Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => The Knowledge => GPS => Topic started by: Auntie Helen on 25 November, 2009, 11:00:49 am
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Well it's arrived... and Uncle James won't let me open it until Christmas. So there it sits, in its box, with its bike mount kit, looking forlorn. My Edge 205 has become very dodgy (battery connections fail regularly so it switches off over bumps) so I can only use that in my jacket pocket as I'm going along.
My original plan was to get a Garmin Edge 605, having had a good look at Delthebike's. However, on a ride last Saturday with Dasmoth and Emily I saw his Oregon 300 and rather liked the look of it. Price is similar between the two gadgets and the Oregon seemed to have more useful features for me (touch screen is good). The larger size doesn't matter unduly as it will be fixed on to the boom of my trike via a genius stem mounting thingie I have ordered.
I look forward to fiddling around with maps and things on it (either OSM or a 2-year-old copy of Mapsource which is available). Does anyone have any general recommendations/hints about it before I start (on Christmas day)? I'm using a Mac and although I have a PC available if the software requires it, I prefer not to switch the PC on if at all possible as I always end up wanting to kick it within 5 minutes. I will be using Ascent software to download my rides and bikehike to upload courses.
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I look forward to fiddling around with maps and things on it (either OSM or a 2-year-old copy of Mapsource which is available).
You'll be able to have both, because the Oregon supports two mapsets**, one on the data card and one in memory, and pretty easy to switch between them (or have both at once, but in practice that usually gets messy).
[edit] with the latest software update, the Oregon can now work with a scanned and geocoded map - copyright permitting of course, you can scan any local map, say of a country park, and display it on screen on top of all the other mapsets. Or an aerial photo. More of a curiosity than a practical thing.
My top tip would be, first time you connect to the computer - backup everything in the Orgeon memory, to HD.
Then when you've eventually got it set up how you like it - make a 2nd backup.
** actually 3, if you count the basemap as well.
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Any picture? That's really cunning. That's "photos of tourist guidemaps turn into magic 'You Are Here' machine" cunning.
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Any picture? That's really cunning. That's "photos of tourist guidemaps turn into magic 'You Are Here' machine" cunning.
I'm holding out for a system gives a head up display on my glasses/visor, a realtime digital overlay of the analog world.
Once that is in place I can start integrating the weapons systems...
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I'm saving my pennies to buy an Oregon 550t...
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Thanks for all the comments, chaps.
You can't imagine the frustration looking at this gadget in its box and not being allowed to open it for a whole month!!!
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You can't imagine the frustration looking at this gadget in its box and not being allowed to open it for a whole month!!!
You've got to test it otherwise on the day of opening and it fails it'll be several days before you can get it replaced. You'll need at least a month of testing. ::-)
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You can't imagine the frustration looking at this gadget in its box and not being allowed to open it for a whole month!!!
You've got to test it otherwise on the day of opening and it fails it'll be several days before you can get it replaced. You'll need at least a month of testing. ::-)
Besides which, it's like those electronic pets that kids used to take to school (Tammygotcha?). Unless it gets taken out regularly it pines & dies.
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got one of them - oh - about a year ago :-)
It is indeed a very nice piece of kit.
My one bit of advice is to turn of the topographical display on whatever map you use. This turns the background white (From green) giving much better contrast.
Oh yes - and read everything here (http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/), including the details of firmware updates.
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Garmin have released
beta software updates for both Oregon and Dakota types, which are a bit more than just a tidy-up of existing features. [edit - Jan'10 - now out of beta]
The update adds several new display options, and in particular some interesting new features are available when following a Track, making this a more usable option than previously.
Whether it also addresses any of the issues that I've identified with my Dakota, I don't know yet, but will be checking it out in the next day or 2.
Warning: The update was quite stressful - warning fit very fresh batteries before starting, and a known good micro-SD card - on my unit the update took nearly 45 minutes after untethering from the PC (ie self-powered) - if the battery fails during this time you could end up with a small but perfectly formed brick.
See this
http://garmin.blogs.com/softwareupdates/trail-tech/ (http://garmin.blogs.com/softwareupdates/trail-tech/)
and this
http://www.gpsfix.net/garmin-oregon-beta-dashboards-tracknav/ (http://www.gpsfix.net/garmin-oregon-beta-dashboards-tracknav/)
for more info including screenshots.
Update
No it doesn't address any of my issues - but one or two of the new options are truly nice, and especially useful for people who prefer to work with Tracks rather than Routes. One or 2 new screenshots added to the end of the Dakota review (http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=25948.0) - they would be the same on the Oregon (just bigger/higher res).
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Well Oregon is unpacked :)
I inserted the micro SD card which contains some files of the Europe maps... but it won't read them. I think perhaps I was supposed to load some software somewhere to use the maps but nothing was evident. I'm a Mac user but have just fired up the PC and showed it the files and it's rather uninterested too.
Question 2, how do I get OSM on the gadget? I shall try further with the Garmin Maps, possibly reloading my Garmin software that came with the car satnav, which I know did various things with the data.
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Did it say "Cannot unlock Maps"?
If so, I have an email with attachment, sent to me by Garmin only yesterday, which worked for my new Vista HCX.
I'll forward the email.
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No, I think the problem is the way in which the DVD of the maps is mounted.
We have a slight issue in that our PC doesn't have a DVD drive, although the Macs do. I checked my old City Navigator disc and that's a DVD too... and only works with PCs, not macs. I was rather hoping to go out riding tomorrow with the Oregon showing me maps but that's not looking likely now :(
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Here's the thing. The main file (1.4gb) is called GMAPSUPP.IMG which my Mac identifies as an IMG file (no, really!) which is a disk image which it wants to mount... but can't. The other file I have is the GMAPSUPP.UNL. I put these two files directly onto the SD card but no joy.
Anyone got any advice?
Apart from having no maps, the gadget is just fab!
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Dez can do some funny things with his Mac in which he runs windows within it. Would that help?
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Well we can fit a DVD drive to the PC tomorrow if necessary (we have an external one), but don't feel up to it today.
I can then load my Garmin City Navigator v7 that I have from my in-car SatNav. Assuming that's the most suitable option.
I'm now faffing about trying to work out how to load Open Streetmap onto the gadget - I can't currently find an easy way to do it.
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Right, made SOME progress.
I was reading something on the OSM website and it said the maps had to be in a folder named 'Garmin' so I put the Mapsource stuff in a folder named Garmin, rather than directly on the SD card.
Now when I switch the gadget on it sees them but says 'Can't Unlock Maps', with either the unlock code on the original disk or with another one that I have. Any suggestions?
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Is the .unl file also in the Garmin folder?
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Yes it is. Is that the right place?
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Mine worked yesterday when I put it in there.
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The .unl file is an unlock code, which is specific to the serial number of the Garmin or the serial number of the SD card. So it wont work if you just copy it from another card etc. There is an unlock code generator available.
Or the easy way to get OSM maps is this website: Worldwide routable Garmin maps from OpenStreetMap (http://garmin.na1400.info/routable.php)
Pick the area you want, and it will email you a link to a gmapsupp.img file. Just copy that to a card in the Garmin folder, and it should just work.
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And remember you have a Garmin/ folder on your SD card, and another one on the GPS memory itself - and you can have a different gmapsupp.img file in each, and access them either/or/both via the menus.
I would recommend finding a cheap copy of Metroguide to tide you over - no unlock issues at all with Metroguide.
I couldn't possibly recommend googling for Softsalez because I doubt if their stuff is kosher.
I believe there's also an issue between Macs and Oregons, whereby the Mac when it sees the Oregon (the GPS that is, not the SD card) as an external drive, puts a 'waste bin' (recycle bin, whatever they call it in Mac-land) on it. I can't remember the details, but apparently this can cause some problems.
And the solution is to remove that directory, and write a file of the same name instead (and maybe write-protect it).
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Well I've been out for 40 miles today with the Garmin Oregon.
First thoughts.
The screen is indeed very tricky to read in daylight. My Oregon is mounted at about a 30 degree angle (it's facing me as I lay back on my recumbent trike, mounted at the end of the boom). As dusk approached I switched on the backlight and then it was wonderfully clear to read. Not sure long term what to do about this.
The OSM mapping works excellently round here.
I liked the way I could rearrange data fields in the Trip Computer. However it's driving me barmy that I can't seem to reset the overall Odometer (although I can reset the Trip Odometer) and I can't stop it recording if, for example, I walk into the house with the unit still switched on.
I have been able to download the data from the Oregon to Ascent but it does give me a warning about various things and tends to offer me a few extra rides of 0.00 which I think are related to GPX routes/tracks I've loaded on the machine but am not using. I'll have to work at finding out the best way around this.
There's no obvious place to do 'Delete History' so I'm not sure how long it retains the information.
The unit is twice the size of my Edge 205 but I do love the clarity of the screen (with backlight!) and the ease of navigation around the menus.
I don't yet know the difference between Tracks, Routes and Courses. I got it all worked out for the Edge (used Courses) but I think I'm going to have to do quite a lot more investigation as to the best way to use this. I haven't yet found a way of finding out how much further I have to go on a track when running one, for example, which is a feature I used all the time on the Edge.
I definitely think it's worth the money so far :)
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The screen is indeed very tricky to read in daylight. My Oregon is mounted at about a 30 degree angle (it's facing me as I lay back on my recumbent trike, mounted at the end of the boom). As dusk approached I switched on the backlight and then it was wonderfully clear to read. Not sure long term what to do about this.
I decided on my Dakota (similar type of screen) that the main problem is when it is reflecting the sky at me. On an upright bike this is fairly easy to handle because by angling it backwards on the bars, it soon comes to a point (about 30 degrees) where its reflecting my own upper body at me, and not the sky. (Narcissist, moi?) I do tend to loom over the bars which helps as well. Provided I'm wearing a fairly dark top this does the trick, and the screen visibility (no backlight) is then comparable to the Etrex C types. NB this is not quite the same thing as simply shading it from bright light.
On your setup this trick isn't going to work of course.
There's no obvious place to do 'Delete History' so I'm not sure how long it retains the information.
I think its the usual Trackpoint limit of 10,000 - which with the default recording settings is well over 24 hours of continuous running. When it gets over about 8,000 it starts auto-archiving the earlier sections of the Track before deleting them. The archives are in [Oregon]\Garmin\GPX\ and all track data is included.
If the archives are never cleared out it will eventually start deleting old archive files - but you might have moved on to another GPS before getting to this stage ...
Tony mentioned the Oregon Wiki (http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/) which is a very worthwhile resource and much more informative than the manual.
I haven't yet found a way of finding out how much further I have to go on a track when running one, for example
If you have simply set the Track to 'show on map' and are following it in that way - scrolling highlighted map - there won't be any way of doing this.
If however you do 'Where To' and 'Track' and choose your Track and 'Go' - yes that should work.
Just setup the map to show 2 data fields and make one of them 'Distance to Destination'.
The latest software (still in beta so not recommendable on that basis) does have several Track-related improvements. When it comes out of beta (maybe in 1 or 2 months time) I'd definitely recommend doing an update, if you prefer using Tracks.
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Thank you Frankly Frankie for your informative reply - I've found your posts most helpful when considering all this stuff.
So, day 2 with the Oregon, 41 miles today.
Firstly, the screen thing has improved as I've turned up the contrast a fair bit; I could view the map reasonably well in bright daylight. I turned the contrast down again when riding after dark as I have the backlight on all the time and it's dead easy to read.
Have done 4-5 hours on a new set of NiMh rechargeable batteries and the battery meter is still on 3/4 so that's looking good. I have turned off the compass as was suggested to help preserve battery life. I have a spare set of batteries with me all the time so that's no problem.
It appears I can't get the proper Garmin map to work but having loaded AndyGates' OSM I'm really happy with that anyway. I need to find a good quality OSM of Germany for my tour in May but that should be fairly easy; I've downloaded a sample cyclists' OSM Germany map and will have a look at it in due course.
I've fiddled with the data fields on the trip computer and stuff like that so it's set up more as I would like, although I'm a bit irritated that on the 'Default' setting it insists on showing elevation (which isn't much point for me) at the top; I'd rather have something more useful - like the Time Of Day. A minor niggle.
Routes/Tracks/Courses. Well I'm beginning to get an idea of these. Having used only an Edge 205 before, which has a course (easy to follow breadcrumb trail you download from Bikehike) or a track (more faffy and doesn't follow the road, not something I've used on the Edge) I found I was all at sea with the Oregon. I think I'm getting a bit closer to what's what now, which appears to be:
Tracks - this is where you've been, rather than where you're going. However you can use a track to follow (which works rather more like the course on the Edge 205m but without coursepoints). The Tracklog continually records where you've been as one long ride unless you break it up by saving it. This is what I was trying to get at earlier when I said I couldn't delete the history - what I mean is that if I go out for three rides over the day, then plug the Oregon into Ascent, it downloaded it as one ride; the Edge would have it as three separate rides, several of which have laps (when I turn the unit off if going into a shop, etc). This was fairly automatic on the Edge but isn't quite as easy on the Oregon.
Routes - this is where you plan a route by plopping waypoints on the map as you look at it (I think). I imported a route from Bikehike and it didn't work at all well - it's just got HUNDREDS of waypoints which makes it hard to read.
Courses - don't seem to exist.
Trip Computer - this starts automatically when you turn the Oregon on and you can't pause it. You can reset the Trip Computer but then you lose its data. On the Edge the data that you'd see on its equivalent of the Trip Computer was what was stored, and you could zero it and then download the data later. With the Oregon it seems the Trip Computer is just for your own interest and the Tracks are where all the real info is stored (I may be wrong with this).
I have read the manual and haven't learned anything particularly helpful.
What I'd still like to manage to do is plot a route on BikeHike which has a couple of coursepoints (i.e. cake stop, lunch stop) which I can then follow on the Oregon, with a field which is "distance to next coursepoint". This is how I used the Edge 205 in pre-planned group rides where we were all following a route and I liked that feature. However it seems that the Oregon is less about pre-planned rides and more about using the mapping to trailblaze, which makes sense but seems to have done without a feature I rather like.
My husband is a sailor so he may try out the Marine side of the Oregon when the weather gets better although we would have to invest in a Marine Map, unless there are OSM versions.
I still really like the unit, particularly its display. The interface with the computer is less easy than the Edge and I'm still struggling with my pre-planned routes but I shall test out a track/route tomorrow and see how that goes.
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What I'd still like to manage to do is plot a route on BikeHike which has a couple of coursepoints (i.e. cake stop, lunch stop) which I can then follow on the Oregon, with a field which is "distance to next coursepoint".
I'm not familiar with the 'Course' concept (though as described it sounds quite useful!).
If you plan say a 50km Route - it will have (on a typical UK road network) around 50 Points (give or take quite a few) and your "Distance to Next" would count down to each of those. Not quite what you describe.
Or you could adopt 'Follow Road' mode in which case your 50km Route would only need 5 points (give or take a few, again on UK roads) which sounds closer to what you want. But personally I'm not a fan of 'Follow Road' - but some people here like it.
Basically if you're a control freak into planning you would go for the 1st option and define your Route turn-by-turn.
If you are lazy think that's too much faff, you would go for the 2nd option and let the GPS do the work.
Tracks are not only about recording where you go - if you follow a pre-recorded Track (by you or by someone else, eg downloaded) using "Where To" then it becomes a virtual route and behaves somewhere in between the two scenarios described above. Typically there will be several intermediate points, with countdown available. Its a workable method, and probably requires less preparation than any other.
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So... more on the Oregon.
Yesterday was the Christmas WARTY for which I had a track duly loaded on the Oregon.
Before I left home for Chelmsford I was faffing around a bit with downloading some more OSM maps (I'm trying to find a good one of Germany and Benelux for my tour next May). Anyway, I realised I was running out of time so stopped what I was doing and set off in the car to the WARTY.
I had this fab plan of parking near Chelmsford, marking a waypoint "Car" which meant I could find it again, and then heading to Chelmsford Station using the waypoint I had previously created "Chelmsford Station". All grand.
However, when I switched the Oregon on after parking the car and reassembling the trike I discovered that I had accidentally disabled the UK map (it was on the SD card but no longer in the 'Garmin' folder as I was preparing to put the Europe map in there to check it out). So no maps, no auto routing to Chelmsford station.
Fortunately the station was easy to find, but it meant that I was following the track all day without actually seeing any roads or fields or points of interest. It also meant that I had to rely a bit more on my memory to find the car.
Today was a non-bike day but I decided to take the Oregon in the car to see how it worked in Automotive mode. I had loaded a Europe map from Cloudmade, plus AndyGates' UK map, and thought that would be interesting. I had already used the 'Where To' feature previously when cycling and using a different UK map but discovered when trying to use these maps that the unit got into a circular 'Calculating Route' and beeping mode and couldn't make a route for me at all. The only way to stop it going round in circles trying to calculate was to switch all the maps off, at which point it would stop trying and I could then get it back to normal. Even switching the unit off didn't stop its circular routing. My husband and I tried lots of different variables but it kept getting stuck. Since returning home I've re-enabled the previous UK map I used and that can do the routing, but if I use AndyGates' map only it doesn't; if I use both maps then it seems to work. Odd, but I'm glad I found it out before I needed to use the routing feature in anger.
Still think it's a brill gadget, had great fun playing with various options today and used the calculator feature yesterday.
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Hi AH
1 - On maps, if you turn off topographic display, the maps become higher contrast.
2 - Where do you make the display contrast adjustment - can't find that option on mine. Has it been introduced on a later firmware?
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Erm, how do I turn off topographic display?
To change the contrast, press the on/off button on the side quickly and you get a contrast and screen lock page.
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Erm, how do I turn off topographic display?
I see that Garmin are still making magnificent user manuals with all of the information easy to find and understand! :P ::-) :facepalm:
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I have actually read the user manual but am none the wiser.
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Assuming you mean you want the white background for the map display...
Setup -> Map -> Advanced Map Setup -> Shaded Relief -> Do Not Show.
I agree with others that this does make the map a fair bit easier to read by daylight. And no, the manual wasn't a great help!
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Rumour has it Garmin are going to rename the Oregon to the Louisiana. The manual will then be changed to read "Jus' push the buttons and pray boy!"
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Erm, how do I turn off topographic display?
To change the contrast, press the on/off button on the side quickly and you get a contrast and screen lock page.
Ah - OK - you confused me by talking about the backlight, and contrast. As I understand it, that control is the backight brightness. (But it does change the contrast).
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Incidentally - for future reference, Ive just had a problem with USB connectivity which has taken me a couple of hours to resolve.
USB mass storage mode (when you get the oregon as a disk drive) was painfully slow. A couple of minutes to show the drive icons, frequent "not responding" messages. 5 minutes to delete 40 files.
Fixed it by
1 - deleting all the gpx files from the gpx folder. (Copied them to PC first)
2 - removing and replacing my mmc card.
I think it was 2 that fixed it - because after deleting the gpx files there was no improvement, and copying them back afterwards did not make the problem come back.
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We've had our 400 for a couple of months, and now we're nearing the top of our learning curve we are at last very pleased with it. We'd not used gps before, nor had we ever even seen one close up.
The first couple of days were very frustrating - almost to tears. We hadn't bought a mapping system for the PC and had to wait for that to arrive. When we loaded it, pc and gps wouldn't interface, so we were still stuck at first base. It took half a dozen sessions of trial and discard to get the settings we needed for our activities. We bought the Oregon primarily for walking, but we do cycle occasionally.
The main problem areas for us have been the inadequate user manual and the distinct lack of available knowledge about the machine generally. We did feel we were something of pioneers in trying to get the thing working. Now we are getting into it, we can see that it's fault is that it tries to do everything for everyone, which makes it far too complicated for our small brains.
Keith
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So how is the Oregon after a few months use?
I have a Edge 705 but was thinking of a more general GPS as the 705 is very bike specific.
Owe and a course is a Garmin training file so only available on the fitness based GPS like the edge 405 ect.
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I still think mine is fabulous.
There are a few minor things that (in the absence of proper scriptability) I hope will get patched in via future firmware updates -- showing a full-screen alert as I approach a waypoint would be nice, for instance -- but that's it.
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Yep, I'm still really enjoying it.
Undoubtedly I'm not using most of its features - I just tend to stick with the trip computer (to watch my average speed and try to increase it) and maps if I'm going somewhere new. I plot Bikehike routes sometimes and follow them.
I think it'll really come into its own on my tour in Germany this May. The German OSM map I have found is excellent and has loads of useful cyclists' points of interest, such as bike shops. I look forward to exploring using the features on that map.
I like the touch screen as I can press it as I'm cycling along, even with gloves; reflectivity is the downside but I can live with it - I can always see the map, even if it's fainter than I'd like. Battery life seems excellent too!
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I must say screens like this are pretty neat (this is Dakota but they're pretty much the same, the Oregon is just a bigger better screen - which does make the touch buttons more usable)
(http://www.aukadia.net/pix/d-new-map-compass2.jpg)
(http://www.aukadia.net/pix/d-new-tracknav4.jpg)
However I do find my Dakota very flakey in use, compared with my Etrex C - for any serious project I would always revert to the Etrex.
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The main thing which worris me is the 'dull' screen - just how dull is it?
Also does the Oregon prefer a route or a track to follow? And is there a track point limit - the 705 is really good at following a track and very poor at following a route.
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However I do find my Dakota very flakey in use, compared with my Etrex C - for any serious project I would always revert to the Etrex.
That's a worrying comment. Not getting lost is pretty much always a "serious project" for me!
Could you expand a bit perhaps, on what you mean by flakey? Are we talking lock-up, shut downs, duff trip data - what I'd call important stuff - or just some of the fancy gimmicky features (if any)?
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I don't find it that dull, but it's difficult to describe a display without actually seeing it. I use the backlight on a timeout during the day. If you twiddle the angle as you ride along you can usually set it so you can read it without backlight, but it depends on conditions.
It can do either route or track. Both seem ok - I'm not sure I'd say it favours either over the other, but I'm not sure what you mean? Personally I prefer a track if I can get one. Track limit says 10000.
The track mode now shows a distance to any waypoints as you go along the route too, and the upcoming name, as you go along the track. The idea is to have the best of both options. But it doesn't light up or anything as you approach those points, like it does in route mode.
You can however make a stored track visible without 'following' it. So you can be in route nav mode whilst having a stored track showing on the map in a different colour.
I've only had relatively repeatable flakiness whilst mucking with new features. Nothing that'd concern me when using it for real. (but I wouldn't be without a backup map in the bag anyway)
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The main thing which worris me is the 'dull' screen - just how dull is it?
Also does the Oregon prefer a route or a track to follow? And is there a track point limit - the 705 is really good at following a track and very poor at following a route.
I agree that screen visibility is very important - I ruled out the Colorado completely on this ground.
When you say "poor at following a route" if you mean it often picks an illogical route despite your preference settings, I suspect this weakness is common to many Garmin models - the auto routing on my Map 60 CSx is so unreliable I never use it and that on my Edge likewise.
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I’ve spent a bit of time over the past couple of days on Garmin’s website trying to decide on which model of GPS to buy. I noticed they’ve posted a new (Beta) release of firmware (2.61) for the Dakota on Monday 15th February. It might address some of the flakiness – or make things worse!
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If you want to poke firmware versions, dig into either of these:
http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/ (http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/)
http://garmindakota.wikispaces.com/ (http://garmindakota.wikispaces.com/)
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v2.6 is already up to v2.7 by the way - these seem to be bug fixes for bug fixes ...
Regarding the 'flakiness' - I emphasise this is the Dakota I'm talking about so strictly speaking off-topic - the Oregon is a more mature model - though they are similar enough that software updates are being issued for both models in parallel. I'm still using v2.5 and its possible v2.7 improves some or all of these things. Or not.
Compared with the Etrex Legend Cx, I'm getting:
* Much slower boot time. Related to having multiple maps on board I think - which to be fair the Etrex can't do. [edit, + 2 weeks] Was a map problem - much quicker now
* Occasional lock-up, only rebootable by removing the battery. This only happens in autorouting mode I think.
* Slightly more jittery at walking speeds - so that the map display cants alternately slightly left/right - also the recorded track is a drunken stagger rather than a smooth line. Not a problem at cycling speeds. [edit, + 2 weeks] v2.7 has improved this
* Autorouting (follow road) is much more wayward. Not really a problem since I'm happy enough to do without it altogether.
* 'Next Waypoint' field displays incorrectly. Definitely a bug, so may get fixed one day I hope.
Regarding track-following - with the recent software updates installed, these models are much nicer for track-following than the Etrex C. If tracks are your thing, then the Oregon/Dakota is definitely worth considering.
Screen - most of the time its no worse than the Etrex C -not saying a lot! - it is dimmer and low contrast, but OTOH it is bigger and better resolution/colour depth. These just about balance out, for me. I don't like the font rendering though (see screenshots upthread). NB the Dakota screen is generally felt to be slightly brighter than the Oregon - very little in it from what I've observed. Neither is as good as the Colorado.
Pictures of the dim screen in my review in Reviews/Accessories.
Battery. Using the touch controls hammers the battery. In normal use just following a track or route, its fine. Again, Dakota is said to have better battery life than Oregon (because of the smaller screen).
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Do you get turn by turn directions on a track with the Oregon?
Also for handle bar mounts I noticed on Ebay that a third party is doing mounts which are much more flexible (judging by the photos) on the bars than the Garmin ones.
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I usually don't ride with turn-by-turn instructions (i.e. a route) as it's faffy to program in - I tend to just use a track which works OK for me. But no turn-by-turn instructions for this.
With regard to the mount, I've been very impressed by the solidity of this mount - particularly as my previous Edge 205 had a ridiculously flimsy thing that snapped. My Oregon is mounted on a handlebar stay at the front of my trike and that works well - presumably the thing would be just as good on a real handlebar on a normal bike.
With the Oregon I got a carabiner mount too - never worked out quite where I'd use it though. It's sitting by the computer looking forlorn at the moment.
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My Oregon turned up today - and it looks a lovely piece of kit. The mount does seem very stiff? is this normal? I've put the city navigator maps from the 705 on it with the transparent contour overlays from http://sites.google.com/site/talkytoasteruk/ukmaps (http://sites.google.com/site/talkytoasteruk/ukmaps) these people.
The other mount I spotted was this one
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260564919995&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260564919995&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT) I have however purchased Garmin's own but looking at the one on Ebay I'd think it would be easier to position the unit to avoid reflections? Without the back-light on the screen is dull - on the 705 the back-light being on had very little effect on battery drain.
The 705 does turn by turn directions on a course that why I ask.
The carabiner does look very impressive - I think i may take it down the pub to improve my street cred :)
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The other mount I spotted was this one
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260564919995&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260564919995&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT)
The eBay picture isn't too clear but to my eyes the handlebar clamp looks identical to the one used to mount the Map60 CSx. I found that the Map60 cradle vibrated slightly in this 'bar clamp; not enough to annoy but sufficient to wear the little lugs over time until the weight of the unit caused the lugs to snap off. Experience taught me that the presence of traces of white powder (which is actually ground away plastic) meant this was accelerating. A smear of Vaseline to reduce the friction proved to extend the life of the lugs. The Map60 is of course a bit heavier than the Oregon, which wouldn't help.
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Do you get turn by turn directions on a track with the Oregon?
Well I hope I'm missing something but I tried this morning (Dakota) and I can't find a way. Unlike the Etrex C which does sort-of do this (using Trackback).
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can anyone recommend a screen protector for the oregon? i tried one from the phone shop and it turned it into a mirror!
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can anyone recommend a screen protector for the oregon? i tried one from the phone shop and it turned it into a mirror!
I've got a Durasec HighTec on my Garmin Edge 705. It works very well and fits nicely. Pretty clear and unobtrusive. No bubbles and strong adhesive. Been on my Edge for over a year now. It's been out in all weather and no deterioration that I can see from when I fitted it.
This is the range for the Oregon models from the same (german) supplier I got mine from. (Note: It may be available via a UK supplier, but I haven't searched...)
http://www.durasec.co.uk/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=garmin+oregon&osCsid=15ba04f6c1b91a13d41f3d2d68985c44&x=7&y=1 (http://www.durasec.co.uk/catalog/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=garmin+oregon&osCsid=15ba04f6c1b91a13d41f3d2d68985c44&x=7&y=1)
Edit: The difference between the ClearTec and HighTec products (http://www.durasec.com/faq/index.php?action=artikel&cat=5&id=8&artlang=en)
Shaun
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thanks, they sound pretty good, i managed to find some on amazon.
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I bought the Durasec Hightec screen from the German chap, which I thought was very expensive at the time.
Has been in use for 5 months now and have had no problems at all. It was very precisely cut, easy to fit and definitely reduces the screen glare and makes it more readable in sunlight.
Keith
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I purchased a car windscreen mounting thing for the Oregon off of Ebay from Honk Kong - it works really well and they also put in a free screen protector which seems to work very well so far - I've only been out twice with it and the screen is much easier to see.
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i got the screen protectors from amazon but they came from Germany so i expect it's the same dealer. they're great in use but murder to get on without all the air bubbles! think it was about a fiver for five.
thanks
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i got the screen protectors from amazon but they came from Germany so i expect it's the same dealer. they're great in use but murder to get on without all the air bubbles! think it was about a fiver for five.
thanks
The one I got was about £9 for one. Thicker, and went on without bubbling.
Keith
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Piedwagtail, as Keeff points out, you've bought the ClearTec rather than the HighTec. IMO, the HighTec is quite a bit better. It's thicker and should last longer. In the link I posted above (The difference between the ClearTec and HighTec products (http://www.durasec.com/faq/index.php?action=artikel&cat=5&id=8&artlang=en)) it details the difference, including the fact that a ClearTec piece might only last a few weeks...
Shaun
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yes, mess up on my part i'm afraid, still i've 4 more goes to get the bubbles out before i buy the right one!