Huge sale/discount at REI | PN-40 & PN-30

[+radak9]

REI is having a sale that started today - PN-30 is $199, PN-40 is $259. They also have the eTrex Venture HC for $124.

 

They have a lot of other items on sale also. Looks like the sale runs through 9/7, but if you are in the market for any of those 3 units, I don't know if I would wait too long

 

[+Lord Cadogan]

REI is having a sale that started today - PN-30 is $199, PN-40 is $259. They also have the eTrex Venture HC for $124.

 

They have a lot of other items on sale also. Looks like the sale runs through 9/7, but if you are in the market for any of those 3 units, I don't know if I would wait too long

 

Well, I just put down the cash (plastic) on a PN-40. They are backordered, but still at a savings of $140.00. It will be my second GPS after my Garmin Vista HCX.

[+richlans]

Wow, that's sad news. My PN-40 quit working yesterday. It just will not turn on. I've tried 10 different new batteries but it does not even try to turn on. So, I ordered a new one from Wal-Mart yesterday for $305.00. I bought my first one from Wal-Mart for $248.00.

Edited September 4, 2009 by richlans

[+TotemLake]

Wow, that's sad news. My PN-40 quit working yesterday. It just will not turn on. I've tried 10 different new batteries but it does not even try to turn on. So, I ordered a new one from Wal-Mart yesterday for $305.00. I bought my first one from Wal-Mart for $248.00.

Have you contacted the DeLorme support regarding your GPS?

[+richlans]

Wow, that's sad news. My PN-40 quit working yesterday. It just will not turn on. I've tried 10 different new batteries but it does not even try to turn on. So, I ordered a new one from Wal-Mart yesterday for $305.00. I bought my first one from Wal-Mart for $248.00.

Have you contacted the DeLorme support regarding your GPS?

I talked to Delorme suport this afternoon. They had me try a couple of tricks that did not work so I'm sending it to Delorme for repair.

[+evi1chef]

I'm new to geocaching (bought a Garmin Geko 201 *and* joined the site back in 2003, but only just began playing last month). The Geko has been okay so far, but I'm concerned about how well it'll serve me in forest settings. Navigating by compass is okay, but sometimes I'd just like to put the coordinates in and let the device direct me.

 

I got the email from REI this morning, and am considering buying the eTrex Venture HC during the sale. Any advice? Advantages/disadvantages? Will it lead me to a preprogrammed spot?

 

Thanks for any and all help for the newbie.

[+LEGO]

I got the email from REI this morning, and am considering buying the eTrex Venture HC during the sale. Any advice? Advantages/disadvantages? Will it lead me to a preprogrammed spot?

 

Thanks for any and all help for the newbie.

I have been using a Venture HC for over a year as my primary GPS'er. It will serve you well, and definitely will lead you to the cache location. You won't want to use it for street navigation though, so be sure to check out the google map on the cache page to get a good idea of where the cache is.

[+Rockin Roddy]

I'm new to geocaching (bought a Garmin Geko 201 *and* joined the site back in 2003, but only just began playing last month). The Geko has been okay so far, but I'm concerned about how well it'll serve me in forest settings. Navigating by compass is okay, but sometimes I'd just like to put the coordinates in and let the device direct me.

 

I got the email from REI this morning, and am considering buying the eTrex Venture HC during the sale. Any advice? Advantages/disadvantages? Will it lead me to a preprogrammed spot?

 

Thanks for any and all help for the newbie.

 

I guess I don't understand. What is the problem with the Geko?

[+TotemLake]

I'm new to geocaching (bought a Garmin Geko 201 *and* joined the site back in 2003, but only just began playing last month). The Geko has been okay so far, but I'm concerned about how well it'll serve me in forest settings. Navigating by compass is okay, but sometimes I'd just like to put the coordinates in and let the device direct me.

 

I got the email from REI this morning, and am considering buying the eTrex Venture HC during the sale. Any advice? Advantages/disadvantages? Will it lead me to a preprogrammed spot?

 

Thanks for any and all help for the newbie.

 

I guess I don't understand. What is the problem with the Geko?

It's a pretty limited device. The problem with this and others like it, is users will quickly outgrow it's abilities.

[John E Cache]

REI is having a sale that started today - PN-30 is $199, PN-40 is $259. They also have the eTrex Venture HC for $124.

 

They have a lot of other items on sale also. Looks like the sale runs through 9/7, but if you are in the market for any of those 3 units, I don't know if I would wait too long

 

The PN-40 is called a bundle. What is bundled with it? Does bundled mean extra savings or is it always sold bundled?

[+evi1chef]

I'm new to geocaching (bought a Garmin Geko 201 *and* joined the site back in 2003, but only just began playing last month). The Geko has been okay so far, but I'm concerned about how well it'll serve me in forest settings. Navigating by compass is okay, but sometimes I'd just like to put the coordinates in and let the device direct me.

 

I got the email from REI this morning, and am considering buying the eTrex Venture HC during the sale. Any advice? Advantages/disadvantages? Will it lead me to a preprogrammed spot?

 

Thanks for any and all help for the newbie.

 

I guess I don't understand. What is the problem with the Geko?

 

The Geko is fine for what I'm doing right now, caching in an urban setting with primarily easy drive-up hides. My initial frustration at trying to figure out point-to-point navigation using the compass feature has since given way to a better understanding of how it works.

 

My concern is for when I go, say, into state or county parks with trails that don't appear on Google Maps, meaning I have to guess at how to get to the hide until I'm very close to it. And if I ever feel adventurous and decide to look for the really difficult hides in near-virgin terrain, I'm definitely going to want something that at the very least can give me a little glowing arrow that says "go this way".

[+Team CowboyPapa]

REI is having a sale that started today - PN-30 is $199, PN-40 is $259. They also have the eTrex Venture HC for $124.

 

They have a lot of other items on sale also. Looks like the sale runs through 9/7, but if you are in the market for any of those 3 units, I don't know if I would wait too long

 

The PN-40 is called a bundle. What is bundled with it? Does bundled mean extra savings or is it always sold bundled?

It has always been sold bundled.

Bundled means that everything is in the box, nothing else that is absolutely necessary to use it immediately for geocaching has to be purchased separately.

However, the separate purchase of the Cache Register widget for $10 is recommended by most for conveniently downloading the multiple cache descriptions as a Pocket Query.

Included are the 4 DVDs for the Region, Detail (street level) maps for installation and transfer to the PN-40, and a DVD with the Topo USA 8.0 mapping application for PC installation (also includes the Region, Detail maps in addtion to the Base and Regional maps), the handheld to PC cable and an SD card.

[+Rockin Roddy]

I'm new to geocaching (bought a Garmin Geko 201 *and* joined the site back in 2003, but only just began playing last month). The Geko has been okay so far, but I'm concerned about how well it'll serve me in forest settings. Navigating by compass is okay, but sometimes I'd just like to put the coordinates in and let the device direct me.

 

I got the email from REI this morning, and am considering buying the eTrex Venture HC during the sale. Any advice? Advantages/disadvantages? Will it lead me to a preprogrammed spot?

 

Thanks for any and all help for the newbie.

 

I guess I don't understand. What is the problem with the Geko?

 

The Geko is fine for what I'm doing right now, caching in an urban setting with primarily easy drive-up hides. My initial frustration at trying to figure out point-to-point navigation using the compass feature has since given way to a better understanding of how it works.

 

My concern is for when I go, say, into state or county parks with trails that don't appear on Google Maps, meaning I have to guess at how to get to the hide until I'm very close to it. And if I ever feel adventurous and decide to look for the really difficult hides in near-virgin terrain, I'm definitely going to want something that at the very least can give me a little glowing arrow that says "go this way".

 

I'm still at a loss here, I understand the outgrow comment above, but that doesn't sound like your problem right now? Are you saying your unit doesn't point you in the right direction. Your unit does have the arrow, right? If your concern is reception in tree coverage, I can understand that concern, I don't know how sensitive the Geko is either.

 

As for the Venture HC, it'll definitely point you in the right direction, it's a good unit, just fairly basic! If all you need from your unit is the ability to keep reception and get pointed in the right direction, you'll be fine with ANY of the high sensitive devices out today.

 

HOWEVER, I want to make a small point and then I'm done "harassing" you! Buying cheap (as I would consider your purchase plan to be...not a bad thing mind you), might not be the best route to go! If you're really going to buy a new unit, I would suggest making a list of what you would like from your new unit, how much you can spend and then what units fit your needs! Buying cheap and then finding you want to upgrade shortly afterwards is EXPENSIVE since you're buying twice...and it's more aggrivating! And believe me, GPS envy sux!!

 

Some options available today:

 

Paperless caching...the ability to load the cache info straight to the GPS. This is a GREAT feature and one I would highly recommend to even the newest cacher! Several units are truly paperless these days, the Garmin CO and OR series, Garmin Dakota, the DeLorme PN series (all of them), I believe Magellen has a few units available as does the new Lowrance (if memory serves). There may be a few more, a bit of research will help you there!

 

Routing...routing is AWESOME! No more circling a park looking for the parking spot, no more driving around lost. Several units do this as well...all I listed for paperless and a few more! Most of the units require buying maps for this, only DeLorme has routing out of the box (if memory serves, someone can correct me if I'm mistaken). Maps for other units usually cost about $100 or so, keep this in mind when deciding! Now, routing on some units are better than others (DeLorme isn't as advanced as say the OR or CO), but none of the handheld units will do as good as a dedicated car-nav unit. I've used both the PN-40 and the Garmin OR 300 and found neither was truly accurate at all times (both had me using roads which weren't there and the OR had me take a trail which it called a road)...fair warning on this!

 

Ease of use...many units can use the send to feature on GC.com's cache pages, most can load caches via PQ. Check into what's available and go from there! Some are easier than others, but most are simpe to use!

 

Additional maps...Garmin has maps available online for free (none will route you)...these are user made maps and some are good...some not so good! DeLorme has all the maps you need right in the box, TOPO, routing, it's included. You can also subscribe to the DeLorme map library for $30...this gives you unlimited aerial imagery as well as more topos, NOAA charts etc. Other units have the option of loading aerials, I think the Lowrance can as well as a few Magellens? I could be mistaken and hope anyone knowing differently will jump in!

 

There are more options available, these are the more sought after! Hey, you can even get a unit with a built in camera (geotagging...which can also be done on the DeLormes with a bit more work...and a camera lol). However, I'm fairly certain the Venture doesn't do any of the options I have mentioned. Just giving you something more to think about!

 

Do your homework, read a LOT of forums threads (check out the pinned section for a short list to start you off) and read reviews....I've said this very thing many times and I stand by this. An informed buyer is a HAPPY BUYER, that's my goal here as I'm sure is most everyone else's!! Good luck!