Delorme PN40 vrs PN60

[+TeamPennyFinder]

I have looked at both of these and I was trying to figure out if there are any more differences between them than what I have found. Owners or users of these two units replies would be greatly appreciated. But so far here is what I have found. Oh, and I run windows so the Mac problem will not be an issue.

 

1) PN40 has smaller on board memory but is made up for by being able to handle the same memory size SD-Card.

 

2) Delorme no longer supports the PN40? IMHO that is nuts.

 

3) PN40 comes with topo8 instead of topo9

 

Is there anything else that is different? Does one do paperless better than the other? Does one perform better than the other?

 

Thank You.

[39_Steps]

The PN-60 device is newer, slightly more powerful, but with better battery life management. The PN-60 is bundled with Topo9NA (North America) and includes detailed Canadian Topographic/Street maps and semi-detailed Mexican maps, as well as a newer generation of USA maps.

 

The larger internal memory (3.5GB) in the Delorme PN-60 can be an advantage if you want to always keep Topo/Street maps and/or imagery of local areas in the device at all times, even with the SD card accidentally left behind.

 

The PN-60's synching of paperless geocaching files is of a newer design, and a new user is probably better off not having to unlearn old tricks from the PN-40 unnecessarily. Both the PN-40 and PN-60 devices are powerful tools, but the PN-60 is preferable if you have an option.

Edited November 21, 2011 by 39_Steps

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

1) Little difference with this aspect. We generally avoid huge amounts of PQ info as it is soon stale anyway and should be "renewed" in order to avoid looking for disabled or even archived caches. How long does it take to find all 1,000 or 2,000 caches?

 

2) While we all may wish for continued support, from the manufacturers' point-of-view (marketing), it only makes sense.

 

3) Newer upgrades or editions will (most always) be "better". Feel free to define "better".

 

multiple) Case color of the two is different . Menu options are a little different; accessing different functions is a little different. They both operate as paperless, can't be much in the line of "better" to that. There may have been a performance upgrade, but not one that we have noticed (maybe others have).

 

un-asked question) '60 seems to not eat batteries nearly as fast as the '40 does.

 

I (we) use a '40, brother-in-law a '60.

We use Cache Register (free Delorme download) for loading PQ's, uploading field notes. B-I-L uses Topo-9 for that function.

 

If there are major differences, we (that is just us, Gitchee and Gummee) don't care. Sooner or later, the '40 will die and we will replace it, or simply upgrade at some point in time anyway.

[+TeamPennyFinder]

Thank You for the comparisons. Currently a used PN60 is out of my price range but hoping hoping hoping that Black Friday will also have an impact on used prices. If not then I will settle for the PN40. I was hoping that there were not any deal breaking differences between the two. So far it looks like I can handle the differences from what I have seen you two post about. I just prefer the PN60 but wallet says no, and wife would have me six feet under. LOL!

[+TeamPennyFinder]

Mmm... I read on the manual (pdf online) that with the PN-60 you can only view the 5 most recent logs of a cache???

[+Gitchee-Gummee]

'Cuz that is what a PQ provides, I believe.

 

EDIT to add: There are ways to get more or all of the logs, but the last 5 are the ones that will usually indicate that the cache is/is not there (DNF logs).

Edited November 23, 2011 by Gitchee-Gummee

[+TeamPennyFinder]

I would like to be able to see all of them as sometimes those past logs (people slip up) will give you clues to what you are looking for and a description of where.

Edited November 23, 2011 by TeamPennyFinder

[+TotemLake]

I would like to be able to see all of them as sometimes those past logs (people slip up) will give you clues to what you are looking for and a description of where.

Use GSAK to generate your PQs then. The PN-60 can manage up to 15,000 characters per cache. That's to get past the verbosity some cache hiders have on their cache pages. I typically load an average of 10 logs per cache when I generate my PQ this way. I can go more, but it makes the file large enough to be clunky and burn through the batteries more during the refresh phase. The PN can handle a PQ GPX file of up to 1500 waypoints and can store and retrieve as many GPX PQ files as you have available memory.

Edited November 23, 2011 by TotemLake

[+dakboy]

The PN40 is EOL and DeLorme has stated they will not be updating the firmware in the future. IMHO it's not worth buying new at this point - and I'm a PN40 owner.

 

Save your pennies to go for the 60.

[+TeamPennyFinder]

Thank You once again for the imput. Makes me feel better.

 

But, unless that PN-60 falls in price (almost $60.00 difference) I will have to seattle for the PN-40 or the Magellan Explorist GC. Out of those two I think the PN-40 is the better choice.

[+dakboy]

Thank You once again for the imput. Makes me feel better.

 

But, unless that PN-60 falls in price (almost $60.00 difference) I will have to seattle for the PN-40 or the Magellan Explorist GC. Out of those two I think the PN-40 is the better choice.

Between those 2, probably.

 

But watch for deals on Friday. Don't buy anything today.

[+TeamPennyFinder]

hehehe That is what I am hoping for is a real good deal. Hoping lower new prices will drop used pricing. LOL

[+jeffbouldin]

hehehe That is what I am hoping for is a real good deal. Hoping lower new prices will drop used pricing. LOL

 

http://www.amazon.com/DeLorme-Earthmate-PN-60-Portable-Navigator/dp/B0031QNP8O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322110807&sr=8-1

 

$219 for a PN-60. The PN-40 is going for $274 on Amazon.

[+TeamPennyFinder]

Currently i am totally pissed off at Amazon Warehouse Deals for price jacking. I started watching the PN-60 just over a week ago. At that time they had 8 used starting at $130.00. I did not know that must have been a good deal so I sat on it hoping for a better price come black Friday. Then three days ago the SAME USED ONES jumped to 181.05. Now I just look this morning and they have jumped it to starting at used $205.90. Keep in mind that they did not move the used ones at the lower price. So common sense must tell them to almost double the price to sell them. LOLOLOLOLOL! Also keep in mind that they are on sale at a few stores BRAND NEW for $199.99. Yes, I have used the "Tell Us About A Lower Price" link a few times.

 

Right now Amazon equals price gouging and idiots.

[+user13371]

Track amazon sales history at CamelCamelCamel. Like this, and you can also compare Amazon historical pricing to other vendors and used trends.

[+dakboy]

Currently i am totally pissed off at Amazon Warehouse Deals for price jacking. I started watching the PN-60 just over a week ago. At that time they had 8 used starting at $130.00. I did not know that must have been a good deal so I sat on it hoping for a better price come black Friday. Then three days ago the SAME USED ONES jumped to 181.05. Now I just look this morning and they have jumped it to starting at used $205.90. Keep in mind that they did not move the used ones at the lower price. So common sense must tell them to almost double the price to sell them. LOLOLOLOLOL! Also keep in mind that they are on sale at a few stores BRAND NEW for $199.99. Yes, I have used the "Tell Us About A Lower Price" link a few times.

 

Right now Amazon equals price gouging and idiots.

Amazon doesn't sell used items directly. Those come from other stores using Amazon as an online storefront, or even individuals selling items out of their living room. As such, pricing on those items can change every minute as items are bought & sold.

 

Before you go off half-cocked on Amazon, take a moment to understand the pricing you're actually watching.

[+TeamPennyFinder]

dakboy,

Those prices I quoted were by Amazon Warehouse Deals. Amazon Warehouse Deals ships from the Amazon Warehouse, uses the Amazon Logo and contact info, it is based at Amazon. Amazon Warehouse Deals sells items that were returned to Amazon out of the Amazon Warehouse. Amazon claims that they are a third party seller. I call BS because no business would allow use of their name, web site, logo, contact info, and facilities unless they were part of the company itself. I do understand about the price watching. I have dealt with Amazon for years and have also Bent an ebay seller/buyer just about since it came out. Back far before the power sellers took over. So I do have a good sense of what is going on. It is called "Holiday Season Greed."

 

I am now kicking myself in the rear for not grabbing at the $130.00 price range. I was not expecting the price hiking to happen until after cyber monday.

 

Cool link Portland. Thank You.

[+TotemLake]

I would like to be able to see all of them as sometimes those past logs (people slip up) will give you clues to what you are looking for and a description of where.

Use GSAK to generate your PQs then. The PN-60 can manage up to 15,000 characters per cache. That's to get past the verbosity some cache hiders have on their cache pages. I typically load an average of 10 logs per cache when I generate my PQ this way. I can go more, but it makes the file large enough to be clunky and burn through the batteries more during the refresh phase. The PN can handle a PQ GPX file of up to 1500 waypoints and can store and retrieve as many GPX PQ files as you have available memory.

I need to clarify my description here. The PN-60 is capable of the above description and waypont size. The PN-40 is significantly lower. I think the 40 was limited to 500 waypoints per file and 5,000 characters per description.

[+dakboy]

I would like to be able to see all of them as sometimes those past logs (people slip up) will give you clues to what you are looking for and a description of where.

Use GSAK to generate your PQs then. The PN-60 can manage up to 15,000 characters per cache. That's to get past the verbosity some cache hiders have on their cache pages. I typically load an average of 10 logs per cache when I generate my PQ this way. I can go more, but it makes the file large enough to be clunky and burn through the batteries more during the refresh phase. The PN can handle a PQ GPX file of up to 1500 waypoints and can store and retrieve as many GPX PQ files as you have available memory.

I need to clarify my description here. The PN-60 is capable of the above description and waypont size. The PN-40 is significantly lower. I think the 40 was limited to 500 waypoints per file and 5,000 characters per description.

1000 waypoints, 15K characters description per.

[+TeamPennyFinder]

Thank You both. dakboy your saying that the 40 just has less waypoints but still has the 15k character? If so, then that is good.

[+dakboy]

dakboy your saying that the 40 just has less waypoints but still has the 15k character?

Is that what I wrote? If so, then that is what I am saying. If that is not what I wrote, then at least one of us is on some powerful drugs.

 

Note also that both the 40 & 60 can store an arbitrary number of GPX files on the SD card & you can swap them in & out to change the waypoints that are loaded into memory.

Edited November 25, 2011 by dakboy