Tek_guy and Countrygirl48

Sorry, it has been sold.

This is a used DeLORME Earthmate PN-20 handheld GPS. It comes with instruction manual, a 4GB SDHC Card, USB Data Cable, Topo USA 7.0 software, and 3 additional DVDs which contain the detailed maps of the entire USA. I am asking only $75 or best offer. It is in perfect working order, with normal wear (mostly on the back cover). I will pay for shipping via USPS priority mail.

Haven't we beaten this PN-40 vs. 60CSX horse to death already?

Go HERE to download the 1.6 update. You must be signed into the fourm to download. Enjoy! (Don't forget to grab the Send to GPS Plugin update as well while you're there).

bdev, your patience has been rewarded! You mean my impatience? LOL. I am glad I decided to keep this unit. After the update, its everything I could want in a GPSr for geocaching.

Hmmm! You might want to reset the compass. We know that makes a big difference and a lot of GPS's have problems in cover arias. PN-20 doesn't have a compass. Might want to know something about the GPSr in question before making suggestions. I have a PN-20, and I haven't had any problems losing signal in tree cover like you describe. It could be a faulty unit. I would first try fresh batteries like you said, and make sure you have a good signal before entering the tree cover area. You definitely also want to download and install the new 1.6 beta firmware update for the PN-20, just released yesterday. It makes a world of difference for geocaching. If you still are having issues, contact customer support. DeLorme's support staff is extremely helpful and I am confident they will be able to resolve your issue.

Darn you ben! You beat me to it! IMHO, this update now solidifies the PN-20s position as the best handheld GPSr you can get for geocaching under a buck-fitty! (That's $150 if I confused you).

I strongly suggest you consider the DeLorme PN-20 in that price range. Amazon.com link

You'll probably get a few replies both ways. I have a PN-20 and I really like it, but I have never used a Venture HC so I can't compare the two. Fortunately DeLorme allows for you to return the unit within 30 days if its not what you wanted. Try it out for yourself or find someone that already owns one.

Where are you located and how much do you plan on spending? Two very important pieces of info to have when considering a GPSr

That's great if you get lost on your way to the bathroom, but how does it do where it counts... OUTSIDE? Can you give a fair comparison of how each unit aquires and maintains a lock outside? I have a PN-20. Yes, it is slow, so I would not recommend it for road routing. Also, battery life is poor, when compared to most other units. However, I use it for cycling and geocaching, and it works great. Supposedly DeLorme is going to update the firmware for the PN-20 to add the enhanced geocaching features that the recent update to the PN-40 has implimented. With the ability to download maps(cheap!), and the INCLUDED (no extra cost) TOPO and roads for the ENTIRE US, I consider the PN-20 the best bang for your buck currently in its price range, by a wide margin. Thats just my opinion.

I have gotten a full WAAS lock on 10+ satellites while driving several times. I've gotten WAAS lock on fewer satellites on more occasions. The Garmin Oregon uses the same GPS chipset and has the same problems. It's not a DeLorme problem, it's an STM Cartesio problem. IMHO, this is a bogus defense. DeLorme (as well as Garmin) chose to use these chipsets, and it is their responsibility to make the units perform as advertised. You can't fix software you don't have the source code for, and you can't change the hardware once it's in the field. DeLorme & Garmin signed on with a piece of hardware that turns out to not be working as well as some end-users want it to work (personally, I have no complaints about the accuracy of my PN-40, WAAS or not), and they're constrained by whatever contracts they have with STM to get it fixed. And DeLorme & Garmin advertised a product that would perform a certain way. They are responsible for the customers that paid them for their product to deliver what they advertised. If I buy a car from Ford, and I have a problem with the alternator (or whatever, name a part), I complain to Ford. I don't care who built the alternator, I paid Ford. They are responsible for getting it working. I'm not going to find out who made the alternator and go complain to them, that would be Ford's responsibility.

I have gotten a full WAAS lock on 10+ satellites while driving several times. I've gotten WAAS lock on fewer satellites on more occasions. The Garmin Oregon uses the same GPS chipset and has the same problems. It's not a DeLorme problem, it's an STM Cartesio problem. IMHO, this is a bogus defense. DeLorme (as well as Garmin) chose to use these chipsets, and it is their responsibility to make the units perform as advertised.

And I own a PN20. If you can afford it, go with the 40. The speed, extra memory and features are worth it. However if you are on a budget, definitely consider a 20. Its a very capable unit for caching. The maps are a HUGE plus, and DeLorme offers a 30 day guarantee so you can return it if you decide its not for you.

I guess the best option would be to try them out for yourselves. I don't know about Garmin, but DeLorme has a 30 day guarantee in which you can return the unit for a full refund. Or better yet, perhaps you know or live nearby some cachers that own the models you're interested in. I'm sure they would be happy to tell you their thoughts or even let you give each model a try so that you could form your own conclusion. There is no perfect GPSr for everyone. It will ultimately depend on the features and functionality that you consider most important to yourself. It's great that you are trying to make an informed decision before investing your hard earned money. Good luck with your decision and let us know what you ulitimately decide on. (Watch him buy a new Lowrance or Bushnell model instead! LOL) j/k On a side note, I learned a while back not to butt heads with Team CowboyPapa. He's way smarter than me, just ask him! No seriously though, IMO he's a very intelligent person that has extensive experience with DeLorme products. As I believe he is part of Team Serious, DeLorme's beta testers, there are times when, due to NDAs, he cannot give out a lot of information about things that are in development. However, I have never known him to lie about anything in these forums.

I suggest you also consider the DeLorme PN-20, currently being sold for $139.99 w/free shipping from amazon.com. IMO it's the best overall value when comparing features in that price range, considering free street level and topo maps included on DVDs, $100 worth of downloads included, and DeLorme offers an annual subscription for unlimited downloads for $30/year!

Don't forget to mention that while when first announced, the geocaching firmware updates that were supposed to be for the PN-20 and PN-40, only the PN-40 firmware update has been released (in beta form) and the PN-20 has all but been ignored while DeLorme has been busy catering to the PN-40 crowd and giving away t-shirts.

The ability to load just about any maps are great, and the free $100 in maps combined with the ability to subscribe to unlimited maps for $30/year makes this a great, low price option. It can run a bit slow at times, and it seems that most of the support and updates recently have catered to PN-40 owners primarily. However for that price, I would dare say that it is the best option based on its cost and overall value.

Works for the PN-20 as well.

I second the PN-40 recommendation. Not sure if the se models warrant the extra $$$ though ($500 for the SE model from DeLorme vs. $320 currently for the non-SE model on amazon.com). The difference with the SE model is 8GB of internal memory vs. 1GB on the non-SE. However both support SDHC cards. From what I've heard, their customer support is unparalleled. The TOPO 7 software it comes with has a learning curve, but is very powerful. And don't forget UNLIMITED map downloads for just $29.95/year! Check it out. DeLORME PN-40SE

Some people may claim to find caches within a couple of feet of the coordinates, but often anything consistently less than about 10-15 feet is really pure luck. I'm not familiar with the edge series, but I would have to say that almost any handheld GPSr would be a better overall fit, especially if it supports geocaching specifically. Depending on how much of a budget you have to spend, you can get a good Magellan eXplorist, or eTrex model for not a lot of $ on ebay. I have recently purchased a DeLorme PN-20, after having owned a Magellan eXplorist 400, and I am spoiled by the ability to load areal images. The PN-20 can be had currently on amazon.com for $180 shipped, although I have seen it as low as $150 in recent weeks. What kind of price range were you thinking about? That would make suggesting a specific model a bit easier.

Quick semi-off topic question, but I just bought a used triton 200 and was wondering what is the difference between the 200 and the 300? I tried a 400 on clearance from wal-mart a few weeks ago, but it didn't work. I really wanted to give this series a look, so I bought this 200 on ebay for around $50. Magellan's website isn't really clear what the difference is between the 200 and 300, if any.

I had an older unit that was like that. It worked ok if you rounded the last number to 2 places ( so .537 would be entered as .54). It will not be quite as accurate obviously, but I was still able to cache with it. You might consider upgrading to a newer model. My DeLorme PN-20 reads out to 4 decimal places. A great handheld for under $200 if you don't need digital compass or barometer.

Interesting. I wonder if there is a reason to try this since I have already successfully applied the 2.57 european firmware update (which restored WAAS) and retained my North American basemap. Any thoughts?

Apparently, LOL. The guy at Wal-Mart in Independence, MO said that they are a clearance item and will not be getting any more to sell. Apparently the one I bought was the last one at that store. However the store in Belton, MO had several units, but the 400's were not clearance priced, but the 1500's were at $199.