Garmin Colorado 400t Handheld GPS Unit with U.S. Topographic Preloaded Maps
by Garmin
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List Price: Category: GPS or Navigation System See more product details |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Garmin Colorado 400t Handheld GPS Unit with U.S. Topographic Preloaded Maps
Customer Review: Colorado 400t is just not as nice as what some of the reviews here say
Summary: 2 Stars
My wife got me this a couple weeks back (after I emailed her a tip that I wanted it) and I've been using it every chance I get.
Unfortunately, like quite a few others (read ALL of the reviews both here and in other forums about this model) I'm going to return it to the online store and here are my reasons...in the most important to me (and probably would be to any user) down to the least significant.
1. Accuracy of the maps showing on the screen....VERY inaccurate. Regardless of the profile I was in, the purple triangle on the screen showing my position was basically always inaccurate, anywhere from 60-80 feet. I did multiple tests after soft resets and master resets (everything that customer service asked me to try) and it really didn't improve for me at all...except to say that if I was outside for a long time with the unit it did get more accurate the long it was on. However, I would keep it in the car, take it with us to go find a geocache, turn it on, then wait a few minutes and it would do the craziest things. The easiest way to describe all of this is as such. I could stand in the middle of a straight road..and walk straight down the road...and the map on the display would be off to the side (of my location triangle) and usually askew (not straight up and down as it should have been). When I say it was pitiful trying to use it to find caches, I'm not kidding. The thing would jump all over and never seemed to show roads where they should have been on the display. Oddest part about this...when I'd upload the track data to Google Maps the locations where it showed me were dead on. So the unit itself was VERY accurate...but somehow, someway...the software displaying the map data and directional information is way off. Yes...I calibrated the compass..everything you can think of I tried..multiple times. Fact of the matter is, I just want to turn it on and use it and have it be accurate right away...like my Lexus navigation system....or my iPhone 3G Geocaching app.
2. The display on the Colorado 400t...be forewarned...is NOTHING like the screenshots showing on Amazon's site or on Garmins's site. Those images are captured with screenshot programs and the ones on the product shots are taken in an unnatural way (i'm a semi-pro photog and have done product shots so I know what needs done for shots like that). The screen you will see when the unit comes on is...shall I just say....very dim. Yes, it's transflective...yes, that will come in very handy when it's in bright sunlight (and was indeed very easy to see in bright sunlight)..but still looked NOTHING like what some of these sites make it appear to be. Even with the brightness turned all the way up it's NOT what I expected. My iPhone 3G is much much brighter. So, yeah, I consider the images they show on their site to be....deceptive. It's not what you'll get...I take that as being deceptive. You be the judge for yourself if you want, but don't say I didn't warn you.
3. Battery cover/waterproofness. Well this was not fun to deal with, but I warn you now...this thing ain't waterproof (IPv7) or whatever that designation is. The battery cover (covered with a great rubber coating) didn't slide all the way up as it should. I say as it should because it's obvious how far up it should go and the PRODUCT SHOTS ONLINE SHOW IT THAT WAY. Tell that to the ignoramous customer service idiot who tried to tell me that's how it was supposed to fit. Anyway, after emailing them a few times (and including some sales department email I found...AND emailing photos/links from a website clearly showing the problem!!!)...they finally sent me a different battery cover that fits better..though you have to take off the SD slot o-ring to make the new cover slide up enough..which still is tough to do. Engineering failure with this design..and it shows. Many have reported water issues/etc...if you just look at how the battery cover fits on your unit you'll probably be able to see for yourself if you can expect problems.
4. Automotive mode. Hadn't tried that until today..but after all of the inaccuracies of the unit (or at least of the maps or software running on it!!) I thought I'd at least give it a go. Same thing happened as with the Geocaching mode. I was on 695 in Baltimore and the scale was on 80 feet or something...the line for the highway wasn't even on the display! I had to zoom out to like 200 ft scale for the highway line to show up. Also, the top of the screen flickered as it loaded new road data..that looked pretty bad to me.
5. Wherigo. I was so looking forward to being able to do these things (read on their website), but I don't see myself getting another Garmin that might have the same innards..and hence same problems.
SUMMARY: Yeah, some people love theirs and swear by them, others (like me) have had enough problems that it's obvious that you roll the dice when you decide to get a Garmin Colorado 400t. I really really wanted to keep it if ONLY it had been accurate...but alas, mine was not...no matter what I tried. All the reviews swear that the Garmin 60CSx is the best...but just not as feature packed like this one was. But right now...I wish I had ordered the 60CSx instead. It didn't help that Garmin customer service tried to convince me that I was wrong about something that clearly were aware of as a problem and had a new design to address it. That's just wrong.
Customer Review: Opportunity lost
Summary: 3 Stars
I've put off buying a GPS for a long time and finally took the plunge with the Garmin Colorado. I feel that this is a great unit, marred by aspects of the software implementation and the Garmin model of dealing with map data. I gave the Colorado 3 stars in an uncharacteristic fit of generosity.
First, the good:
* This is a great looking, great feeling piece of hardware. It's light, but has a good heft. It's solid. The rubber material used for the battery cover feels very good in your hands. The physical interface is above par. The interface wheel is very well executed, a great bonus for a motorcycle rider like myself (gloves work well with the wheel, but just OK with the "soft buttons").
* The screen could be brighter, but is clear and the screen updates seem to be pretty good.
* Garmin seems to have the hardware down, reviews indicate that they used their own hardware for GPS reception (as opposed to the well regarded SiRF chipset). It is accurate (based on by tests with Google Earth), and very sensitive. It quickly makes its satellite acquisition and does so within my home.
* It seems to have some good integration with geocaching.org and wherigo.com, although I haven't tested it yet.
* The basic navigation and UI of the device is pretty good.
And... the bad.
* As a first time Garmin customer, I wrote off the tales of Garmin's terrible software. I was wrong to do so. Learn to use gpsbabel and Google Earth to supplement your needs for waypoints and tracks. There are some tricks for custom POI's and some more I'm sure I haven't discovered yet. The PC software is poor. The device loaded maps are not usable with the PC route planning software (no included DVD??).
* Maps. OK, they're serviceable. However, here in the Bay Area, I have already found some areas where they are wildly inaccurate: mislocated, missing parts of existing roads, missing roads. The unit is apparently capable of turn-by-turn routing; however, not with the loaded map set. Plan on spending another $150 on making your investment roadworthy. I can't tell yet, but it doesn't look like you can enter an address for road navigation, you must use a waypoint entered on the unit or from the PC software. All of the road name data is included in the unit but unaccessible to you. Welcome to Colorado.
* More on the previous point. This model is the 400t. The "t" stands for "trails". I live in Marin County, CA and this area could have been used as an example of fantastic trail coverage, but not for this version. There are really no trails in this unit as far as I can tell. I did find some trails in Pt. Reyes National Park, but other popular nearby hiking areas (Mt. Tamalpais) do not have any trails available. There are a number of trailheads marked, but no trails. I assume this means that there is little chance for trail coverage in more sparsely populated areas.
* OK, this is just a nitpick. The "Rock and Roller" is a good input device, but it is a copy of the wheel from the Apple iPod. That's not bad, but mouse over the map to the Apple campus and you will find that the Garmin dunderheads renamed the infamous Apple driveway to "Infinite Loo". Cute, but Garmin could stand to learn more than a few things about software engineering from Apple. Scratch that. Garmin should fire their software engineers and throw caution to the wind.
* Again, based on reviews, this unit is apparently capable of using the freely available (and fantastic) USGS raster maps. We will apparently have to wait for Garmin to capitalize on this government funded resource. Garmin aren't the only offenders here: just note that they put their bottom line above customer satisfaction. Underline that last bit if you've followed me this far. If Garmin has used any of this free data in the generation of their maps, they should be fined for corrupting it.
All in all, if I had to do it again, I think I would wait. If you need it now... It is good enough. I like the device, but I find the overall experience to be severely tainted. Soon enough there will be GPS enabled devices that can access Google Earth imagery wirelessly and this 400t might find its way onto an internet auction site.
Customer Review: A high end handheld GPS with lots of potential but hold off on your purchases for now.
Summary: 3 Stars
The Garmin Colorado is the third Garmin outdoor handheld which I've owned in the last ten years. I use GPSs for geocaching, hiking, boating and auto navigation and I have used the Garmin Colorado in all of these activities. Currently I have the Topo maps which come pre-installed on the unit and I also have the City Navigator North America NT 2009 driving maps installed. This review was written based on the Software version 2.51 and GPS Software 2.4.
I purchased the unit in January when it first came out. The first four months, like with many new tech products, have been bumpy. So far there have been 3 software releases which have made things much better but there is still much room for improvement. Overall I'll give the Colorado 3 out of 5 stars but I would recommend holding off on any purchase right now. Read on for more details.
First the good stuff.
- Paperless geocaching mode. Works very well and eliminates the need to carry paper or a Palm/PPC.
- Compact well balanced case and design. The design feels sturdy and fits well in your hand.
- Lots of memory and preloaded map data. This handheld has 4GB of internal memory (2.7GB used by Topo2008 maps) and you can expand with an SD card. I use an 8GB San Disk card.
- Profiles allow you to save and recall configuration depending on your mode of use (e.g. auto or hiking) or by user if there are multiple users.
- Big, high resolution screen as compared to most handhelds
- Autorouting. The Colorado was based on a Nuvi platform so I guess it makes sense that it is pretty good at autorouting using the optional City Navigator maps. No speech and no touch screen but it makes a decent unit if you don't have money for both.
Mixed bag.
- User interface. The Rock'n Roller and soft key entry method works pretty well for most tasks except text entry. Text entry is very time consuming and I avoid it whenever possible. Garmin has improved some aspects of the user interface by making it more simple but in the process they have removed many of the nice shortcuts available on the 60csx series that "expert users" enjoyed. Context sensitive setup options are a prime example. On the 60csx when you entered something like the altimeter page you could easily access the setup and calibration functions, not so on the Colorado. The result is a simpler interface for new users but a much less optimized interface for power users.
The not so good.
- Screen brightness. As compared to the 60cs(x) the screen is hard to read and you'll need to use the backlighting more frequently.
- Battery life. You'll need to use NiMH batteries and you'll need to use good ones, 2500 mAh or more. If you are willing to invest in these batteries and a good charger you'll still only get about 10hrs out of a pair.
- GPS accuracy. A lot of debate on this issue but personally I believe the unit isn't as stable and mature as the Sirf receiver in the 60csx. There are times when the unit wonders and has errors in the 400-500' range. Unfortunately recovery is slow and sometimes power cycling is the fastest way to get it back to normal.
- Waterproofness. IPX7 rated but many reports of leakage. This may be a design flaw or just a issue with early units, time will tell.
- There are many (mostly minor) software features (as of v2.51) that you will find on the 60csx but not the Colorado including waypoint averaging, search from a location on the map, search by waypoint symbol, calendar based recording of events, personalized startup screen, night/day mode, custom waypoint symbols, proximity alarms, viewing multiple tracks on map page and trackback. Some of this will probably be added over time but the list is pretty long so I'm sure some won't.
And the big issue:
- Hardware issues. I've watched a lot of the forums and news groups associated with the Colorado and many early owners have had to exchange their units two, three and in some cases even four times. The issues vary and are well documented but for this reason alone I would suggest holding off on a purchase for at least a few months until Garmin gets the formula right.
Customer Review: Needs work
Summary: 3 Stars
I've had mine for a few days. Comes with a very superficial manual so it takes some playing with it to get to know the unit. Very accurate GPS, nice interface. The ability to carry all cache information is great for geocaching, but getting the full caches on the unit is far from intuitive--the manual simply says "download them," but it's a bit more involved than the usual process of simply clicking on the "Send to GPS" button.
You cannot see more than one geocache on the map at a time. I'll expand: Geocaches are visible only on a separate geocache page, and only the selected cache shows up on that map. To see multiple geocaches on the map page, you have to load them separately as waypoints, without the additional information for paperless geocaching. (and you have to tweak it to see waypoints on a map--a simple bug but you'll have to research how to do it) Check out the online forums--the inability to see multiple geocaches on the map is probably the number one complaint of Colorado users so far, at least those interested in geocaching. In addition, the Colorado offers no means of marking a geocache on the unit as "found," or deleting it from the unit without the use of a PC.
I was also interested in the ability to pair the unit with the heart rate monitor or cadence sensor. I've tried it with my Garmin Heart rate monitor and it pairs just fine, but so far I can only view current heart rate. Unlike my Garmin Edge, there is apparently no way to upload heart rate history for later review. When asked, Garmin support implies that the unit will not work with Garmin's MotionBased website, but that it will work with Garmin Connect, a revamped site for uploading activity history and sharing that will supposedly be active for most Garmin GPS units "in a few months." (It currently works only with the Garmin 50 fitness watch.) In fact, I managed to get the Colorado to upload its track log to Motion Based (which I currently use for my Edge), but no luck with the heart rate data from the Colorado (though I routinely upload this from my Edge). Here's hoping this is resolved with the roll out of GarminConnect---the Heart rate monitor is far less useful without the ability to analyze how it changed throughout an activity.
I like mine fine, and I'm holding onto it in hopes that software fixes will be forthcoming from Garmin. If they integrate it correctly with GarminConnect, enabling sharing of files over the internet and full history analysis, this will be a fantastic tool/toy. Garmin seems to be aware of the potential of utilizing this kind of community-based knowledge-- First, the unit can share waypoints, tracks and routes, as well as basic geocache information, wirelessly, though the chances of me running into another Colorado user and needing this function seem minimal. Second, Garmin's purchase of MotionBased must have been for some reason--the idea of going online, viewing others activities and downloading their track files is a great one. Sort of like an online wiki trail guide. There needs to be more ability to comment on your own and others' tracks, but the potential is there.
Garmin separates its lines between "trail" "automotive" and "fitness." This unit, I had hoped, would attempt to do it all--it has an automotive mode, and supposedly, with the addition of another map, it will give turn-by-turn directions (though it has no speaker, so I doubt they'd be audible as they are in the Nuvi). It's ability to pair with the Garmin heart rate and cadence monitors is promising, if later software fixes address the inability to view history of that data. If you want a GPS for hiking, there are other mapping handhelds out there that are cheaper (including some nice ones made by GarminGarmin GPSMap 60CSx 2.6-Inch Mapping Handheld GPS). If you want the enhanced Geocaching functionality or the fitness monitoring, you might want to wait a few months to see if Garmin follows through with the necessary software fixes.
Customer Review: Fantastic, but not perfect.
Summary: 4 Stars
I bought this item with the understanding it had flaws. It is a new line, and it is a big step to take. Almost like moving from Windows 98 to Windows XP. It takes a lot of getting used to, and it is cumbersome to set up. I spent over 3 hours backing up the maps that come on the unit (not viewable on the PC, but do back it up because if lost they are not recoverable), customizing the "profiles," and rearranging the shortcuts to an actual usable rotation.
The unit runs off of shortcuts, rather than buttons on the front of the unit (like to 60C series). One button pulls up a menu of options to scroll through. You can change profiles to bring up different sets of shortcuts and settings.
I.e. I start in Automotive, which has a map viewed form above, with on-road auto-nav to a location near a geocache. Once I find a parking spot, I press the shortcuts button, and change to "geocaching" profile. It automatically switches to 3d topographical, "off-road" map that I follow to the cache. When I get close I shortcut to the option of compass o get right to it.
I have not had the bad experience of draining batteries. I accidentally left it on the first night after using it, and even after caching with the backlight periodically on, it still had bars left on the gauge the next morning.
Accuracy is not an issue (it is quite phenominal, 7-10ft 90% of the time) and I get full strength GPS signal inside the middle of my house (never ever got that with my 60CS).
The basemap roads are off significantly, but since I purchased the city-nav software with the unit, I only had to deal with the basemap for the ride home from where I bought it :). 80ft accuracy on the topography mapping is not so hot when driving (which side of the knoll am I on?), but when hiking it is more than accurate enough with the path tracking turned on (if 80ft off gets you lost while hiking, you probably shouldn't be hiking off the path).
The geocaching options are fabulous, being able to view the full name, description, previous logs, and an option to view the hint is great.
My only complaints are that geocaches don't show on the maps (only waypoints do). You can't edit/delete/mark-as-found geocaches at all. The marketing for this unit is a complete lie when they say "bright display even in the sunlight". Truth be told, on a sunny day like today, even in the shade, with the backlight fully on, it is hard to see the details on the screen. Also, only certain mini-usb chargers will charge the unit. The one I use to charge my cell phone puts the unit into "computer linking" mode rather than as a power supply (rendering it unusable as a GPS). Other phone charges work fine for some reason, there must be a difference between Type-A mini USB and Type-B mini USB that the unit is sensitive too, while most cell phones and the like are not.
Overall with the 400t, city nav 2008, the dash mount (60cs version doesn't fit), new car charger and protective case, it came to a ridiculously high cost, but understand this: I would buy it again. If you do so, just remember that the effort you put into setting it up to fit your needs makes a huge difference. Take the time to learn it inside and out and you will experience how the complexity of it turns into versatility and enjoyment.