As of 2010 the GPSMAP 60CSx is considered by many enthusiasts to be one of the best all-around handheld GPS unit available on the consumer market today.

The GPSMAP 60CSx is an upgrade of the GPSMAP 60CS, one of the best selling handheld GPS units for outdoor and marine use. This unit features a removable microSD card so you can expand the mapping memory. This has been one of the most requested features by Garmin customers and is reason enough to upgrade from the GPSMAP 60CS. The microSD card slot is located inside the waterproof battery compartment and users can load map data and transfer routes and waypoints through the unit’s fast USB connection.

Perhaps the most exciting feature of the GPSMAP 60CSx is the new, highly sensitive, third-generation GPS receiver chip by SiRF. This SiRFStar III chip locks on to satellite signals faster and lets users track their position in more challenging conditions like heavy tree cover or deep canyons. The GPSMAP 60CSx also features a barometric altimeter for accurate elevation data and an electronic compass that can be used while stationary.

The GPSMAP 60CSx sports a large color TFT screen and turn-by-turn routing. Each unit ships with a blank 64 MB microSD card. It is possible to purchase new microSD cards that are pre-loaded with MapSource Topo and inland lake maps, BlueChart marine cartography, and City Navigator street maps. You can also take advantage of the removable microSD memory and upload map data to a blank card from your PC. The contains maps of all of the USA on one CD for not much more than just one section of the country on a preloaded microSD card.

Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx Portable Navigator – 2.66 Active Matrix TFT – 12
Price: $380.18
The gpsmap 60csx portable navigator is one of most popular models for outdoor and marine use.  It contains a removable microsd card for detailed mapping memory and a waterproof rugged housing. The microsd card slot is located inside the waterproof battery compartment. It features a new highly sensitive gps receiver that acquires satellites faster and lets users track their location in challenging conditions such as heavy foliage or deep canyons. Owners of new x-series handhelds can also purchase new microsd cards that are pre-loaded with mapsource topo and inland lake maps, bluechart marine cartography, and city navigator street maps.

Do you know the difference between these GPS map formats? If not, read on…

GPS receivers and computers work best as a team. With the relatively small screen size of a GPS receiver, it’s easiest to plan your routes using GPS maps on your personal computer. But are these computer maps the same as what you see on your GPS receiver?

Raster GPS Maps For Your PC

The GPS maps you use on your personal computer are caller “raster” maps. They can provide a lot of detailed information but they also require large amounts of computer memory and processing power. Raster maps also require good screen resolution for the detailed map information. Your computer can provide both the power and good screen resolution for these raster GPS maps. However, your GPS receiver doesn’t have the memory, processing speed or high enough screen resolution for these raster maps. That’s why for your GPS receiver you’ll need:

Vector GPS Maps For Your GPS Receiver

The maps you use on your GPS receiver are called “vector” maps. These maps are based on plotted lines and points instead of an image. This way of storing map data takes up much less memory and is also easier for small GPS receivers to process. Since there isn’t as much detail, the lower resolution screens of GPS receivers are able to display these vector maps with good results.

Where To Get Vector GPS Maps

The vector maps for your GPS receiver will come from the manufacturer of your receiver. Each manufacturer uses proprietary mapping data so any maps for your GPS receiver will need to be purchased from them. Most GPS receivers include a basic “base map” of the region of the world it is purchased in. This is a very limited map and most users opt to purchase at least the 1:100,000 scale maps available for their GPS receiver.

Maps are generally available in either topographic format or city format. If you plan to use your GPS receiver mostly for hiking, fishing, skiing, etc. then you’ll naturally want the topographic format. And if you’ll be using your receiver for navigation in and between cities then you’ll opt for the city navigation maps. If your GPS receiver has “auto routing” capabilities, keep in mind that those capabilities may only be enabled when city navigation maps are installed.

Examples of Vector GPS Maps:

Topograhical Maps:

• Garmin MapSource United States Topo

• Magellan MapSend Topo 3D USA

City Maps:

• Garmin City Navigator North America

• Magellan Direct Route US

Where To Get Raster GPS Maps

The raster maps for use on your PC might come from one or from many different sources. Perhaps the best low-cost GPS maps available right now are from Google Earth. If your GPS receiver is supported (and it probably is), you can use the Google Earth software for $20/year. This paid version enables the ability to upload and download GPX waypoints and tracks between your computer and GPS receiver.

Other raster maps of all sorts are available from a variety of vendors. It is important to make sure that whichever raster map software you choose is compatible with your GPS receiver. If you have any doubts make sure to ask the software vendor before you purchase the map.

Examples of Raster GPS Maps:

• Google Earth (Mac & PC)

• National Geographic TOPO! (Mac & PC)

• MacGPS Pro (Mac Only)

• Microsoft Mapoint (PC Only)

The answer to this question keeps changing along with advancing technology as well as United States law. The first consumer GPS receivers on the market were far less accurate than the receivers available today even though the satellites are the same. Also, before the year 2000, the military intentionally introduced inaccuracies into the civilian GPS signal for “security” reasons. They called this intentional signal error “Selective Availability”. In May of 2000, President Clinton made a decision to turn off SA and allow civilians access to increasingly accurate GPS signals. The military still has the ability to turn off or introduce errors into GPS signals at any time and with no notice but this ability is generally only used for specific reasons of national security.

The best consumer GPS technology available as of 2009 achieves an accuracy level of 15 to 30 feet under normal conditions. Garmin, currently the most popular manufacturer of GPS receivers, claims their GPS units are accurate to within 50 feet 95% of the time. Even within the Garmin GPS receiver line, accuracy specs differ because of the different chips used in the design of different receivers.

GPS Receiver Design Affects GPS Accuracy

If you are looking for the most accurate consumer GPS unit, it’s important to pay attention to the unit’s chip type. The latest technology in GPS receiver chips is the SiRFStar III from SiRF. With this chip in your receiver and WAAS enabled you can expect to reach the best GPS accuracy levels available under current conditions.

Environmental Factors Affect GPS Accuracy

Many different environmental factors can also affect the accuracy of your GPS receiver. Heavy tree cover, tall buildings, deep canyons, and any location in which your view of the sky is limited can affect how accurate your GPS is. Atmospheric conditions can also degrade the accuracy of your GPS unit.

As you can see, there is no easy answer to the question “how accurate is GPS?”. However, you now know the main factors that can affect GPS accuracy.