New Garmin Oregon 200

[+Zurfco]

Wow. This Oregon is so much easier to use than the Venture HC I accidentally donated to a river. The touch screen is easy to use. The paperless geocaching is great. I loaded 100 or so closest to my house in no time - and it's so easy to find them and the details and whatnot. The screen is huge in comparison and the resolution is wonderful. It's very clear and easy to use.

 

My only problem so far is that I need to add a TON of memory. That's the main feature I wanted - was the ability to add a card. I'll pick up an 8GB card on the way home and play some more tonight. I'm hoping to figure out some Google Earth transfers (both ways).

 

Once I've got it out in the field some and found a few caches with it, I'll write a proper review.

 

I've also got to upgrade the firmware (O/S?).

 

I intend to get City Navigator and hope that I'll be able to use it to get close to a cache, then switch over to the 100:1 Topo map to get from the parking spot to the cache. If it'll do that smoothly and effectively, I will be major-league stoked. Also, if I can put in waypoints I find on Google Earth to be able to drive to them and then hike to the next, I will be thrilled. I've been spending a lot of time on Google Earth looking for new fishing locations, and would love to be able to work it out with the GPSr.

 

- Zurfco

 

 

p.s. Thanks to everyone who have been so helpful to me already. I'm sure I'll have a million more questions. Your patience with a new GPSr user is greatly appreciated.

[+StarBrand]

Do you realize the extra memory would only be for adding maps? (just making sure)

 

I love my Oregon 200 - very nice easy to use unit.

[+Old Billygoat]

I just got an Oregon 200 and loaded my Topo Canada and Topo USA maps onto it. I’m very pleased with it and my 60CSx has become my backup unit, although I left it at home when I went out caching yesterday. BTW the Oregon also does a great job in Auto navigating with the Topo maps in Canada.

Edited February 4, 2010 by Old Billygoat

[+Zurfco]

Starbrand -

 

No, but that's the only feature I intended to use the extra memory for, so that's good. Out of curiosity, to what other purpose would I put the extra memory?

 

Old Billygoat -

 

The 24MB doesn't hold enough topo to do much. I'll add an 8GB card and put more of the 100:1 topo maps on it and read up in the manual on the auto navigating. I see where there's "routable" or some such maps available free, but I'm curious how to enter where you want to go and all the POI information. It seems for the interface and the POI data that the Navigation software is probably worth $99. I'll have to figure out what format to get it, though, whether on DVD or on MicroSD or what. Probably a call to Garmin customer service for that. Anyway, thanks for the suggestion and I'll check it out before forking out the $100.

 

- Zurfco

Edited February 3, 2010 by Zurfco

[+Old Billygoat]

I loaded the complete TOPO Midwest onto a 2 GB card. I have from northern Canada to Kansas and from Minneapolis to the Rocky Mountains. I picked up a 4 GB card yesterday so that I can load the maps even further south. Definetly go with the DVD versions so that you can also put them onto your computer.

Edited February 3, 2010 by Old Billygoat

[+Native20559]

I loaded the complete TOPO Midwest onto a 2 GB card. I have from northern Canada to Kansas and from Minneapolis to the Rocky Mountains. I picked up a 4 GB card yesterday so that I can load the maps even further south. Definetly go with the DVD versions so that you can also put them onto your computer.

 

Congrats on the new Oregon 200!!! Excellent choice! When I can "peel" it out of my wife's hands long enough to use it, I really enjoy using it. Definitely one of the "best of the bests" in the value for the buck category.

 

+1 for the new 1:24K Garmin Topos with autorouting and 3D capabilities! Very, very nice maps and does away with City Navigator. Shop for the best price at Bizrate.com and NexTag.com (don't necessarily have to pay $99 for the maps).

 

Get the free topo maps and Ibycus US streetmap (nonrouteable) for outside your primary state from gpsfiledepot.com. They are very, very good maps, actually superb for shareware!

 

Be safe.

 

N

[+Chrysalides]

I just got an Oregon 200 and loaded my Topo Canada and Topo USA maps onto it. I’m very pleased with it and my 60CSx has become my backup unit, although I left it at home when I went out caching yesterday. BTW the Oregon also does a great job in Auto navigating with the Topo maps.

From what I read, the Canada Topo map is routable, but US Topo isn't.

 

BTW is it possible to load custom POI into the memory card? I assume so but haven't experimented.

[+Old Billygoat]

The TOPO Canada auto routes for sure as I’ve used that feature, but I haven't been to the USA since I got my OREGON last week. I just tried to simulate an auto route into North Dakota and it says that there are no auto routable roads.

 

I haven't tried to load custom POI's yet, but I will today and post here.

[+g-o-cashers]

US built in topo maps (aka Topo 100k or Topo 2008) are not routeable. The US Topo 24k series is routeable.

[+fegan]

BTW is it possible to load custom POI into the memory card? I assume so but haven't experimented.

I load Maps, POIs and Geocaches on the SD card on my Colorado.

 

Colorado/Oregon/Dakota are pretty much the same...so I would assume you could.

[+larryc43230]

BTW is it possible to load custom POI into the memory card? I assume so but haven't experimented.

I load Maps, POIs and Geocaches on the SD card on my Colorado.

 

Colorado/Oregon/Dakota are pretty much the same...so I would assume you could.

I have all sorts of custom POI loaded on the SD card of my Oregon 550t.

 

--Larry