Handheld GPS Reviews

Price:$493.48

Garmin GPSMAP 62St 2.6-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Product Reviews

A Good GPS But, August 11, 2010

I recently purchased a garmin 62s GPS while this GPS is packed with wonderful features it is the first Garmin product that I may send back. It has a problem with a case that squeaks when pushed on the sides and the altimeter records spike of 40 to 60 feet elevation change by simply pushing the buttons on the front of the unit. A couple of software glitches which I believe Garmin will fix, but with my last experiences with Garmin Tech Support I am not holding my breath. I have 90 days to return my unit if Garmin does not step up to the plate and try to resolve the issues. Please let it be I would hate to send this unit back.

As of 8/16/10 Garmin’s software update has fixed most of the software issues that led to some of my reasons for a low rating. The poorly designed case is still an issue, Garmin states that it does not affect the integrity of the GPS but mine is getting worse the more I use it. My recommendation would be to wait and see if Garmin will come up with a resolution for the noisy case. Because I feel that they are moving in right direction I will up my rating a little. I will post any updates.

Some initial problems; now mostly fixed!, August 11, 2010

UPDATE September 7 2010. The issues resolved below are solved by release 2.50 of the 62st firmware. I have no trouble recommending this unit at this point!

I purchased the 62st recently and took it out for a 9 mile geocaching adventure. While I like the unit very much in general, it has one major problem. Like any hiking GPS, the 62st will record your track as you hike, letting you upload it to your computer when you return home. This is very useful for keeping track of your adventures. The accuracy of the 62st’s GPS, combined with its barometric altimeter, lets you accurately record your track for later use.

Sadly what I discovered is that on the 62st simply pressing buttons on the GPS interferes with the barometric altimeter. Pressing even a single button on the GPS can result in spikes in the recorded data of 30 feet or more! On my first test hike, my 62st GPS said that I had climbed more than 8000 vertical feet, while the other GPSes carried by my friends on the same hike recorded only 2000.

I did apples-to-apples comparison experiments of the Garmin 62st, Garmin 60csx and Delorme PN-40, and only the 62st exhibits this bug. Pressing buttons on the other GPSes does not interfere with the recorded track data.

I have been in contact with Garmin Support about this issue, but as of today there is no fix.

Until this issue is resolved sadly I cannot recommend the Garmin 62s or 62st. I hope for a fix soon!

UPDATE as of 8/12/2010: Today Garmin released a new set of beta firmware for the 62 series GPSes. In preliminary experiments, the new firmware seems to have significantly improved things with respect to the altimeter. I will do more testing this weekend, but the situation seems to be improving! I’ll report back early next week.

UPDATE as of 8/22/2010. The beta firmware has fixed the altitude issue. Some users have reported problems in updating to the beta, so I’d still suggest holding off on a purchase until Garmin releases a new “official” firmware release. I’ve taken the GPS out on several hikes totalling over 20 miles, and am quite impressed with it. I upgraded my review to three stars today, and will give it another star once a new firmware release is available.

UPDATE as of 9/7/2010. Garmin has now released firmware 2.50 for the 62st. If you update your unit to the new firmware level, I have no problem recommending it. My earlier problems are fixed.

Excellent Features, August 9, 2010

I was gifted a Garmin GPSmap 62st just a few days ago, and it is outstanding. It is loaded with features that I had no idea a GPS could do (such as calculating glide ratio, of all things-get me in a sailplane, quick!). The basic compass and altimeter seem very accurate. The display shows up nicely in sunlight (best if the backlight is on all the time). The unit is cased in hard, rubbery plastic, and it feels very solid. Every screen that you can access in the device is programmable, meaning you can make it display only the information you want to see, or you can set up profiles to show you what you want for different activities (geocaching, driving in your car, etc.). There are also good accessories available, such as a suction cup mount for your car and a handlebar mount for your bike. Garmin also has a couple of antennas you can mount on your car to improve the signal strength.
One gripe that I have is the complexity of the Garmin Custom Maps feature. Garmin sort of bills this as something wonderful and easy, but I was fooling around with Google Earth and Adobe Reader for hours trying to get the unit to display a PDF map that I downloaded from the Internet. Don’t get too excited about this feature, it’s almost better to forget the hassle and just use the preloaded 100K maps, which are quite good.
I can’t wait to go on a trip or do some geocaching with this thing!

Awesome GPS, August 11, 2010

This is my first portable GPS that I plan to use primarily for hiking trails. I’ve had several auto GPS units from Garmin, so I am familiar with the technology and the brand. I’ve been researching this purchase for a while now and have tested several models in stores. The durability and design of the 62st were the deciding factors for me. The unit has an extremely solid feel and is waterproof. I don’t plan to submerge it, but it is nice to know that it probably could survive that. I compared touch screen models with the button layout on the 62st. Touch screen is great for auto units, but buttons were my preference here. The layout is logical and intuitive, and it’s easy to operate with one hand. Other feature I wanted were a compass, altimeter, and lots of storage for routes and waypoints. The 62st provides all of that and more. I chose the st model with complete US Topo map because I ocassionally travel and wanted a good general Topo available. The detail seems more than adequate. I’ll add a more detailed WA Topo in the future if I need it. Thus far, I haven’t taken it on the trail, but I’ve used it during some outings around my home and near my workplace. Reception seems more than adequate so far, much better than my auto GPS. Thus far I am extremely satisfied and expect to get many years and miles out of this great product. I can already envision some additional uses beyond hiking.