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Choosing which Oregon to buy ?


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I want to buy an Oregon for paperless geocaching and am trying to decide which one to get.

 

Amazon prices after rebate:

 

200 $236

300 $350

400c $363

 

I don't care about wireless exchange.

 

Are the compass and altimeter features (not found on 200) very useful?

 

I will want to load some topos in the future.

 

I don't care about coastal maps but maybe the 400c is a good choice for a few dollars

more for the added memory (or is "available" memory on the 300 and 400c about same?

so this is a wash).

 

I was about set to get the 300, but then saw the 200 and 400c as possibilities....thoughts?

 

Thanks.

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Here is my 2 cents....

 

I went with the 300 for several reasons. I liked the idea of the compass and the altimeter so that ruled out the 200. I wanted, at some point, topo, much like you state you want the coastal maps. Think of what your priority is going to be. If it's coastal navigation for for the 400c, but if caching and what not first then maybe coastal, I would go the 300 route. You can always buy a mSD card for your coastal maps, topo, and roads. I have a 8GB card in it and don't feel cramped at all for space.

 

I feel the greatest route to go is the 300 with a memory card. I feel, IMHO, it leads to the greatest flexibility of what to add to it later. I have been very happy with the 300 and added road maps to it and some of the topo maps on GPS file depot.

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The only thing that is stopping me from buying a Oregon is that you can only download 200 cache gpx pages were on my pda I can have a cache page for every waypoint I download(500 pq)that means I would have to pick and choose the cache that I would want to have the cache page info. Untill thay can support 500 pq with gpx/cache page info. I'm happy with my 60cx and pda.

Edited by Buddaman
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The only thing that is stopping me from buying a Oregon is that you can only download 200 cache gpx pages were on my pda I can have a cache page for every waypoint I download(500 pq)that means I would have to pick and choose the cache that I would want to have the cache page info. Untill thay can support 500 pq with gpx/cache page info. I'm happy with my 60cx and pda.

 

I think you may be a bit confused, or I read your post wrong. The Oregon supports 2000 total geocaches, but a maximum of 200 gpx files. If you're loading a PQ (or multiple) you could, for example, load up 4 PQ each with 500 caches for a total of 2000. Right now I have somewhere around 1900 loaded into my Oregon.

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The only thing that is stopping me from buying a Oregon is that you can only download 200 cache gpx pages were on my pda I can have a cache page for every waypoint I download(500 pq)that means I would have to pick and choose the cache that I would want to have the cache page info. Untill thay can support 500 pq with gpx/cache page info. I'm happy with my 60cx and pda.

 

I think you may be a bit confused, or I read your post wrong. The Oregon supports 2000 total geocaches, but a maximum of 200 gpx files. If you're loading a PQ (or multiple) you could, for example, load up 4 PQ each with 500 caches for a total of 2000. Right now I have somewhere around 1900 loaded into my Oregon.

yup - 200 GPX files that can contain up to 2000 individual caches. Could be 1 GSAK outputted file of 2000 caches or 1 GPX with 1801 and 199 individual cache GPX files. Whatever mix you choose.

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Are there decent free street maps for the 200? I have a Delorme pn-20 and the street maps are not very accurate. I checked the file depot site and they have a Minnesota topo but I'm not sure if it has streets that I would need for geocaching.

 

 

Plus no tones on the 200, vaguely useful when routing.

Yeah but it does come with both a lanyard and lanyard attachment!!!! :unsure:

 

 

 

:yikes:

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Are there decent free street maps for the 200? I have a Delorme pn-20 and the street maps are not very accurate. I checked the file depot site and they have a Minnesota topo but I'm not sure if it has streets that I would need for geocaching.

 

 

Plus no tones on the 200, vaguely useful when routing.

Yeah but it does come with both a lanyard and lanyard attachment!!!! :anicute:

 

 

 

:anicute:

 

For accurate street mapping (ie non topo -based) you would need to buy Garmin City Navigator North America NT (DVD is best so you can also view on PC)

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I have the 200 and I really like the unit and what it has and can do. It is my first ever GPS so I can not compare to others. My biggest complaint is the 200's (I would expect the 300 and 400 to be the same?) inability to work under cover. I mean VERY light cover. It causes the unit to go crazy and become nearly nonfunctional. Not a good thing when trying to find hides in the woods and you are still far enough away that you cannot simply just start looking for the cache. am seriously debating unloading my 200 and going with a 60CSx and PDA.

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The compass and altimeter are absolute necessities to some folks - and to others (like myself) they are worthless overhead on the unit. I own the Oregon 200 and use some of the free street and topo maps on it.

 

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/state/all

Like you I could live without the Compass and Altimiter (can I breathe? Good, I'm not to high yet). However the other features of the 300 swung me over (I'm waiting for a sale) and now Im' watching it.

 

I figure I can add the maps I need later. My City Select actually allows a second install so I'll be happy there.

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Thanks for all the inputs. Pulled the trigger on the 300 and it should be here by the end of the week.

 

Buddaman....when are you ordering yours? :anicute:

 

While you are waiting for it, venture over to the GSAK forum and check out all the cool macros written just for the OR.

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IMHO a move from a 76CSx to either a 300 or 400 Oregon would be AT BEST a sideways move........definitely not an improvement on accuracy.

 

Correct in the accuracy. But so much more functionality if you wish to lose the PDA. The OR (and we hope the CO) has been getting more and more features added on, the list of differences between the 60/76C(s)X and the OR is getting smaller and smaller. I used to say sideways, but it's much more of an upward "upgrade" nowadays.

Edited by Maingray
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I have the 200 and I really like the unit and what it has and can do. It is my first ever GPS so I can not compare to others. My biggest complaint is the 200's (I would expect the 300 and 400 to be the same?) inability to work under cover. I mean VERY light cover. It causes the unit to go crazy and become nearly nonfunctional. Not a good thing when trying to find hides in the woods and you are still far enough away that you cannot simply just start looking for the cache. am seriously debating unloading my 200 and going with a 60CSx and PDA.

 

Never had that happen with the 300. Call Garmin.

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IMHO a move from a 76CSx to either a 300 or 400 Oregon would be AT BEST a sideways move........definitely not an improvement on accuracy.

 

Correct in the accuracy. But so much more functionality if you wish to lose the PDA. The OR (and we hope the CO) has been getting more and more features added on, the list of differences between the 60/76C(s)X and the OR is getting smaller and smaller. I used to say sideways, but it's much more of an upward "upgrade" nowadays.

 

When the Colorado came out I bought a Colorado 300 and "sold" my 60CSx to a friend. My wife still has her 60Cx so if I feel desperate, I have access to that. :anicute: At the end of 2008 I had an opportunity to pick-up a slightly used Oregon 400t with plenty of extras for $450 (including the City Navigator 2009 NT SD card). Since getting the Oregon, I have essentially stopped using Cachemate on my PDA and rely entirely upon the Oregon and a small notebook for recording additional stages in a multi-cache (BTW, I also did this when I had the 60CSx and the CO too). Last weekend when caching with my wife, my OR seems t have been slightly more accurate in locating caches, but that really proves nothing.

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Here is my 2 cents....

 

I went with the 300 for several reasons. I liked the idea of the compass and the altimeter so that ruled out the 200. I wanted, at some point, topo, much like you state you want the coastal maps. Think of what your priority is going to be. If it's coastal navigation for for the 400c, but if caching and what not first then maybe coastal, I would go the 300 route. You can always buy a mSD card for your coastal maps, topo, and roads. I have a 8GB card in it and don't feel cramped at all for space.

 

I feel the greatest route to go is the 300 with a memory card. I feel, IMHO, it leads to the greatest flexibility of what to add to it later. I have been very happy with the 300 and added road maps to it and some of the topo maps on GPS file depot.

 

Ditto!

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I have the 200 and I really like the unit and what it has and can do. It is my first ever GPS so I can not compare to others. My biggest complaint is the 200's (I would expect the 300 and 400 to be the same?) inability to work under cover. I mean VERY light cover. It causes the unit to go crazy and become nearly nonfunctional. Not a good thing when trying to find hides in the woods and you are still far enough away that you cannot simply just start looking for the cache. am seriously debating unloading my 200 and going with a 60CSx and PDA.

My 200 has never behaved that way - It works very well under tree cover.

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Same here. My Oregon 200 and 400t both work well under tree cover. Better send that one back to Garmin.

 

 

Here’s my Colorado/Oregon experience:

 

Stage 1 - I start off by buying the Colorado 300 as soon as the REI Introduction Monopoly was over because I will not pay full retail. I buy the 300 because everyone is saying that a Colorado 300 + 4GB SD + Topo US 2008 = Colorado 400t. I already had the SD and the Topo US 2008 so all I needed was the Colorado 300 right? Wrong! I almost immediately ran into the map segment limit. I say almost immediately because it took 17 ½ hours to load all of Topo US 2008 onto a SD card to find out that only about 2/3 of it would display.

 

Stage 2 – I buy the Colorado 400t that I should have in the first place. I have all Topo US 2008 and City Navigator North America NT loaded into one GPSr. I’m a very happy camper right? Wrong! Dead wrong! Garmin tosses the Colorado line under the table and brings out the snazzy Oregon. Gotta get one right? I’m uncertain ‘cause I’m still shell shocked.

 

Stage 3 – I stick my toes into the Oregon lake by going with the cheap bottom of the line Oregon 200. According to the Garmin site comparison the only differences were memory size, maps, 2-axis electronic compass and barometer. No mention that the Oregon 200 has no sound! The Oregon 200 worked nicely except for the lack of tones for autorouting. I was very happy with the Oregon other than that (and of coarse the obvious map segment limit).

 

Stage 4 – Bought an Oregon 400t. I have my sound and my maps. Very happy for now until something new comes along.

 

Stage 5 – Need to get home long enough to sale my 60CSx, Colorado 300 and Oregon 200 (and about half a dozen other GPSr’s). I’ll hang on to the Oregon 400t as my primary and the Colorado 400t as my backup.

 

To be continued…

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Stage 5 – Need to get home long enough to sale my 60CSx, Colorado 300 and Oregon 200 (and about half a dozen other GPSr’s). I’ll hang on to the Oregon 400t as my primary and the Colorado 400t as my backup.

 

To be continued…

 

Sound like me.. I never got the CO though, I tried the PN-40 out. See sig.. but that's missing out the true story.. HCX -> Oregon 300 -> PN-40 --> Oregon 300 (lol)

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I use ColoradoExport to load the 1900 closest caches to my Oregon. In addition, it loads all my finds and my owned caches.

 

The really cool part is all of the associated child waypoints are loaded as POI's into individual subfolders. So instead of having to remember that AK128B1 is the parking for Wally World, You do Where To/ Extras / Cac_Parking / Wally World.

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Since the 400t will be onsale at REI from tomorrow for $400, plus a rebate, I was looking at getting that one, if they'll have any instock, as its gone from their website.

 

Can I get the West Topo 24k DVD maps for WA/OR/CA, and will allow me to download the points/tracks from the gps unit on my PC, just like the Topo 2008 DVD software?

 

thanks

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I am intrigued by the Oregon, but am not sure if I need to give up the trusty 60CSx/PDA set up. Are there still issues with loading TOPO 2008 on the Oregon 300? Will I have a 400T (3D, shading...) after loading my TOPO software?

 

If you use Topo 2008 on the Oregon 300 you will get shading just the same as the 400t. You just won't be able to load the entire US on the unit like 400t -- but you will be able to use the maps in Mapsource on your computer.

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On my Oregon 300 I have a 4GB microSD card and have CityNav 2009NT with all of the US & Canada, Garmin Topo 2008 with WA,OR,CA,AZ,NM,TX,CO,UT and the CA 24K Topo from GPSfiledepot (free!) for 20' contour lines in CA. It fits into just under 2000 map segments and a little over 3 Gigs of space.

 

The shading from the Garmin Topo looks good with the improved detail from the 24K maps.

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