Hi everyone. I wanted to provide this review because I spent several months researching many different brands of handheld GPS units. My search pointed me in the direction of this particular unit, specifically the 64ST model. I bought this unit to use during my long-term position as a pipeline inspector. I use this unit everyday for more than 9 hours a day collecting various bits of waypoints and information that I later rely upon to direct not only work but also to identify items that need attention. Having this unit has made my job not only easier but more enjoyable. I would highly suggest considering purchasing a Micro SD card to go hand-in-hand with the unit especially if you plan on collecting various waypoints and other information. The 100K topo maps that come with the unit are sufficient for my use, but I can certainly see where the 24K topas would be much more beneficial to those needing more specific ground details. Overall, the unit has been very reliable, the battery use is really not that bad especially given the features of the unit. If I use the unit for 9 hours a day straight without turning it off only using two typical AA batteries I can easily get three to four days out of the batteries. Regarding signal strength, I have never dropped more than 1 bar below maximum (but do keep in mind, I am usually on an open area of ground with little to no tree cover, so take this point for its face value. In terms of the units user-friendliness, right out of the box I was able to completely utilize the unit with no learning curve issues. For those who may be wondering, I am not the most technical person out there however a general knowledge of electronics in conjunction with the quick start guide helps. Regarding the free trial of the bird's-eye Maps: I most definitely plan on renewing my subscription. While it is an extra cost on a annual basis I can tell you that having those Maps available and at your fingertips while out in the field make quite the difference. Overall, I would most certainly recommend this unit with no Reserves at all. Simply put, the unit is functional, reliable, compact enough, and all-around easy-to-use.
Love how quick it acquires signal. My only complaint is the topo map. GARMIN real gives you the finger with there top maps. The ST is significantly more expensive the plain 64. the price in my opinion does not justify the extra GB space the very, very plain topo. considering you can buy a 16 gb sd card for under 20 bucks don't waste the money on the 64.
I will explain why I am not of fan of the topo.
Before I took the plunge on this GPS I used my I phone and the Trimble app along with the onX app. what I enjoyed about the app was
1-the app is free
2-the apps uses very detailed 10 ft elevation change USGS maps overlayed over your position.
3-you could switch between a Google aerial views on your current location.
4-due to the touch screen nature and the fact that the apps are designed for hunters they had convenient waypoint markers that could be used to designate tree stands, game cameras, trails etc.
5- I travel a lot. Serving in the military I do not have the luxury of hunting my own private land. So generally every 2 years or so I have to start all over again. and the apps allow me a lot of flexibility especially for still hunting and and I absolutely love it.
the problem with the app and the phone is it is very reliant on your phone coverage and even with good signal it takes quiet a bit for it to acquire a signal. and that's not to mention battery life. I pulled the trigger on this unit for its exceptional review. I also went ahead an purchased the ST for the 100k topo maps already installed. and I love the unit for its accuracy and fast signal acquisition but the maps just are not worth the extra money. Luckily online you can find some very good FREE but limited 24K maps. and some almost comparable to the USGS maps.
If I were to do it again I would purchase the 64 save the extra almost 100 dollars and maybe by a 16gb sd card and the 24k maps from garmin. or use the free ones.
I bought this as a replacement for my old GPSMap60CSx that had recently started to malfunction after about 7 years. All the reviews point to this model being the best replacement for the older model. For the most part its exactly the same, with some updates and new features but for some reason it handles and operates slightly different which took some getting used to but all and all not too bad. The updated maps are very nice and useful and I find it works great. Its not exactly the same as the old model which I would have liked, but Garmin discontinued that for some reason and this is almost as good as the original.
I got this because I got turned around on a long hike that had no markers on the trails. I used it in the Smokey Mountains on a 5 day hike. One of the trails I wanted to use hadn't been used enough to leave a trail and disapeard at a river crossing. The GPS showed the trail ! So I just followed.the highlighted trial on the GPS for the next 3 miles threw several more river crossings and no visible trail until it came out on a camping aria, also marked on the GPS. You .can't get lost with this thing . I later learned that the trail had been rerouted due to the 5 or so river crossi nags and piggybacked a trail of another name to the campsite. So we got to see many stone structures that were amazing that so many others would have missed. The battery lasted the entire 5 days and held up to the non-stop rain with no issues. Defently get one if you are a hiker !
The unit and the amazon customer service are both excellent. The unit does everything plus some of what I need and hasn't lost signal on me yet the several times I've had it in the field so far which is all I can ask of it. I ordered a 32 GB micro SD card and am good to go for what I figure will be many years excellent build quality and finish. The birdseye and the topo maps are very helpful and easy to use and the basecamp program it all syncs up to on the computer works great. Plan out where you are going download the map send it to unit and head out. I'd recommend this gps to anyone needing a good solid unit for a reasonable price I've had cheaper ones that I've returned after one day the extra cost is worth it and necessary in my opinion if you do any kind of wilderness hunting or hiking, biking etc I'd put my faith in the unit not only getting me in easier and logging my trip but getting me home safely to my family. Only feature I haven't tested is the waterproof claim I'm sure it is it seems sealed up expect it to perform. Ordered Wednesday afternoon picked up at my local ups store Friday morning with prime next day shipping and had it to test on the hunting trip I had planed for the weekend. Buy it and enjoy.
Feature Product
- Sunlight-Readable 2.6" color display. Expanded Internal Memory 4GB
- Display type is transflective, 65k color tft. Display resolution is 160 x 240 pixels
- DUAL BATTERY SYSTEM Use with 2 traditional AA batteries, or the optional rechargeable NiMH battery pack that can be charged while inside the device.Weight 8.1 oz (230 g) with batteries: AA batteries required (best with Polaroid AA batteries)
- Receive Smart Notifications* and pair with optional ANT+ sensors, such as heart rate monitor, Tempe temperature sensor, speed/cadence, or use to control your VIRB action camera (64s/64st only)
- Wirelessly upload data to Garmin Connect and view on smartphone, plus share activities as they happen with Live Track (64s/64st only).Display size(inches):1.43 x 2.15
Description
Rugged, Full-featured Handheld with GPS, GLONASS and Wireless Connectivity
- 2.6" sunlight-readable color screen
- High-sensitivity GPS and GLONASS receiver with quad helix antenna
- 1-year BirdsEye Satellite Imagery subscription
- 3-axis compass with barometric altimeter
- Wireless connectivity via Bluetooth® technology¹ or ANT+™
GPSMAP 64s features a 2.6” sunlight-readable color screen and a high-sensitivity GPS and GLONASS receiver with a quad helix antenna for superior reception. GPSMAP 64s includes a 3-axis electronic compass with barometric altimeter, wireless connectivity and a 1-year BirdsEye Satellite Imagery subscription.
Get Your Bearings
GPSMAP 64s has a built-in 3-axis tilt-compensated electronic compass, which shows your heading even when you’re standing still, without holding it level. Its barometric altimeter tracks changes in pressure to pinpoint your precise altitude, and you can even use it to plot barometric pressure over time, which can help you keep an eye on changing weather conditions.
Share Wirelessly
Share your waypoints, tracks, routes and geocaches wirelessly with other compatible devices. Your friends can enjoy your favorite hike or cache without waiting for you to plug in to your computer — simply press “send” to transfer your information to another Garmin handheld.
GPSMAP 64st also connects to compatible Garmin devices, including VIRB™ and accessory sensors, including tempe™, foot pod and heart rate monitor.
Stay Connected
With Smart Notification you can wirelessly receive email, texts and alerts from your compatible iPhone® 4s or later. Stay connected without having to dig into your backpack for your smartphone.
Explore the Terrain
GPSMAP 64s comes with a built-in worldwide basemap with shaded relief plus a 1-year BirdsEye Satellite Imagery subscription, so you can navigate anywhere with ease. With photo navigation, you can download geotagged pictures from the Internet and navigate to them.
Keep Your Fix
With its quad helix antenna and high-sensitivity, GPS and GLONASS, receiver, GPSMAP 64s locates your position quickly and precisely and maintains its location even in heavy cover and deep canyons. The advantage is clear — whether you’re in deep woods or just near tall buildings and trees, you can count on GPSMAP 64s to help you find your way when you need it the most.
Add Maps
GPSMAP 64s comes with a built-in worldwide basemap with shaded relief and a 1-year subscription of BirdsEye Satellite Imagery for a photo-realistic view. Adding more maps is easy with our array of detailed topographic, marine and road maps. With 4 GB of onboard memory and microSD™ card slot, you can conveniently download TOPO 24K and 100K maps and hit the trail, plug in BlueChart® g2 preloaded cards for a great day on the water or City Navigator NT® map data for turn-by-turn routing on roads (see maps tab for compatibility). In addition, the 64s is compatible with Garmin Custom Maps, a map format that allows you to transform paper and electronic maps easily into downloadable maps for your device, for free.
Find Fun
GPSMAP 64s supports paperless geocaching with 250,000 preloaded caches with hints and descriptions from Geocaching.com, and has a 16-hour battery life. By going paperless, you're not only helping the environment, but also improving efficiency. GPSMAP 64s stores and displays key information, including location, terrain, difficulty, hints and descriptions, which means there’s no more manually entering coordinates and paper printouts! Slim and lightweight, 64s is the perfect companion for all your outdoor pursuits.
Plan Your Next Trip
Take charge of your next adventure with BaseCamp™, software that lets you view and organize maps, waypoints, routes and tracks. This free trip-planning software even allows you to create Garmin Adventures that you can share with friends, family or fellow explorers. BaseCamp displays topographic map data in 2-D or 3-D on your computer screen, including contour lines and elevation profiles. It also can transfer an unlimited amount of satellite images to your device when paired with a BirdsEye Satellite Imagery subscription.
¹GPSMAP 64s is a Bluetooth® Smart device and can wirelessly sync with compatible Bluetooth® Smart Ready phones. Contact your provider to verify if your phone is compatible. The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc.
iPhone is a trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
This is exactly what I needed for hunting in rugged areas. It picks up the satellites quickly and has the added bonus of auto updating once you install the Garmin software on your computer. I have found it to be accurate to within 10-12 feet, which for my purposes is perfect. The only lack is in the owners manual. Sometimes the procedure isn't explained in the online help section, however, a quick call gets you a professional, courteous tech advisor.
Wow, still learning all the stuff this does. Much better antenna than my old ETrex Legend. I love that I can download topo maps to areas I am exploring. I got a lot to learn about all the features on this. I normally roam Big Cypress Preserve and Everglades National Park and have been doing it for almost thirty years now. This GPS seems to have no problem picking up a signal under the trees, though it is winter, so the foliage is a little thinner but not like in temperate climates. The carabiner is nice, I usually attach my GPS up on my shoulder so it has a better chance to pick up a signal, as the areas where I go usually have heavy tree cover, this one didn't have any problem clipping it onto my vest loop. I still carry maps and compass, and always will even though I am familiar with the area, because batteries do fail, and things fall into the water. I do a lot of wading :-)
I've been geocaching since 2003 and have owned several other Garmin handhelds including the 62s and the 60cx. I've never tried any of the touch screen models since they tended to be pricier and I am of the "old school". I am very pleased with the 64s since it is similar to the 62s with some added bells and whistles. Processor is amazingly fast. When I first turned it on the satellites knew where I was in about 10 seconds. It used to take 15 minutes sometimes for the 62s to figure out where it was if I went anywhere distant from the previous location. Also I love getting my emails and texts on the screen without taking out my phone from my bag.
The price on Amazon was very good. It was a lot less than what I paid for my 62s years ago. So I am wondering if Garmin has something new coming up. The only thing I can think of to improve the GPSMAP series is to make the printing on the buttons more durable. I learned from my 60cx to use a case to cover the buttons since the print wears off quickly. Otherwise, it is my perfect gps unit.
I have been using this GPS device for my thesis research for two years. I have also been using the same model for work for 6 months now, though considerably more often than with my thesis. I like the user-friendly interface of the device, as well as how easy it is to export files into other files (e.g. kml/kmz/excel).
I have no experience with the devices that come loaded with maps, I downloaded my own topographic maps from an open-source platform that I cannot remember the name of any more.
Battery life is decent. I usually go through 2 AA batteries a day if I leave the device on all day (12 hours), eveen in cold weather.
If I recall, when exporting data points from the device to an excel file, the coordinates transferred only as decimal-degrees, and not in UTM northing/easting, even if collected in UTM format. Another minor annoyance with my two Garmins is that they have dated USB ports (again these are 2+ years old now); newer models of the device may have USB cables that are easier to find.
As far as I'm concerned, nothing beats outdoor knowledge with map and compass. The problem that I have with this is that I find it difficult to open the gpx, putting it on basecamp then to the GPS for map routing. The IT person with garmin was excellent so you can get assistance. If you don't know map and compass, take the time to learn the Garmin inside and out. Your life can depend on it. With proper knowledge it can be a very valuable tool. If you have the patience to learn.
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