PN-40 vs. Colorado 400t

[NogginBoink]

Well, camping season is nigh upon us, and I want to do some geocaching out there. The wife and I tried a few caches two years ago with a bare-bones GPS and it left something to be desired.

 

I'm looking for a GPSr that'll do paperless caching with a built in compass. There's a dizzying array of models out there, but the PN-40 and the Colorado 400t seem like winners to me.

 

I'm wondering if the community can help me do some compare/contrast between these two models. Having never held either of them, my analysis is necessarily a bit naive. Also, given the number of rows in the spreadsheet I've compiled so far, my analytical brain has turned to mush and I'm likely to overlook the obvious.

 

Any input would be appreciated, as would pointers to other suitable units.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

We have/use a PN-40 and love it.

 

Do be prepared though, for the most part whoever has what will work at selling you on that model.

 

We do love the PN-40, it's most notorious drawback is lack of battery life. We do not see that as an overwhelming impediment, though.

 

Either or both of your choices are very good. I'm saying it is a toss-up.

 

EDIT: We really like the bright orange. Makes it that much more difficult to lose.

Edited March 14, 2010 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+Bosn Ski]

Well, camping season is nigh upon us, and I want to do some geocaching out there. The wife and I tried a few caches two years ago with a bare-bones GPS and it left something to be desired.

 

I'm looking for a GPSr that'll do paperless caching with a built in compass. There's a dizzying array of models out there, but the PN-40 and the Colorado 400t seem like winners to me.

 

I'm wondering if the community can help me do some compare/contrast between these two models. Having never held either of them, my analysis is necessarily a bit naive. Also, given the number of rows in the spreadsheet I've compiled so far, my analytical brain has turned to mush and I'm likely to overlook the obvious.

 

Any input would be appreciated, as would pointers to other suitable units.

I have never used a Colorado...but I do have a PN-40 coupled with GSAK and I love it. Paperless Geocaching is not overrated!! I started loading my -40 with 10 logs recently; previously I was only loading 5 logs. Even with 5 logs loaded, sometimes the previous logs did come in handy. The -40 is easy to use once you become familiar with the setup. It is a rugged unit as well. I have dropped it a few times on the concrete and it is no worse for wear. The only cosmetic problem is the rocker button; the black dye is wearing off around the edges. There is also a new firmware update coming this spring that is targeted towards Geocaching and I believe it will allow groups of caches to be sent between the internal memory and the SD card. (I may be wrong on the last point). I know that there so some cachers out there that have figured out a way to move caches already, but I don’t have a reason for that yet.

 

Battery life, I don't seem to have the same problem. If I begin the day with fresh batteries, I have yet to change the batteries during the caching trip. Plus I always carry spare batteries, so it becomes a non issue. I also like the ability to download imagery (aerial and maps) from Delorme/TOPO 8 at will.

 

The customer service at Delorme is top notch. I had to contact them concerning some imagery issues and TOPO 8. I received compensation and then some for imagery I purchased and didn’t receive because it wasn’t available (bug in their system). Plus, Delorme contacted me a month later when the imagery was available.

 

Like I said, I haven’t used a Colorado, but I have read good things about them. I do own a PN-40 and I am a satisfied customer. Good luck.

[+briansnat]

I own a PN40. While it's a good pure geocaching unit it has drawbacks. As Gitchee-Gummee mentioned, battery life is the pits. Having to change batteries 2-3 times during a full day of caching gets old and you have to go through that silly calibration routine (the motions might get you arrested if you did them on a playground) each time.

 

Reception is good, but not great. It loses reception if I put it in my pocket and when it loses reception it doesn't acquire sats again until I turn it off and back on.

 

I also find that the menu fonts are way too small for my 50 year old eyes. I have to bring my reading glasses along so I can read the menu, which is frustrating.

 

The Topo 8 software that it comes with is very clunky. Luckily there are now ways to manage and transfer waypoints without using that software, so that is good.

 

A big positive are the geocaching specific features. They are why it's my primary geocaching unit even though I still keep my old Garmin 60CSX in my pack for when the PN40 has signal difficulties. It is also a good value because it comes with routable topo maps included in the price.

 

I have no experience with the Colorado. When it came out it was missing many of the features that my 60CSX had so I had no interest in it. I've toyed around with the Garmin Oregon and liked it a lot as do all my friends who own one.

[ao318]

I also own the PN-40 and 60csx and use them as briansnat does. I haven't had as much problems with the battery life as others have but I also use it when I am hiking and I am not going through many of the features it has when I am geocaching.

 

One of the reasons I chose it over the "Oregon" 400, I wasn't looking at Colorados, was because of the way it felt in my hand. I like the narrow feel compared to the square feel of the Oregon. It felt like I was carrying my iPhone with all the time and I did not like that feel. Another reason I went for the PN-40 vs the Oregon was it was on sale last Christmas for $199.00 and the 400's were not. My last reason for choosing it was for the aerial imagery maps but now Garmin is going to offer something similar in May I think.

 

Either unit will suit your needs. I know that the Oregon 400 models are on sale at certain places, if you can find one, because they are moving to the Oregon 450.

 

Good luck in your decision.

 

edited for grammar

Edited March 14, 2010 by ao318

[+HedgeMage]

When I bought my family a GPSr for caching and hiking last spring, the PN-40 and Colorado 400t were the top contenders. I went back and forth many times, and eventually settled on the Colorado -- primarily because I believed the interface to be much simpler to use.

 

My caching/hiking partner is my 7yo (6 at time of purchase) special needs child. He was using the Colorado's basic features (finding a cache, choosing the next one, zooming in and out, etc) in minutes, and had all the features he cared for mastered in just a couple of days. I do not believe that would have been possible with the PN-40.

 

Had I been purchasing solely for my own use, I'd have gone with the PN-40. Its interface isn't nearly as slick as the Colorado's is, but maps for the DeLorme are much less expensive than for the Colorado, and they strike me as "nicer" (specifically, easier to make out at a glance).

 

I'm considering a PN-60 for a second GPSr after they've been around enough that I can hear how they perform for others, and have come down in price a bit.

[+briansnat]

Had I been purchasing solely for my own use, I'd have gone with the PN-40. Its interface isn't nearly as slick as the Colorado's is, but maps for the DeLorme are much less expensive than for the Colorado, and they strike me as "nicer" (specifically, easier to make out at a glance).

 

Note that there are many free maps available for Garmin units.

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

This is weird -- not Briansnat, but the reception...

Reception is good, but not great. It loses reception if I put it in my pocket and when it loses reception it doesn't acquire sats again until I turn it off and back on.

 

My PN-40 works in the basement. Of course, I need to acquire while not in the basement (anywhere in the house works fine, outside too), but it holds most satellites while using it for mapping chores in the basement (is where I am relegated to, while not in the doghouse )

 

Also have noticed that unlike what some others have said about it, that mine does seem to track very well at highway speeds.

 

Perhaps in my upper years, I've learned to not pick the runt of the litter, eh?

[+Isonzo Karst]

change batteries 2-3 times during a full day of caching gets old and you have to go through that silly calibration routine

 

calibration routine? is this for the compass? I have it turned off.

 

I don't do any "calibration routine". And one of the things I like about the unit is its rapid sat lock and that it holds lock under cover as well as any gps I've used. That said, I suspect that there were a rather high number of lemon units in the early manufacture - I'd say I have one, and I'm guessing briansnat does as well. Mine has failed twice in the field*, I no longer trust it if I'm going out for a "real" trip, as opposed to some local hike, where gps failure just means not finding a cache or two.

 

I change batteries (too often), and try to remember to tell it if I've changed types. The PN40 has a setting for battery type. It works okay if you don't set that, but the low battery warning will arrive about the same time that the unit either shuts off or locks up if it's not set right. If it's properly set, you'll actually get a warning with some time to change batteries.

 

* Once it wouldn't stop routing to a particular point. All screen functions were locked. I took out the batteries, inserted new, and then was able to delete the point that it had been routing to. The unit appeared to work okay, but none of the points or track taken after that moment would load into the software. They were visible in the unit, but the Topo 8 software wouldn't see them. A tech basically told me to dump everything and reload the firmware. Heckuva note, I wanted that track, and was only able to finish that multi-cache because someone else had a gps.

* last week it just froze again, it had begun using batteries at an astonishing rate, a pair of Lithiums in under 2 hours! I tried removing and putting in new batteries, but it wouldn't fire up at all (had I been bushwhacking, this would have been a real PITA). I was 400 feet from the final of a long paddle multi, and unable to finish. Once again a tech talked me through a fix - it works now, but, it's more of desk decor than a gps I'm planning to use.

That it might freeze up or just die at any time isn't exactly the highest point of recommendation. Perhaps they got these issues addressed later in the manufacture of this unit. That customer service thinks that talking me through yet another "fix" is all they owe me doesn't speak that well of their customer service.

Edited March 15, 2010 by Isonzo Karst

[+briansnat]

... That said, I suspect that there were a rather high number of lemon units in the early manufacture - I'd say I have one, and I'm guessing briansnat does as well...

 

I've had 3 and all have had the same issue with reception. I can see getting 1 lemon unit, but 3?

[+FatherAndProgeny]

... That said, I suspect that there were a rather high number of lemon units in the early manufacture - I'd say I have one, and I'm guessing briansnat does as well...

 

I've had 3 and all have had the same issue with reception. I can see getting 1 lemon unit, but 3?

 

I have 2 PN40s and both hold locks extremely well except in one state park's rocky canyon in which I was never closer than 100 ft accuracy. TOOK FOREVER to find that cache. I never worry about tree/cloud cover. I just cache and it hasn't failed me except for that one dad blamed canyon.

 

All in all I love it but I have not had a colorado to compare against so I really cannot say which I would like better.

 

My battery life seems to be 5 hours (I like a brighter screen) but I have 3 sets of rechargables and thus other than the time to swap I have no issues.