The 60Cx uses the data from the Satellites you are receiving to display your direction on a compass page. If you are standing still and rotating your body slowly under cover the 60Cx compass is not as sensitive. The electronic compass of the 60CSx is more sensitive. Elevation on the 60Cx is base on satellites data.
60Cx Manual
http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/GPSMAP60Cx_OwnersManual.pdfThe 60Cx and 60CSx share the same ability to create, and store locations (waypoints). For example when I park my vehicle I create a waypoint PK1 at that location, and even use the park or vehicle symbol. The 60Cx or CSx and be put into the TRACK mode and you can create a track from your vehicle and back. Let’s say you have hunted two miles out from your vehicle, and you do not want to return by that route. When you get to your return point Go to the find button, select the Waypoint icon, select the PK1 waypoint, select Go To. On you Map page you will get a line from your location to Pk1. Just walk the line and the pointer was represents you will move in that direction. Start walking in the wrong direction and the pointer will move in the wrong direction.
60CSx Manual
http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/GPSMAP60CSx_OwnersManual.pdfOn the Compass Page the Pointer will point in the direction you want to travel. When you make your turns the electronic compass will be more sensitive to your movements, and it is at an advantage. The electronic compass also has a sight and go feature what is nice.
Let’s say you are out in the woods and sight a white snag a mile away. On the Compass Page you select sight and go. Holding the unit level with the face up, you select the Lock Direction option. The compass point will continue to point at the point you have selected to go to. I like the option.
I have used the Satellite compass for years for hunting and have had no problems with. If money is an issue it is a good tool.
Two years ago I did a lot of pre-season scouting using my Garmin 76Cx (60Cx). I studied food sources, deer tracks, ground stand locations, and other features. I created waypoints for ground stand. I also created a waypoint for the location I needed to turn off the State Highway on to a poorly marked logging road. I created a waypoint from which I planned to park my vehicle and start hunting.
On opening morning I left home at 2 a.m. I was glad I had created a waypoint at my turn-off on to the logging road. The highway department had plowed snow during the night and the turn-off was not visible. At that point I selected the parking location waypoint and drove to it. After parking and gearing up I selected the most likely stand location and hunted that direction.
As I approached the area I heard a lot of crashing sounds. I check the area the sound was coming from and I could see the vegetation shaking and a large set of horns tearing it. I watched it for about twenty minutes and could not see a clean shot. I brought the rifle to my shoulder and the buck spotted the movement and took off running. My only hope was to run in the direction of the stand (waypoint) I had marked thinking the buck might cross an opening there. The buck dropped within feet of the waypoint.
Last year I was hunting a different location and shot a buck. It looked like a good shot but the buck took off running. I created a waypoint and the location I was setting, and where the buck was standing at the shot. I had the gps in TRACK MODE. The buck was quickly located, and I called my hunting partners on the 530CHx and let them know I had a buck down. We were on public land and this cut out the shouting back and forth for them to hone in on my location. As soon as I hit the transmitter button my ICON was placed on the screen of their Rino 520C and 530CHx. All they need to do was Trac to my location.
Wife’s and mother’s like us to have this feature get to be a senior citizen and they treat you like a five year old.
The manual for the 520HCx and 530HCx.
http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/Rino520HCx_OwnersManual.pdfFor the Peer to Peer position feature to work the other user must have a Garmin Rino radio. It will communicate with many other FRS/GMRS radios. I take a couple of Midland radios on trips for other people to use.
The next morning I was taxi driver for my hunting partners. Part of the plan for the day was that after the partners cleared the area I had killed my buck, I was going to hike in and find the fired case. Before leaving the pickup that morning I created a waypoint, and then selected the waypoint I had created when I shot the buck. I hiked directly to the waypoint and immediately found the case. Next I worked my way back to the road and the gut pile which I had marked with a waypoint. It looked like some critters got to the gut pile. Not sure if it was a bear, because there were no big scat piles handy. A lot of bear sign a few hundred yards away.
You can also determine elevation using the units I mentioned in conjunction with Map Source Topo 2008 installed on a Micro SD card. Go to the map page; select the PAN MAP option and using the rocker button you can move the White Pointer to the different contour lines and the elevation will display. Not hard to determine how much elevation you need to gain or lose.
Before I leave the house on a hunting trip I create a hunt plan which includes LAT/LONGS from my waypoints, names of landmarks, and the different counties I might be hunting in. In many counties the sheriff is responsible for S&R.
