Garmin GPSMAP 62s GPS

Comments about Garmin GPSMAP 62s GPS:

Bottom Line: Not worth the cost over the 60CSxI am a field biologist who navigates over difficult terrain (mostly forested mountainous terrain in the Americas) and have used mostly the GPSMap 60CSx (but also all of the Etrex units) for my job and for recreation. I have relied heavily on the 60CSx for navigation and mapping for years. The 60 CSx lives up to its billing as a rugged GPS with excellent signal reception in difficult conditions. After losing it in a Rhododendron Hell, I tried the 62S, but will return it and look for another 60 CSx.The best two improvements in the 62S are the compass and larger internal memory, however the latter can be compensated for by inserting a large Micro SD memory card. Biggest Cons:The software is still an underperformer compared to other brands of GPS (looks prettier on the screen, but still very "clunky" in the hand and maddeningly inefficient). The accompanying MapSource software is a dinosaur.The clip works ok if you use the carabineer, but the belt-clip still makes the unit prone to being pulled off in vegetation, if one needs ready access and storage to/of the GPS (I need my hands free much of the time).Maps are expensive ($100 for the 100K, $100 for each regional 1:24K map, although a number maps can be downloaded from other sources for free).The casing comes somewhat loose from the internal structure on the sides -- not sure if this results in compromised waterproofing and integrity -- giving the unit a squeak or creak when one uses it long enough.For [$] plus $100-$200 in maps, this thing should make me breakfast in the morning. Instead, it's a disappointment. Got plenty of cash? Buy it; it is an improvement (albeit an incremental one). For the rest of us, get a used (or new) 60CSx and wait for Garmin's competitors to come up with something better.

Comments about Garmin GPSMAP 62s GPS:

I have owned the GPSMAP 60 for a number of years, took it on countless hikes, road trips, and backpacking adventures, and it always impressed with its functionality and durability (dropped multiple times, smacked into rocks, chewed on by squirrels, exposed to the elements). I used it to create published hikes for Backpacker Magazine, to send USGS the coordinates for a newly-named peak, and to map out a portion of the Continental Divide Trail. I could take it on week-long backpacking trips, use it all I wanted, and only go through one pair of batteries. I loved this GPS.

I never upgraded to the state-named Garmin handhelds because of the touch-screen, poor visibility in sunlight, and shorter battery life. However, when I saw the 62s, I hoped there might finally be a worthy successor to the GPSMAP 60.

I purchased it from REI so I could test it out and return it if I wasn't happy – fear not, it ain't going back! The most major improvement is in the display. Maps redraw almost instantly, and panning maps is now much easier. The display is capable of 65k of colors that really adds depth and detail to maps, and it can handle shaded relief maps and the Garmin BirdsEye satellite images. While I think the pixel count is the same, the display appears to have much more resolution than the GPSMAP 60. This is my main reason for the upgrade.

The fact that it has faster and better satellite locks; longer battery life; easier to navigate menus and page screens, much more accurate and usable compass; better routing functionality with the new Garmin Basecamp software; user profiles that can be customized depending on the intended use (e.g., hiking, geocaching, boating, car trips, plane, etc.); paperless geocaching; fitness options with compatible heart monitor; and wireless sharing with other Garmin units are just icing on the cake.

Comments about Garmin GPSMAP 62s GPS:

I should preface that this is the 6th Garmin handheld I've owned. I was happy with the Vista, but upgraded to the Vista C then the Vista csx. When the Dakota came out I decided to give it a try. It was lousy (poor reception, dark screen, problems with crashing.) I reviewed it elsewhere on the REI site. So I went to the 60csx. That was a fantastic gps and I was happy at last.... Then I sold it to get a rifle.
Months later when I went to get a new 60csx I found that Garmin would be updating their 60csx to the 62s.
I am sitting in the middle of my small house and my new 62s is receiving signals from 6 satellites. And I can barely see the sky through the windows and the trees. This unit seems to be what Garmin has promised... an improvement on the 60csx. It has modern connectivity, larger memory capacity, and my 4 year old says the orange is pretty. The maps scroll quickly. The interface is easier to navigate.
Provided that this unit is as dependable as the Garmin 60csx in the future I think any poweruser will be very happy with this unit. Some will complain about the size, but it does not bother me. Though, I wouldn't want it any bigger. I think the only thing missing from this unit is the "jumpmaster" function... a button I never clicked anyway. The ability to share wirelessly will be useful in meeting up with other in the woods, sharing caches and beautiful views.
Overall I believe I'll be very happy with the 62s for a long time barring some unforeseen snafu with the unit. I'm looking forward to putting it through the paces.
Oh, look... now there are 7 satellites.
Also, This might be a 5 star gps, but I've only had it for 1 day.

Comments about Garmin GPSMAP 62s GPS:

I use this GPS for hiking, mountain biking, and hunting. I had an older Garmin that I replaced with a DeLorme PN40 last year. I returned the DeLorme (a good reason to buy from REI) after a year primarily because it had a huge appetite for batteries and got the 62s. The difference in battery use between this Garmin and the DeLorme is amazing - the Garmin sips while the DeLorme guzzles. Although the Garmin costs more, I'll probably makeup the cost in batteries after the first year.

This is a great unit. Simple to use, lots of memory storage, easy to upload/download maps and tracks.

I would give this unit 5 stars, except for the screen size. Make it about 20% larger and it gets 5.

Comments about Garmin GPSMAP 62s GPS:

Problem 1: To download one map from Garmin map site took 24+ hours, even with high speed internet, and then "lost connection with server" @ 99% complete.

After 4 tries called Garmin. ANSWER: Might be your SD card.

They finally sent software on DVD.

Problem 2: After loading map to SD, which takes hours, unit hangs on Loading Profile when SD is installed.

Buy a Delorme.

Comments about Garmin GPSMAP 62s GPS:

I was a solid delorme addict until I saw this gpsr. I was have having trouble seeing the screen on the delorme, the maps were great but it was hard to see and the banners seemed to take up a lot or the travel arrow was in the wrong place and you could see far enough ahead. The travel arrow is low on the screen so there is a lot of see ahead room. The batteries last a lot longer than the delorme too. Reading the descriptions and clues are a lot easier as well. I have only had one lock up so far and there hasn't been any unexplained shutdowns while the batteries we still full either.

Comments about Garmin GPSMAP 62s GPS:

First off, this is the first GPS i have ever purchased for outdoor recreational purposes and the GPSMap 62s exceded all my expectations. The thing is great!!

This GPS is very user friendly. Right out of the box I was able to connect it to my computer, register my product, and update and download compatible software, quick!! The GPS itself is very user friendly too; I spent about two hours playing with it and the computer software, mainly BaseCamp, and was prepared to take it outdoors.

The GPS is rugged. Waterproof, and built like a tank, this thing can get through anything you put it through. One minor detail that I think could be improved is the plastic screen. The screen gets scratched easily and might hamper screen clarity in the long run.

Maps are clear and detailed. Before I purchased the product I was skeptical about the mapping software, but after taking it out on the trail once the performance exceded my expectations. The maps identify the smallest bodies of water and landmarks and are very accurate. I purchased the 24K TOPO SD card map for California and Nevada and after my first hike to the top of Mt Islip I came home and connected it to BaseCamp and saved my rout to the computer where it showed the whole thing in 3D!! Seeing the terrain in 3D is very useful, it puts everything into perspective. Also, the SD cards can be be used between multiple Garmin devices unlike the downloads, and CDs that can be purchased and used on one device.

Overall I gave this product a solid 4 stars. If I were rating this product based only on what is available on the market today i would have rated it a 5. There are some improvements to be made. The design and software though good, seems to lag pretty far behind current technology. The unit akes 12+ seconds to start up. It seems like they could make these things more compact and with better materials. Last but not least, the maps need to be streamlined so they can easily be updated and transfered to multiple user devices without having to spend an arm and a leg and a couple other toes.

A highly recommended device

Comments about Garmin GPSMAP 62s GPS:

A review of the Garmin GPSMap 62s I don't dive down into many technical details with my reviews because most seem rather obvious to me. Instead I prefer to focus on what is important to me with a given product on a personal level, and general experience using a product in relation to my needs or wants. So now that we have that out-of-the-way let's get to the meat and potatoes. Here is the link to the Garmin GPSMap 62 website - https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=145&pID=63801 The Garmin website will have all the technology specifics if you want to have a look. Why get a GPS? The Garmin GPSmap 62s is my first hand-held GPS device. To date, I have had very little exposure to using hand held GPS devices and limited exposure to a driving GPS device in my wife's car, which is also a Garmin. Obviously I needed a hand-held GPS, not one which sits on the dashboard of a car. I wanted one which would take external memory, has a color screen, compass and altimeter for starters. It took me several hours of reading reviews and several more hours of research on the technology of GPS devices before I made the decision to go with the GPSMap 62s. My two primary uses for the GPS are hunting and hiking. I do not Geocache. I liked the idea of never having to buy paper maps again. Paper maps are hard to maintain in the rain and often get lost or damaged over time. The costs of collecting merely one entire state on paper maps is high. The GPS seemed to be the best way to bring solutions to all of these problems together into one tool. For hunting, I became aware of the company called Hunting GPS Maps. Soon I realized that one could use their products to determine government versus private land. This is very useful. A third item which compelled me to purchase a GPS was that I could see almost exactly where I am standing (within some degree of error anyway) on the map without having to guess. This could be useful for hiking in an area I am not familiar with or hunting near segments of private land. Why not a touch screen GPS? Why the GPSMap 62s? The reviews which I have read for the recently released touch screen hand-held GPS devices did not seem to give me the confidence that dropping nearly 500 dollars on one of these would be a good buy. I suspect a touch screen GPS consumes more battery power than their counterparts and it was a deciding factor even though it might not be true. The reputation of the GPSMap 60 models were sound and the GPSMap 62s is what appears to be the next generation of a very solid product. Therefore I made my decision that I was going to purchase a Garmin in order to be compatible with the Hunting GPS Maps software and the GPSMap 62s based upon the positive reputation and long battery life.. At [$] dollars retail without preloaded maps, the purchase was made. Compatibility with a Mac and PC My wife has a Mac. I absolutely dislike the user interface, presentation and workflows for moving between software that Apple provides. I do not use Apple products unless I have to. Therefore I didn't care if anything I purchased worked on a Mac or any Apple product. I have Windows 7 and all software and interaction with the GPS works flawlessly for my setup which is a Dell XPS M1330 Laptop with 2 GB memory. Field Usage and Overall Experience Back to the GPSMap 62s… I have been using it on a few hikes and mountain bike trips. Next week I plan to take it on a pronghorn hunt in Wyoming. The screen is fairly small and is readable in the sun. It would be nice if the screen was larger but then you would obviously be sacrificing battery life. The menus and controls are easy to learn on the GPSMap 62s. I didn't need to refer to a manual in order to get my GPS fired up, and I also had no problems changing the GPS settings. The GPSMap 62 runs on two AA batteries for about 18 hours. The life of the batteries might be dependent upon how much interaction you have with the GPS device. Clearly, the more buttons you push the more battery power is consumed. With 1.7 GB of onboard memory you can load a fair bit of data onto the device itself. I have not been able to load more than .5 GB but most of my maps have been placed onto separate mini-SD cards which insert into the GPSMap 62s just behind the batteries in the battery compartment. This feature of add-on memory allows me to work on my maps using Garmin's Basecamp software (which will be covered a bit more later on) and upload to the micro-SD instead of working only with the device. The GPSMap 62s is a color screen unit and has several buttons for navigation and controls. Some of the menu options are maps, settings, altimeter, and compass to name a few. The compass and altimeter I found useful and accurate for hiking inside the deep timber we have in the Pacific Northwest. The thick timber is a solid test for a GPS which the GPSMap 62s performed flawlessly. The ability to see contour interval, geographical names, locate nearby trails, roads or other features by zooming and moving the pointer on the GPS screen are crucial to navigation and also easily done with the GPSMap 62s. I find the GPSMap 62s more than enough for biking or hiking and an adequate replacement for all those maps I have been collecting for years. Those old maps should be good for starting a few fires this winter. I have also tripled my maps collection with just a couple of micro-SD cards which contain maps for the entire states of Wyoming and Oregon. I plan on downloading free Idaho and Montana maps next. The device comes with a clip on carabiner which snaps onto the back. I didn't use this and instead just put the GPS in my pack most of the time. However someone may prefer to have it more handy and hanging from the shoulder straps on their pack using the carabiner. The GPSMap 62s is waterproof. I didn't dunk it under water to test those claims but it seems to work fine in rain. Overall the product is great. The GPSMap 62s will replace tons of paper maps which once sat in my pack exposed to rain, on the dash of my truck getting in the way or otherwise upon cluttered desktops and taking up book shelf space. The next time I hike into a nearby wilderness area I can forget about whether or not I brought the correct maps and focus on my experience knowing I have all the navigational concerns addressed within the GPSMap 62s. Maps and Mapping Software Next on the list of things to do after getting the GPSMap 62s was to obtain the necessary maps which suit my needs. The GPSMap 62s only had the worldwide base maps loaded onto it when it came out of the box and this would not be adequate for me. I purchased the state of Wyoming BLMPLAT from Hunting GPS Maps and the northwest states of Oregon and Washington which was pre-loaded onto a micro-SD Card at 1/24K. In retrospect I might have been wiser to go with free maps for Oregon and Washington states from GPS FileDepot or other free GPS map alternatives on the web. Still.. all of these map products I purchased provide great detail. The free products I have used are as good detail as any Garmin product. Consider free options when you want to get more maps. GPS FileDepot Links * GPS FileDepot – Washington – http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/state/wa/ * GPS FileDepot – Oregon – http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/state/or. Mapping Tutorials and How To Articles I found many tutorials and articles on the web regarding GPS maps and how to get the map data or user created data from Google Earth onto the GPS in short time. Here are a couple of links I can share with you: * General tutorials and articles on GPS usage. - http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/tutorials/ * Some general tips for Google Earth usage. - http://www.huntinggpsmaps.com/tutorials/tutorials.html * Google Earth download link. Use Google Earth for creating waypoints, points of interest and routes to place onto the GPS. - http://www.google.com/earth/download/ge/agree.html * Basecamp software from Garmin is useful for working with maps and overlays on the computer and transferring maps to the GPS. - http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=4435 * GPS Visualizer ise used to convert file types for use between software systems. - http://www.gpsvisualizer.com/gpsbabel/ Garmin Basecamp Software Basecamp software is free from Garmin. It is used for editing maps, adding overlays and transferring the data to the GPS or memory from the computer. Garmin's Basecamp appears to be more geared towards the hikers and ground pounders than it does drivers. It is my understanding that Garmin Mapsource, which is also free, is more ideal for working with driving GPS units. It is with Basecamp that I can load products from Hunting GPS Maps or even free products onto my personal computer for scouting or planning. You can use the information which Basecamp presents for your mapping product in conjunction with Google Earth in order to place waypoints, paths or points of interest onto a GPS device. A common GPS user might intend to locate areas, routes or points of interest in the field which they have identified on their computer using Google Earth. I used GPS Visualizer to convert the .KML file which is produced from Google Earth into a .GDB file for my Garmin GPSMap 62s. Once I had the .GDB file I could import them into a Basecamp collection. I could then move items from the collection onto the micro-SD or even GPS drive. It only took me a few hours to compile all the necessary information together from the websites above (and others which I did not mention) in order to get my GPS ready for field use, feel comfortable on technical use of my GPSMap 62s as well as become sufficiently acquainted with Basecamp and Google Earth software. I think if a person is somewhat technically savvy they could also be up and running in similar time. I hope you found this rambling review helpful if you are considering the purchase of your first GPS device.

Comments about Garmin GPSMAP 62s GPS:

Current software locks on photo viewer. Photo viewer is impossible to actually view geotagged photos. Until these are fixed buy the cheaper 60csx.

The screen is much better than the Oregon series.

Service and delivery comments:

I was sold a new unit at the store only to find out it was used, scuffed, and missing pieces when I got home. I had to call the manager and get a 'real' new unit after driving an hour back to the store.

I also tried buying a map but all the store had were two year stale maps.

Comments about Garmin GPSMAP 62s GPS:

After getting lost in the Arkansas Wilderness in an all night ordeal with no paper map and only an older model of Garmin (one of the etrex models) to navigate by, I am blown away by the efficiency of this model comparatively. It is FAR more accurate and the 3-way compass means that when you have an idea of which direction you want to go you head that way and map it as you walk. TOOO much cool about it to list. Two suggestions for future models: 1)make a model with all of this functionality that I can comfortably slip in my front pocket. This model helped me find my way thru Buenos Aires, but it was not very discreet and hard to hide. 2)Garmin needs to work on integrating their software. It was very difficult to run both CityNav and TOPO on the same unit (can be done though). All and all, it is now a mainstay in my pack, and seems to be coming with me everywhere lately.