Garmin Oregon 300? Pros vs. Cons with this GPS?

[tip_upclyma]

So I have written off Lowrance...with the durability issues and poor service...I am switching over to Garmin.

I like the looks of the Garmin Oregon...can anyone give me a review on this unit from personal experience?

I have read several reviews online, but they were more in general thoughts.....I want to know how ice fisherman like it when on the lake.

Thanks for any news..I am picking mine up today after work!

[timjones]

After you have had a chance to use it out on the ice, could you post how well the touch screen performed in the cold? I was thinking about getting the Oregon 300 but some reviews on the touch screen and comments from other ice fishermen that have them changed my mind. Garmin claims the touch screen is good down to -5 degrees but apparently it starts having problems once it starts getting down to around 20 to 25 degrees. One guy keeps it in his inside pocket until he is ready to use it so it doesn't get to cold. I am now thinking of getting the Garmin GPSMAP76Csx. Hope yours works OK for you.

[broman]

I'm the guy who keep is in my pocket. I am still very glad I bought it. Money well spent. I would never go back to an H2O. I set up my Oregon 200 so it's using the Marine profile with the Marine Chart Mode on Nautical. Nautical makes the lakes white and the contour lines blue. It's very easy to read that way. I love being able to scroll around the touch screen.

I love the waypoint editing. You can easily edit your waypoints using a screen that shows all the letters instead of going up and down like the H2O. I can even add my own depth to my waypoint and a description as well as a name.

One disappointment I have is that the depths don't show on all the contours. I have to drop a pin and scroll around to see them. Could be the chip, I have a Lakemaster MN 2008 edition.

[Ed Carlson]

The Oregon 200 is a very good unit and if you wish more memory than the Oregon 300 will be an even better choice. The expandable memory is handy, otherwise they are basically the same. If you wish you can go all the way up to the 550, loaded for bear, camera and all...a very Kewl unit.

Very good units, extraordinarily user friendly with many new features that are far ahead of all other handheld GPS units now on the market.

In general what I find is Garmin sets the bar on quality GPS, and all others try to catch up.

[thorski]

I got an Oregon 300 in September and love it. I have the '09 Mn Lakemaster mini SD card in it...very nice. For fun, I took it snowmobiling with me last weekend to map the trail as a route. I had it clipped to the outside of my jacket the whole time. Not sure what the temp was exactly, but it was cool, less than 20 degrees though. My screen/gps worked perfectly the whole time. My battery life wasn't great (about 1 1/2 to 2 hrs) in the cold. I use rechargable batteries and I am not sure the set I used while snowmobiling were fully charged before I left home.

I agree with Ed. IMO, Garmin makes a better product.

[bigbad401]

I got the Oregon 200 just before X-mas and I love it. Garmin is a far superior product in my mind. I have been out fishing with it a few times and the screen does just fine. One of those days is when it was negative temps just after X-mas. Keep in mind that the battery life will be less in the very cold, especially with rechargeables.

Broman, I have the Lakemaster 2009 chip and I can see all the depth reading of the contour lines when I zoom in all the way. Otherwise it just shows every few feet if I am zoomed out a bit.

[tip_upclyma]

Hey everyone...I appreciate the responses....Well, I picked mine up on Friday from an older guy off hsolist....this GPS is AWESOME!

With the '09 Lakemaster MicroSD chip, I had a blast on Winnie this weekend!

I recommend this Garmin Oregon to anyone who is looking for a GPS right now!

[Ed Carlson]

Garmin makes "New".. truly improved for a change...just imagine that once...and easier to use in each new generation..ya just have to love that right.

The Oregon line is a heck of a sweet gps unit.

[tip_upclyma]

FYI this was not gotten at hsolist.com...but c.r.a.i.g.s.l.i.s.t. com

C.raigs RULES!

[Ybone]

I've been trying to decide between getting the Oregon 300 or the 76csx. Any opinions on the differences or advantages of either one.

[broman]

I believe the 300's screen is larger. Plus, it's a touch screen and you can move around the screen by dragging your finger (which I love), resolution on the 300 is better and it has 850 MB of internal memory, picture viewer, Garmin Connect, wireless unit to unit transfer of info, custom maps compatible... need I go on. The 76csx doesn't have any of those. The 300 is just a much better unit. I don't believe there is anything the 76csx has that the 300 doesn't.

If you want more details I would go to Garmins site and view the specification on both and put them up side by side.

[bigbad401]

If you want more details I would go to Garmins site and view the specification on both and put them up side by side.

That is the best way to look at them both.

[McGurk]

... I don't believe there is anything the 76csx has that the 300 doesn't.

There's one thing the 76Csx has that none of the new Oregons, Dakotas, and Colorados have: the SIRFStar III chipset; the gold standard of GPSr antennas. THat is the main reason alot of 76's and 60's are still being sold at premium prices, even without a larger screen and new interfaces. I'll hold off of a touchscreen GPSr, as I tend to fat-finger my touchscreen phone enough as it is.

[bigbad401]

From what I understand is that the newer 70's and 60's don't have the SIRFStar III chipset in them anymore, they have a Mediatek chip inside. I could be wrong on that, but that is something that I heard on some of the GPS forums.

[McGurk]

That would be a disappointment. If that is the case, then get whatever's newest with the biggest screen and easiest to use. Thanks for that tidbit.

[bigbad401]

From what I have read, the Mediatek chip is supposed to be a more sensitive chip. What helped the 60 and 70 series Garmins was the helix antenna. Also, from what I have read, the Oregon and Colorado series accuracy is not too far off of what the 60 series shows. For the most part, a meter or so. Three feet isn't that bad for consumer electronics.