Garmin 60CS vs 76CS

G-Force Junkie · 11-30-2005, 09:48 PM

Any big pros or cons to either unit? I am looking to upgrade from my E-trex. Both appear close to the same size, same screen size, etc. Only difference I see is internal memory double in the 76CS. Any other reason why one is better than the other? Intended use is on my GS, occationaly on my duel sport XR, and ocationaly hand held for hiking (so the big 276 is out of the question.)

Mike

araspitfire · 12-01-2005, 03:08 AM

I've got a 60C. I had a Vista before that and didn't think the extra sensors did all that much for me... (when in the mountains GPS altitude is good enough... when not in the mountains, who needs it?... And if Under tree cover, I keep a real compass handy for direction backup anyways...)

The one problem with my 60C is that there is no provision to get the sound out of it, except via its external speaker... I'm about half way through a project where I use a Microcontroler to take the NMEA data, display various bits of it (and temperature from a sensor) on an LCD... plus pipe a turn ahead beep (and flash some bright LED's,) into my Autocom so I can hear it... I am a strong believer of having audible warnings of upcoming turns... I don't like to fixate on my GPS when following a route.

On the plus side, I love the excelent performance of my 60C at keeping lock on satalites, I love the small size, the great screen...

Another thing to think about. With many GPS's that have NiMH batteries in them oriented in the fore-aft direction, the vibration of the bike causes the batteries to loose contact, making the thing a pain... I'd never run it mounted to a bike without external power... (and yes, in order to get a decent mountain biking experience out of the 60C, I've modified the battery compartment so that the batteries don't loose contact while on my bicycle, but they still did on the GS I rented for a day)

Al...

dizave · 12-01-2005, 04:23 AM

Which microcontroller?

Desert Dave · 12-01-2005, 05:04 AM

I've got a 76c myself. The 60c and 76c were the same price at the time so I opted for the higher memory. The 60c is a bit smaller package but not enough to make any difference or me. I think that's about the main compromise you're looking at.

I agree with Araspitfire that the regular GPS altimeter is close enough for my use. Just going off signs on the road mine is usually within 50 ft, and has never been more than 100 ft off. But more important that extra feature (and compass) draw the batteries down a lot faster, to the tune of 20 hours rated instead of 30, which could be important if you run on batteries.

I came from using a Legend and Vista myself and kind of think of these units as an E-trex on steroids

. You'll be instantly familiar with most of the functions. I was most interested in more memory and a color screen, that's what I got.

Oh yeah, the 76 also has the advantage of tide prediction charts...maybe someday that will save my life

MTRREF · 12-01-2005, 05:11 AM

60CS has half the memory and and a really crappy base map. The base map is a much bigger issue than the memory. I didn't know about the base map issue and I liked the layout better, so I bought the 60.

araspitfire · 12-01-2005, 05:47 AM

I agree about the basemap... dunno if the 76 is better, but when I bought the 60C, I didn't buy the Europe City Select map that I now have, as I had European Metroguide, and was willing to use PC generated autoroutes for a while to "save up" after the sticker shock... Man, traveling in Europe on the basemap is truly awful.

One little thing that Garmin did was make it so that while a PC generated route will download to the Vista very well, giving warnings, and turns just like any routing GPS (Without the onboard re-routing capabilities..)... they deliberately broke this functionality for moving the routes to the 60C... you get two points and the GPS has to generate the routes... boy was I steamed... (I love Garmin design and product support.. but I HATE their marketing decisions)

The microcrontroler I'm using for my little project is a Basic Stamp BS2p... the only reason I picked that one is that someone else wrote some code to get me quite a ways along the path to finished here, and I wanted to move up from the "hard route" of using PIC and struggling with the comms and stuff... so far it's been worth every penny... this project is just flying together for me.

I'll post a "ride report" on the whole thing when I'm done.

Al...

dizave · 12-01-2005, 06:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by araspitfire

The microcrontroler I'm using for my little project is a Basic Stamp BS2p... the only reason I picked that one is that someone else wrote some code to get me quite a ways along the path to finished here, and I wanted to move up from the "hard route" of using PIC and struggling with the comms and stuff... so far it's been worth every penny... this project is just flying together for me.

Nice, I've played with the stamps, they're so easy to use you'd need a good reason to choose something else. I was just thinking about making an NMEA logger with an I2C ROM or something a yesterday, so your post stuck out.

cbmwgs · 12-01-2005, 06:58 AM

I have the 76C and it has twice the memory of the 60 and a different base map. The base map is OK, buy I usually load up detail maps of areas I plan to ride.

Have used the 76C for about 2 years with no issues.

It is waterproof, so no need to remove if it starts raining.

SteveAZ · 12-01-2005, 02:20 PM

The 76 will float *with* batteries installed. I used to spend a lot of time on boats and kayaks and this is a plus in that regard even though I lanyard them when I can. One thing bad about the 176/276/376 is no easy way to lanyard.

I remember meeting a guy in the middle of a lake who had a 176C on his kayak and it went overboard. At least the fishies knew where they were until the batteries ran out...

Daniii · 12-02-2005, 08:39 AM

Been using the 60C for almost a year, and its pretty handy. It has a $20 handlebar clip, and I can load detailed maps for wherever I'm headed. And I can see it in sunlight!

Wassallj · 12-02-2005, 09:28 AM

Garmin is coming out with an X version of both these units that use trans-flash memory cards. These memory cards currently come in sizes up to 512mb. They are just coming out now and I would be sure to get one of these instead of the older units if I were buying a new one.

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catal...=SearchResults

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catal...=SearchResults

I have a 76C myself and prefer it to the 60 because it comes with more memory and has a better street basemap than the 60.

jeffva · 12-02-2005, 09:31 AM

Did the same trade up from a vista to a 60C. The 60C was my choice because I can mount on bike, car, mountainbike, hike...etc. It's memory has done fine for my one week trips of the past but sometimes wish I had more so I don't have to exclude surrounding map areas. When loading in the detail maps from city select they take more room than they topo or roads & rec that the etrex used. I also load the topos of my planned stop areas. Guess it come down to your needs. If you don't need the extra memory th e 60c is great! Worlds ahead of the vista in my opinion.

rideLD · 12-02-2005, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wassallj

Garmin is coming out with an X version of both these units that use trans-flash memory cards. These memory cards currently come in sizes up to 512mb.

Good scoop.

This is the first I have heard of this. I wonder if they will come out with a version that has the sensors and the trans-flash memory? Now if garmin could just give us a 276c or 376c that uses some off the shelf memory instead of those stupid, expensive garmin memory cards.

Its funny a search of garmins site mentions nothing about the x and no mention of anything with a TransFlash memory card. A google search of the 60cx brings up nothing either?

brewer90 · 12-02-2005, 10:25 AM

I have the 76C. The basemap sucks unless you are only staying on main highways so budget in money for City Select or a Topo CD.

I went for the 76 for the extra memory. I don't really like having the controls above the screen but it's not that big of a deal. I'm really happy with it and would buy it again.

Mr. B · 12-02-2005, 01:45 PM

I have the 76C and chose it over the 60C because of the additional memory--I'm glad I did. I took a trip from MN to Georgia for example, and the 76C had enough memory for the route to Atlanta and quite a bit of the northern GA and Tennessee for excursions. The 60C wouldn't have nearly enough memory for that.

I personally liked the style of the 60C a LOT more, but for once my brain overrode my heart, and for the better.

I got the CitySelect, also.

11-30-2005, 09:48 PM	#1
G-Force Junkie ^OP Beastly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2005 Location: Castaic, Ca (So.Cal.) Oddometer: 1,328	Garmin 60CS vs 76CS Any big pros or cons to either unit? I am looking to upgrade from my E-trex. Both appear close to the same size, same screen size, etc. Only difference I see is internal memory double in the 76CS. Any other reason why one is better than the other? Intended use is on my GS, occationaly on my duel sport XR, and ocationaly hand held for hiking (so the big 276 is out of the question.) Mike

12-01-2005, 05:04 AM	#4
Desert Dave Enjoying the moment Joined: Aug 2004 Location: Tracy, CA Oddometer: 2,448	I've got a 76c myself. The 60c and 76c were the same price at the time so I opted for the higher memory. The 60c is a bit smaller package but not enough to make any difference or me. I think that's about the main compromise you're looking at. I agree with Araspitfire that the regular GPS altimeter is close enough for my use. Just going off signs on the road mine is usually within 50 ft, and has never been more than 100 ft off. But more important that extra feature (and compass) draw the batteries down a lot faster, to the tune of 20 hours rated instead of 30, which could be important if you run on batteries. I came from using a Legend and Vista myself and kind of think of these units as an E-trex on steroids . You'll be instantly familiar with most of the functions. I was most interested in more memory and a color screen, that's what I got. Oh yeah, the 76 also has the advantage of tide prediction charts...maybe someday that will save my life __________________ See what I've been up to! Ongoing Ride Report

12-01-2005, 05:11 AM	#5
MTRREF Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jul 2004 Oddometer: 214	60CS has half the memory and and a really crappy base map. The base map is a much bigger issue than the memory. I didn't know about the base map issue and I liked the layout better, so I bought the 60. __________________ MTRREF +++++ R1200GS Adventure R1200RT

12-01-2005, 06:58 AM	#8
cbmwgs Retired Adventurer Joined: Oct 2001 Location: Texas Oddometer: 754	76c I have the 76C and it has twice the memory of the 60 and a different base map. The base map is OK, buy I usually load up detail maps of areas I plan to ride. Have used the 76C for about 2 years with no issues. It is waterproof, so no need to remove if it starts raining. __________________ MY bike page 2002 BMW R1150R Black

12-02-2005, 09:28 AM	#11
Wassallj Adventurer Joined: Oct 2001 Location: Lancaster, PA Oddometer: 75	Garmin is coming out with an X version of both these units that use trans-flash memory cards. These memory cards currently come in sizes up to 512mb. They are just coming out now and I would be sure to get one of these instead of the older units if I were buying a new one. http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catal...=SearchResults http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catal...=SearchResults I have a 76C myself and prefer it to the 60 because it comes with more memory and has a better street basemap than the 60. __________________ http://www.infionline.net/~wassallj/...Dilbertbmw.jpg

12-01-2005, 03:08 AM	#2
araspitfire Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Sep 2005 Location: Voorburg, The Netherlands Oddometer: 375	I've got a 60C. I had a Vista before that and didn't think the extra sensors did all that much for me... (when in the mountains GPS altitude is good enough... when not in the mountains, who needs it?... And if Under tree cover, I keep a real compass handy for direction backup anyways...) The one problem with my 60C is that there is no provision to get the sound out of it, except via its external speaker... I'm about half way through a project where I use a Microcontroler to take the NMEA data, display various bits of it (and temperature from a sensor) on an LCD... plus pipe a turn ahead beep (and flash some bright LED's,) into my Autocom so I can hear it... I am a strong believer of having audible warnings of upcoming turns... I don't like to fixate on my GPS when following a route. On the plus side, I love the excelent performance of my 60C at keeping lock on satalites, I love the small size, the great screen... Another thing to think about. With many GPS's that have NiMH batteries in them oriented in the fore-aft direction, the vibration of the bike causes the batteries to loose contact, making the thing a pain... I'd never run it mounted to a bike without external power... (and yes, in order to get a decent mountain biking experience out of the 60C, I've modified the battery compartment so that the batteries don't loose contact while on my bicycle, but they still did on the GS I rented for a day) Al...

12-01-2005, 04:23 AM	#3
dizave Team Blitzed Joined: Aug 2002 Location: lost Oddometer: 5,743	Which microcontroller?

12-01-2005, 05:47 AM	#6
araspitfire Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Sep 2005 Location: Voorburg, The Netherlands Oddometer: 375	I agree about the basemap... dunno if the 76 is better, but when I bought the 60C, I didn't buy the Europe City Select map that I now have, as I had European Metroguide, and was willing to use PC generated autoroutes for a while to "save up" after the sticker shock... Man, traveling in Europe on the basemap is truly awful. One little thing that Garmin did was make it so that while a PC generated route will download to the Vista very well, giving warnings, and turns just like any routing GPS (Without the onboard re-routing capabilities..)... they deliberately broke this functionality for moving the routes to the 60C... you get two points and the GPS has to generate the routes... boy was I steamed... (I love Garmin design and product support.. but I HATE their marketing decisions) The microcrontroler I'm using for my little project is a Basic Stamp BS2p... the only reason I picked that one is that someone else wrote some code to get me quite a ways along the path to finished here, and I wanted to move up from the "hard route" of using PIC and struggling with the comms and stuff... so far it's been worth every penny... this project is just flying together for me. I'll post a "ride report" on the whole thing when I'm done. Al...

12-01-2005, 02:20 PM	#9
SteveAZ Studly Adventurer Joined: Sep 2002 Location: AZ Oddometer: 813	The 76 will float with batteries installed. I used to spend a lot of time on boats and kayaks and this is a plus in that regard even though I lanyard them when I can. One thing bad about the 176/276/376 is no easy way to lanyard. I remember meeting a guy in the middle of a lake who had a 176C on his kayak and it went overboard. At least the fishies knew where they were until the batteries ran out...

12-02-2005, 08:39 AM	#10
Daniii geezer Joined: Sep 2005 Location: Plano Tx Oddometer: 19,151	Been using the 60C for almost a year, and its pretty handy. It has a $20 handlebar clip, and I can load detailed maps for wherever I'm headed. And I can see it in sunlight!

12-02-2005, 09:31 AM	#12
jeffva Gnarly Adventurer Joined: Jun 2002 Location: Hopewell, NJ Oddometer: 144	Did the same trade up from a vista to a 60C. The 60C was my choice because I can mount on bike, car, mountainbike, hike...etc. It's memory has done fine for my one week trips of the past but sometimes wish I had more so I don't have to exclude surrounding map areas. When loading in the detail maps from city select they take more room than they topo or roads & rec that the etrex used. I also load the topos of my planned stop areas. Guess it come down to your needs. If you don't need the extra memory th e 60c is great! Worlds ahead of the vista in my opinion. __________________ Jeff A

12-02-2005, 10:25 AM	#14
brewer90 Studly Adventurer Joined: Dec 2004 Location: Austin, TX Oddometer: 505	I have the 76C. The basemap sucks unless you are only staying on main highways so budget in money for City Select or a Topo CD. I went for the 76 for the extra memory. I don't really like having the controls above the screen but it's not that big of a deal. I'm really happy with it and would buy it again.

12-02-2005, 01:45 PM	#15
Mr. B Contrarian Joined: Oct 2004 Location: Minneapolis Oddometer: 1,574	76c I have the 76C and chose it over the 60C because of the additional memory--I'm glad I did. I took a trip from MN to Georgia for example, and the 76C had enough memory for the route to Atlanta and quite a bit of the northern GA and Tennessee for excursions. The 60C wouldn't have nearly enough memory for that. I personally liked the style of the 60C a LOT more, but for once my brain overrode my heart, and for the better. I got the CitySelect, also. __________________ '07 DR650, '12 Moto Guzzi Stelvio NTX

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