Re: Suggestions for first GPS unit

Dennis Pogson wrote:
Bob G wrote:
Man, this whole GPS business is really baffling for a
newcomer to the field.

The Map60CS from Garmin can be mounted on the handlebars of a
bike, and can also slot into a beanbag mount on the dash of a
car. I made such a mount but you can buy them. I also use mine
on a yacht which I sail on, hand-held. It is the ultimate
multi-use GPS in my opinion.

That was my choice also. Primarily for hiking and biking, where it
is excellent, and secondarily for auto trips, where it is adequate.
No longer available, but the 60CSx is its similar successor.

The sister products 76C(S)x and 60C(S)x work the same. They differ
slightly in size and more importantly in arrangement of buttons and
the screen. Try to hold both in hand before buying; the choice is
personal preference. Several people have reported that the 76
series, but not the 60 series, hits their knees when on the Garmin
handlebar mount. Other brand mounts are OK.

The screen is usually bright enough when mounted on the dash in my
car. When I am wearing sunglasses, I sometimes have to lift them
away in order to read the screen when driving toward the sun. (For
purely automotive use, I'd want a larger, brighter screen and voice
prompts.) On the bike or in the hand, this has never been a problem.

The choice of maps is important. You will probably want City
Navigator for its auto-routing on the bike and in the car. I added
US Topo for hiking and for biking off road and on road in
mountainous terrain. You can create a road route in City Navigator,
then switch to display it on Topo while riding.
--
Fred Hiltz, fhiltz at yahoo dot com

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