Garmin Oregon.....Thoughts/Reviews/Opinions?

[mait]

Hi guys,
Got myself an Oregon 300 as a birthday present. It came together with local Topo map (routable). Basically I am very satisfied, the screen is very bright with 100% backlight and even better with external power. I haven’t used it on the bike yet (too much snow) but it navigates OK in the city in my car.

Here comes my question. I am planning a trip of ca 200kms. In the middle part of the trip there is section where my Oregon’s Topo map shows no road but I know I can ride directly through this section.
Is it possible to create a route that consist of routable roads, then offroad section and then again roads?
Thanks
Mait

[Emmbeedee]

Originally Posted by mait

Here comes my question. I am planning a trip of ca 200kms. In the middle part of the trip there is section where my Oregon’s Topo map shows no road but I know I can ride directly through this section.

Is it possible to create a route that consist of routable roads, then offroad section and then again roads?

Mait

I don't think so, but why not just make three routes? The first road section, the second offroad and the third back on road?

A separate route for each, essentially.

[mait]

Thanks Emmbeedee,

Lets say I make 3 different routes, 1st onroad, 2nd offroad, 3rd onroad. When I reach the end of the 1st route I have to change the routing settings to offroad, and then in the end of 2nd route back to onroad, right?

[Emmbeedee]

Originally Posted by mait

Thanks Emmbeedee,

Lets say I make 3 different routes, 1st onroad, 2nd offroad, 3rd onroad. When I reach the end of the 1st route I have to change the routing settings to offroad, and then in the end of 2nd route back to onroad, right?

I'm not sure - I can't remember if the routing type is stored with a route or affected by the current state of the gps. I'll see if I can simulate that today and let you know what I find.

[Emmbeedee]

Originally Posted by Emmbeedee

I'm not sure - I can't remember if the routing type is stored with a route or affected by the current state of the gps. I'll see if I can simulate that today and let you know what I find.

Didn't get time to experiment but I'm pretty sure the gps overrides the route and will try to navigate onroad if it's set to do that, and a road goes where you're going.

So you'd need to set the routing options in the gps depending on which route you're taking. Not difficult to do, mind you.

[mait]

OK, thanks. I just wanted to make sure I have understood things right. The whole GPS thing is new to me.

[markbvt]

Interesting that you guys have brought this up now.

I know that Road Trip and MapSource are now able to handle a route that includes both onroad and offroad segments. I've been meaning to try creating one and then uploading it to my Oregon to see if it will work. I think if route recalculation is turned off, it may.

If someone else tests this, please post up your results.

--mark

[mait]

Markbvt, this is exactly what I expect from the GPS. I still doubt that GPS will handle the route correctly if it consists of different type of segments. Because you have to choose on-road or offroad settings and the settings apply to the whole route. Anyway please let us know.

If you have success with this I will go and purchase another topo map on DVD for Mapsource. I have only basemap with a few main roads for Mapsource. Oregon came with topo map but I can not download it to the computer.

[MMcnamara]

Originally Posted by mait

Markbvt, this is exactly what I expect from the GPS. I still doubt that GPS will handle the route correctly if it consists of different type of segments. Because you have to choose on-road or offroad settings and the settings apply to the whole route. Anyway please let us know.

If you have success with this I will go and purchase another topo map on DVD for Mapsource. I have only basemap with a few main roads for Mapsource. Oregon came with topo map but I can not download it to the computer.

24K is said to have routable roads, but a combination route is possible if you go -->Setup -->Routing -->Avoidance Setup -->Unpaved Roads

With the basemap and 100K you have no unpaved roads on there to route upon. From what I've seen only Garmin products will give you on road routing. City Nav and 24K.

Resetting the unit results in unpaved road avoidance off, at least it did when it sent me down a gravel shortcut on my FZR south of Rock Springs. Lovely gas fields, Colorado and Wyoming! Tell the critics to go see it with their own eyes! If you love the desert, you'll love it. If you have seen enough of it and your rear tire is showing cords and you have to make Colorado Springs TONIGHT! you might want to hop on I-80.

[XR650Rking]

Making my own hard wire for the cheap!

Goals:
1. Right-angle bend down,
2. Not have to use GPS Spanner mode (so don't have to be asked if mass storage if quick loss of power)
3. not have to tie up my only power outlet on my bike.
4. have a secure plug
5. not have to spend $20 (or what ever it cost)


(I apologize for any bad pics before I'll be doing it all again for a final version so I can take better pics if needed)

Step 1, get Cable

I used the simple USB cable that came with the Garmin 450 to modify before I started spending money. (didn't appear any different than any other USB with mini USB plug laying around.)



Step 2 Shaved off the rubber off the connector,





(the above connector can be purchased for a buck or two online for quantities of 5-10 but this was a spur of the moment project and I have tons of these cables laying around.)

Step 3a open connector, (can be skipped if the goal of avoiding the question for mass storage isn't important for you)

I spread the edges slightly where the two pieces of the housing sandwiched the internals, then separated them.





Step 3b, Place a dab of solder on the TOP (not the side that is contacted the GPS contacts) to short out pin X and pin 4. (it tells the gps to go into navigation mode, http://pinouts.ru/GPS/garmin_nuvi_power_pinout.shtml) the Oregon 450 doesn't charge the batteries just powers the unit so it is fine to just short it. (consulted a electrical engineer buddy on this stuff so I didn't mess up my one week old GPS!) also you can look at P9 (http://garminoregon.wikispaces.com/Power) but I tend to verify Wiki's

You don't need much...and make sure it doesn't drop below to interfere with the gps contacts because you don't want extra stress on its connections or wear for too tight, or even broken off solder dislodging and causing other problems.



Step 3c Put it all back together, (I used some solder at the edges of the housing where I bent the housing back onto itself so its solid.

Step 4, Bend the housing at the brace below the housing. (the connections are about a cm inside it so you aren't bending at the connection.)



Step 5, coat the area you removed the rubber with liquid Electrical tape!
Use a thin coat at first then use multiple thicker coats, it dry more even than it looks when you first apply it just don't try to work it too long or the top will get tacky and your brush will make it start to look worse. just put it on and let it dry. if you get it places you should you can always trim it later.



to accomplish Goal 4 of a secure plug, I did one thin swipe with the liquid Electrical tape across one side of the mini-USB (let it dry at least 24hr). and it was very secure in the GPS. but after putting it in and out about 5 times it had all pealed off. but it was secure enough that its easy to put on...or I'll roughen up the side of the USB so the liquid electrical adheres better, or just add some more every so often.

What I did was I wired this up to an old Mini-usb car charger (look at the pin-out link above) that I wasn't using (still no cost at this point) to try the form and function on the trail! I spend 2 days blazing new trails, hill climbs, multiple falls, and some places driving over some many logs that looked like Pick-up-sticks downed by loggers. and I had no problems with any connections, AND with the right angle plug it didn't hit my Clarke tank (Closer to the bars when at the turn-stops) at the extreme turning. I was very happy, I did notice that since I was using the old Automotive accessory plug for now that the shape of it that with vibration it would work itself out of my accessory plug port. then the GPS would ask if I wanted to turn off or stay on. all I had to do was push the plug back in and it immediately went back to tracking and didn't ask if I wanted to got to mass storage mode like it use to? (but this problem will be eliminated by hard wiring)

Next step in my plan, (I ordered this from overstock.com for $2.99)


(actually ordered 3 of them)

I liked that it was a coiled wire. I will either use the end I made or modify that mini-usb end. and I will open up the accessory plug end and attach some leads that I can hardwire into the bike with a quick connect plug then put a large heat shrink around the circuit board to waterproof it. But they haven't arrived yet and are still in the works.

If it works I'll make a hard wire for my truck to go down behind the dash where my GPS mounts in the lower right hand corner.

I'll keep ya'll posted of the progress.

[Pcfly]

Thought everybody tracking this might want to know about the $50 rebate going on with Garmin "On Trail" (includes Oregon) GPS's. Here's the link.

http://garmin.blogs.com/files/dakota_oregon_rebate.pdf

I was just looking at getting one of these (Oregon 450t) and found this to sweeten the deal, figured I'd pass on the info for anyone else looking.

[XR650Rking]

My Cheap OVerstock.com car chargers came in...good thing I bought 3 at $3 because they were CHEAP! (didnt look like the picture either) the car plug, is cheap plastic glued together so I opened it to see what I was going to do and noticed that there is a fuse Soldered to the board unlike some of the better ones which have a replaceable fuse under the screw off power lead And that the soldered connection for the 5v leaving the circuit board had a broken connection on 2 of the 3 units I bought. I repaired/reinforced them all since they were open, and I jumped the hard-wired fuse and will put one in-line. They will work fine for me.

BUT ideally if you have an old one you are not using for a cell phone it'd probably be better quality or spend a couple more dollars and get a better one for $5 or so.

[mbabc]

I've saved a ride I took Sunday by using the Oregon 550 'track manager' and gave it a descriptive name. I can see it on my GPS, along with other saved tracks, but when I try to - 'transfer - receive from device' from mapsource it just transfers the 'current' track, no saved ones. What am I doing wrong here???

Thanks for any help.

[DRTBYK]

MapSource doesn't seem to know about the \Garmin\GPX\Archive directory. You can do the following from within MapSource:

File->Open-> (navigate to) your Oregon\Garmin\GPX\Archive Select and open the Track you saved.

Or, use BaseCamp v3.0.1

[Emmbeedee]

I posted info on new software in the GPS 101 forum:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=569142