Gator5713

Ahh... Bittersweet news... So, $30 for a 16g SDHC and I've got my maps loaded, but I've gotta keep the computer handy when traveling for on the fly PQs... Still WAY better than I had before!

I have noticed over the years that many 12v adapters seem to be 'short' where the (male) plugs are long (keep it clean, not trying to make a joke here) and don't always properly ground out. I have had this happen on many devices over the years on both motorcycles and in trucks as well as AC to DC adapters in homes... The 'trailer type' plug sounds like a GREAT option! Thats how most bike battery 'maintainers' attach!

Wooo WHooo!!!! Got my unit today!!!! Now, a couple of questions... I'm sure that most (if not all) of this is answered in the user manual, and while I will be getting to that at some point, I'm sure that you guys can probably answer these few minor questions more thoroughly and quickly and with better real world experience than the manual... I am currently loading the maps for Texas, although I haven't gotten to the Toto 8 CD yet... The Texas maps alone are taking up most of the 1g SD card that it came with! How big of a memory card will the PN40 handle? I also still need to load my PQs! I travel all over Texas and Louisiana mainly, but also get into OK and AR from time to time... I would like to be able to have all of that loaded without having to load the specific areas that I'm going to be traveling... Will the internal memory handle my PQs? How many PQs will it handle? And should I just keep extra memory cards with the other states loaded? Ok, I think you get the gist of my questions for the moment... As I play with it more, I am sure that I will have more... Thanks in Advance, Gator

Comparison of Colorado, 60CSx, and PN-40 (and a few references to others). Specific set of 'wants' and price of $300! Figured it would be helpful to many! http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=232647

I prefer the touch screen to the Colorado's rock n' roller wheel. It makes a huge difference. I'd go for a low end Oregon over a high end Colorado. Don't forget the Dakota series as an option. I'm pretty sure (after doing some serious research over the last couple of days) that the Dakota series is also touch screen. ANY touch screen will be more difficult to see in direct sunlight than an non-TS. Of the units you are looking at, they have enough storage that you can pre-load lots and LOTS of caches, so, like has been mentioned a few times already, get PQs (Pocket Queries) for any areas that you think you might cache in, load them into your unit, and you are ready to go wherever you are! Since you have decided to get 2 units, are you insistent that they both be Garmin? When you started this thread I was completely up in the air (see my 'narrowing it down' thread) as well, and had some pretty serious 'wants' at a specific price ($300) and I ended up ordering a DeLorme PN-40 from Amazon for right at $300! I will be able to better let you know tomorrow when it gets here, but I am confident that it was the best choice for me at least, and it looks like it probably would fit your bill very well also! Just a thought...

Somehow, I didn't see this post earlier... First, thanks for the info on GSAK and the Widget! As for the orange however, I have a natural aversion to that color... I much prefer MAROON! I do live in Aggieland afterall..... Might have to get some 'Fusion' paint out for it, or at least an A&M case to carry it in!

This unit is right at $300 from Amazon. And if you're willing to wait longer than I you might be able to get it cheaper from e-bay, or watch for one here... But since I am GPS-less at the moment (other than my computer attached unit) I didn't feel like waiting... I knew what i had in my budget before I sold mine, and knew I would be able to make my decision quickly... I will probably be keeping my eyes open for a good deal on a map60csx just cause I think that looks like a really good unit as well (read: great backup unit) Unless I can find a good deal on an Astro; and I would still like to get a Colorado in my hands, but I'm confident that I will be perfectly satisfied with the PN40!

Cool! I will probably start watching for a kit on e-bay... How'd the polarization test on your glasses go? Like I said, if there is true polarization in a clear w/transition package, I really want to know about it!

Do tell more! 1) Just how long can I expect a couple a regular old AAs to last? (I actually typically use Energizer NiMH Rechargeables...) 2) How long will the battery pack last? > How long does it take to recharge? 3) The battery pack makes it FLOAT? Really? Cool! And, yeah, a screen protector is probably a pretty good idea...

Ok, last thoughts from me. Has anybody mentioned the PN-40s tend to deplete batteries faster than other GPSr's? Now don't get me wrong, you won't have to carry 15 pounds of AA batteries just to do a days caching, but you will want to take a 2nd pair of AAs with you. There is a power unit you can get for the PN-40. I think it's available on Amazon.com and Delormes web site. I think it's about $50 and it supplies you with a rechargeable CR-V3 battery (the PN-40 takes 2 AA batteries or one CR-V3) and what makes it so sweet is it allows you to recharge the CR-V3 rechargeable while it's in your GPSr. You can charge it either by a wall socket at home or use the car adapter to keep it charging while you're driving from one caching location to another. Now I don't know this for a fact, but I'm guessing you can probably get the power pack for about $30 or less on eBay versus say $50 on Amazon.com . I didn't think of checking until after I'd spent $50 on Amazon.com and have not bothered looking at eBay because it would make me cry if I found out I'm right and I could have saved a lot by shopping eBay instead. Like I told another person recently though I'd wait to purchase the power pack until you're sure you're going to keep the PN-40 since it would be a bummer to buy the power pack and then maybe end up returning the GPSr it's intended for. Good luck! If you decide to go for the PN-40 it really is a sweet geocaching machine, but of course owners of other GPSr's feel the same about their preferred units. Paperless caching is the best! GREAT!!!! Already trying to talk me into extra accessories and I haven't even received the unit yet!!! Yes, the battery life was mentioned, both here and in my research prior to posting this thread... I know, however, that this unit has far superior battery performance to my old unit, as well as a habit of carrying extra rechargeable batteries! ("Be Prepared".. I am an Eagle Scout afterall...) Plus my 'go pack' includes a mini-mag (also AA) and other basic emergency supplies so 4-8 extra batteries is kinda a given, but thanks for the recommendation on the kit!

Order placed, I should have it Thursday! Happy Birthday to ME!!!! Thanks all for the advise/discussion/comparisons/etc! Still curious about the Astro, and other dog tracking devices... Anybody have any experience with them?

I did... they all look to be sold Unless I missed one... Did you happen to see one still up for grabs? I will check again real quick, but don't feel like posting a wanted ad... there are a couple on e-bay, but I don't feel like waiting (almost 3 days for the soonest) just to end up spending just as much there... I'm one of those that likes to find a great deal, but on some things once my mind is made up, I don't always like to wait...

OK.... I'm about to pull the trigger on the PN-40. Amazon - $309.xx including 2-day shipping... Any last minute thoughts (ie: know someone selling a good used one cheaper?) before I go bang?

Mich Coach - Other than the color blind part, you seem to have fairly similar issues (backlit signs are also a particular problem...) But, unlike my brother, I can tell the difference between red and green! (but he doesn't have the sensitivity issues, go figure...) So... Thanks for the test! That does help a LOT!!! The PN-40 definitely seems to be the front runner of this discussion, but I think I need to get a Colorado in my hands if at all possible. I just wish it looked more like the 60csx (I just like the way that one looks for some reason... but have no other reason to lean that direction...) Also, if anyone can verify if the Astro series is as stable/reliable as the 60csx even if not as full featured as the other units for caching... I do want a unit to keep track of the dogs..., but that will come later and out of a different budget, so I don't necessarily mind having a dedicated unit for watching them, even if its a plugin for my laptop, they can be watched from the truck and location radioed to foot traffic... We all carry radios anyway when we are out hunting/playing... Too bad there isn't one REALLY full featured unit that would paperless cache, track the dogs, and radio! But I probably wouldn't want to pay for it if there was...

RR- Take any digital screen and turn it sideways with your glasses on... If it goes black at one angle and is clear at another, your lenses are polarized... "Polarized" lenses are actually 'filters' that only allow one 'direction' of light through... Think of the blinds (likely) on your windows - They all go in the same direction, if you were to put a second set of blinds in front of them, one way they would line up and you would still be able to see (both horizontal), the other way they would cross each other and you wouldn't be able to see through them (one vertical, one horizontal) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polarization

These ones look like they are unless I'm mistaken:http://www.safevision.net/drivewear/index.html AWESOME!!! Thanks for the info, I will most definitely have to look into these!!! RR- Are yours clear when indoors/at night? One of the problems with trasitions is that auto glass has a uv filter in it, and the lenses require uv light to 'activate' (darken) I have still never seen or even heard of CLEAR POLARIZED lenses... But I will be more than happy to be corrected!!!!

Ok, On to strict reliability... Does the PN40 have a 3 axis compass? What about the 60CSx? Colorado? Realizing that the 60 CSx is not strictly paperless, it seems to be a super rock solid unit for reliability and accuracy! How does the PN40 compare in that area? Colorado? I can probably live happily without true/full paperless in exchange for a more solid/reliable/accurate unit... Also, which is best in heavily wooded/canyoned areas? East TX has lots of really tall trees, and the hill country has lots of crevices/canyons/hills/rocks/etc. These would be my two primary caching/traveling/hunting/playing locations.... Anybody anywhere near Aggieland, TX with any of these units???? Also, I will likely be buying sometime this week, so if any of you know of any deals on used units please point me in the right direction! (yes, I have looked at the garage sale forum, and am keeping an eye out there...) The right deal on one of these units could very easily make up my mind!

Actually, RR... Transitions are NOT polarized... Unless you got both polarized AND transition, in which case the transition doesn't work very well... I have been fighting that battle for a long LONG time and have spent untold THOUSANDS on glasses in an attempt to get the best possible... I also carry a set of 'Transitions' with me for after the sun goes down/reading inside/etc... but they don't 'filter' the light in any way, they just get darker. Not the same thing. SO... Unless they just came out with a brand spankin new way to make 'clear' polarized lenses... (if they did, I haven't seen them yet, but will certainly give them a try!, but I doubt it because I would have heard about it by now...) Not trying to bust your b### or be abrasive... Just informative...

This may be a moot point with the units that we are discussing, but... Did I mention computer interface capabilities? I'm on a PC, multiple platforms... (primary laptop is Vista, primary Desktop is xp) Are these units basically plug and play? Interface easily with 'EasyGPS' or one of the other GeoCaching softwares to load in my waypoints and maps? Can I create trails on my computer and load them into the GPS, and vice versa can I load traveled routes into my computer?

An Armed society is a polite society! An Armed man is a citizen where an un-armed man is a subject! etc etc etc.... Another requirement of a GPS: Must look good on my belt next to my 1911!

Thanks Roddy! I did read extensively of your 'adventures' with the Garmin... Routing is purely secondary as far as I'm concerned... I use a a Garmin receiver mounted on the roof of my truck plugged into my laptop for highway routing and actually rarely need it. (I'm a trucker and can get to most any city in this country without a map at all! I use it primarily for finding drilling rigs (I'm a hot shotter now..) and when I have to get INTO big cities to help me get around...) So routing on the hand held would mainly be used on the motorcycle, or in the hunting rig or the car, again, not a big deal. Making my own 'trails' and being able to follow my breadcrumbs back out of where I managed to get myself into is much more important! As for my vision... I am far sighted and very 'light sensitive' so I have to wear polarized lenses. This creates problems with many electronic devices... All of my glasses have a reading lens in them (progressive tri-focals), but the easier to read the better! The Higher the contrast the better! This also means that I am likely to have to 'tilt' or 'turn' the device to see the screen through polarized lenses... If I remember your (RRs) review properly along with some other reviews, the Garmin needs to be held really level for the compass to work properly? These are the comparisons that I'm looking for! Keep 'em coming! [side note: why are 'Garmin', 'DeLorme', etc not recognized in the dictionary on this site of all places??? Spell check keeps highlighting them! Weird...]

Going to have to agree with the PN-40 suggestion. I've been using a Garmin for ages and just recently starting playing with an PN-30 and I'm very pleased so far. I don't have a dog in this race really, having owned a Garmin and now using my first DeLorme. Like you, I'm a shooter and general outdoorsy type so my budget has to cover my ever increasing appetite for .45 ACP ammo. If you've looked at factory ammo prices lately, you know what I'm talking about. Give the PN-40 a close look. If you don't need an altimeter or an electronic compass (I live and die by my magnetic compass so I could do without either) the PN-30 will shave a few bucks off the bottom line. The Oregon 400T is one sexy unit though... I think either would suffice. I am liking all the DeLorme map options though. Glad to hear from a fellow 'nut' My firearm budget does seem to need ever increasing! But I figure getting the right GPSr is worth the bucks up front, as GPSrs shouldn't have near the appetite of my firearms habit! I am constantly watching for ammo deals, and have a few items on my 'wish list' that I am ever watchful for the right deal on, thus why the money set aside that could potentially be raided if need be to get the GPS (although I will seriously kick myself if I raid it too much then run across that 'right deal' and don't have the cash for it, it has happened before... ) I 'played' with a PN-40 at Gander yesterday, and it seemed ok, but no signal in the store, plus on a 'leash' so couldn't get a real feel for it, and I think some of the other units have better screens (yes, I'm one of the 'blind guys') I guarantee you will have to refocus any of my scopes to even be able to see the target! Keep the comments/suggestions/reviews/comparisons coming! Thanks again, and in advance of the more that is to come!

I'm not opposed to getting the maps separately, either through purchase or freeware. The ability to utilize them is the required feature here... As I learn more, I will be able to figure out which features I am willing to skimp on... I am probably truthfully looking at the $400 range new product, then going to attempt to find a gently used one for $300... (or might be persuaded to put off another 'wish list item' in order to boost my budget for a GPS!) ETA: I am a firearms enthusiast, so my firearm savings/budget is a bit larger than my GPS savings/budget... I am approaching this much as I do firearms purchases: 'best bang for the buck' but enough bucks to get the best bang!

A couple of unit specific questions... Garmin Rhino and Astro vs GPSmap 60csx... They appear to be similar units, Are the Rhino and Astro basically a GPSmap 60 with the additional feature of a radio/tracker respectively? These features could be handy, but I don't know if I'm willing to sacrifice on the GPS functionality to gain them... GPSmap 60csx - Looks like a front runner for me, but how is it on paperless caching? It seems some of the reviews have it lacking in this department? >>>Is the 76 basically the same unit just with better waterproofing? Or are there other feature differences? DeLorme PN40 - Also looks like a possible front runner, but please don't turn this into a Garmin/DeLorme my $!#* is better than yours discussion... I have already read too many of those... Magellan - Not a whole lot of big discussions about them, is there a good contender here that I'm overlooking? I've used some of the lower model Magellans before and don't have anything against them as of yet... (Triton?) Am I missing a biggie? So far I've intentionally left off Oregon and Dakota due to the touch screen, but if enough people have had these units in the field for a long period of time (couple of years?) without ANY TS glitchy issues, I will consider them... I have had a few 'smart phones' and PDAs with TS, but the screen inevitably goes out/gets glitchy and causes more problems/headaches than it was worth, and a GPS is likely to be subject to tougher conditions than a phone/pda (although I am fairly hard on those alread, recreational GPSing may be easier on a device than my normal work day...) I also haven't seen much discussion of the Garmin Edge line... Thanks in advance for all your input and advice! (If we do this thread right it could be a good 'pinned' thread for the $300 range... Then we would need to do a $200, and $100 thread...)

Last week I decided to help out a new cacher and sold my old unit to a couple of broke college students which gave me an excuse to get a decent unit! (I told them that the unit was very basic and most certainly NOT the best, but would get them started on the cheap. I bought it for about $100, and sold it to them for $30... Its a Cobra DLX1000...) So, basically anything is going to be a step up for me, but I can afford to get a good unit, so I want to make sure that I get the best I can 'FOR ME'! I have been reading, reading, reading for about the last week... and am trying to narrow down what I am looking for, but don't seem to be getting any closer, and unfortunately there aren't too many models on display anywhere near me! Even though I had the Cobra, I am familiar with the use of some other units, and GPSs in general (I also have a receiver mounted on my truck that attaches to my computer that helps me out greatly on the road! I'm a truck driver by trade!) I am an avid hunter, fisher, outdoors enthusiast, cacher, and traveler! I am also fairly tech savvy. So here's the list of 'wants': >Paperless is fairly important, I am not the best organized and more paper is not a good thing... >Easy to read/see/large display; my vision is not the best, and I am fairly light sensitive, so reflection could be bad. Color would be nice also. >Mapping ability, topo/terrain/road (trail-primary, road-secondary) >Controls >not a fan of touch screen, had too many problems in the past with other TS devices. (If you can convince me that the TS isn't glitchy, I may be willing to consider it, as it does make things more user friendly in most cases...) >I seem to like bottom controls over top controls (The Colorado series looks good so far except for the controls being on top...) >I like 'quick buttons' or 'shortcut buttons' as long as they are helpful and not directed to useless features... (programmable?) >Decent functioning compass (some things electronic will never be as accurate as old fashioned... but the feature would be nice in order to limit the number of devices I need to carry... >Altimeter is not as important, but has been useful in finding caches in the past (was right on top of one for 2 hrs until I finally scaled down the nearby cliff and found a cave!) And I do like hiking in hilly/mountainous terrain... >Price: Around $300+- (I'm not opposed to buying gently used - feel free to tell me what you have for sell as long as thats not against forum rules! I LOVE bargains!)