Delorme vs Garmin

[+Sectionhiker2000]

I have looked all over for a real comparison of the Delorme PN-60se and the Garmini 62(64)Plus the maps they come with nothing meaningful found, so I am here.

 

I have been using a Delorme GPS for years starting with the PN-20 and now the PN-60SE. My primary use is for backpacking (secondary Geocaching). While backpacking I put it in track mode. When I get home I download the tracks to my Topo USA 9.0 on my computer. I then print out all the details of my hike which include things like start time, location of start to include UTM, the State, county, Avg. Speed, Max speed, time moving, time stopped, all the stats for finish. to name a few. I love Topo USA 9.0 Using my tracks and the stats of my hikes I can reconstruct my hike on paper. I can figure out where I took a picture using the track and my histogram, then all goes into a 3 ring binder (notes, pitures, maps) I have been working on the 2185 miles of the "AT" and Topo USA has the trail on it. My PN-60 works fine and I really have no complaints, other than there is newer stuff..

 

Ok so now with that outlined......... on to the question.

 

I am thinking of getting the new GPSMAP® 64. You are by now asking "Why" I guess it is because I want a new toy, well maybe. OK enough is enough on to the question.

 

How does the 62 ( 64 not out yet) fill my needs and how good is it? ALL of the following are very important to me.....Mapping, tracking and the ability to load my tracks on to a map when I get home and look at it, to print out the stats from my tracks/hikes, to point at a spot along my tract and get the time, date and location of that spot so I can compare it to my Histogram...

 

One more I can load maps etc on to a SD card and put it in my 60, Now I see the Garmin uses a micro SD card..... Can you put your own maps and whatever on it for use?

 

Now for secondary use Geocaching pros / cons comparing each?

 

I want to thank all for any help in making a decision.

[+Mineral2]

Yes, you can add maps to the SD card with a Garmin. All GPS's can collect a track log. The tracklog is likely compatible with your existing software. All recent garmins are compatible with paperless geocaching. So, unless your DeLorme PN60se isn't, there's probably no major advantage. The only advantages to the new 64 series will be a faster processor, GLONASS, and the ability to load more geocaches on the unit than you'd ever need.

 

I can't tell you what to do, but it seems like you already have a tool that does what you need it to do, so there's not really any reason to replace it until it stops working. Use that money to get to the trails instead.

[+Woodstramp]

If I recall things properly, the Delorme software will interface with Garmin's GPS units to swap track and waypoint data.

 

In your situation, I'd buy the Garmin. I have owned/used Delorme products. Love the Topo software. I could care less about their GPS units (20 and 40 series) Found them to be glitchy battery hogs that have small screens. I've not had experience with the newer 60 series Garmins, but have used the 60csx, old Etrex and currently using an Etrex 20 for my hiking and geocaching. No complaints. All have been stable and easy on battery power.

 

For long distance hiking you probably won't need downloaded raster imagery, like Delormes can do. Just some vector topo maps. The Garmin can take Birdseye and custom raster imagery, but that is gimmicky and eats memory IMO. Topos are plenty. The Garmin will take topos (free or paid). I know you will love the battery life on the trail. I do.

 

You use the Delorme Topo software to dice and record trips. That is super for that purpose. It would be hard for me to part with my Topo 8 software. Great stuff.

[+Sectionhiker2000]

Thanks Woodstramp.

 

The part that I really really find interesting is that Topo USA will work with the Garmin. Anyone out there know this for a fact. Just for the record I get 2 1/2 days out of one set of batteries on the trail. I had a old Etrax and hated it that is why I went to the PN-20. As you eluded to Topo is great, I have 9 and have been playing with the idea of getting 10.

[+Woodstramp]

Thanks Woodstramp.

 

Just for the record I get 2 1/2 days out of one set of batteries on the trail.

 

If you can get continuous use out of a PN for over 48 hours (like you said) I would not get a Garmin. I din't know what the PN-60's were capable of....two and half days? The most I ever could coax out of a PN-20 was 7 hours. (it was better than the PN-40 with it's faster processor and 5 hours.)

 

I thought my little Etrex 20, with over 20+ hours of continuous use was amazing. Best I'd heard of to date. PN-60's can do over 2 days? Need to check one of those out if a deal comes up.

 

As to the issue with connecting a non Delorme GPS to TOPO. I recall doing it a few years ago with an old Etrex. Exchanged track and WP's but not maps.

[+Mineral2]

I don't think that 2.5 days really corresponds to 48 + hours. But suppose you hike 8 hours a day, 2.5 days of hiking = 20 hours of total run time, which is what some of the Garmins are rated for.

[+Team CowboyPapa]

.......

 

Now for secondary use Geocaching pros / cons comparing each?

 

I want to thank all for any help in making a decision.

I have only used DeLorme models, currently PN-60, for geocaching. Consequently, I can make no valid "hands on" comparisons.

OTOH, I can think of no functional capability that I would suggest be added. It has always done everything that I have wanted geocaching.

 

I do find the Color Aerial Photo Imagery quite useful for geocaching and carry about 20GB on the internal SDHC card. If you wish I can return with a square miles per GB characteristic.

[Sgt_Strider]

Thanks Woodstramp.

 

Just for the record I get 2 1/2 days out of one set of batteries on the trail.

 

If you can get continuous use out of a PN for over 48 hours (like you said) I would not get a Garmin. I din't know what the PN-60's were capable of....two and half days? The most I ever could coax out of a PN-20 was 7 hours. (it was better than the PN-40 with it's faster processor and 5 hours.)

 

I thought my little Etrex 20, with over 20+ hours of continuous use was amazing. Best I'd heard of to date. PN-60's can do over 2 days? Need to check one of those out if a deal comes up.

 

As to the issue with connecting a non Delorme GPS to TOPO. I recall doing it a few years ago with an old Etrex. Exchanged track and WP's but not maps.

 

How low have you seen the PN-60 selling for?

[rubutfb]

The Garmin Topo I had for my 60c you could not auto route, and there was no POI's, plus it was a mess on the screen as the roads were very hard to see from the topo lines.

The Delorme Topo is very usable on the GPS, Better visibility than the Garmins, it also has POI's, is Routable, and you can even add you own routable roads to the maps. The Garmin 62st you have to buy the Street maps for detailed roads with auto routing( and only has 500mb of internal memory so you HAVE to Buy a Micro Sd card, The Delorme comes with the best maps IMO.

Yes the Delorme maps will have very good detail when you load the Maps the unit comes with onto a SD card or into the built in 3.5 gig internal memory ( 16 gig for the SE model), just remember that at a store the unit might only have the world base map on it( only major Hwyways), It will come with Topo NA 9.0 which has topo for the US and Canada and roads for Mexico. It will also come with 4 DVD's with precut maps to load onto the Sd card for the detailed maps you want. You can search by address etc, The routing has been improved over my 40 also.

The screen is smaller than the 62 but the data is better and to me it has not been an issue.

I can only say the the PN60 is a very nice GPS. It's tracking capabilities alone blows the Garmin away. The map subscription is very handy and a good deal. I got mine ( PN60wSE with SPOT) for the same price as the 62st and mine has the SPOT unit, better maps and 16 gig internal memory which really makes it a great deal.

[+Butthead]

Received a Garmin 62st for retirement last August, so I spent 3 months comparing and using side by side with my PN40se and PN60. The 62st was a very nice unit and compared well in accuracy, speed, battery life, and mapping capabilities. It is a huge improvement over the 60 series and can be loaded and used with several maps, either on chip or internal, and can display multiple maps at the same time as a merged display (GPSFileDepot state topo and Redpine PaddleNav, as an example). Any real differences were in my knowledge and experience with the unit, been using DelormePN's since they came out. The 62st is the first Garmin handheld that I have considered as a replacement for my PN60. I stayed with the PN because of familiarity and it's base of mapping programs and files, Delorme's map subscriptions are better than Birdseye. Comparison included hiking, geocaching, BWCA canoe trips, and working with the mapping programs. As for the mapping programs I found BaseCamp easier to use (less quirky), and capable of creating highly customised map sets. But it is not as powerful and versatile as Topo10.

[snakyjake]

Could you please explain more how Delorme Topo is more powerful than Garmin Basecamp?

 

I have the Delorme PN-40, but have been considering Garmin because of the GLONASS, better antenna on the 62/64, turn-by-turn for driving to a trailhead, nd a few minor features. But the software for planning and logging my adventures is very important to me, so it is going to come down to software.

 

Thanks. Jake.

[+Team CowboyPapa]

Could you please explain more how Delorme Topo is more powerful than Garmin Basecamp?

......

Thanks. Jake.

Very difficult, if possible at all, for one who has not used both.

 

However, I will offer something that I have done with my DeLorme package (no third party SW or HW involvement) and possibly a Garmin user can respond with a similar example.

 

1. Several decades ago, several other 4WD folks and I made trip through some SoCal desert terrain.

2. We were aware of the trip and which trails to take from other 4WD enthusiasts who had taken the trip as the trails and tracks were not on any paper maps.

3. I wanted to suggest it recently to a friend who has a Jeep, but there are still no paper maps available.

4. Having downloaded 50GB of Color Aerial Photo imagery with my DeLorme Net Link service, I was able to display it with Topo NA.

5. I could see the 4WD tracks and trails that we had traversed on this photo imagery.

6. I used one of the drawing tools to sketch in a line over the dirt roads and tracks and subsequently converted the line to a routable trail.

7. With the routable trail, I then added the locations for turn guidance and linked it into the routable road database.

8. As my friend also had a PN-40, he could take this Topo NA generated route and upload it to his PN-40.

9. He could then follow it out in the back country visually watching the trail on the screen had hearing the turn by turn guidance beeps as he approached trail junctions.

[39_Steps]

As a Delorme Topo software and Delorme PN-40/60 gps user, I had no experience with Garmin BaseCamp until a week or so ago. At that time I purchased a Garmin Nuvi 56 "essential" device to get audible "text to speech" road navigation in a small device for the car.

 

This and other Groundspeak threads, as well as curiosity, caused me to install BaseCamp with the Nuvi 56 connected to the computer USB port for street map road vector unlocked access. Initial impression of BaseCamp was that it was rather nice to have a big bland map that was more like a paper atlas than Delorme's colorful Topo9.

 

Then in BaseCamp I spotted the limited tracks, waypoints, and multi-point trip routes that had been created so far on the standalone Nuvi 56. I moused around for a while on the computer map and then closed BaseCamp. I had never intended to either update the Nuvi 56 maps even once, nor had I intended to ever upgrade the Nuvi firmware. Yesterday I did both, and got a few extra gigabytes of map data as a permanent installation for BaseCamp on the computer in the bundle.

 

Comment: Yes, Delorme Topo is a "more powerful" app than BaseCamp. Yes, BaseCamp is a "more powerful" app than Delorme Topo. They complement each other and both are necessary to transfer GPX track, waypoint, and route files back and forth.

 

So, if you need to send all Delorme PN-60 (or early firmware PN-40 in particular) device data files to a Garmin device or BaseCamp, you must first run those files through Delorme Topo for massaging and export. If you need to send Garmin Nuvi device data files to Delorme Topo and a Delorme PN device, you must first import the Nuvi gpx file into BaseCamp for massaging and export.

 

Transferring the data both ways is really quite simple for experienced nerds.

Edited May 11, 2014 by 39_Steps