Garmin GPSMAP 62S Handheld GPS Navigator

We bought the Garmin GPSMap 62S as a replacment/upgrade from the Garmin GPSMap 60CX and couldn't be happier. We use the 62S primarily for Geocaching and so far it fits that role exceptionally well. The big selling point for the 62S for us, and the whole 62 series for that matter, is the ability to perform paperless caching. With our previous unit, the 60CX, we still had to plan our caching activity and either print the caching information before leaving the house or stand out in the woods trying to access the web via a cell phone to look up the cache information. With the 62S we can load hundreds, if not thousands, of geocaches and have all the cache info right there in the GPS unit. No more piles of paper! Everything that used to require having paper and pencil with us for keeping track of cache info can now be done right in the 62S. We have not had the oportunity to use some of the features of the 62S, such as the ability to wirelessly transfer data to another GPS. But of the features we have used so far we have not found anything we didn't like. The 62S and the 62ST are basically identical with the exception that the 62S has 1.7 MB of built in memory which can be expanded with a micro SD card and no included maps other than the basic base map. While the 62ST has less built in onboard memory but includes the more detailed maps, such as City Navigator® North America NT, that must be purchased separatly for the 62S. The 62S will hold all the City Navigator® North America NT maps with plenty of room to spare for other data (i.e. tracks, geocaches, etc) with the built in 1.7 MB of memory. So far we have not needed to add any additional memory to the 62S through the use of a micro SD card. As far as sensitivity of the unit goes I find it is pretty comparable to the 60CX. One feature I noticed that seems to be missing from the 62S that was on the 60CX is the ring indicating location error around the arrow indicating the users current position. This ring was useful when geocaching as it gives the user an indication of position error. This feature doesn't seem to be present in the 62S, or at least I haven't yet figured out how to enable it. Overall, could not be happier with our purchase.

After reading many of the reviews here, I was expecting to have some issues with the 62s, but I went ahead and bought it because a friend had one and it passed his high standards. So far, I've only had one small problem with it. I got the 62s to replace my 60csx because I wanted a better device for geocaching. In that regard, it is a vast improvement over the 60csx. I used to have to take my smart phone with me and use both devices to find a cache. Now, the 62s has all the information I need. When I got the device, I plugged into my OS X computer and brought up Base Camp. It immediately told me there was a software update. I had to download an app from Garmin to do the update. After doing so, the upgrade was a breeze. I also uploaded a non-garmin map to it using Garmin Map Install without any issues. Some reviews complained of a difficult interface. After the 60csx, I found it easy to use. It only took me a few minutes to get comfortable with it. Full disclosure: I have 40+ years programming experience and was the go to guy to assemble toys at Christmas. The interface is more complex as there are more options. For regular use, you generally don't have to access them. A nice improvement is the ability to customize the interface. I dropped several screens from the standard rotation making it easier to get to the ones I want. The only problem I have with the interface appears to be a bug in paging. At the completion of a search for a geocache that I decide to cancel by selecting Stop, I can't navigate to another page. When I press Page, I see all the other pages and can select one. When I do, it just returns to the compass page. The way around the problem is to select the compass page first. After that, it works fine. My friends 62s doesn't do this. I also read about complaints about the case creaking. I don't have this problem with mine. This may have been something they fixed in production since the product came out. I also read complaints about the battery level indicator going from full charge to no charge quickly. I've only discharged it once. The device was at full charge when I started out on my last outing. I wasn't checking the charge as I went along until I got a message that the batteries were low and that the back light would be turned off. At that point, the charge was down to two bars. I continued to use it for about an hour until it got down to one bar. At that point, I put in new batteries. I'm guessing I could have used it for a while longer before they went completely dead. Overall, I didn't find the performance any better or worse than my 60csx. I use alkaline batteries and my usual practice is to always carry an extra set with me when I'm out with the device. There appears to be one drawback in comparison to the 60csx when using the device to feed coordinates to a camera. They still supply a cable to do that, but it plugs into the USB port. From the look of the cable, it would stick straight out of the device like any other USB cable so you have to leave the flap open. My concern is that it would get in the way and be subject to getting bent. The cable for the 60csx plugged into another socket and came out at a right angle to the device. Another disadvantage of the new cable is that the other end is just bare wires. You would have to solder on a connector of your choice. My solution was to buy another GPS that mounted on my camera hot shoe. Even with the 60csx, the cable between the Garmin and the camera was a pain. In use, the 62s seems to lock onto to satellites faster than the 60csx and is slightly more accurate in zeroing in on a cache. These are just my opinions; I haven't done any formal testing. With both devices, I had problems in heavy tree cover. Overall this device is a vast improvement over the 60csx for the purpose of geocaching. My only complaint is the problem with the page switching,which hopefully can be fixed.

First and foremost, it has decent antenna. I was able to get a signal and mark within 18 feet inside the house. A outside test got me closer to 12 feet in comparison to 29 feet on the same marked waypoint of the same location with a Garmin Hcx, of 2007 vintage. Both set at WAAS. I really like the lanyard and carabiner having lost my Hcx in field. The switches and menu items are much easier to deal with. The unit does not come with a micro sd card but there is a slot for one and it is highly recommended for storing custom maps. It is much easier to delete maps from the SD card rather than main memory. I have not been able to fully test functions yet, but so far I am happy with the purchase at the price I paid. UPDATE: After a few weeks of use. my GPS fell face down into a snow bank, kept working fine, but the next day would not power up. The product is advertised to be water proof. Clearly not so much. Now I have to do the warranty dance and based on other reviews, that might not be easy. I'll update this when I know. UPDATE: 03/12/14....Took 3 weeks for my GPS to be exchanged through warranty with Garmin. Overall the experience was better than expected. I had my RMA number within 5 minutes of getting on the phone. I called around opening time in Kansas, that may have helped. This counters what I have heard about Garmin in these reviews. Good product, good service, but keep it dry and take a map and compass along with you. UPDATE: 07/13/14: Been using it 4 months now and it works very well. I can get up to 9 feet accuracy under full satellite connections. The one bug I have run into despite firmware fixes is that the trip computer will record everything, even if reset, with power off, unless batteries are removed. The short of it is to keep batteries out of the device until you are ready to use it. A good practice anyway. The unit has allowed me to use set and use more complicated back country routes, faster and more efficiently than map and compass, although it is critical that both be carried with ability to use them.

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 have previously been a satisfied four+ year Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx user for all my Arizona, NM, and CO on & off-trail day hiking. I was looking forward to owning the newer Garmin technology replacement for the 60CSx, which is the GPSMAP 62s. I purchased my new 62s on 10/3/12 from an Amazon.com new seller whose pricing for a "new" 62s was the very lowest price offered on Amazon.com at that time. This new GPS receiver arrived ahead of schedule on 10/9. After familiarity with the user manual I proceeded to set up my 62s menus with my preferred pages order, and with all function adjustments to meet my Recreation Profile outdoor hiking needs. During this setup process I was surprised to learn that this new unit had come with such an old 2.40 software revision (the latest software revision for this 62s is presently 4.50 with numerous Garmin revision changes in-between 2.40 & 4.50). How many possible months/years had this unit been stocked prior-to shipping to me? Via Garmin's WebUpdater, I proceeded to update to the latest 4.50 software which showed successfully updating in my new 62s (but did it really update correctly??). I took my new GPSMAP 62s for its first and second day hike-test runs on 10/11 & 10/24/12. I had some unit functionality concerns on these first two day hike-test runs. Between 10/17 to 11/01/12 I worked through Garmin's Technical Customer Support group to help identify and hopefully find the correct fixes for my new 62s unit without me needing to return the unit for replacement/exchange. Unfortunately, Garmin Technical Support determined on 11/1 that my new unit was in fact defective and would need to be returned (at my expense) to Garmin against their to be issued Return Material Authorization number. After Garmin's receipt of my new but defective unit, they quoted 10-14 business days before I receive back a "repaired or replacement device".. Eventhough this new technology GPSMAP 62s may end up being the right choice for me, at the moment I'm not a very happy customer.. :-(

I've had my 62S for about 3 weeks. Like the reviewers before me - amazing performance. I downloaded a couple of aerial photos of my neighborhood using Google Earth. When I walk around the unit shows which side of the street I am using, and under ideal conditions even which side of the sidewalk I am using. I can "watch myself" go to the mailbox and tell which room of the house I am in. So good I feel like I am spying on myself. The biggest appeal for me was the ability to download - maps at 24K, plus scans of anything that can be overlaid with Google Earth, and to top it off, actual aerial photos. I've got the entire state of Colorado and Big Bend National Park loaded, with apparently plenty of room left over. I haven't even used my 4GB card yet. So far, all operations work just fine with a Mac computer. I just finished updating the firmware to 2.80 with no issues at all. The Cons (none of which are significant enough to deduct stars). I can't enable/disable my personal downloads one-by-one. Its all or nothing for user supplied maps - unless they reside on micro SDHC cards. That could be a pain since the card lives behind the batteries and is hard to manipulate with my fat fingers. The other con - a rather small limit on total map pixels (called "tiles") that can be loaded. Garmin is supposed to be working on increasing the limit. Note to potential buyers: Garmin offers a thirty dollar subscription service for aerial photos. I don't have it and the reviews are terrible so far. The free stuff is great so you don't probably don't need it. My bottom line - no regrets what-so-ever.

Update to my review after using this thing for a few months. I HATE this unit compared to the old 60CSx. I figured that using the tracks function may become less of a hassle after using it for a while, sorry, the software/OS is just plain junk compared to the older version. Sort of like trading in a Rolls Royce for a rickshaw, massive step backwards. I will say that removing the 500 point limitation has made following longer tracks a bit easier, not a bit enough change to recommend this unit, in fact when updating the review I dropped my rating from 3 to 2 stars. Bought this to replace a lost 60CSx, I use my GPS purely for recording and loading .gpx files of Jeep and mountain bike trails. I loved the old unit and figured this was just an updated version, sadly Garmin felt they had to mess with the perfectly functional OS on the 60 series probably to "improve" it. Tracks are now a large pain to start stop, instead of a simple on/off function on one screen you now have to dig through a menu on the "tracks" screen to turn recording on, and go back to "settings" and dig through a menu to turn recording off. Not a huge deal but seriously why mess with something simple that worked very well and make it a pain. My other complaint is with loading/unloading files, neither Mapsource or Base Camp will see all the loaded tracks, still working to figure out a workaround for this. I currently have to open the unit as a drive and drag the files to my desktop. Other than Garmin messing with a perfectly good OS to make it worse the unit seems to work OK. If you still have a 60 series don't "upgrade" if you have one that has buttons that have stopped working search Google for the fix, you might get lucky.

I have owned quite a few handheld GPSr's over the past 15 years. In total, about 20 units, 15 of which were Garmin's. I use them primarily for hiking and geocaching, and generally prefer durable, stand-alone GPSr's over a smartphone app. That said, I am quite impressed by the 62s. My previous unit was an Oregon 300 and I just recently traded it in for this one since I was not happy with the touchscreen. The 62s is a very solid device, with sturdy buttons, ample memory for maps, user-replaceable batteries (AAs), and a super sharp screen which is easy to see in daylight. The menus are laid out very well, and are intuitive enough for beginner users. This is one area Garmin has really improved over the years - adding the right shortcuts on screens where there weren't any on past models. The unit is also fully integrated with geocaching GPX files, so you can view caches, log attempts, view hints, and customize to your heart's content. The 62s comes with a high sensitivity receiver which not only finds your position quickly, but also maintains your position even when the sky is significantly blocked (e.g. thick forest, high walled canyons, etc.) By the time it has booted up, it will be ready to go (cold starts may take up to a minute though). Very impressive, especially when compared to the older Garmins from the early 2000s (i.e. original etrex). Track logging is accurate, and compass and altimeter features work very well for the price point. I do wish the compass needle updated faster as it did on the older models. Currently, it swings slowly, which makes it a bit more difficult when closing in on a geocache since you can overcorrect your target more easily. Overall, I am quite impressed with the 62s. It is the type of GPS I would be happy owning for the long-run. Very solid and durable design. I would highly recommend it to any geocaching and/or hiking enthusiast! +Solid design +Robust menu system +Geocaching features well integrated +Good battery life +Takes standard AA batteries! +Fits well in the hand +Strong antenna -Bearing pointer moves a bit too slow for my tastes

ottimo prodotto in una categoria in continua evoluzione, attenzione questo è il modello di punta senza cartografia precaricata (con un minimo di dimestichezza si trova facilmente online da scaricare anche la versione open source) e senza la fotocamera integrata. Secondo me è il miglior modello per chi non ama il touch screen (montana) e non vuole spendere centinaia di euro in piu per fotocamera e mappe precaricate. E' estremamente pratico e sembra robusto, ottimi i tasti grossi utilizzabili anche coi guanti, la durata delle batterie (comuni stilo) a me dura piu di tre giorni. A dire il vero utilizzandolo solo quando 'serve' potrebbero durare molto di piu. Prende egregiamente il segnale e in modo rapido. Non lo ho usato in auto come navigatore (credo che non sarebbe il massimo soprattutto con la cartografia open source) ma solo in trekking. Uniche pecche: -schermo che mi si è già un po rigato (immaginarsi il modello touch screen...) -funzioni 'avanzate' richiedono secondo me un po di studio sul manuale online, intuitive invece le funzioni base. Consigliato

単独登山をする方は、必携だと思います。 カシミール3Dとの相性が、非常に良いです。 【良い点】 ・単三乾電池２本で動作します。 コンビニさえあれば、いつでも補充できますね。 ・最高使用時間２４ｈというのも、安心。 ・旧ＧＰＳですと、水平に持ち運んでログを集積しないと精度が 上がりませんでしたが、GPSmap62sは、斜めに持ち歩いても大丈夫だそうです。 ・登山中は、手が汚いです。でも、GPSmap62sにスリップケース装着すれば、 本体は全く汚れません。 ・遭難や迷子の確率が、確実に下がります。 【注意すべき点】 ・ショップによって、ショップオリジナルの日本語マニュアルを、 付けてくれたり付けてくれなかったりします。 ・地図は、付いていません。 マイクロＳＤに地図を落として、装着します。 噂では、日本語地図は、日本語GARMINでしか活用できないそうです。 ・マイクロＳＤの地図は、別のモールで買いました。。。 【私の使い方】 ＰＣ用に、「改訂新版 カシミール3D入門編」と「改訂新版 カシミール3D GPS応用編」を購入し、 地図を結合する事を、強くおすすめします。 地図の結合の方法は、下記です。 １．「改訂新版 カシミール3D GPS応用編」をインストール ２．「改訂新版 カシミール3D入門編」の地図フォルダを、１．で生成された同じフォルダに上書き。 ３．その後、「改訂新版 カシミール3D GPS応用編」にある２．で上書いたフォルダに、 もう一度、対象のフォルダだけ上書き。 こうすると、関東甲信越〜沖縄までの、1/25,000 がＰＣ上に網羅されます。 登山に1/25,000 が必要なのは、周知の事実。 国土地理院では、ＧＰＳ連携しないし、、、 やはり、カシミールはすばらしいです。 以下、私の愛用カシミール＆GPSmap62sフロー。 ・カシミールでWay_Pointを、とにかくたくさん作る。 ・Way_Pointを連続クリックしてカシミールの断面図を作り、ペース配分を検討する。 ・PC→GPS へ、Way_Pointをインターフェイス。 ・登山する。 ・GPSログのカレントデータを、PCへ。 ・一眼のフォトも、カシミールに足してみる。 ・なぜに登山にこんなに時間がかかったのか、反省する。 ・ヤマレコにあげる。 …、単独登山は反省の嵐です。 でも、このフローを踏まないと、遭難して、もっと反省する事になると思います。 楽しい空の旅を。 ジェットエンジンではなく自分の足で。 改訂新版 カシミール3D入門編 改訂新版 カシミール3D GPS応用編

i bought this for walking , cycling , and to use on motorbike (so needed to be waterproof and in car) , an all round gps ... i love it ... its not just where am i , which way do i need to go , it's a trip computer , altimeter , if you buy the heart rate monitor and cadence sensor , it's a training aid . you will need to buy a micro sd map card to get the most out of it , i bought garmin gb discoverer north england and midlands from go outdoors at sheffield , cos they had it on offer ... i wasted £20 quid buying a tiny square of birdseye select 1;25k scale map , dint really need it , cos 1;50k is pretty good too ... it has different modes , automotive , recreational , geocaching etc , all customisable , is nice to use , but not something you can just pick up and already now how everything on it works , but having said that , you don't really need instructions either... like a mobile phone , first day or so , you set it up and mess with it until you got it how you want it. the gps system on the road in automotive mode , will work like a normal car sat nav , but with beeps instead of voices (with map sd card) ... off road , it doesn't calculate your route , how could it really , footpaths , tracks in woods , all the right of way stuff they'd have to keep checking to not get sued... it guides you by an arrow ,your at point "a" and it'll pointin a straight line to point "b" and you use the maps on the screen to make your own route to your destination,just follow to paths that go in a similar or same direction as the arrow , all you need... the best thing for me about the gps map 62s , is the geocaching feature , i didn't even know what it was until i bought this , now i'm hooked ... also shows how accurate the gps map 62s is , even in heavy woods with thick snow clouds above , love it.

On me l'a volé, j'ai racheté le même sans aucune hésitation : ça veut tout dire ! Il est excellent. Captation rapide des satellites même en sous-bois et par ciel couvert (utilisé en toute fiabilité en forêt amazonienne), très bonne ergonomie des menus, touches agréables, écran clair... Outre ses caractéristiques techniques, j'apprécie particulièrement le mousqueton (livré avec) qui permet de le garder à la ceinture ou attaché à la bretelle du sac à dos, sans aucun risque de le perdre ce qui était ma hantise avec mon premier GPS. Au fait : possédant également un modèle d'une grande marque concurrente (je ne la cite pas mais on l'aura reconnue !), je recommande ce Garmin fortement !

Bueno, resistente, y fácil de usar. Se enciende rápidamente y la resolución de las imágenes satélites esta muy bien. Y junto con el software es muy útil para planificar sus rutas.