Field experiences w/Garmin's SiRF-based GPS units?

[Brangdon]

I have a GPS60 and a GPS60Cx, and can confirm that the latter is a big improvement. The older model would not get signal for me if I kept it in a pocket or waist-pack, and the new one does.

The expandable memory is good, too. I have a 512Mb chip which will take the whole of the UK.

I have had a problem where after the Cx has lost signal, it won't get it back again. It's happened when going indoors for a break while skiing, and in tunnels when driving. Switching the unit off and on fixes it.

 

[jtice]

I have been testing the new 60csX that last few days.
The reception is greatly improved, and it is alot faster.

I think it also gets a lock alittle faster,
it was averaging 3 to 8 feet More accurrate then the 60cs.

~John

 

[jtice]

Fitz,

How does it handle the Topo software?
I have been wanting to add that to mine, but didnt know how it handled displaying it.
Do you have to toggle between the City Select map, and the Topo map?
IE can you display the roads AND Topo at one time?

~John

 

[Fitz]

John,
There are no issues that I can find in displaying the Topo maps except it takes a little practice! There seems to be a priority with the maps where City Select/Nav takes No. 1 priority, Topo 2nd, and the base map 3rd. (Not sure about Blue charts). Therefore, if all maps are turned on, you'll see the city select/nav on the map screen. If you turn off city select/nav, you'll see the Topo, etc. They do not overlay each other in any way. It's nice that you can just turn off/on the entire map collection instead of grid by grid, especially if you've got several hundred or more MB of maps stored!

There's some good information on this (and some other stuff) at
http://home.houston.rr.com/gpsr/

 

[MrMom]

I have been using a 60cx for a month now. I own: Garmin 45, etrex, III, V, 176c and Magellin gold. The X, by far, holds lock and positional accucary much better than all other units even under heavy canopy. The X held lock while a friends 60 failed during a recent geocaching trip.

My only complaint is with the screen size and lack of accuracy alarm. The 176c screen size is soooo nice on aging eyes.

 

[jtice]

Fitz,

Thanks for the info,
its a shame it wont over lap them, but I really wasnt expecting it to.
I think I may still get the topo maps though, I think having the contour lines will help me out alot.

Have you noticed anything other additional info the topo map has thats real useful besides the contour lines?

~John

 

[NewBie]

Jtice,

http://www.garmin.com/cartography/mapSource/topo.jsp#

Look for MapSource Viewer, click on East for your area, pick a place you are familiar with, and zoom on down.

That way you can see what it has, that your unit does not...

You may be quite surprised about the info you see. Scroll around a bit.

Not quite a 7.5 minute quad, but not too bad, with the majority of important stuff.

Take your 60CSx and try doing the same thing at the same time, to see what is really different.

 

[jtice]

Fitz,

Forgot to ask,
Can you move the corsur around on the map, and it display the elevation of different points on the map?
Also, when the unit displays the elevation, on the trip page etc, do you think its using the map info? or is it still using the builtin barometer?

Newbie,
Looked on Garmins site, thanks for the link.
I am actually not alllll that impressed, it does give the contours,
but thats about all the additional info I see.
And I wish they were alittle more detailed, at least after you zoom in a bit,
but at least they do give you the lay of the land, which would be helpful.

~John

 

[NewBie]

True, the lay of the land is extremely important when hiking, looking for a campsite as you are hiking, or when trying to conserve gas when you are low on a ATV- trying to get back to base camp.

 

[DieselDave]

FWIW
The new Garmin Forerunner 205 will not acquire indoors. Works great outdoors with about a 20-40 sec. acquisition.

My daughters extra cheap Garmin I2 acquires in like 10 seconds while mounted on here windshield.

Nuvi 350 in 15-20 seconds mounted on windshield, hit and miss acquiring indoors.

Garmin M5, about 45 seconds outdoors, no acquisition indoors.

 

[NewBie]

I don't see the quad-helix antenna with the SiRF chips on the 205, so that might be why you are seeing that.

You'll note, the 60CSx, which folks are excited about, has the quad-helix antenna, which helps alot.
http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap60csx/

You will note the IQue M5 doesn't have the SiRF chips, nor the quad-helix.

The I2, is outdoors, so it should be pretty quick. Unfortunately it does not have the SiRF or the quad-helix.


If you get a chance, try out one of those Garmin units which sports both the SiRF chips and the quad-helix, they really rock.

 

[dfred]

So I've had my 60CSx for a few weeks now and, as NewBie notes, the reception really does rock... I was out with a friend who has an eTrex Legend under some forest cover and his unit was barely able to hold a lock while mine had 6-7 satellites at near full strength and few more popping in and out. We were doing some maintenance at a geocache he'd placed. Even when his unit would get a lock, it was often off by 80-150ft while mine stayed within 15-20ft the whole time we were there.

I've been running 2.62 beta firmware and haven't had too many problems. Everything I've read seems to indicate that disabling WAAS is a workaround for several of the worst receiver bugs. I'm really hoping they are able to fix some of these problems in future firmware versions. I'm usually pretty wary of first rev hardware, hopefully my impatience won't burn me this time...

 

[NewBie]

I didn't want to put out the money for one of these new SiRF hand held units, as I normally run a setup in my truck with a 15" mounted LCD. So I searched the web and found a SiRF engine, wired it up and connected it to my active surveyor's GPS antenna, and I get a 3D lock, with 8-10 satellites locked in, even inside my two-story house, all over the house.

These newer SiRF III chips really rock!

I've got Magelian, Trimble, Oncore (motorola), Asin, and other gps engines here, and none of them can even get a 2D lock in my house, and barely track one satellite by my window.

Amazing. I can't wait to get it on the road!

 

[Northern Lights]

Thanks, maybe, now I need to update my Garmin Map 76s which I thought was the best thing going, it is about 3-4 years old but the software is updated.
Obviously the SiRFstarIII is beter, I cannot imagine what the means as the old 76s like I have never failed me in dense Northwest forested canyons or in vehicles and it locked in fast too. My Magellans have failed to lock and failed in rain from leaking. Bless my pocket compass. Based on this old 76s' performance I will jump on this one, wonder how I missed the new advancement? The 76s have more features that even a very adamant advanced user will not use them all but the choices allow a very personal customization for a particular use. I am able to use the waypoint averaging under WAAS and import waypoints onto calibrated USGS aereal photos within 2 meters, many times 1 meter, consistantly. I also use it as a reciever to feed to GPS ready Humminbird sonar units and then run both units simultaneously to take advantage of two different page screens and features.

I have navigated where I trusted my very well being on this unit both on land and water. Most novel use was on two different 1300 mile trips my speedometer broke and I put the 76s on a suction cup note pad holder (poor man's RAM holder) in the windshield, used it for a speedometer, no speeding tickets and no lost time.

You cannot get a gps with a screen big enough, the 76s can display more data than the screen can decently show; my only complaint.
Try this tool, freeware GPS Utility, http://www.gpsu.co.uk/

 

[NewBie]

Well, I was further amazed today.

I got everything running in my truck setup today.

I specifically drove to a forrested area, where in the past, I've never been able to lock before. I've even sat there for 15 minutes trying to get a lock, to no avail. I've been there at least four times with the Motorola Oncore engine, and the system cannot even see one sat.

I was able to maintain lock on all the sats going in, and also to power down, power back up and get a lock in about 1 second, with it picking up all the rest of the sats that were in view overhead shortly afterwards (of course, the forrest was so dense, you could not see sky).

I am using the same chipset as the Garmin units, the SiRF III chipset, with an Quad-Helix surveyors antenna (with amplifier built into the antenna) made by Lucent Technologies. When I ran the Oncore engine before, I used the same antenna.

In fact, it still picked up all of the overhead sats with it sitting on the dashboard inside my truck.

I drove past the spot once, with six sats in view, locked, and on the way back, with 9 sats in view locked.

I also cross-checked the position on my 7.5 minute USGS Quad, and the position was right on. It even followed my movements, without the position bouncing around.

Another test I did, was under a bunch of power lines, where I've pulled over before to get everything setup, where I also loose even a 2D lock. This SiRF III engine managed to maintain a lock of 11 sats in view. Additionally, a power down and re-powering things up, it pretty much instantly locked all 11 sats.

This SiRF III engine that Garmin is using in the 60CSx (quad-helix-good & external antenna capability) and 76CSx (quad-helix-good & external antenna capability) is very impressive. The iQue M4 sports the SiRF engine, but only has a patch antenna, but you can hook a better quad-helix to it with it's MCX-type connector.

Two Thumbs Up! Its like stepping out of the dark ages...

 

[bobisculous]

Jarhead, you say all that, yet you have not realized you are making me poor. I am now going to have to sell my GPSMap 60 and upgrade. I am totally happy with it but could go for something better for caching. I really like the layout of the 60 series, but I do have one single wish. That is to have a button lock of some sort like a candybar style cell phone. Many times I want to simply stick the GPSr in my back pocket but can't do so without mashing all the buttons. I have used a 76 and man, thats great to have all the buttons and antenna at the top out of the way of being mashed by a pocket but still recieve enough signal to be tracked.
I also have the 2720 which is a great tool. Unfortunately though, NAVTEQ updated my small area on the map just weeks after I purchased it so I have an older version but still alright.

-Cameron

 

[NewBie]

Heheh, sorry.

Good technology doesn't stand still. At least one can still sell their old stuff, to help fund the new! Takes the sting out of things.

 

[bobisculous]

Yep, true that. More than fine with me as long as it gets a lot better too, which it appears it has.

-C

 

[jtice]

I went on a hike on Saturday with my new 60csX.
It was deep in the woods, though there arent really any leaves out yet.
But I was waaay down in a STEEP valley,
my old 60cs would generally keep a lock, but would loose the lock a few times during these hikes,
the 60csX never lost lock once, and was doing at LEAST 30 ft accuracy,
this was with is clipped to to my chest.

A++++ on the new SiRF chip, couldnt be happier.

~John

 

[Fitz]

I know what you mean about the button lock- On more than one occasion while contorting around looking for a cache, the enter key gets pressed by a log or something and marks the cache as found. Makes it a pain. Keylocks can be good.