I have a 512 MicroSD card in my 60CSx and it does well for my porpises. I'm able to keep detailed maps from NC/Va border to Miami in there and up to 1000 waypoints. Cool. But of course now that SD cards are cheap cheap I'm contemplating getting a 4GB. My question is... will the 60CSx be able to use all that memory in the form of greater map capacity and waypoint quanity? I think I had read or heard somewhere that the 60CSx can only handle so much expansion and the rest will be wasted. I looked thru the manual and on the Garmin website but couldn't find the answer. Any of you gurus know? Thanks! -JB

I am not sure, but I think 1,000 waypoints is the most you can get. I have a 1 Gig card and have quite a lot of the US and part of BC in Canada, most of the major cities I go to. I think a 2 Gig card might get the rest actually. At least the rest of the major parts of the country. I've not heard about the washout thing, so I would be curious if others know about that too.

To the best of my memory...
- The 60CSx will only support 2Gb of memory on the SD card.
- The 1000 waypoints limit is for internal memory; no limit on the SD card (limited only by size of the card)
- I just purchased a 2Gb card and City Select NT 2008. The entirety of the maps loaded in 1.6Gb of space, leaving 400mb empty.

I don't have a 60CSx, I have a Garmin iQue 3600, but I have ALL of the City Select v7 maps (all 50 US states and all of Canada) loaded on my iQue's 2GB SD card. It's only using about 1.6 GB. I consistently download about 3500 waypoints (all my unfound caches in metro Atlanta) into Cachemate and that's only a 12 MB file... I can't see why you would need more than a 2 GB card.

The 2GB card will hold all the North America maps in about 1.6 GB with about 400 MB unused. It's not wasted space though. I have mine set up to log tracks to the data card which keeps the track logs organized by date. It has been accumulating track logs since May of 2007, probably about 10k miles of tracks, and it is now at 84% capacity. The tracks can be accessed as files through the USB port.

The data card's excess capacity can also be used as a mass storage device accessed through the USB port.

I have the 2G card in mine, along wiht half the USA. I'm waiting to get the next version of City Navigator before I load the entire US.

Good info on the track log, Bob. I'm going to set mine to do that as well.

I use 1GB cards and load both City Navigator and Topo maps on them and toggle between the two. With the 1GB card I have to split the US up into 4 sections in order to not have to many map segments on each card. Right now the 60 CSX has a 2025 map segment limit imposed by Garmin's firmware.

Since I use an old version of the topo maps and don't use NT version of City Navigator the number of segments makes the use of a 2 GB cards useless as I can not use more than the 1 GB card will hold. (just as info topo maps have more segments than street maps).

If I were to just put City Navigator and not Topo maps I could put the entire US on a 2GB card. City Navigator V8 is about 1.6 GB and 306 map segments. Topo East by itself is 660 MB and 2565 Map segments (small Segments).

As far as waypoints you can put an almost unlimited amount on your GPS as POIs. I have about 2000 waypoints on my GPS and have them in multiple lists that can access through the use of custom POI sub menus.

POI

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Big Rick,

OK, now I have to know. How do you set your machine to record the Active Log onto the micro card? ...thanks

quote:

Originally posted by Phillips4:
OK, now I have to know. How do you set your machine to record the Active Log onto the micro card? ...thanks

On the Main Menu select Tracks
On the Track Page select Setup
On the Setup page select Data Card Setup
On the Data Card Setup page put a check mark in "Log Track To Data Card" box

You are then good to go. As tracks are accumulated they will be listed on this page ine the form "20070525.gpx" as files are accumulated.

Put the GPSr into USB Mass Storage mode to download the files to a computer.

Big Rick... that is so cool. How do I load the custom databases? I'm thinking that may be a way to put personal waypoints and caches from different cities without messing with the ones here is GA that are always changing.

I bought the 2 gig micro SD WITH the SD reader for my 60CSx for ~$17 online, but I think I'll use that in my camera because I can buy the micro SD preloaded with North America versus getting the DVD and uploading them myself. They're the same price.

Recap:
$140 - microSD/SD data card, City Navigator NT, North America
$140 - MapSource City Navigator North America NT

Any cons to doing this other than the map tool?

quote:

Originally posted by Joebids:
I can buy the micro SD preloaded with North America versus getting the DVD and uploading them myself. They're the same price.

Any cons to doing this other than the map tool?

I believe that if you buy the maps preloaded on the SD card you can't see that detail on your PC. I bought the DVD version and loaded directly onto the micro card thru the adaptor; took less than 5 minutes.

Thanks for all the responses! I just ordered a 2GB SanDisk MicroSD shipped to the HOW for a little less than 20 $mackeroos. Can't wait to fire it up. -JB

I have a 60CSX and am struggling getting topo maps loaded to my SD card. (don't laugh y'all) I already had Mapsource TOPO v 3.02. I can get my 60 into USB mode, but can't figure out how to get the maps there. I did a save as for my selection, which saved a tiny file to .gdb format. Not right apparently. I know I will have DUH moment when someone is nice enough to tell me what to do. I was just afraid to just send the maps to the garmin for fear they would go to the internal memmory and overwrite the basemaps - but I'm thinking that's what I need to do and I'm just making this way too complicated? Pretty please - somebody help.

Maybe one of you super smart guys on the forum can help a damsel in distress?

quote:

geomuse

If you drop me an Email I will be glad to talk you through loading Topo Maps..

Thanks Big Rick for all of your help today. You have been fantastic!

My 2G card is great but when I excitedly went to look for Big Ricks 'Custom Points of Interest' hint I didn't have one and couldn't find one. What? Then I got to looking and I don't have a 60CSx either. Mine's is a 60Cx. What a maroon! I may need to be busted down to buck muggle.

Oh well, I have yet to find 1000 waypoints/geocaches between USBing.

quote:

Originally posted by JBzHOW:
My 2G card is great but when I excitedly went to look for Big Ricks 'Custom Points of Interest' hint I didn't have one and couldn't find one. What? Then I got to looking and I don't have a 60CSx either. Mine's is a 60Cx. What a maroon! I may need to be busted down to buck muggle.

Oh well, I have yet to find 1000 waypoints/geocaches between USBing.

JB,

You will not have a Custom POI icon until you upload your custom points of interests using Garmin's Software. (free download on their site)

It will work with both the CSX and CX GPSs I have a Vista CX and it works the same. Actually you should be able to build Custom POIs with any of Garmin's GPS units that have the extra memory chip.

It even works on some of the automotive GPS units. We loaded about 1000 geocaches on a C 320 as Custom POIs.

Thanks for setting us(me) straight, Rick. You da man! I not only downloaded the Garmin POI Loader software but then went on to this site to find downloadable collections of free wi-fi sites in Metro Atl, USA DunkinDonuts(let's not tell Maggie about that one) and Offbeat Tourist attractions in GA(there's one for every state). Thousands of new waypoints on my SD card! Cool.