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#279077 - 01/26/16 07:39 PM Is it worth upgrading my gps?
Malpaso Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 09/12/05
Posts: 817
Loc: MA
I currently have a Garmin 60CSx which I use sparingly. I did use it on a wilderness training this past weekend. As it is a discontinued model, I'm wondering if it is time to upgrade.

After reading up on the newer models, it seems like they all have things I'm really not interested in. I don't geocache, I don't mountain bike, I don't open water fish, I don't need it for my vehicle.

The things I'm looking for are Garmin, large display, topo maps, PC upload/download capability and the ability to set a waypoint by coordinates. That's about it. I don't want to spend $500 to get those along with things I'll never use.

Anything worth getting, or just use what I have until it dies?
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It's not that life is so short, it's that you're dead for so long.

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#279078 - 01/26/16 07:48 PM Re: Is it worth upgrading my gps? [Re: Malpaso]
chaosmagnet Online   content
Sheriff
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/03/09
Posts: 3819
Loc: USA
My 13-year-old Garmin eTrex Summit, while slower to get a fix and with less battery life than newer units, continues to impress me with its ridiculous ruggedness and longevity. If your existing unit continues to meet your needs, it's hard for me to advocate replacing it.

For others reading this: As always, make sure that you have non-electronic backups that you know how to use. I don't get out as much as I'd like to, so I set important waypoints in my GPS but otherwise don't use it other than spot checks. This helps me keep my map, compass and observation skills from degrading.

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#279080 - 01/26/16 08:09 PM Re: Is it worth upgrading my gps? [Re: chaosmagnet]
Russ Offline
Geezer

Registered: 06/02/06
Posts: 5357
Loc: SOCAL
One reason to upgrade is that the newer 60 series Garmin receivers can use Lithium primary batteries which was one reason I had considered upgrading. Then I switched to rechargable NiMH batteries and I see no reason to upgrade from an already great GPS.

One reason to upgrade is that the newer Garmin receivers such as the Garmin GPSMAP 64st use Russian GLONASS as well as the U.S. GPS system which may be a good capability. Don't know.
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Better is the Enemy of Good Enough.
Okay, what’s your point??

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#279082 - 01/26/16 08:45 PM Re: Is it worth upgrading my gps? [Re: Malpaso]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
I am the proud owner of a discontinued Garmin GPSr, and I continue to use it profitably. If your unit is performing adequately for your needs, what reason would there be to replace it, especially if the available models have superfluous features? Is this a trick question?
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#279104 - 01/27/16 06:54 PM Re: Is it worth upgrading my gps? [Re: hikermor]
Malpaso Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 09/12/05
Posts: 817
Loc: MA
Originally Posted By: hikermor
Is this a trick question?


Nope, just wondering if I was missing something in the new models. Doesn't look like I am. Thanks all.
_________________________
It's not that life is so short, it's that you're dead for so long.

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#279109 - 01/27/16 11:44 PM Re: Is it worth upgrading my gps? [Re: Malpaso]
Alex Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 03/01/07
Posts: 1034
Loc: -
I've switched to the phone completely for the past 7-8 years. It's always with me anyway, so why don't use it for navigation? There are plenty of amazing Nav software available. The battery never been an issue, as it's well taken care of through the day already (spare batteries, huge power bank, portable solar panels, AA/Car charging adapters, or you can get one of these if you have too little sun at your neck of the woods). The mechanical protection is good enough for me with the OtterBox defender case, especially with its belt clip and neck/hand lanyard (I rarely travel by water, though, but waterproofing cases are available as well). I cannot imagine a situation a dedicated consumer grade unit could be better than (or even on par with) a top Android smart phone (have no idea about the iGadgets) if the later is properly rigged for hiking. Always wondering how that ancient industry is surviving still?

I'm still keeping my 16 years old eTrex in one of my three BOBs though.

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#279411 - 02/07/16 09:12 PM Re: Is it worth upgrading my gps? [Re: Alex]
MostlyHarmless Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 06/03/09
Posts: 982
Loc: Norway
Smart phones touch screens + bad weather = bad.

My cluncy old Magellan meridian color has big fat buttons, I can operate it with heavy clumsy mittens, no matter how bad the weather.
http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/magellanmeridiancolour.php

For fair weather I use my smart phone for just about anything, and switch between a handful of map applications.

Which is exactly why I haven't spent money on replacing the old trusty magellan clunker with something more modern. The user interface is frankly quite horrible before you get to know it, and the screen isn't impressive by any modern standard. But when I really need something reliable - I bring out the old clunker.

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#279435 - 02/09/16 04:44 PM Re: Is it worth upgrading my gps? [Re: MostlyHarmless]
jshannon Offline
Addict

Registered: 02/02/03
Posts: 647
Loc: North Texas
With the right smartphone case, you might could mimick the big buttons of the magellan? Maybe no cases really have big buttons.

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#279445 - 02/10/16 04:27 AM Re: Is it worth upgrading my gps? [Re: MostlyHarmless]
Eugene Offline
Carpal Tunnel

Registered: 12/26/02
Posts: 2995
Originally Posted By: MostlyHarmless
Smart phones touch screens + bad weather = bad.


There are weatherproof smart phones, though I still cling to my Garmin Etrex legend.

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#279446 - 02/10/16 05:19 AM Re: Is it worth upgrading my gps? [Re: jshannon]
Alex Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 03/01/07
Posts: 1034
Loc: -
Originally Posted By: jshannon
With the right smartphone case, you might could mimick the big buttons of the magellan? Maybe no cases really have big buttons.

Buttons? What buttons? Just tell it what you want! wink
Seriously, I'm developing a GIS app at the moment over the Google Maps. If you can come up with a concise list of voice commands you may want your typical GPS to understand, I could think of implementing that someday.

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