Fequently Asked Questions about Garmin Map60CS (and Similar) GPS Receivers
Thanks to members of the GPS Units and Software Forum for their invaluable contributions. Some page elements borrowed from Thot's Beginner's Guide

You've taken the plunge and purchased a high-end Garmin receiver for hiking or Geocaching, but you're perplex by all the features of your new GPSr. Or you're an old pro at GPS, but your unit is acting like gremlins were using it last, and you can't seem to make it behave.

Welcome to the FAQ for the Garmin 60CS, 60C, 76CS, 76C, Legend C, and other units with similar firmware. Common questions posted in the Groundspeak Forums->GPS Units and Software are consolidated here. When possible, links to more detailed discussions (in the forums or elsewhere) are provided. When step-by-step instructions are given, keys on the GPSr (like MENU and ENTR) appear in CAPS, while items to be selected on-screen appear in 'Quotation Marks'.

If you would like to add a topic to the FAQ, or have questions or comments, you can contact me via gmail by writing to Sputnik dot 57 a t gmail d o t com.
Manuals, Setup, and "Secret" Codes
1. Where can I find the manual on line?
The 60CS manual is here. The 60C manual is here. The 76C manual is here. The 76CS manual is here Other Garmin manuals can be found by going to the Garmin Web Site, clicking on your unit, and then clicking on "manual" on the left margin.
2. How can I tell what version of the firmware I have?
Press MENU » MENU » 'Setup' » ENTR » 'System' » ENTR » MENU » 'Software Version' » ENTR. The current version of the firmware is shown. Unit ID is also listed.
3. What is the most recent firmware?
Version 4.0 as of 6.20.05, but check here for the 60CS and here for the 60C. The latest drivers are there too. The latest firmware for the 76C is available here. The 76CS firmware is posted here.
4. Where can I find the super secret Garmin start-up commands?
There is a list of them here, but use at your own risk. Pressing the wrong keys will reset your unit!
5. OK, but what if I want to reset my unit?
Hold ENTR and PAGE while powering up to master reset the unit. Details on doing a hard reset can be found in this post.
6. I told my GPSr to remember my backlight level, but the light never comes on when I power it up. Do I have to turn the light on every time I turn the unit on?
As discussed here, it remembers the level you set, but always powers up with the light off (kind of a pain at night) unless connected to external power. You learn pretty quickly to power the unit on, and then tap the power button again to turn on the light. If you don't want to wait for the light level screen to go away, just hit ENTR.
7. Where can I fund my serial number?
On the 76C and 76CS, it is the eight-digit number on the back of the unit. On the 60C and 60CS, the eight-digit number is under the batteries in the battery compartment. The Legend C hides it on the back of unit, under the rubber weather cap
8. How can I start up the GPSr in diagnostic mode?
Hold ENTR while powering up to enter test mode.
9. I read somewhere about another debug page. How do I see that?
From the Trip Computer page, press up, right, down and left on the rocker key. A debug page appears. There is a screen shot in this post and a discussion in the few following posts
10. What is the purpose of the "Temperature" setting? Can the GPSr display the temperature?
1. Internal temperature sensor is used for calibrating the GPSr to make it more accurate. It's only visible in the diagnostic page. 2. Selectable temperature field in the Setup menu is used when connecting a fishfinder (sonar) to measure water temperature.

The Satellite Page
1. What is the little red dot thing on the satellite page of the 60CS?
The red dot shows the direction of travel, if the orientation on the satellite page is set to "North Up." There is a discussion in the forums here. Note that if you change the Satellite page orientation from "North Up" to "Track Up" the red dot disappears.
2. What is the little 'D' on the satellite page of the 60CS?
The 'D' stands for timing differential. This means you received a timing differential update on that specific satellite. The GPSRs typically only receive this update through a signal sent from the WAAS satellites. WAAS Satellites are any satellite you are receiving with a number of 33 or higher. MacBandit and more on this topic here.

Loading Garmin Maps
1. What maps can I load onto the 60CS?
According to Garmin, only Garmin maps can be loaded. A complete list can be found here (click on the "MapSource Compatibility" link on the right). The most popular are City Select (for auto routing and points of interest), Topo US (for off road trails), and US Topo 24K (for detailed maps in national parks).
2. Is there any way to delete a map? When I try to Find an address, my GPSr shows me two regions. How do I get rid of one?
You can't delete a map from your GPSr. As discussed in this thread, you probably loaded a map from MapSource that straddles a border. You need to go to MapSource, de-select the offending map, and re-load the maps to your GPSr. In general, to "delete" a map, you have to load new maps into your GPSr. You'll have to load some map. MapSource won't let you upload a null set of maps.
3. My map keeps spinning. Can anyone tell me how to get the map to turn right side up?
Set the map to "North Up" instead of "Track Up". From the Map Screen, press MENU » 'Setup Map' » ENTR and on the General (first) tab, go to the 'Orientation' drop-down menu and select 'North Up' » ENTR instead of 'Track Up'. (See manual p 49 for the 60C, p60 for the 60CS). Incidentally, lots of users prefer the 'Track Up' orientation. It's a matter of personal preference.
4. Isn't there some way to load other maps onto my GPSr?
Well, rumor has it that the MapSource Code has been "hacked," and some users have been able to create and load their own maps onto Garmin units. The technique and a list of needed software is discussed in this post (note that the thread topic is mistyped as 'MapSend', which is Magellan's GPS software. The author meant 'SendMap'). The author of this site has no personal experience with this technique. Use at your own risk!
5. Is there some way to change the basemaps (USA/Europe)?
No. (At least not that I know of). The basemap seems to be stored in a write-protected area of the unit's memory.
6. Is the 76C basemap better than the 60C basemap
The 76C and CS use a 128MB memory chip, with a 13MB basemap, leaving 115MB for downloaded maps. The 60C and CS use a 64MB memory chip, with an 8MB basemap, leaving 56MB for downloaded maps. The 76 basemaps are more detailed. Some screen shots showing the difference (with European basemaps) can be seen in this post. Thanks jtone! Another side-by-side comparison showing maps around Sealy, Texas are posted here. The second set of maps originated in this thread which discusses more generally the differences between the 60 and 76 series. Thanks for posting those, fosterbass!
7. How can I load both City Select and Topo maps?
In MapSource, the maps available are listed in the drop-down menu on the top left. List the City Select maps, and, using the map tool, mark the maps you want to load. They will be listed in the Map Tab on the left. Then, from the drop down list, select the Topo mapset you need, and mark your Topo desired maps. Watch the memory usage figure on the bottom left, and don't go over the limit for your GPSr (56MB for the 60, 115MB for the 76).

Another solution is discussed here.
8. Can I see both City Select and Topo maps at the same time?
In a word, no. The GPSr will choose the most detailed map to display. That means that if you've loaded City Select and Topo maps of the same area, by default, the GPSr will only show the City Select maps. This topic is discussed further here. As discussed in this post, showing both maps at the same time might result in "ghosting."
9. If I can only see the City Select map, how do I see the Topo map and switch between them?
From the Map page, press MENU » 'Setup Map' » ENTR. One of maps you've loaded will be listed. Press MENU again, then » 'Hide City Select North A' » ENTR. You can use this procedure to hide or show any map (including the base map) that is loaded. If you have firmware 3.5 or higher, you can hide or show any set of maps. This area is discussed in the forums here and in the few following posts. (Please excuse the rant).
10. How do I keep my maps from looking less cluttered?
The unit gives you extensive control over how much detail is show. That includes the zoom levels of map points, user waypoints, street labels; text size of labels for all of same; overall detail level settings. You can also change the zoom level for residential level streets to appear. A good discussion is contained in this thread.
11. How do I check to see how much map memory is used or available in the GPSr?
Well, you can't directly, but you can via MapSource. When you select maps to load, the map tab shows how much memory the maps you have selected will take. 56MB minus the maps used gives you the memory unused. For the 76 series, of course, the starting number is 115MB instead of 56MB. This notion is discussed here.
12. Is there some way to change the size of the data fields in the map display (to make them take up less room)?
No. (At least not that I know of). You can, however, change the font shown on the maps themselves. Press MENU » MENU » 'Setup' » ENTR » Map » ENTR » Text Tab ('T'). You can set the font size for Map Points, Waypoints, Street Labels, and Land Cover to your choice of small, medium, large or none.

Using the Trip Computer
1. How do I reset the trip odometer?
From the Trip Computer page (hit page until you get there) » MENU » 'Reset' » ENTR » Choose which field(s) you'd like to reset » 'Apply' » ENTR » 'OK' » ENTR.

Managing and Using Tracks
1. The GPSr is supposed to hold 10,000 track points, but doesn't display that many. Can I get it to show more (or less)?
On a long trek, it may appear that the first part of your journey is dropping off the map as you move forward. As discussed beginning at this post, the unit's default setting is to display only 3,000 track points, even though it records 10,000 (no matter how many are displayed). The number of display points displayed can be changed by going to the Map page, and pressing MENU » 'Setup Map' » ENTR » 'Map Setup-Tracks tab (the second tab, with the trail) » 'Track Points' » ENTR. A keypad appears allowing to set the number of track points to display.
2. How do I delete tracks?
To delete the current track, from the Menu page » 'Tracks' » ENTR » 'Clear' » ENTR » 'Yes' » ENTR. To delete saved tracks from the Tracks page, scroll to the track you want to delete, press ENTR » 'Delete' » ENTR » 'Yes' » ENTR.

To delete all tracts, from the Tracks page, press MENU » 'Delete All Saved' » ENTR » 'Yes' » ENTR.
See this forum discussion.

Managing and Using Routes
1. How do I switch between "follow road" and "off road"?
Curmudgeonly Gal discusses the steps in this post. Thanks Michelle!

To get the GPSr to prompt you for "follow road" or "off road" Press MENU » MENU » 'Setup' » ENTR » 'Routing' » ENTR, and set Guidance Method (the first drop down) to "Prompted". A forum discussion can be found here.
2. If I want to go from, say, Atlanta to Denver, do I have to load all the maps in between to autoroute?
You can just load Atlanta and Denver (and any city you may stay in between them). The unit autoroutes on its basemaps for areas you haven't loaded.
3. What if I don't like the route that the GPSr chooses? Is there a way to force it to re-route along another path?
Re-routing can be done by splicing a waypoint into the route. There is a discussion of this issue in this thread.
4. My 60CS crashes while doing a "trackback" on a route!
This is apparently a known bug. It appears that Version 3.7 of the firmware cures this problem.

Managing and Using Waypoints
1. How do I manually enter a waypoint (like geocache coordinates) with this unit?
Press MARK. The GPSr will mark your current location. Move the rocker key to highlight the coordinates in the 'Location' window. Press ENTR. A small keypad will appear. Use the rocker key to highlight the right arrow (>)and press ENTR to highlight the number you want to change. Then move the rocker key to the number you want to enter and press ENTR. Continue until the proper coordinates are entered. The up and down arrows change the hemisphere (N to S and W to E). Then move the rocker key to 'OK' and press ENTR. You can then use the rocker panel in the same way to change the name and symbol as desired. Then move the cursor to 'OK' and press ENTR.
2. When I marked a waypoint with the Legend I could modify the point and then hit "Go To" in the bottom right corner. Can I do that on my 60CS?
Apparently not. When you enter a waypoint, the GPSr requires you to press 'OK' before you can 'GOTO' it. The best solution seems to be 'OK' » ENTR » FIND » FIND » ENTR » 'GOTO' » ENTR.
3. My Legend has a way to display my "favorite" waypoints. Can I do that on my 60CS?
There is no "favorites" setting, but this post discusses an easy work-around.
4. My old GPS 12 had a "Man Overboard" function. How do I quickly mark a waypoint with this unit?
Press and hold FIND. (See page 18 of the 60C manual, and page 28 of the 60CS manual).
5. When I list waypoints, only some of them show up. How do I get the GPSr to list all of the waypoints?
When you press FIND » 'Waypoints' » ENTR, the GPSr defaults to showing only the nearest 50 waypoints. If you've loaded a waypoint and it isn't showing up, from the waypoint list press MENU. From the menu, press 'Find by Name' » ENTR. All waypoints will then be listed in alphabetical order. Alternatively, from the menu, press 'Change Reference' » ENTR. The map will then appear, allowing you to select a new point from which the GPSr will find the nearest 50 waypoints. This is issue is discussed in the forum here and here.
6. When I list waypoints, I set it to 'Find by Name' but still only see some of them. What am I doing wrong?
If you have previously searched by symbol, the GPSr will continue to search by symbol. This is a powerful way to sort waypoints when you have lots of them listed. When you press FIND » 'Waypoints' » ENTR, the GPSr defaults to showing only the nearest 50 waypoints of the last symbol type you entered. You can have it show the nearest 50 waypoints of any one type by pressing MENU. From the menu, press 'Select Symbol' » ENTR. Scroll to the symbol type you want shown and press ENTR (or scroll to 'All Symbols' and press ENTR to show all symbols). By changing from 'Find Nearest' to 'Find by Name', you can show all waypoints with that symbol type in alphabetical order. To see all waypoints, select 'Find by Name' and 'All Symbols'. To find the 50 nearest Geocaches, select 'Find Nearest' and 'Select Symbol' to 'Geocache'. The heading on the waypoint list reminds you of the setting. For example, if the forgoing selection is used, the heading on the waypoint list reads "Geocache Near Current Location".
7. How do I keep the cache waypoints from showing up on my map without deleting them?
From the Map page, press MENU » 'Setup Map' » ENTR » 'Map Setup-Points tab (the third tab, with a flag) » 'User Waypoints' » ENTR. Then select the zoom level at which you want waypoints to show up. This thread talks more about it. If desired, it can be set to AUTO or OFF as well (Thanks, Robert).
8. How do I project a waypoint? When I try, I'm stuck using miles as units. I need to project one only a few hundred feet.
When projecting a waypoint (MARK->MENU->Project Waypoint), cursor over to the little 'mi' in the lower right corner and hit ENTR. A hidden menu pops up right there and lets you change the projection units to mi, ft, yd, km, m, nm. From there, you can select miles, feet, yards, kilometers, meters or nautical miles. This thread talks more about it, and offers a screen shot (thanks jotne). And I now HAVE had time to add it to the FAQ.
9. Is there any way to make custom waypoint symbols and upload them to your GPSr?
Neo Geo has a great discussion of how to do this using Ximage in this thread. It also addresses uploading them to MapSouce Beta ver 6.5. (The final release of MapSource 6.5 is now available.) TheOfficeMaven offered a ZIP file with a couple of dozen custom images shown at the far right in this post. Sadly, they have been removed. If anyone has a copy of the zip file, please send it to me at the gmail address listed at the top of this page and I'll post it. The Geocaching-specific custom icons shown at near right are also designed by TheOfficeMaven. The zip file is here (Thanks PDOP's).

We3dements offers custom Benchmark symbols in this post.

Note that if you change cache symbols, the change will limit the functionality of Geocaching Mode, as discussed here. (incidentally, Ximage also generated the screen shots on this site).
10. Is there an easy way to know how many waypoints I have downloaded into my GPSr?
Well, one way is to list all waypoints, and then scroll through them counting as you go. An easier way, discussed in this post, is to download them into MapSource. On the Waypoint tab on the left side of the screen, the number of waypoints will be shown.
11. How do I delete all of my waypoints, or a set of waypoints?
FIND » 'Waypoints' » ENTR » MENU » 'Delete...' » ENTR » 'All Symbols' (or make selection of which symbols to delete) » ENTR » 'Yes' » ENTR. The process is discussed in this post.

Using the Geocaching Mode
1. What is "Geocaching Mode" and what does it do for me?
Geocaching mode is really just a special way of sorting and keeping track of waypoints. If you load a waypoint with a Geocaching symbol (by default, a closed treasure chest), then that waypoint will appear when you press FIND » 'Geocache' » ENTR. Pressing these keys lists geocache waypoints you have loaded. (By pressing MENU, you can select 'Find by Name' to show all Geocaches in alphabetical order, or 'Find Nearest' to show the nearest 50 Geocaches.) If you select a geocache, and then press 'Goto', the compass page appears, with a special menu at the bottom, showing 'Found', 'Note', and 'Stop'. You can proceed to the cache, and when found, press the 'Found' button. The GPSr will note your find on the GPS calendar, change the symbol to 'found Geocache' (by default, an open treasure chest) and ask if you would like to find the next nearest cache. Pressing the 'Note' button displays the note entered for the waypoint at the top of the screen. The key then changes to 'Data'. Pressing 'Data' restores the compass screen.

Using Geocaching Swiss Army Knife and EasyGPS
1. How to I get GSAK (Geocaching Swiss Army Knife) to talk to my GPSr via the USB port?
Make sure that you are using the last version of GSAK (4.2 or higher--5.6 is the latest version). Prior versions didn't support USB.
2. How do I get information from GSAK into the "comment" field of my GPSr?
The "comment" field in the 60CS is the same as the Waypoint Description field in GSAK.
3. Why can't I seem to download more than about 30 characters into the comment field, when it looks like it will hold twice that many?
Good question (but currently without a good answer).
4. GSAK lets me build really long waypoint names. What is the longest waypoint name the GPSr allows?
You're currently limited to ten characters.
5. When I upload waypoints that have similar names to my GPSr, only some of them show up. What am doing wrong?
If you are using GSAK, make sure that you have the "smart name" set to no more than 10 (%smart=10). If you use a longer setting, the GPSr truncates the name to 10 characters, which may no longer be unique. This is discussed in more detail in this thread.
6. How to I get EasyGPS to talk to my GPSr via the USB port?
First, make sure that you have the latest version of EasyGPS (ver. 1.3.7 as of this post). Then make sure you have the 'Use USB Box' checked.
7. How to I get EasyGPS to recognize my Vista C or Legend C? I don't see either of those models listed.
EasyGPS doesn't know about these models yet. Lie to it and tell it that you have a Map60C. They use the same firmware, and it will work over the USB connection.
8. I'm using V1.3.7 of EasyGPS and yes, 'Use USB' is checked in my GPS settings, but I'm still having problems. I get a message saying "The USB driver for this GPS is not installed on this computer (error #6)." This just started happening. Previously I had no problem using my 60CS with the USB connection.
Garmin is a little picky about how USB drivers are updated. There is a good discussion of (and solution to) the problem in this thread.
9. I'm trying to download data using EasyGPS with a serial cable, and I get Error #22. Help!
GPSBable's RobertLipe to the rescue.
10. How to I get Microsoft Street and Trips to talk to my GPSr via the USB port?
At this point, apparently, you can't.

Mounts, Antennae, Cases and Other Accessories
1. Any suggestions for a good mount?
Garmin and RAM seem to be the most popular. A pretty good discussion starts here.
2. What is the best external antenna to use?
Garmin and Gilsson seem. These models are discussed in a long thread here. Another shorter discussion starts here.
3. Any suggestions on carrying cases?
Neoprene and sharkskin cases for the 60C and 60CS are discussed here and here. A great thread on cases for the 76C and 76CS can be found here

Miscellaneous Questions
1. Where can I see a good independent review of this GPSr?
Try gpsinformation.net. The 60C is reviewed here. The 76C review is here. Other units and topics are listed on their main page. Screen shots of the 60C are available here.
2. I've heard somewhere that I can get tide prediction tables on the 60CS, but after I loaded maps, I can't find any tide information. How do I get that?
If you have MapSource, you can download the tide tables used in the GPSMap 162 or 168 and load them into a 60/76. Mount10bike gives details in this thread. The Garmin tide information can be found here. You can also load them on the Legend C and Vista C per Neo Geo's thread.
3. What does "battery saver" mode do to lengthen battery life? Does it constantly turn the GPS on and off in an attempt to save battery? Does it turn off the display but still have the GPS on so that it records your track and such?
It reduces the frequency with which it logs your position. MacBandit reports in this post that he gets a tighter more accurate lock with it off but if you are just traveling highway or not in heavy cover he gets about a third more battery life with it on.
4. The 60CS, 76CS and Vista C have something called "Jumpmaster." Is that anything like it sounds?
If you think it sounds like it has something to do with jumping out of airplanes, you are right. Jotne has a discussion in this thread. The Garmin discussion can be found here (for what it's worth).
5. How long will the unit run on battery power? Is each line on the battery indicator equal to one-fourth of the power?
Battery life varies with how much backlighting, autorouting, etc. you do. You should get 20 hours or so from good alkaline cells or rechargeables. In a test by AtlantaGal, it appears that lithium batteries last about 3 times longer, but die with very little warning. (They also cost 3 times as much.) The battery indicator is NOT linear.
6. What makes my GPSr randomly shut down? I know that my batteries are fully charged.
Probably loose battery contacts. Some units were apparently shipped with this problem. Possible solutions (and other links) can be found in this thread.
7. When I'm hooked up to the USB cable, is the GPSr using its batteries, or does it get power from the USB cable?
The 60 and 76 use their batteries. They don't draw power through their mini USB connection. The Legend C, Vista C, color etrex units apparently do draw power from the USB port.


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