( 18 reviews )
-
Posted: May 17 2009
Very good for Geocaching. Update your unit as soon as you open the box and you shouldn't have any issues.
-
Posted: Apr 15 2009
I purchased this GPS for the sole purpose of Geocaching and while I'm sure it will be used for hiking/biking that isn't why I got it. The unit is very easy to use one handed thanks to the control dial. It fits easily and comfortably in my hand. The battery life is good while using Energizer 2450MAH NiMH rechargeable batteries as well as Li-Ion batteries. There are a few things I would like to see changed on this unit. The battery compartment has some flaws mainly the rubber gasket around the case. The gasket had started to come unseated so I contacted customer support. they were very fast and helpful. I asked if I could re-glue the seal without voiding the warranty and was given a go ahead with that. So for the time being that problem has been solved. I also recommend using some clear non conductive silicon grease around the seal to both allow it to slide off easier and give it a bit better water resistance. Lastly the GUI is very nice but I would love to see a few more features added. I would like to be able to separate cache types within the unit and load GPX files individually. On top of that I would like to be able to see the dates that caches were found. On multi-day trips it would help when logging finds on Geocaching.com. Outside of those few issues which I consider to be fairly minor since I could easily fix most on my own I highly recommend this product.
-
( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: Apr 4 2009
First off let me preface this by saying i'm not a world class Geocacher. to date i've found about 57, about 9 of which are Micro size. i started off using a Garmin E-Trex Venture HC about a year ago and logged a good amount of caches. a few weeks ago i got my tax refund (who needs to pay off car loans when you can get more gadgets!) and did some research. it came down to the Colorado 300 and the Delorme PN-40. i checked user reviews, professional GPS sites and even groundspeak Forums on what people would suggest betwixt the two. finally, after a week, i gave in and bought the Colorado. plus using Amazon to get almost $150 off Garmin's MSRP, it was a sweet deal. i'm just being honest here--Amazon's got some great deals for GPS, whether they're new or old. so, Here are my thoughts: *compared to the Venture, it's got a larger screen + touch wheel + true paperless geocaching (that means it downloads a snapshot of the webpage off geocaching.com and allows you to read the Logs/Hints and description of the cache including size/terrain/difficulty). That feature alone is worth paying the extra money for this unit. the comparable Garmin GPS 60SX also offers paperless caching, but only the Colorado has a digital compass. Trust me--you need one! *calibrating the compass is fairly easy the 4th time you try. a small indicator tells you what speed to turn the unit and it can make a huge difference doing it before each hunt. * the basemap is, as it states, BASIC. i'd strongly suggest upgrading--but don't worry about buying a map from Garmin. i found a site off a groundspeak forum (www.gpsfiledepot.com) and after a little background research, it's legit. i downloaded the NC topo and NC IBYCUS20 map set. what a HUGE difference that map can make. i can now see what street each cache is near so no more guessing what street to take when i use only the compass feature. it's a free download, but a large one (877MB) so you have to use the internal SD memory port (though i couldn't find any literature on this GPS that was extensive, i actually used a 4GB SDHC (secure digital High Capacity)card. it's a newer style of card with an increased write-speed to transfer information from a computer/camera to the card. Trust me--download the map for your state--and any topo map. even in forests with micro caches i've been able to get a better idea where it's hidden if i can judge how far away it is from a nearby creek or stream (data NOT included in the basemap). *the battery life is poor. definitely buy rechargeable batteries. i took a fresh pair of AA's geocaching yesterday and you'll get about 6 hours worth of juice. this isn't bad, by any means, but it's just more cost effective in the long run. *backlit feature= pretty average. compared to my previous Venture HC--this Colorado is worse. i'd rate the Colorado backlit feature at 6 out of 10 and the Venture at 8 out of 10. *the user manual was probably written in about ten seconds by a low-end Tech, so if this is your first unit you're gonna be searching forums for a while to figure out how to use it. if this is your second GPS unit--you shouldn't have a problem. *geocaching.com offers Direct-to-GPS data transfer for Garmins (And now Delorme) so transferring caches is so incredibly easy. *i originally loaded the MapSource software that came with this, and my previous Garmin, but after logging all my caches online and on the unit (you can actually Tag a cache as Found and it removes it from your actively-sought cache list) it's really not necessary UNLESS you download additional maps like TOPO or IBYCUS. you need mapsource to transfer those maps to the unit. *battery compartment= it's a tricky little bit of mechanics. the battery compartment is a slide-off cover held in place by a latch. God help you if you're not strong with your finger tips to release it. it's annoying, and they could have done a lot better with it. *receiver==it does have an input for an external antenna, and the built in does have WAAS (wide area augmentation system===it means it uses earth-based receiver satellites to get a better fix on your position) enabled feature. it's got a pretty strong antenna, and i was able to get a strong fix on my position in about 25 seconds Cold Boot inside my two story house. so overall, based on battery life, backlit screen, compass accuracy and overall user-friendliness, i'd give this unit a 7 out of ten. Pros=paperless caching, large screen, antenna reception. Cons=battery life, back lit screen, battery compartment. if this is your first unit- you're in for a treat with paperless caching. if it comes down to deciding between the DELORME PN-40 (keep in mind the delorme has a free map download and annual 29.95 unlimited map downloads), i'd suggest the Delorme. the delorme even has Black and White areial pictures, color satellite imagery (think Google Earth on a GPS unit), and the highest durability of most GPS units. [...]
