New to Geocache & purchased old GPS

[spazitha]

Hi Guys!!

 

I seriously have never done any geocaching before but it seems so fun and interesting. I even am taking a class at USC later this semester on it. I purchased an OLD Garmin GPSmap 60cs. Is this going to be too obsolete? I got it on eBay for a good price, and didn't want anything fancy until I had more experience. I also didn't want to use my phone, but my phone is older and dies all the time. Will I have to purchase any maps or anything? Sorry for all the questions, I'm going blind into this!

 

Tabitha

[+msrubble]

I purchased an OLD Garmin GPSmap 60cs. Is this going to be too obsolete?

 

Heck, no. It is an older model, and discontinued, but very capable. For years, many regarded the 60csx (like yours, but with a memory card slot) as the gold standard of geocaching units.

 

You won't be able to do "paperless" geocaching, that is, load the cache description and hint into this unit.

 

Will I have to purchase any maps or anything?

 

This model comes with a basemap, which might be minimal, with only major highways. The Garmin site says it has the ability to add maps, but the manual mentions only MapSource. One can still get MapSource, although Garmin discourages it. You may be able to get free street maps from openstreetmap.nl.

 

If you want to add maps, you might be better asking in the GPS section of the forums about the capabilities of this GPS unit and how to add maps.

 

My advice: see if the basemap is good enough for your purposes, while you ask how easy or hard it would be to add maps.

[+cerberus1]

I'm still using an '07 60cxs with mapsource topo US installed (in '08 I believe).

Old reliable.

I'd think if you don't plan on hitting the boonies for a while, the basemap in the unit should be fine.

If you ever do decide to get maps, head to the GPS forums, where one of the wizards there may be able to drum you up a free version.

[+Bear and Ragged]

Lacks 'Paperless' ability. (The cache details wont be shown on it)

But a good unit in it's day.

[+oldsoldier]

Hi Guys!!

 

I seriously have never done any geocaching before but it seems so fun and interesting. I even am taking a class at USC later this semester on it. I purchased an OLD Garmin GPSmap 60cs. Is this going to be too obsolete? I got it on eBay for a good price, and didn't want anything fancy until I had more experience. I also didn't want to use my phone, but my phone is older and dies all the time. Will I have to purchase any maps or anything? Sorry for all the questions, I'm going blind into this!

 

Tabitha

 

I have the same model. I bought it when it first came out, and love it. Accuracy is amazing. I have seen other models come out, but, honestly, there is nothing offered that I dont already have, with newer models. I have maps, I can load caches, it shows my history-the only thing I can NOT do is log finds & read cache descriptions. But, I have my phone for that, so, it doesnt matter. So, no, they arent obsolete, by any means. Most of my finds were on that device. And continue to be

[Pup Patrol]

I love our 60! Old Reliable.

 

We have never added any extra maps to it, and get along just fine. This is in Canada, and on some pretty "obscure" roads. No problem at all.

 

I always, always take printouts with us. I make up a Notepad file of the caches we're looking for. I include the GC code, cache name, coordinates, D/T rating, the size, any helpful info from the cache page and previous logs, and the decrypted hint.

 

We don't need a lot of bells & whistles, so it is a great unit for us.

 

One of the most helpful things on it is the calendar. Once we log a cache as "found" on the gps, it records the date. That comes in helpful more times than I like to admit.

 

Lacks 'Paperless' ability. (The cache details wont be shown on it)

But a good unit in it's day.

 

OP is a Basic Member, only able to load .loc files into the gps, so "paperless" caching is not an option.

 

And the 60's day seems to be these days, if only the cachers using it were as on the ball as they could be.

 

 

B.

Edited January 14, 2015 by Pup Patrol

[Mr.Yuck]

I'm still using an '07 60cxs with mapsource topo US installed (in '08 I believe).

Old reliable.

I'd think if you don't plan on hitting the boonies for a while, the basemap in the unit should be fine.

If you ever do decide to get maps, head to the GPS forums, where one of the wizards there may be able to drum you up a free version.

 

I guess this was almost 3 1/2 years ago now, but I was still surprised at the time. When my party stumbled on Alamogul, the no. 1 cache finder in the world in the woods in July 2011 during Geowoodstock, and went on to find several caches with him, he was still using a 60csx! He may have upgraded by now, of course.

 

Agree with what I'm quoting above about the maps, and the whole 60 series (I think there were 5 different models) still perform excellent.