Team DeLorme

Please call us Monday morning at 800-561-5105 and we will take care of you. I can't diagnose this based on what you've said here but one of our techs (all in New England) can help you and if you need a repair or new unit we will take care of you quickly. Sorry about this inconvenience. -- Caleb

Team DeLorme CITO 2009 has been published at Geocaching.com, if you're in the area on May 2nd we'd love to have you join us for some geocaching, a cookout, and some great prizes. Team DeLorme will be available to help with any GPS questions you might have, regardless of manufacturer... general tech talk is always encouraged! We hope to see you there! Chip Noble Team DeLorme

I just want to clarify my quote on d.com a bit for those reading within this forum and not visiting my full post. I cannot give away company secrets when I post but if you read my full post carefully (and not as simply excerpted here) you will see I am hinting at the Web for these missing capabilities in the future as a better cross-platform experience than desktop software. -- Caleb Yes. The ability to send geocaches to the GPS is there. The ability to install maps and imagery is there. But... In this DeLorme forum post, Caleb Mason glibly remarked that "...many users don't care about Topo..." and "... the only thing the Mac customer is not getting from us now is the full Topo USA software functionality..." The "only" things we're not getting are: 1) sending any kind of data other than geocaches to the GPS (normal waypoints, routes, drawing objects) and 2) transferring any kind of data BACK from the GPS to the computer (recorded tracks and waypoints). Those are some pretty serious drawbacks for a "serious tool."

Thank you for your detailed post Aud78; I appreciate you taking the time to share your experience. I trust that, despite the appearance of some popcorn eating spectators, this thread will continue to be a polite discussion of opportunities for improvement in our GPS and software solutions. Here are some notes on your review; I hope they help you and other readers of this thread… 1. We’re working on a second release of our 2.5 public beta based on feedback and on updates made by STMicro to the GPS engine. While most have seen an improvement with the first 2.5 beta, the second release will contain additional WAAS changes. We’re working on final development and internal testing so that should be available soon. 2. Knowing how important the GPS Accuracy reading is to our users we were careful to test the 2.5 firmware to make sure that the GPS engine changes didn’t result in an overly optimistic reading. I even created a public test similar to what you’ve described. Final survey results returned an 80% response that users were confident with the GPS accuracy readings in the 2.5 firmware. Please check the test results and feel free to share your testing values. http://forum.delorme.com/viewtopic.php?t=17523 3. I heard reports of this prior to the 2.5 firmware release but haven’t experienced this with my testing of the latest firmware. I’m going to pass your review back through QA to see how this is testing out. We have your same expectations that a device will record a track log without needing to be restarted. 4. Manhattan is a classic urban canyon, you could refuse the prompt to turn off GPS and the device would continue to search for satellites the way your Garmin units do. 5. We chose daylight readability over size but I understand your desire for a larger screen. We have a feature request logged to bring the GPS location to the bottom third of the screen when in Heading Up mode, I’ll pass it through the team again to see about scheduling. 6. We chose a press and confirm to power down rather than a press and hold. I haven’t seen reports of people accidentally powering the device off although I recognize the desire for a screen lock. 7. Flexibility is a big topic in the building right now. We want to deliver more options for exchanging GPS data outside of Topo USA. The Cache Register is our first effort but we’re definitely working to address the points you’ve made about use outside of our desktop applications. 8. I’ll look at the lake issue you pointed out. Our data group has a corrections process that is available to our customers through Topo USA and our support site; I’ll pass this one along for you. 9. I agree that Digital Globe imagery found on Google is very nice. We’re always looking for ways to bring higher resolution imagery to our customers. For now the color aerial imagery that we offer is better then topographic data in most high detail situations. I agree that deep forests don’t offer much variability in terrain but I’ve been happy to have it when looking for old roads and clearings or other landmarks that aren’t in the topographic data. 10. XMap is a $99 upgrade for PN owners. We offer Image Registration and I swear by it, having used it to register Digital Globe imagery for a geocaching trip while in Jamaica and having used it to recently set up two devices for Ed Viesturs’ trip to Mt Everest, very exciting!!! I’d be happy to share more on Image Reg and XMap, just send me a PM or an e-mail. 11. We cut on demand and then let you know it’s available. You shouldn’t see too long of a delay unless we actually have to fetch the imagery from the source. 24 hours seems like too long for the average package. I can check on a particular order to see what might have happened. Try a second download and see if you get faster results. 12. I’m using topographic and aerial imagery all the time and haven’t seen redraw speeds like you described. We do smooth scrolling and 360 degree rotation with high resolution imagery. I’d like to hear more about the zoom level and map data that you are working with since this is not what you should be experiencing. 13. This is a tough area for the PN. We are expecting 6 hours with alkalines but recommend NiMH to get above 8 hours. The Li-Ion that we sell will add the convenience of charging in the vehicle to keep the device topped off on long geocaching runs but if you’re doing a multi-day camping trip I’d encourage the e2 Lithiums for optimum performance. Your Use Case is something we thought would be valuable, allowing users to create draw layers and view them on the device… I agree that 21 steps seems long but we wanted to keep tracks and line annotations separate because tracks carry extra information for following on the GPS. I’m sure you’ve seen the Copy To option to take your Track database and turn it into a Draw layer that can be cut to the device as an overlay… that would allow you to keep a Track layer for GPX export to Google and a mirror Draw layer for the PN map. I do a lot of trail work and could offer some suggestions if you’re interested. I agree that KML support would be better then importing GPX to Google, it’s on our list for the desktop and web products in planning, along with other plans to bring data exchange features to the PN that don’t require our desktop applications. Just a matter of time for us to schedule! Check out this blog post for other trail mapping ideas: http://blog.delorme.com/2008/10/11/making-...arthmate-pn-40/ Again, thank you all for taking the time to share your thoughts on the PN-40 and Topo USA. I hope my reply will help explain where we’re coming from and where we’re going in the near future. We really are trying to take in all the great feedback that we’re getting from users as it helps us prioritize… Feel free to send a PM if there’s anything else I can help with. Chip Noble Team DeLorme

This is a more complete link to where the Pn40 is sold: http://www.delorme.com/pnrebate/ -- Caleb

I have to toss this into the ring, having spent an afternoon walking the trails to put together a map for a geocaching event at the Take It Outside conference held by Maine's governor last fall... I created paper handouts as well as trail data for GPS devices. Aerial imagery made it easy to relate GPS data to what was observed while gathering tracks... something to consider. Making trail maps with Topo USA and the Earthmate PN-40... http://blog.delorme.com/2008/10/11/making-...arthmate-pn-40/ Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions... good luck with your research! Chip Noble Team DeLorme

I'm sorry to hear that you were disappointed with the reception of the device. Perhaps you could describe your experience with some more detail. We've been conducting an accuracy and precision test on the DeLorme forum since the 2.5 firmware released and I've been pleased with the results being posted. You might check out the link to that thread and compare your own experience... http://forum.delorme.com/viewtopic.php?t=17523 It would also be helpful if you passed along the glitches you mentioned. We are in a public beta right now so there's a good chance we could address things you're seeing. Feel free to fire me an e-mail or post on our forum... there's a public beta thread going there. When we released Topo USA 7.0 we used the Cache Name as the geocache label based on the concern that the average geocacher spoke in terms of Cache Name rather than Cache ID. We have heard from many advanced geocachers since then that did not like this change. Our Cache Register widget will allow you to choose between labeling by Cache Name and Cache ID. We recognize the need to enable a switch on the device so that you can change from Name to ID and back. This has been noted on our list of improvement requests. I found this thread on our forum regarding sending geocaches from GSAK that use the Cache ID as a label, you'll find many other helpful threads there that might help you with the device. http://forum.delorme.com/viewtopic.php?t=1...ight=gsak+cache Feel free to post any feedback on the device at the public beta thread on our forum or post information here. I know there are many that would appreciate hearing an unbiased opinion on the PN-40, the latest firmware, and the Send to GPS plug-in. Thanks, Chip Noble Team DeLorme

As the person who made those icons (and install help file/web pages), I appreciate it. It's not too often we get feedback on those pieces. As a long time Mac owner, I want to make sure our work fits the OS and isn't just a port from Windows. Mike Team DeLorme

I'm so glad to hear there was a "Rebel" Memorial Chili Cook-off! He and I worked together to create the "Eartha or Bust!" travel bug. The first one was muggled before it could make it to Maine and Rebel passed before seeing the replacement hit the road. I have his geocoin pinned to my bulletin board along with the Georgia keychain he sent me... the same keychain that sparked the design for our own Eartha Geocoin. He was quite an advocate for geocaching and his enthusiasm encouraged me to see what DeLorme could do to improve how our devices supported this activity. You'll have to send me a PM with details on his event... Chip Noble Team DeLorme

A quick follow-up to my post since I was mistaken and Redwoods Mtn Biker did read a post from a DeLorme staffer. This person was describing the PN-40 and Topo USA as a serious GPS mapping solution with a learning curve that might not be appropriate for new users. In the staffer's defense, he was describing the transfer process that has since been greatly simplified with the improvements to our Online Map Center, our Send to GPS plug-in and the upcoming Cache Register release. Redwoods Mtn Biker kindly sent me the link to that post via a PM rather than setting me on fire in public and I appreciate that. I wanted to share this because his gesture combined with his polite reply here seems like a good example for all of us that sometimes get too caught up with brand loyalty and forget to talk about the technology we all enjoy working with. Chip Noble Team DeLorme

I loaded the plugin right by trying to download the cache to my PN-40...it re-directed me to the plugin and then completed the download! Yes, the plugin can be downloaded when first accessing Send to GPS on geocaching.com but here's a direct link to our download page if that helps. http://www.delorme.com/geocaching/plugin/ Mike Team DeLorme

I think you might have read the opinion of a DeLorme user rather than a staffer... there are a few that post for Team DeLorme but a quick search didn't turn up what you've described. Here is a link to a Geocaching Tips blog post... http://blog.delorme.com/2008/04/14/geocach...d-pn-20-owners/ Here is a link to our Getting Started Guide, notice that one side describes setup and the other talks about using Topo USA with the PN... http://www.delorme.com/support/Downloads/G...tingStarted.pdf Our PN-40 User Manual is being updated with all of the geocaching features too, here's the link where that will be posted... http://www.delorme.com/support/Downloads/G...0UserManual.pdf I hope these links help with some of the questions about interaction between the PN-Series devices and Topo USA. I'm working on a blog post for managing GPS data with Topo USA... let me know if anyone has other topics they'd like to see covered. Thanks, Chip Noble Team DeLorme

Your best bet for international data would be to consider our XMap product and the ability to register images for the device. I actually did this just a few weeks ago for a trip to Jamaica. I used imagery to find my first two international geocaches. It was a lot of fun... Keep in mind that there are no routable road maps available outside the US. Here's the link to XMap Pro if you are interested in checking it out... http://shop.delorme.com/OA_HTML//DELibeCCt...;minisite=10020 Note that there's a $99 upgrade for existing PN customers... Chip Noble Team DeLorme

This is Caleb from Team DeLorme. It's funny but as the price of the PN-20 continues to drop (it's now below $200) the satisfaction ratings keep going up. This really makes good sense as everyone applies a value judgment based on what they pay. So, we did hear more issues about speed when the price was $399.95 than we do now that it is $199.95. I think many of the DeLorme people on this forum who own both a 20 and 40 will agree this is what they have seen. It is rare to find a recent review on amazon or walmart.com that complains about the speed of the PN-20. Yes, the PN-40 is considerably faster and has more bells and whistles, but I was always quite happy with my PN-20 before the PN-40 came along. I hope this helps.

Thank you for the request... we've definitely heard this from a lot of users here and on our own forum. While an XMap upgrade is our only solution available at this time for the PN-Series devices we are listening to the requests... Chip Noble Team DeLorme

There have been several threads on our forum regarding the 8GB internal memory on the SE model. Here's a post with thoughts on where the larger internal memory might come into play down the road... http://forum.delorme.com/viewtopic.php?t=16865 Chip Noble Team DeLorme

I'm with you Rockin Roddy, I hope it comes out soon too! http://forum.delorme.com/viewtopic.php?t=1...c&start=126 Chip Noble Team DeLorme

The Geocaching firmware update is in beta right now. We're going to test it a little longer while we get our Send to GPS plug-in squared away with Geocaching.com. We hope to have everything out to the public soon and appreciate everyone's patience while we complete our testing. If anyone has questions about the DeLorme Geocaching.com Initiative and the products that will go into it they can learn more at our blog site or contact me... http://blog.delorme.com/2008/11/11/geocach...the-mac-and-pc/ Thanks, Chip Noble Team DeLorme

Yikes, that's my fault. I've been swamped working on the new Geocaching.com Initiative... Send to GPS, a firmware update, and several other goodies. I've got a set of e-mails that I'll get into the hands of a more reliable member of Team DeLorme. Thank you all for being patient, I promise the coins will go out. Sorry about that! Chip Noble Team DeLorme

I'd like to make a clarification in the hope it will help others. 1) Loading POIs onto the PN-series involves taking one of the three DVDs we include and copying the region you want using the wizard to an SD card. Once on the SD card, this region contains integrated topo and street maps plus the POIs for that region. The fact that these are all blended into one database not requiring separate purchases and processes should make things easier for the user. 2) Getting imagery and the supplemental datasets onto the device in the steps described above is a more demanding process as you are now working with layered data (much in the way Photoshop is more complex than a simpler photo editing program). DeLorme will continue to work on simplifying this part of the process but is true that due to the enormous file sizes of imagery and other raster datasets like the nautical charts, the little computer that is the PN model is being severely tasked and the method of getting the desired data requires some work. We could just create hundreds of SD cards but our online "picking" system was designed to let users select among differing data types of different places so they could head out with what they want. Hope this helps explain how the DeLorme system is designed. Caleb from Team DeLorme (just back from CES) With all due respect, that is just absurd. That is like saying"in a comparative context" that brain surgery has no learning curve because there are no other professions where people cut open peoples brains. I agree that embra's 10 steps are not that difficult once you learn them, but compaired to the 2 steps it takes with GSAK on the garmin, it is more complex. And don't even get me started with the process of cutting maps and installing POI's on the PN-40. now there is a learning curve.

Press the Find button on the bottom of the device... looks like a magnifying glass. Change "Show:" dropdown to Cities. If your menu option is set to Find by Map Center (it is by default) your list will populate with the cities that are nearest your location. Scroll down to the list to see the bearing and distance to each city. Let me know if you have any other questions... Chip Noble Team DeLorme

Bpcooper14: Dakboy's link does show the features that we're working on. We've added Field Notes since the blog post went up, a nice feature provided by GC.com. We're going to finish the PN-40 effort and then look at all of the features and do careful planning for the PN-20. We need to consider performance differences between the two devices as well as sensor differences. We are planning to update the PN-20, it will be a big effort since so much has gone into the PN-40, we want to make sure we get everything right. The Cache Register will be compatible with both devices, as will the Send to GPS functionality. I'm glad to hear that you received a PN-40, let me know if you have any questions about the device as you get time to try it out. Chip Noble Team DeLorme

Embra is talking about the map creation process when saving large numbers of points as a map rather than transferring them as waypoints to the device. If the points you are trying to save cover a large geographic area you will need to save several smaller maps rather than one large map. It will take a little more time to select things but otherwise will work correctly on your device. I'd rather have an easy selection process too but this use case has grown beyond what we anticipated during initial development. It's on our list to work on... Your extended return request is well outside what I'm able to speak on; I'll pass the request through though. I can answer any questions people have about what's going to be available in the firmware update... I'll add to that a strong confidence that you're going to be pleased with the improvements. I think we have some very exciting features that are very close to being released. We certainly appreciate all of the patience we're seeing from our customers as we work to bring our Geocaching.com Initiative together. Chip Noble Team DeLorme

Really? I don't even have that... well, not on a PN-20... It's the T7 SP1 that makes the changes to the .gpx file when it is imported. But we always suggest that all PN-series devices be updated to the latest firmware as well. -Brian -Team DeLorme