Has anyone used or own either the Oregon or Colorado units?. I’m looking at the purchase options of these units but am lacking in knowledge of the units. The software has now changed to GB discoverer with a much increased price ramp. Garmin tell me that their new software is only available on card format and not cd to load onto your pc, is there any disadvantages with this format and can previous memory map routes be converted to be used with GB Discoverer? I do require a cycling specific unit so the 205, 605 and 705 units will be dismissed.

It’s bloody expensive and I’m not sure the touch screen will survive bike use in the long term yet and the interface is a mess ime. And the screen is almost impossible to read in sunlight and too small. That’s the Oregon btw, not the Colorado.

I’ve got an Oregon with the old Topo maps. You can use the old routes as they are stored in the same way no matter which maps you use. There isn’t really any disadvantage to using cards in place of DVD except that you can’t just pick the regions you want, you have to have the whole card. Not a big problem in my opinion. More of an issue is that you can’t just buy a bigger card and have the whole country in all of the time.

I assume you mean you “don’t” need a cycling specific ones as you’ve discounted these.

The oregon is pretty good. It’s easy to use with gloves on. The screen isn’t great in bright light but it’s usable. Hope that helps.

Happysnapper & BadlyWiredDog – Thanks for your input. Originally I was looking at the 60scx but that has now been superseded by these two newer units hence he queries. What is the problem with the size of the screens and what other units are the Garmin’s being compared to? The cycling units have smaller screens than either of these two and the only larger screen I have seen is on the Satmap which I do not require.

On really key bit of information that Garmin don’t make obvious is that the much touted OS mapping only covers sections of the UK – eg national parks, etc – lots of the UK would only be covered at Topo map level of detail which while useable isn’t fantastic.

OK, I was comparing the screen size, funnily enough, to the Satmap, which is significantly larger. I think ultimately it depends on whether the OS mapping side of things is important to you. If it is, then there are two, maybe three issues:

1. The screen really isn’t bright enough in direct sunlight ime.

2. It’s not big enough.

3. There’s something weird going on with the way the mapping appears on screen at the moment. Something technical to do with layers, but even with the latest software upgrade it’s quite blurry.

If you want to use it pretty much as conventional GPS then it’s fine, but personally I think the OS mapping on this unit is a bit of a bolt-on since mostly you can’t use it very effectively. The rest of it works well, but there’s some badly thought out stuff in the interface, like the trip computer re-set, which you’d expect to be somewhere on the trip computer screen, is actually about four or five layers aways under Set-Up and then Reset. Why?

I’m also a little concerned about the long term durabilty of the touch screen used in outdoor conditions. The military don’t use touch screens – I’m told – for this reason and I do wonder what a year’s worth of smearing peak grit over the screen with your fingers is going to do to it.

It’s pretty and it’s clever, I just have few doubts about it. Plus what clubber says about the OS mapping. Because Garmin vectorises the mapping as well, they’ve only done National Parks and National Trails plus the map packs are £115 apiece. I guess I’m thinking, if you don’t particularly use or need the OS mapping, is there any point in investing in the rest of the unit, very neat though it is.

Oh, and if you want OS mapping, personally I think the Active 10 is a better pure outdoors navigation tool or you could use ViewRanger on a Smartphone, which is a much cheaper option.

Paul, I had the demo on the Oregon 300 & its a nice bit of kit but the shop was very cagey about the OS map option.
The Satmap is nice but the mapping is to much money for good OS coverage & people complain about the touch screen.
My conclusion is to get a smartphone or PDA & run Memorymap on it – As I’ve already got MM I should be able to get the full set up including a nice bar mount protective case for the PDA for under £100

TBH I find the topo stuff is perfectly usable if you’ve uploaded a route. I use it becuase I’m out on my own a lot and don’t like stopping!

The OS stuff is great if you plan your routes on the device but I don’t so it’s only necessary on my laptop to get the route right in the first place.

If you’ve got the chance of getting a 60CSX they are great GPS units, albeit a bit bigger, and the screen is much better. Would save you some cash.

Totally confused by the whole issue. All I want to do is to ride following a preloaded route from mtb# or one of the mags. Coloured screen would be nice with easy interface and the ability to overlay a days unplanned riding when I get home to see new trails or where I have been onto a laptop. Most of my riding is either on Exmoor or Dartmoor of which mapping is available in 1:25000. If all else fails I shall carry on using paper laminated maps.

Azarat – a basic Legend HCx will do what you want. £130 from Amazon and the bike mount costs £12.

snaps, any chance that you could spell out exactly which pda and gps plug in (or is it built into the pda) you need as I’m interested in your solution. I’d also be interested to know about battery life with that solution. Most gps will go for 10+ hrs on a set of batteries. Will the pda?

I’m still looking at smartphone/PDA solutions (my Orange contract is up so I might get a free phone when I renew) I’ve disregarded the Garmin & Satmap as to expensive.
Earlier phones with bluetooth use an external GPS reciever & send the signal to the unit & later ones have it built in but the sensitivity varies greatly & this is important when riding under heavy tree cover.
Battery life is over 14 hours with my mates Dell PDA that I borrowed last week & I had a demo on a Nokia the other day that gives >20 hours.
Batteries are an issue as when mounted on a bike AA types can shake about & keep switching the unit off on rough decents!
I’m still learning about whats available & not made my mind up yet.

14 hours with the GPS on is pretty impressive. Someone must have come up with waterproof cases for them now too.

There was an issue with the old 60csx and AA batteries but it was actually the circuit board, not the use of the AA’s that caused it. It was pretty easily fixed too. I have no issues with my Oregon turning off on rough decents.

ViewRanger software on a Smartphone maybe?

satmap is great
dosent have a touch screen
approx 12 hours from battery pack with screen on all the time