Jump to content

Oregon 450 question


Recommended Posts

I've had a Oregon 450 for a while now. Still things about this thing i don't know. I have 2 questions.

Why is there a small and large compass on the "geocaching active"

on the dashboard. Can you change the small one to something else?

Also in the settings under North reference,mine is set on true,is that the correct setting or would magnetic be better?

thanks for any help,there is so much to the unit.

Link to comment

I've had a Oregon 450 for a while now. Still things about this thing i don't know. I have 2 questions.

Why is there a small and large compass on the "geocaching active"

on the dashboard. Can you change the small one to something else?

I've only had mine a few months and still do not consider myself an expert. Here is my experience. No, you can not change the Geocache Active screen. The small compass and associated info ALWAYS indicates where the nearest Geocache is. If you have Geocaches loaded, they can not be entered manually as such, both compasses operate in tandem lock step. Thus the small compass seems redundant. BUT, if you are navigating to a Waypoint they operate independently of each other. In Geocaching Active mode the only navigation info offered is direction indicated by the large compass. But that small compass stays true to it's mission of showing you where the nearest Geocache is, even if you don't care to know.

 

The way to display more than just direction to a Waypoint is to tap that name unknown (to me) icon in the lower right corner, and select and set up your desired fields for SMALL DATA FIELDS or LARGE DATA FIELDS. That removed the small compass because you are then no longer in Geocache Active.

 

Also in the settings under North reference,mine is set on true,is that the correct setting or would magnetic be better?

thanks for any help,there is so much to the unit.

 

That depends, but if you have to ask it probably doesn't matter to you. Set at True North the NORTH indicator will be pointed in the direction of straight up on a map. It has no affect on where the needle points if you are navigating to a specific destination. It only affects your perception of what direction you are traveling. Most of us leave it set to True North. If you have an actual magnetic compass, some can not be adjusted to compensate for the declination difference between True North and Magnetic North. Some can be adjusted. If you don't know if you should get an adjustable compass or how it should be set, you don't know how to use it. And since YOU have to figure out which direction you need to travel, that could be a problem. But if you have good coordinates to navigate to, a GPS will tell you which direction to go, no matter how you have the compass set. The short answer then is, if you don't know what is different between the settings, don't touch it.

Link to comment

I've had a Oregon 450 for a while now. Still things about this thing i don't know. I have 2 questions.

Why is there a small and large compass on the "geocaching active"

on the dashboard. Can you change the small one to something else?

I've only had mine a few months and still do not consider myself an expert. Here is my experience. No, you can not change the Geocache Active screen. The small compass and associated info ALWAYS indicates where the nearest Geocache is. If you have Geocaches loaded, they can not be entered manually as such, both compasses operate in tandem lock step. Thus the small compass seems redundant. BUT, if you are navigating to a Waypoint they operate independently of each other. In Geocaching Active mode the only navigation info offered is direction indicated by the large compass. But that small compass stays true to it's mission of showing you where the nearest Geocache is, even if you don't care to know.

 

The way to display more than just direction to a Waypoint is to tap that name unknown (to me) icon in the lower right corner, and select and set up your desired fields for SMALL DATA FIELDS or LARGE DATA FIELDS. That removed the small compass because you are then no longer in Geocache Active.

 

Also in the settings under North reference,mine is set on true,is that the correct setting or would magnetic be better?

thanks for any help,there is so much to the unit.

 

That depends, but if you have to ask it probably doesn't matter to you. Set at True North the NORTH indicator will be pointed in the direction of straight up on a map. It has no affect on where the needle points if you are navigating to a specific destination. It only affects your perception of what direction you are traveling. Most of us leave it set to True North. If you have an actual magnetic compass, some can not be adjusted to compensate for the declination difference between True North and Magnetic North. Some can be adjusted. If you don't know if you should get an adjustable compass or how it should be set, you don't know how to use it. And since YOU have to figure out which direction you need to travel, that could be a problem. But if you have good coordinates to navigate to, a GPS will tell you which direction to go, no matter how you have the compass set. The short answer then is, if you don't know what is different between the settings, don't touch it.

 

Gotcha,Thanks a lot. Very helpful

Link to comment

Maybe I am missing something, but if you are on the compass screen, you can change the dashboard boxes at the top to any option you want. Just hold you finger on the thing you want to change ie the little red pointer for a second or so and then when you take it off you will have an option menu appear to change to other things ie distance to waypoint, etc. If you have four boxes and want to change it to two etc. tap the dashboard button in the lower right corner. You can pretty much customize the various screens to what you want displayed in the dashboard for that screen. Play with it. I have changed my screens many times to suit at times. I am still not completely settled on how I want things. Ha!

 

If you are talking about something else, please post additional info or maybe even screen shots of the 450.

 

Hope this helps.

Link to comment

Maybe I am missing something, but if you are on the compass screen, you can change the dashboard boxes at the top to any option you want. Just hold you finger on the thing you want to change ie the little red pointer for a second or so and then when you take it off you will have an option menu appear to change to other things ie distance to waypoint, etc. If you have four boxes and want to change it to two etc. tap the dashboard button in the lower right corner. You can pretty much customize the various screens to what you want displayed in the dashboard for that screen. Play with it. I have changed my screens many times to suit at times. I am still not completely settled on how I want things. Ha!

 

If you are talking about something else, please post additional info or maybe even screen shots of the 450.

 

Hope this helps.

If you are in the Geocaching Active mode, there are NOT any "dashboard boxes at the top". Tap on what is there till your fingers bleed and you can not change it. What you are describing is available with the SMALL DATA FIELDS or LARGE DATA FIELDS options, exactly as I had pointed out. This is my experience this week. There is a lot of stuff available, and I still find new stuff from time to time. I reserve the option to revise my opinion next week in the face of new evidence.

 

typo

Edited by Cardinal Red
Link to comment

 

If you are in the Geocaching Active mode, there are NOT any "dashboard boxes at the top". Tap on what is there till your fingers bleed and you can not change it. What you are describing is available with the SMALL DATA FIELDS or LARGE DATA FIELDS options, exactly as I had pointed out. This is my experience this week. There is a lot of stuff available, and I still find new stuff from time to time. I reserve the option to revise my opinion next week in the face of new evidence.

 

typo

 

I guess I am not understanding "Geocaching Active" Mode. Please explain how to get there, because as I am using the Oregon under the Geocaching Profile, I have not had a problem of not having a dashboard. Not arguing, just trying to see where you are at. I guess we could be talking apples vs oranges.

 

Thanks

Link to comment

 

If you are in the Geocaching Active mode, there are NOT any "dashboard boxes at the top". Tap on what is there till your fingers bleed and you can not change it. What you are describing is available with the SMALL DATA FIELDS or LARGE DATA FIELDS options, exactly as I had pointed out. This is my experience this week. There is a lot of stuff available, and I still find new stuff from time to time. I reserve the option to revise my opinion next week in the face of new evidence.

 

typo

 

I guess I am not understanding "Geocaching Active" Mode. Please explain how to get there, because as I am using the Oregon under the Geocaching Profile, I have not had a problem of not having a dashboard. Not arguing, just trying to see where you are at. I guess we could be talking apples vs oranges.

 

Thanks

 

OK, I see now what you are talking about after a little research (I had to charge my batteries for the Oregon :blink: ). I have always used the dashboard choice on the "Compass" page of "Small" or "Large" data fields and not the "Active Geocaching" mode. I can have the same information available (I think) as the "Active Geocaching" mode while using the "Small or Large" data field choices, but I can change it to what I want. Sorry for the confusion/misunderstanding. I learn something and forget something about the Oregon 450 each day. :D Sorry I did not understand what the OP was saying and the previous answers.

Link to comment

If a picture is worth a 1000 words (or less):

 

Turn on your Oregon

Press compass

press the little rectangle in bottom right and you can select various dashboards. My Oregon is generally set on Recreational Small Fields as I am comfortable using lat/long to navigate to a Geocache.

left image - compass recreational dashboord - large data fields, cannot change fields

right image -compass recreational dashboord - small data fields, you can modify all 4 fields to whatever you want.

oregon1.jpg

 

press the little rectangle in bottom right and you can select various dashboards and data fields.

left image - opening screen

right image - scroll down the opening screen

oregon2.jpg

 

left image - Geocaching Nearest dashboard, fixed data fields

right image - Geocaching Active dashboard, fixed data fields

oregon3.jpg

Link to comment

If a picture is worth a 1000 words (or less):

 

 

Phlatlander, Your pictures are great and just what I had finally figured out with one exception (maybe two. Ha!) One picture you did not show was the "large data" selection which the data field can be changed. I don't remember if the "Geocaching Profile" I have set up is a custom profile or one that came setup on the Oregon originally. Anyway, I have a profile called "Geocaching" which I have modified to meet my desires. Background screen is white with my name and address. Easier for me to see and hopefully will help get my GPSr back if it becomes misplaced. :huh: I have the compass set up with the small data fields. It works for me. I change the data fields at different times depending on what I want to be available at that time. Right now I think I have Time of Day, GPS Accuracy, Location, Distance to Destination. Again, I guess this sort of wandered from what the OP asked, but I think others with Oregons will probably find it useful. Who knows? :D

Link to comment

I can see that if what you are reading is confusing to you, the Phlatlander method of adding pictures has merit. It's funny what I finally got from the different perspective of viewing them on screen instead of 'live'. It finally hit me that the touch screen control he called 'the little rectangle' button and I had referred to as the 'name unknown' icon, is nothing more than a crude depiction of a GPS unit in Dashboard mode. Duh. I had never made the connection between crude GPS icon and SELECT DASHBOARD. Most of you probably got it instantly. There is always some new details to learn for all of us.

Link to comment

Anyway, I have a profile called "Geocaching" which I have modified to meet my desires. Background screen is white with my name and address. Easier for me to see and hopefully will help get my GPSr back if it becomes misplaced.

 

You do know you can put your contact information in the Startup Screen by editing the startop.txt file in the Garmin Folder ...

Link to comment

Anyway, I have a profile called "Geocaching" which I have modified to meet my desires. Background screen is white with my name and address. Easier for me to see and hopefully will help get my GPSr back if it becomes misplaced.

 

You do know you can put your contact information in the Startup Screen by editing the startop.txt file in the Garmin Folder ...

 

Thanks Cardinal Red. Yes I did know that little tidbit and actually have that also. I think somewhere I was able to set the time for it to display longer on startup also. Most of this has been done so long ago, that I have forgotten how I did it. Ha! Like I said in an earlier post, I learn something new every day and forget something else that same day. :grin:

Link to comment

Thanks Cardinal Red. Yes I did know that little tidbit and actually have that also. I think somewhere I was able to set the time for it to display longer on startup also. Most of this has been done so long ago, that I have forgotten how I did it. Ha! Like I said in an earlier post, I learn something new every day and forget something else that same day. :grin:

You can set the the display time in the text file itself. Here's what mine looks like:

 

<!-- Edit this file to display a message while your unit is powering on -->

<!-- Allow one full power cycle after editing for your message to be updated -->

 

<!-- Set the display number to the minimum number of seconds your message is displayed -->

<display = 10>

 

<!-- Type your message on the next line -->

Line 1 [my name]

Line 2 [address line 1]

Line 3 [address line 2]

Line 4 [phone number]

Line 5 [e-mail address]

 

--Larry

Link to comment

If you're not familiar with using a map and compass, you should know that the earth's magnetic field does not line up with its rotational axis. Thus, north that an old-fashioned compass points to is not the same north pole that we're used to on a globe. In fact, right now, the magnetic north pole is somewhere over the Hudson Bay. Yes, the magnetic poles do travel, and they can even flip, though they have not done so since the invention of the compass.

 

The result of magnetic north being a different location than rotational north is that, depending on where you are standing, your compass has to be adjusted in order to be used with a map. On many advanced compasses, you can set this adjustment (called the declination) by rotating where the north base arrow points, but you can always just add or subtract degrees accordingly. Not sure how far to adjust? Your local topo map should list the declination, though if your latest topo map is out of date, it can be off by several degrees. Thus introduce your GPS as a compass. The GPS satellites carry with it the exact position of magnetic north at any given time, so when you set your compas to follow True North, it automatically adjusts for the declination. It's really only necessary if you're using a paper map and your compass to navigate the landscape, or you're giving directions in degrees and distances (some compass courses operate this way). Otherwise, it doesn't really matter which north mode you choose to get to a waypoint.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

As far as the Geocaching Active dashboard goes, I like to use it on the map page of my geocaching profile rather than use the compass page. I'm not really sure why Garmin included both Geocaching Active and Geocaching Nearest dashboards. When you're not actively routing to a cache, both dashboards provide the same purpose: point to the nearest cache and give the name.

Link to comment

Or, you could simply go to the "change active profile" and change to "recreational" profile. Try this profile, I personally like it a lot better than "Geocaching" profile. Play with it, and as another poster said go to the Garmin weikifiddi something or other and find lots of wonderful info on the Oregon series GPS. :>)

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...