Oregon 450 satellite lock & accuracy ?

[+AC_Mallard]

Hi all. I love to hike and geocache. I really want to go to paperless caching, so I'm considering a new GPSr. These forums have been immensely helpful already, and I really appreciate it.

 

I'm debating between the Colorado 400, Dakota 20, and Oregon 450, but leaning toward the Oregon. I currently have a Bushnell Onix 200CR. Yeah, I know, it has a clunky user interface, proprietary file format, really crappy map downloads, etc (but I got it free) . . BUT, when it comes to the one thing a GPSr MUST do, it is downright reliable. It consistently locks on satellites like a squirrel on a nut and puts me right on top of caches.

 

Here's my quandry: I hike mostly in hardwood forests, and every time a buddy has brought a Garmin (etrex Legends & Dakota) it looses signal a lot and my Onix just doesn't. All the features in the world are useless if the GPSr doesn't know where we are. In that regard, I actually love my Onix.

 

So, the question is, how good are the Colorado 400, Dakota 20, and Oregon 450 at maintaining satellite lock and accuracy under tree cover? I'm also open to other GPSr suggestions. I care most about paperless caching and a darn good receiver, and am willing to trade off a little user interface "slickness" for them.

 

Thanks for all your help (what I've read already and whatever you provide here)!

 

Andy

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

We don't have a "newer" Garmin (used a GPS12 and GPS72 extensively, though), so cannot directly comment on the Oregon, Dakota or Colorado series. Have noticed that many really like them.

As long as you are open to other suggestions, we'll just toss up our experiences...

 

Our upgrade was to a Delorme PN-40. Some swear by them, some swear at them.

On the subject of signal acquisition and holding "strength", ours is really super. Have lost a signal once while caching and that was in a deep, rock gorge, following a path along the edge of the gorge under a full canopy. Once we stepped about 6 - 10' away from the wall, the device reacquired. Have never yet lost a signal due to canopy alone.

 

Once acquired at home, I can take it to my "office" in the basement --'tis where I am relegated to when bad, ya know -- it looses some satellites of course, but it usually does hold onto 4 or 5 to maintain a lock. We have never lost a signal while traveling and it sitting atop the console in either the truck or the car.

 

Fully paperless of course, and a "delicious" bright orange.

 

Sidenote: The "stoneage" GPS12 held a signal far superior to the then newer GPS72, as we carried both most of the time. So part of the ability to hold a signal just may be the day of manufacture -- very much the same as an automobile. Never buy one that came off the line on Friday!

[+Walts Hunting]

So, the question is, how good are the Colorado 400, Dakota 20, and Oregon 450

 

I have an Oregon and my partner has a Colorado. His keeps a good lock undercover and mine stinks. The discussion about lack of WAAS and loss of signal undercover goes on forever over in Wikispaces. Don't know about the Dakota but it is a small Oregon.

[+AC_Mallard]

Our upgrade was to a Delorme PN-40. Some swear by them, some swear at them.

On the subject of signal acquisition and holding "strength", ours is really super.

 

snip. . .

 

Your experience with your PN-40 sounds very much like my experience with my Onix. I'll have to go check those out. Thanks!

 

BTW, I'll take your word on the bacon frying. . . just don't tell me how you came about that piece of wisdom!

[+AC_Mallard]

 

I have an Oregon and my partner has a Colorado. His keeps a good lock undercover and mine stinks. The discussion about lack of WAAS and loss of signal undercover goes on forever over in Wikispaces. Don't know about the Dakota but it is a small Oregon.

 

Wow, I've read of 2 other folks caching with both units and the Oregon user wishing for the Colorado. Seems to be a trend.

Thanks for the wikispaces tip. I'll see what else I can dig up over there.

 

Andy

[+ecanderson]

I have an Oregon and my partner has a Colorado. His keeps a good lock undercover and mine stinks. The discussion about lack of WAAS and loss of signal undercover goes on forever over in Wikispaces. Don't know about the Dakota but it is a small Oregon.

My Dakota 20 (same as the Oregon 450/550 chip) holds lock fairly well, but is much slower than my eTrex to claim a decent EPE. The WAAS issues, OTOH, are a well known bug with the Cartesio chip units of all flavors. Garmin shouldn't even advertise the Cartesio based units as WAAS/EGNOS-enabled until they can work out a fix with STMicro.

[+AC_Mallard]

My Dakota 20 (same as the Oregon 450/550 chip) holds lock fairly well, but is much slower than my eTrex to claim a decent EPE. The WAAS issues, OTOH, are a well known bug with the Cartesio chip units of all flavors. Garmin shouldn't even advertise the Cartesio based units as WAAS/EGNOS-enabled until they can work out a fix with STMicro.

 

I've almost never enabled WAAS on my Onix. I tried it out early on, and it didn't seem to make much difference - maybe a few feet, so I've always left it off to increase battery life. So I guess the lack of WAAS capability isn't a big bother to me, but loss of lock under canopy cover definitely is. Maybe I'm leaning back more toward the Colorado. Egad! It sucks being an anal-retentive comparison shopper.

[+AC_Mallard]

Thanks for your help guys. I stayed up very late last night reading stuff here and on wikispaces. After sleeping on it, I decided to go for the Colorado 400i, $180 shipped from an Amazon.com seller. For that price, I just couldn't see going for the Oregon or PN-40. Now I just have to wait for it to arrive. . .

[+Entropy512]

I have an Oregon and my partner has a Colorado. His keeps a good lock undercover and mine stinks. The discussion about lack of WAAS and loss of signal undercover goes on forever over in Wikispaces. Don't know about the Dakota but it is a small Oregon.

My Dakota 20 (same as the Oregon 450/550 chip) holds lock fairly well, but is much slower than my eTrex to claim a decent EPE. The WAAS issues, OTOH, are a well known bug with the Cartesio chip units of all flavors. Garmin shouldn't even advertise the Cartesio based units as WAAS/EGNOS-enabled until they can work out a fix with STMicro.

Note that the PN-40 also has the same Cartesio chipset, and performs very similarly to the Garmin.

 

I wish Garmin had moved to the MTK2 when they released the Oregon 450...

[+akSCOOBY]

Have been thinking about getting an Orgegon myself to replace an aging Legend C but after reading that it is less accurate in a few places and now hear think I will be holding off.

 

Over in the UK so the PN does not seem to be an option and cant find the colardo anywhere eeither

[+IdahoRenegade]

I'm suprised to see all the negative comments on the Oregon accuracy. I just got a 450 last week, but so far have been very impressed. It has been very good getting me nearly on top of many geocaches (even with WAAS off) and I have never lost signal even in deep, dark timber. I have downloaded the latest software, maybe this made a difference. It's at least as good as my Rino 530hcx, and a whole lot nicer to use.

Edited May 11, 2010 by IdahoRenegade

[+ecanderson]

I'm suprised to see all the negative comments on the Oregon accuracy.

Me, too. Using a Dakota 20 (same difference) and the accuracy is there if you have the patience to wait for it. I just get a bit weary of the occasional sloooow drop to a reasonable EPE. My eTrex Summit HC (Mediatek chip) gets down to business a good bit more quickly once turned on than does my Dakota. If driving to a starting point, I always make it a point to turn the Dakota on a mile or so away from GZ to give it a "head start".

[+Entropy512]

I'm suprised to see all the negative comments on the Oregon accuracy.

Me, too. Using a Dakota 20 (same difference) and the accuracy is there if you have the patience to wait for it. I just get a bit weary of the occasional sloooow drop to a reasonable EPE. My eTrex Summit HC (Mediatek chip) gets down to business a good bit more quickly once turned on than does my Dakota. If driving to a starting point, I always make it a point to turn the Dakota on a mile or so away from GZ to give it a "head start".

You imply that you let it lock when you're driving/moving - it has been my experience that every GPS chipset I've ever used suffered from significantly increased lock times if moving much at all, especially at vehicular speeds.

[+ecanderson]

You imply that you let it lock when you're driving/moving - it has been my experience that every GPS chipset I've ever used suffered from significantly increased lock times if moving much at all, especially at vehicular speeds.

While it may take a bit longer, at least the unit then has a head start on satellite acquisition before I reach GZ and get out of the car. That speeds the lowering of the EPE once I'm stopped. If I wait to reach GZ and get out of the car before turning the unit on, it takes that much longer to achieve reasonable EPE readings.

[+DragonsWest]

I've had my Oregon 450 for a week and am mightily impressed with its satellite reception.

 

The Oregon 450 is my 3rd GPSr in 7 years.

 

First was an ETrex Vista, which was Ok for out in the open, but poor in moderate tree cover. It's borked and I have little inclination to fix it. (if that's even possible now)

 

Second is a GPSMap 60C, which was considerably better than the ETrex Vista for satellite readings, but ... not nearly as good as the 60Csx units fellow cachers have been using. It does alright if you have the time for it to settle down.

 

Third is the Oregon 450. It's as far above the GPSMap 60C as the 60C is above the ETrex Vista. Good readings in Redwood forests. Does well in ravines and near tall structures. From power on to registering satellites is seconds, where the 60C and Vista took a 30 seconds to a minute, respectively.

 

The free California Topo Maps at www.gpsfiledepot.com are pretty sweet, I just wish the roads were named (or maybe I'm doing something wrong, it's only been a week.)