Garmin eTrex Legend Cx

Jonathan,
I also own an eTrex (Vista). My advice to you is sell them both before they depreciate much more. Then add some more cash to the pile and buy a SiRFstarIII enabled GPS such as the 60Cx. All reports are that the SiRFstarIII processor is WAY better in signal reception and accuracy. To paraphrase the reports I read, there was GPS before SiRF, and GPS after SiRF, it's that good.

I can't afford/justify the extra cost quite yet, but soon I am going to sell my Geko and eTrex and get a SiRF.

If SiRF is so good, what GPS devices use it? I couldn't find this out with a bit of google searching. Mayble you can answer this Brett.

Craig,
You can read about it here;
http://www.gpslodge.com/archives/004566.php
Garmin uses it in some high-end models.
http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap60csx/
.and even a few lower-cost models..
http://www.garmin.com/products/edge305/
Recently SiRF has had more competition from companies like GlobalLocate, so I hope we will see better and more economical GPS CPUs market wide.
http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=SiRF+gps&hl=en&btnG=Search+Froogle

While the Legend Cx doesn't have the SiRF chip, it does have enhanced sensitivity and extended battery life compared to the Legend C, so keeping it and selling the older unit is clearly the way to go.

I've had one for half a year and am impressed at its ability to retain a signal under tree cover, and the battery life is also quite impressive. I also like the USB interface (once I updated my Topo! software to a version that is USB enabled).

Here are some good reviews on new 60CSx versus old 60CS:
http://patrick-roeder.de/reviews/garmin_gpsmap_60CSx.htm
http://gpsinformation.org/penrod/g60csx/60csx.html

The new chip in the 60Cx/60CSx does sound amazing.
But the drawbacks to me of that model are:
– Compared to the Legend Cx, the size is too bulky to keep it comfortably in a very basic lightweight pocket on a pack strap up high.
– Battery life is only a little over half that of the Legend Cx.

Those stupid color displays eat batteries at a fierce rate. Color is not needed for trail work; they're after the automobile crowd.

Have to disagree about color displays. The B/W Legend's battery life is 18 hours while the color Legend Cx's is 32. Color doesn't seem particularly helpful for non-basemap GPS, but is *very* helpful in sorting through the many data layers on a mapping GPS.

Battery life is affected more by the chipset, use of the backlight and extras like a magnetic compass and barometric altimeter.

I would take exception with the color need statement above, I find color a valuable delineator, making some features much easier to see or stand out in a field of topolines and other not always obvious. I've had both color and b/w, and would take color (assuming the software can drive it) any day.

Regarding battery life and SiRF III:
I get about 30 – 35 hours out of my Garmin 76 CSx, effectively the same unit as the 60 CSX, except it floats and the buttons are in a position I like better.

I use lithium, which helps with the life. If you nurse the use of it, the batteries can last weeks on a trek, unless you want a millisecond by millisecond account, then you can run +/- 3-4 long hiking days easily.

As Rick notes, these are with the bario. altimeter and magnetic compass turned off, they make a measurable dent (20 – 40%) in battery life.

The SiRF III chipset is impressive, I stay locked in locations where everyone else has lost satellites, and I can use in residences and some other single story buildings.

If you hike under canopies or in steep canyons, SiRF III is worth a serious consideration.

Regards,
MikeB

Just happened across this little unit with SiRF GPS for a Pocket PC device. Seems it plugs into the memory slot and needs separate software, but I would assume that someone with a Pocket PC and the know-how might be able to make this work.

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?invtid=GR-271&cat=GPS

Also, anyone looking for a complete waterproof wrist size unit for $129 (and feeling lucky, as this website looks a little sketchy to me) should check out the following URL.

http://base.google.com/base/a/ucanc1/1278294/D6204133436321715290

I just did a Froogle search on "SiRF" as Brett suggested.

-Mark

>As Rick notes, these are with the bario. altimeter and magnetic compass turned off, they make a measurable dent (20 – 40%) in battery life.

I know the compass turns off. Can you turn the altimeter off, or just get a baro-altitude reading when you need it? I rarely need an accurate altimeter reading (I find the sat-fix altitude to be close enough) and I didn't want to waste the battery on altitude/baro tracking. If I could actually disable that feature until I needed it (or if, unlike the compass, it takes very little power) I would buy the CSx instead. (My HighGear altimeter watch doesn't seem to use much power, but I'm not sure if the CSx's baro-altimeter feature is similar.)

> Can you turn the altimeter off, or just get a baro-altitude reading when you need it?

I have a Vista C, which has the built-in electronic compass and altimeter/barometer. On this unit, I can only turn off the compass, not the altimeter/barometer. I assume the consumption on the former is significant compared to the latter; this agrees with my compass watch which turns the compass off after 1 minute or so while the altimter/barometer is always "on."

The main reason for an electronic compass in a GPS unit is to take bearings and such when stopped. The GPS compass only works while moving… Aside from turning it off, I can manage the electronic compass power consumption on the Vista C by setting the interval that the unit waits below a set mph before switching to the electronic compass (above these values, the GPS compass is used). I assume all Garmin GPSRs with electronic compass have this setting.

At least on the 76CSx, you can turn the Bario and mag. compass on or off (individually controlled). The only time I would see that you might need the mag compass, as indicated earlier, is if you're stopped for some time and want a heading. It does not take very long for the GPS compass to re acquire an accurate direction of movement once you start going again.

As for the bario. altimeter, if you have GPS sat. sight, that will typically be much more accurate (particular on the CSx models or others with SiRF III chipset) than most any bario. altimeter. There are only a few exceptions I can think of when you might want to turn it on:

Mini-weather station, you can determine the bario. pressure with it. I'm sure there are other reasons for bario users.

You are in a location that has poor coverage (dense canopy or in a super narrow canyon or bottom of a well :)

DoD has a reason to start dinking with the SA – Selective Availability in a more serious way (ie.; more than 10 – 100 feet serious. If this happens, you're probably in an active area of military events, it might say you're far from where you really are, and you might really wish you were somewhere else:) This would be in the situation where a threat were thought to be using their GPS system to launch an attack on the US or other area of interest.

One other point on behalf of the SiRF III chip set is the WAAS capability, this gives you a very accurate position fix compared to typical use.

Hope that helps.
MikeB