Oregon in Ontario ?

[+DyverDown]

Is anyone in Ontario using the new Garmin Oregon? I am contemplating switching over to Garmin from Magellan as they (Garmin) seem to be on a better "course" for Geocachers (pun intended)

 

I am interested to hear feedback from actual Geocaching users and what map(s) / software they are using with it.

 

HELP....

 

DyverDown

[+Cowboneneck]

Bought my Oregon in August and have fallen in love with it. I purchased the micro SD card for the mapping but haven't gotten around to getting the topo maps yet. I have had absolutely wonderful results with the Oregon... especially after using the e-Trex Legend for the past year! The touch-screen features are simple to use and it will do just about anything you can imagine.

[+Tequila]

After three defective Colorado's, I now have an Oregon and I am quite happy with it. It does not have the multitude of problems the Colorado does.

 

As for maps, I have City Navigator 2009 on the microSD card and Ontario 1:10,000 topo maps from a third party installed on the OR's internal drive.

 

I created several profiles. For Automotive, I disable all maps except CN 2009. For Geocaching and Search & Rescue, I used the topo maps. BTW, I disabled the basemap for all profiles.

 

I have over 6000 geocaches installed on it as POI's, including the 2,000 I have found plus the 4,000 closest to my house. I use GSAK and the Nuvi macro to load the POI's. This allows me to have name/description/hint/logs etc. for all of the caches included.

 

When I go caching, I select a subset based on my plans and load them as Geocaches.

[danoshimano]

You might want to check out this thread for lots of Oregon talk by Ontario cachers.

[+rovers3]

 

I have over 6000 geocaches installed on it as POI's, including the 2,000 I have found plus the 4,000 closest to my house. I use GSAK and the Nuvi macro to load the POI's. This allows me to have name/description/hint/logs etc. for all of the caches included.

 

When I go caching, I select a subset based on my plans and load them as Geocaches.

 

Tequila, as a background, I'm new to garmin and have purchased the new Oregon, had to return one as it crashed after 3 days of use. Was caching in Michigan and had one occurance of drift, I was 20m away then it showed approx 200m away. I also had one occasion where the unit froze and I had to remove the batteries to get it working again.

 

I have also not used GSAK as I mainly use a Mac but I have a laptop with windows XP that I'm going to start using.

 

My question is, can you explain how you handle the POI's as per your quoted statement?

 

Thanks Ron

[+M3J]

I am about done with my Colorado...I had decided to give it a while and see if I just wasn't use to the way it does things or if I really just thought it was a bad idea in the first place. I have decided its the later.

 

I am tired of:

 

1) can't see the screen or roads when driving (even with backlight on)

 

2) can't seem to change screen and road colour (unless I am missing something...see the light grey roads on a bright day is next to impossible unless holding the unit up to my face

 

3) have had drift a few more times lately

 

4) locks up every 10th start up or so...have to pull the batteries

 

5) stupid menu selections that make it awkward to change settings (eg. why can't it just ask me if I want to follow road or not when I select a cache)

 

6) can't delete caches on the fly

 

7) one of my biggest beefs...can't save a track on the fly with a selectable start and end point...it won't zoom out to move the cursor to a different start point

 

I am either going to go back to my 60csx or go to the Oregon. For those who have used both a fair amount, will I be happy based on the above concerns or just throwing more money away? I read the screen is een dimmer which really concerns me...the Colorado is bad enough and I can barely see the roads now...if I use the backlight all the time, the batteries don't last much more than a day of caching.

 

Thanks

[+Tequila]

 

I have over 6000 geocaches installed on it as POI's, including the 2,000 I have found plus the 4,000 closest to my house. I use GSAK and the Nuvi macro to load the POI's. This allows me to have name/description/hint/logs etc. for all of the caches included.

 

When I go caching, I select a subset based on my plans and load them as Geocaches.

 

Tequila, as a background, I'm new to garmin and have purchased the new Oregon, had to return one as it crashed after 3 days of use. Was caching in Michigan and had one occurance of drift, I was 20m away then it showed approx 200m away. I also had one occasion where the unit froze and I had to remove the batteries to get it working again.

 

I have also not used GSAK as I mainly use a Mac but I have a laptop with windows XP that I'm going to start using.

 

My question is, can you explain how you handle the POI's as per your quoted statement?

 

Thanks Ron

 

Hi Ron,

 

Garmin supports POI's through the use of its own POILoader program that you can download from their website at www.garmin.com. Not sure about Mac support. The program takes a gpx file and loads all of the waypoints as POI's which means they do not clutter the screen. One nice feature is the ability to use mulitiple POI files. If the GPS supports it you can then search by database name. For example, I have two databases for caches, Found and Unfound. I create smart names starting with F- for found caches and U- for unfound. I also have a database of radar traps and the GPS will beep to alert when approaching the radar trap and keep beeping until I lower my speed.

 

For GSAK users, someone wrote a macro that allows you to load the entire cache description etc. as part of the POI. Details are found here:

 

http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php...p;#entry3564518

 

Hope this helps. Feel free to contact me offline if you need more info.

 

Chuck

[+Tequila]

I am about done with my Colorado...I had decided to give it a while and see if I just wasn't use to the way it does things or if I really just thought it was a bad idea in the first place. I have decided its the later.

 

I am tired of:

 

1) can't see the screen or roads when driving (even with backlight on)

 

2) can't seem to change screen and road colour (unless I am missing something...see the light grey roads on a bright day is next to impossible unless holding the unit up to my face

 

3) have had drift a few more times lately

 

4) locks up every 10th start up or so...have to pull the batteries

 

5) stupid menu selections that make it awkward to change settings (eg. why can't it just ask me if I want to follow road or not when I select a cache)

 

6) can't delete caches on the fly

 

7) one of my biggest beefs...can't save a track on the fly with a selectable start and end point...it won't zoom out to move the cursor to a different start point

 

I am either going to go back to my 60csx or go to the Oregon. For those who have used both a fair amount, will I be happy based on the above concerns or just throwing more money away? I read the screen is een dimmer which really concerns me...the Colorado is bad enough and I can barely see the roads now...if I use the backlight all the time, the batteries don't last much more than a day of caching.

 

Thanks

 

You cannot delete caches on the OR. Road colors are the same on an OR but you can change track colors. I have had no problem seeing roads on the OR. Can't answer the track question as I don't use it very much.

 

If you want to take a crack at Garmin to replace your CO with an OR, I recommend you call this guy:

 

> Dan Bartel

> Vice President, Worldwide Sales

> Garmin International Inc.

> 1200 E 151st St

> Olathe, KS 66062-3426

> 913.397.8200

> dan.bartel@garmin.com

[+Red90]

For both units... In the car plug into external power and the backlight is very bright and it is as visible as any GPS on the market.

[+Red90]

I am either going to go back to my 60csx or go to the Oregon. For those who have used both a fair amount, will I be happy based on the above concerns or just throwing more money away? I read the screen is een dimmer which really concerns me...the Colorado is bad enough and I can barely see the roads now...if I use the backlight all the time, the batteries don't last much more than a day of caching.

 

I've used Oregons, Colorados and 60 series.

 

I wouldn't go back to a 60 series ever. I cache with people that have them and they are like a Model T. They work, but don't do much. The whole caching experience is SO MUCH better with the Colorado than it was before.

 

1) and 2) On the screen thing... Turn off the basemap. Once that is done, there is very little difference to a 60 series with no backlight, IMO. The problem is NOT the screen, but the colour schemes. In the car, plug into power and it will blow a 60 series doors off for visibility.

 

3) Should be fixed with today's firmware (hopefully).

 

4) The 60 series and the Oregon do that as well, IME...

 

5) It is different, not worse. You need to learn how to use it.... Number of button pushes is no more than a 60 series.

 

6) Why would you want to?? They become hidden. IMO, it is better not to accidentally delete one.

 

7) It saves the whole track without filtering and there is no limit on amount of saved tracks, so who cares. Regardless it is a bug and I'm sure will be fixed seeing as they fixed it already on the Oregon.

[+Red90]

As to the original question... Try BOTH a Colorado and an Oregon. IMO, they are different. One is not better than the other. The choice is personal.

 

Oregon:

- Much easier to input comments or text.

- Requires backlight all the time.

- Track manager working NOW...

- Uses micro SD cards.

 

Colorado:

- Only needs backlight in bad conditions such as a car. IME, no different than a 60 series.

- GPS is more sensitive than an Oregon, very similar to a 60 series based on my careful evaluation.

- Personally I find the Geocaching application designed better than the Oregon, but it is nitpicking really.

- Has an external antenna.

- Uses SD cards

[+CacheDrone]

DyverDown... I just got an Oregon but give me till the weekend to get it loaded. We can try it out together if you like.

[+M3J]

 

You cannot delete caches on the OR. Road colors are the same on an OR but you can change track colors. I have had no problem seeing roads on the OR. Can't answer the track question as I don't use it very much.

 

If you want to take a crack at Garmin to replace your CO with an OR, I recommend you call this guy:

 

> Dan Bartel

 

 

I emailed him today, we'll see if it works. Thanks for the info.