oregon 450 on sale at rei!

[gitarmac]

I'm so exited! I went from a venture, to vista, and now I will have the oregon 450! I'll be doing a lot more geocaching that's for sure. I mostly use my gps's hiking and hunting though. I'll be glad to be able to type in good notes, instead of using the weegee board!

 

Can anyone give me any tips? I downloaded a manual and I've been searching for any bugs or other ideosycracies to expect. What new features will I be enjoying? The profiles option intrigues me, it sounds kind of confusing. I think that might be handy for the hunt club because my vista is so cluttered with waypoints. I'm also in charge of teh signs at the club so I have a waypoint for every sign and notes as to what it needs.

 

I am assuming I can make a sign profile with all my sign icons, then have a stand profile with only the stands? That would be awesome! I gather from my readings that each profile has separate tracks? What if I want the track to be on more than one profile? Does the number of tracks in each profile have to add up to a total? I don't remember reading about the number of tracks I can store.

[+ecanderson]

You're not alone... http://forums.Ground...howtopic=280813

 

Can anyone give me any tips? I downloaded a manual and I've been searching for any bugs or other ideosycracies to expect.

Before you do or ask anything, PLEASE read this really good Wiki set on your new unit -- especially this part! => http://garminoregon.....com/Geocaching This will save lots of confusion and unnecessary questions later.

 

What new features will I be enjoying?

Among others, the ability to take cache notes in the field and upload them as you do your logging at gc.com. That's covered in that wiki above, too.

[gitarmac]

Will I be able to take the card out of my vista, that has a map on it, and put that in my new one? Or is it dpm'd to an individual unit?

[+ecanderson]

Will I be able to take the card out of my vista, that has a map on it, and put that in my new one? Or is it dpm'd to an individual unit?

Depends on whether it's a Garmin pre-loaded card or one that you created. If it was a pre-loaded uSD card, you can move it around between units, but you can't copy it and use it twice. If you created the card from a locked map that you downloaded, then no.

[+PokerLuck]

Here's a tip if you haven't used profiles before. Create a Geocaching profile, a Waypointing profile, an Update profile, and an Automotive profile. You only need the Automotive one if you plan to use your Oregon for routing on roads.

 

- Set up the Geocaching profile to go offroad and use a geocaching dashboard. Note that there are two nice geocaching dashboards, one for before you pick a cache (it will automatically follow the nearest one to you), and a separate one for after you pick a cache as your destination.

 

- Set up the Waypointing profile with a compass dashboard. You can't use the Geocaching profile if you're heading to a waypoint, because the geocaching dashboard always points to geocaches, even when you've chosen a waypoint as your destination.

 

- The only thing you'll use the Update profile for is when you update your software. Updates tend to reset your current profile to default settings, so set to the Update profile first, perform the update, and then switch to whatever profile you want to use after that.

 

- The Automotive profile will probably already be defined in your Oregon. Use it for routing onroad. (You'll probably have to buy routable maps, though.)

[gitarmac]

Will I be able to take the card out of my vista, that has a map on it, and put that in my new one? Or is it dpm'd to an individual unit?

Depends on whether it's a Garmin pre-loaded card or one that you created. If it was a pre-loaded uSD card, you can move it around between units, but you can't copy it and use it twice. If you created the card from a locked map that you downloaded, then no.

 

It's the free eastern US one I got off of gpsfiledepot.com.

 

I read that link, thanks! It all seems to do with geocaching and I mostly use my units for other things. I am wondering how the oregon treats tracks. And profiles.

 

I read somewhere that your tracks don't show up on all profiles. I am planning on having profiles with some (but not all) of the same waypoints and tracks. How do I do that?

 

Do I connect to the computer to do this? Can the computer switch between your profiles? I mainly use easy gps but I've downloaded basecamp and mapadd to be prepared. If basecamp is anything like mapsource I'm likely to hate it just as much as I hate mapsource.

[+ecanderson]

It's the free eastern US one I got off of gpsfiledepot.com.

No problem at all, there. You can flop uSD cards between units all day with maps that aren't keyed to a unit serial number (i.e., Garmin maps). That's one of the nice things about putting all of the 'extra' maps on the uSD - they can be moved around easily that way if need be.

 

I read that link, thanks! It all seems to do with geocaching and I mostly use my units for other things. I am wondering how the oregon treats tracks. And profiles.

If you backtrack in the URL, you'll find other categories in the Wiki. The 'generic' home page for that Wiki is simply http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/ and you'll find the more generic information there. There's a whole lot of stuff that Garmin never bothered to commit to paper/bits anywhere. Well worth a read.

 

As for things like tracks and profiles, there's been a fair bit of confusion about transfers. While Basecamp has its limitations, you may find yourself using it more than the old Mapsource program. The UI is quite different in its approach to managing stuff, but Basecamp understands the Oregon's file structure correctly and Mapsource has issues with it. It's clear that Garmin is trying to push users of new units towards Basecamp. There are some good threads in the Wiki discussion area on how to do these things with Basecamp.

 

Here's some info specific to tracks and computer use that may save some pain down the road => http://garminoregon....mputer+Transfer

 

I read somewhere that your tracks don't show up on all profiles. I am planning on having profiles with some (but not all) of the same waypoints and tracks. How do I do that?

Whatever *.gpx data (tracks, waypoints, whatever) you load to your Oregon will be available to all profiles. You cannot select specific *.gpx files to associate with specific profiles. So for example, you can't select a particular group of waypoints or a particular track for a specific profile. You'd want to load whichever ones(s) are appropriate for whatever kind of adventure you have in mind.

Your computer (i.e., Mapsource and Basecamp) doesn't know from profiles. Those applications deal with all of the *.gpx content without regard to what your profiles are doing with it on the Oregon.

Edited September 1, 2011 by ecanderson

[gitarmac]

Wow that was really helpful! I have been browsing some of the pages on the wiki article. I think I will be able to find anything I need there.

[+ecanderson]

Wow that was really helpful! I have been browsing some of the pages on the wiki article. I think I will be able to find anything I need there.

It's a pretty nice community resource, and would answer a lot of the frequently asked questions here. When I picked up my first model of the newer design (a Dakota 20), that site helped a great deal. Much of the 'how to' and general architecture in the Oregon wiki applies to any of the recent models as well.

[gitarmac]

I got my oregon yesterday!!!!!!!! It only took 2 days to get here!!!!!!!! With free shipping!!!

 

So I got to fiddle with it most of the day yesterday, and so far most of the day today.

 

I can see why some folks do not like it, its so differant from the etrex series. At first it doesnt' seem very intuitive but after fiddling with it I find it a differant kind of intuitive.

 

It's wierd that it doesn't do some of the things my vista does, like find an exit. You would think they had similar basemaps and POI's.

 

The topo map I got from gpsfilesdepot shows up completely differant than on my others. It seems I can select a white background or a washed out background, so I pick white. I'm not sure what advantage the shadowing adds.

 

The usual programs I use with my gps's don't seem to work as well. easygps will only recognize my oregon on my little netbook. I don't understand the purpose of basecamp. I like to have my waypoints in a separate tab then tracks, so I can edit them more easily. I don't see where basecamp does that. One of my icons is differant in the oregon, it would be nice to be able to select that icon, then change it for all of them.

 

The managing tracks tab seems a little unwieldy. I can't tell what colors they are unless I simply select a color. I only have 23 tracks, 200 tracks is going to be even more confusing. And apparently I have to reset them for each profile. I might be missing something here.

 

I really like how easy it is to rename and add notes. I didn't think I would like a touchscreen but it has it's advantages with small devices.

 

I'm going to attempt to load some birdseye images today. Wish me luck!

[+ecanderson]

I'm going to attempt to load some birdseye images today. Wish me luck!

For most people, setting these to the highest resolution for download is necessary to get images that are useful in the field. Takes eons to download compared to lower res, but is well worth the time spent.

[gitarmac]

Welp, that was like pulling teeth! And as suspected, the detail isn't very useful. When I made the detail "most" I could only download a tiny bit. I still have to experiment.

 

My new problem is that I now have double waypoints. I'm not sure how that happened, I was using basecamp and I guess the file I downloaded contained files that were already there or something. What does this program do, make a new database file everytime I connect?!?!?!?!? It makes no sense?!?!?

 

So I am going to delete what I put on the card, that's where I saved something. I think. I'm getting really confused.

 

Luckily I just got it, the oregon I mean, so I can restore it to factory defaults if I have to and nothing is lost. I still have my backups I made before from my vista using easygps.

 

Will that get rid of my duplicate data? In my readings I have gleaned information alluding to super secret files the oregon makes, concerning geocaching. Not sure how to get rid of super secret log files.

[gitarmac]

That's seems to have done the trick. I think, it's really hard to tell.

 

I loaded a PQ as well, right after I got the unit. That seemed to go well, at first I was unsure of how to view the hints but I figured it out. Paperless geocaching is going to be fun I think!

 

There are a bunch of waypoints that I did not make that I think came from the pocket Q. They look like blue flags and I think they go with caches. Not sure though.

 

I cannot figure out how it is possible to have duplicate waypoints?!? I think it happened when I loaded a birdseye map. It seems like the unit would reject files with the same name.

 

I am assuming I can make several birdseye maps and load them as I need them.

[+ecanderson]

There are a bunch of waypoints that I did not make that I think came from the pocket Q. They look like blue flags and I think they go with caches. Not sure though.

Yes, you're seeing trailheads, parking waypoints, etc. where the owners are nice enough to supply them.

 

I am assuming I can make several birdseye maps and load them as I need them.

A 4GB Class 6 uSD card will usually solve that problem, but yes, you can move selected Birdseye areas on/off your unit from BaseCamp. I have a HUGE area on my 4GB card, though.

Don't get caught/stuck with a Class 2 card. They're too slow and will slow things down for you. Some don't even get recognized for reasons I'm at a loss to explain.

[WVUPIKE]

Congrats on your new unit! I am just getting started and am considering the Venture HC bundle. I saw that you used to own one, and would appreciate your feedback. Thanks

[gitarmac]

Congrats on your new unit! I am just getting started and am considering the Venture HC bundle. I saw that you used to own one, and would appreciate your feedback. Thanks

 

Nothing wrong with the venture. I really like the electronic compass of the vista adn the slot for a card. I would use the venture more as a backup if the battery life wasn't so bad. I use rechargable eneloops which helps. I load chunks of the free seusa map for areas I frequent. I think the trip meter data is a little more accurate on my venture than the others.

 

I'm not sure what they are going for now but you might be able to get something with more capacity of you look around, maybe you can find some refurbished unit.