A Little Older, but Mature Product
Pros:
Handheld, compact, rugged, fantastic battery life - IT Works!
Cons:
Needs additional Mapsource software, older technology for signal acquisition. Screen harder to see in shade.
The Bottom Line:
Older model, but still great - Check that it is priced accordingly. Older chipset harder to get fix in trees or urban setting with tall buildings. Great outdoor general-use Unit.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I bought the Garmin GPSMAP 60C about 3 years ago and can’t imagine traveling without it now. Its features include:
Sunlight-readable display with 256-color transreflective TFT display (1.5" W x 2.2" H; 2.6" diagonally); color operating system with new look-and-feel
Faster processor, with auto routing, turn-by-turn directions, and audio alerts along city streets or trails when using MapSource® City Select® or 24K Topo software (optional software)
56 MB of internal memory for storing map detail
Permanent user data storage
Each day’s best hunting and fishing times—along with sunrise/sunset times—on the integrated Outdoor Calendar
Special geocaching navigation mode
Geolocation games, such as Virtual Maze, Nibbons, Geko™ Smak, and Memory Race
Fast map transfer, with support for both USB and serial port interfaces; navigation instructions can be shared with repeaters, plotters, and autopilots using NMEA protocols through the dedicated serial port
Detailed basemap with general map data, including highways, major roads, river, lakes, and borders
Dedicated "mark", "page", "enter", "quit", "menu", "find", and "zoom out/in" buttons; four-position rocker pad
2.4" x 6.1" x 1.3" (W x H x D) unit dimensions
Weighs 5.4 ounces (without batteries), 7.5 ounces (with batteries)
WAASGPS receiver with accuracy to 10 feet in North America; built-in quad-helix antenna for better satellite reception
30 hours of battery life under typical-use conditions (uses two "AA" batteries)
Multi-platform navigation for easy navigation in a car or boat, or on foot
Accepts data from MapSource products (City Select for driving, U.S. Topo and 24K Topo for hiking, Recreation Lakes for freshwater, and BlueChart® for saltwater applications)
Waterproof to IEC 60529 IPX7 standards (can be submerged in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes)
50 reversible routes, 10,000 track points with tracBack® technology (navigate to any track point on the displayed map), and 1000 waypoints with additional graphical icons for location identification
Proximity alerts for anchor drag, arrival, off-course, proximity waypoint; built-in alarm clock
User-configurable track-line color, waypoint projection, display color scheme, large-numbers option, audio tones, and pages (turn on/off main pages or change the sequence in which they appear)
trip computer provides odometer, stopped time, moving average, overall average, total time, max speed, and more
My own observations:
You “have” to get the optional Mapsource mapping software to use all the great features of the unit.
The GPSMAP 60C technology has been supplanted by newer GPS chipset (SiRF) that has greater signal sensitivity. These newer models (i.e., Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx) are much better at getting a satellite fix under tree canopy’s and in urban settings with many tall buildings. Don't pay full price for this older GPSMAP 60C unit.
The screen is great in direct sunlight or at night when backlit. If you are in shade it is more difficult to see.
The unit is very rugged and can take a beating. I use it with the automotive mount and like it for travel. It does not have “voice directions” like some specific auto models, but is a general-use type of unit.
It has about 56 megs of internal storage. In my case it holds about 1/3 of California’s Mapsource map info – all the roads, Points of Interest with address, phone info and so. Great convenience to call on the road and get info or make a reservation at a hotel ahead - How great is that!
