Gpsmap 66S or Oregon 700???

[+Gregg 00SS]

Been out of the GPS game for a long time, so figure it is time to join the 21st century and purchase a new GPS.  Been using a Delorme PN-60 forever now, had a PN-40 before that, so all this new GPS technology is new to me.  Initially was leaning towards an Oregon or Montana but have decided against the Montana and thrown the 66s into the mix as it seems almost identical to the Oregon and seems to come recommended frequently on here.

 

In a perfect world, with the features between both being very similar, and MSRP being exactly the same, I guess it would come down to preference between buttons and touchscreen.  I can't seem to find a 66s for sale anywhere that is under MSRP, however, I can easily find a new 700 for around $110 under MSRP.  I'm not against paying extra for a 66, but not interested in wasting money either.  Plus, it seems people are having issues with the 66 crashing if you go off route.   

 

Just looking for yalls thoughts on these units.  Is the 66 worth an extra $100 or should I just save my money and pick up a 700?

[+Atlas Cached]

Oregon 7x0 was my favorite that I carried every day until I started using the GPSMAP 66, which was my first push button GPSr (I greatly prefer touchscreen units and they are all I have ever owned).

 

The Oregon 7x0 is already getting long in the tooth, and the GPSMAP 66 has so many more features it is my go to GPSr. I have it with me right now!

[+dprovan]

First, be ready for a shock. I'm still astonished at how different in attitude my 66st is than my PN-60. It's a completely different approach to geocaching. Mainly one that sees geocaching as a seldom used, secondary feature, as opposed to the PN-60 which seemed more geared towards geocaching. Hardly a day goes by that I don't run into some glitch in the 66st that I would have expected to be fixed in a couple days if a geocacher was actually responsible for the software. Even so, it's good enough, so you can get used to it.

 

Dunno about the 700, so I can't answer your question. But the 66st is a respectable unit that works well as long as I don't expect it to behave like a PN-60, and I've never had a reason to doubt its value. The user interface is unerringly logical, which might appeal to some people. Personally, I miss the PN-60's tendency to do things that were practically useful even when they didn't make logical sense.

[+mikeD]

Been there, done that...got them both 

Historically moved up through....60/62/64 then got an Oregon 750T

Screen def  better than the 64 plus it had more features Inc OTA updates and connectivity. 

It works well ( still have it) but I struggled with the screen.

It is so sensitive than it does its own thing unless you are very careful.

Put it in your pocket and it could do anything, change profiles, reset who knows.

I did do a "user button" shortcut to lock the screen which was better but you had to remember...

Frustrating.....

Bought 66ST and I was back to the series I know and love

It is slightly longer than the oregan but sits in my pocket easily

I have not had the problems others have had and now with latest firmware  updates it works fine

Can download " lists" OTA although it takes a time 

I use third party maps as well as the Garmin ones. (Talky toaster). They all work fine 

For me my 110% recommendation is the 66

 

[+kunarion]

6 hours ago, mikeD said:

Been there, done that...got them both 

Historically moved up through....60/62/64 then got an Oregon 750T

Screen def  better than the 64 plus it had more features Inc OTA updates and connectivity. 

It works well ( still have it) but I struggled with the screen.

It is so sensitive than it does its own thing unless you are very careful.

Put it in your pocket and it could do anything, change profiles, reset who knows.

I did do a "user button" shortcut to lock the screen which was better but you had to remember...

Frustrating.....

 

 

I don't lock my 750's screen.  I have a Garmin Hard Case from when I had a 450, and the "750" fits great and it prevents the ghost presses.  That hard case has done wonders for preventing me from getting the Oregon all scratched up.

 

 

[+Atlas Cached]

2 minutes ago, kunarion said:

I don't lock my 750's screen. 

 

I do!

 

I have the user button set to both lock and turn the screen off (save battery power). Then it goes into my pocket, or wherever I am storing it until I need it again!

[+Gregg 00SS]

Thanks for the input.  I ended up ordering a 66st last night.  Hopefully have it in a few days and will give it a good test up in New Hampshire in a few weeks on vaca.  

[+Atlas Cached]

1 hour ago, Gregg 00SS said:

Thanks for the input.  I ended up ordering a 66st last night.  Hopefully have it in a few days and will give it a good test up in New Hampshire in a few weeks on vaca.  

 

Lots of good reading here while you wait for it!

[+Mineral2]

On 8/1/2019 at 7:54 AM, kunarion said:

I don't lock my 750's screen.

I guess I don't lock my 600's screen either. But, why wouldn't you use battery save mode and/or set a custom button setting to turn the screen off? Unlike the 450, touching the screen won't turn it back on so once the screen is off, the unit is as good as locked. It shouldn't turn back on if it's in your pocket, and there are no phantom touches. Battery save mode will turn the screen off automatically if you forget, but really once you're in the habit of turning it off with the button, it becomes second nature. I don't think it will be long until we see an Oregon 800 series that incorporates and extends the capabilities of the gpsMap 66 series. But even so, the Oregon 700 (and even a 600 if you can find one cheap and don't mind loading geocaches the old-fashioned way) are still going to work well for years to come if the touch screen is preferable to buttons.

[+kunarion]

21 hours ago, Mineral2 said:

But, why wouldn't you use battery save mode and/or set a custom button setting to turn the screen off? Unlike the 450, touching the screen won't turn it back on so once the screen is off, the unit is as good as locked. It shouldn't turn back on if it's in your pocket, and there are no phantom touches.

 

WHUUUH?! Why would you create additional button presses to turn things on and off?! How odd!

 

OK, no, seriously, the case prevents button pushes, I don't need “battery saving”, and if it's a short walk to a cache, I leave it on and the screen on. Otherwise, I power it off. That's plenty for me. I don't suggest this plan for just anybody, it's certainly for the daredevil who lives life on the edge.

 

My goal, if I have an excess of available buttons, is to make the 750 more like how the 450/550/650 worked, and less off the unintuitive click-drag-swipe-scroll-tap-tap-tap merely to do one common function.

 

 

 

Edited August 3, 2019 by kunarion

[capt caper]

We went from the 700 to 66st and won't go back. 

[+Atlas Cached]

1 hour ago, capt caper said:

We went from the 700 to 66st and won't go back. 

 

That's exactly the position I find myself in as well.

[capt caper]

On 8/9/2019 at 7:51 PM, Atlas Cached said:

 

That's exactly the position I find myself in as well.

 

People knock Garmin around over the years but they still can and do make an awesome product. Hard to find "awesome products" these days. We bought the Garmin Sport Pro Dog E-Collar and it's built with quality like the 66ST and takes the same clips to carry it. Love it as it trained our stubborn dog in 2 weeks or less. 

Edited August 11, 2019 by capt caper

[+Henne1312]

On 8/10/2019 at 12:47 AM, capt caper said:

We went from the 700 to 66st and won't go back. 

Same with me. I used to have a 62s and bought a 700 because of the larger screen. Sold that and bought a 66s, and it’s perfect for me.

[+cerberus1]

On ‎8‎/‎9‎/‎2019 at 6:47 PM, capt caper said:

We went from the 700 to 66st and won't go back. 

Yeah...

I'm still happy with a long-discontinued model (60csx), after dealing with a "toggle" on a blue legend.  Guess I prefer buttons.  

I felt touchscreens were a bit too sensitive (for me), after having a borrowed Oregon 450 switching screens on my mtn. bike handlebar in the rain.

Using a phone off n on too, again realized I just like the buttons for the same reasons.

So, even though all it's newer "stuff" may be pretty-much wasted on my caching style, if my old-timer ever dies, I'll probably be going to a 66 series (or newer maybe by then  ;-) as well.

[+Gregg 00SS]

I've had the 66st for a little over a week now and have no complaints.  Haven't run into any issues with it so far, but really haven't done too much caching with it either.  Will be making a trip to New Hampshire in a few days and will be doing a bit of caching while site seeing.  Have all my lists downloaded as well as Birds Eye sat maps so we'll see how it does.  Have never used a 700, so can't compare them, but so far I am very happy with my purchase.  Thank you all for the input.  

[+Atlas Cached]

Thank you for the update, Gregg 00SS!

 

Enjoy your new GPSr!

[+BlackRose67]

I've been wanting one of the newer Wi-Fi enabled units (moving away from PCs/laptop), and wanting the ability to choose which GPX or GGZ file to use.

 

I had a 62s in the past and liked it overall even though it was a bit bulky, but accuracy was a big problem with it for some reason. 

 

I was planning on getting a 66s, but in the end I bought an Oregon 700 this week to replace my aging/failing Oregon 600.

 

Compact size and $359 vs $529 (CDN) were the deciding factors for me.

[+Atlas Cached]

I just ordered another Oregon 700 to go with the 750t I already have. Couldn't pass up the sale at GPSCity. 8^)

[robertlipe]

Not to give you buyer's remorse before the box arrives, but Cabella's and BassPro seem to also have big sales this holiday season, edging them out on price slightly at $279 instead of $279. It's surely closeout for this model.

GPSCity actually knows GPSes (at least they did when I was buying from them regularly) so that's a pretty good reason to support them instead of buying on price alone.

[+on4bam]

53 minutes ago, robertlipe said:

 edging them out on price slightly at $279 instead of $279.

 

Wow... Never knew the savings you can have

 

 

[+IceColdUK]

2 hours ago, on4bam said:

 

Wow... Never knew the savings you can have

 

 

 

I saw a similar deal in an outdoor clothing shop recently... ;-)

 

[+Mineral2]

That's some shady marketing right there.

[+kunarion]

12 minutes ago, IceColdUK said:

 

I saw a similar deal in an outdoor clothing shop recently... ;-)

 

 

Sweet!  That’s 100% of the previous price!  

[+The A-Team]

22 hours ago, kunarion said:

Sweet!  That’s 100% of the previous price!  

 

I wonder what the radio ad would sound like.

 

"Sunday Sunday Sunday, come in for HUGE savings. 0% discounts THROUGHOUT THE STORE! DON'T MISS IT!!"

[_Art_]

On 8/11/2019 at 1:58 PM, capt caper said:

 

People knock Garmin around over the years but they still can and do make an awesome product. Hard to find "awesome products" these days. We bought the Garmin Sport Pro Dog E-Collar and it's built with quality like the 66ST and takes the same clips to carry it. Love it as it trained our stubborn dog in 2 weeks or less. 

If there was a proper market for handheld GPS units, Garmin would have their asses kicked in the software department in no time.

 

[+Mineral2]

2 hours ago, _Art_ said:

If there was a proper market for handheld GPS units, Garmin would have their asses kicked in the software department in no time.

 

I think if there was a proper market for handheld GPS units, Garmin would have kept their a** in gear instead of slacking off in the software department.

[+Atlas Cached]

No competition is never a good thing....

[capt caper]

If there was a great market for it others would be in. If you think there is a market start a company to beat them. Garmin is doing a great job. I don't want to pay $1000 for hardware like in my crappy Note 8.  Don't need it or want it.

 

I remember when we didn't have any GPS's at all and in my Captain and fishing work we had Loran C which sucked compared to gps. Garmin jumped way out in this field and I love what they've done and what they have period. Having owned many models of Sea,Land,Roads from them from them.  People expect too much. Complain and bitching is never ending in business of any kind. Ask me how I know. 

 

On a side note I love their Sport Pro Dog E-Collar. Amazing piece of hardware compared to other brands. Typical Garmin quality. Saved my puppy from being  shipped out to a new home.

[_Art_]

Nobody complained about hardware. They sure do that well.

 

 

[robertlipe]

Ya, ya, ya. I made a typo.

I also control the ban hammer. :-)

My point - lost in the typo - was that while $279 is a great price for that model, the two big U.S. chains have them at $249 this weekend.

Seriously, Mineral2 hit the nail on the head. In the early part of this century, it looked like there was a vibrant, competitive market for handheld GPS and it was pretty exciting to be even in the periphery of it. Two things happened to it: the march of power per price/watt budget which drove the costs down, resulting in a price war to the bottom - and we got it - and the success and ubiquity of mobile market. Garmin tried to run to the fitness market (bwhahhahah) and found that a lot of the same powers that turned a StreetPilot into the phone in your pocket also turned a Forerunner into the Apple Watch on your arm. Magellan, Rand, Lowrance, TomTom and others all pretty much left the fitness market in varying shades of shame. Garmin is simply the last team standing and they know they A) don't have to compete on price until they're forced to and that's why se have $500 Oregons and B ) have no reason to "innovate" on software as they can pretty much coast from the formulas of the original Nuvi and Colorado while counting on the high entry cost into the market (you can't compete here with a Kickstarter) and the downward trend of electronics will keep their profit margins and their competition at exactly where they want them to be.

Back to the topic, touch screen vs. clickstick is up to you, but if you'd already decided on a 700, the sales this weekend make it the time to shop.