Customer Reviews

Garmin GPSMAP 62S Handheld GPS Navigator

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

UPDATE September 7 2010. The issues resolved below are solved by release 2.50 of the 62st firmware. I have no trouble recommending this unit at this point!

I purchased the 62st recently and took it out for a 9 mile geocaching adventure. While I like the unit very much in general, it has one major problem. Like any hiking GPS, the 62st will record your track as you hike, letting you upload it to your computer when you return home. This is very useful for keeping track of your adventures. The accuracy of the 62st's GPS, combined with its barometric altimeter, lets you accurately record your track for later use.

Sadly what I discovered is that on the 62st simply pressing buttons on the GPS interferes with the barometric altimeter. Pressing even a single button on the GPS can result in spikes in the recorded data of 30 feet or more! On my first test hike, my 62st GPS said that I had climbed more than 8000 vertical feet, while the other GPSes carried by my friends on the same hike recorded only 2000.

I did apples-to-apples comparison experiments of the Garmin 62st, Garmin 60csx and Delorme PN-40, and only the 62st exhibits this bug. Pressing buttons on the other GPSes does not interfere with the recorded track data.

I have been in contact with Garmin Support about this issue, but as of today there is no fix.

Until this issue is resolved sadly I cannot recommend the Garmin 62s or 62st. I hope for a fix soon!

UPDATE as of 8/12/2010: Today Garmin released a new set of beta firmware for the 62 series GPSes. In preliminary experiments, the new firmware seems to have significantly improved things with respect to the altimeter. I will do more testing this weekend, but the situation seems to be improving! I'll report back early next week.

UPDATE as of 8/22/2010. The beta firmware has fixed the altitude issue. Some users have reported problems in updating to the beta, so I'd still suggest holding off on a purchase until Garmin releases a new "official" firmware release. I've taken the GPS out on several hikes totalling over 20 miles, and am quite impressed with it. I upgraded my review to three stars today, and will give it another star once a new firmware release is available.

UPDATE as of 9/7/2010. Garmin has now released firmware 2.50 for the 62st. If you update your unit to the new firmware level, I have no problem recommending it. My earlier problems are fixed.

The 62S is my third GPS, purchased April 2011. With it, I purchased the MapSource City Navigator DVDs for NorthAmerica/Mexico (2011.1 NT) and Europe (2012.NT), a DaneElec 4 GB microSD card, and a Colorado Series Bike Mount (#11023). I purchased the 62S & mount from DigitalOasis & the card plus Software from GPScity. Both companies shipped promptly. The 62S has v2.8 software.

My previous two GPSs are the GPSmap76 (purchased 2001) and the Edge 305 bike GPS (purchased 2009). I have used the 76S successfully with Bluechart software for kayaking in the Pacific NW, and with Garmin MetroGuide 2007 for biking around WA State. I give the 76S a 4/5 rating - a great device, which has saved me many times out in the fog. The 305 I give only 3/5 rating - too expensive for what it is (essentially a fancy bike computer, without maps). Also, the 305 suffers from vibration and will turn off when my bike hits a bump.

I am an Electrical Engineer who writes control software for a living. I have been using the 62S for about 3 months - two months while biking around Seattle, and one month during a trip with my wife to Europe. It has worked OK, and has helped us drive about 1000 miles around Sweden, Norway and S. England. However, I have encountered some frustrations with it and the CN software. Overall, I rate the 62S and CN software 3.5/5 - good, but could be improved. I haven't used other manufacturer's GPSs so maybe this is as good as it gets right now. I have a number of comments about the CN software and the 62S user interface, in the hope that these may be improved in time. I am not an expert in using the 62S so perhaps some criticisms are invalid. In that case, I hope a reader can update me.

Things I Like: =============
1. The 62S has a more sensitive antenna than either the 305 or 76. The 62S will lock onto satellites inside a moving car (with the device on the passenger's seat or between the driver's legs), in a train (near Amsterdam), in a tram (in Prague), in an airplane (window seat), and inside my home in Seattle (within 5 ft or so of a window). Sitting in an airplane window seat en route from Iceland to Seattle, I could follow our position on the GPS map, and read the airplane's speed. Altitude was invalid, of course, as this depends on barometric pressure and the cabin was pressurized. Sitting in the passenger seat or our rental car, my Wife used the 62S successfully to navigate about 1000 miles through Norway, Sweden and S. England. When out walking, one can keep the 62S in one's pocket with the antenna facing down and it will log one's track and distance covered quite accurately.

When I bike under a thick canopy of trees (e.g. Interlaken Blvd, Seattle), the 76 loses position and stops tracking. The 305 is better but sometimes stops tracking too. The 62S keeps tracking but its speed sometimes goes off 2-5 mph (compared with my bike speedometer). Its overall distance logged seems unaffected, but sometimes its track goes off map under these circumstances- perhaps by 50- 100ft.

2. Quick to find Satellites. Once the 62S has been used in or near your current location, it takes about 45 sec from pressing the power on button until it locks onto the satellites and the blinking question mark on the position arrowhead goes away. However, the first time it is powered up in a radically different area (e.g. in a new country or city), it must be allowed several minutes (sometimes 5) to search for the satellites. By comparison the 76S and 305 take about the same time in a new location but 2-3 times longer in a known location.

3. The large white "Change of Direction Pending" arrow is large and clear. This appears when one is navigating a route and a possible turn is coming up, for example a traffic circle, or L/R turn. Usually, this arrow is absent when one is following a road without any turns. Sometimes it appears at a bend in the road which is obvious and shouldn't need the white arrow, but no matter. The device also emits a discreet but audible beeping when a turn is approaching. Useful on a long boring road when one may not be watching the GPS. (There are no spoken directions to alert one, only the beeping and a text direction message at the top of the map).

4. The USB transfer rate is fast. Using USB2.0, it takes only a second or so to upload 20 routes and 50 waypoints to/ from the device and one's PC.

5. It has a large memory. I wasn't able to fill the native RAM plus 4 GB SD card. I downloaded all the maps of Western Europe and Scandinavia, or those of WA State, and created perhaps 20 routes, 50 waypoints, and 10- 20 tracks, some lasting 4-5 hrs. I was also able to upload tracks and routes made with/ for my 305 and 76. Some were 4-6 hr long bike rides- no problem. In contrast, the 76 and 305 would often run out or memory.

6. Batteries last a long time, and are quick to change. It uses 2 x AA batteries. I use the Enerloop 2000 mAh. A pair lasts about 10- 12 hr. The battery level indicator shows full until about 2-3 hr are left, then drops off rapidly. If the batteries die, one's current data is retained. A nice feature is that the batteries fit tightly, so they don't lose contact when biking on rough roads. In contrast, the 76's two AA batteries don't fit as well, and will vibrate loose. The 305 has an internal battery which also suffers from vibration and will turn off unexpectedly.

7. The heart rate monitor works well. One needs a sensor (not supplied). I use the HRM1 chest strap sensor, which I purchased many years ago with my 305. Works reliably most of the time on my bike. Sometimes one needs to moisten the two sensor pads on either side of the battery area. I also have two Timex heart rate sensors - the TG951 and TG971, each with chest straps. The Garmin works best, followed by the 951 then the 971 (which sometimes needs frequent sensor moistening, or it loses its signal). The Garmin, however, is averaged over a longer period - perhaps 7 sec - vs. only 2-3 for the Timex units. Hence, the Garmin sometimes does not show a short-duration peak heart rate. For me, this isn't an issue.

8. The City Navigator 2012 NT Europe maps were more accurate than I expected. We used these in and around Amsterdam, in Prague, In Stockholm, for a 10 day/ 800 mile driving tour of Sweden and Norway, and for 200 miles driving around southern England. Only once did it make a grievous mistake - en route from Hamar Norway to Lillehammer it told us to enter the freeway at an exit ramp - no entry route existed at that location. Otherwise, it gave us good directions. It was excellent driving in Stockholm and around Heathrow airport, and walking in Prague. It lacks the detailed database of Points of Interest (POIs) that one finds in Google Maps, but then Gmaps is internet-based and therefore has more space available. In some places, e.g. Prague, it lacks some walking/bike routes (which is my main gripe with the City Navigator NorthAmerica 2011- see comments later on). In other places, e.g. Stockholm, it showed the walking routes from Slussen to Mosebacke, and routed me along these when requested.

9. One can install the City Navigator NorthAmerica software on at least 2 PCs. I have done this on my laptop (W7) and on my desktop (WXP). Of course, both copies are tied to the same GPS.

Things which could be Improved: =============
1. City Navigator North America 2011 (CNNA) lacks many important Walking/Bike trails. For example, it lacks the Burke-Gilman trail (BGT) in Seattle, perhaps the most used and well known of all bike/walk trails in the city. It also, for example, lacks the lesser known Chief Sealth trail in S. Seattle. This makes it hard to plot a bike route between two waypoints. For example, say one wants to bike from Gasworks Park Seattle to Marymoor Park, Redmond. The BGT and Sammamish River Trail will take one the whole way there, about 25 miles, without the need to ride on a regular road. If one asks the CNNA software to plot a route between these two points for a bike, the map will route one on the regular roads used by cars. Some of these (e.g. Lake City Way) are dangerous for bikers. Google Maps (GMaps), on the other hand, is quite good about bike trails and will offer one several options, including such trails if these exist. (It proposes the correct bike route, using the BGT / SRT, for the example above).

How, then does one create a bike route using CNNA? I haven't found an easy way to do this. It would be great if one could export a Gmaps route to the Garmin. I have been able to export a single waypoint from Gmaps to the 62S, but not the entire route. Can one do this? Otherwise, I find myself plotting the route in Gmaps, and then laboriously recreating this, point by point in CNNA, using the create route tool. Of course, if one has a track logged previously, with a Garmin GPS, one can use this to create a route, or simply follow the track.

2. Lack of Contrast of Map Display. The map background appears as a dull green. White would be much clearer. (This is used on the 76). Under setup/ display, the background color setting has no effect on the green map background.

3. Waypoints and Routes sent to the 62S are duplicated if these already exist in the device. For example, assume one has created a route or two with waypoints and has sent these, plus the maps, to the GPS. Then one adds another route to the CN map on the PC, saves this and exports it and its waypoints to the 62S. The new route and waypoints will be sent, plus all the original ones, which will now appear as duplicate entries on the 62S. The only way I have found to avoid this is to deleted all existing routes and waypoints in the 62S, connect it back up to the PC, and then re-export the whole set. This can become tedious on an extended trip, when one is adding new routes and waypoints on daily basis. If one doesn't do this, one can end up with many duplicates of each waypoint and route, which gets messy quickly. (The routes still work, however).

4. Importing Data from the 62S to the CN software is clumsy. It seems one cannot import waypoints or routes created manually on the GPS. Neither can one import saved tracks (only the current (unsaved) track). If one tries this using the CN software, it responds that none were found. However, one can copy saved tracks using Windows Explorer. The 62S appears in the Explorer tree as "GARMIN". Look under the folder \Garmin\GPX, and copy the desired .gpx files to a location on the PC. These can then be opened using CN. Not sure if one can import waypoints and routes this way. Waypoint import would be useful - e.g. if one exports from Google maps directly to the 62S, then wishes to import these back into CN.

5. Route Preferences are global in scope, instead of applying to each route, and are not copied from the CN software to the 62S. For example, assume one wishes to create a walking route. In CN, one goes to Edit\Preferences\Routing and selects "Bicycle" and "Use Direct Routes" under the Routing options. One also sets other options if desired. One then creates and saves the route. Assume one then creates and saves another route, this time for a car. First one must go in and change the preferences to "Car" and "Use Auto Routing". The route will now follow known roads. This change in preferences wont affect the first (bike) route provided one doesn't recalculate the route. So far so good. Assume one then sends these routes to the GPS, which has its route preferences set for "Car" and Lock on Road= True. (The CN settings are not sent to the 62S). If one then tries to navigate the first (bike) route, it will be different from the CN original - the 62S will look for and follow the nearest roads. One must go into Main Menu/ Setup/Routing and change over to "Bicycle" and "Lock on Road" = No. Assume one does this, and the navigates the route. If one then wishes to navigate the second (car ) route, one must go back into Setup and change the options to suit. This can get tedious, especially if some routes have "Avoid Tolls" or "On Road for Time" instead of "On Road for Distance". Route settings should be unique for each route.

6. The Next Page ("Page") and Prev Page ("Quit") buttons should be located opposite each other, as are the In and Out buttons. The Quit button is at the bottom left, while the Page button is near the top right. Hence one often hits the wrong button when navigating pages. (The "Find" button is opposite the "Page button - one often presses this by mistake if navigating pages with one hand). Also, why use Page and Quit? Not very intuitive. What about "Next" and "Prev"?

7. The altimeter is not very accurate. If I go to the ocean and calibrate this, then go on a bike ride for 3 hours and return to the ocean, it may show -30 ft. This is on a clear day (no change in weather pattern). On successive days the error may be as much as 50-75 ft. The 305 also has a barometric altimeter (without a calibrate feature), but seems to exhibit less variation. Sometimes the 62S and 305 will differ by 100 ft at the same point. Interestingly, the 62S altimeter seems quite repeatable over a short time period of say 30 min. I performed the following test in Prague. There are about 180 steps leading from Sinkulova Street up to Vysehrad castle (great views!). One morning, I went up and down 5 times in about 30 minutes, measuring the total ascent and descent each time. Average was 106 ft ascent/ 104 ft descent, with a scatter of +/- 2 ft, which is very good.

8. Turn instructions are sometimes wrong. E.g. sometimes it says "Go North" when it means "Go South". The white direction indicator was always correct, however.

9. One cant display Total Elevation Gain on the Trip Computer or Map display. To see this, one must change to the Elevation Plot. In contrast, on can display this on the 305's trip computer.

10. The bike mount (#1102 Colorado Series - $10) is unreliable, and one can lose the GPS unless one has a safety strap attached between its rear attachment point and one's bike. The problem is the plastic clip which snaps into a recess at the bottom rear of the 62S. This clip doesn't always seat properly, which allows the 62S to slide forward and out. In contrast, the bike mount for the 76 is more robust and has a sliding lock.

11. The Elevation Plot scale is inaccurate, so the absolute value of the graph is not useful.

I absolutely love this GPS. I've used a Garmin Oregon 300, Garmin Etrex and vista, Garmin gpsmap 60Csx and a Garmin Rino 530 and this GPS is better than all of them. The accuracy is great on this, usually around 9 ft regardless of whether or not I'm under tree cover or near large metal objects. The unit is also incredibly sensitive and does a good job measuring speed whether walking (slow pace to fast pace), biking, or driving in the car. The screen is very easy to see in direct, bright sunlight or at night. The paperless geocaching is amazing. So far, I have mostly used it for geocaching and it generally takes me directly to the cache. There is a menu bar that allows you to add shortcuts you easily jump to by using the quit and page keys, which makes switching from map to compass, to geocaches to elevation plot extremely easy, especially while riding a bicycle. I had trouble navigating the touch-screen oregon on my bike, and this gpsmap 62s is a breeze.

The only issue I have had with this GPS was when I updated to the 2.70 software. It was loaded on, booted up then turned off after about 30 seconds to a minute. I reset the gps (by using the appropriate button combination, I don't remember what it is at the moment) and since I reset it, everything has worked perfectly. I took this unit hiking yesterday and it tracked my route/elevation very accurately.

A lot of people have complained about this unit "squeaking". Yes, mine squeaks too. Only near the power button, and only on the side the power button is on. I guess this would be a personal preference, but the squeaking doesn't bother me at all. The gps still feels very rugged and tough. I took this out in the pouring rain and since the unit isn't broken, I'm assuming the waterproofing isn't comprised by the squeak. Also, I feel that the whole squeaking thing has been way over dramatized. To me it's not a big deal at all.

I've only used the 60 csx once, but from what I've read about it, it seems that this gps is just as accurate (if not more so) than the 60 csx. If you're into geocaching, I would highly recommend this unit because you can utilize the paperless geocaching, which is incredibly convenient. Previously I had used my phone to view logs/hints, but there is no way I would have been geocaching in the rain if I had to lug my cell phone with me. All around amazing gps unit, especially if a little squeak doesn't bother you.

I can't get over how well the 62s gets a satellite signal...even indoors! I'm in my home office with a couple of small windows and just turned on the unit, after having it turned off for a couple of weeks: It booted and acquired the first satellite in less than 60 seconds and can navigate in less than 90 seconds, with four out of 5 bars on my signal strength meter. When I turned it off and then on again, I was able to navigate as soon as it booted...in 20 seconds. It seems to "remember" what satellites are overhead and spends less time searching for signals if it has recently acquired a signal.

I used the 62s while hunting and found that I could always get a solid signal regardless of how dense the forest was. The 62s is so much better than the eTrex Vista I had been using since 2002...the 62s is in a different league.

The user interface took a little getting used to, when compared to the eTrex Visa, but the 62s has a lot more features. The technology has come a long way in 8 years.

By the way, Garmin's web site only specifies that the 62s accepts up to 4GB Micro SD cards. However, 4GB Micro SD cards hard to find, but the 4GB Micro SDHC cards are readily available. I contacted Garmin Tech Support to confirm that the 62s supports both Micro SD and Micro SDHC cards up to 4GB max.

The power saver feature worked great, and I love the fact that the user interface can be customized.

I purchased a ZAGG screen protector for my 62s. ZAGG didn't have one for the 62s yet (the 62s was too new when I purchased it) but the one that fits a GPSmap 60 can be trimmed and works fine.

I have absolutely no regrets at having purchased this product, and I'm a real picky consumer. Garmin scored another home run with this one!

Wow, I really LOVE my new Garmin GPSMap 62s. I bought this unit to replace a Rhino 110 that I had been using for Geocaching. I decided it was time to upgrade when the joystick on the Rhino started going out. I spent a lot of time researching various manufacturers and models, finally deciding on the Garmin GPSMap 62s, and boy am I glad I did! This unit is amazing!

Pros:
1) The satellite reception is incredible. It picks up multiple satellites from inside my house, even on "Normal" GPS mode. Way cool! The Rhino needs line of site with the sky to get reception, so it can't pick up any signal in the house and using it in the car can be a challenge. But this problem is non-existent with the 62s. It works from anywhere inside the car or the house. Overhead obstructions (trees, overhangs, heavy overcast skies, etc...) don't seem to pose any problems for the 62s. It always has a strong signal.

2) The 1.7G onboard memory is great, I've downloaded high resolution topo maps of both Arizona and New Mexico and haven't made much of a dent in using up the storage space.

3) One of the prime selling points for me was the paperless geocaching feature. It used to take me hours to enter the geocache coordinates by hand into the Rhino, but with the 62s I download them directly into the unit in seconds. And not only the coordinates but the cache information, log records, and hints too. The unit manages the found caches in a separate space for ease in recording the finds on the geocaching website later. The accuracy of the unit in getting me to the cache sites is quite stellar. With the GPS mode set to Normal it's getting me within 10 ft of the cache. With WAAS enabled it gets me within about 5ft. Amazing, considering the Rhino was only getting me within 20ft. Finding caches now is almost too easy!

4) The control buttons are easy to use and intuitive. The screen is large enough and bright enough that I have no problem seeing the maps and information, even when I have the unit mounted on my bike.

Cons:
1) I've noticed that when I'm near very large metal objects (bridges, rail cars, etc...) the signal starts to bounce and I can't get a good read, even with WAAS enabled. This is only a minor irritation though cuz I'm usually close enough by then to find what I'm looking for.

2) While it's awesome that the unit has multiple pre-loaded profiles and allows customization of screens and views, I've struggled with getting just the right view and data sets to suite my needs. Part of this is because there are SO many view options I have a hard time deciding what I really want. But creating a custom view is no slam dunk, it take guess work because the owners manual offers no help.

3) Removing caches from the unit is cumbersome because it can't be done within the unit itself, you have to plug the unit into a computer and delete the files using the computer. The manual doesn't provide guidance on this, the user has to figure it out themselves and be somewhat computer savvy to find the files to get rid of them.

Despite these issues, I highly recommend the Garmin GPSMap 62s for the trail and geocaching. I am really enjoying using the unit and am very, very happy with my purchase.

I recently purchased a garmin 62s GPS while this GPS is packed with wonderful features it is the first Garmin product that I may send back. It has a problem with a case that squeaks when pushed on the sides and the altimeter records spike of 40 to 60 feet elevation change by simply pushing the buttons on the front of the unit. A couple of software glitches which I believe Garmin will fix, but with my last experiences with Garmin Tech Support I am not holding my breath. I have 90 days to return my unit if Garmin does not step up to the plate and try to resolve the issues. Please let it be I would hate to send this unit back.

As of 8/16/10 Garmin's software update has fixed most of the software issues that led to some of my reasons for a low rating. The poorly designed case is still an issue, Garmin states that it does not affect the integrity of the GPS but mine is getting worse the more I use it. My recommendation would be to wait and see if Garmin will come up with a resolution for the noisy case. Because I feel that they are moving in right direction I will up my rating a little. I will post any updates.

If your looking for a GPS that is actually sunlight readable then go with this unit. I've owned at least 10 GPS units and this is the best one I have seen as far as this feature goes. I also found the human interface design to be excellent. I'm a retired electrical engineer and I was very impressed with the man/machine interface. Simple and easy to use. You can easily customize the display field's content, text size and color. Unit acquires fast and in difficult places.
Has a real good 'feel' when you carrying it in your hand. I would give it a 5+ but I haven't had it long enough to determine if it will last a long time without breaking. I'm just going to hope.
LIKE!

After much thought I finally decided on buying the Garmin 62. Before I bought the 62 I had a garmin Legend Cx. This was a nice unit for its time. I had purchased the Legend Cx for geocaching. Well all these years later I am still geocaching and wanted to find a device that would give me better reception under tree cover. So after reviewing all the Garmin options I went with the Garmin 62. As of now I have yet to use it outside. I have basically unboxed the unit and connected it to my computer and run the firmware updates. I also bought the Garmin 24K topo maps to install on the 62. My biggest worry about the 62 was that I could not add a memory card to it to get more space. Well... I have downloaded all of the topo maps for New england (and I mean all of them) and I have just barely used a quarter of the 1.7GB the unit comes with! Whhew! This was my big worry... so if you are concerned about this... don't be. Later I may buy the lake topos but I suspect I will find the same thing, plenty of space. Many reviewers said the 62 squeeks. Well mine does not. Not even a sound when I turn it on, so no worries there. The unit iself fits nicely into the palm of your hand, feels very sturdy and has a good sized screen, not huge mind you, but still bigger than the one I had on my Legend Cx. The unit took about 60-90 seconds to initialize (inside my house) and then it found 7 or 8 sats. Not bad for INSIDE. I took this evening to figure out how to donload GPX files into my unit for geocaching (since I bought my GF a Garmin for Christmas I needed to update mine, of course!) we are planning on going Geocaching together so I wanted to get a number of GPX files into my 62. Firstly, you will need a Premium membership on Geocaching.com ($30) in order to download GPX files. You will also need to update your gecaching profile to support GPX 1.1 format, this is done under the preferences on the geocaching website. Getting GPX files into the 62 is quite easy after you have installed the Garmin software on your computer. Basically just go to the cache, select the cache you wish to find and click on the small COPY GPX icon to the far right... and bam, the file is there, descriptions, hints, logs and all. So far I am very pleased with the unit. I also bought the Garmin 62 case and the clip attachment. I would suggest you skip the Garmin 60 series cases and look for something that is larger to protect your device. The Garmin clip is VERY good and holds the unit solidly. So no worries on it falling off. I also bought some NiMH batteries so I could recharge after each outing, the unit actually has a setting for NiMH which is very cool. After I have had the unit in the field I will report back on what I find... but so far so good! I can hardly wait to get out there and find some of those geocaches hidden under thick tree cover!

This unit comes with a basic PC map and TOPO map installed and nothing else. Neither are accurate or worth having. It would have been courteous to offer customers a free map, City Navigator and TOPO, with the first time purchase of this unit. Nope, not from Garmin.

The only major gripe I have with this GPS is the extra costs associated with owning it. EVERYTHING costs extra money and lots of it. It can handle routable maps which is a bonus but they too cost a lot of money. City Navigator maps take up a lot of space and the 62ST on-board storage doesn't have much free space to begin with. If you add imagery you will find yourself, like me, quickly out of space and buying extra Micro SD's. Those are expensive! Garmin sells SD's loaded with maps for nearly $100 or more, each. I have a few 16GB's that host routeable maps and birdseye imagery for different areas of the Caribbean. This is what I need in order to have a functional GPS that works for me but the costs are adding up to disappointment. Paying $500 for a GPS that has 2 cheap maps installed that are nearly worthless doesn't make this unit shine for a customer when they turn it on for the first time. It only shines when you throw more money at it. That's the sad part. Expect to invest nearly $1,000 if you want this to be a perfect GPS. $100 16MB SD's, $80 per Map, 1 year Birdseye subscription.... $$$$$$$$ A serious competitor offers a similar GPS that lists for more money but actually costs less in the end. Keep that in mind.

While using this GPS for a while now, it has been through hell. Dropped in a river, banged around, dropped from certain heights and even buried on accident. It still looks like new but the screen will scratch easily. The signal and Sat. speeds are fantastic and is what I like about it. It is ready to go in record time! This is a high performance GPS and it works in valleys like no other I've owned. I have not had any serious signal issues like others have had with different brands and older models. Overall I find the 62ST very dependable. I am happy with having the 62st but the justification is what I have a hard time with. If I had money to burn then maybe I'd be a little happier.

The BaseCamp software is really nice but it's a major resource hog. Especially if you use the Birdseye subscription. It took me 9 days to select areas and build, then download, Birdseye maps that completely covers Puerto Rico. This task was incredibly hard and the imagery alone is over 8GB, hence the need for 16GB cards.

I've used the Garmin 60CSx for years and expected improvements when I upgraded to the 62st. Instead, I find that Garmin has gone backwards! Not only is the new user interface more awkward and confusing, they have left stuff out altogether! If you value your data, don't use this device! First of all, the battery indicator tells you the battery is fully charged until about 60 seconds before the batteries run out! If you don't change the batteries before that, you lose your current track! Also, the device will not allow you to find out the time of a given waypoint! You can't go back and ask the device what time you left because the device won't give you a way to find out the time! The data is there, but you just can't get at it! It amazes me that Garmin can't provide something as basic as time! Furthermore, they have added all kinds of fancy things but only succeeded in making things more confusing. For example, would you like to turn your tracking off and on? Don't go to track manager to do that. Instead, you have to go through the main menu and the settings page in order to turn your tracks on and off. Want to clear saved tracks? You can't do that with the reset button. You have to go to Track Manager for that. The reset page allows you to reset all the other data but watch out for that final choice, "Reset All Settings" which doesn't clear data but resets all your settings to default! Do you want to save a partial track? Forget it! The old 60CSx allowed you to pick the start and end points off the map. The 62st doesn't allow you to do that. Instead, you have to go through some convoluted process of figuring out which leg you were on and... I don't know, I can't figure it out!

I've been in contact with tech support 10 to 15 times and mostly I get, "You can't get there from here," for an answer. I've used this thing for a couple of months hoping to get used to the screwy interface but I've lost enough important data that I think I'll go back to my 60CSx. At least it knows how to tell time and is easy to use! The 62st is out of control!

Garmin really screwed up this time!