow instructions.

Navigation: driving directions are too slow!

At some stage, and for a few weeks, my unit's navigation's instructions slowed down to a crawl. I had made a huge mapset that contained many maps. It took me a while to find the solution. When I hid all the irrelevant maps (such as the maps of New Zealand and Venezuela, since I was then in Europe), navigation resumed at a brisk pace. Note that the huge mapset is not the problem (I am still using it); rather, how many maps in that mapset are active. See Overlapping Maps above for how to hide certain maps in a mapset.

Navigation: the unit tells me to drive on a trail!

When this happened to me, I thought the problem was that navigation was set up for Pedestrians, not Cars & Motorcycles (under Main Menu / Setup / Routing / Follow Road Options / Calculate Routes For). This was not the case. It took me a while to understand that I had two maps enabled in my mapset: City Navigator and Topo. When I hid the topo map, everything returned to normal. See Overlapping Maps above for how to hide certain maps in a mapset.

Which map datum?

When you use the 60CSX with a topo map, you need the GPS data to stick to the map; that means telling the unit what datum to use. I am looking for a site that lists what datum to use for the standard maps of various countries (please email if you know of a good one). In the meantime, I'll list the few I know.
Australia: depending on the map, you'll need AGD66, AGD84, GDA94 and WGS84.
USA: NAD83 or NAD 27 CONUS for USGS 7.5 topo maps.
France: WGS84 for recent IGN maps. In these three cases, display the position as UTM/UPS coordinates.
New Zealand: recent topo maps use the NZTM 2000 projection. On the 60CSX (Menu Menu Setup Units), select 'New Zealand TM' for Position Format and 'WGS 84' for map datum.
Indonesia: a reader writes: Two common topo map standards are used in Indonesia. The first is the one by US AMS (Army Map Service), the map datum is 'Djakarta' and the position format is 'US National Grid'. The second is the one by Bakosurtanal, the map datum is WGS84 and position format is hddd*mm'ss'.
If you ever need to convert between degrees and UTM, try this tool (there is a link to a java version for models other than WSG84).

Summary of Waypoint Functions

Pressing Mark creates a waypoint at your current location. Pressing Enter (from the Maps page) creates a waypoint at the position of the cursor. If you have the coordinates of a new waypoint you'd like to create, press Mark and edit the coordinates. Pressing and holding Find creates a 'Man Over Board' navigation to the position that you just left (if you are moving) as you were pressing Find. (Some people use this feature to measure distance.)

How to Calculate an Area with the 60CSX

Depending on how large an area you want to measure, there are two ways to do this.
On the field, for a small area, turn the Tracks log on (Menu / Menu / Tracks / On). Walk a loop, return to the tracks menu, save the track. By selecting a saved track, you can inspect its area anytime. It shows you the area in acres, hectares, square meters, square feet, square yards or square kilometers.
If you want to measure an area that you are not planning to walk, you need Mapsource. If you have created waypoints on the field, you can use them, otherwise you can create some directly in Mapsource—they help but are not absolutely necessary. In Mapsource, use the track draw tool (its icon has a pencil) to create a track. Click on each waypoint or map point you want to include. When you have made a loop, select any other tool to get out of Track Draw mode. Now click the tracks tab. Pulling the bottom slider to scroll all the way to the right, you will see a column called 'Area' with the number you are looking for. With Edit / Preferences / Units, you can choose to display that number in Acres or another unit if that suits you. I find that the area in that column does not have as many places after the decimal point as on the unit. So if I want a more precise area, I export the track to the GPS, then check the area in Menu/Menu/Tracks, as explained above.

New 60CSX: What tweaks?

You just bought your GPS. What are some nice configuration settings?
Apart from setting up the map datum, killing the 'beeps' and setting the unit's north to Magnetic, I've made a few tweaks that improve my experience with the unit.
Truly Uncluttering the Display. On some City Navigator maps, the GPS shows you so many pizza parlors and fire hydrants that you can't see the streets. The 60CSX has a 'declutter' option (under Menu on the maps page), but it also removes the names of streets. Can you have the street names without all the clutter? Absolutely. On the Maps page, click Menu. Select 'Setup map'. Press the left arrow on the rocker until the icon that looks like a flag is selected (this page is called 'Max Zoom'). Navigate down to the first option ('Map Points'). Set it to something like 50 meters, leaving everything else on 'Auto'. See if that works for you.
Removing pages to improve the interface. Doesn't it take forever cycling through all the unit's pages before you can get back to the map? Under Menu / Setup, you can remove Pages. I removed the Menu page because I access it by hitting the Menu button twice from any page. I removed the trip computer because I never use it, and the Altmeter because the Compass page shows me the altitude anyway. This leaves me with the Satellites page (for reception), the Compass and the Map. To remove pages, hit 'Menu' twice, select 'Setup', select 'Page Sequence'. Highlight a page you want to remove, press 'Entr', chose 'Remove'. You can also change the sequence and add pages you have removed.

I've Lost My 60CSX Manual

If you've lost your manual, no problem: Click to download the official 60CSX manual as a PDF file.

Getting Rid of Glare

If you're ever hiking at high noon on a sunny day, or driving through a desert at lunchtime, you know the meaning of 'glare': it is nearly impossible to read the 60CSX display. On the trail, I usually try to create some shade over the unit and squint at the screen. But if you're riding a motorbike or just cruising down the highway on four wheels, the 'bend over and squint' approach won't do. I received a letter from the creator of a 'Glare Wizard' that fits the 60CSX. If you love your GPS, for ten bucks, it sounds like a deal. Greg is a pilot. He had to have something that worked for his Garmin 396, and he adapted it for the 60CSX. I'm on my way back to Australia, and ordering one before heading out to the Outback. :)

What Firmware version Are you Running?

Hit Menu/Menu, choose Setup, choose System, hit Menu again, choose 'Software Version'. The firmware version is the 'Software Version' at the top.
60CSX Firmware Version 4.20
In October 2010, someone contacted me with a question about firmware version 4.20. Apparently, his unit had shipped with that version installed. It was mysterious, because the latest firmware on the Garmin website was still version 4.0!
The man said that he had written to Garmin to enquire and that they had sent this reply:
Thank you for contacting Garmin International. It is my pleasure to assist you. Some GPSMap 60CSx devices are not compatible with version 4.20, some, like yours, are. The software page on the website is unfortunately not always updated in a timely manner. The differences between the versions are very subtle, and will in no way affect the operation of the device.

60CSX vs 62s

Now that Garmin has come out with the 62s, this question is bound to be on many minds… I am still madly in love with my 60CSX, but I am curious to hear the reports of people who switch over.
Here is what I have read so far. Since I don't own a 62s, I can't vouch for the accuracy of the information.
—I read somewhere that the 62s doesn't feel quite as rugged as the 60CSX. Curious to hear more about that.
—Apparently, accuracy is the same, but the 62s is faster at getting a satellite fix.
—Also from hearsay, the screen is better and should renders maps faster.
I'll update this section when I hear more. In the meantime, I found this comparison useful.

Making Your Own Maps

I have never made a custom map. Whaow! The mere idea gives me vertigo. A huge 'Thank You' to all the people who undertake the project of making free maps for the rest of us. You are heroes.
These tutorials look helpful:
—How to create Garmin topo maps (from GPSfileDepot).
—How to make your own maps (scroll down to the middle of the page for the tutorial).
If you know other good tutorials, please write a comment at the bottom of Best 60CSX Tricks web page.

Scanning a Map and Uploading to 60CSX

I haven't tried this yet. This article looks promising.

Geocaching

For geocaching, you will need to register on geocaching.com to download cache locations ('loc' or 'gpx' files), then you will need a free software such as GSAK (the 'Geocaching Swiss Army Knife') if you want to upload many geocaches to your GPS. The learning curve on GSAK is a bit steep. You can also upload caches one by one straight from the geocaching website.

How to Navigate with Map, Compass and GPS

I've made a separate map & compass tutorial page for this as it's a little beyond the scope of 'just' the 60CSX. Among others, there's a great tip there about how to use your GPS to find out exactly what you're looking at.

Links

In the follwing sections, I add GPS resources I like as I become aware of them.

Best Free GPS Maps

Routable map of New Zealand. Judging from the coverage of Takaka, way better than Mapsource City Navigator v3. In Mapsource, you will be able to combine this free map with Australia City Navigator (a commercial map) to make one big mapset of the region.
Free Topo Map of New Zealand: LINZ Topo (jump to the end of the thread to find the latest version). However, if you are hiking, I recommend spending the money for Gary Turner's GT Maps (150 NZD), as they show features you will want (such as huts hiking tracks) and are extremely clear (I find the free map hard on the eye).
Free map of Argentina. High quality. You will need to register on the map maker's site. Follow the directions in English.
Gustavo from Brazil sent me the link to an open-source map of Brazil, an open-source project he contributes to. I haven't looked at the maps but the download weighs over 150MB, which tells me that they have a dedicated team working on something solid.
Map lists. I like this site because the information is well organized. Lambertus is pretty amazing. It uses OpenStreetMap data to build custom maps based on tiles that you select and emails you a download link. Other maps based on OpenStreetMaps are here. For the US, I like GPS file Depot and its free 24K topo maps. The MapCenter map directory on CGSmapper is well-known but I find it harder to navigate. Not free, but probably good quality, a list of third-party map makers for Mapsource on the Garmin site.
Sites that list map sites. Free Geography Tools has links to a few maps as well as links to other map sites. GPS TrackLog has another list of maps sites, so between all these you should have the free map universe covered.

Various Tips from Other Sources

When you download a free IMG file, how do you view it in Mapsource? This tutorial explains how to do it using MapsetToolkit and CGPSmapper.
How to install a copy of Mapsource when you need it and you're traveling away from your computer? According to this article, you can download the free update from Garmin and do a full install if you click the msi file instead of setup.exe.
When you go home and want to check out the names of what you saw in the field, you can enter coordidantes into Hey What's That to see a panorama. There's also a great tip on using the GPS to identify landscape features on my navigation page.
One reader who likes Garmin's MapInstall also recommends GPS Visualizer to convert gpx files from the 60CSX into a format that can be uploaded to Google Earth.

Best GPS Forums

Groundspeak. Fabulous GPS forum with a focus on geocaching. You'll need to register on geocaching.com and wait a day before you can post to Groundspeak. How to change your signature in the Groundspeak forum? Ahh... You'll have to jump through a few hoops, or just use these two links. First, edit your signature on Geocaching.com. Second, click this link to 'Register' your changes to the Groundspeak forum.
Yahoo Group for 60CSX. Three thousand members on this group just for the 60CSX! You'll need a Yahoo account. The group for the 76C units is also excellent for 60CSX owners as several tech wizards participate and the 76C and 60C units share many features. This group also has a brilliant list of links and resources.
GpsFileDepot has a map-making focused forum. MalSingMaps has a focus on Singapore and Malaysia focus, with some very well organized information.
GPS Discussion and GPS Information. Other fine forums.

Best GPS Tools

Apart from the tools mentioned above, this section will link to sites that link tools that seem useful.
Tools on GPSFileDepot. Focus on map-making.

Top GPS Reviews

60CSX reviews. A review, and links to other reviews. This site made me pick the 60CSX.
If you're not sure whether to get a 60Csx or a Colorado, this is a good page to read.

Please Keep in Touch

Well, that's about it for now. My 60CSX Tricks page is a living page, so I will keep adding material on the website (and its ebook version) as I discover new tricks.
If you have enjoyed the ebook, I would be immensely grateful if you would visit its home, my Guide to the Best Garmin 60CSX GPS Tricks, and share it on Facebook, link to it from your blog or bookmark it with Delicious.
Wishing you a fun day and happy trails,
Smiles,
Andy
Would you like to be able to read this again at a comfortable pace? I offer this guide for free as a beautiful ebook. See the download links in the blue box at the top of the page.


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Subject: Thanks for your efforts!

Just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to put this together for the community! I know it's a lot of work and sometimes actions like this do not go recognized. So I just wanted to say thanks and keep up the good work! -Ken G. Houston, Texas
Subject: Free Topo Maps of Canada

North American Garmin users have free access to the best set of Topo maps from Ibycus. Just search for Ibycus topo.
Subject:

I just wanted to say thanks for putting the information up. I've had a GPS on my bicycle for years and upgraded to a 60CSx since they first came out. I stumbled across your site when looking up the maximum size of memory card. I now have 16GB card in mine and will rename the files when I need to switch between maps. After a bit of research however, I now see what I've been missing in an update and now have a 64s on pre-order for my next adventure.
Subject: 60 csx

Hi, Andy, thanks a lot for the enlightenment and for the ebook. Keep going, stay safe, Pablo G
Subject: Mapsource & Google Earth

In answer to John - Rotorua the answer is yes you can do that easily. We just finished tracking every foot of a 2400 mile hike and I have joined all these together in various ways. To convert to kml (uncompressed) or kmz (compressed) Google files you can use Route Converter which is a free program you can get from here: www. Routeconverter. Com. It will convert almost anything to anything. Good luck! Yeti (my trail name)
Subject: Garmin 60CSx

Subject: Multiple Map sets

First off, what an incredible resource. I've learned so much, THANK YOU. I now understand how to manage overlapping sets ie Topos & City Navigator. My question is, … [Edit: as stated above, I no longer have time for support questions. ]

Garmin Gpsmap 60csx Software For Mac Computer

Subject: Thank you!

Andy, you are the man! There are tips and tricks I wouldn't have even thought of to take a look at. I 'upgraded' from a Magellan xplorist for geocaching... this does SO much more. We are taking our scout troop on a hike along the historic Ice Age Trail in April and I've learned so much about the 60csx that I feel totally confident on using this to navigate the unmarked connecting routes. Keep up the great work!
Subject: Re: Thank you!

Rob, thank you so much for your upbeat message! I'm really excited for your April hike, that sounds like tons of fun. Wishing you a relaxing Sunday, -Andy
Subject: Thanks and a question

Hi Andy,
Discovered your page by accident, it blew me away. What great stuff.
At age 70 and just retired I have time to put the 60CSx on my jet ski and run the rivers and intercoastal waterway with my other retired guys (old dogs).
I bought this 60CSx on ebay so I don't know if I'll gety help from Garmin.
I have the 60CSX and the microSD card for US lakes (and a few other maps like Topo) the USB cord, CD for USB manager , and the seller is sending me Trip and Waypoint Manager.
I need to be able to put the Lakes on my PC so I can figure out our course and lay down tracks to transfer to the 60CSx.
Unfortunately I'm a little past the stone age as far as teck expertise goes. I'm afraid my neural nynaspes are like old spark plugs, covered with carbon, burned and eroded. So this will take much concentration and effort.
But I'm up for the task.
Do you have any suggestions ???
Thanks for any help you can give.
Ray Brown
Subject: Re: Thanks and a question

Hi Ray,
The only mapping software I've used is Mapsource. And I'm not too sure about going from card to Mapsource with a pleasant interface. I'm sure you'll get a bit of frustration out of the exercise and a lot of fun out of your device. :)
Warmest wishes,
-Andy
Subject: Mapsource and Google Earth

Hi Andy, Just found your page and now have a sinking feeling about by my project. I used my 60CSx to record every kilometre of a 25 day 4wd trip in the South Island and also all of our rail trail trip and have all the tracks saved in Mapsource in 7 different saves with about 5 separate files (tracks)in each save. My plan was to join all the tracks together, move them into Google Earth and set it up to show a small cursor moving along the track with photos and short HD movie clips inserted at various places along the way so that I can sit back and relive the trip on my beautiful clear LED TV. I don't know whether I'm thick or not but I cannot figure out whether such a thing is even possible. My question is (1) can it be done? and (2) do I have to buy the professional version of Google Earth to give me access to extra features.
Great to read such a down to earth and realistic view of Garmin's various strengths and shortcomings.
John
Subject: Re: Mapsource and Google Earth

Hi John, and greetings from Nelson! The short answer is 'I don't know'---I don't use Google Earth. If it's feasible, though, it sounds to me like you've collected all the elements to make it happen. For a question like that, I'd try to tap into the collective knowledge of a forum such as Groundspeak. Wishing you a beautiful week, -Andy

Garmin Gpsmap 60csx Software For Mac Free



< Garmin

GPS16 receiver module

Garmin GPS16
Descriptionreceiver
GNSS12 channels
augmentation: WAAS;EGNOS
DOP: yes
MemoryInternal: .
Features
addresses points of interest
mass storage mode Waterproof
Pros
  • Receiver is pretty good, gives the precision in meters and DOP numbers
  • On a clear sky, in an open area, precision can be down to 2m !
  • Should be firmware upgradeable for gallileo
Cons
  • Requires an external computer
  • Comes with a useless RJ45 plug (that I replaced with a 7 pin XLR)
  • Rather expensive at 175 USD
  • Just had a look at the Technical Specifications and compared the GPS16 RJ45 pinout with the unsual Cisco/Sun/etc RJ45 serial pinout --- they are completely different (Frank 08:37, 31 Dec 2005 (GMT))
Notes

Designed to be used with an external computer, attached to the outside of a vehicle


GPS12XL

1996-vintage device, still available. First generation of modern 12-channel receivers, which gives good performance except in difficult situations like wet jungle, deep canyon roads and next to cliffs.

Garmin GPS12XL
60csx
Garmin GPS12XL
Description
GNSS12 channels
DOP: yes
MemoryInternal: (20 routes, 512 waypoints, 1024 tracklog points. max logging).
Batteries4AA (5hrs lifetime)
Features
addresses points of interest
mass storage mode Waterproof
Pros
  • Wide power supply range: 6-40V
  • Robust, reliable and waterproof (has pressure-change membrane to stop screen cracking at high temperature and altitude). Mine has been to 20 countries, soaked, banged, dropped, overheated.
  • NMEA output, averaging, all the basic functionality you need
  • Configurable tracklog (1s to 1hr period or auto)
  • External aerial option
  • Loads of datums, a useful range of co-ordinate systems and a 'user datum' option mean you can reference it to maps in most places in the world
  • Good internal antenna
  • Can be set to make audible beeps when a waypoint is approached. (12XL; not 12)
  • UI is usable wearing ski gloves/mittens.
Cons
    • Waypoints only have 6 chars - this is very tiresome/cryptic.
  • High power consumption compared to modern units
  • Doesn't save altitudes in waypoint or tracklogs so you need to write them down for waypoints, and saved tracklogs are flat
  • Too old to understand WAAS or DGPS
  • Doesn't do Lambert projections (France pre 2000ish maps)
  • Large and quite heavy by modern standards
Notes

This is a good quality device and still useful, especially for tracking in a vehicle. For battery-powered use you would be better off with something that has lower power consumption. The lack of altitude saving is its most serious limitation, but the altitude is in the serial stream, so if you use something else to log the data, then it is a perfectly good GPS, and very handy if you need to fit an external aerial. Don't pay much for one, but don't dismiss it as uselessly ancient.This is still a good mountaineering GPS Unit, because you can use it with your mittens on, and it is very robust. Stick an external antenna on the top and then keep it in an inner pocket (for warmth and hence extended battery life) listening for the beep when you got to where your snowhole last was.


GPS II, III & V

Introduced in the mid-1990s with a IPX7 standard waterproof housing that can be used either in upright portrait mode or in landscape mode. These units are still plentiful in the used market. Accessories (interface cable, mounts, etc) are still readily available. The aerial is detachable, it can be removed and remote-mounted, or another remote GPS antenna can be connected. Power supply is either external with a wide range from 10 to 32V, or by four AA internal. NMEA output. Requires serial port connection as it has neither USB nor any memory card slot.

The original GPS II was upgraded to GPS III in 1997, and then to the GPS V which was discontinued in 2003. Garmin still provided a firmware update in 2008, though.

Garmin GPS II, III & V
Garmin GPS II, III & V
Description
GNSS12 channels
DOP: yes
MemoryInternal: .
Batteries4AA (5hrs lifetime)
Features
addresses points of interest
mass storage mode Waterproof
Notes

vintage

GPS II series

The first version [2] (II without Plus) still had an 8-channel receiver and possibly other limitations.

The II Plus version [3] has the 12 parallel channel receiver of the GPS12. The track log can have up to 1024 points, the names of the 500 waypoints are limited to 6 chars. The display resolution is 100 x 64 black & white.

GPS III series

Display resolution improved to 160 x 100 with 4 gray levels. Configurable 1900 point tracklog (by time, distance travelled, or 'resolution' - new points are only created when you deviate from your course). Visual alarms (time, off course, arrival)

  • Plus version comes with memory of 1,44MB [4], useful for usually only one map tile
  • Pilot version with Jeppesen database of airfields [5]

GPS V

Display resolution improved to 256 x 160, tracklog expanded to 3000 points, WAAS/EGNOS [6] capability. The V can load 19MB of map tiles, but this can take about 45 minutes via serial port.

GPS 60

Garmin GPS 60
Garmin GPS 60
Description
GNSS12 channels
DOP: yes
MemoryInternal: 1MB.
Batteries2AA (15hrs lifetime)
Features
addresses points of interest
mass storage mode Waterproof
Price£120 (€199,00)
Pros
  • Large Screen (3.8cm * 5.5cm, 160 * 240, B/W), easy navigation through well designed menus.
  • One-click waypoint storage with large and extensible set of icons.
  • Track recording has some nice features - three different frequency settings for logging. The map feature is also quite useful for checking your tracks as you record them.
  • Consider that this unit is only £40 more expensive than the Gecko 201.
  • The unit is apparently waterproof and submergable (as the unit I have belongs to the university, I haven't tested this feature)
  • Supports EGNOS, WAAS and Differential (D)-GPS
  • Accuracy - The stated accuracy is 15m. I recently carried out some quite detailed analysis of the performance of this unit and found the standard deviation of points recorded to be less than 2.1m. The test site was Regents Park London, so not exactly ideal conditions.
  • Software - Ships with Garmin's MapSource package. Easy to setup on XP, fast to download data. Conversion from proprietary Garmin format to GPX using something like GPS-Babel is required. It's perfectly suitable for OSM and works nicely with gpsbabel or viking.
  • Supplied with a USB cable. (The Mapsource CD contains Windows drivers for use with this cable.)
  • The USB cable is highly standard and found on most usb hub, camera : so not much money to spend if you lost it
  • Inside software vers configurable for any kind of sport ( you display what you want, as you want in almost any units you want) ->

Hspeed,Zpeed, alt, direction, distance to. ( too bad, it misses the gliding ratio ! )

Cons
  • Worst problem with OSM is the limitation of the 10000 track points wich gives your ~6 hours of recording with one point every 2s ( usefull if you want to detect every roundabout and turns ) But having a nearby laptop greatly increase this !
  • Design - Unit is quite large
  • Software - MapSource is very crude. Garmin provides software for Mac OS X under http://www.garmin.com/macosx/. gpsbabel works good.
  • If you want to navigate to a lat/long that you have input yourself, it is quite a long winded process. The only way that I can find to do it is to edit the Lat/long of an existing Waypoint
    • I don't think that it takes so long. You create a waypoint by pressing 'Mark', change the coordinates and save it. Then you can navigate to it.
  • Waypoints are a bit limited :
    • 2 fields of 10 et 30 chars max ( enough in many case, but more problematic if you want to store a phone number, fuel price, exact adresse, etc. )
    • 1000 waypoints max, this is a bit low if you want every gas stations in europe !
Notes
  • This is an excellent unit, good value for money, nice features, rugged design. Excellent accuracy. Highly recommended, I've recommended this unit to a few people recently - I might buy one myself. I have just ordered two.Nick 21:01, 3 Apr 2006 (UTC)
  • Press enter and turn on the unit| to open hidden page diagnostic mode.


GPSMAP 60C(S)x and 76C(S)x series

Garmin GPSmap 60CSx
Garmin GPSmap 60CSx
Descriptionoutdoor navigator
GNSS12 channels
chipset: SiRFstar III
augmentation: waas;egnos
MemoryInternal: . External: ? microsdhc.
Display256 color, 160x240 pixel, transreflective
Integrated equipmentcompass, altimeter
Connectivityusb,antenna
Batteries2 AA (15hrs lifetime)
Features
addresses points of interest
mass storage mode Waterproof
Pros
  • Can do (OSM Map On Garmin)
  • Logging interval can be set to x-meters, x-seconds or automatic with 5 scalings from most-often (best when driving) to least often (best by foot)
  • Very readable colored screen even with background lighting set off, extremely well readable in direct sunlight
  • Cable (which can also provide power, saving batteries) is a standard USB cable Mini-B to Type A.
  • Works like a charm in USB mass-storage mode, just like an USB key, no more pain to get the GPX track file using Linux or any OS that supports USB mass-storage devices
  • WAAS support — useful in North America and Europe (EGNOS)
  • I replaced my Garmin 60 (yellow one) with the 60Cx and I don't regret it, GPS signal is faster to acquire, quite good in heavy foliage and still usable in urban areas
  • Since firmware version 3.20, SDHC cards are supported (GPSMAP 60CSx). Since firmware version 3.90, image files larger than 2 GB (and up to 4 GB, see Bad Things) can be used (GPSMAP 60CSx).
Cons
  • USB port is very slow. 800 kB/s
  • Sometimes fails to reacquire locks after a longer tunnel while WAAS/EGNOS is turned on (no problem when disabled; fixed with firmware v3.00 --GabrielEbner 20:09, 7 September 2006 (BST)), but this cannot be confirmed by all users.
  • 'only' 10000 trackpoints of log in the internal memory (not a massive problem when you choose the interval well or frequently back up to a laptop; since firmware v2.71 you can automatically save tracklogs as GPX on the microSD card -- that's 100 days with 1 pt/s and a 1G card --GabrielEbner 20:09, 7 September 2006 (BST))
  • Sucks batteries quite a bit faster than the eTrex models (New Model with MTKII-Chip have improved battery life (up to 26h) even with electronic compass running)
  • The saved GPX tracks 'ONLY' contain Lat, Long, Elevation and Time. Useful data like vertical/horizontal 'dilution of precision' is dropped.
  • The device has a feature to save tracklogs to its internal microSD card, however these only contain lat/long/elevation/time and not the waypoints that were made in the appropriate time periods (the GPX files are split up by day). The user has to manually combine the waypoints exported from the device's internal memory to get GPX files with tracklogs and the matching waypoints made during the track.
  • When changing batteries in the dark, it is difficult to feel the correct orientation (you can't put them in in the wrong way, though)
  • Putting certain files on the microSD card can render the device unusable
  • Garmin has removed the DGPS support (RTCM protocol) on the 60/76**x series (e.g. GPSMAP 60CSX). I had almost bought a beacon receiver that would have reduced the 2drms error from 5m to 1m but luckily noticed that misfeature in the last minute.
  • Only one image file at once is possible. This is a problem since the file system used for larger SDHC cards is FAT32 which cannot deal with files larger than 4 GB. According to a guy of the Garmin Germany support, such a feature as implemented in the Oregon series will not be implemented for the GPSMAP 60CSx because this device is -- too old.
  • Unit saves no barometrical data while being switched off (only older 60C & 60 CS do so).
  • Individual track cannot have more than 500 points --glendeni 4 Feb 2012
The 76Cx

Totally impressive GPS unit in every regard. SiRFstar III chipset makes signal lock indoors possible. Ability to load OSM data as a map (OSM Map On Garmin - works for other Garmin units as well). The GPSMAP 60 and 76 are sister series with identical firmware, but different outside layout. The 76 series is profiled more towards marine use, it should also float if dropped in water. The S(ensor)-models contain a fluxgate compass and barometer. The 60 series are well suited for outdoor sport (paragliding, bike, hiking, etc)

Connectivity can be provided by GPSBabel or other such tools if you don't want to use the Windows software. Tracks can automatically be saved on the microSD card using very little space. When saving a track on the microSD, you'll keep all the timestamps and height information! You can also put the unit into a 'USB Mass Storage Mode' where it just behaves like an SD card reader (however a card reader will be about 100 times faster). In this mode, the GPX files just show up in an external drive, and you can upload directly to OSM.

Latest firmware: GPSMap 76CS 4.20 firmware update (May 03, 2007), GPSMap 76CSX 4.00 firmware update (May 26, 2009). (You can see your firmware version here: Menu > Setup > System > Menu (button) > Software Version)

  • Waterproof—the 70Cx and 70CSx float
  • 2 AA batteries — Alkaline, NiMH or (since Firmware version 2.70) Lithium-Ion[1]
  • Running time:
    • around 15 hours with Alkaline batteries,
    • 10 hours with 1800mAh Ni-MH batteries,
    • 18 to 27 hours (depending on backlight usage) with 2850 mAh Ni-MH batteries.
  • Practical handlebar mount available (not included)
  • funny gps-games ;)

Settings

Suggested things to change before mapping (you will notice the Garmin Illnes: Totally nested menus):

  • Recording interval: Menu > Tracks > Setup. For accurate mapping «Auto/Most Often» is not good enough. Take «Time/3 s» or less.
  • Save gpx track: Menu > Tracks > Setup > Data Card Setup > Log Track To Data Card. Check this one, makes life easier (.gpx file are saved directly to the micro SD card without the 10.000 trackpoint limit of the internal memory).
  • Turn off lock on road: Menu > Setup > Map > General > Lock On Road > Off
  • Chose your vehicle: Menu > Setup > Routing > Follow Road Options > Calculate Routes for > your vehicle
  • Record tracks (before mapping): Menu > Tracks > On


  • Putting certain files on the microSD card can render the device unusable (firmware 3.70). E-Mail sent to Garmin support on the matter:

I tried cloning a Git repository to me 60CSx's microSD card with it plugged in and mounted. I then turned off the unit and tried booting it again. At that point the unit couldn't get past the blue boot screen, it didn't get to the part where it displays the copyright info for the maps I have loaded which suggests it didn't get as far as loading the gmapsupp.img file.

There was no way to boot the unit to mount the microSD card and remove the files which were causing it to stop booting using the device itself. I had to use an external microSD card reader to remove the offending directory at which point the device worked fine.

Steps to reproduce:

  1. cd /path/to/gps/mountpoint
  2. mkdir src
  3. git clone git://git.nix.is/avar/gps
  4. unmount /path/to/gps/mountpoint and reboot the device.

I've packed up the offending Git repository at http://u.nix.is/gps.tar.gz which will be hosted at that URL for a few months (the git.nix.is host is permanent). But this will probably work with any Git repository. I suspect that on bootup the device recursively scans its SD card looking for maps. And something about the Git directory structure trips it up.

The problem is not restricted to git repositories, it probably has something to do with the depth of the directory structure and/or number of files.

I don't have this problem. I'm also version controlling the files on the card with Git, and the extra files on the card have never caused any problems. I began the use of Git on the card at 2009-10-29, using software version 4.10 (not a typo, don't know why 4.00 is the newest version on the Garmin website) and GPS SW version 2.10m. — Sunny256 00:50, 6 May 2010 (UTC)


Bugs waiting to get fixed

  • Timestamp of saved .gpx file is wrong. Its always 1980. There is a workaround.


Hints

  • Be sure you have turned off 'lock on road'. (Setup -> Map -> Lock On Road = Off) otherwise your location can be very jumpy if you are walking next to a road. (and your GPX files will probably be contaminated with copyrighted map data! Daveemtb 16:20, 15 February 2008 (UTC))

Links

GPSMAP 62 and 78 series

These are updated versions of the 60 and 76 series, released in 2010. All models seem to be based on the STMicroelectronics Cartesio chipset, with a quad helix antenna in the 62 and a patch in the 78. The 62 is designed for outdoor use while the floating 78 is suitable for marine use. Six models are available: the 62s and 78s add a 3-axis electronic compass and barometric altimeter to the basic features, and the 62st and 78sc respectively include preloaded US topographic maps and coastal charts.

GPSmap 62s with OSM Mapnik raster map
Garmin GPS 78
Garmin GPS 78
Descriptionoutdoor navi
GNSS12 channels
chipset: Cartesio
DOP: yes
MemoryInternal: 1MB.
Integrated equipmentcompass, altimeter
Batteries2AA (15hrs lifetime)
Features
addresses points of interest
mass storage mode Waterproof
Price£120 (€199,00)
Pros
  • (of course) quite faster then 60 and 76 series
  • Reacquires satellites quickly with HotFix prediction (Rx networks GPStream)
  • Large internal memory (1.7GB with default basemap, 500MB on 62st with preloaded topo maps)
  • Compass on the 62s works with 3 axis (no need to keep the device in horizontal position)
  • Easily configurable Profiles allow to quickly change settings of the GPS for different uses, e.g. hiking, sailing, biking, driving in a car, ... --Shernott 2 June 2011
  • All data, i.e. waypoints, routes, current and saved tracks are stored in GPX files and can be accessed via USB as mass storage device. The ('current') track memory is archived automatically either daily, weekly, or whenever it is full. Archived/saved tracks contain elevation and timestamps, thus they are fully usable in OSM. Sending waypoints, routes, maps and tracks can be done via Mapsource and Basecamp, however when it comes to receiving, Mapsource can only receive the 'Current Track', i.e. the current track memory. Only Basecamp can also receive saved tracks, waypoints and routes, and not only that, it can also delete or edit them on the device. --Shernott 7 June 2011
  • Can handle multiple different map files instead of a single gmapsupp.img file. This allows to exchange individual maps without affecting the other maps, i.e. having to reload and repack them into the single file [7]. --Shernott 2 June 2011
  • Raster maps can be displayed via the KMZ capability and Birdseye view. Officially, Garmin announced a new Swiss Topo with the look of the official Swiss paper maps. Inofficially, the Birdseye JNX format has been re-engineered and can be used to convert tile stores into raster maps after a firmware patch [8], which opens a whole new way of using OSM data on the device. --Shernott 9 March 2012
  • single track does not have a point limit (but sum for all tracks must be below 10000 points)
Cons
  • At the moment the 78 freezes sometimes (62 unknown). Sometimes switching off and on works, else one has to remove batteries to get it working again.
  • Searching for addresses while using OSM-based maps does not work atm because of the state/province-bug: When searching for an address one is first asked to enter a state or province. But no matter what one enters nothing is found. This bug appears at most of new Garmin devices when using OSM-maps.
  • The 78 (not the 78s(c)) still has only a slow USB-interface.

From here on negative aspects that were observed on a 62s with the original firmware and also with the current firmware (2.95beta) --Dieterdreist

  • You cannot select turn on/off individual layers of a map (e.g. AIO-map) --Dieterdreist
This device supports multiple map files. So I guess to keep things simple, they switched from turning layers on/off to turning files on/off [9]. Why not simply put the different layers into different files then? --Shernott 2 June 2011
The AIO.Maps have a basemap-gmapsupp.img for the map and a addr-gmapsupp.img for the address-layer --flacus 14:59, 1 January 2012 (UTC).
Regardless of their reasons they removed this useful feature from the device. There is a workaround (different files) that you can use if you change your build chain or your mapsprovider creates different files instead of one layered one. -- Dieterdreist 13:09, 12 April 2012 (BST)
  • Turning tracking on and off is not convenient (many clicks necessary) --Dieterdreist
To be precise, it's a subpage on the Setup page - and how often do you need to change it? If it happens often, you might simply want to use different Profiles, you can have different tracking settings for each Profile --Shernott 2 June 2011
Turning tracking on and off is something I do frequently e.g. to stop tracing when I stand still, enter a shop or similar. It is a miracle to me why they hid this now in a nightmare of submenues. It has gotten now so complicated and timeconsuming that nobody will turn tracking off. --Dieterdreist 13:09, 12 April 2012 (BST)
  • No tracking to the SD-Card --Dieterdreist
  • SD-Card not managable from the device (e.g. capacity information and how much is occupied) --Dieterdreist
Tracking is done to the 1.7GB of the internal memory, the purpose of the SD-Card is to hold additional maps. Since the SD-Card memory occupation doesn't change during using the device, I don't see much of a point in worring about it. --Shernott 2 June 2011
There are different reasons why you might want a copy stored to the SD-Card, one is reliability. Again a useful feature they removed. --Dieterdreist 13:09, 12 April 2012 (BST)
  • GPS precision is reportedly worse then on the 60CSx with Sirf III Chip, e.g. when changing direction --Dieterdreist
Notes

WARNING:The 62s is an awful device in many aspects (see above) and by far less suited for OSM use then the 60CSx is, get your hands on a 60CSx if you can. --Dieterdreist

Between 'horrible' and 'perfect', there are some more nuances. Most of your grievances above seem to stem from the refusal to accept that the new generation of Garmin devices has a different way of storing and accessing information. As far as precision is concerned, I owned the 60CSx, and I own now the Vista HCx and the 62s. Both the HCx and the 62s seem to use some kind of smoothing of the data which makes them sometimes prone to the Drift-Bug. From a mapping point of view, the rawer and unsmoothed data from the 60CSx was nicer, but then on the other hand, the 60CSx was easily thrown off the path by reflections when walking along walls in the city and cliffs in valleys and mountains. In those cases the result looked pretty much like the infamous Drift-Bug, although for different reasons. I'd call neither of them 'perfect', and neither of the them 'horrible', but all of them quite usable and useful, if you are aware of how they are meant to be used and of their limitations and bugs. --Shernott 2 June 2011
Yes, I agree with you, especially on the part, that smoothing of GPS-data is absolutely not what a mapper wants. Together with the removed possibility to turn tracking on and off, to store the tracks on the external memory card and to turn single map layers on and off I come to the horrible conclusion (for mapping). It is not so frequent that a company manages to make a really nice device worse in so many fundamental details. --Dieterdreist 13:09, 12 April 2012 (BST)

Garmin Gpsmap 60csx Software For Mac Os

  • Very large 'location arrowhead', blocks much of map at current location (4 times larger in area than 60 series location arrowhead) --glendeni 4 Feb 2012
  • Does not display error indicator (GPS precision) circle on map --glendeni 4 Feb 2012

Remarks

  • both series use the same firmware
  • with 78 series waypoints are created pressing the Enter-button for ~1 second. It is still possible creating series of waypoints by simply creating the next.
  • Unlike the manual says all versions of the 78 have an µSD card slot.
  • Those who geotag their photos might like to snap a picture of the time displayed on their GPS in order to synchronize GPS time with camera time. Unfortunately, most time displays on this GPS show only minutes and no seconds. The only way I found is to change on the Compass page the Dashboard to 'Large Data Field'. This way you get a time display with seconds on the top of the page. --Shernott 2 June 2011


Translation

German translation has some flaws. The quality of translation into other languages I don't know. ATM most entries of the geocache-menu and some other entries are not translated in the files provided by Garmin.
A revised and enhanced (and so far complete™) version of the german language file can be found here. Just copy it to device/Garmin/Text. After restarting the device you will have two entries for 'German' in the language settings - the original 'German' and the revised one 'German (malenki)'.
Seafarers, aviators and geocachers are welcome to have a look at specific items since I guess there are still some issues which I can't pinpoint.

As of Garmin version 3.20, the Italian translation has some flaws too. The main issues with the Garmin translation are: missing or wrong translations, wrong casing, bad formatting, bad wording, duplicated entries.
A revised version of the Italian language file is available here along with the installation procedure.

'Tricks'

To enter a hidden menu go to Tripcomputer and press ↑→↓←.
With the button Page you can switch several pages containing system informations.
Pressing ↑→↓← a second time you enter a menu for debug logging.
To enable logging to GPX, go to Start Recording -> Select Log Types -> GPX- Disabled and set it to Enabled
Then press Quit, Menu and Enter to start logging.
The logs differ very slightly from the 'normal' ones (so far for the logs compared). For each log a separate file is created with following naming scheme:yyyymmdd_hhmmss.gpx. The logs are stored in GARMIN/Garmin/Logs/gpx/.
The binary logs are helpful for Garmin staff to debug stuff. (I don't know how to read them and therefore not what they contain).

(2.95beta) This GPX log is saved in 1s intervals, and when I tried it, the timestamps were one hour earlier than the local time (CEST) that was used in the standard log. I expected to find there some raw data with more jitter than the standard log, so I was quite surprised to find the opposite. Compared to the standard log with 1s intervals, this log was less jittery, in a good way. It still contained very precise changes of direction, but without all the little zig-zags and jitters that I didn't do on my walk. However, to put things in perspective, the distance of my walk in the standard log was 2.11km, while in the hidden log it was 2.04km (70m or 3% less). And among the 1600 measurements the offset between the two logs remained rather small, mostly 5-25cm, often less, and only once the offset was about 75cm. But for those of you who are recording in 1s intervals, this might be an interesting option to consider. --Shernott 3 June 2011

GPSMAP 64 series

Updated version of the GPSMAP 62 series: 64, 64s and 64st. The 's' likely stands for 'sensors'; 64s and 64st have a barometric altimeter, a 3-axis compass, and bluetooth which the 64 misses. The 't' probably stands for 'topographic'; the only difference between 64s and 64st is the preloaded topographic map (US or Canada only) and increased storage (8GB rather than 4GB).

Tricks

To enter a status screen, hold 'enter' while powering on. To hard-reset, hold 'enter' and 'page' while powering on.

Problems

It is not advisable to put custom maps on the internal storage. Corrupt files (or whatever else the firmware cannot parse) may crash the device during bootup and effectively brick it. Garmin support denies any responsibility for such problems (even though it is a firmware bug of course).

GPSMAP 66 series

An updated version of the GPSMAP 64 series: includes 66s and 66st, where 's' and 'st' have the same meanings as before. Both devices have 16GB of internal storage. The major differences to the 64 series seem to be Galileo support, wifi, and the option of direct map+weather updates over wifi.

References

  1. GPSmap 60CSx: Since Firmware 3.50[1] it isn't possible anymore to select Li-Ion anymore in the settings. Perhaps there they don't work as expected?

Garmin Gpsmap 60csx Driver Download

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