How does a touchscreen Oregon 450 work in cold, snowy conditions?

[iwski]

Lost my 60cx, so looking at the Oregon 450 but my major reason for having a GPS is for snowmobiling. I used my 60cx with heavy gloves on and that was great in bad conditions. Worried about having a touchscreen in those conditions----snow blowing all over and COLD. Do you have to use a bare finger or can you activate the screen using thin gloves?

[+ryan3295]

The touch screen works remarkably well even with thick gloves on. While some things can become difficult, such as panning the map to select a waypoint. I think you will find the oregon better than the 60, when wearing gloves. While I have not used my oregon 450 for snowmobiling, I have used it in the snow during below zero temperatures (with gloves on of course).

[+ecanderson]

Lost my 60cx, so looking at the Oregon 450 but my major reason for having a GPS is for snowmobiling. I used my 60cx with heavy gloves on and that was great in bad conditions. Worried about having a touchscreen in those conditions----snow blowing all over and COLD. Do you have to use a bare finger or can you activate the screen using thin gloves?

It's a resistive screen, not capacitive, so it doesn't need skin to sense the push.

 

I got tired of fat fingering my automotive unit, and started using the closed tip of my 'clicker' pen (I really like the Pilot G-2 0.38 gel pens for caching) to select everything on my automotive and then my touch screen handhelds. I'd recommend a screen protector for each just in case you do something silly with the pen, but so far, it's made adding cache notes and entering coordinates really easy. Think of something you might use to do a similar job.

[seamutt]

Lost my 60cx, so looking at the Oregon 450 but my major reason for having a GPS is for snowmobiling. I used my 60cx with heavy gloves on and that was great in bad conditions. Worried about having a touchscreen in those conditions----snow blowing all over and COLD. Do you have to use a bare finger or can you activate the screen using thin gloves?

It's a resistive screen, not capacitive, so it doesn't need skin to sense the push.

 

I got tired of fat fingering my automotive unit, and started using the closed tip of my 'clicker' pen (I really like the Pilot G-2 0.38 gel pens for caching) to select everything on my automotive and then my touch screen handhelds. I'd recommend a screen protector for each just in case you do something silly with the pen, but so far, it's made adding cache notes and entering coordinates really easy. Think of something you might use to do a similar job.

Go to any office supply and get a dedicated pen for touchscreens, works great. I use one on my smart phone when entering a lot of data.

[+larryc43230]

Go to any office supply and get a dedicated pen for touchscreens, works great. I use one on my smart phone when entering a lot of data.

I'd love to have something like this, but I've never seen them on store shelves. What are these things called; can anyone post a link to an example?

 

--Larry

[+LukeTrocity]

Isn't he just talking about a stylus?

[robertlipe]

"PDA Stylus"

[+larryc43230]

"PDA Stylus"

Thanks, that's what I needed. I actually have one I used to use with my Palm PDA, but wasn't sure it was suitable for use with the newer touchscreens. Only problem with the one I have is that it's a bit small for my taste. I may look for one that fits in my shirt pocket like a pen.

 

--Larry

[+jicknarson]

The eraser end of a pencil works well, and the price is right.

[Grasscatcher]

1/4" wooden dowel from Home Depot, Lowes, Hardware store,etc...sharpened in pencil sharpener then "dulled" .

Whatever length you want. If lost...you still have the remainder of the 3 ft piece you bought for less than a dollar....

[+GeekBoy.from.Illinois]

Go to any office supply and get a dedicated pen for touchscreens, works great. I use one on my smart phone when entering a lot of data.

I'd love to have something like this, but I've never seen them on store shelves. What are these things called; can anyone post a link to an example?

AT Cross sells "executive Stylus units for about $25-30, and they used to sell a stylus "refill" for your standard Cross ball point pen. I have one of those I used for many years, now I just use the rounded "other end" of my Fisher Space Pen for my Oregon 400 when I'm caching in the cold, since it hangs around my neck on a lanyard.