Handheld GPS Reviews

Price:$376.23

GARMIN 010-00564-01 Rino 530HCx 2-Way Radio With GPS/FRS/GMRS Product Reviews

Great Two-In-One, November 12, 2007

I purchased the 530HCx about two weeks ago to use while deer hunting in East Tennessee. Everyone in our group has GPS and two-way radio to find our way around and communicate when we are in unfamilar territory. I have been searching for a device that will take care of both needs, without having to handle two seperate pieces of equipment, and the 530HCx has worked flawlessly so far.

The satellite positioning seems to be right on and positioning after start-up was quick. I used the unit to mark several deer trails, rub lines, and possible stand placements and I was able to return to those areas very easily. I used the averaging feature to fine tune the locations and was able to get within 5-7 feet of everything I marked.

Everyone in the group said that radio transmission was crystal clear, they could hear my transmissions better than anyone elses. Don’t get me wrong the Garmin in definetly a GPS first and radio second but I was very pleased with its two-way capabilities. It performed as well, if not better, than the midlands and motorolas in the group.

I also invested in TOPO US 2008 to install on the unit. I wasn’t that impressed with the TOPO map but area detail is alot better than the basemap. We make several trips to Fort Campbell every year and all roads, creeks, and even fire

battery life info, January 30, 2008

Just received this unit — arrived quickly from Amazon, as usual. Display is bright, controls simple to use, sensitivity of gps receiver is excellent (I can get reception in my basement, although I have lost signal inside my local, small-town, one-room grocery store). I have an older Garmin which is working fine, but I purchased this one for the added benefit of the radio capability, in case of emergency in wilderness while treking with my 9 and 12 year old daughters.

With a fully charged, brand new rechargable battery as supplied with the unit, I got 40 hours of continuous use. I turned off the radio during all but 1 hour of this time but had the WAAS enabled. During this time, I took it with me while I ran errands, took 2 short day hikes, and went to work, but did not carry it on my person around the home. With 4 brand new, high quality brand name AA batteries (using the separately purchased alkaline battery pack), I got 19 hours of continuous use under similar conditions. After reading Hinch’s book on GPS use, I did turn off the WAAS after about 8 hours into this trial. I did not have the radio on at all during the alkaline battery trial, although I did “fiddle” with the pages and settings more often than the rechargable trial (was reading the Hinch book simultaneous with the alkaline trial, so I tried a couple of the tasks in the book during this time).

The base map supplied with the unit provides minimal street information and (as with any map from any source) some inaccuracies. Lists our grade school parking lot as “Black Partridge Park” — which is actually a very large prairie/forest preserve located just outside of our little town.

Be aware: you cannot load any map onto this unit except those specifically provided/sold by Garmin. To my knowledge, this is true for all gps units; the units with mapping features will only accept those from the manufacturer of the receiver. You can, however, download waypoints generated from other mapping software programs.

Have not tested the radio capability in the wild, but I see others have reported 5 mile range under typical wilderness conditions. The discrepancy between this irl range and the 14 miles listed on specs (which is always the maximum obtainable under totally optimal conditions) is entirely par for 2 way radio range estimates. If you plan to use the GMRS radio frequencies, you will need an FCC license. No training or test required; just an $85 fee. Easy to obtain online.

BTW: highly recommend Stephen Hinch book, Outdoor Navigation With GPS. I’ve been a basic-feature gps user for several years, but wanted a better understanding of the more advanced features and the jargon.

Garmin Rino 530HCX GPS/radio, October 26, 2008

I bought this unit for a Deer hunt in Utah. While there are many things to like about it, my unit had a number of negatives that ended up being a dealbreaker with me. I would also like to preface this review by saying that I have extensive experience with marine GPS units, starting with the first small black and white Garmin unit I purchased 18 years ago to the latest top of the line Garmin 5212 GPS Chartplotter. Because of this, I feel that my hopes were set too high and perhaps I had unrealistic expectations for this unit.
First off, I think the display is too small. I found myself constantly zooming in and out. When you zoom out to a certain point, roads disappear. Funky battery pack design: It’s an add-on module affair. It was designed to be changed out for the alkaline battery pack (available as an accessory from Garmin). I realize it was designed to prevent water intrusion , but the battery pack should and could easily be designed so that it is fully internal in the main case of the unit, as it is on nearly all handheld (and now fully submersible) Marine VHF radios. Battery life of the Li ion battery is OK if you are using just the GPS. Use of the radio will rapidly deplete the battery. In just one day of hunting, (4hrs morning, 4hrs evening) the battery was half discharged after very minimal radio use. Better you make sure that you get the (optional at extra cost) car charger. BTW, the charger connects to the unit via a super-funky (and easily lost…) clip-on adapter.
Garmin states that the radio has a 14 mile range set at 5W. I found that, in the mountainous area we were hunting in, that 2-3 miles is about the best you could hope for. Radio transmissions were crispy and clear though. I don’t know what other radios this can communicate with, so if others in your party are not similarly equipped, you may be just as well off with the radioless 520 model. It’s funny, the use of these UHF frequencies require the user to obtain and FCC LICENSE…there was never any mention of this in anything I have read re this unit, nor in the owners manual. Speaking of which, the owners manual is (typical for this type of equipment…) not well written and missing critical details. Too bad, because this unit is not what I would describe as intuitive, and can be downright confusing to operate without several days for intensive familiarization.
The most glaring issue I had with this unit is that it switched itself off for no apparent reason 6-7 times in the course of only 2 days use. I called Garmin on this issue and they postulated that it was “probably some kind of software glitch”. They further stated that I “sounded unhappy” and actually encouraged me to return the unit. I felt this was an odd response for such a large company. From the number of “refurb” units I see for sale, this strikes me a probably not an isolated instance.

Best GPS reception I’ve ever seen., December 27, 2007

While I must agree the documentation which comes with the unit is lacking, the unit itself has operated flawlessly. I can “lock-up” 9 sats from my lower level family room and never loose lock in deep canyons. Otherwise very quick acquisition. I think 14 miles is “stretching it” for any low-powered handheld, but it is much better than the FRS unit I had been using. The electronic compass and altimeter work very well and reception on the NOAA freqs is good!

More than Satisfied our Expectations, March 4, 2009

To make a long story short:
I took my kids on what was supposed to be a short quad ride in the mountains and left my wife at the truck.

About 2 miles into this trail in an area I’ve never been, one quad runs out of Oil, and the big quad almost out of Gas. Sun goingd down quick, no idea where we were, and no way to communicate back to base.

We decided after this event was over, look for decent communication gear for these types of situations.

I created a simple checklist:
1. Longer range comm. (Keep this in perspective, I’m happy with a couple miles)
2. GPS.
3. Ability to send position.
4. Ability to Poll position. What if I fell and broke my neck? Better yet, what if I lost it

So, I researched and found these bad boys! I bought 2.

Though they are somewhat expensive, safety is well worth it.

Out of the box, they feel rugged enough, but not so rugged I can throw them off the roof. They come with the strap, belt clip, charger, and USB cable(I’ll get to this).

Supposedly they carry a charge long enough for 14 hours of use. I’ve used them for over 4 and had well over half left.

Range: So far I’ve got around 2 miles in town(housing) using GMRS. The keying isn’t instant, you have to hold the transmit for just under a second then talk.

Screen: Not the greatest in the world, nowhere close to what you’d get off of a dedicated car GPS, but definitely usable. There are settings to turn off clutter which helps since the screen is smaller..

Buttons: The only thing I wonder about is the navigation stick. Time will tell how well this holds up, but so far so good.

Back to the USB cable:
You can connect this device to a computer for updates and map loads. So far I’ve tested the Topo maps, and Road maps. Nice added functionality, but more cost. You need a microSD card for this.

As with most newer GPS’, this unit does auto-routing, lookups, etc. No voice command as far as I can tell.

It has a built in compass, could be helpful. Barometer, altimeter…

SO, it accomplishes what I needed and more. When you transmit to talk, the unit transmits its location at the end updating the other units. You can poll the position of another unit in your contacts list if you haven’t heard from them. You can even send little text messages if you don’t want to talk; this could be handy if the others can’t understand what you are saying. It does do GeoCaching if that’s your thing. So there’s more functionality than I discuss.

I’m extremely satisfied with these.

NOTE: One of the units I first received had an issue where it wouldn’t transmit more than about 15 feet. Since I ordered from Amazon, I created the RMA, and had a new one in 2 days. No hassle at all.

You MAY find a cheaper price, but dealing with Amazon is super easy. Don’t be cheap and order from Joe Schmoes online who nobody ever heard of to save $20.

I hope this helps.

All things to most people…, October 30, 2007

Garmin has delivered a well rendered product that simplifies communication, GPS and coordination of movement with the 530 HCx. I was looking for a combo unit for sometime for Hunting, kayaking and hiking that would enable me to stay in contact with other memebrs of my party, exploit GPS land nav and keep tabs on my travelling companion’s position. Boy did this field test well. Easy to use and intuitive, out of the box I field tested it Kayaking and hiking; worked fine though would have liked more battery life, the radio reception was excellent but found range approx 2 miles max on line-of-sight but otherwise held up well. GPS was outstanding – had no problems with uploading topos, using the various mapping features and found the compass and altimeter were very precise. An excellent and handy product -wish I had this 20+ years ago in the USMC.

Met our expectations, January 1, 2008

Two friends and I discussed purchasing the Rino 530Hcx, friends that spend time hunting, fishing, 4 wheeling and snowmobiling together. The feature of being able to pin down one another’s location in relation to our own was the primary reason this unit intrigued us. We commonly lose each other while snowmobiling and the ability to radio each other, locate each other on our respective GPS’s seemed to really meet our needs. So Amazon handled the transaction of 4 units(one wife included)and on the first trip out, the Rino worked just as expected, it proved to make a difference. I was concerned about battery life because we are in Alaska and the cold is hard on batteries, but pleasantly surprised at how well the battery held up. Having an older Etrex Vista I was also pleased with how intutive the Rino 530Hcx to operate as well as quick to locate satellites. Already owning a GPS, I was a little hesitant to do the upgrade but the Rino is definitely a vast improvement, so well worth it.

Garmin Rino 530HCX is a TOP of the line portable gps, January 3, 2008

The Garmin Rino 530HCX is waterproof GPS with a 2 way radio & 22 channel radio (& NOAA weather, barometric pressure, altimeter, electronic compass (with true North & magnetic North. It’s great for the out doors man that likes to go far beyond the normal traveled trails. If you have more than one Rino series you can ping your location and others Rino location and their tracks. By keeping track of your group’s base camp you will never get lost. Keep in mind that the base map is basically useless and that you will need to buy the mapping software that you want. The TOPO 2008 is great for outdoors and off-road. The Map Source City Navigator is great for in the city or road trips with all of its point of interest and detailed city information. You will also want to buy at least 2 2 GB microSD chips, one for each type of software. You can still save your way points and routes across both. In my opinion this GPS has it all and is very accurate.

Garmin 530HCx if feature packed, January 6, 2008

I upgraded to the 530HCx from the Garmin Etrek Legend for Christmas. I recently started geocaching and wanted the built-in geocaching features of the 530HCx. I have been caching and hiking with it and have found it to meet my needs. We used the radio while hiking to stay in touch with the rest of the group and to listen to the NOAA weather forcast. We were rained on and the water resistant case did it’s job. I really like the USB connector versus the old Garmin interface for downloading maps and waypoints from my computer. The menu stick is easy to use for both left and right handed people. Overall I am very pleased I purchased the 530HCx.

I can’t believe this thing, it’s too cool, January 20, 2008

This thing is too cool. My wife purchased the Rino530 for Christmas and it wouldn’t do what I needed. Amazon was great about the return. They said it may take a couple of weeks but I had return credit in four days.

I got the Rino530HCX so that I could load topo and street maps on it. I had a little trouble to begin with loading the map but Garmin’s support was great. They haven’t outsourced it to India and there wasn’t any problem understanding them. The problem that I had was because I had an unlock code for the 530 that I traded in. The Garmin rep had to get permission from a supervisor and called me back instead of putting me on hold. She was right on the money and I have no trouble with the new unlock code.

The only map that I have had a chance to use is the City Navigator. I work for the Dallas Fire Department and the GPS on our equipment is all but useless. The Rino is great. It’s easy to use and so far accurate. I was driving down a street that I’ve known as a kid. The Rino called it’s name as Bryan but I just knew I was on Beltline. I mean I’ve been driving this street since the 60′s. I looked over at a street sign and sure enough I was on Bryan. It warns you by beeping when you get close to a turn and it double beeps when you are there. The screen is easy to read both day and night and it has an automatic zoom feature that enlarges the map when you need it.
I have been very impressed with this unit and can’t wait to get it on the trail. I’m sure it will take a long time to learn everything it can do but it is a huge help already.

Garmin Oregon 400T 3-Inch Touchscreen Handheld GPS Unit with Preloaded Topographic Maps Product Reviews

Garmin Oregon 400t, February 18, 2009

This is a lengthy review, but at $462 and after seeing some of the “user induced” complaints, I believe a good review is essential.

I also own a Garmin Etrex Vista and by far, the Oregon 400t is the most versatile, customizable, and flexible handheld GPS I have seen. I had the opportunity to compare the Oregon and the Colorado side-by-side at an REI store and found the ease of use and touch pad of the Oregon too much to pass up. The touch pad makes it extremely user friendly. In addition, the order of the choices on each of the 4 main pages can be arranged in any order desired and in a number of different profiles such as recreational, geocaching, and automotive for ultimate flexibility. There are so many different ways to display information to the user that the choices seem endless. The Oregon is to GPS receivers what the iPhone and the Blackberry are to smartphones. A good review from 2008 can be found at: http://gpsinformation.info/penrod/oregon/oregon.html. I was sold after seeing how to deal with the daylight viewing issues people talk about and what the other 95% positive things that have been said by professional reviewers about the Garmin 400t.

Like most things sold these days, the manual could be the quick guide so don’t expect every little detail to be explained. It would be nice if manuals said and explained everything. I’d like to know why I’d want to make one choice over another (like the difference between the Garmin Spanner and serial interfaces) since those two appear to be the same with the Spanner choice asking if you want to go to Mass Storage rather than automatically doing so,for example. Links in this review greatly fill in gaps in the manual and you’ll be happier utilizing those resources!

The benefit to the 400t over the 300 is the internal memory. As found at: http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/Product+Information#toc7, the 400 has 4GB of memory (the Topo2008 takes up 2.7GB) leaving a lot of free memory to save waypoints, tracks, pics for personal and geocaching use, and additional maps. The 300 has 850 MB left and as anyone using a handheld GPS knows, maps take up HUGE amounts of memory – you can never have enough.

Choices on the setup button offer options for the system and display that can extend battery life (such as choosing a backlight timeout period and battery save option if desired). Under setup>display, there is even a screen capture choice that saves a file you can print out or email whatever is displayed on the screen – cool!

As with digital cameras, mp3 players, printers, etc., you need some sort of software program on your computer, such as a Garmin Mapsource product, and then you can (contrary to a Feb 14th review) download waypoints, tracks, and routes (I uploaded 42 waypoints, 2 routes, and 16 tracks used by E Trex Vista to the Oregon so you absolutely can upload and download data!!!).

Batteries – unless one reviewer selected the “stays on” option for backlighting, bad batteries are the only thing that can explain really poor battery life. Per the “garminoregon.wikispaces.com” web site, I’m using version 2.85beta and together with Powerex 2700mAh batteries, have gotten around 20 hours of battery life (battery type needs to be specified in system settings). It was a Garmin rep. I spoke with at a local REI that told me a university field tested high capacity NIMH batteries and that is the way to go for the Oregon. Condition batteries first and consider the Maha MH-C9000 charger which conditions the batteries – they have truly impressed me over previous Energizer and Sanyo AA NIMH batteries I’ve tried. In comparison, with the same 30 second backlight period and Energizer batteries, I saw only one full day – near the rated 16 hour time worth before the repeated low batt. warnings. This is in real use geocaching two days for most of the day, hooking the Oregon to a laptop and reviewing/downloading waypoints and tracks, and over 3 hours a third day downloading 648 MB of Roads & Recreation maps to the Kingston 4 GB micro SDHC card (also from Amazon.com) I added. I purchased the 4 GB card to also, one day, load City Navigator NT onto it. You need a high capacity reader or you have to transfer data via the USB cable connected to the Oregon otherwise – above 2GB is considered high capacity I found out.

I followed tips and suggestions on http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/message/list/home which is one of the most useful web sites out there with extremely useful and helpful information exclusively for the Oregon. It can greatly simplify the learning curve with something that can do as much as the Oregon can.

Read about the software updates and stay as current as reasonable, backup the data from the Oregon on a hard drive, register the GPS with Garmin and you’ll truly appreciate the investment as much as it is possible.

As with any relatively new item, bug fixes in the firmware will begin to resolve functionality issues as is the case and already in progress. Utilize the resources of “garminoregon.wikispaces.com” and the value of the Garmin Oregon 400t will be clear.

The best yet, October 10, 2008

I’ve owned about 6 GPSr’s since my first loaf-sized Lowrance Eagle. Almost all of them have been Magellans, but since my XP PC fatally crashed and Magellan doesn’t offer a driver for Vista Home Premium (why not? I suppose that since the Triton series is so bad they’re giving up) I went ahead and bought an Oregon 400t. It is by far the best GPS that I have ever used! The size is good, the graphics magnificent, and the operation is intuitive (if you’re familiar with GPS operation). (I can’t speak about a learning curve — sorry.) The touchscreen is responsive, fun to use, and much less error-prone than buttons. The maps are clean and easy to read. Pan and zoom is very easy, and different features appear at appropriate scales.

The PC interface is error-free, and the firmware upgrade process is a no-brainer. The GPSr and micro-SD card both show up as drives, so you can do anything that you want with them. (There is a warning not to delete the maps.)

Cons: the minor roads are blue (contrary to cartographic convention), but it’s easy to adjust to seeing them. Hard to read in sunlight? It’s a silly point raised by pampered people.

Summary: The Oregon 400t sets the new standard; it is way ahead of the previous generation of GPSRs. It’s quite expensive, but you get what you pay for.

Beware!, February 14, 2009

This is a really nice unit but if you buy it with the base map pre-loaded (400t) you’ll be sorry. The pre-loaded maps can NOT be manipulated. In other words, you CAN NOT plug this unit into your computer and add waypoints, tracks, plan hikes, etc. etc. Garmin tech support response: “Oh well. You can always buy the software.” I would NEVER recommend buying this model–buy the cheaper model without the pre-loaded maps and then buy the maps seperately.

oregon 400t, November 25, 2008

bought the oregon and the city navigator software and set out on a 4500 mile hunting/sightseeing trip. I did need some help from the garmin folks to get it set up, but after this small headache I found the 400 to be a superb on and off road navigator. It’s everything I had hoped it would be. I threw my magellan away. If you buy the mounting device for your vehicle expect it to work but you will have trouble with the power cord. It’s not made for the 400 but you can buy it and go by wal-mart or target and buy a power cord for a verizon phone and it will work perfectly. After driving 4500 miles and days hunting in Colorado I have not one complaint with the device. It performed superbly for me. I was told by a retail store sales rep to get two devices and not try to use the 400 for street navigating but being the cheapskate that I am, I tried it to save money and clutter and it proved to be a great decision.

Excellent, November 18, 2008

Just returned my Nuvi 500 to Amazon because the opportunity came up to purchase the Oregon 400t and the Nuvi 500 is poorly suited for off-road compared to trail-devices. Now my only questions are, what’s the limit to what I can do with this thing? (People looking into the Oregon may want to look at Delorme’s PN-40, released yesterday.) The compass on the Oregon has a prompt to hold it level until it can read well and then the prompt dissapears, it would be nice to have a 3 axis compass, but it’s not a big deal. The internal compass is, however, a great asset to the device allowing for alot easier navigation then trying to walk around and find your bearing. The touch screen works with fingers, PDA styluses, and WINTER GLOVES! It performs well in below freezing temperatures for extended periods and is fairly rugged. For off-road it’s amazing however on-road it offers routing, auto re-routing if you miss a turn, but not voice announcements only beeps to announce turns. Mac and Windows user have the option of uploading and downloading and saving tracklogs using GPS Babel and converting them into .kml files to be seen over-layed on google earth. Conversely, you can create tracks on google earth and upload them to the 400t. Great device!

EDIT: As for the low visibility, I have had absolutely no trouble with it in bright light conditions. I would highly suggest not letting the excessive low visibility comments circulating the web interfere with your decision to purchase this device. You can always return it if you find it to be that much of a problem…

EDIT: Don’t be stupid and try to use a car mount on the gas tank of your crotch rocket, the Oregon 400t WILL fall off. Mine hit the pavement going 55mph, i lost the batteries, the battery cover, and the unit looks like it’s been sent through a belt sander, but the screen is still in factory condition, not a single scratch on the screen and the unit works like new as well, same satellite reception and everything. This thing is bombproof, now i just need to get a new battery cover and another car mount…

A major advance, but dangerously flawed, August 21, 2009

I have an extensive outdoor history reaching back 40 years, but a much shorter history with GPS devices. My family owns three other Garmins; I also have the Vista HCX.

GPS devices are a classic example of an industry that has been a monopoly for far too long. If ever there was a product poised to be obliterated by better, cheaper competitors, it is Garmin GPS handhelds. If you don’t need one just yet, I’d advise waiting. But if you need one, you need one.

This review will be choppy, to get you to the crucial parts fast:

- I did a 6-day, half off-trail, 70 mile, backcountry wilderness hike, wanted a bigger screen and easier operation, bought a Garmin Oregon, here on Amazon.

It failed a day later, with no hard use, in just about the most dangerous way possible: at the first battery change, one of the four battery contacts inside broke in half. Unrepairable, in the field or at home, and the unit is utterly dead. I immediately went out and bought more detailed print maps ( I am not dumb enough to travel without a real map and compass; that’s what 40 years teaches you. But I was about to rely on the GPS for 1 to 24,000 scale maps. )

Since I had also bought the 1: 24,000 scale maps on a separate SD card ( the maps that ship with the Garmin are only 1:100,000 which is pretty good, but not enough for off-trail ) I decided to give it another chance. I went to REI and bought another Garmin Oregon.

The expense of the topo maps is one sign of a dying industry; we live in a world where Google maps are free. My iPhone has much better maps, weighs less, has a GPS, costs less… Garmins may soon be dinosaurs. On the other hand, the value of data like “stream” versus “intermittent stream” in the wilderness in August is hard to overstate.

I carried the Oregon for a week. Fundamentally it is a big advance over the older units, but there is enough plain stupidity to give a person pause. Specifics listed below:

- It took an absurdly long time to find me when I started the hike, more than an hour and a half. First several miles of my GPS track is missing.
- The bigger screen is a major advance. Garmin took the iPhone design, and since formerly Garmin might have been the worst user interface ever invented, it is a big improvement.

- Touch-screen is a big help, but it ( the hardware ) works poorly. You can drag the map with your finger, like on an iphone, but you usually have to try 4 times before it notices your finger. Then, more than likely, it will think you touched instead of dragged, put down a big red pin where you did not mean to put down a pin. It is extremely hard, essentially impossible, to drag or touch the point of the pin accurately enough that it will land on a marker ( which will pop up to indicate a place name / information.

- The screen is indeed very difficult to read in some conditions. Unfortunately, the worst case is daylight outdoors, which tends to happen a lot to a GPS. You choose between max brightness while hiding it under your shirt, or zero brightness and direct sun. Neither is good, but you can mostly read it. I had better luck with backlighting off.

- Battery life is fair, but still embarrassing. These are receiving devices only, with lithium batteries, so they ought to last forever with the screen off, but only last 2.5 days or so if you are careful about screen brightness and turn them off at night. Garmin needs new hardware engineers. I was EXTREMELY careful when I changed batteries in the field, due to the broken battery contact mentioned above, but on my second unit had no issues.

- The thing seems to be built like a battleship, but as a result it weighs three times as much as it should, and if one fragile part like a battery contact breaks off, the strength of the casing is useless. Did I say dinosaur earlier? Yes, I guess I did.

- It has a simple screen-lock feature that would be perfect except that it is utterly defeated by stupid design. You press the power button once, and touch “lock screen”. After that, unless you unlock the screen, it ignores bumping things in your pack, EXCEPT that bumping or touching the screen TURNS ON THE BACKLIGHT. Now, how dumb is that on a device where battery life is both crucial and inadequate?

- It is a bit hard to find things in the menu system, having been designed by Origami experts, but it is far better than older Garmins in that regard. An example:

- On default settings, at a zoom level where the preinstalled topos are visible instead of the 1:24000 purchased ones, the map has so many little rectangular elevation tags ( 10,231 ft ), in opaque white boxes, that you barely can use the map. There is no doubt a way to turn ‘em off, and when I am done with this review I will go search for it, but in six days in the field I never found it.

Summary of my advice: If it weighed half as much ( backpacker speaking! ) and cost a third as much, you should definitely buy one. For the moment, unless your need is compelling, you should not buy this generation, but hope that they read these reviews. I work for a major hardware / software company that makes things, so I know they read them. The negative reviews don’t get passed along as much as they should

If your need is compelling, ask a lot of questions about the battery contacts. I don’t know if the Colorado is more robust, having never owned one. The bigger screen is a huge help.

Pretty cool, but quite a few cons.., June 29, 2009

This is my first gps unit and it is very cool when you turn it on. The 3d view is great for locating water sources in the backcountry, and backpacking side by side with a garmin 60csx shows it is pretty accurate. The basics are good. However, the 400t comes pre loaded with topo maps that are fairly worthless. I was disappointed on a recent trip on the Pacific Crest Trail because the trail (a rather large and prominent one) was not on my map. After contacting garmin they told me quite frankly that I should have bought the 400 base model and bought my own topo map separately. Perfect. So in addition to needing to purchase the $100 street map to use it on the road, I also need to buy a halfway decent topo map. After $450 on the unit and $200 on maps, it may function to it’s fullest potential. In addition, it does not seem to have a pointer feature like the 60csx to calculate the distance of a trail on a map, the compass must be recalibrated daily while on an excursion, and as others mention, the screen brightness leaves much to be desired. Also, I have found that loading lithium batteries and setting the system accordingly only seems to tell the unit to make more beeps and such, which tends to wear the lithium battery at the same rate as an alkaline set to the alkaline setting. I am only using alkaline now on the corresponding setting and the batteries last a fair amount for me. And lastly, my experience so far has shown me that garmin customer support is simply terrible and largely a waste of time. In summary, it is probably the coolest gps unit available to civilians, but find answers to your questions outside of garmin support, and be careful of garmin’s “gotcha” games with software.

Best yet., April 19, 2009

Garmin makes the best gps out there and Oregon is their best as of now.
Pro;
1. Solid Product, You can feel it.
2. Maps are great
3. Display is good.
4. Ease of use, Awesome GUI
5. Accuracy is excellent

Cons:
1. Battery Hungry, this can be resolved using Nimh batteries. If you are using regular batteries, don’t expect much of it.
2. Display in sunlight is DIM, I am not sure if this can be resolved using anti glare display covers.
3. Costly Maps: If money is not an issue, This is fine. But you can
search on web for Free Custom made maps or use google earth and some conversion apps to get a custom made tracks for Garmin.

Overall, Better than Delorme pn-40 (I gave this a chance) for sure.

The best Hand held GPS on the market, October 12, 2008

I bought Oregon 400C. I have Topo 2008 and many other Garmin maps on micro SD cards. No matter which Garmin Oregon you pick this model offers all you need in a mapping hand held GPS device. Fast, convenient with its touch screen interface and it is very compact. The only con is the relatively low battery life but with charged 2700+ mAh NiMH or Lithium batteries in particular you can use it for 2-3 days. Compared to the Garmin Colorado this device has much better battery life, smaller profile, and much, much better user interface. If you need a reliable, easy to use and powerful hand held GPS don’t look further. Buy it!

Pretty Good, Could Be Better, getting worse, April 4, 2009

I bought the 400t a couple of months ago, and have added the North America Street maps. So far I have used the unit mostly for road navigation, and find it works quite well. The screen is a bit dim in direct sunlight, as other reviewers have noted, but reads fine when I put it in shadow. My biggest problem has to do with adding and updating maps. Both times I have tried, I had to go through Garmin Product support. Support has been great, but downloading/installing should not be that hard!

I like having the two AA batteries, and have found that one set will last a day, but no more. I plan to use it on wildfires where portability , topography, and tracking are important, and AA batteries are plentiful.

The road navigator always gets me there, but occasionally takes a slightly strange route. If I make a wrong turn, it is quick to recalculate, but has run me is circles a couple times.
I did not find the 100k topo to be very useful. The landmarks, such as roads, were way off, and the elevation lines were too far apart for me, so I just bought the 24k topo, but it hasn’t arrived. I also purchased the hard case and the car adapter set.

I really like the unit, but it can be improved.

5/1/08
I had a problem updating the navigator, and to make a long story short, I now have a $600 paperweight! Support managed to destroy my device, and hasn’t yet made good…. More to come.

Price:$167.93

Magellan Triton 500 Waterproof Hiking GPS Product Reviews

Not for Macs, January 9, 2008

I purchased this unit hoping to download maps from NG’s TOPO. Unfortunately, this unit doesn’t work with Macs–at least not yet. And no word as to when (if ever) it will. So if you’re using a Mac you might want to hold off or look elsewhere.

Physically, the unit feels solid enough–except for the battery cover, which is cheap plastic and does not close flush with the unit itself, leaving a noticeable gap that you can see and feel. I don’t think this compromises the unit since there is an inner gasket that actually does the (IPX-7) waterproofing.

You’d think Magellan would know what the SD card size limit is for their own product. On their Website they mention 2 GB as a general limit for all their products. In fact I’m using a 4 GB card with no issues. Well… One issue is that the unit will not tell you how large the card is or how much free space the card has. The associated PC-only software will tell you, but the unit really ought to provide this basic information on its own.

Speaking of which, there is a serious lack of options on the Magellan, especially if you’re used to using a Garmin. The Triton’s user interface is really sparse, and it’s not simply because options are hidden; options simply aren’t there. The Garmin eTrex, for example, must have ten times as many screens, each with its own set of sub-menus. Heck there are even games. With the Triton, you don’t even get an alarm clock. There is way too much dependence on the associated PC-only software to do simple things like delete files from the SD card.

Those of you thinking you’ll be able to transfer an entire state map to the unit should think again. Despite having more than enough room to accommodate such a map, I get errors every time I try. 200 MB maps seem to be the limit so far.

You can only activate one TOPO map at a time. So if you’re driving through various areas that you happen to have maps for, you’ll have to manually switch to them as needed. The obvious solution is to transfer the entire USA as one map–but of course you can’t do that.

Another incredibly annoying and pointless limitation: if you’re using the unit “offline” to study some map, or to look ahead to see what’s coming, the unit will automatically return you to its last known position after an extremely short duration of inactivity. This makes it impossible to plan ahead or to use the unit as a digital map. What should happen is that the unit should show you what you want to see for as long as you want to see it–just like the Garmin units. When you’re done browsing, the ESC button should return you to the last known position. As it stands, Magellan has crippled the Triton with a pointless and annoying viewing time limit.

Personally, I prefer the vector-based maps that Garmin uses to the raster-based TOPO maps. With vector-based maps you have more control over which map elements you want to see. For example, if you only want to see contour lines then don’t view the place-names. With raster you have no such options, since the unit has no idea what information the TOPO map is conveying; it merely takes the raster image and overlays its own vector basemap information. On the other hand, Garmin’s vector-based maps are not as detailed as the TOPO maps (not yet, anyway). The Triton series would be so much more compelling if you could use any digitized maps and not merely TOPO’s.

Overall, the lack of Mac support, the lack of options, and the annoying usage limitations suggests that they rushed this out the factory door before it was ready. Hopefully firmware updates will address most of these flaws in time.

You get what you pay for, January 10, 2008

This is my first time purchasing a hand held GPS system. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a unit, and frankly I wasn’t looking for a lot of bells and whistles. In retrospect, I am happy with my purchase, however I would not spend more money for the pricier Tritons.

When I first booted it up, I was a little disappointed with the base map which only included major highways. For my first test run, we took it for a drive in my friend’s car. It tracked us very well, and the speed seemed spot on (judging by the speedometer). This morning, I took it out for a bike ride down to the beach. The unit fit easily in my bike jersey pocket and was able to get a signal for the 8 mile ride. When I got home, I exported the data to Google Earth, and the GPS path matched my actual path. I also checked the vertical profile for my trip which seemed accurate based on USGS maps for the area.

I have a few complaints about the unit. The compass is not 100% accurate. If I needed an accurate heading, I would use my old-fashioned compass. I also think the interface could have used some work to make it flow better. The included Vantage Point software could’ve been a little more robust, but it gets the job done. If I was expecting a top of the line GPS unit, I could have purchased a much more expensive unit. But for the simple things I was looking for, the Triton 500 works just fine.

nightmare gps, March 16, 2008

I hate this GPS unit. In fact, I hate Magellan. I’m a pilot and had previously purchased the Magellan GPS that is designed for airplanes. I found that it was ackward and complicated to use and I eventually just threw it out and bought a competitor’s product, which I have now used happily for several years. So, at Christmas, when my wife gave me a Magellan Triton unit, I almost said something about my previous bad experience with Magellan, but bit my tongue and imagined that maybe Magellan had figured out how to be more user friendly than it was a few years ago.
Unfortunately, I found this morning that this is not the case. My wife also bought me three packages of Topo software and maps, which on the box assures us that it works with Macs, so I first tried getting Topo to work with my Mac, thinking that Topo might then be able to update the Triton with a Topo map (it comes with no installed maps of any kind.) Apparently, that was a wrong assumption, as the Triton itself does not recognize the Mac and apparently the Topo driver interface won’t work through the Mac.
Fortunately or unfortunately, I also have a Viao PC. So, I started over again, loading Topo, allowing Topo to update itself from the Topo website, then loading the Magellan disc and the Magellan drivers, then allowing it to update itself, all of which took a fair amount of time. It of course asked repeatedly for the various serial numbers and so on, as they apparently spent lots of time developing software to make sure I actually purchased their products and very little time in figuring out how to tell me how to use their product. Then I hooked up the Triton to the computer and … nothing. I then downloaded the manual … which has all sorts of information about using the Triton and establishing waypoints and so on, but no information whatsoever about downloading any maps into the Triton. Without the maps, this GPS is no better than the most primary GPS units that became available about 10 years ago.
At this point, I’ve wasted about six hours trying to figure out how to put topographical maps into the Magellan Triton unit. That’s about my threshold for pain. I’m throwing it out and going hiking. I will never again buy or even accept as a gift a Magellan product.

Don’t waste your money or time with this one., September 17, 2008

I purchased the Triton 500 prior to going on vacation in Kauai, HI. I wanted to go hiking on some of the many trails. After I purchased it, I found out that it had no topos pre-loaded. Why would one buy a handheld GPS without topos. I live in the SouthEast, so I purchased a Southeast set and a West set of maps (found out that they were keyed only to that unit S/N). I downloaded the maps to the Triton and it worked for the first day (of 9 days). The next day, during a hike, the Triton lost the maps including the street maps that were preloaded. That night, I attempted unsuccessfully to re-load, then to get help from tech support, but no response. It was useless the rest of the vacation. My son had a Garmin and we used it. When I got home, I returned the unit for a refund and attempted to get a refund on the map packages. Magellan refused, even though it could only be used on that unit. I did not trust the unit, so I didn’t exchange it for another Triton. I finally did what I should have done in the beginning. Do a cost comparison and check the ratings. I found out that the Delorme PN-20 bundle had topos for the whole US for about the same price as just the naked Triton. If I got the equivalent topos for Triton it would have cost me 5 times the cost of the Triton. I decided to take the loss on the Magellan software and purchase a Delorme. In summary, someone would be crazy or down-right stupid (like I was) to have purchased a Triton. I won’t purchase another Magellan product. There is too much quality competition out there. One star is too many.

Sending the Triton 500 back, May 12, 2008

My Magellan Explorist 600 was in the shop for a couple months before Magellan told us they weren’t making them anymore and didn’t have parts to fix it. Magellan said they’d give us a great deal on a Triton 500 instead. What a mistake. The unit can’t Go To Trails or Tracks because those features “aren’t available yet”. The big screen navigation page doesn’t allow you to change a field to the odometer… one of my key fields. We are sending the Triton back. Why fiddle with Magellan and their poor customer service when you can get a Garmin? I’ve been using a friend’s Garmin 60. It’s easy to use and easy to read. I’ll buy one.

“Seamless Convergence between Software & Hardware” (Windows software), January 9, 2008

The brochure for the new Triton GPS units says “Seamless Convergence between Software & Hardware”. As a Mac user that sounded like a great deal: a GPS that works with no problems or crashes and is completely plug & play, drag and drop!

However the brochure was misleading. It IS a “Seamless Convergence between Software & Hardware” for those people still forced to use computers with inferior operating systems (Windows). That means it works just as poorly as Windows! In the first 15 minutes of setting up the 500, it gave me a “Fatal Error” message in a Windows looking window and froze up. So they even put in a Windows interface for when it crashes! What a drag. I guess that’s because there aren’t Mac “fatal error” interface messages. I guess if you’re going to say your machine can’t work properly you say it with a familiar screen for those people who are used to their equipment not working.

The brochure also says “I-Phone-like” menu and “Works like iTunes.” Then on the page talking about National Geographic Maps it says “Compatibility – NG maps are MAC/IBM compatible”. These claims are completely misleading and I’m going to file a formal complaint with the BBB. The machine does not have an “iPhone-like” menu any more than my LG cell phone. There’s no way it “Works like iTunes” because iTunes works on Macs! Then to say “Compatibility – NG maps are MAC/IBM compatible” leads one to believe it’s Mac compatible. All these things are designed to infer to the consumer that this product is Mac compatible which it isn’t. Very misleading!

On a better side:
I’ve been an outdoors enthusiast for over 25 of my 35 years. Knowing how to use a compass and map, I’m a bit disappointed in this unit. They could have made it much more functional for experienced use. However, it lacks the ability to view important info on the map window which means you have to keep switching back and forth between info and map. Kind of a drag.

If you’re like me you’ll be better off with the 200 and a good map and compass.

If you don’t know what you’re doing, this unit will seem really cool for geocaching and could get you into a lot of trouble. I recommend taking a course from REI so you know a little about what you’re doing before you head out. Always take a good map and compass with this unit.

On the Good side:
The unit looks great, handles great, and is fairly easy to use for a Windows machine. Don’t expect to turn it on and go like an iPhone (there’s a lot of hidden menus that you need to discover to even set the time zone) but it is easy to view everything, unlike the eXplorer models.

On the Great side:
It has great reception!!! I would bet my life on it’s abilities if it weren’t windows based (I need something I know won’t crash). I’ll use it for quick and easy navigation, but I won’t head out without a good map and compass.

Now I have to find someone with a PC to upload my NG maps. If it weren’t Windows based I’d expect it to be drag and drop, however after reading the instructions for upload I’m looking forward to a long annoying process: this menu, that menu, go back and set this selection then a new menu, change another setting, upload using a specific setting in the Windows only software which I have to “Install” to use.

This may very well be the best GPS on the market, but “Seamless Convergence between Software & Hardware” takes on a whole new meaning now that I know it’s Windows based!

DAY TWO…
I really doubt this is the best GPS on the market!

After a day of use it becomes painfully obvious that the “Base Map” is dangerously inadequate and that’s an understatement. The base map is a blank brown screen with red interstate highways. That’s it. No water masses, no rivers, no streets, nothing. In order to get the map you see on the box you need to have a PC and use the software.

I also noticed that the map doesn’t rotate to show the direction I’m going even though I’ve set it to GPS orientation. So I called Magellan, got a helper after holding for 15 minutes. They helped me reset the unit and now the fancy Compass spins around like I”m in the Bermuda Triangle.

That’s right, the compass spins around like it’s possessed and the map won’t orient itself correctly. Essentially this is a $250 paperweight!

The tech said it required a simple Firmware upgrade. Oh I forgot the firmware upgrade only works if you’re on a PC. So I can’t use the gps until I get to a PC so they can email me the info for the upgrade. This is a brand new product, why does it need an upgrade?

I would not buy this product again and I recommend against anyone else purchasing one. They’re just plain dangerous because they’re not reliable.

Did I mention that after the tech had me reset it the time is different from one screen to the other. It’s 12:56PM here. The top of the screen shows 00:56 PM. The nav screen shows the time is 12:56am. You’d think that with that fancy GPS technology they could figure out what time it is. What a piece of junk!!! But it does have “Seamless Convergence between Software & Hardware” with every PC I’ve ever used.

If I could re-rate this product I’d give it a big 0.

DAY 3
I got a friends PC and installed Vantage Point and ran a Firmware upgrade. OK

I went to upgrade the base map from the solid brown with no water masses etc to the one they show on the product in all the advertising and on the front of the box. No luck. So I called customer support. They said that if I want to get the map that’s shown on the box and in all the advertising for the unit I’d have to buy it. Are you freaking kidding me? Why not just advertise it with gold and diamond accents and a sherpa and rolls royce if you have to buy it separate after the fact. That is misleading advertising!!!

You do not get what is shown in the pictures. The background map in all the pictures of the Triton 500 is not what comes with the unit!!! You have to pay extra to get that or any map. Can you say Bait & Switch?

I was planning on purchasing NG topo maps anyway so I’m going to keep the unit if the compass stops spinning now that the firmware upgrade has been installed.

If this gives me any more trouble I’ll be switching over to the Magellan Crossover which I know comes with a functional base map plus a much larger touch screen!

I’d now rate this unit -3 stars!!!

Caution! Not What It Claims!, July 18, 2008

First off, I would recommend any hiking GPS system as a backup to a simply map and compass. That said, I want to clarify something about this particular model. This is a basic beginner’s device to learn about Navigation, Waypoints, Trails, GeoCache and all the additional methods that go along with these. It also has a good “Best Fishing & Hunting Times for Current Location” menu as well as “Viewing Sunrise, Sunset Times” and “Lunar Information”. The Triton has all these features and a USA map already included. I would highly suggest a class in GPS along with this.

The biggest problem with Magellan Triton products is they have had some problems with their software in the recent past. After contacting SUPPORT, they assured me that anything not up to date would be processed accordingly. Uh-huh. But, the biggest faux paus was to read, “compatibility with National Geographic TOPO!® maps”, stamped on the box cover and stated on-line, only to find out that it is not. Nor is the Triton 300 model. You are unable to download base map information to this device. I was able to download a trail (.gpx), but nothing else. The Triton Models 400 and above have an SD Card for this and they can upload map information, although I went through FOUR 400 models and could not get a ‘connectivity’ to my PC on any of them.

The overseas support for Magellan is terrible. I wasted over an hour with someone who knew nothing about the product. To make matters worse, not only did I pay for shipping, but when I returned the item, I had to pay for that as well, as it went through a third party. Not good business practices. I would try Garmin.

Not impressed, June 14, 2008

I only had this for a couple of days before returning it. On the one hand, it offers many features for a relatively low price [...]. It rapidly acquired a signal and locked in from inside my house, so I can’t fault the sensitivity. However, the overall fit and finish seemed poor. The battery door felt cheap and difficult to slide on and off easily. I got the impression if I dropped it on some rocks, it might break. Also, the rubber cover for the SD card slot was so difficult to remove that I was very concerned it might tear, especially a thin edge that had to lay flat in a shallow recession for it to fit properly.

My biggest disappointment was in its highly touted compatibility with the National Geographic Topo! software. It wouldn’t connect properly, and I had to search the support groups to find a work-around hack to get the Topo! software to even recognize the Triton. Then it took hours to transfer a relatively small geographic area (less than a 7.5 minute quad) – and all I got was a poor resolution raster image of the original map. Since my primary use for the device was to be backpacking and cycling, I decided this was not the GPS unit for me. [...]

Not at All User Friendly, Even for the Tech Saavy, July 14, 2009

I ordered this GPS because I thought it would be useful for outdoor activities like hiking, biking, and maybe for emergency use in the car. After two weeks of struggling with it, I think I’m ready to give up. Neither I nor my husband, can get the software to load properly, and therefore when we turn it on we can’t get an accurate reading of where we are on the map (we just get our location on a tan background–which is not very useful). My husband and I are both fairly computer saavy, so I’m shocked that we can’t figure this thing out. It also runs on regular non rechargable batteries and seems to run through them pretty quickly, so plan on carrying lots of extra batteries when you go anywhere with this unit!

I’ve had other GPS units and this is hands down the WORST unit I have ever had. Don’t waste your time with the Magellan Titon 500.

Worthless GPS, April 2, 2008

Don’t waste your money on this unit. The track feature on the unit doesn’t work. I have contacted Magellan over a dozen times and each time they say they are working on the problem. They sent out update 1.34 and that was to fix the problems and it didn’t fix even one. Customer service is POOR, Product POOR. Look elsewhere for a GPS. One good point the USGS maps are great to upload to the GPS. It is one expensive map. On the bad side, to move around on the maps they are very slow and cumbersome.

DeLorme Earthmate PN-20 Waterproof Hiking GPS Product Reviews

great maps for hiking, July 12, 2007

The Topo 6.0 maps that come with this unit contain surprisingly detailed topographic information. Most popular hiking trails are included. You can preview them at (you need to create a free account)…

data.delorme.com

The PN-20′s main rivals are the Garmin units. The Garmin mapping software can be previewed by following the appropriate links here…

www8.garmin.com/cartography

These topographic maps are generally inferior to those of the Delorme unit (you can discover this for yourself by accessing the websites above). The PN-20 nicely superimposes street and topographic/hiking info into the one map which I don’t believe the Garmin units do. The mapping software is included free with the purchase of the PN-20. You have to pay an additional amount of more than $200 for both topo and street maps with the Garmin units. One drawback of the PN-20 mapping software is that is highly user UNfriendly. Also, if you want to cut a large map section (say of the entire state of California, with all contour information included), it will take your computer many, many hours. It is possible however to download all street information, from interstate freeways down to tiny alleys, for an entire state, without contour information, in an hour or so. On the plus side, once you master it, the mapping software can be very powerful.

The screen is full-color as opposed to the Garmin models which only display 256 colors. The PN-20 can display aerial, satellite and usgs topo quad images that you download for $0.25 per square kilometer. The unit comes with a free voucher for $100 of image downloads (400 sq. kilometers). This can be a very useful feature for hiking, as many unnamed trails and paths are visible from the air, and hence appear in the aerial photographs. One warning, if you have poor eyesight you might have difficulty reading the small type on the screen.

The signal reception is good. It works inside a car and under moderately dense canopy. Under very dense canopy it will loose the signal. The initial lock can take a few minutes, depending on how far you have moved since the device last registered a location. I haven’t used the Garmin units but my guess is that the PN-20′s signal reception is significantly better than the Etrex’s but not quite up there with the 60cx’s, which apparently acquires an initial lock within a few seconds. I’ve found the typical accuracy the device settles down to is roughly +/-50ft under some canopy, +/-30ft if you’re driving down a suburban street, and +/- 10ft if you’re on a freeway.

The battery life is good, ~8 hours with moderate use and medium backlight.

Auto-routing functionality is built in, but limited. If you want the unit to direct you from address A to address B you have to use the Topo 6.0 software on your computer, to create the route and then upload it onto the device. The procedure is fast and straightforward once you learn how to do it. The software enables you to create via and stop points for your route, which can be useful. You can also calculate road-routes by clicking on start and end points on the map (ie without entering addresses). Once you enable auto-navigation, below the map will be displayed the distance and expected time to next turn, the name of the street or exit, and an arrow indicating the direction to turn. It will beep twice for each turn, once to alert you in advance, and a second time to indicate when the actual turn should take place. All in all I found the auto-navigation feature was quite effective, though not as user-friendly as a purpose built auto-GPS such as the Garmin Street-Pilot. Perhaps the biggest downside to using this device for auto-navigation is that you have to wait a minute or two after switching it on for an initial-lock.

One general drawback is the slow processor. Map redraws can take up to 30 seconds depending on what information is being loaded, though typically they take 5-10 seconds. At times it can be frustrating, though for conventional use the delay is tolerable.

Another drawback is the street maps are a tad crude. For example, a curved street will appear as a couple of straight lines joined together. Also, some sections of the street maps are misaligned by more than 100ft. These are typically streets in suburban (non-metropolitan) areas but it can occasionally be frustrating, particularly when driving, as the unit can display your position as in between two roads. I believe the Delorme Street-Atlas maps don’t have this problem, but they are not compatible with the PN-20 yet (apparently Delorme is working on a patch to make them compatible).

All in all, the ability to display aerial photography and accurate hiking information makes this a break-through device, though the slow processor detracts a little from the novelty.

SOFTWARE INTENSE, August 18, 2007

Well…I rated it down due to the very powerful but extremely cumbersome software.I have 17 hours invested and a long ways to go.It will DO what Delorme says as far as functions of the PN-20. Do not buy if you want to take it straight from the box and travel!. The world base map is absolutely
useless. There is more information on a globe. The 16 section USA regional maps that you must load are not much better. For the PN-20 to shine you must
use the software and select the high detail maps to send to the PN-20 via SD card!!. If you dont do this you will not get street level detail. You can still set up a route without the download but why? Isnt that why I bought this unit in the first place.
I did get the PN-20 to lock on 7 satellites inside a commercial industrial building.
If you like to fool with stuff more so than use it for its intended purpose than the PN-20 is for you. It will keep you off the street for a LONG time.
Be very careful about “Whats in the Box” on Amazons site versus what the vendor says is in the box!!! I was very disappointed as I did not get the travel package mentioned here. Live and learn!!

Great for the outfoor enthusiast, July 23, 2007

I find the Delorme PN-20 to be one of the most exciting GPS models on the market–although, as a new model, it has a few rough edges to be smoothed out. Those who use it primarily for outdoor activities like hiking or biking should be pleased; those who want something mostly for automobile use will probably be happier with something else.

On the plus side, the maps are the best I know of that can be transferred to a GPS. I particularly like that trails are routable (although at the current time these routes must be created in the included Topo 6 USA on the PC and transferred to the GPS). Also, user-created tracks can be saved to Topo6 as routable trails. Personally I have not found the aerial or satellite imagery that useful–but the USGS 7.5 topo maps on a GPS are pretty cool. The display is somewhat on the small side, but of great visual quality.

Secondly, the support available from Delorme by phone (email support seems to lag) and in the Delorme user forum is top-notch. When the PN-20 was first released, a serious bug soon emerged. Delorme had a firmware fix available 4 days after the bug was identified. Delorme appears to be solicitous of customer input for improvement, and seems committed to regular firmware updates (the first major update came about 3 months after the initial release). PN-20 packages purchased directly from Delorme allow for a 30-day no-questions-asked return. It’s less clear to me how generous Amazon is on GPS returns.

Third, I think the PN-20 gets power options right: one can use a variety of AA battery types or an optional Li-Ion that can be internally recharged. That battery is a standard CRV3 rather than some proprietary design–although not all CRV3 brands seem to work properly (checking in the forum advised).

The last thing I would note on the plus side is that reception and accuracy seems quite good. Compared to my Magellan Explorist 500, the PN-20 seems to do slightly better. While accuracy is diminished under dense foliage–as with any unit–I have always been able to maintain a signal lock while geocaching or hiking.

Shortcomings include the fact that PN-20 does feel soggy in executing tasks. Redraws usually only take 3-4 seconds, but scrolling the screen takes patience. Although the PN-20 handles a file of up to 1000 waypoints, I find the unit works much more efficiently if I hold the file down to a couple hundred. Creating a street route on the PN-20 can take several minutes, and I find address searches intolerably long. It *does* all these things, but users will be happier if they can plan routes and searches ahead of time on the PC for transfer to the GPS. The PN-20 does allow for the insertion of via points to shape a route in the GPS, so it has a leg up on Magellan’s MapSend DirectRoute. Improving the efficiency of firmware algorithms may help, but it might be until we see a PN-30 with a beefier processor that autorouting becomes a satisfying experience.

Another minus is that the PN-20 does not currently allow for more than a single waypoint file, and neither waypoints, tracks, nor routes can be saved to the SD card. I fully expect that a future firmware upgrade will change this, so a large number of such files can be available for field use.

The PN-20 is not for everyone. It’s a new, cutting-edge model–Delorme’s first integral handheld GPS–and I think it will be a little while until the firmware is tweaked and smoothed to allow for the full potential of the hardware. For those who place a high priority on map quality and plan to use their GPS primarily for outdoor activity, I think it’s a good choice that shows favorable signs of becoming even better.

Best mapping on a GPSr, June 13, 2007

The DeLorme PN-20 has the best mapping hands down. With the included $100 worth of free imagery (which include DOQQs, Sat-10 colorized satellite imagery, and scanned USGS 7.5-minute quads) make this a very useful GPSr to use. I use my PN-20 mostly for mountain biking, hiking and geocaching and being able to have the aerial imagery on there is very very cool. Some places have changed and some places have not, I am usually in places that have not changed too much in the recent years and have been able to find trails that I had not known about.

One of the things that blows me away with this unit is the many ways to utilize the features in Topo USA and have that same data appear on the PN-20. I have a separate map cut with all of the fire districts on it for my county and then a another map with all of the EMS districts on it. These are all done using polygons. There is just so much that can be done, it is truly amazing.

If you are worried about how long it takes to load maps, I strongly suggest getting and using an SD card and card reader reader to load larger maps. Loading smaller maps to the PN-20′s internal memory is not that big of an issue.

On the lines of customer service, it is very hard to beat DeLorme’s, they have been very responsive to customer needs and quick turn around time for a replacement unit if needed (When I had gotten my first unit, there was an issue with the reception and DeLorme promptly replaced it and have be been happy with it since then). As with any mass produced item, there are bound to be some that have their problems (the same thing happened to me way back when I got my brand new Garmin 60CS, the mini USB plug on the back of the GPSr became loose).

There is a lot of good help for new users on the DeLorme forum by knowledgeable users and staff! Yes, there are still a couple of minor buggies but DeLorme is working on another release to address these issues and to add more user requests. This is another reason why I like DeLorme so much, they actually listen to their users.

The Best for Back Country Travels, June 13, 2007

I just got back from the better part of a week out in the back country of southern Nevada and northwestern Arizona. The PN-20 is an amazing device and did everything that I wanted for off-highway, 4WD touring, sightseeing and geocaching in those remote areas.

The DeLorme Topo maps have long been recognized by back country hikers, campers and 4WD folks as having the best features and capabilities for their activities. And now the PN-20 handheld GPS unit is available to make those maps even more useable.

Do not confuse this device with those stick on the windshield devices or GPS NAV units that come as options on new cars nowadays. I have that also on my new Jeep and it is useless off-highway. That thing will not show any road or trail that is not paved. I don’t even run that thing when I’m in the back country.

So if you want a handheld GPS unit that is as good, if not better, than all the others and the best in maps, the Earthmate GPS PN-20 is the ticket. I don’t leave home without it, not even in town!

Time For Change, January 15, 2008

I used to use a Garmin 60CSx and then this came along and there is no going back. The maps and imagery provided by DeLorme are integrated into the system in a unique and innovative manner. I think because DeLorme has been making maps for consumers and governments for years they understand mapmaking at a higher level than the other GPS providers. and as such they have blown me away with this exciting new GPS. The sensitivity is exceptional and the total experience with the included maps and software makes for a tremendous value

Not all I’d hoped., August 15, 2007

Although I am familiar with the DeLorme Topo software, getting 7 ½ minute maps from Topo 2.0 up and running on the PN-20 was a day-long project. Don’t read the manual because the information you need isn’t in there. Use the on-screen help. If you want to use both 7 ½ minute and Topo 6.0 map displays simultaneously, there are some software problems that make route planning a frustrating experience. If loading detailed maps, you will definitely want an SD card and reader.

Unfortunately, I expected more than the tiny Earthmate display can deliver. The screen is just too small to see much. Zooming in and out is so slow and scrolling so sluggish that I didn’t find the map display very helpful. If you are hiking an unfamiliar area you need a paper map as backup anyway and the paper map is more useful.

Comparing it to my old Garmin eTrex vista, signal acquisition speed is about the same, and the PN-20 is not noticeably heaver, but it’s larger and more awkward to use. The Garmin is designed for one-handed operation. You can keep hiking. The PN-20 requires two hands. You have to stop.

If you’ve never owned a hand-held GPS before, this might be a good choice. If you already have one, it’s probably not worth upgrading.

Super GPS – one stop shopping, January 9, 2008

I am not a GPS nerd, meaning I haven’t had GPS for years and have 5 or 6 models that track the history of the technology. I wanted one for a long time, but none of them were “it”. I wanted it all in one box – everything I might need including a waterproof GPS that I could take hunting and kayaking and fishing as well as use in the car for long trips as well as sync with my laptop, etc. etc. Well, this is it. This is one stop shopping as far as I’m concerned. This GPS does absolutely everything I want, right out of the box. DeLorme’s products are top drawer. The unit is tough, the screen is bright, the controls are intuitive, the mapping software is incredibly detailed, customer support has been fantastic. I got the PN-20 that came with DVD’s, as well as all the possible battery charging cables you could hope for, and I can’t think of a situation where I don’t have the right stuff. I couldn’t be happier.

Well thought out design, January 19, 2008

I chose PN-20 over Garmin Vista HCx for its overall value. It was a tough choice between the two. Vista HCx is more compact, faster graphics redraw, and more sensitive receiver than PN-20, but PN-20 came with a much better map package, more intuitive and flexible menuing, a better physical design, and a good enough sensitive receiver. I’m very happy with the PN-20.

A really great GPS unit, February 19, 2008

I bought this unit to use outdoors because I have been a big fan of their paper Atlas for more than a decade and more recently of their software. This GPS unit is a real gem! Extremely rugged, water proof (it even floats in case you ever take it with you fishing). Initially, I had planned on only using it recreationally, but I have Delorme’s XMap software for work and discovered that I could scan our company system maps and download those onto the PN-20, too.
I do however wish that the screen was a little bigger, sometimes it is a little difficult to see the small screen.

Price:$493.48

Garmin GPSMAP 62St 2.6-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Product Reviews

A Good GPS But, August 11, 2010

I recently purchased a garmin 62s GPS while this GPS is packed with wonderful features it is the first Garmin product that I may send back. It has a problem with a case that squeaks when pushed on the sides and the altimeter records spike of 40 to 60 feet elevation change by simply pushing the buttons on the front of the unit. A couple of software glitches which I believe Garmin will fix, but with my last experiences with Garmin Tech Support I am not holding my breath. I have 90 days to return my unit if Garmin does not step up to the plate and try to resolve the issues. Please let it be I would hate to send this unit back.

As of 8/16/10 Garmin’s software update has fixed most of the software issues that led to some of my reasons for a low rating. The poorly designed case is still an issue, Garmin states that it does not affect the integrity of the GPS but mine is getting worse the more I use it. My recommendation would be to wait and see if Garmin will come up with a resolution for the noisy case. Because I feel that they are moving in right direction I will up my rating a little. I will post any updates.

Some initial problems; now mostly fixed!, August 11, 2010

UPDATE September 7 2010. The issues resolved below are solved by release 2.50 of the 62st firmware. I have no trouble recommending this unit at this point!

I purchased the 62st recently and took it out for a 9 mile geocaching adventure. While I like the unit very much in general, it has one major problem. Like any hiking GPS, the 62st will record your track as you hike, letting you upload it to your computer when you return home. This is very useful for keeping track of your adventures. The accuracy of the 62st’s GPS, combined with its barometric altimeter, lets you accurately record your track for later use.

Sadly what I discovered is that on the 62st simply pressing buttons on the GPS interferes with the barometric altimeter. Pressing even a single button on the GPS can result in spikes in the recorded data of 30 feet or more! On my first test hike, my 62st GPS said that I had climbed more than 8000 vertical feet, while the other GPSes carried by my friends on the same hike recorded only 2000.

I did apples-to-apples comparison experiments of the Garmin 62st, Garmin 60csx and Delorme PN-40, and only the 62st exhibits this bug. Pressing buttons on the other GPSes does not interfere with the recorded track data.

I have been in contact with Garmin Support about this issue, but as of today there is no fix.

Until this issue is resolved sadly I cannot recommend the Garmin 62s or 62st. I hope for a fix soon!

UPDATE as of 8/12/2010: Today Garmin released a new set of beta firmware for the 62 series GPSes. In preliminary experiments, the new firmware seems to have significantly improved things with respect to the altimeter. I will do more testing this weekend, but the situation seems to be improving! I’ll report back early next week.

UPDATE as of 8/22/2010. The beta firmware has fixed the altitude issue. Some users have reported problems in updating to the beta, so I’d still suggest holding off on a purchase until Garmin releases a new “official” firmware release. I’ve taken the GPS out on several hikes totalling over 20 miles, and am quite impressed with it. I upgraded my review to three stars today, and will give it another star once a new firmware release is available.

UPDATE as of 9/7/2010. Garmin has now released firmware 2.50 for the 62st. If you update your unit to the new firmware level, I have no problem recommending it. My earlier problems are fixed.

Excellent Features, August 9, 2010

I was gifted a Garmin GPSmap 62st just a few days ago, and it is outstanding. It is loaded with features that I had no idea a GPS could do (such as calculating glide ratio, of all things-get me in a sailplane, quick!). The basic compass and altimeter seem very accurate. The display shows up nicely in sunlight (best if the backlight is on all the time). The unit is cased in hard, rubbery plastic, and it feels very solid. Every screen that you can access in the device is programmable, meaning you can make it display only the information you want to see, or you can set up profiles to show you what you want for different activities (geocaching, driving in your car, etc.). There are also good accessories available, such as a suction cup mount for your car and a handlebar mount for your bike. Garmin also has a couple of antennas you can mount on your car to improve the signal strength.
One gripe that I have is the complexity of the Garmin Custom Maps feature. Garmin sort of bills this as something wonderful and easy, but I was fooling around with Google Earth and Adobe Reader for hours trying to get the unit to display a PDF map that I downloaded from the Internet. Don’t get too excited about this feature, it’s almost better to forget the hassle and just use the preloaded 100K maps, which are quite good.
I can’t wait to go on a trip or do some geocaching with this thing!

Awesome GPS, August 11, 2010

This is my first portable GPS that I plan to use primarily for hiking trails. I’ve had several auto GPS units from Garmin, so I am familiar with the technology and the brand. I’ve been researching this purchase for a while now and have tested several models in stores. The durability and design of the 62st were the deciding factors for me. The unit has an extremely solid feel and is waterproof. I don’t plan to submerge it, but it is nice to know that it probably could survive that. I compared touch screen models with the button layout on the 62st. Touch screen is great for auto units, but buttons were my preference here. The layout is logical and intuitive, and it’s easy to operate with one hand. Other feature I wanted were a compass, altimeter, and lots of storage for routes and waypoints. The 62st provides all of that and more. I chose the st model with complete US Topo map because I ocassionally travel and wanted a good general Topo available. The detail seems more than adequate. I’ll add a more detailed WA Topo in the future if I need it. Thus far, I haven’t taken it on the trail, but I’ve used it during some outings around my home and near my workplace. Reception seems more than adequate so far, much better than my auto GPS. Thus far I am extremely satisfied and expect to get many years and miles out of this great product. I can already envision some additional uses beyond hiking.