60csx vs pn-40 ?

[+obnsue]

Can someone direct me to a comparison chart or explain the major differences between these two units?

 

I'm looking for a Geocaching unit as we already have a Garmin Nuvi 650 for road directions. Have set it up for paperless Geocaching and it works great. We just want to get one that works better under the trees.

Thanks OB n Sue

[Keystone]

Moving to proper forum.

[+Maingray]

Both rugged.

 

Both high sensitivity under trees.

 

60CSX.."workhorse" of the choices... very stable, mature product. Needs extra mapping software for topo and road navigation. Will not display full cache information without some 3rd party jiggery pokery. Best choice for honest-to-goodness get-me-to-the-cache on time.

 

PN-40.... new product, still some teething issues. Out of the box comes with topo and ability to auto-route (although mediocre compared to garmin's City Navigator maps). Huge wow factor with incredible range of cheap ($30 / year) aerial and topo (it's Delorme man!) imagery. Soon to have ability to display full caching information on the device with minimal jiggery pokery. Best choice out of the two for get-me-to-the-cache (by foot ) plus make it good look getting there.

[+Y2KOTA]

Soon to have ability to display full caching information on the device with minimal jiggery pokery.

 

What to you mean by soon?

[+Jeff in Pa]

He means that sometime in January Delorme will have a new program available to make transferring your Pocket Queries very easy and yes you will have all the info from a Cache post on the GPS, right now I believe you can have 800 characters which is usually all of it.

[+OldA'sFan]

Can someone direct me to a comparison chart or explain the major differences between these two units?

 

I'm looking for a Geocaching unit as we already have a Garmin Nuvi 650 for road directions. Have set it up for paperless Geocaching and it works great. We just want to get one that works better under the trees.

Thanks OB n Sue

Before buying the PN-40 I suggest that you visit the DeLorme forum. The PN-40 has some major issues with with battery recognition and computer connectivity. DeLorme appears to be working on the "bugs", but at the present time they are still there. I have returned 2 units that were deffective (couldn't get them to turn on with alkaline batteries). I finally gave up and got my money back and bought a Garmin Vista HCx. If you are an early adoptor the PN-40 may be great, but for the average geocacher that just wants to go out and find something I suggest that you consider the tried and true Garmn 60Gsx or the Vista HCx. They work! And they are geocaching friendly. In 6 months or so I'm sure the PN-40 will be an outstanding unit, and DeLorme seems to be a very customer service company. However, they have a lot of work to do on the PN-40.

[+YBLee]

It's hard to believe that DeLorme is doing this again! Not that they are alone, Garmin released the Colorado loaded with bugs and followed up with the Oregon, a bit less buggy but still not what I would consider, "ready for prime time"! Why (other than marketing pressures) are there companies releasing unfinished products and expecting the end users live with buggy instruments. For the early adopters, we step in our own poop, but for the new user, these instruments could be very discouraging.

I lived with the PN-20 through its false start and three units later and many software update, it just ok but is really sloooow! I asked DeLorme for a discount on the PN-40, since I was an early adopter, beta tester of the PN-20 and in so many words was told "we don't do that"!

In all fairness, as I logged during the "dog days" of the PN-20, the PN-40 has potential, much more than the PN-20 in 20/20 hindsight but I recommend the 60CSx without any reservation at all. As stated above, it is the "workhorse" of handheld GPSr's and is rock-solid in performance. I have or have had, them all and the 60CSx is the one that I use. The PN-20 just sits in a drawer, the Colorado and Oregon were both returned after 3 to 4 weeks of testing next to the 60CSx. Hope this is helpful. Good luck!

[+pigpen4x4]

To get back to a comparison;

I bought (and paid too much ) a PN-40 when I lost my 60CSx in the woods the week before my Florida vacation.

I since found the Garmin, so I am able to use them side by side.

PN-40

I love the 3 axis compass.

I love the description and (if there's room) last few logs

I love the bright orange color, though I wish the back were too.

For the price (now) it is a good value.

Supposed to be able to charge batt's in unit.

I have not tried the imagry yet.

60CSx

Much, MUCH better battery life.

To me, the import process is easier.

Auto re-reouting. For some reason, the 40 doesn't seem to. Could just be me.

 

I always grab the 40 first, but there is the "new toy" bias there, as well as feeling like I need to learn it.

Either way, you won't go wrong.

PP4x4

[+Team DeLorme]

Auto re-reouting. For some reason, the 40 doesn't seem to. Could just be me.

 

I always grab the 40 first, but there is the "new toy" bias there, as well as feeling like I need to learn it.

Either way, you won't go wrong.

Set Back On Track (Road) to Auto in the Route Settings on the Routes Page and you'll see the auto re-routing you're looking for. We have it set to off by default but the performance of the PN-40 and feedback like yours makes me think it can be changed to Auto in our upcoming geocaching firmware release. Thanks for the feedback, let me know if you have any other questions while you learn more about your new device.

 

Chip Noble

Team DeLorme

[+Y2KOTA]

I've been looking st the Garmin 60csx. This thread has shown me the PN-40 and has peaked my interest DeLorme line of GPSs. I know Garmin phone tech support is based in Kansas. Anyone know where Delrome is based?

[+Team CowboyPapa]

Can someone direct me to a comparison chart or explain the major differences between these two units?

 

I'm looking for a Geocaching unit as we already have a Garmin Nuvi 650 for road directions. Have set it up for paperless Geocaching and it works great. We just want to get one that works better under the trees.

Thanks OB n Sue

Reviewing the original question in the title (60csx vs pn-40 ?) in conjunction with the desire for paperless caching, I offer the comment that the PN-40 will provide a truly paperless caching experience right out of the box. No other third party software, such as Cachemate or GSAK, is required. No additional hardware, such as a Palm Pilot or other PDA, need be bought.

[+Team CowboyPapa]

I've been looking st the Garmin 60csx. This thread has shown me the PN-40 and has peaked my interest DeLorme line of GPSs. I know Garmin phone tech support is based in Kansas. Anyone know where Delrome is based?

Home office in Maine. Certainly not Bangalore.

[+rpestes]

I have had my -40 for about a month now and love it! It has never crashed and locks sats. very quickly. All the downloadable imagery and maps makes it possible to have any view you want from color or B/W photo maps to Topo or a hybrid of both. You can't go wrong with it in my opinion. Some of the previous comments about a lot of bugs is a bunch of hewie. Check out Delormes forum to see what users think about it. My friend has a 60csx and I would'nt use it just because it is not paperless. He has had it in for service twice also so they are not bullet proof as some seem to say. I would take my Triton 2000 (firmware works great now by the way) or PN-40 before a 60csx anyday!

Edited January 1, 2009 by rpestes

[+TurLee]

I spent a couple of weeks researching and agonizing over the decision between the 60CSx and the PN-40. This recent thread got some really good information.

 

How much imagery does the PN-40 hold?

 

I went with the PN-40 … just got it day before yesterday so my experience is very limited but so far I am very happy with it.

 

Got home late the day I bought it, spent an hour or so to install the base maps and upgrade the firmware then walked outside, down the sidewalk, out the driveway and up the neighbor's driveway a little way … cool to see the track I followed show up on the screen.

 

Yesterday I downloaded some of the detailed maps and imagery for the area right around my house … clicked through the screens and there was my track, now not just a line on the screen but a picture of the neighborhood … the track left the picture of my house right at the location of the door I used, went past the pine tree and the walnut tree … yes, I could actually see the individual trees on the screen … impressive.

 

Fiddled around a little more and got the .loc file for a cache in a little park a ¼ mile from home into the unit … picture showed it in a little stand of trees down the third base line of the ball field with the row of parked school busses where the town parks them right behind the trees … I knew exactly where it was. I think the satellite images are going to be a lot more than just “gee whiz” flash.

 

As others have reported, the software is non-intuitive; it doesn't follow the standard Windows format most Americans are familiar with -- the File, Edit, View, etc. menus sort of layout … if I had to guess, I'd guess it is European programming … but it is very powerful, with features I know I'll never even bother to explore, I'll just learn the parts I need for geocaching.

 

If you do get the PN-40 be sure to pay attention to the picture in the quick start guide where it shows the right way to install the SD card … it slides INTO the little pop-up door, not underneath it … seems I'm not the only one who stuck the card into the unit and tried to close the door on top of it.

 

I was concerned about having to request maps and then wait for an email to download them when they were ready … had no idea how long that would take and assumed it would be hours or even days … the “Your map package is ready to download” email arrived within two minutes after I put in the request.

 

That's my story. Have fun. I'm gonna go play with my new GPSr now.