+Xantos10 Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Last night someone stone my Navigation GPS and my hand held one. Now I need to buy both of them again. What I had was a Garmin NUVI 160 and a Garmin GPSMap 60CSx. I figure I will buy a Garmin NUVI 165W for my car, but I am having a difficult decision whether to buy another Garmin GPSMap 60CSx, a Colorado 400T or an Oregon 400T. I know there have been discussions on this before; but with some of the updated Software I wanted to get other opinions and why you would buy the one you recommend. Also, is there anything other than Garmin or something coming in the near future that would be better. Thanks for your help. Quote Link to comment
+bittsen Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 (edited) Last night someone stone my Navigation GPS and my hand held one. Now I need to buy both of them again. What I had was a Garmin NUVI 160 and a Garmin GPSMap 60CSx. I figure I will buy a Garmin NUVI 165W for my car, but I am having a difficult decision whether to buy another Garmin GPSMap 60CSx, a Colorado 400T or an Oregon 400T. I know there have been discussions on this before; but with some of the updated Software I wanted to get other opinions and why you would buy the one you recommend. Also, is there anything other than Garmin or something coming in the near future that would be better. Thanks for your help. The Colorado 400T still has some issues. If you want to be patient and hope they fix it, it's a great unit. Edited July 12, 2009 by bittsen Quote Link to comment
+Xantos10 Posted July 12, 2009 Author Share Posted July 12, 2009 Last night someone stone my Navigation GPS and my hand held one. Now I need to buy both of them again. What I had was a Garmin NUVI 160 and a Garmin GPSMap 60CSx. I figure I will buy a Garmin NUVI 165W for my car, but I am having a difficult decision whether to buy another Garmin GPSMap 60CSx, a Colorado 400T or an Oregon 400T. I know there have been discussions on this before; but with some of the updated Software I wanted to get other opinions and why you would buy the one you recommend. Also, is there anything other than Garmin or something coming in the near future that would be better. Thanks for your help. The Colorado 400T still has some issues. If you want to be patient and hope they fix it, it's a great unit. I like the Colorado because it has the external antenna. My 60CSx was very accurate even under a canopy of trees. However, I like being able to go paperless. I am going to wait a few months before buying a handheld GPS and see what improvements Garmin makes. Quote Link to comment
Keystone Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 I am moving this thread from the Geocaching Topics forum to the GPS and Technology forum. Quote Link to comment
+Pirates of Prescott Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Last night someone stone my Navigation GPS and my hand held one. Now I need to buy both of them again. What I had was a Garmin NUVI 160 and a Garmin GPSMap 60CSx. I figure I will buy a Garmin NUVI 165W for my car, but I am having a difficult decision whether to buy another Garmin GPSMap 60CSx, a Colorado 400T or an Oregon 400T. I know there have been discussions on this before; but with some of the updated Software I wanted to get other opinions and why you would buy the one you recommend. Also, is there anything other than Garmin or something coming in the near future that would be better. Thanks for your help. I use the Nuvi 265wt as well as the Oregon 400t. On this forum I found a macro download that was created by pilotsnipes that enables most nuvi's to be able to support paperless Geocaching. I think the Nuvi 500 does this right out the box. I also love my Oregon 400t. I just hate myself for buying what I consider over priced. My wife is looking at the Dakota series coming out at the end of July. Quote Link to comment
+subthemariner Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 I would think twice about the Oregon. Garmin has struggled to handle many issues. I know because I have one. Im currently running version 2.98, and no matter where I'm at the compass bounces and it hates any kind of tree cover. I had to send my first one back because it dumped the base maps, and the replacement (refurbished) would not boot at all because the battery terminals were faulty. Garmin promised next day delvery on a new one, and I got it a week later. Reproducability on the new unit is ok. I'm trying to ascertain if the present day 60csx is equipped with the same technology of old. Meaning the same antenna that has made it the best handheld per many experienced geocachers. This reply may seem more like a question than an answer, but I would not invest in the Oregon. If you have any information about the 60 series, I would appreciate it. Quote Link to comment
+Xantos10 Posted July 12, 2009 Author Share Posted July 12, 2009 I would think twice about the Oregon. Garmin has struggled to handle many issues. I know because I have one. Im currently running version 2.98, and no matter where I'm at the compass bounces and it hates any kind of tree cover. I had to send my first one back because it dumped the base maps, and the replacement (refurbished) would not boot at all because the battery terminals were faulty. Garmin promised next day delvery on a new one, and I got it a week later. Reproducability on the new unit is ok. I'm trying to ascertain if the present day 60csx is equipped with the same technology of old. Meaning the same antenna that has made it the best handheld per many experienced geocachers. This reply may seem more like a question than an answer, but I would not invest in the Oregon. If you have any information about the 60 series, I would appreciate it. I had very good results with the 60CSx. I did most of my Geocaching under heavy cover of trees and it was very accurate. My only complaint about it was that it did not support "paperless" geocaching. I always had to carry around a three ring binder with my printouts. But I don't want to sacrifice accuracy for that. When you are deep in the woods, you want a GPS that you can count on to be accurate. It saves much time. Does anyone know if the Oregon or Colorado is as accurate under a heavy tree canopy as the 60CSx is? Quote Link to comment
+Xantos10 Posted July 12, 2009 Author Share Posted July 12, 2009 I would think twice about the Oregon. Garmin has struggled to handle many issues. I know because I have one. Im currently running version 2.98, and no matter where I'm at the compass bounces and it hates any kind of tree cover. I had to send my first one back because it dumped the base maps, and the replacement (refurbished) would not boot at all because the battery terminals were faulty. Garmin promised next day delvery on a new one, and I got it a week later. Reproducability on the new unit is ok. I'm trying to ascertain if the present day 60csx is equipped with the same technology of old. Meaning the same antenna that has made it the best handheld per many experienced geocachers. This reply may seem more like a question than an answer, but I would not invest in the Oregon. If you have any information about the 60 series, I would appreciate it. I had very good results with the 60CSx. I did most of my Geocaching under heavy cover of trees and it was very accurate. My only complaint about it was that it did not support "paperless" geocaching. I always had to carry around a three ring binder with my printouts. But I don't want to sacrifice accuracy for that. When you are deep in the woods, you want a GPS that you can count on to be accurate. It saves much time. Does anyone know if the Oregon or Colorado is as accurate under a heavy tree canopy as the 60CSx is? How does the DeLorme PN-40 compare to the three above? Quote Link to comment
+FierceDeityLink1 Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 How does the DeLorme PN-40 compare to the three above? Uh oh. http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=225998 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=215682 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=224011 Quote Link to comment
+TotemLake Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 (edited) How does the DeLorme PN-40 compare to the three above? Uh oh. http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=225998 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=215682 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=224011 in truth, just like any other GPS, you're either going to love it, hate it. or go eh. It all depends on your expectations and what you want to do with it. It has the same chipset as the Oregon and it has had it's fair share of issues right along with the Oregon. I personally have had no problems with mine and I'm very happy with it and its capabilities. I'm sure others will chime in with their horror stories. Edited July 12, 2009 by TotemLake Quote Link to comment
+Xantos10 Posted July 12, 2009 Author Share Posted July 12, 2009 How does the DeLorme PN-40 compare to the three above? Uh oh. http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=225998 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=215682 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=224011 in truth, just like any other GPS, you're either going to love it, hate it. or go eh. It all depends on your expectations and what you want to do with it. It has the same chipset as the Oregon and it has had it's fair share of issues right along with the Oregon. I personally have had no problems with mine and I'm very happy with it and its capabilities. I'm sure others will chime in with their horror stories. Yeah. It seems that some like one and give reasons why they don't like the others. Then there are other people who like other ones and give their horror stories of why they would not buy other brands. Personally, I want one that is reasonably accurate under heavy cover and would like to have paperless (but is not a requirement). Quote Link to comment
+TotemLake Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 (edited) How does the DeLorme PN-40 compare to the three above? Uh oh. http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=225998 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=215682 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=224011 in truth, just like any other GPS, you're either going to love it, hate it. or go eh. It all depends on your expectations and what you want to do with it. It has the same chipset as the Oregon and it has had it's fair share of issues right along with the Oregon. I personally have had no problems with mine and I'm very happy with it and its capabilities. I'm sure others will chime in with their horror stories. Yeah. It seems that some like one and give reasons why they don't like the others. Then there are other people who like other ones and give their horror stories of why they would not buy other brands. Personally, I want one that is reasonably accurate under heavy cover and would like to have paperless (but is not a requirement). Out of the box, the PN will deliver on this with nothing extra required to buy although a FW update is highly recommended if you find it under 2.5. There is a learning curve and there isn't a very high local community support yet but the online community support is strong and will help out in the DeLorme forums and to some extent in these forums. Customer Phone Support is especially strong (although some folks seem to have had issues) but their email support is relatively weak even though they have a strong presence in both fourms. There have been QC issues, but DeLorme tech support is very quick to respond to these issues although it seems some folks have had repeat problems even with repaired units. My take is the first generation PN-40's (those that come with Topo7) are more likely to have issues than those shipping with Topo8, but I'm not speakng from any scientific observation. Edited July 13, 2009 by TotemLake Quote Link to comment
+Jeep4two Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I've been very happy with my Oregon 400t - accuracy is good at this time (beta 3.01) and feature rich. Touch screen interface just plain rocks. There are units with better reception but I feel (and felt when making my purchase) that the Oregon had the best overall package. That said - I currently use my Oregon as my car navigation unit as well. Not sure if I'll ever add a separate in car nav or not. So far I'm happy. Quote Link to comment
+Xantos10 Posted July 13, 2009 Author Share Posted July 13, 2009 I've been very happy with my Oregon 400t - accuracy is good at this time (beta 3.01) and feature rich. Touch screen interface just plain rocks. There are units with better reception but I feel (and felt when making my purchase) that the Oregon had the best overall package. That said - I currently use my Oregon as my car navigation unit as well. Not sure if I'll ever add a separate in car nav or not. So far I'm happy. When you look for a Cache, you can only be as accurate as the GPS used by the person who hid it. Therefore, the overall feel of the GPS is important to me. Ease of use is very important. Quote Link to comment
+Redwoods Mtn Biker Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 Also, is there anything other than Garmin or something coming in the near future that would be better. The Garmin Dakota series is expected to be more legible in daylight than the Colorado & Oregons. Quote Link to comment
+Entropy512 Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 I have an Oregon 300 and absolutely love it. I'm actually glad my PN-40 died on me within an hour of receiving it, the Oregon 300 is a far better match for me. The other option is to wait and see what chipset the Dakota 20 has. Garmin announced a press release indicating that future receivers will use the MTK v2 chipset, which so far is only available in "pucks" for PDA/PC use. The MTK2 chipset is *amazing*. The Dakota 20 might be the first receiver to use the MTK2. The STMicro Cartesio used in the Oregons and PN-40 has pretty deficient WAAS support. Quote Link to comment
+Rockin Roddy Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 How does the DeLorme PN-40 compare to the three above? Uh oh. http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=225998 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=215682 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=224011 in truth, just like any other GPS, you're either going to love it, hate it. or go eh. It all depends on your expectations and what you want to do with it. It has the same chipset as the Oregon and it has had it's fair share of issues right along with the Oregon. I personally have had no problems with mine and I'm very happy with it and its capabilities. I'm sure others will chime in with their horror stories. Yeah. It seems that some like one and give reasons why they don't like the others. Then there are other people who like other ones and give their horror stories of why they would not buy other brands. Personally, I want one that is reasonably accurate under heavy cover and would like to have paperless (but is not a requirement). Out of the box, the PN will deliver on this with nothing extra required to buy although a FW update is highly recommended if you find it under 2.5. There is a learning curve and there isn't a very high local community support yet but the online community support is strong and will help out in the DeLorme forums and to some extent in these forums. Customer Phone Support is especially strong (although some folks seem to have had issues) but their email support is relatively weak even though they have a strong presence in both fourms. There have been QC issues, but DeLorme tech support is very quick to respond to these issues although it seems some folks have had repeat problems even with repaired units. My take is the first generation PN-40's (those that come with Topo7) are more likely to have issues than those shipping with Topo8, but I'm not speakng from any scientific observation. I would agree with all said here! The learning curve isn't for the PN-40 though, but for the TOPO 8 mapping software which is included with purchase! The PN-40 is easy to use, easy to load with caches or maps, holds great reception even in the thick tree coverage I've seen...I love my PN-40! Quote Link to comment
+Xantos10 Posted July 13, 2009 Author Share Posted July 13, 2009 How does the DeLorme PN-40 compare to the three above? Uh oh. http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=225998 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=215682 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=224011 in truth, just like any other GPS, you're either going to love it, hate it. or go eh. It all depends on your expectations and what you want to do with it. It has the same chipset as the Oregon and it has had it's fair share of issues right along with the Oregon. I personally have had no problems with mine and I'm very happy with it and its capabilities. I'm sure others will chime in with their horror stories. Yeah. It seems that some like one and give reasons why they don't like the others. Then there are other people who like other ones and give their horror stories of why they would not buy other brands. Personally, I want one that is reasonably accurate under heavy cover and would like to have paperless (but is not a requirement). Out of the box, the PN will deliver on this with nothing extra required to buy although a FW update is highly recommended if you find it under 2.5. There is a learning curve and there isn't a very high local community support yet but the online community support is strong and will help out in the DeLorme forums and to some extent in these forums. Customer Phone Support is especially strong (although some folks seem to have had issues) but their email support is relatively weak even though they have a strong presence in both fourms. There have been QC issues, but DeLorme tech support is very quick to respond to these issues although it seems some folks have had repeat problems even with repaired units. My take is the first generation PN-40's (those that come with Topo7) are more likely to have issues than those shipping with Topo8, but I'm not speakng from any scientific observation. I would agree with all said here! The learning curve isn't for the PN-40 though, but for the TOPO 8 mapping software which is included with purchase! The PN-40 is easy to use, easy to load with caches or maps, holds great reception even in the thick tree coverage I've seen...I love my PN-40! Is it harder to load Caches into the PN-40 than in a Garmin? Also, will the Paperless feature include some of the Log files? Quote Link to comment
+Rockin Roddy Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 How does the DeLorme PN-40 compare to the three above? Uh oh. http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=225998 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=215682 http://forums.Groundspeak.com/GC/index.php?showtopic=224011 in truth, just like any other GPS, you're either going to love it, hate it. or go eh. It all depends on your expectations and what you want to do with it. It has the same chipset as the Oregon and it has had it's fair share of issues right along with the Oregon. I personally have had no problems with mine and I'm very happy with it and its capabilities. I'm sure others will chime in with their horror stories. Yeah. It seems that some like one and give reasons why they don't like the others. Then there are other people who like other ones and give their horror stories of why they would not buy other brands. Personally, I want one that is reasonably accurate under heavy cover and would like to have paperless (but is not a requirement). Out of the box, the PN will deliver on this with nothing extra required to buy although a FW update is highly recommended if you find it under 2.5. There is a learning curve and there isn't a very high local community support yet but the online community support is strong and will help out in the DeLorme forums and to some extent in these forums. Customer Phone Support is especially strong (although some folks seem to have had issues) but their email support is relatively weak even though they have a strong presence in both fourms. There have been QC issues, but DeLorme tech support is very quick to respond to these issues although it seems some folks have had repeat problems even with repaired units. My take is the first generation PN-40's (those that come with Topo7) are more likely to have issues than those shipping with Topo8, but I'm not speakng from any scientific observation. I would agree with all said here! The learning curve isn't for the PN-40 though, but for the TOPO 8 mapping software which is included with purchase! The PN-40 is easy to use, easy to load with caches or maps, holds great reception even in the thick tree coverage I've seen...I love my PN-40! Is it harder to load Caches into the PN-40 than in a Garmin? Also, will the Paperless feature include some of the Log files? Actually, with the purchase of Cache Register ($10), it's easier to load PQs to the PN-40 than any other unit on the market. Loading one at a time is a click of the send to GPS button on the cache page as well. Paperless will include all of the logs if loaded one at a time and 5 logs if loaded via PQ! Quote Link to comment
+TotemLake Posted July 13, 2009 Share Posted July 13, 2009 (edited) Is it harder to load Caches into the PN-40 than in a Garmin? Also, will the Paperless feature include some of the Log files? Actually, with the purchase of Cache Register ($10), it's easier to load PQs to the PN-40 than any other unit on the market. Loading one at a time is a click of the send to GPS button on the cache page as well. Paperless will include all of the logs if loaded one at a time and 5 logs if loaded via PQ! You'll need to define harder. Can you drag and drop GPX files to it? No Cache Register is one way to do it but... If you don't want to expend extra cash, using Topo8 takes just a few minutes more to drag and drop the GPX file to the map, then export it to the GPS. Some people don't like the extra step AND some don't like taking a few minutes to do the transfer. I guess this may be the difference between having a good time and not having a good time. The advantage (for me) is you can see where the cache is before you load it. I just transferred a couple hundred caches to the GPS of the area I'm interested in for a hike. I've downloaded my color aerials and USGS topos, and am now cutting them to the GPS. Once the downloads are in place on Topo, the cut takes the longest depending on the size of the area. I don't have to as long as the total file size stays below 1GB, but I may recut this area to smaller sections as I have a preference for them being around 250-300MB. Edited July 14, 2009 by TotemLake Quote Link to comment
+Pax42 Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Actually, with the purchase of Cache Register ($10), it's easier to load PQs to the PN-40 than any other unit on the market. Loading one at a time is a click of the send to GPS button on the cache page as well. Paperless will include all of the logs if loaded one at a time and 5 logs if loaded via PQ! Actually Roddy, if the PQ is massaged in GSAK first, you can also get all the logs (up to the 15000 character limit of course). Quote Link to comment
+Rockin Roddy Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Actually, with the purchase of Cache Register ($10), it's easier to load PQs to the PN-40 than any other unit on the market. Loading one at a time is a click of the send to GPS button on the cache page as well. Paperless will include all of the logs if loaded one at a time and 5 logs if loaded via PQ! Actually Roddy, if the PQ is massaged in GSAK first, you can also get all the logs (up to the 15000 character limit of course). Ahhh, beyond my scope of ability! Good to know though! Quote Link to comment
+Xantos10 Posted July 14, 2009 Author Share Posted July 14, 2009 Actually, with the purchase of Cache Register ($10), it's easier to load PQs to the PN-40 than any other unit on the market. Loading one at a time is a click of the send to GPS button on the cache page as well. Paperless will include all of the logs if loaded one at a time and 5 logs if loaded via PQ! Actually Roddy, if the PQ is massaged in GSAK first, you can also get all the logs (up to the 15000 character limit of course). Ahhh, beyond my scope of ability! Good to know though! My Biggest concern with the PN-40 is the screen size. It seems to have lots of the things I am looking for, but the screen appears to be tiny (especially for an old man like me ). Quote Link to comment
photomankc Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Ok, I have a grand total of 3 caching attempts under my belt so my advise comes with a salt lick. I have owned both the 60CSx and now the Oregon 300. When it comes to hiking I have no problem with the Oregon. It's tracks are slightly less accurate but sometimes it maps curves better than the 60. It keeps signal under dense summer tree cover but again with a little larger EPE. The usability for me just wipes the floor with the 60. Better map resolution, easier to scroll and select a distant point on the map. Touch screen rocks. It's the Geocaching activity that the Oregon stumbles on. It's low speed tracking of direction sucks via GPS. I can only get a reliable direction indication of direction of travel below 2MPH with the compass calibrated and working. The compass is glitchy so that's sometimes not as easy done as said. It's accuracy can be a little frustrating when you need to get within a few feet of something but then the hider may have had a worse unit so you never really know anyway. I have found the best way to deal with this is to use the 'bearing' field and to stay back 40 feet or so and take an actual compass reading using the bearing indication and follow that in instead of the pointer. Now that said. I would not be geocaching at all except for the fact that all I have to do is load them in and go when one is near my hiking spot. If I had to carry paper notes it would never happen. Not once did I ever think about doing it with the 60 because of that. With paperless, it's easy since I hike a lot and it's something neat to do while I'm in the area anyway. It adds a dimension of fun to hikes with my daughter for her too. For me, I'd not be going back to the 60. Had I known though I might have waited for a Dakota 20. Then again, I got a good deal on my Oregon and like I said... it works pretty well overall and it's shortcomings are balanced against some nice features and easy operation. If they had just used the 60's receiver and antenna and the Oregon's screen it would have been my dream GPS. Real world testing on my pack has shown that there is not that much appreciable difference in the tracklogs to worry about it. They both report my position in the same 20-50 foot area. Quote Link to comment
+Rockin Roddy Posted July 14, 2009 Share Posted July 14, 2009 Actually, with the purchase of Cache Register ($10), it's easier to load PQs to the PN-40 than any other unit on the market. Loading one at a time is a click of the send to GPS button on the cache page as well. Paperless will include all of the logs if loaded one at a time and 5 logs if loaded via PQ! Actually Roddy, if the PQ is massaged in GSAK first, you can also get all the logs (up to the 15000 character limit of course). Ahhh, beyond my scope of ability! Good to know though! My Biggest concern with the PN-40 is the screen size. It seems to have lots of the things I am looking for, but the screen appears to be tiny (especially for an old man like me ). I can truly tell you I have absolutely no problem seeing my PN...the screen is small, but it's not an issue IMHO! Quote Link to comment
+TotemLake Posted July 15, 2009 Share Posted July 15, 2009 (edited) Actually, with the purchase of Cache Register ($10), it's easier to load PQs to the PN-40 than any other unit on the market. Loading one at a time is a click of the send to GPS button on the cache page as well. Paperless will include all of the logs if loaded one at a time and 5 logs if loaded via PQ! Actually Roddy, if the PQ is massaged in GSAK first, you can also get all the logs (up to the 15000 character limit of course). Ahhh, beyond my scope of ability! Good to know though! My Biggest concern with the PN-40 is the screen size. It seems to have lots of the things I am looking for, but the screen appears to be tiny (especially for an old man like me ). I own a Magellan Meridian, and the screen on that is larger. The screen was beginning to become difficult for these eyes to reliably see it much less read it without strain. I have to say the PN screen is not an issue with that. The text is small, but crisp and easy to read. That being said, the ONLY way to know for sure for you is to now go test drive one. Check yor local forum to see if anybody is local to you that owns one and get their feedback as well as a touchy feely of the device. Otherwise, go to a local REI and have them turn one on for you and compare it against other brands and models. Edited July 15, 2009 by TotemLake Quote Link to comment
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