GPS - Garmin vista cx maps qustion

Author

Garmin vista cx maps qustion

stolarskin

2007-05-24, 10:33 am

New user.
Anybody have one that
has upgraded maps and would
know what is the best way to go
for road and hiking use?
Would like backroad, country roads.
Garmin advises to use navigator for the vista cx.

Jack Erbes

2007-05-24, 3:33 pm

stolarskin wrote:
> New user.
> Anybody have one that
> has upgraded maps and would
> know what is the best way to go
> for road and hiking use?
> Would like backroad, country roads.
> Garmin advises to use navigator for the vista cx.

For road use, City Navigator (V8 is current, V9 will probably be out
later this year).

For topo use, U.S Topo is not too bad. It is like 1:100,00 mapping with
a few extra contour lines and maybe a little detail too. Garmin has
some 1:24,000 topo mapping (24K Topo) but it is only selected coverage
of some national parks and it is about three times as expensive as U.S.
Topo.

I find the 1:100,000 mapping on the GPS (I have a 76Cx) to be adequate
for most purposes, and, for any kind of serious hiking, I'd have a paper
1:24K USGS Quad with me for better detail and backup to the GPS. And a
compass of course.

The "x" series Garmin handhelds are really hard to beat for all around
use. They will do autorouting on the roads on the base map and on City
Navigator street and highway supplemental mapping too of course. So if
you take it in the car you can get full service navigation unit as long
as you can live with a smaller display and no voice prompts (but some
appropriate warning tones for turns). The larger turning prompts that
pop up as you follow road routes go a long ways for compensating for the
smaller detail view.

If you think there is a chance of having it for long term use, I'd
recommend looking at the 60/76CX or CSx models for a not too big a
difference in price. Those have the SiRF III chip set and much better
receiver sensitivity and processing speed. And all the "x" series
models are great at saving and recording tracks for later review, have
good battery life, and are just hard to beat for usefulness and
versatility.

Jack

stolarskin

2007-05-24, 10:33 pm

Thanks Jack.
I just received it and put some batteries in it today.
It is a neat unit, easily readable and my eyesight isn't that great.
I was originally set on the Venture Cx and then
at the last minute opted for the Vista CX.
I wanted to stay around it's price range, otherwise
I would have gotten the 70 series.
My brother-in-law has a 70 series, can't remember
the exact number. I did have a chance to use his
and it was challenging to drive and try and learn it at the same time.
We both got lost on a road trip, he because
he didn't have it, and me, because I didn't know how to use
the darn thing.
So, figured with gas prices on the rise, it
might be a good idea to get one and cut down on extra
driving, on account of being a really bad navigator.

"Jack Erbes" <jacker@midmaine.com> wrote in message
news:4655f297$0$2811
$4c368faf@roadrunner
.com...
> stolarskin wrote:
>
> For road use, City Navigator (V8 is current, V9 will probably be out later
> this year).
>
> For topo use, U.S Topo is not too bad. It is like 1:100,00 mapping with a
> few extra contour lines and maybe a little detail too. Garmin has some
> 1:24,000 topo mapping (24K Topo) but it is only selected coverage of some
> national parks and it is about three times as expensive as U.S. Topo.
>
> I find the 1:100,000 mapping on the GPS (I have a 76Cx) to be adequate for
> most purposes, and, for any kind of serious hiking, I'd have a paper 1:24K
> USGS Quad with me for better detail and backup to the GPS. And a compass
> of course.
>
> The "x" series Garmin handhelds are really hard to beat for all around
> use. They will do autorouting on the roads on the base map and on City
> Navigator street and highway supplemental mapping too of course. So if
> you take it in the car you can get full service navigation unit as long as
> you can live with a smaller display and no voice prompts (but some
> appropriate warning tones for turns). The larger turning prompts that pop
> up as you follow road routes go a long ways for compensating for the
> smaller detail view.
>
> If you think there is a chance of having it for long term use, I'd
> recommend looking at the 60/76CX or CSx models for a not too big a
> difference in price. Those have the SiRF III chip set and much better
> receiver sensitivity and processing speed. And all the "x" series models
> are great at saving and recording tracks for later review, have good
> battery life, and are just hard to beat for usefulness and versatility.
>
> Jack

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