› Forums › Geocaching in Wisconsin › Help › Oregon
- This topic has 12 replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 9 months ago by
BeccaDay.
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04/30/2011 at 12:18 pm #1731905
Okay we are still using the 7 year old GPSr we started with. The buttons are starting to wear out and our palm is giving us fits off and on so we are going to be looking for a new unit. We have know that the Oregon lets you keep all the cache info right on it so are thinking that would be the best for us. Wondering what others think about it. Best place to get one??? What is a good price?? Anything else we need to know???
Te
04/30/2011 at 1:08 pm #1947525I am trying to figure out all of this too so I would be interested in people’s responses. Thanks! 🙂
Not all who wander are lost. -J.R.R. Tolkien
04/30/2011 at 1:15 pm #1947526http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/Geocaching#FAQ
http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/Review+Geocaching
We went all out and bought the 550 for the extra hundred the camera was definitely worth the money
hope this helps
04/30/2011 at 3:35 pm #1947527I too bought my Oregon 550 on Amazon. Visiting amazon again depresses me as the price has come down (to your advantage)
I love the unit and have no complaints about it.
The camera on the 550 takes good pictures and is handy when you forget your camera or don’t want to carry both. It also tags the picture with where it was taken. Pretty handy feature for scoping out cache hide spots.
Being able to use the field notes on geocaching.com along with marking the caches found on the unit was the best surprise feature for me. I didn’t know it was that slick.
I’m actually a huge fan of the compass though I know some people aren’t. I love that I can turn the unit and it works rather than have to move around.
It’s a touch screen so be prepared for scratches. There are screen protectors out there but I decided I liked touching the actual screen. Living on the edge I guess.
I’ve dropped mine on many occasions and it really takes a licking and keeps on ticking. I haven’t had the guts to dip it in water like the youtube video shows. If you havent seen the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFdxBMvyH2Q
The camera drains the batteries fast so I’ve always used the lithium one-time use batteries as they last the longest. Just general GPS use does not seem to be any harder on batteries as my prior garmin GPS.
If it helps, I don’t regret the purchase and I’ve been using it for a year.
04/30/2011 at 5:29 pm #1947528@sweetlife wrote:
We went all out and bought the 550 for the extra hundred the camera was definitely worth the money
WE agree 100%!! Besides the toughness and all the other positives that have been brought up a few times around here, the camera is a great addition. Its actually a nice zoom camera too, very handy, and you dont have to worry about having an extra camera or your phone with you to snap a pic.
05/01/2011 at 12:56 am #1947529I also have the 550…for the current price you are getting a deal. You might consider buying at REI. You will pay a bit more there but everything they sell is guaranteed for life.
05/01/2011 at 3:17 am #1947530I really like my 550. I find myself thinking how much easier it is to geocache with this unit than when I started. The recent upgrades in the software have made the unit even easier and user-friendly. I am also extremely impressed with the quality of the photos on the 550.
05/01/2011 at 4:12 am #1947531I just got the Garmin map62st off of Amazon. They pretty much took the Oregon, and put it in a map60 case. Has no camera thou. I like it cuz it has the buttons and the external anttena and it seem to get a lock pretty dang fast. Still leaning how to use it thou. Will add that the Birds Eye View on maps is pretty cool. But that’s a +$30 subscritoon a year.,
Witht the ST it comes with the Topo, which is ok I guess. I did but the new NV program for it but I guess there are free maps that you can get for it.
Just another option for you to think about. I have never played with an Oregon so I have no clue how similar it is.05/05/2011 at 9:07 pm #1947532Some quick thoughts on geocaching-friendly Garmin GPSr’s. All include a basic base map, which is the only map that many people would need:
Garmin Dakota 20 (avoid the Dakota 10)- Essentially an identical but smaller version of the Oregon 450. Very accurate. I like it better because it fits in my hand. My favorite. $399 retail, on sale at Amazon for $289
Oregon 450 – An excellent unit, probably their best seller, $399 retail, currently on sale at Amazon for $325
Oregon 450t – Same as the 450 but with a topographical map loaded, $499 retail, sale $427
Oregon 550 – Same as the 450 but with a camera, $499 retail, on sale at Amazon for $389
Oregon 550t – Top of the line of the touchscreen units. Same as the 550 but with a topographical map preloaded, $599 retail, on sale at Amazon for $471
GPSMAP 62S – Has buttons instead of a touchscreen (all of the above have a touchscreen), has a bigger antenna and therefore slightly better reception than all of the above, $489 retail, $349 on sale at Amazon
GPSMAP 62ST – Top of the line. Same as the 62S but with a topographical map preloaded, $549 on sale at Amazon for $489
My two favorites are the Dakota 20 and the GPSMAP 62st. However, if I already didn’t have a camera, I would hands down get the Oregon 550 or 550t. It comes in handy taking pictures of great cache locations, waypoint coordinates/log details, or fun-looking caches.
05/06/2011 at 1:03 pm #1947533thanks for all the info. Sorting. Deciding and ordering soon.
TE05/06/2011 at 1:11 pm #1947534We just got ours, my first real GPSr! We got the GPSMAP 62S. Now I have to figure out what I’m doing because I don’t know what to do with it.
Not all who wander are lost. -J.R.R. Tolkien
05/06/2011 at 1:30 pm #1947535Way to go Rebecca! I expect a full review (once you’ve become familiar with it)!
05/06/2011 at 5:40 pm #1947536😆 Well don’t hold your breath, it may be a while before I figure this out! 🙂
Not all who wander are lost. -J.R.R. Tolkien
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