LifeOnEdge!

I believe this is the link between your GPS and Groundspeak that brings up the appropriate cache pages associated with the FOUND caches in your unit. At the very least it transfers your field notes into a found log. We'll have to play with this and see if that's the case and how it functions.

jotne, welcome to this country! Did you mean " ... way too low?" English <--- it's a good thing.

Colorado 400t Ver. 2.40 as of Feb 18, 2008 <----- Just posted! Changes from version 2.30 to version 2.40: Improved acquisition time in certain circumstances. Improved power on time. Improved backlight support. Improved support for NiMH batteries. Improved Wherigo player. Added ability to show and review geocaches on the map. Added ability to log geocaches as found. Increased maximum geocache count to 2000. Added support for BlueChart currents. Added ability to view extended information for custom POI's. Added ability for turn preview beep to reset the backlight timeout. Corrected map to display road labels. Corrected map to display small towns. Corrected map to not change orientation when beginning pan mode. Corrected metric nautical setting to display appropriate map scale. Support for Colorado Field Notes, at geocaching.com. Changes from version 2.20 to version 2.30: Added ability to turn off the compass. Alarm clock will not change your backlight if it is already on. Low battery warning now shows on powerup when appropriate. Improved DEM shading with supplemental maps. Fixed marine colors for depth soundings and active track. Added ability to view extended chart information and chart notes. Improved Share Wirelessly connection. Changes from version 2.10 to version 2.20: Fixed potential shutdown when using partially discharged alkaline batteries and significant amounts of backlight. Improved backlight usability. Corrected potential memory leak on altimeter page. Corrected issue that changed map setting to north up if reviewing a point on the map. Changed the automotive view angle to match automotive products. Added ability to exit compass calibration if calibration fails. Improved performance and error handling of Share Wirelessly application. Corrected tone of route turn warnings. Added height and depth information on review pages if the information is available (related to marine maps). Corrected drawing of spot soundings. Improved drawing of satellite imagery in 400i and 400c. Improved drawing of BlueChart g2Vision maps. Here is the URL for the proper page since you may not yet see the link from the normal route: http://www8.garmin.com/support/download_details.jsp?id=3887

Don't understand why people like price matching unless they're madly in love with another store. Seems to me we ought to support the store that's willing to offer comepetitive prices and not support the ones that sit back collecting high prices from those impulse buyers or others too lazy to shop around. And if Best Buy were to go Belly Up, you would probably be the first one wondering why! Advertising -- it ain't cheap. Supporting a store that is going to be there for you, no fail, means something (to me anyway.) If you want to support walmart.com, more power to you. I have a buddy who uses them. While I was not pleased to find batteries (the new pre-charged NiMH Duracell 2000 mAh) considerably cheaper at my local Kroger, I didn't cry (too long) having bought them from Best Buy because I was there for another reason (no additional cost of gas making a special trip.) __________________________________ REI is an excellent choice. If for any reason you're dissatisfied with your purchase, they give you your money back. You also get 10% back on your purchases if you are a member. gpsnow.com is another excellent choice. They have excellent customer service and customer support.

I think Garmin has a problem here. I never had this with any earlier units I've owned. I just hope it's fixable via a software update and not something hardware related. Yet again, this isn't an issue. This is even covered in the (GPSmap 60 units) users manual. When any GPS hasn't established a satellite lock, not only does it not know where it is, it doesn't know when it is. When the unit is moved a considerable distance and has been turned off for some length of time (not sure how long this needs to be), the GPS isn't aware of the positions of the satellite relative to its position. This is especially true when batteries were removed or discharged. You guys know this. If not, where have you been? Especially if you own a GPSmap 60 unit. This is a common situation with that device. You expected something different with this unit? I am not a GPS pro, but I have taken considerable time to read about and use all my GPS units. I have more than a basic understanding of its operation. It seems that there are two camps here: Those with this information (who don't have major issues with the Colorado) and those without this information (who have major issues with the Colorado.) Also, I rarely read that these folks with issues have actually called Garmin and discussed these issues with them. When I do read that someone has called, the typical complaint is that the person they speak with is relatively clueless concerning this new unit.

Yeah, it is. a very ridiculous work-around. If the manufacture came through on the spec's that the unit is suppose to have then, the average Colorado user wound't have to carry spare batteries for a few hours outing. Your suggestion is not a "Solution" sounds like something a used car salesman might say to get me out the door. Who said anything about "a few hours outing?" It wasn't me. The point I was making was this (sorry to have to spell this out for some readers: - Fully functioning unt (WAAS enabled GPS, electronic compass, etc.) - large, bright LCD display - 15 hour battery life (note that this is the lowest rating of all the Garmin mapping field units) - considerably large internal storage The power requirements on this unit is higher than any of the previous GPS units. Its going to have a shorter battery life. Considering most users will be adding this GPS to their fleet, they most likely will be buying new NiMH batteries. These batteries require several use cycles to have peak performance. Even then, keeping one spare pair of batteries for a 15 hour life unit isn't ... how did you say it ... "a very rediculous work-around." (keeping negative coments to myself this time)

Let's say that you upgraded the software and you were still having problems with the unit eating up batteries. Have you ever thought of "rechargeable" batteries? What, you are using rechargeable batteries and you're still having problems? You obviously don't have a car charger. I have three pairs of batteries. Two pairs are in the units and one is fresh for the next cycle, no matter how long or short that happens to be. I think this is one of the keys of being happy with this unit. There's always going to be someone who complains, no matter what "fix" is applied. Too short a battery life, too dim a screen, why does the unit turn down the backlight level, screen is too small, etc. The key is to use the features you want and have fresh, backup batteries. I use two pair of the pre-charged 2000 mAh Duracells for backup. Even without my car charger, if I drain batteries while I'm out, these will not drop charge like the others. This isn't a rediculous work-around like so many other "solutions" you will read. This is just being practical.

I would bet that if you asked these people to view the geocaching waypoints page outdoors, their reaction would be different. This page displays waypoints on a white background. I would expect to hear: Well, it's a little better. This is due to the dark background. To be perfectly honest, all these folks who are complaining wouldn't be happy unless they repackaged the GPSmap 60 unit into the Colorado case. THAT is what they wanted, but they didn't get it. Had Garmin put the eTrex Vista HC into the Colorado Case, considering the brightness of it's display, all these guys would be quiet. ______________________________________________ From what I have heard about near future corrections to certain issues, I expect this unit to perform to the level of my expectations. That's ALL that matters. I have to be happy. If you guys aren't -- doesnt' matter to me. I like the unit the way it is. I'm sure that I'll love it once these corrections are made. Happy Colorado User

I probably would have mentioned that this will definitely be fixed in a future update. I've had no problems seeing the screen details in any lighting condition. My wife hasn't complained about this either. Maybe it's because we are coming from the eXplorist camp and not the 60CSx camp, so have different expectations. --Marky Marky, I did an outdoor, sunny day, side-by-side comparison of the Colorado 400t with the GPSmap 60 CSx yesterday. Except for the contrast differences caused by the reverse lettering, they were nearly identical. In the sun (display facing the sun) the display was best: brilliant in fact. In full daylight (display not facing the sun) the display was very readable. In full daylight (display reflecting glare from the sky) the display is weak. Its still readable, but the glare hides the display. With full backlighting in all these conditions the difference was almost inperceptable. I still don't get it. I think there's a system that brainwashes these people. Granted, I'm not out to smear Garmin's name AND I'm not wearing sun glasses, but I still don't get this reaction, especially when you just can't see much of a difference between the two units. I really think the darker backgrounds and the reverse lettering is fooling about half the people into thinking they're just not seeing the screen. I don't know what they're looking for. Its certainly not text or a clearly readable complass page. As for the gentleman who claims that Garmin's advertising is "a complete lie," I'm wondering if he is confusing a crack pipe with a GPS unit. The one with the stem ... it ain't your GPS dude! Take off your shades and open your eyes.

I would hazard to guess three separate, but very solvable problems here: Case 1) Your software updates were not current prior to use. Battery life should not have been an issue. Case 2) Some of your geocaches have HTML code or certain .jpg files embedded in the description, causing your GPS unit to lock up. This is a known bug and (I assume) being fixed. Case 3) Something was messing with your compass. I've noticed that the Colorado is either rock steady on the compass page OR its picking up nearby magnetic fields caused by various things: Belt buckles are a big one nearby the GPS when you are trying to use it. There is a long laundry list of things that I have personally found that disrupt the compass. I would suggest that you place all magnetic sources in a pack and keep it at least 18" away from the GPS, especially when calibrating the unit after change of batteries. I suspect that you wasted a lot of time and gasoline returning these units when a simple software upgrade on the first unit would have fixed your problems.

You know this will cause, yet again, another uproar on the geocaching forums. I can see it now: How dare they even suggest that I log a DNF just because I told the GPS I was going to a cache and then didn't mark it found! Just think how easy it will be for the cachers who copy and paste 40 find logs after their worldwind day of caching! 40 seconds later and they would be sitting down to dinner, having finished logging all their finds! This is a great feature and I hope they implement it soon.

Are you an owner of the Colorado or a forum reader? I don't follow the logic here. I own a Garmin Colorado. Am I not allowed to read the forum? OR Since I read the forums, am I required to return my Colorado 400t? I think you left out a word or didn't quite write what you were thinking here.

Hmm, it's perhaps because of my limited English, but I think I don't understand properly what you mean by "line of sight view". I thought you meant a bearing line on the map (a line from where you are to where you want to go), but you are probably looking for something different. I understand the difference between a course line (from original starting point to destination) and a bearing line (from current position to destination), but what is it you want here? Or do you refer to the difference between the bearing line and an auto-route, along the roads? I think he's talking about the Automotive Mode Orientation where the map tilts, giving you a slightly elevated view down the road.

Baumer, do you need a bright screen or do you need bright text? With a dark background and white lettering, you have optimal contrast. Contrast is what allows you to differentiate letters and other characters as well as symbols. If you'll notice, the map screen is the same brightness on the Colorado as with the GPSmap 60 series. Only when the shading is applied to the map information does the map on the Colorado become less readable than the map on the 60. This shading varies and I believe can be turned off, although I am not sure how at the moment. On the Compass Page, the main page most geocachers use while searching for a geocache, the contrast and readablity is quite nice. The onlyparts of the page that are dark is the background for the text fields and the overall background for the display. The background for text fields is what makes the text more easily read. If you're not pleased with the display "appearing dark," then create your own white background screen and this should make you happy. I'll say this again: If I had wanted a high power flashlight, I would have bought one. You really don't need or want a brightly lit GPS screen. If you do, something is really wrong. I would suggest buying a flashlight to light the trail and maybe taking your sunglasses off when reading your GPS. I would be willing to bet that most cachers who complain that their GPS isn't bright enough are wearing sun glasses while outdoors.

This is quite dissapointing. I was about to purchase the Colorado 400t for paragliding, the occasional hiking excursion and for some road navigating when needed. I like the hardware with the exception of the screen. Of the software, let's not get started on that . I don't geocache so I was ok with many of the issues other people have complained about but the screen issue is a major one for me. I guess I am purchasing a 60CSx and waiting a couple of years prior to considering the Colorado again. These people who continually bash the Colorado are doing others a great disservice by their actions. I just did a side-by-side, outdoor comparison of the GPSmap 60 CSx and the Colorado 400t. Here are two things I observed: 1) The screen on the Colorado is easily read without backlight while outdoors. I was not in direct sunlight (the sun was 100 minutes from setting when I did this comparison. Had the sun been overhead the display would have been even easier to read. 2) Then I used the backlight under the same conditions, readability of the unit did not significantly improve. Any observant and intelligent experimenter would realize that the background of most of the text areas on the Colorado are dark with light print. This provides an incredible contrast and reduces the amount of backlight required at night. This would, to the untrained person, make the display appear darker, but it is not less easy to read. What gives here? Are geocachers going blind? Are they just not thinking? Are they brainwashed? People, this is a no-brainer: If you're NOT HAPPY with your Colorado, TAKE IT BACK!

I love the continued Colorado bashing. It's uncalled for. WAAS does not significantly affect battery life in either the Garmin Colorado or most newer GPS units. While you may not get a significant improvement in accuracy, I believe the effective accuracy is better. It can't hurt to have it turned on and since it doesn't greatly degrade battery life, I would turn it on and leave it on. The easiest way to test it out would be on a stationary landmark on or near your property. Take a one minute reading, record the coordinates, and compare that with various satellite configurations with and without WAAS enabled. I would alternate which is tested first. This also reduces the number of times you turn on and off WAAS by 50%. A quick sketch in a data book of the satellite pattern/configuration will give you a handy reference for future comparisons.

Huh? I have 2.3/2.6 and own a 400t. I had no problem downloading the new firmware. The updater may still not work. You're not depending on and believe what it says, are you?

E X A C T L Y !!! Its embarassing to those who are having problems and not fair to those who are really having issues, but the general sense that I get of this is that people are spending money they can't afford for a unit that they aren't taking the time to learn. If they would spend half the effort they expend on complaining about how it doesn't work and learn how it does work, they would be happy. Victims won't do this though. Happiness isn't their goal.

Drooling, you do realize that the Colorado units that aren't "performing" are suffering from User Error, don't you? I guess you don't. If you understand the unit and what the limitations are, your unit will perform well. If you don't ...

I'm not sure if there is a distance issue like you would find on the GPSmap 60 units, but are any of the waypoints farther from you than 50 miles? If some are more than 50 miles away, check to see the distance the shown waypoints are from your location. Realize too that you won't see the caches on the map unless you are below a certain zoom level. I believe this can be changed by selecting different values under maps. Play with it and enjoy it. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me at lifeonedge@gmail.com or contact me via geocaching.com (just click on my name here) . Congratulations on your purchase.

Sounds like you just bought a $214 Garmine. Rots of ruck! Did you get fortune cookies with that?

helirider, retorical question: WHY would you buy a Magellan? Donate that one to your local Boyscout Troop and buy a Garmin. Decide which one you can afford and then buy the next model up. Otherwise, you'll eventually own both.

One thing you have not stated is if your Magellan has EVER connected successfully to your computer/laptop. Did you load the correct driver software before you connected the GPS via UBS cable? I would suggest that you download and install the latest drivers from the Magellan web site. Does the CD containing the software you are running had a copy of the driver? Did you follow the directions for proper installation? Even if you have, I would suggest you check for an updated driver. There may be an issue with your unit that has been resolved.

I think that quote was meant for me, I'm not BETA testing anything. Of course that post was meant for you. Your post was the one I quoted, hence ... What GPS unit(s) are you using? Actually you quoted 2 posts. I quoted YOUR post which included the post you were responding to. In my last post(with you), is it confusing who I am addressing: you or talking to myself? And the answer is???

All of the real world lithium usage experiences I've seen mentioned are around the 24+ range. This seems to be pretty consistent. It does seem that there are some units that don't get good battery life (possibly Type G chips?), but I get more than 12 hours with my 2000mAh Eneloops. That seems decent to me. Exactly what poor battery life are you referring to? I'd say, if it isn't performing up to those that seem to be getting decent battery life, I'd return your unit and get a new one. --Marky Good God People (not you Marky), Marky is on the mark here. 1) If you're not happy, take it back. If you didn't buy it at REI, I'm so sorry! 2) RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES -- Buy some. Use them. Get to know your new GPS. Max those babies and start on the next pair. In the meantime, get some precharged NiMHs and do the same with them (maximizing the peak voltage takes fewer cycles than with the old technology NiMH batteries.) I am SO TIRED of hearing all the complaints about battery life, workmanship, and design of the Colorado units. If you're not happy, go get your $500 or $600 back and pay down your credit card! How many times does this need to be said?