# Garmin GPSMAP 62s - my short review



## Machoman121 (Jun 22, 2013)

I've had the GPSMAP 62s for about 2 months and approx. 10 rides - recently i mapped out a route and rode it and had to abandon the ride because it was getting too muddy - the tires were caked with mud and had the bike had to started to slide. So i checkd the GPS for the best alternative route to return to the car and found a trail ahead that will take me back to the car. It worked perfectly - thank god for the accurate OSM maps in Melbourne.

I've lusted for the Garmin 60 when someone first showed me his colored 60 and said the batteries in it lasted for many many hours. I was using a Magellan Meridian Gold - a solid gps performer but in b/w and pretty much no maps - so it just laid breadcrumbs for me. 

I always wanted a proper mapping GPS for my mtbing - now i have the 62s i'm loving it- espcially since how it was able to help me cut short the ride and showed me how to get back.

The screen is sun-readable and u can switch the back light off - i never worry about the batteries as it will run for plenty of hours and i always carry a spare AAs. The 2.6 inch size is great for mtbing - i can't imagine navigating on anything else smaller. The etrex looked like toys. 

The Garmin GPSes are very versatile and can take many alternative maps. I could have bought a Magellan but would have been stuck with their 'expensive' maps. OSM maps have been a god-send. Thank-you OSM. The OSM trails in melbourne have been spot-on. I've got Garmin Topo but it's no where as accurate as the OSM maps.

Garmin Basecamp is also a very powerful software to use with the 62s. 

Track management on the 62s is pretty good - u can load different routes with different colors at the same time - i did that on the last ride - and had 2 routes for the same area- one easy and the other the longer route - when i found it too muddy to continue and noticed i had passed the easy route i then looked for the next trail that hooks me back to the easy route. It was fun to be able to do that. The 62s allows u to use many colors but only a few are pratical - red, purple, green are useful. The rest is crap ie. not easy to see.

Waypoint management is nearly non-existent on the 62. Every waypoint u have on the GPS is on the map. I wish u can choose which sets of waypoints to use and which ones u can hide. The old Meridian can save sets of waypoints to the file and u only load the file with the required waypoints to show on the map. That can't be done on the 62 so i try to minimise having too many waypoints......otherwise they'll clutter the screen and could potentially slow the unit down.

I love the 62s for it's versatility (to take OSM maps), good screen- easily readable in outdoors (with back-light off) and great battery time.

I'm also glad with the 62s for it's reliability- the use of buttons seem more reliable than the touch screen GPSes. I read Oregon/Montana users frequently and eventually have serious touch screen problems with the units.


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## Machoman121 (Jun 22, 2013)

Another rave from using the 62s - i have always used the unit with my routing set to 'direct' as it allows me to use the arrow pointing to a waypoint and i just follow my own passive trail that i had marked with basecamp at home. I've discovered that with the OSM - routable maps i can set my routing to mountainbiking and it provides a turn-by turn functiont to take me to the waypoint through the trails like i'm on a proper road. This is such a revelation - especially when one is already tired and simply want the easiest way home i will change the routing to 'mountain biking' and choose minimise ascent and it'll provide a large highlighted pink/purple trail to the car park. And i think the minimise ascent function works really well - i had climbed a hill and wanted to call it a day and set the 62s to take me back to the car - and i followed it and didn't climb much to be returned to the car....thanks garmin. It works!!!! Even for emergency something like that can be a life saver.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Machoman121 said:


> Another rave from using the 62s - i have always used the unit with my routing set to 'direct' as it allows me to use the arrow pointing to a waypoint and i just follow my own passive trail that i had marked with basecamp at home. I've discovered that with the OSM - routable maps i can set my routing to mountainbiking and it provides a turn-by turn functiont to take me to the waypoint through the trails like i'm on a proper road. This is such a revelation - especially when one is already tired and simply want the easiest way home i will change the routing to 'mountain biking' and choose minimise ascent and it'll provide a large highlighted pink/purple trail to the car park. And i think the minimise ascent function works really well - i had climbed a hill and wanted to call it a day and set the 62s to take me back to the car - and i followed it and didn't climb much to be returned to the car....thanks garmin. It works!!!! Even for emergency something like that can be a life saver.


Using something like that has a big caveat - your location.

Trails are not universally available for every place I ride. A few parks are under development with more trails coming.


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## Machoman121 (Jun 22, 2013)

Of course - turn by turn routing only works for trails that are on the map - and we're very lucky that the OSM map for Melbourne has been so very very accurate - it's actually spot-on. So i'm able to use the turn-by-turn feature on mountainbiking (something i've never tried before) - just like being in a car or having a guide come along.

The 2.6inch screen has a small real estate and is not the easiest to use to find alternative or best routes under the pump/when tired. The new Monterra 4inch would be much better to be able to see the surrounding.....but tat's a luxury. The GPSMAP 62s is more than perfectly do-able.


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