Garmin 60Cx with topo map, from Garmin:
Some things you should know before you go on to my review...
About GPS:
Basically a system of satellites revolving the earth; 4 satellites give you your exact position in coordinates (lat. & long.) and these signals are received by a GPS receiver which shows your location on a screen. See http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gps.htm OR http://www.trimble.com/gps/ OR http://www.garmin.com/aboutGPS/ to see how GPS works.
Some true and interesting uses for GPS: http://www.gpsinformation.org/dale/usegps.htm
About SiRF:
An exciting brainchild of engineers at SiRF, the SiRF III chip, was another milestone in Global Positioning System (GPS) history. See it here: http://www.sirf.com/products/gps_chip.html. It promised increased accuracy and ability to capture more than 20 satellites at a go, while maintaining its low power consumption.
My own Garmin GPSMAP60Cx in-depth review (33 pics of it below):
(Please note that the unit casing for the Garmin 60Cx is identical to the Garmin 60C so the review would be similar to my earlier review here at My Garmin 60C review, but with added details and information on the Garmin 60Cx.) Sorry also I cannot do a side-by-side comparison with the Garmin 60C as I had to sell the Garmin 60C before hand in order to finance my Garmin 60Cx buy.
Unit packaging:
Garmin 60Cx box front:
Garmin 60Cx box back:
Garmin 60Cx box side:
Garmin 60Cx in cardboard packaging, inside box:
Unit casing and build:
The Garmin 60Cx is really well built! The manufacturer boasts that the unit is ''IPX7'', which means that it is submersible in 1 metre for 30 mins! (Of course I didn't dare challenge/test this). The unit has rubber linings all around it to protect the electronics, even the battery cover has a cute little metal locking "D" ring that can be turned to lock in the air. You can really feel the slight tension of a waterproof seal while locking this latch. I wouldn't worry about carrying this unit in the rain or accidentally dropping it into water, but remember to dry out the battery compartment after contact with water to prevent the battery contacts from rusting. The size of the unit is very good, smaller than I had expected! It fits into my hand nicely, and I am able to punch in coordinates and do most things using 1 hand only. Truly a handheld GPS! The unit is slightly thick/fat. You might want to consider getting the Garmin Legend Cx or Vista Cx if you like a handphone sized outdoor cum automotive Garmin GPS receiver.
Garmin 60Cx with a smooth screen: 
Garmin 60Cx back, see the "D" ring:
Garmin 60Cx external antenna connection port, top left under rubber:
Garmin 60Cx USB connection port, bottom left under rubber:
Garmin 60Cx external power connection port, top right, under rubber:
Garmin 60Cx back, with battery latch removed (see the position of the "D" ring:
Garmin 60Cx in hand for size comparison, from Garmin:
Ease of use:
The Garmin 60Cx is a very easy to use GPS navigation device, though you may need to read the menu in order to use other "complicated" functions. Once you familiarize yourself everything becomes a breeze when using the 60Cx. The menu is very user friendly, and the numerous buttons on the unit allow one to easily use the unit.
Garmin 60Cx main menu:
Garmin 60Cx "find"menu:
Garmin 60Cx buttons:
Transfer of maps to GPS receiver (GPSr):
The Garmin 60Cx connects to the PC via USB 2.0, so loading times should be about the same as loading MP3s into a MP3 player. Indeed it took me less than 15 seconds to transfer 10MB of maps into the GPS. I use the programme ''sendmap2.0'' (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/mdipol/img2gps/) to upload the maps to my GPSr. Using the program is quick, efficient and easy. I used ''GPSMAPedit''( http://www.geopainting.com/en/ )view the GPS maps on my PC. Lets me zoom in and out on the map.
In addition, the Garmin 60Cx also has a micro-SD card slot, concealed behind the batteries. I guess is better for some users as they prefer not using cables. The microSD card is soooo tiny! Also, the microSD card allows users to load as many maps as they want into their GPSr, so long as the maps fit in the memory capacity of the microSD card. Mine is the 64MB version, which is more than enough for me to load the 1+MB worth of the Singapore map. Of course, for users in USA and Europe, 64MB may be a bit too little if they want to travel across states/borders. Well anyway microSD cards are not that expensive nowadays.
Garmin 60Cx battery compartment with microSD latch down and locked:
Garmin 60Cx with microSD card removed, showing empty slot:
Garmin 60Cx with microSD card latch up:
Garmin 60Cx microSD card on finger for size comparison:
Garmin 60Cx microSD card with AA battery and ruler:
Satellite acquisition time:
As stated in the introduction, the Garmin 60Cx locked on much more quickly (in maybe half or one-third the time compared to the Garmin 60C.) In most instances, even in my estate surrounded by houses, the Garmin 60Cx surprisingly managed to lock on to all the 10-12 out of the available 12 satellites. The Garmin 60C would take a much agonizing minutes to do so, and even while it had a lock, it was only about 6-9 satellites. Most of the the time when I switch on the Garmin 60Cx, by the time it starts up and gets to the satellite page, it already shows a lock on many satellites with good accuracy and reception. This shows how quickly the Garmin 60Cx can lock on to the satellites. Average time taken to lock is under 15 seconds, most commonly around 10 seconds. And to many GPS users' delight, the Garmin 60Cx can get a lock inside some houses. Mine managed to sustain a lock a few metres from the window and still was registering signals under my garage. However, sometimes even when I get a lock on 3 GPS satellites the Garmin 60Cx does not show me the accuracy and my position in coordinates; it seems like a minimum of 4 satellites is needed to get a location and accuracy reading. Of course time taken for the satellites to lock and the accuracy depends on the position of the satellites in the sky and the number of GPS satellites above the horizon. This can vary at different times, but I get the best accuracy and reception in the daytime, and slightly worse (by 1 or 2m) accuracy at night. Overall, the Garmin 60Cx locks on much quicker than its predecessor. Garmin seems to have almost fulfiled getting the "switch-on-and-immediately-use" wish for its users.
Accuracy & performance(ability to hold lock) in urban areas/ heavy tree cover:
The reception of the Garmin 60Cx is excellent, due to the combination of the Quad-Helix antenna that sticks out of the unit and also the SiRF III chip inside it. The average accuracy I get in urban Singapore is ranges from 4-8m(12-24ft), while being surrounded by buildings 20m(60ft) high. The best accuracy was on an area with no surrounding high rise buildings was 3m(8ft). Although the Garmin 60Cx is claimed to have Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), some users online have commented that the WAAS feature does not work in the Garmin 60Cx. (Updates later provide improved WAAS usage) But, with the Garmin 60Cx presenting accuracies of 3m (9ft), who needs WAAS? It's pratically a useless feature for me too since we don't have WAAS in Singapore. Sad to say its only available in the US. The Garmin 60Cx does not disappoint its users, it never loses its satellite signal, except in concrete multi-storey carparks or under a complex metal shelter. Even on the roads of green city Singapore (you get 7m(21ft) trees on both sides of the road - not the skinny ones, but the mushroom shaped, leafy, branchy tropical kind eg. rain tree), the Garmin 60Cx still cheerily displays an estimated accuracy ranging from 5m-10m (15ft-30ft). Unlike the Garmin 60C, which, at times loses its reception completely while in heavilly built up areas with buildings up to 20 stories high, the Garmin 60Cx still maintains a good lock but signal bars are maybe at high the maximum height. It also quickly reaquires its lock (loss of reception very seldom happens) once it is out in the open again. Most of the time it maintains a lock, though it may show very low signal bars from the GPS satellites. Under moderate tree cover (defined by me as having openings & breaks in the canopy the size of your two palms outstretched held up against the canopy), the Garmin 60Cx managed to maintain its reception from the GPS satellites with a good accuracy of around 11m (33ft), unlike the Garmin 60C which only locks on to 2 satellites, not giving me real-time positioning. A much needed improvement in the ability of a GPS ability to hold its satellite lock.
Garmin 60Cx external quad-helix antenna (note the small round power button):
Screen details:
The Garmin 60Cx delivers crisp images (though not on par with PDA screen standards) on its 256 colour TFT screen. Colours are really nice to view on the screen. The TFT thingy really helps; it enables me to see and read anything on the screen even in very bright sunlight. I just need to position the screen in the right way. The screen is large enough, though not as large as a PDA's for me to do my usual routing and GPS stuff, but of course if there could be a unit with a larger screen it would be better. I'm a bit disappointed that Garmin did not take the opportunity to upgrade the colour screen to a higher resolution thus enabling better quality images on the screen.
Garmin 60Cx topo map screen, from Garmin:
Garmin 60Cx bluechart map screen, from Garmin:
Routing:
The Garmin 60Cx has the ability to calculate routes, giving you navigation instructions (like when and where to turn), and also re-calculates routes should you go off track, like the Garmin 60C. All you need to do, is to select a destination, and click ''go to''. The GPS then automatically calculates the route to be taken, either by shortest time or shorter distance, up to you to decide. However, the Garmin 60Cx calculates routes more quickly the Garmin 60C. I was able to calculate routes within 4 seconds and the routes really improved the way I navigate the roads. This is due to the faster processor in the Garmin 60Cx. Real-time panning, which is the ability to see the street labels, and Point-of-interest (POIs) real time, as compared to the Garmin 60C where you had to wait a while for it the "refresh" and display the roads before you can start panning the map again. This is done twice as fast.
Garmin 60Cx offtrail navigation to geocache, from Garmin:
Garmin 60Cx highway page routing, from Garmin:
Garmin 60Cx map page, side view routing, from Garmin:
Battery life:
As compared to the Garmin 60C's battery life of 30 hours, the Garmin 60Cx has a much reduced runtime of 18 hours, just a little over half of the original. Since I use alkaline batteries and not rechargeable ones to power the GPS, I find myself changing batteries more often for the Garmin 60Cx. Additionally, the use of the backlight and the warning tones for the routing drains the batteries quite a fair bit.
Issue of whether the Garmin 60Cx can ''float'' in water:
According to some forums, the Garmin 60Cx does ''semi-float'', with about half its body sticking out of the water. This is provided you use Lithium batteries. If you are worried about your GPSr sinking like a rock in water or if you use your GPSr around water, get the Garmin 76Cx, which is a handheld unit slightly larger than the Garmin 60Cx but can float.
Garmin's support after buying GPS:
Garmin provides excellent after sales service by providing firmware updates and fixes for your GPS via it's website. With firmware updates it enhances it products and its a major plus when comes to making decisions between buying different brands of GPSrs. However, Garmin has yet to fix the irritating bug that shows the GPS moving around even when stationary, when you are ''logging a track''. Garmin has been quiet with regard to fixing this as seen from the absence of things to fix this bug in its updates.
To sum it all up in a nutshell (changes from the 60Cx to the 60C are in red),
Garmin 60Cx Pros:
- Rugged and waterproof
- Supreb satellite reception
- Acquires satellites rather very quickly
- Excellent accuracy starting from 3m (8ft)
- Colour TFT screen, of good size
- Screen is easy to read even in bright sunlight
- Long battery life of 18 hours
- Takes common AA batteries + Has routing capability
- GPS is powered by the PC/laptop while being attached to it
- Comfortable size
- Can connect to an external antenna (not needed unless you are the driver and can't hold it)
- Compact size, can fit in larger pockets (though a bit fat).
- Faster processor
- Ability to use microSD memory cards (load as many map as you want so long as it fits into the card!)
- Names for POIs are now 14 characters instead of 10
Garmin 60Cx Cons:
- Basemap is not detailed. (You have to buy Garmin's Map CDs)
- To some the 60C is expensive.
- Battery life is shorter than the Garmin 60C (18 hrs vs 30 hrs)
Conclusion: Well I certainly didn't regret my buy, though I could have gotten it at a lower price if I had waited till after my holiday. Once you have started on GPS receivers using the SiRF III chip, it is very difficult to go back to using units that do not have the chip, because you would be amazed how this little chip gives such excellent accuracy and reception in the least desirable locations. I have no qualms about taking this GPS to the sandy desert or on a boat, not to mention in a car, and it would certainly be a companion for my travels.
***UPDATE*** I brought the Garmin 60Cx on my holiday to Bangkok, and even in the heavilly built up areas it still managed to maintain its lock and get me a reading. I also took it on board the plane. In the past, I had to hold the Garmin 60C next to the plane's window (with the antenna touching it) so that it could barely cling on to the few available satellites. Of course after the 2 hr+ ride my wrist would be aching. Surprise, surprise! With the Garmin 60Cx, I didnt need to hold it that close to the plane's window any more. I left it on my armrest and below my thigh, and it still managed hold its satellite lock well! What a relief for my hand. And safe from the prying eyes of the flight stewards and stewaresses. :p
Garmin 60Cx satellite screen, on airplane:
Garmin 60Cx trip computer screen, on airplane:
Garmin 60Cx map screen, on airplane:
Garmin 60Cx on airplane seat armrest:
Garmin 60Cx on airplane seat, beside my thigh:
Other Gamin 60Cx pics, from Garmin:
Garmin 60Cx calander page:
Garmin 60Cx compass page:
The Garmin GPSMAP 60Cx can be found here: http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap60cx/
Garmin 60Cx specifications:
GPSMAP 60Cx
Navigation features
Waypoint/icons: 1000 with name and graphic symbol, 10 nearest (automatic), 10 proximity
Routes: 50 reversible routes with up to 250 points each, plus MOB and TracBack modes®
Tracks: 10K point automatic track log; 20 saved tracks 500 points each let you retrace your path in both directions
Trip computer: Current speeed, average speed, resettable max. speed, trip timer and trip distance
Alarms: Anchor drag, approach and arrival, off-course, proximity waypoint, shallow water and deep water
Tables: Built-in celestial tables for best times to fish and hunt, sun and moon rise, set and location
Map datums: More than 100 plus user datum
Position format: Lat/Lon, UTM/UPS, Maidenhead, MGRS, Loran TDs and other grids, including user UTM grid only
GPS Performance
Receiver: 12 channel SiRFstar III™ high-sensitivity GPS receiver (WAAS-enabled) continously tracks and uses up to 12 satellites to compute and update your position
Acquisition times:
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