JSWilson64
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Posts posted by JSWilson64
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1. Screen protector. Lots of folks here like Invisible Shields (zagg.com)
2. Go to www.gpsfiledepot.com to find FREE! maps that are at least as good as the ones you pay Garmin for.
3. www.openstreetmap.org has free, ROUTABLE street maps. Sometimes takes a little bit of fiddling, but they're FREE!
4. Check out garminoregon.wikispaces.com for lots of Oregon info, like tricks to make your screen more readable in sunlight.
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My Oregon 300 wasn't too happy about being stuffed in a pocket before acquiring satellite lock. After I sat it on the ground for about 90 seconds, it locked on and was fine in the pocket for the rest of the hike.
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Thanks for all the tips everyone. I'm waiting to hear if they'll give me any kind of break on a replacement shield, or else I'll just order one with a 20% off coupon code.
Now, where did my wife put that punch bowl...
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So I was trying to apply a Zagg Invisible Shield to my new Oregon, and totally borked it. Wound up stuck to itself, and then in the effort to unfold it, I dropped it. Murphy's law was in full effect - it landed sticky side down on the instruction sheet, and pulled away bits of paper.
Anyway, I've got to order a new one and try again, and was looking for tips. I read a while back to do it under water - does that work with the Oregon? I know it's supposed to be waterproof, but then I read that the Colorado turned out to be not so waterproof after all...
Any other tips for the large-handed, clumsy segment of the population to successfully apply one of these things?
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No one can blame you for wanting a new gadget! (except maybe your S.O.
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Cheapest solution: use your 550t's GPS, and one of your other cameras. Use post-processing software to tag the pics from the track log.
Why can't you get accurate tags with post-processing if you change the batteries in one unit or the other? Seems like if you sync the clocks before you start out, and re-sync if you change the batteries, your tracks and pics will match up.
Just remember that wherever the camera goes, the GPS must go, too.
Or you could get an eTrex H, or eTrex Legend H, either is less than $150, and can record 10,000 track points. Attach the GPS lanyard to the camera strap, and remember to re-sync the clocks.
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So, if I plug my Oregon 300 into an external battery pack (e.g., MintyBoost), the screen will be brighter than on internal batteries? That's good news - I can rig up a handlebar mount for the battery pack, and run the GPS on those 2 AAs while I ride.
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The cradle for my Oregon 300 arrived this morning. Just as the rep at Garmin told me the ball on the friction mount will fit the Nuvi and Oregon/Colorado cradle. Eight bucks for the cradle sure beats having to pay for a whole new auto kit.
Sweet! What did you ask for when you ordered it? Did you ask by part number, or did you just ask for "the Oregon cradle-thingy that fits the Nuvi windshield mount" ??
My new Oregon 300 came last week. Then my wife hid it until my birthday next week.
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but doesn't matter, since units like Garmin will probably be dropping their prices as more people use Droids and similar coming out this spring that have not only FREE GPS and navigation, but constant free updates to go with them.
I'd say it's more likely that Garmin and the other manufacturers will either trim their product offerings, or go exclusively to a subscription pricing model. After all, those "constant free updates" are really costing the user $$$ every month in the form of a data plan. A data plan that doesn't work in the boonies, and works on a device nobody wants to bounce off a rock or splash in a creek, btw. And I'd expect the price of a dedicated "outdoor" GPSr to go up, not down, as the market contracts, but people realize their iPhone ain't cutting it as a GPS in the back country. After all, there are lots of other, cheaper cars, but Ferraris don't seem to be dropping in price to meet the market...
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I ran into this some time ago on NewEgg - their Specs tab for the 60CSx says SiRFstarIII. After a couple of chat sessions with customer service, they couldn't confirm whether the ones they have are that chipset or not. The DID confirm that if I bought one and it had a different chipset than the specs page, tough luck - it can't be returned to NewEgg for that reason. I guess it depends on what you're after - if you REALLY want a SiRF III unit, better hold it in your hand and power it up before buying.
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There is another active thread on the same subject. Read that one. The normal Oregon auto mounts use a ball that is the same as the Nuvi series and you can mix and match with those mounts.
The wireless is a Garmin protocol. You can communicate with other Garmin wireless GPS units and accessories.
The Garmin bicyle mount is junk. Get a RAM mount. There is a thread on here that shows a good setup with RAM components.
Thanks for this info (and to the other authors as well). I'm sure RAM mounts work great.
Aside: I'll have to check that site out when I get home. We have Internet Explorer 6 here at work (I have no idea why), and I use Google Chrome Portable on a flash drive. The dropdown menus on the RAM mounts website don't work in Chrome - select Garmin for brand but there's no list of GPS units to pick from. And when I run it in IE6 it looks wonky and I get a "your browser is outdated" message.
My browser is outdated? I'd say their website is outdated if it doesn't work in Chrome!
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So, I got rid of my handheld GPS receivers a while back, and now realize my mistake!
Going to take the plunge on the great deal at offroute.com on an Oregon 300. I think. If I don't talk myself out of it after over-analyzing since I found out about the sale... I tried one at REI a while back in full noon sun, and while the screen wasn't ideal, I was able to read it and orient myself on the map, so I think as long as I remind myself of the price I got it for, I'll be OK...
Anyway, wondering about the Oregon series, and compatibility with Garmin accessories. For example most Garmin mounting devices (bike, car, etc) for ETrex vs. 60 series share the part that attaches to the vehicle, but the part that attaches to the GPS unit is specific to the handheld unit. So one can buy, say, an Etrex dash mount, and a 60-series handlebar mount, and swap back and forth with both.
Is the Oregon compatible with that stuff, or is it a whole new ball game? I was able to mix and match bits I found on closeout at Fry's that way...
What about the wireless sensor capability? Is the Oregon series limited to the Garmin Heart Rate monitor and/or Garmin bicycle Cadence sensor? Or are other brands compatible?
Also, and this is the biggest concern, is there some way to attach a "safety" when mounting the Oregon with the stock Garmin handlebar mount? I used to loop the lanyard around the handlebars when riding with a GPS on my handlebars. And is there a way to attach a lanyard while using the belt or carabiner clip? I'm clumsy enough that I like to have my expensive electronics attached to me if at all possible. Plus, I'm likely to not find my way out of the woods if I lose the GPS!
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Can anyone point to a good/bad/indifferent rating of this web site (offroute.com)? Reseller Ratings only has 2 reviews, and the newer one is from 2008...
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Sweet - at least there's an option! Thanks everyone.
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Like the title says, will NRoute work with a non-Garmin GPS? I'm specifically wondering whether it would work with a gps-module unit like the Globalsat GS406 or GS408. They output NMEA strings, but I'm not sure what NRoute is looking for...
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Thanks everyone for the input!
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While the current price on the Oregon 300 in REI's winter sale is a good price from a great place to buy a GPS, this purchase will have to wait for a couple more months.
Is there anyone obsessed enough to know how often REI puts GPS units on such a large discount (for REI)? Or inside information as to upcoming sales for 1st Quarter 2010? I'm looking at either the 300 or the 400t...
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Which I don't think anyone got to work for Topo 2008, and most of the links in that thread are dead. Far easier, if bothered, is to grab a copy of the 400t Topo .img file from a friend and put it on the 300.
Well, poo. I was going to try that if/when I opt for the Oregon 300...
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Kind of. The topo maps that comes with the 400t are of a larger block size than the purchasable Topo (same data though) so Garmin can fit the whole of NA on the unit, which you can't do with the purchased maps.
Unless you read this thread: How to load all the US Topo ... How to get around the segment limit. (and don't mind a little hacking)
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I got the REI Winter Sale Catalog today, and they are having a great sale on the Oregon 300 and the nuvi 265wt. The Oregon is $249.99 (regular $399.95) and the nuvi 265wt is $169.99 (regular $269.95). I just bought the Oregon for $399.95 from REI. Sale starts Nov 20th. I called them and they will honor the price to me if I will bring in my receipt. Ya gotta love REI!
OldA'sFan
Those are good prices (for REI) even considering that you won't get your rebate on it.
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I'd advise you to try some in person at a store that allows it, or borrow from like-minded electronics addicts. Price is important, but so is user experience. Once you narrow down what you like and don't like, look through trusted sources for used gear from sellers that look reputable.
My first GPSr was an Etrex Legend, Fathers day gift (thanks again, kids!). After the initial excitement wore off, and I had some use under my belt, I began a mental list of things I did and didn't like about it, and for me the biggest complaint was the click-stick. Some like it, some hate it. I use my GPS on my bicycle, and it's impossible (for me) to use the click-stick while in motion; it's too easy to apply lateral pressure while clicking down.
Fast forward a couple of years, and I got a 60 CSx. Still not perfect (for example, the screen's too small IMO), but the button interface works much better for what I like to do with it. I still have a list of features I'd like to see, for the next one.
For me must-have features are: high-sensitivity chipset, USB interface to PC, memory cards or huge internal memory, interface that works while riding a bike, and a screen that my aging eyes can see in bright sunlight and in the shade on a sunny day.
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I keep thinking there must be some seriously tricky stuff there to account for the price tag -- and why it took so long to make something like this. Self winding watches have been around since before I was born. Before my parents were born, for that matter.
So what's the major technical challenge to charging a battery or capacitor from a gadget attached to your arm or leg??
Well, for one, self-winding watches wind a mechanical spring...
I would guess (IANAEE) the "major technical challenge" would be having this device produce the constant 5v DC that USB-charged devices require, from sporadic/periodic motions. Sure, you can move a magnet in a coil and generate electricity, but you have to keep a constant voltage in order to charge your GPS or iPhone. That takes either a battery, bank(s) of capacitors, etc.
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(And real-world price difference between the 300 and 550 is about $150, not $200.)
More like $100 --
300 (non t) at REI: $400
550 (non t) at REI: $500
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After hearing of the switch of the 60CSx chipset from SirfStar III to (something else?), I thought I'd see what my favorite online merchant had listed.
NewEgg's website lists the 60CSx chipset as the SirfStar III (just re-checked today). However, they have a fairly restrictive (ok, really restrictive) return policy listed for most GPS units. 30 days, replacement-only, no refund. That might be enough to turn someone off, but if you were to persist in a purchase to get a real SirfStar III unit ($289 is an OK price and only 2 bucks to ship to my ZIP). buyer beware.
I opened a customer-service chat window, and asked about what the specs the CSR could pull up said the unit. "She" confirmed that it said SirfStar III. That was about all the rep was unambiguous about. I asked that if I received it and it did not have the specs that were listed on the web site, would it be returnable. I got two answers - if it is not as listed, sure it can be replaced. But if I'm returning it because of a different version number, then no it's not returnable.
I'm not sure whether the models with the new chipset are even in the pipeline yet, but I guess if I were to buy another 60CSx at this point, I wouldn't part with my cash until I could boot it up and verify the firmware version for myself.
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WHERE to buy my new GPSr?
in GPS technology and devices
Posted
I can't vouch for them myself, but my Mom likes Costco's return policy as well. She has bought and returned a couple of digital cameras there after trying them for a month or two and not liking the image quality or feature set. (she has kept the 3rd one for quite a while now so I think she likes it!)