Garmin GPS 60Cx Handheld GPS Navigator
As it happens choosing a GPS is quite the pain. Too many makes. Too many models. Too many dealers. But I think I finally found what I need.
The first obstacle was figuring out what brand to get. Eventually I just surrendered to Garmin because that’s where all paths seemed to be leading anyway.
Next, I had to figure out which of the 20 or so models I wanted. I was looking for either a basic GPS or a mapping GPS. I was not looking for the kind you mount in a car.
Stacking up 20 GPS units side-by-side and trying to sift through the feature comparison where some features were completely over my head, didn’t help me figure out which ones would work for me.
So, I ignored price and jotted down a few features that I thought would be nice given my past experience with using GPS units.
First, without an internal compass, the GPS unit doesn’t know which direction is north until you start walking. That makes it difficult when you’re trying to find out which direction to go while standing still. The GPS I’d get had to have a compass.
Next, the screen on the GPS units I’ve used before were kind of a hassle to use. I decided a color screen would be nice.
The final feature I needed was some sort of USB connection. I found moving locations in and out of the GPS unit is too much of a chore. Hopefully the USB connection mitigates this problem.
It turns out that GPS units that meet all these requirements are more expensive than the starter models. I was looking at spending between $200 and $400.
As I glanced through these models, I noticed some had a built-in antenna, some had a quad-helix antenna, and some had a patch antenna. I’ve had lots of trouble getting a signal using the old GPS. I did some research about the quad-helix antenna and it sounded good to me.
Price was the final factor. I’m disappointed that I’m spending twice as much as I anticipated, but I think it’s worth it get something that does what I need it to do.
UPDATE: The Cx does not have a compass. You’ve got to upgrade to the CSx for a compass. Kudos to Garmin for a confusing but well-thought out feature sets.