BWCA Anybody use the Garmin GPSMAP 62s? Boundary Waters Group Forum: GPS
Chat Rooms (0 Chatting)  |  Search  |   Login/Join
* For the benefit of the community, commercial posting is not allowed.
Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
   Group Forum: GPS
      Anybody use the Garmin GPSMAP 62s?     

Author

Text

schweady
distinguished member(8070)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
06/06/2011 10:54AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
This is going to sound like a broken record... A while back I started looking for a new gps and thought I had settled on the Oregon 450. Now, I'm seeing good things about the 62s, including buttons rather than touch screen - better for use with gloves on, etc... Here goes...

(See my earlier post asking about the Oregon 450 for the reasons that I'm dumping my ExpeditionC. I've already found multiple sources for suggestions/fixes, none work.)

Who has opinions on the GPSMAP 62s? Happy with the display? With the mapping features? I'm not sure if I'd go with the 62s or the 62st, and confused by which of the many add-on mapping features make the most sense to drop $$ on, including topography DVDs or microchips. I'm familiar with LakeMaster and Navionics cards for lake depth mapping, and adding the LakeMaster microchip to the 62s seems like a given, really enjoying having that in my ExpeditionC. (I do believe, however, that I'll need to download BWCA campsite and portage info, as that is absent on the Garmin LakeMaster chip... where's the best source for that?)

I probably would have just sprung for the 62s (or some Garmin unit...) already, except for the many questions brought up by the very different interface. That, and the ExpeditionC keeps teasing me with flawless performance on occasion. (Just yesterday on the bike trails, however, it showed its impossible side and I am back to shopping.)

Thoughts?
 
      Print Top Bottom Previous Next
06/06/2011 01:05PM  
groundspeak forum topic
Lots of info and discussion on Garmin and other GPS units.

butthead
 
schweady
distinguished member(8070)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
06/07/2011 08:23AM  
Thanks, bh. Now, another forum to read... :) Very informative.
 
TMakela
senior member (66)senior membersenior member
  
11/21/2011 03:53PM  
I just purchased one on Saturday at Cabela's...

Had the Vista HCX. Had to replace it... Lost the thing.

The guy at the kiosk pointed the 62s out to me, and I thought hard about it and left with it.

By and large I didn't feel I 'needed' the larger screen, the added internal memory or the faster drawing (not mentioned in the handout) but end up coughing up for it.

I have heard that the model I had was being discontinued.

My initial review after loading up my past tracks, waypoints and points of interest and playing with it is that it is a step up.

It seems to initialize and locate position faster than my previous model. The menus have largely stayed the same. Most features seem to be the same as well. There are some added features but ones that I may not use, pictures asigned to waypoints for one... Seems like a lot of extra work but it could be a long winter. The zooming and panning around does appear to refresh faster.

So far happy with it. Now to get lost...
 
schweady
distinguished member(8070)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
11/23/2011 01:50PM  
Way to go, TMakela. I wound up getting the 62st last June, same store. (Got the MN LakeMaster chip for it at the same time.) They had a sale on the 62st for the price (at the time) of the 62s, so I bit. Lots of folks will poo-poo the st's built in topo as not detailed enough and easy to get similar for free online, yada yada yada but I am in heaven. It's my first mapping Garmin handheld, so I have been immersing myself in backing up and editing waypoints and tracks in BaseCamp and Google Earth, etc and creating and geosynching custom maps like Superior Hiking Trail, BWCA McKenzie map scans, state and national park trail maps...
 
TMakela
senior member (66)senior membersenior member
  
11/28/2011 11:46AM  
The thing rocks. Pound for pound it's purdy darn sweet...

There's a ton of stuff I'm looking at doing with all the POI's and everything else as well. Winter downtime putzing projects.

With all of the information available out there I'm glad I did pick up a unit more accommodating. I 'liked' the Vista HCX but this was a move in the right direction.

 
12/30/2011 06:15PM  
I am wondering how I can use my Mac to download maps onto my new 62s. This is my first GPS, and it appears to me that most downloads are PC only. Any suggestions would be most appreciated!
 
12/30/2011 06:53PM  
Wish I could help, check out the forums on Geocaching.com. They may be able to help. It's a world wide forum.
 
12/30/2011 07:07PM  
Thanks, Corsair. I know I can purchase maps @ Garmin for the BWCA and Ontario, but each one is around a hundred bucks...Pretty spendy. I may just return the GPS and stick to the maps and compass I've always used.
 
12/30/2011 07:42PM  
I got suckered into the Garmin Chip as well. That was before I found the maps online for free.

I love my GPS, won't go without it.


 
01/01/2012 01:57PM  
Red Pine Mapping has a BWCA/Quetico product that is reasonably priced ($59.95). It is currently available for PC users, and according to an email I just received from the company, there will be a Mac version available in late February.

Red Pine Mapping
 
02/09/2012 09:11PM  
quote Frenchy19: "Red Pine Mapping has a BWCA/Quetico product that is reasonably priced ($59.95). It is currently available for PC users, and according to an email I just received from the company, there will be a Mac version available in late February.


Red Pine Mapping "



I'm thinking of trying that... I don't use my GPS in the BW. But I might if I had something very detailed.
 
Sylbill
distinguished member (106)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
02/10/2012 09:05PM  
Could someone that has purchased the Red Pine Mapping software comment as to how good it is. Would you buy it again for a trip to Quetico? I plan on purchasing a Garmin 62s or 62st in the near future.
 
02/10/2012 10:22PM  
quote Sylbill: "Could someone that has purchased the Red Pine Mapping software comment as to how good it is. Would you buy it again for a trip to Quetico? I plan on purchasing a Garmin 62s or 62st in the near future."



scroll down to find a link to screenshots

butthead
 
      Print Top Bottom Previous Next