Map screen size comparison of some handheld Garmin GPS units with numerical data fields enabled: GPSmap 76S, GPSmap 76C series, GPSmap 60 series, and Etrex series
July 25 2006 edition
Steve Seibel
steve at aeroexperiments.org
www.aeroexperiments.org
This article will be of interest to GPS users who want to
see a large number of numerical data fields on the map screen of their GPS, but
also want to have a large area of the screen devoted to the actual map
display.
Key observations:
*
The Garmin GPSmap 76S is
somewhat unique in its ability to display 6 or even 9 small numerical data
fields on the map screen, while still leaving plenty of screen area for the
actual map display. The newer GPSmap
76C/Cx/CS/CSx or GPSmap 60/60C/Cx/CS/CSx GPS's have a slightly smaller map
screen, and have much larger numerical data fields, and can only display 4
numerical data fields on the map screen, and even this configuration uses a
large fraction of the space that would normally be devoted to the actual map
display. For this reason, I find the
Garmin GPSmap 76S to be better suited for use in soaring and powered flight
than the newer GPSmap 76C/Cx/CS/CSx or GPSmap 60/60C/Cx/CS/CSx. Pilots with poor
near vision who value large numerical displays may feel otherwise, as they may
not place as much value on this capability to display multiple small data fields. (Numerical data
fields of interest during soaring flight include “speed”, “heading”, “bearing”,
“distance”, “current glide ratio”, and “glide ratio to destination”; during
powered flight the “estimated time of arrival” is also often of interest.)
*
Comparing the taller, narrower screen of the older Garmin Etrex series
(Legend, Vista etc) with the shorter, wider screen of the newer Etrex series
GPS’s (Legend C/Cx, Vista C/Cx etc): when 0 or 2 numerical data fields are
displayed, the newer Etrex’s have more screen area remaining for the map
display than do the older Etrex’s. When
more than 2 numerical data fields are displayed (e.g. 2 numerical data fields
plus the “navigation status” screen on the Vista, or 4 numerical data fields on
the Vista Cx), the older Etrex’s have more screen area remaining for the map
display than do the newer Etrex’s.
*
The older Garmin Etrex series GPS’s (Legend, Vista, etc)
differ from all the other GPS’s mentioned in this article in that the older
Etrex series GPS’s have a “navigation status” field that is separate from the
other numerical data fields, and displays the name of the destination waypoint,
the distance to the destination waypoint, and the estimated time enroute to the
destination waypoint. With the other GPS’s
mentioned in this article, if the user wants to see the distance to the
destination waypoint and/or the ETE to the destination waypoint, one of the
other numerical data fields must be devoted to this value.
1) Ranking of various Garmin GPS units by the greatest
number of numerical data fields that can be displayed on the map screen, from
highest to lowest
2) Ranking of various Garmin GPS units by the smallest
dimension (length or width) of the map display, with various numbers of
numerical data fields enabled
3) Ranking of various Garmin GPS units by the area of the
map display, with various numbers of numerical data fields enabled, from
largest map display to smallest map display
4) Ranking of various Garmin GPS units by the length of the
map display, with various numbers of numerical data fields enabled
5) Ranking of various Garmin GPS units by the width of the
map display
1) Ranking of various Garmin GPS units by the greatest
number of numerical data fields that can be displayed on the map screen, from
highest to lowest:
GPSmap 76 and GPSmap 76S -- 9 data fields (3 rows)
GPSmap 76C/Cx/CS/CSx and GPSmap 60/60C/Cx/CS/CSx and newer
Etrex series (e.g. Vista Cx) -- 4 data fields (2 rows)
older Etrex series (e.g. Vista) -- 2 data fields (1 row) plus
“nav status” field
2) Ranking of various Garmin GPS units by the smallest
dimension (length or width) of the map display, with various numbers of
numerical data fields enabled:
GPSmap 76 and GPSmap 76S with 0, 3, or 6 small data fields
(0, 1, or 2 rows) – width -- 41 mm (1.61 inches)
GPSmap 76CSx etc. and GPSmap 60CSx etc. with 0 or 2 data
fields – width – 37mm (1.46 inches)
GPSmap 76 and GPSmap 76S with 9 small data fields (3 rows) –
length – 35.5 mm (1.40 inches)
Etrex Vista Cx etc. with 0 or 2 data fields – length or
square – 35mm (1.38 inches)
GPSmap 76CSx etc. and GPSmap 60CSx etc. with 3 or 4 data
fields – length – 30mm (1.18 inches)
Etrex Vista etc. with 0 or 2 data fields and/or “nav status”
field – width – 30mm (1.18 inches)
Etrex Vista Cx etc. with 3 or 4 data fields – length – 26mm
(1.02 inches)
3) Ranking of various Garmin GPS units by the area of the
map display, with various numbers of numerical data fields enabled, from
largest map display to smallest map display:
GPSmap 76 and GPSmap 76S with no data fields – 22.55 sq. cm
(3.50 sq. inches)
GPSmap 76 and GPSmap 76S with 3 small data fields (1 row) --
19.89 sq. cm (3.08 sq. inches)
GPSmap 76CSx etc. and GPSmap 60CSx etc. with no data fields
– 18.87 sq. cm (2.92 sq inches)
GPSmap 76 and GPSmap 76S with 6 small data fields (2 rows) –
17.22 sq. cm (2.67 sq. inches)
Etrex Vista Cx etc. with no data fields — 15.40 sq cm (2.30
sq. inches)
GPSmap 76CSx etc. and GPSmap 60CSx etc. with 2 data fields –
14.80 sq. cm (2.29 sq inches)
GPSmap 76 and 76S with 9 small data fields (3 rows) – 14.56
sq. cm (2.26 sq. inches)
Etrex Vista etc with no data fields-- 14.40 sq cm (2.23 sq.
inches)
Etrex Vista Cx etc. with 2 data fields—12.25 sq cm (1.90 sq.
inches)
Etrex Vista etc. with 2 data fields-- 12.00 sq cm (1.86 sq.
inches)
GPSmap 76CSx etc. and GPSmap 60CSx etc. with 3 or 4 data
fields – 11.10 sq. cm (1.72 sq inches)
Etrex Vista etc. with 2 data fields + “nav status”
field—9.90 sq. cm (1.53 sq. inches)
Etrex Vista Cx etc. with 3 or 4 data fields—9.10 sq. cm
(1.38 sq. inches)
4) Ranking of various Garmin GPS units by the length of the
map display, with various numbers of numerical data fields enabled:
GPSmap 76 and GPSmap 76S with no data fields – 55 mm (2.17
inches)
GPSmap 76CSx etc. and GPSmap 60CSx etc. with no data fields
– 51 mm (2.01 inches)
GPSmap 76 and GPSmap 76S with 3 small data fields (1 row) –
48.5 mm (1.91 inches)
Etrex Vista etc with no data fields—48 mm (1.89 inches)
Etrex Vista Cx etc. with no data fields – 44 mm (1.73
inches)
GPSmap 76 and GPSmap 76S with 6 small data fields (2
rows) – 42 mm (1.65 inches)
GPSmap 76CSx etc. and GPSmap 60CSx etc. with 2 data fields –
length – 40 mm (1.57 inches)
Etrex Vista etc. with 2 data fields – 40mm (1.57 inches)
GPSmap 76 and GPSmap 76S with 9 small data fields (3
rows) – 35.5 mm (1.40 inches)
Etrex Vista Cx etc. with 2 data fields – 35 mm (1.38 inches)
Etrex Vista etc. with 2 data fields and nav status – 33 mm
(1.30 inches)
GPSmap 76CSx etc. and GPSmap 60CSx etc. with 3 or 4 data
fields – length – 30mm (1.18 inches)
Etrex Vista Cx etc. with 3 or 4 data fields – 26 mm (1.02
inches)
5) Ranking of various Garmin GPS units by the width of the
map display:
GPSmap 76 and GPSmap 76S – 41 mm (1.61 inches)
GPSmap 76CSx etc. and GPSmap 60CSx etc. - 37 mm (1.46
inches)
Etrex Vista Cx etc. – 35 mm (1.38 inches)
Etrex Vista etc. -- 29 mm (1.18 inches)
