Garmin Oregon 450 Handheld GPS Navigator

Garmin Oregon 450 Handheld GPS Navigator

I think this is wonderful, It was recommended to my friends and fulfills all my expectations, then and I also recommend 

Garmin Oregon 450 Handheld GPS Navigator

I have owned the Oregon 550t for three years. I have used it for hiking and horseback trips. I also purchased European maps and used it on a trip to Italy and the Eastern Mediterranean. I found the unit difficult to use and unintuitive. It is almost impossible to read on horseback and difficult to read in sunlight. 

Garmin Oregon 450 Handheld GPS Navigator

The unit takes about 5 minutes to download its built in map into the Basecamp software on my Mac Powerbook. Many of the maps are innacurate. For example, they don't show the Pacific Crest Trail near Etna mountain in Siskiyou co, Ca, even though the trail is among the largest and most heavily traveled in the world. The unit is extremely frustrating and a big disappointment. 

Garmin Oregon 450 Handheld GPS Navigator

I've been told that Garmin has the best systems out & with this being said, then I must have the best. I have been practicing with my Garmin & find it to be less user friendly then my iPhone. I believe that the technology is advanced enough to make these navigators more usable. The topo maps that come with it are only 100K & they just don't give enough detail for what I need.

Garmin Oregon 450 Handheld GPS Navigator

I will either have to purchase the 24,000K topos or carry maps of the area I am hiking in. I don't believe that anyone else's is better, it's just that I think that Garmin could make their products much easier to use. so by the time someone purchases one they have spent about $300 or so & they still need topo downloads plus accessories. I also have a Bushnell, which is great, however, no maps in it. 

Garmin Oregon 450 Handheld GPS Navigator

I have to connect it to my Mac when I am home & it automatically draws the trek I just did which is easy to see on a Google map. For me there are times when I need detailed topo information as there are no marked trails & the Bushnell doesn't have maps. Well, I will have to upgrade to the detailed maps & download maps to where I may be going before I go to remote wilderness areas. 

Garmin Oregon 450 Handheld GPS Navigator

Superb! The touch screen feature is the ultimate highlight for ease of use. The menus are great & simple The optional Topo SD cards for select Sections of the USA expand the versatility when traveling, hiking, etc. The SD cards easily swap out and no programing needed. Highly pleased with the Oregon 450 over my older Summit model which was top of the line back when. 

Garmin Oregon 450 Handheld GPS Navigator

Garmin eTrex GPS Receiver

Garmin eTrex GPS Receiver

Presumably atypically I use eTrex units nearly exclusively for road navigation and often calculate long routes.

I've used a Legend Cx extensively and it's showing its age so I was glad to see the introduction of the 20. I toyed with buying a Nuvi but don't care for the design as it lacks configurability and water resistance, uses a touchscreen, doesn't lend itself well to a motorcycle or kayak or walking when you want to walk.

Garmin eTrex GPS Receiver

Garmin eTrex GPS Receiver

Product Features

Edition: Barometric Altometer, 3-axis compass

• Rugged handheld navigator with preloaded worldwide relief basemap and 2.2-inch color display
• WAAS-enabled GPS receiver with HotFix and GLONASS support for fast positioning and a reliable signal
• Built-in 3-axis electronic compass always shows your heading; barometric altimeter pinpoints your precise altitude
• Compatible with topographic, marine, and road maps--TOPO U.S. 24K, BlueChart g2, City Navigator, etc.
• Powered with two AA batteries; waterproof to IPX7 standards for protection against splashes, rain, etc.

Garmin eTrex GPS Receiver

The Legend Cx routinely takes several minutes to calculate in addition to slow map `drawing' times and I'm pleased to note Garmin improved calculating speed significantly. I've been running the two side by side for quite a while and the 20 calculates in roughly 1/3 the time (still noticeably slower than the Nuvis I've used). Additionally the map drawing time is much reduced.

Satellite acquisition and retention is quite a bit better: if you turn on both simultaneously the 20 will acquire enough signal to navigate in a fraction of the time; if you compare the 'Satellite' pages there are usually at least half again as many 'bars' on the 20 (and that's all before the GLONASS thingy is turned on).

Garmin eTrex GPS Receiver

The former mushiness of the perimeter buttons has been replaced by buttons which 'click' and the notorious rubber gasket (prone to eventual loosening) is gone.

The various menu screens are changed: previously you had 12 options to select on the `Find' page - now there are 6. They are more legible and you can arrange them in the order you prefer.

I'm still disappointed Garmin makes you cough up $80ish for a functional (read: turn by turn directions) road map but they're making progress on that front - you can now buy `lifetime' maps instead of having to purchase `updates'. And I guess I can't blame them for capitalizing on what they can capitalize on, while they can.

Plus I have to admit: Garmin's phone customer service is usually well above average (thanks, Rocky!) and that costs something.

They changed the mounting connector design so you can no longer use your old car/bike/whatever mount.

And they took the `Exits' category out of the `Find' menu: why, Garmin? Such a useful tool it was.

To sum: if you're an eTrex fan this incarnation is IMO an impressive advance RE processing and map drawing speed. The maps more closely resemble the Nuvis.

I have no reason to believe it won't be as reliable (IME close to bulletproof) as previous units. And the rustish/red/orange color is cool.

I like mine a lot.

*****

Update: one VERY useful feature for travellers the old eTrex units didn't have is now you can 'Search Near' a 'A Recent Find'.

I also discovered if you 'Review Point' the phone number if available is provided - nice, although the microscopic font errs on the side of 'white space'. :)

It crashes occasionally (I reckon I'm asking more of it than it was designed for); less often after I updated the software but there's no apparent rhyme or reason.

Still and all after using mine for many scores of thousands of miles I remain well pleased with the improvements.

*****

Another update: after spending some time (Garmin's customer service came through again) downloading NT South America City Navigator and flying to Chile my 20 has been indispensable: it would be virtually impossible for me (ignorante el norte Americano) to navigate around Santiago specifically and the country generally without electronic help from the sky.

Garmin eTrex 30 Worldwide Handheld GPS Navigator
Click to See More Detail

Garmin eTrex GPS Receiver