Is there an ADV poll on favoured GPSs?

[rwamf]

Originally Posted by eljeffe

Garmin Dakota and Oregon units save 10,000 points.

Again yes it will save 10,000 points but can you load a 10,000 point track into the unit, or give it away to load it into another Dakota????
Garmin seems to think that 500 point tracks saves ( Internal Memory) are all that is needed, Yes the Dakota can have 200 track files saved or loaded and that is great but you must edit them in Mapsource, you have to cut up the 10,000 point log into 20 tracks to keep the resolution. So go ahead and save your 10,000 point log to the card, it is only a file for later use in Mapsource.

[Steve W]

Originally Posted by rwamf

Garmin still limits the saved tracks to 500 points each, The Active track is 10,0000 points and you can save that to the SD card but you can not load that back into the unit, you can only use it it in Mapsource.

Not a good generalization, . The 276/376/478 Chartplotters will accept and save uploaded tracks of 1000 points per (15 total) from MapSource or BaseCamp, keep the 10,000 point active tracklog in internal memory, and will allow it to be loaded and navigated forward or reverse (all or part) via the "TrackBack" feature. They even keep and display the track colours you've designated in MapSource. IIRC, most of the old StreetPilot series had almost the same functionality. You do have a valid point though, but it's only the recent offering from Garmin that suck..... IMO.

[rwamf]

Originally Posted by Steve W

Not a good generalization, . The 276/376/478 Chartplotters will accept and save uploaded tracks of 1000 points per (15 total) from MapSource or BaseCamp, keep the 10,000 point active tracklog in internal memory, and will allow it to be loaded and navigated forward or reverse (all or part) via the "TrackBack" feature. They even keep and display the track colours you've designated in MapSource. IIRC, most of the old StreetPilot series had almost the same functionality. You do have a valid point though, but it's only the recent offering from Garmin that suck..... IMO.

I thought it was 750 points @ 15 tracks in that series, I have loaded many units and remember a 750 point limit on them??? May be they were 176's??
Plus I NEVER use the trackback feature as WHY???? just follow the line and make sure your ACTIVE track is set to a contrasting color from the track you want to follow.

[tbirdsp]

Pretty sure the 276C-type units saved tracks are 15 of *700* points each.

And don't go by Garmin's web site - they have the specs wrong half the time.

[Steve W]

Originally Posted by rwamf

I thought it was 750 points @ 15 tracks in that series, I have loaded many units and remember a 750 point limit on them?

It's 15 @ 1000 points. I verified before posting by dumping my complete track log from a 14 trip to the unit, most in the 3k to 5k point range. They were all truncated down to 1k points by my 478. The saved tracks showed 14 saved and 1 remaining. The spec sheet for the 478 says 20 tracks but my units will only allow 15.


Edit:

I just tried the same with my 376C and it also shows the tracks as containing 1k points........ But then it gets weird. To be continued........ Never mind, BaseCamp issue.

[WU7X]

I have used DeLorme's Topo map series for years with my notebook computer and in the truck for offroading, etc.

I was never impressed with the PN40 because of the small screen size, but some of you seem to be having lots of luck with it on your dualsports. I'm riding a 650 Dakar, so may have to revise my thinking.

Is the Pn40 screen readable in direct sunlight?

Any more comments or suggestions about how/why it is a better system?

I have gone from looking at the Zumo 550/660 series down to the Nuvi 550. Now I am giving the PN40 a second look. Fill me in....

Thanks in advance,

Dale, the Old Fart

[rwamf]

Originally Posted by WU7X

I have used DeLorme's Topo map series for years with my notebook computer and in the truck for offroading, etc.

I was never impressed with the PN40 because of the small screen size, but some of you seem to be having lots of luck with it on your dualsports. I'm riding a 650 Dakar, so may have to revise my thinking.

Is the Pn40 screen readable in direct sunlight?

Any more comments or suggestions about how/why it is a better system?

I have gone from looking at the Zumo 550/660 series down to the Nuvi 550. Now I am giving the PN40 a second look. Fill me in....

Thanks in advance,

Dale, the Old Fart

Yes the screen is small but it is very readable in direct sunlight, Better IMO than my Garmin 60c, The key thing for me is the Data, and Delorme maps are the best, the tracking , draw layers, aerial photos, USGS quads really set it apart from the rest of the pack.
We did a ride to Montana last year and my brother who used to have a 5" screen Gps and his buddy on a KLR both bought PN40's before the trip we loaded the track set into them and they had no problems with them, My brother even commented how much easier the screen was to see in all lighting conditions and the ability to use high resolution track files is great. no more filtering them down to 500 points.
Is it perfect no, does it do auto routing yes, but it is not that great at it, it is if you like dirt roads as it has routed us over some great stuff that my Garmin just keep us on a highway.

[nevermind]

Originally Posted by rwamf

Yes the screen is small but it is very readable in direct sunlight,

I have a 60csx and just got the PN40. My eyes are in the "bi-focal" age group and that screen is doggone small. The compass numbering/lettering is smaller and I have to take a few seconds more to read it. Not good when moving along at motorcycle speeds, but it's ok if you're walking.

[Emmbeedee]

Originally Posted by never mind

I have a 60csx and just got the PN40. My eyes are in the "bi-focal" age group and that screen is doggone small. The compass numbering/lettering is smaller and I have to take a few seconds more to read it. Not good when moving along at motorcycle speeds, but it's ok if you're walking.

Interesting comparison - that screen is as small as my Legend C. I think you're right - a bit small for navigational use on a bike.

[Pomo]

Originally Posted by rwamf

Again yes it will save 10,000 points but can you load a 10,000 point track into the unit, or give it away to load it into another Dakota????
Garmin seems to think that 500 point tracks saves ( Internal Memory) are all that is needed, Yes the Dakota can have 200 track files saved or loaded and that is great but you must edit them in Mapsource, you have to cut up the 10,000 point log into 20 tracks to keep the resolution. So go ahead and save your 10,000 point log to the card, it is only a file for later use in Mapsource.

I have a 60CSx, so I know what you're talking about, and can absolutely appreciate the sentiment. It looks like PN40 only allows 10 tracks though. So yes, in a raw points resolution it still wins, but I like making new tracks with different colors to indicate gas, alternate routes, etc; a lower overall track limit will make it tougher to do this without carrying a multitude of extra cards with the overflow tracks on them.

[rwamf]

Originally Posted by Pomo

I have a 60CSx, so I know what you're talking about, and can absolutely appreciate the sentiment. It looks like PN40 only allows 10 tracks though. So yes, in a raw points resolution it still wins, but I like making new tracks with different colors to indicate gas, alternate routes, etc; a lower overall track limit will make it tougher to do this without carrying a multitude of extra cards with the overflow tracks on them.

Not quite as Delorme has announced that the next update you will not only be able to save your track files to the SD card but import them into the unit as well, no PC needed, so with the update you could have a thousand tracks on the card and use any set you want, I have a 16Gig card and the western US takes about 8 gigs of data for full topo, so I have plenty of space for lots of other data. Can't load track files from the card with the Garmin. also with draw layers as an overlay you can have what ever long high resolution track file on the unit you could ever want, I have one track file saved as a draw layer that has 17,000 tracks in it, that's right 17,000 separate track files all loaded at once, it is like having a high detail map . and with using the draw layer method you can make the tracks look so many different ways, from thin dotted lines to thick solid lines in any color you want, and when you move your cursor over the line it tells you what it is, that is if you named each track ( trail NFS3415A, Hard Way 3 day two, etc)
Below are some screen shots showing what the draw layers look like at different zoom levels, The colored lines are tracks for the Bishop Dual sport from last year, the small black lines are a draw layer of all the actual forest service data that I have.

As you can see there can be lots of data on this little screen, Below are some closer shots again the colored tracks for from the Dual Sport ride ( diff colors diff erent days or loops) the dotted lines are the Forest Service data I have, lots of them are not on my Topo map, so by over-layering them , as you can see I have a better map.

[Pomo]

Hmm. Anyone want to buy a Garmin 60CSx so I can get a Delorme?

[WU7X]

Can you power the PN40 off your bike's battery? If not, how long does the internal battery last?

Dale, the Old Fart

[AKASY]

I fully agree--been using a PN20 for a long time--actually have 2. But the the software really sucks......

Originally Posted by rwamf

WRONG.... This has nothing to do with the sampling rate,,,Garmin still limits the saved tracks to 500 points each, The Active track is 10,0000 points and you can save that to the SD card but you can not load that back into the unit, you can only use it it in Mapsource. If you try to share it with you Bud, he would have to Filter it or cut it up to use it in his GPS, THAT SUCKS, come on Garmin. Some of the new units will take 200 saved tracks and with that you could save a DS ride with accurate tracks if you did it in more than 20 tracks, but most units will not take them, Too many people take a 3,4,8,000 point track and filter it down and all you get is a crappy track, if you save the active track as soon as you get to 5% ( to save to internal memory) or save the full 10,000 point track to the SD card and then cut it up in Mapsource and don't just filter it down it would be fine, but there is no real reason today to limit tracks to such a small amount of data.
Some dual sport promoters give there track files out at a max of 250 points as there are still people out there with the older Garmin B&W units that will only accept 10 tracks @ 250 points each, so all of us that can take better track files have to suffer as they do not want to have separate track files for diff GPS's,
At the VCMC event in Bishop we have separate track files for different GPS's, so if you show up with a Garmin B&W you get the worst tracks 10 tracks of 250 points for each day, so you have to come back to load the next days etc, if you show up with a Garmin Color then you can load two days worth ( 20 tracks @500points ea.) , If you have a Delorme or a Lowrance you can have full resolution tracks for each day, separate track files for hard ways and easy ways, so you can view just the rack you want, no worries about splits etc.
and that is just for dual sports, but when you are on a 3 or 4 state ride then the difference is huge.
Tracks are the only way to go for offroad riding and sharing them is a great way to enjoy some fantastic rides with less worries about taking a wrong turn and not having enough gas to the next town.

[rwamf]

Originally Posted by WU7X

Can you power the PN40 off your bike's battery? If not, how long does the internal battery last?

Dale, the Old Fart

I have their "power Kit" which includes a lithum Ion battery pack and a 12vdc coiled cord, works great, also when running on bike power it is charging the battery pack, so it is always ready to go, but it will only last 4-8 hours so I am told, I have never had to use it on Battery only for very long', It will also take AA's so you have options.

Originally Posted by AKASY

been using a PN20 for a long time, But the the software really sucks......

The pn 40 is so far ahead of the 20, the speed is amazing, Also the sofware is amazing IMO I am still learning things that you can do with it, it does have a steep learning curve but it is the best most capable software I have found, I still use Mapsource for quick file editing and filtering for my buds, but it can not even come close to what you can do with the Delorme Topo software.