Purchased the Oregon 550, i do not see the WOW factor of this unit.

[OdinKakarot]

Purchased the oregon 550 from cabelas. First off I took the unit from the package (no protective). I was like OK not starting out good. I found pics/waypoints from the denver.co area. I KNOW WHERE U LIVE !!!!! lol

 

Charged it up and took it outside (wouldn't get a signal from my apt, lower level apt, windows are at ground level),

went for a walk. First impressions is JUNK, no detail on this thing at all.

 

Been using the iphone 3gs with motionX gps to toy around with. In the Deep of woods like 20mi from my house the iphone is worthless. In patch woods near my house its great very accurate.

 

The case on the 550 if u grab it on the sides it moves and makes a shifting noise, unit IS going back.

 

What can i install on this to WOW me into keeping this. Very new to the GPS world.

 

Main use for this unit is Hunting,Trail walking,Caching with my fiancee.

 

Thank you for your time.

 

Marty

[+dfx]

sounds like you haven't put any maps on it.

[OdinKakarot]

Installing all maps for PA from gpsfiledepo...will report back.

 

thank you

[+Cacheoholic]

Most of the “WOW” comes from the paperless geocaching. You are not a Premium Member so you cannot get PQ’s (Pocket Queries) to use this GPS to its capacity. You will only be able to load 200 geocaches because of the GPX file limit. If you were a Premium Member you could get 1000 geocaches in 1 PQ and load 5000 caches in 5 GPX files.

 

The 550 is probable a bad choice for hunting, walking, anything but geocaching because of its high battery usage.

 

The GPS should not rattle. It sounds like you got a returned or used GPS.

[+dakboy]

Cabela's sold you a used unit. If it was sold as new, they really screwed up. Take it back to the store regardless.

 

A unit that MSRPs for $500 should not require that you acquire additional maps just to be useful.

Edited September 18, 2010 by dakboy

[+myotis]

I get 8 or more hours per charge of my batteries on my 550T. I've found it great for any use and the battery life has never been an issue. PA is the next state I was planning on adding to My Trails on GPSfiledepot

[+dfx]

A unit that MSRPs for $500 should not require that you acquire additional maps just to be useful.

where'd you get that idea from? price itself doesn't matter, the 550T comes with topo maps, the 550 doesn't.

[+dakboy]

A unit that MSRPs for $500 should not require that you acquire additional maps just to be useful.

where'd you get that idea from? price itself doesn't matter, the 550T comes with topo maps, the 550 doesn't.

From both you & the OP stating that maps needed to be added.

 

And yes, price does matter. For $500 (the top end of the handheld consumer GPSr range), I shouldn't be left feeling that I have to get more stuff just to make it useful - whether it's free or not. Anything extra should be just that - something extra that enhances, not something I feel compelled to get just to have some detail.

Edited September 18, 2010 by dakboy

[+TheRedArmy]

A unit that MSRPs for $500 should not require that you acquire additional maps just to be useful.

where'd you get that idea from? price itself doesn't matter, the 550T comes with topo maps, the 550 doesn't.

From both you & the OP stating that maps needed to be added.

 

And yes, price does matter. For $500 (the top end of the handheld consumer GPSr range), I shouldn't be left feeling that I have to get more stuff just to make it useful - whether it's free or not. Anything extra should be just that - something extra that enhances, not something I feel compelled to get just to have some detail.

 

it's a known fact that the 62S and 550 and other hi end models do NOT come with maps. they are not advertised with maps and you should have been aware of this before purchasing it.

 

price should NOT matter with regards to maps. if it did, then the people who can only afford a $100 GPS, would be paying $200 to have it include maps, therefore could not afford to geocache.

 

if all GPS's came with maps, then they would all be $100+. that is why they have a 62ST and 550T, they are about $80-100 more and include maps.

 

there is no way to include them with only hi end models, without charing more and specifiying it on the description like the 62st and 550t.

 

delorme on the other hand, from what i understand, DOES include TOPO maps with their PN-## models and they advertise it as such.

 

so you are saying a $400 GPS should come with maps, then who in their right mind would buy a $300 GPS with no maps? it would make the price jump in GPS's from $200 units with NO maps to $400 WITH maps. there would be no $300 GPS units out there. hope that makes sense to others as it did in my mind.

 

my newly acquired Garmin 62s doesn't even come with a printed manual or wrist lanyard or case or batteries or memory card.

 

so let me get this right, for $500, you want a TOP OF THE LINE GPS, with topo maps, batteries, 8GB memory card, leather case and enelopes with a charger, because that is all the stuff i have with my GPS?

 

anyone who opens a 62s or 550 for xmas this year will need to purchase the following to get it up and running to full potential:

 

rechargeable batteries & charger

4GB+ memory card

case or screen protector

TOPO maps.

 

i don't know of any GPS on the market that will include everything out of the box.

Edited September 18, 2010 by brucered

[+larryc43230]

I get 8 or more hours per charge of my batteries on my 550T. I've found it great for any use and the battery life has never been an issue. PA is the next state I was planning on adding to My Trails on GPSfiledepot

A bit off topic, but sort of related...

 

Inspired by this post from Myotis, I visited GPSFileDepot and downloaded the installer for the My Trails data. After the installer did its thing, I opened MapSource and, lo and behold, a new entry called My Trails appeared in the Maps dropdown list. And I can see several trails in my area that I would love to be able to see on my Oregon 550t.

 

The problem is that I can't figure out how to get that data into my unit. Since these are trails I'm looking at, they don't appear in any of the MapSource tabs (Maps, Waypoints, Routes, and Tracks), and I can't select them for transfer. How do I select this information in MapSource and transfer it to my unit? Or do I simply copy the .img files I now see in the C:\Garmin\My Trails folder to the unit?

 

--Larry

[+larryc43230]

I get 8 or more hours per charge of my batteries on my 550T. I've found it great for any use and the battery life has never been an issue. PA is the next state I was planning on adding to My Trails on GPSfiledepot

A bit off topic, but sort of related...

 

Inspired by this post from Myotis, I visited GPSFileDepot and downloaded the installer for the My Trails data. After the installer did its thing, I opened MapSource and, lo and behold, a new entry called My Trails appeared in the Maps dropdown list. And I can see several trails in my area that I would love to be able to see on my Oregon 550t.

 

The problem is that I can't figure out how to get that data into my unit. Since these are trails I'm looking at, they don't appear in any of the MapSource tabs (Maps, Waypoints, Routes, and Tracks), and I can't select them for transfer. How do I select this information in MapSource and transfer it to my unit? Or do I simply copy the .img files I now see in the C:\Garmin\My Trails folder to the unit?

 

--Larry

Never mind. I just figured it out. I can be so dense before my first cup of coffee.

 

The trails are a great addition to my unit. Thanks, Myotis!

 

--Larry

[OdinKakarot]

The unit IS going back regardless, but might as well have some fun before i take it back next week. I loaded all the PA maps from gpsfile. The topo and streets are much more detailed. LIke said above not a good hunting gps. Think i will just return it then pickup an etrex or something to aid me.

 

This year been a bust for my hunting party so, alot will be solo.

 

Thanks for your replies.

 

marty

[+myotis]

FYI, I just uploaded a new version of my Trails. It has a lot of additions to the OH map. I won't be adding to it in the forseeable future unless someone provides me tracks from trails. I also added a map that includes PA. I will be adding to it in the near future. I have not got any thing from the Forest Service or NPS yet.

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

Newer models like the Oregon series have several advantages for hunters over older ones like the eTrex:

- Ability to load custom maps (USGS topos, gameland maps, etc.)

- Aerial imagery

- Improved track navigation tools

[OdinKakarot]

Newer models like the Oregon series have several advantages for hunters over older ones like the eTrex:

- Ability to load custom maps (USGS topos, gameland maps, etc.)

- Aerial imagery

- Improved track navigation tools

 

true true.

 

Headed to cabelas friday. I'm sure I will make up my

mind by then.

 

Looking for the most for my money IF I don't need

to spend 450 for a gps I won't.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

[+Redwoods Mtn Biker]

If you don't need the camera, you could look at the Oregon 450. It was on sale recently for $250, but we may not see that price again until Black Friday.