PN-40 vs Oregon: My Decision

[+jeanne123]

This was a tough choice for me, so I thought I would share my thoughts in case it helps anyone else making a similar decision. YMMV, of course, because what's most important to me may not be most important to you and vice versa. But seeing my reasons might help you to weigh them according to your needs.

 

First, the Prelims...

 

With so many choices on the market, we have to narrow down the field of contenders. Here are the factors I used to make my "short list". For completeness, I also included a couple of points that simply were not important to me.

 

Mapping:

I eliminated anything that did not do mapping, but left actual mapping comparisons for the finals.

 

Paperless:

I actually kept the 60CSX on the list for a while because of its strong user base, and because it seemed to be such a workhorse of a model. But in the end, I wanted paperless, including the ability to upload field notes directly, so this one did not make the cut.

 

Changing Technology:

I learned long ago that when it is time to upgrade, you pick what is best for you right now. Your decision might be different next year, or even next month, but if you keep waiting for the next newest feature, you will wait forever. But you have to be cautious about being on the "bleeding edge" rather than the "leading edge". On this basis I eliminated the Lowrance and the Dakota models as being too new, but I believe the Oregon has stabilized enough not to fall in that category.

 

Smatrphone/PDA:

It's a matter of picking the right tool for the job. There are still places where cell service is weak or non-existent. If you are in an area where you can't get a data signal, all that instant access is worthless. I carry my phone with me, but I don't want to rely on it for caching. As technology and coverage improves, I may change my opinion on this, but right now I can't see it.

 

Road Routing:

I did not care if the unit did road routing or not. In my opinion, these are two different uses, and you have to make too many compromises to get a unit that will do both. Take screen size, for example. A good size to see while driving would be awkward to carry in the woods, and vice versa.

 

Budget:

My budget was generous enough that I did not eliminate any models on that basis alone. I wanted to stay under $500 if possible, but would probably stretch it for the Oregon 550T if I needed to. Rather than a dollar limit, I was more interested in the best bang for the buck.

 

Hands On:

I really wanted to get my hands on both to see how they felt when using them, and what the displays really looked like, but unfortunatley no one here in Central Illinois carries them in stock.

 

Based on the above, I narrowed down the choice to the DeLorme PN-40, and some flavor of Oregon, knowing that there were some interesting differences between the various Oregon models.

 

And now the finals - PN-40 vs. Oregon

 

Accuracy:

Surprisingly, the most important reason I am upgrading turned out to be one of the least important factors in my final choice. I could find no solid evidence that any one unit was more accurate than another. All the newer units have a solid user base that swears that their choice is the best and the others are all terrible. I suspect the differences are actually minimal.

 

Display:

This category is a toss-up as well. Oregon is bigger; PN-40 is clearer. Pick your poison.

 

Camera:

Only the Oregon 550 has a camera. This is a seriously tempting feature, but in the end, I decided the price differential was not worth it.

 

Touch screen:

Even with an occasional fat-finger typo, I've got to believe that a touch screen would be superior to other means of input. Point to Oregon on this one.

 

Aerial imagery:

I use aerial maps a lot in pre-trip planning mode, either through Google Maps or

Live Local

Bing Maps. None of the Oregons support taking imagery along unless you print it. Point to the PN-40.

 

Mapping software:

Topo 8 looks like a pretty impressive package. I have heard people say it is hard to learn but wow, it looks like it does a lot. It would take a while just to learn WHAT it does. I have not seen anything that indicates that MapSource is even close, and I think if you buy the Oregon with maps embedded, you don't even get that. This point goes to DeLorme.

 

Available maps:

Other than the aerials, it was pretty hard to sort out the differences in what maps were available and which you had to pay more to get. Garmin charges through the nose for maps, but there are free maps available, but it is uncertain how the quality compares. On the other hand, you can get a pretty complete set of maps for the DeLorme for a nominal cost of $30 per year, which is pretty reasonable. But I'll give the point to Oregon since free maps are available. Even though the free maps are not routable, road routing was not a concern for me.

 

3-way compass:

I would probably be one of the people who would end up turning off a regular compass. I don't think I would be very good at keeping it adequately level - I have trouble enough keeping myself level in the woods. The PN-40 and the Oregon both have the 3-way compass, but the point goes to PN-40 because of the price differential.

 

Battery life:

Some would give this point to the Oregon, but with with the way I will use it, not so much. I've never been out more than 2-3 hours at a time, so as long as I start out fully charged, I'm not likely to run out of juice on either.

 

Bang for the buck:

I eliminated the high-end Oregon 550 as not having enough extra for the difference in price. The others are all in approxmiately the same price range, with some variation depending on what is on sale where, and what optional choices are made about things like maps and power packs. The DeLorme probably has a slight advantage here even if you include the cost of the $30/year map subscription.

 

And the Winner is.... The DeLorme PN-40. It's on its way. I'll let you know if it lives up to my expectations.

[+QuesterMark]

Great write up on your decision process; thank you.

 

I'm interested in your thoughts....I just got an Oregon 550 (no T) myself...

 

What I like about the Oregon 550

 

What I'd change about the Oregon 550

[+TotemLake]

Congrats on your purchase decision. The DeLorme Forums are full of helpful peers and the DeLorme tech does lurk there from time to time. The DeLorme tech support is superior and the email issue surrounding their support response seems have been taken care of as well.

[+jeanne123]

Great write up on your decision process; thank you.

 

I'm interested in your thoughts....I just got an Oregon 550 (no T) myself...

 

What I like about the Oregon 550

 

What I'd change about the Oregon 550

 

Hmmm....

First, I find it extremely interesting that you did not mention the camera on either list. Not sure if this is because it was not important to you, or if you just haven't had much opportunity to try it yet.

 

I liked your comments on the touch screen, on both sides. I may regret not going for the touch screen myself - time will tell.

 

You mention the reported accuracy numbers compared to the 60csx. It could be due to differences in the way the units calculate the accuracy, so might not mean anything. Also, accuracy while standing still is only part of what it takes to find a cache. The three-way compass might make a difference here.

 

If you have both units in hand, you have an excellent opportunity to do a side-by-side comparison. Which one gets you to closest to the cache in a number of different circumstances, with the least amount of "drunken bee dance"? Have you tried marking a spot with one and trying to get back to it with the other? Or looking for a point that is known to be accurate such as a benchmark? Have you looked at the satellite pages to see if the two units map the same constellation? I'd be really interested to hear how they compare in the field under real usage situations.

[+TexasGringo]

I was looking into the 550 at one time to do a Wherigo cache or two....but there seems to be little interest in that....and even the Wherigo link is Waaaaay down at the bottom of the Forums web page where no one scrolls to....just one step away from Waymarking (sp).

 

So, the PN-40 will probably be it....

[+Team CowboyPapa]

OK, so when they come to the door, here are some references:

The Wikis:

http://delormepn40.wikispaces.com/

and

http://pn-series.wiki.delorme.com/

and the forums

http://forums.delorme.com/index.php

[+Tahoe Skier5000]

Congrats Jeanne! You will love the PN-40, no question about it. It is a very solid unit.

 

Delorme customer service is perhaps the best out there. Very quick, professional responses.

Edited August 18, 2009 by Tahoe Skier5000

[+embra]

It's clear you did your homework. I think I'd agree with nearly every point you made.

 

As others have said, ask for help if you start to feel frustrated at any point in the learning curve.

[+QuesterMark]

 

Hmmm....

First, I find it extremely interesting that you did not mention the camera on either list. Not sure if this is because it was not important to you, or if you just haven't had much opportunity to try it yet.

 

You mention the reported accuracy numbers compared to the 60csx. It could be due to differences in the way the units calculate the accuracy, so might not mean anything. Also, accuracy while standing still is only part of what it takes to find a cache. The three-way compass might make a difference here.

 

If you have both units in hand, you have an excellent opportunity to do a side-by-side comparison. Which one gets you to closest to the cache in a number of different circumstances, with the least amount of "drunken bee dance"? Have you tried marking a spot with one and trying to get back to it with the other? Or looking for a point that is known to be accurate such as a benchmark? Have you looked at the satellite pages to see if the two units map the same constellation? I'd be really interested to hear how they compare in the field under real usage situations.

 

The camera did not actually factor into my decision. I have an iPhone and I often carry a "dedicated" camera with optical zoom and stuff. Still, I did take one photo (so far) with the camera, and I like the way it works. I'll edit those lists. (I already added a couple of lines to them since my reply to your post.)

 

Agreed on the accuracy, plus I know there's new firmware for the GPS chipset in the 550 pending... The 60Cx has had a long time for both parts of the firmware to become mature.

 

I will copy that last paragraph of yours into a memo on my iPhone and specifically try those items.