Dang it woot! You where so close on this one. I have been looking to get a new GPS but this one is just out of my price range. I was looking for the Garmin GPSMAP 62 not the 62sc. I can get the new 62 for 275 on amazon so this is just to much for me. But anybody thinking about getting this trust me you wont be disappointed. If I had more money then I would diffidently get this.

This is an absolutely fantastic hiking GPS. Keep in mind though that the SC does NOT come loaded with the Topo maps. You want the ST for that feature. I have the 62STC, which adds the camera feature along with the built in topo maps. You can buy the topo maps to load into this, but once you've done that... you might as well have sprung for the 62ST or 62STC.

There is nothing like a Garmin. I've had my GPSMAP 60CSx handheld (one of the predecessors to the 62SC) for about 7 years now, and it is a trooper. It's been through everything, and I still use it every day. This is a no-brainer for any outdoor enthusiast!

only $429 @REI, $454.23 on amazon, so discount here is not too deep.

will sleep on it since cc is just about hit the limit..

I found this video and thought it may help any of you who are on the fence about this item. It is a quick look at the series and does have some great info and differences between the models. Including the woot offered one. Enjoy.

bobbyshawatl wrote:This is an absolutely fantastic hiking GPS. Keep in mind though that the SC does NOT come loaded with the Topo maps. You want the ST for that feature. I have the 62STC, which adds the camera feature along with the built in topo maps. You can buy the topo maps to load into this, but once you've done that... you might as well have sprung for the 62ST or 62STC.

I'll disagree here. The 62 ST or STC comes with 1:100,000 topo maps. Good for basic overview, but you'd be crazy to rely on them in the back country. For finer detail you're looking at the 80 dollar topo regional maps.

For 30 bucks a year you can subscribe to Garmin Birdseye Topos (not birdseye satellite, which just downloads satellite imagery of a map), which lets you download USGS topo maps at your leisure. Or you can go to gpsfiledepot.com and probably find good topos for free. Or you can rip raster topos from the USGS and make custom maps. You have a lot of options.

In other words, you don't need the 1:100,000 topo map. There are better alternatives out there for way less. Buy the street navigator package if you intend to use the GPS for geocaching though.

I'm not sure why I'd want the camera either personally. Might be useful for notes and trail tracking, but I have the 62S and really have not missed it at all.

Now, having had the 62s for a year, this thing is effing awesome. I originally got it for geocaching, and while it has a robust feature set, it suffers from a lack of touchscreen or a keypad. Entering notes on the rocker switch is painful. However, the features list rocks, it locks onto a signal quickly, and once you lock on you don't get a lot of slop in your tracking. Earlier firmware had a lot of problems, but that was like firmware 1.something and they're up to 4.6, so that's ancient history.

Other really nice features are the microSD card, which I just slapped a 16 gig card into without problem, the 3-axis magnetic compass (your GPS doesn't have to be held flat or move), some very useful pre-defined profiles, stopwatch, calendar, sunrise/sunset, barometric altimeter, and the ability to communicate with ant+ perhipherals *and* the ability to squirt waypoints and other data to other compatible units (pretty much GPSMap 62s units)

The battery compartment has a gasket and seals very well, and the antenna/USB port has a heavy rubber plug to keep out water and dirt. Overall, it's pretty rugged, although as always I'd avoid submerging it.

Downsides... The manual is a joke, the interface is cluttered and not intuitive (especially with the large amounts of options and profiles), and unless you want the GPS to do something, you probably won't realize it's capabilities.

Garmin's map addons are what they are. I don't believe they support the NatGeo topo maps program, but I could be mistaken. The Birdseye Topo program remedies that, but at the same time, if you break your subscription, you can't sync the maps from your computer to your GPS any more. Whatever is on your GPS stays however. So if you go that route, get a BIG SD card.

Screen resolution is... meh... Very pixelated, but it does the job that it needs to. It gets a little less sexy dealing with topos in rugged territory. Screen is viewable in direct sunlight, which is a big plus.

Battery life is about 20 hours of runtime according to manuals. I haven't verified this, but there is a power saver option, and you can muck with the compass, the brightness of the screen, and other things to help get the most out of your batteries.

Now that I'm getting into backpacking, I'm digging the dozen or so coordinate systems that it offers, and I'm unlocking more of the GPS unit's power, but I'm also seeing it's limitations. That screen is still a major limitation, as it's too small to get *good* detail, and a good topo map is going to still be needed in a backpacking situation. On the up side, with a UTM map and tool, you can pretty much pinpoint where you are extremely fast, and then use your good old compass to extrapolate from there, speeding up your map plotting immensely.

This is a decent deal. Basically, you save 10 bucks off of the amazon price of the same model without the camera (which isn't an item I want at all, more stuff to go wrong). If you need a bigger screen than the 2.8 inch screen, or a higher resolution, or especially touch-screen, look at the Oregon series. Otherwise, if you want a rugged (Garmin says this thing is waterproof, so I stand corrected from earlier) GPS, this is a pretty decent offering.

digitalurbancamo wrote:Dang it woot! You where so close on this one. I have been looking to get a new GPS but this one is just out of my price range. I was looking for the Garmin GPSMAP 62 not the 62sc. I can get the new 62 for 275 on amazon so this is just to much for me. But anybody thinking about getting this trust me you wont be disappointed. If I had more money then I would diffidently get this.

Sorry one more note here to refine this.

The difference between the 62 and the 62s (or st or sc or stc) is large. Wireless communication, compass, altimeter, the microSD slot, and a bunch of other functions are left out. If you just want a really good, accurate GPS without the bells & whistles, the 62 might be worth while, otherwise at least look at the 62s.

The SD slot alone probably would be worth the upgrade. I'm not sure what the internal memory was for the 62, but the 1.7 gigs in the 62s go quick.

Garmin GPSMAP 62SC Handheld GPS Unit
How Does Woot Price Compare?

Today's Price on WOOT = $389.99 + $5 shipping

Cabela's = $424.99 + unspecified amount for shipping or, free in store pickup
http://www.cabelas.com/handheld-gps-garmin-gpsmap-62s-8.shtml?WT.tsrc=CSE&WT.mc_id=GoogleProductAds&WT.z_mc_id1=03247719&rid=40&mr:trackingCode=76D44458-FCC9-E011-9A77-001B21631C34&mr:referralID=NA&mr:adType=pla&mr:ad=21046045871&mr:keyword=&mr:match=&mr:filter=43600811471

ebay = $349.00 + $14 shipping (only 3 available)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Garmin-GPSMAP-62sc-Handheld-Navigator-/200855132259?pt=GPS_Devices&hash=item2ec3e61863
**Best Price Found @ $31.99 Under Today's Woot Deal**

Amazon = $454.23 + ships free
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PC Nation = $426.80 + ships free
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NOTE:
The above dealers and prices were found using a random 'Google' search and is a 'good faith' effort to find and compare average prices for comparisons on the web. Your own specific search may find differing and/or lower prices.

Had an odd thing happen with several of the 62S version of this unit. Even though I couldn't find any info on the webs about people with the same issue and tech support had no knowledge of the problem.

We deploy about 30 of these units for a survey program each summer. Generally you get 20 hours of use from a set of batteries (we use ray-o-vac ultra industrial AA, have for years, they are great batteries) but somehow the volt monitoring on the units is faulty. After about 2 hours of use the unit would say "lost connection to external power, saving data" and it would beep, save data and after about a minute of freaking out, power it self down. Some of the survey crew said that if they turned the unit on and off three times, the unit would work for a few more hours. I personally had to change batteries every 2 hours. Now the batteries are not depleted mind you, the unit just doesn't detect enough juice in them.

Before you ask, yes we had all the settings correctly applied, we tried all the power saving options, etc. I had about 6 units with this problem. Garmin Tech support said to try using non-industrial strength batteries, so I ordered Duracell. Same problem. Tried rechargables, same thing. I noticed on surveyor purchased lithium but I did not get to speak to her about her experience with them. Oh, I installed the latest firmware too.

TheFlatline wrote:

The SD slot alone probably would be worth the upgrade. I'm not sure what the internal memory was for the 62, but the 1.7 gigs in the 62s go quick.

Loading the 24k topo for the entire state of MN and some of the Dakotas and Iowa took about 1/4 of the available 62s internal memory.

digitalurbancamo wrote:Dang it woot! You where so close on this one. I have been looking to get a new GPS but this one is just out of my price range. I was looking for the Garmin GPSMAP 62 not the 62sc. I can get the new 62 for 275 on amazon so this is just to much for me. But anybody thinking about getting this trust me you wont be disappointed. If I had more money then I would diffidently get this.

I am upgrading from a Garmin GPSMAP 60Cx, are you interested in doing a deal?

This link shows all versions of the GPSMAP 62 series

CLICK HERE

TheFlatline wrote:
The difference between the 62 and the 62s (or st or sc or stc) is large. Wireless communication,

Please keep in mind that this "wireless communication", last I checked, was only with other Garmin GPS'.

Unless you have a few people with a Garmin then it's kind of useless.

For the record, I bought an Oregon 400T when they were on the way out and I love the thing. It has saved my butt a bunch of times over the years.

I got the same model from amazon yesterday for less, but YMMV. However, WHY I got it was for my geocaching husband who is updating. This will be great for the geocacher in your life.

I have a good friend with the 62ST (this one minus the camera). Everything works great on it... except the compass. The map loading is great (including trail maps, satellite view and topo maps). Satellite lock is fast and appears pretty accurate. But the compass doesn't seem to work worth anything (sits there pointing this way and that way and the other way and so on) unless it's on the move... and the antenna is pointed straight up at the sky. That's something you can adapt to... but my "other brand I won't mention" GPS actually has a three-axis compass that works great. So when we're out geocaching together... they work great in tandem - him watching the trail maps... and me watching the direction we're going.

My smartphone will display a real-time map with a trail showing where I've been, and an overlay showing where I plan to go. When I'm done, I can post the map with superimposed trail to Facebook to prove to my friends that I do occasionally leave my computer to encounter nature.

How is this almost $400 better than my smartphone? I'm somewhat amazed that dedicated GPS units are still a thing. Can somebody please explain why?

I was shopping for the 62S and almost jumped on this deal when I saw it but the price was just as high as the 62S and that is still too high for me. After seeing this and searching around I found the 62S on sale at GPSCity for $304 with a 4GB SD Card.

gjbloom wrote:
How is this almost $400 better than my smartphone? I'm somewhat amazed that dedicated GPS units are still a thing. Can somebody please explain why?

All too often I am in areas where my smartphone will not receive a 3G/4G signal and render the phone GPS function useless. Dedicated GPS units don't have that problem. I haven't found a smartphone that can operate as well or as long as the dedicated GPS especially when hiking in the winter or deep in the backwoods. Not to mention the ruggedness of a dedicated unit like this woot! over a smartphone makes it worth its weight in gold when I want it to augment my map and compass to help navigation. Love my smartphone but the right tool for the right job. YMMV.

glouie wrote:All too often I am in areas where my smartphone will not receive a 3G/4G signal and render the phone GPS function useless. Dedicated GPS units don't have that problem. I haven't found a smartphone that can operate as well or as long as the dedicated GPS especially when hiking in the winter or deep in the backwoods. Not to mention the ruggedness of a dedicated unit like this woot! over a smartphone makes it worth its weight in gold when I want it to augment my map and compass to help navigation. Love my smartphone but the right tool for the right job. YMMV.

Wait - there are places that don't have 3G/4G? How uncivilized!

At any rate, Google maps has an offline mode so all you need is the GPS in your phone to figure out where you are. Of course, that requires you to have the foresight to download the maps before you head out and wouldn't do squat for you if you survived a plane crash.

If you're gung-ho, you can blow $130 and recharge your batteries by burning some twigs in one of these.

So the one remaining advantage is ruggedness. Is this advantage enough to keep dedicated GPS units viable? They're still here, so I guess so. But this fair-weather hiker would have a hard time justifying $400 for ruggedness.

Thanks for answering. Happy trails!

I have a 60Cx, works great, and there are plenty of free street and topo maps out there...not always 100% accurate, but good enough for caching.

i like the fact that people stopped asking whether there are monthly fees for GPS service.. progress.

Firebert wrote:(we use ray-o-vac ultra industrial AA, have for years, they are great batteries)

If you still have them, check the packaging. Make sure they don't say "heavy duty", or barring that, make sure they aren't yellow with blue trim. Those are *not* for high-drain electronic devices, and they aren't alkaline batteries. The alkaline ones are black and silver.

Someone in the supply department might have gone with the less expensive option, thinking, "Batteries are batteries!"

gjbloom wrote:Wait - there are places that don't have 3G/4G? How uncivilized!

At any rate, Google maps has an offline mode so all you need is the GPS in your phone to figure out where you are. Of course, that requires you to have the foresight to download the maps before you head out and wouldn't do squat for you if you survived a plane crash.

If you're gung-ho, you can blow $130 and recharge your batteries by burning some twigs in one of these.

So the one remaining advantage is ruggedness. Is this advantage enough to keep dedicated GPS units viable? They're still here, so I guess so. But this fair-weather hiker would have a hard time justifying $400 for ruggedness.

Thanks for answering. Happy trails!

Given that some phones now have actual GPS chips in them and don't rely only on A-GPS, the main advantage of one of these really comes down to power - and how much of it you have when you're out and about.

GPS uses A LOT of power and will deplete your phone battery pretty quickly. Then you're kinda stuck while you go find your twigs to burn and recharge it with the Biolite (which is WAY cool, btw). The dedicated device runs for a few days and when the power starts to fade for them, pop in two AAs and off you go again for a few more days. Those AAs are going to be _much_ lighter than the Biolite too...

Both your phone and a dedicated device are fairly close in accuracy so that's a wash. And whatever other perceived advantages, besides 'ruggedness', a dedicated device has can be solved for a phone because there's probably 'an app for that'.

All that being said, I still lug my 60CSx (older model than these) out when I go off into the wilds (the phone comes too - but for communicating with the outside world while I'm gone)

A good friend of mine, and VERY active geocacher, has one of these (I still use my trusty old 60csx) and he's never been happy with it. The rubber wore off the buttons quickly, the user interface is terribly clumsy, and the thing shuts down fairly often after which he must strip out the batteries and reinsert them before turning it back on or else it won't come back on at all. And, yes, he keeps the firmware updated. After watching him fight this thing when we go out caching together, and hearing similar reports from other local cachers, I decided to stick with what I have and see if Garmin does betteron the next one.

digitalurbancamo wrote:If I had more money then I would diffidently get this.

If I were interested, I would self-assuredly get this.

eravau wrote:I have a good friend with the 62ST (this one minus the camera). Everything works great on it... except the compass. The map loading is great (including trail maps, satellite view and topo maps). Satellite lock is fast and appears pretty accurate. But the compass doesn't seem to work worth anything (sits there pointing this way and that way and the other way and so on) unless it's on the move... and the antenna is pointed straight up at the sky. That's something you can adapt to... but my "other brand I won't mention" GPS actually has a three-axis compass that works great. So when we're out geocaching together... they work great in tandem - him watching the trail maps... and me watching the direction we're going.

You have to calibrate the compass on this thing, otherwise you get the results you describe. Press the "menu" button while on the compass. There will be a calibrate option, which will walk you through some steps to calibrate. I usually do this at the start of a hike and it works fine after that.

gjbloom wrote:Wait - there are places that don't have 3G/4G? How uncivilized!

At any rate, Google maps has an offline mode so all you need is the GPS in your phone to figure out where you are. Of course, that requires you to have the foresight to download the maps before you head out and wouldn't do squat for you if you survived a plane crash.

If you're gung-ho, you can blow $130 and recharge your batteries by burning some twigs in one of these.

So the one remaining advantage is ruggedness. Is this advantage enough to keep dedicated GPS units viable? They're still here, so I guess so. But this fair-weather hiker would have a hard time justifying $400 for ruggedness.

Thanks for answering. Happy trails!

Well let's see here.

First, a dedicated unit like this will acquire a signal more quickly, in more places than your smartphone, and be generally more accurate than your smartphone (your GPS location will wander more with a smartphone).

Durability was mentioned, but for me battery life is important. A set of batteries will last me 10+ hours, and replacements will take up almost no room and space. My iphone *might* get 3-4 hours of heavy GPS usage out of it before it's battery is dead.

My GPS is IPX7 waterproof, so if I slip and go into a river or creek my GPS should still work, while the iphone... err... won't.

Let's not forget that if you drop your phone and it shatters the screen, it's actually way more expensive to replace (6-700 dollars) than your 300 dollar GPS unit.

Another big one is range/scale. Google maps tops out at around 1000 feet an inch for scale. My GPS goes down to I want to say 20-40 feet scale. That can be a big difference in topography.

And as for that stupid-ass kettle/charging thing that just came out, it's nifty tech, but in reality they said it takes like 30 minutes to get a 10% charge.

This and the high end oregon units are not for day hikers. Hardcore geocachers see a lot of use from the added resolution and fix time, but generally speaking, you can find sub-200 dollar GPS units that replicate the benefits for a day hiker here without spending 400 bucks. My first geocache GPS unit was I think 120 bucks and the basemap was horrible, it had no compass unless you were moving at a brisk jog, and it was barely useable for geocaching without a dedicated compass. Still worked fine and I'd consider loading trail maps onto it for day hiking.