Readable Screens

[dr.bob]

I just purchased a Garmin Colorado 400. I love all the features, but I cannot read the screen MOST of the time, and I hate having to use the backlight in daylight. The ancient GPSr I purchased 8 years ago is much easier to read, and I wish I could find a modern GPSr that is as readable.

 

I have tried putting a white background, as suggested, but still the screen is still next to impossible to read in indirect sunlight (shade) or under artificial light (indoors). I can only read it clearly with sunlight shining directly on the face.

 

Any suggestions?

Edited July 1, 2008 by dr.bob

[+RonFisk]

I just purchased a Garmin Colorado 400. I love all the features, but I cannot read the screen MOST of the time, and I hate having to use the backlight in daylight. The ancient GPSr I purchased 8 years ago is much easier to read, and I wish I could find a modern GPSr that is as readable. Any suggestions?

You shouldn't need the backlight to read the display in the daylight. I never use mine except at night, it's clear and sharp as a tack.

[+g-o-cashers]

I use the backlight on my 400t during the day. Unless I'm in direct sunlight I find that I need to use some sort of backlight. After using the CO for a couple of months I forgot about until I had it in the field with a 60csx doing some side by side testing. Resolution and detail on the CO is fantastic but it doesn't compare to the 60csx in terms of screen readability. This in part because of the higher res screen but it also has something to do with the map/font/background colors Garmin uses on the Colorado.

 

At night when you need to use backlighting I find the Colorado to be much easier to read, the backlighting combined with the high resolution works well in low ambient light conditions.

 

GO$Rs

[+Cache Viking]

So far all my daytime use has been very adequate without the back-light.

[+Ratsneve]

It wasn't mentioned above and I haven't tried it myself yet but I'm intrigued with using an all white background. I suspect this could make some difference? I think it was the Wiki that described how to do this and I picked up the all ready to go download image...(but I'm changing from the 400t to the 300 because I want to be able to use city and topo maps in MapSource.)

[bmirak]

I wish I could find a modern GPSr that is as readable. Any suggestions?

 

The CO is perfect. You don't need the backlight to read the screen during the day. Did that help?

 

If not, get yourself a 60csx. The difference in brightness b/w the 60csx and the CO is night and day.

[+Cache Viking]

It wasn't mentioned above and I haven't tried it myself yet but I'm intrigued with using an all white background. I suspect this could make some difference? I think it was the Wiki that described how to do this and I picked up the all ready to go download image...(but I'm changing from the 400t to the 300 because I want to be able to use city and topo maps in MapSource.)

 

I have had the All White background since the first week I had my unit and have no plans to use anything but.

[Tomas4x4]

So far all my daytime use has been very adequate without the back-light.

 

I wish I could say that. It is ok in direct sunlight but when there are clouds or you are in dense forest, it could be quite hard to read. Worst part in such condition is that backlight is too weak to help either so you are left with strugling to find good angle. This is when you are on foot.

 

When you are riding the bike, this is even worse, it is further away from your eyes and much harder to adjust its position so that you can actually read it. Worst case is when your ride direction is so that your body casts a shadow over the unit, forget about reading it.

 

It seems that polarized glasses help a little bit.

 

The only place where I don't have any problem with reading the unit is in the car, backlight with external power source is good enough. If only the unit would remember separate setting for backlight level when on external power (I really hate when I have to set it every time I put the unit back into car).

 

I wish Garmin would change roads from gray to white to make them stand out more. A bit more contrast could go a long way. Maybe have an option to switch from regular map colors to more contrast map colors.

 

I used to have GPSMap 76CSx before and it was definitely much easier to read. I really like the high resolution graphics on Colorado but I think that there is definitely a lot of room for improvement.

 

I wonder if it would be possible to use light conducting glass 'wires' and 'channel' light from other surfaces of the unit to be used as a backlight. It is probably far fetched idea but it would make the backlight directly proportional to the outside light.

Edited July 1, 2008 by Tomas4x4