Kent10

Hi:

I plan on buying my first GPS and am strongly leaning towards the Garmin 60CSX. We do a lot of hiking but don’t generally need one for the car though it could be useful at times. I have done a lot of reading but I still have a few questionsregarding the maps.

The maps for sale do not have dates on them. Are the DVD’s sold on Garmin’s site the latest? I read that they are coming out with more frequent updates and so my guess is that the DVD’s may not be the latest. I could find a better deal from another site but I can’t tell what year the maps are from. It looks like I could buy this Amazon.com: Garmin City Navigator North America for Detailed Maps of the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico (DVD): Electronics but it appears to be very old. If I were to get the numaps Lifetime North America for $120 then it wouldn’t matter I guess. Will this idea work (to buy an old version for less money and then buy the lifetime updates) or am I missing something. Or would it be a smart idea to forgo the City Navigator maps for the 60CSX and just buy a nuvi with included lifetime updates. Is this what most 60CSX owners do if they need some auto navigation. For the price of the maps you could buy a nuvi with lifetime updates.

For the Topo maps I have read that the 24k maps in some cases do not have some information regarding trails and other POI that the 100k maps have. On Garmin’s web site they allow you to sample the 100k maps.(Click “View Map”) https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?...29#overviewTab Is there anywhere I could sample the 24k maps to see if I would like them.The map is not interactive here https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?...19#overviewTab Is it true there is a lot missing on the 24k maps? I see you can download some for free from this site GPSFileDepot - Garmin Compatible Custom Maps What is your experience with these compared to the Garmin? I live in AZ.

Lastly, Garmin sells a lot of 100k maps. I see one for all of the US and then I see some by region. (Under “Buy Additional Maps”) https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?...pID=310#mapTab Are the region ones the same maps but just a smaller area of the US and therefore cheaper or are they different maps.

Thanks for any help. Kent

rugerkahr

The best deal going for the City Navigator North America maps is the nuMaps lifetime subscription. Check again on Amazon. I've seen it for $79 and that's a STEAL seeing as how ONE yearly update used to cost $60-70. Just be advised that the subscription is locked to a single GPS unit and cannot be transferred...even if you buy a newer Garmin down the road (no pun intended).

I bought the TOPO US 2008 maps for around $80, if I remember correctly. Fortunately, those maps are NOT locked to a single unit and can be used on as many Garmins as desired.

I have a Nuvi and a 60CSx and they both work fine with either City Navigator or TOPO. I never use TOPO on the Nuvi, but use both on the 60CSx. I think it's worth having backup road navigation on the 60CSx for long trips because my Nuvi is pretty old and could croak at any time.

Kent10

Thanks rugerkahr. I didn't realize I could buy the lifetime updates from another source so that will save me a lot of money if I do get it for the 60CSX.

rugerkahr

Yes. NEVER buy maps from Garmin directly, unless they are the ONLY source. They are always the most expensive. In the "bad old days" before lifetime map updates, a single update from Garmin was $75 (might have been $79) and they were the only source when it first came out. Go figure...they'd release an update around May, be the only supplier, and then finally allow third party vendors to start selling it around September when the summer driving/vacation season was over. You could then find the updates for much less. I got one for $55 on Amazon.

You have two choices with the nuMaps lifetime subscription on Amazon. Buy the card with the unlock code (or whatever) on it and wait for it in the mail or get it instantly on-line, which costs a bit more. I think I saw it for $99 versus the "in the mail" card at $79.

Kent10

Thanks again. That is very helpful. I found a lifetime update for $74 incl shipping from a seller on Amazon and he states "This is NOT a DVD ROM. Cards will be physically shipped only. No codes will be emailed." What do you receive when you buy the lifetime updates. Is it a card with a key on it.

Edit: I see now that you can buy an activation code or get a gift card with a code on it.

rugerkahr

Yes, it is a credit type card with the info you need on it to get the maps. I'm not sure specifically how that works, but I'm guessing you create a myGarmin account, hook up your GPS via USB and register it. Registering the GPS is a good idea anyway. Then you can "link" that code to that GPS. All of the map software is on Garmin's website and will be downloaded/installed at that point. It WILL take a long time.

Because I can be impatient ( )and I like having the latest maps, I ponied up the full $120 for the lifetime maps when Garmin first offered them. I still think it was a good deal as I've updated four times, which would have cost at least $200 the "old way". And, Garmin has been releasing a quarterly update instead of only once per year. They say "UP to four updates per year" and, so far, that's been the case...but it has only been a year. They first offered it in Jan 2009.

HumVee

FYI...if you are an AMA (American Motorcycle Association) member, you get discounts on both GPS units and maps on the Garmin store. I got my zumo 660 for less than I could find it at other online retailers, and I got it quickly. Just go to www.garmin.com/ama (you'll need your AMA member number).

Kent10

Unfortunately I am not a member but thanks for the info.

Suchmann

I have City Navigator North America v8 - All Regions, , which is dated Apr 06, and the Garmin MyMaps page tells me there is no map update available. Would the nüMaps Lifetime™ or nüMaps Onetime™ update options give me more recent maps than that? City Navigator 2011, maybe?

Andy

Seems like non-preloaded maps always say there isn't any map update available. Not sure why. My 76CSx does the same thing.