DeLorme Map Library Subscription Card for Topo USA 8.0 and Earthmate PN Series GPS Navigators

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Buy Cheap DeLorme Map Library Subscription Card for Topo USA 8.0 and Earthmate PN Series GPS Navigators


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The Map Library Subscription card provides unlimited downloads for one-year to the DeLorme Map Library using Topo USA 8.0 software (sold separately). This library lets you select U.S.geographic areas of interest and download USGS 7.5-minute topographic quad maps, color satellite maps, and NOAA nautical charts using the NetLink tab of Topo USA. Once downloaded, they’re yours to keep. Topo USA software is available separately or included with the DeLorme Earthmate PN-Series GPS. Topo USA contains the blended DeLorme vector street and topographic maps. The additional map types downloaded from the Map Library are yours to layer on the DeLorme PN GPS, enabling you to switch among map types of your GPS location. It’s amazing!
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Technical Details

- one-year unlimited access to the DeLorme Map Library online
- download up-to-date USGS 7.5-min quads, satellite and aerial images, and NOAA nautical charts
- you can keep all downloaded materials after one-year subscription expires
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Customer Buzz
 "Delorme Map Library Subscription Card" 2010-02-07
By CT River Man (Hartford, CT)
This review is for the Delorme Map Library Subscription Card. I have started downloading additional charts, maps, and images to use on the computer and on the handheld pn-40. Using the software is easy. The downloads can be slow and fail ten percent of the time, but after applying all Topo version 8 fixes, download failures have almost gone away. When downloading charts you can do 5 at a time and this may be good because of the download time. A better index of charts would be helpful, but this is making my handheld GPS into a chart plotter. Over all this is a good value to go along with the Delorme software and handheld GPS.

Customer Buzz
 "Hard to download large areas" 2010-02-05
By J. Powell
The interface for cutting your maps makes it hard to download large areas. This is very inefficient for example with the Canadian map packages. Sure its a great deal but you have to be willing to do hours worth of work to download the maps you want. It would be nice if they just had a topo map package of Canada. That said the aerial downloads for U.S. and hi resolution city imagery are amazing.

Customer Buzz
 "map library" 2010-01-30
By D. Menendez
If you alrady have any of the Topo maps all you have to do is place the code in the appropriat place and off you go. Great product to have if you like to download maps to your GPS or just download them.

Customer Buzz
 "All you can eat, but the salad bar is empty" 2010-01-23
By B. First
If you could actually download the maps successfully, this would be a great deal...but Delorme seems to place a 13-20kbps limit on the download (that's in addition to the prep time required between placing the order and the data being available for download). Consider that a 35sq mi aerial set will be around 500mb, you can see how virtually unusable this service is.



Delorme support is slow and not particularly responsive. Topo USA software is a bit buggy, especially when it comes to acquiring the maps, and the SP1 they pointed me to a week after I submitted the ticket (the software didn't alert me via its update notification) didn't really fix the problem. Searches on the support site for the error messages and issues weren't very fruitful either.

Customer Buzz
 "Such a deal!" 2009-12-31
By Paul Claxton (RIverside CA)
This card is a one year subscription to an all-you-can-eat buffet of Delorme's on-line maps. Topo USA 8.0 National Edition has a tab in the software called NetLink which when you're connected on-line allows you to download maps from DeLorme's fabulous collection once this software license key is installed. You can choose from USGS 1:24K scanned quads, Color DOQQ Aerial Imagery, NOAA charts, SAT 10 satellite imagery, USGS DOQQ aerial imagery, and in 133 cities USGS Hi-Resolution aerial imagery. As an avid off-road adventure seeker the scanned 1:24K maps are a wonderful supplement to the included maps of Topo USA 8.0 and the black and white SAT 10 imagery helps in some complicated areas to determine the actual path of the trail. You are limited to a certain amount of area to download at a time, with my 1:24K maps I keep it down under 100 blocks of map for a reasonable download size. The downloads vary with the data type and I highly recommend a high-speed Internet connection. The same areas of the maps can be downloaded for use with the DeLorme handheld GPS systems like the DeLorme Earthmate PN-40 Handheld GPS (1:100k Topographic, Detailed Street Maps & POIs Included).



DeLorme is a map data company first and this is money well spent to get into their wealth of map knowledge.


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DeLorme AG-8097-000 Earthmate PN Series Power Kit

Buy Cheap DeLorme AG-8097-000 Earthmate PN Series Power Kit


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The PN-Series Power Kit provides a complete Lithium-Ion rechargeable power solution for the Earthmate GPS PN-Series device
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Technical Details

- What's in the box?
- A/C Wall Charger and 12-Volt DC In-Vehicle Charger Each has an eight-pin connector on one end for connecting directly to your PN-Series GPS handheld. New sturdy connection ideal for ATV, motorcycle, and in-vehicle usage
- R. CR-V3 LI-ION Approved Battery This is the only approved Lithium-ION battery for the PN-Series.Cautionary Note: Use only a PN-Lithium-ION battery provided by DeLorme. There is a risk of explosion if battery is replaced by an incorrect type.
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Customer Buzz
 "DeLorme AG-8097-000 Earthmate PN Series Power Kit" 2010-02-28
By Jean F. Leslie Sr. (Wichita, KS USA)
Have only used Btry and House charger so far. Btry is either weak, or Delorme Pn-40 GPS uses a lot of Juice! I've left unit on charger for a day and a night, and when I turn unit on, the Btry shows only 3/4 charge left.

Customer Buzz
 "Battery is useless" 2010-01-23
By B. First
The AC charger is nice as the prongs fold in. The lithium battery is useless, however...it lost 1/4 charge in less than 30 mins, and was dead within 5 hours, despite fully charging it prior to first use. So for a wall and 12v charger, $50 is overpriced. But I'm learning to expect that from Delorme.

Customer Buzz
 "Excellent accessory for PN series, with a few problems" 2010-01-07
By JWKilgore (Chattanooga, TN)
I received a new Delorme PN-40 for Christmas (thanks, Santa!) and immediately ordered this travel kit from Amazon. While waiting on the order I used both Energizer "Industrial" alkaline batteries (one set, lasted probably 12+ hours but I didn't time it) Ray-o-vac el-cheapo batteries (lasted about 8 or so hours, again, didn't time it). But I usually use a GPS receiver while geocaching, and I'm very often in a vehicle, on an ATV, or on a bicycle. My truck and the ATV have 12V power points, so why not use them for power?



[Edit: corrected mAh comments]

When I got the kit I immediately installed the batteries, plugged in the 110V charger, and let it sit overnight. The next morning I unplugged it and turned it on, seeing 4 green bars. Unfortunately, this had dropped to 2 yellow bars within 20 minutes, so I start checking things out. That's when I notice that the battery was only rated at 1400mAh, which is on the small side, but still should be adequate. An average rated alkaline battery can have a much higher mAh rating, and high capacity batteries can have well over 2000mAh. So possibly the battery capacity bar is based on the highest capacity battery, so even when fully charged it's slightly over half of maximum.



This was disappointing, and worth a deduct of 2 stars (from the battery life rating), but I could deal with it. I always keep several spare AA batteries to feed my flashlight and headlamp, so I'd just throw a couple extra batteries in the pack if I needed more than extended outings.



About three days after getting the kit I go on an extended geocaching outing. A little less than 300 miles driving with about 8 miles walking/biking over 26 stops. Maybe 8 hours in-vehicle and 7 hours out. While driving, the receiver was always plugged into a 12V power point. I assumed the battery would last me all day; any amount discharged while walking SHOULD have been recharged while driving to the next destination. Wrong. About 1/2 through the trip, I got a low battery warning while walking (meaning it was down to 1 bar). About 3/4 through the trip, I got a critical battery warning while walking and the receiver shut off. I replaced with a pair of alkalines from my pack and kept walking. Back at the truck I kept it turned off and let it charge to the next stop. I had enough power to last for one geocache, then it shut off again. It turns out that just because it's plugged it, the receiver is running on external power, and the battery type is set to "rechargeable", that doesn't mean the batteries are actually getting charged. They aren't running down, but they aren't filling up either. I had to work a bit to make sure the status said "charging", usually requiring shutting the unit down and re-starting. This is a more serious problem. I would have deducted far more than 1 star from the "convenience" rating, but I feel this is more of a receiver problem than of a battery/charger problem.



Ultimately, though, this is a good purchase and worth the money. It's much cheaper than buying each item individually, and if you use it a lot, it's much cheaper than buying lots of alkalines to throw away.



Pros:

- allows the use of external power while driving, even if using alkaline batteries

- reduces waste having to throw away dead batteries



Cons:

- low capacity battery

- battery sometimes doesn't charge when the receiver is running and plugged into the 12V adapter

Customer Buzz
 "DeLorme AG-8097-000 Earthmate PN Series Power Kit" 2010-01-06
By Bilius (Ashland, OR USA)
If you are going to buy an Earthmate series GPS you have to get the power kit. For the dollar savings on batteries and reduced hassle factor of not having to open the unit to charge it - it is totally worth it. You can charge off a USB but the wall plug-in seems much faster. I am not sure the total life of the battery - the longest I have used it in a PN-30 is 6 hours so far.

Customer Buzz
 "essentials" 2009-12-28
By pebblepuppy (Missouri)
Purchased with Delorme PN-40. These are essential items. I would suggest buying another battery though as a backup since the life is about 5 hours on this one.


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DeLorme Earthmate PN-40 Handheld GPS (1:100k Topographic, Detailed Street Maps & POIs Included)

Buy Cheap DeLorme Earthmate PN-40 Handheld GPS (1:100k Topographic, Detailed Street Maps & POIs Included)


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The Earthmate PN-40 is a high-sensitivity, high-performance, bright-color-screen handheld GPS that offers an unrivaled selection of display options including up-to-date DeLorme Topo USA topographic maps, color aerial imagery, USGS 7.5-min. topographic quad maps, and NOAA nautical charts.

The Earthmate PN-40 is a high-sensitivity, high-performance, bright-color-screen handheld GPS that offers an unrivaled selection of display options. Click to enlarge.

With its 32-channel STMicroelectronics Cartesio chipset and DeLorme ConstantLock technology, the PN-40 acquires satellite signals quickly and retains them in the most challenging GPS environments. Map and imagery displays are lightning-quick thanks to a powerful dual-core processor.

A three-axis electronic compass can be used with the PN-40 held in any position, while a barometric altimeter provides reliable altitude readings. The on-board base map includes major highways and thoroughfares worldwide plus secondary and connector roads in the U.S. Detailed U.S. street and topo maps can be selected from the included Topo USA software.

The PN-40 holds up to 1,000 user-defined waypoints, 50 routes, and 10 tracks. All can be easily received from or sent to the included Topo USA software. The device displays both road and trail routes automatically generated using Topo USA. Road routes and direct (point-to-point) routes also can be generated on the PN-40.

Available onboard Flash memory totals 500 MB and the PN-40 also supports high-capacity SD cards (SDHC) up to 32 GB. The 65K-color daylight-readable TFT screen provides clarity in any light conditions including direct sunlight. The PN-40 is WAAS-enabled, waterproof to IPX-7 standards, comes in a rugged, impact-resistant rubberized case, and weighs just over five oz.

A Complete Out-of-the-box Solution:
Unlike other GPS receivers that require additional map data purchases, the PN-40 comes with up-to-date DeLorme Topo USA mapping software in the package. This is the full version of Topo USA, with all its desktop and GPS capabilities included. Also in the package: East, Central, and West regional DVDs with detailed U.S. street and topo maps by state or region; a 1-GB SD card--ideal for large map and imagery transfers; a detailed user manual, a Quick Start Guide, and two AA batteries. A $40 certificate is included for downloading sample supplementary datasets and then a new $29.95 Map Library annual subscription plan is offered for unlimited data downloads.

The serious GPS alternative.

Serious Performance

  • New--Blazing-fast, high-sensitivity 32-channel STMicroelectronics Cartesio chipset
  • New--Dual-core processor for instantaneous map and satellite imagery redraws, even with large aerial imagery files and multiple maps layers
  • 360¡ raster rotation sets the PN-40 apart from other common GPS handhelds. With 360¡ rotation road, building, and other images really are on your left or right as you look at the map and walk, bike or drive
  • New--3-axis electronic compass with included accelorometer performs when held in any positionÑwhile in motion or standing still
  • New--Sensitive barometric altimeter for reliably accurate altitude readings
  • WAAS-enabled for accuracy within 3 meters
  • New--Now supports SDHC high-capacity SD cards (up to 32 GB) for fast and direct map transfer from the included maps discs

Serious Maps

  • Included. Comes with three discs containing detailed hybrid topographic and street maps of the entire USA. You do not need anything else to hike, geocache, or navigate the backcountry. It's all in the box.
  • Also Included: Sample Certificate. A $40 certificate is included for downloading sample supplementary datasets. Take a "test drive" with any of the supplementary datasets DeLorme offers: high-resolution aerial imagery, USGS 7.5-Minute Quad Map, NOAA Nautical Charts, and more..
  • And for Only $29.95! Then, once you're convinced, subscribe to the NEW DeLorme Map Library for only $29.95 per year. Get all the USGS Quads, NOAA nautical charts and high-resolution color aerial imagery to layer WITH your topo and street maps for only $29.95! No hidden charges.

Serious Tough

  • The PN-40 is waterproof to the IEC 529 IPX7 standard
  • Designed to function in high-humidity environments, including consistent humidity levels over 90%, and in the rain
  • The PN-40 has been rigorously tested to function in high-vibration conditions such as off-road driving
  • Operating temperature range for the PN-40 is -20 degrees C to +75 degrees C. The PN-40 should function in extreme cold as well as rapidly-changing temperature environments

What's in the Box

  • The Rugged Earthmate GPS PN-40 handheld GPS receiver with pre-loaded worldwide highway and major road base map

  • DeLorme PN-40 Edition Topo USA 8 software with complete hybrid U.S. topographic and street-level detail

  • Certificate for $40 worth of sample supplementary data downloads

  • USB data-transfer cable for PC-GPS data exchanges

  • A convenient neck lanyard

  • 2 AA Energizer alkaline batteries

  • Getting Started Guide

  • Comprehensive owners' manual

  • Serious Tool Sticker

Serious Value

  • No one else offers COMPLETE U.S. hybrid, routable Topographic and Street maps WITH your initial purchase
  • In addition, for the extremely low price of $29.95 annually, subscribe to the DeLorme Map Library of downloads for all the USGS 7.5-minute Quads, NOAA nautical charts, and Hi-Resolution Aerial Imagery you want. All downloads are accessed through the convenient NetLink tab of your DeLorme software

Serious Quality, Service & Support

And as if the PN-40, Included Topo and Detailed Street Map and the huge values of the MapLibrary Subscription were not enough, you get serious DeLorme quality:
  • Renowned DeLorme-Quality Maps
  • Quality Geospatial Engineering
  • Quality Hardware Engineering
  • Quality U.S.-Based Customer Service
  • Quality U.S.-Based Technical Support and Open Online GPS User Forms

What Else Should I Know?

High-Performance Technology
Features STMicroelectronics Cartesio chipset and updated DeLorme firmware for amazing signal acquisition and retention, map scrolling and redraw--even with multiple layers of imagery, topo and street maps.

Complete Detailed U.S. Street and Topographic Maps Included with ALL PN-40 Purchases

Click for U.S. Street & Topographic Map samples.

Click for World Base Reference Map samples.

Click for USGS 7.5-Minute Quad Map samples.

Click for NOAA Nautical Chart samples.

Click for Color Aerial Imagery samples.

Click for Color Satellite Imagery samples.

Click for DOQQ Aerial Imagery samples.

Multiple Views of the Same GPS Location
On-device data layering lets you select which map or imagery type to see of your GPS location. Switch among data types to gain a comprehensive view of where you are--it's revolutionary and provides a whole new level of geographic detail.

Bright Color Screen
Works in bright sunlight to total darkness. Sharp¨ brand screen featuring the latest transflective screen technologies to maximize visibility under a variety of lighting conditions.

Rugged and Waterproof
Conforms to IPX-7 waterproof standard with impact-resistant rubberized housing for a solid grip. Concealed battery compartment with SD card slot. Includes two AA batteries.

Easy Exchange of Maps, Tracks, and Waypoints
Exchange routes, tracks and waypoints between the GPS and Topo USA (two-way transfers).

Extensive On-Device Memory
1-GB of internal flash memory available in addition to the pre-loaded world base map. Holds up to ten tracks (10,000 points per track); 1,000 user-defined waypoints; and 50 routes. SD slot also available.

Don't Forget--Complete Detailed U.S. Street and Topographic Maps Included with ALL PN-40 Purchases

Detailed U.S. Street & Topographic Maps

  • Cut & transfer custom map packages of the exact coverage you want
  • Detailed vector-based maps created from the USGS topographic data & the latest DeLorme U.S. street & trail network
  • U.S. land cover including bodies of water, wetlands, forests, mountains, glaciers, grasslands, rock cover & more
  • Contour lines with elevation numbers
  • Fully routable when combined with the corresponding Regional Highway map
  • By default, saved map packages include data zoom levels 8-17 (which translates to a scale of 4 miles through 40 ft). Saved maps display all roads, land cover, and contours

The DeLorme World Base Reference Map

  • Preloaded on the Earthmate GPS PN series
  • High-level map includes country borders, highways & major roads
  • Displays interstates and major highways at scales of 500 miles to 8 miles
  • Created by DeLorme's staff of professional cartographers

Sample Map Library Downloads
Each purchase comes with a Certificate for $40 worth of FREE Supplementary Data Downloads

Use Your FREE Supplementary Data Certificate, or a Map Library Subscription for Any of These Map and Imagery Types:

USGS 7.5-Minute Quad Maps

  • Download through the Topo USA NetLink tab--Use your FREE Data Download Dollars
  • Transfer from Topo USA to your PN-40, as needed
  • The authentic scanned USGS 7.5-minute paper quad maps
  • Show roads, trails, buildings, large natural landmarks & other unique features

NOAA Nautical Charts

  • The complete set of U.S. waterway available, including the Great Lakes, Alaska, and Hawaii
  • Include numerous aids to navigation, water depths, water body names, hazards, and more
  • Great for taking along on boating trips, island explorations, and trips ashore

High-Resolution Color Aerial Imagery

  • Available for many U.S. States and select U.S. Cities
  • Detailed, color, aerial imagery
  • Provide a unique aerial perspective, ideal in off-the-beaten-path environments
  • Show roads, trails, buildings, large natural landmarks & other unique features

Sat-10 Color Satellite Imagery

  • 10-meter colorized satellite imagery for viewing large geographic areas
  • Provides high-level views of vegetation, topography, and large, visible geologic formations on the Earth's surface
  • Natural color satellite imagery derived from merging SPOT 10m panchromatic & Landsat 30m multi-spectral scenes

B&W DOQQ (Digital Orthoquads) Aerial Imagery

  • Detailed, black & white, aerial imagery
  • Provide a unique aerial perspective, ideal in off-the-beaten-path environments
  • View logging & 4WD roads, bodies of water, and other natural features from above

Earthmate GPS PN-40 Screen Images

USGS 7.5-min. Quads
Wide-ranging USGS quad detail
Geocaching
Hiking in the White Mountains
Color Aerial Imagery
Following a Route to a Geocache
Navigating a Route on Water
On-the-job usage
Color City Imagery
Jefferson Memorial
Jacobs Field, Cleveland
Space Needle, Seattle
Topo USA
Hunting and Fishing
Mountain Bike Trails
Places of Interest
Hybrids
Imagery, Contours, Detail
Cell Tower Location
Pleasant Mountain Summit
Glacier National Park
Functions
Barometric Altimeter
Electronic Compass
Trip Information
Sun/Moon
Tides
Hunting/Fishing
Data Layering
Satellite Acquisition
Driving Directions

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Technical Details

- 32-channel STMicroelectronics Cartesio chipset; dual-core processor for blazing-fast performance
- 500 MB of available onboard Flash memory; support for high-capacity SD cards (SDHC) up to 32 GB
- 3-axis electronic compass; Barometric altimeter
- More detailed onboard base map data for the U.S., now with secondary and connector roads, along with major highways and thoroughfares for the entire world
- Fast USB 2.0 data transfers to in-device SD card--no external card reader required
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Customer Buzz
 "Oregon 400t vs Delorme PN-40" 2010-03-18
By Dennis Mabrey (Whitehouse Station, NJ USA)
I wrote a review on Amazon about the Oregon 400t. In short I really liked the feature set but found fault with the compass, issues with the battery, and the screen was HORRBLE in direct/indirect sunlight. I returned it because at the price I paid it was not worth it.



So I bought the Delorme PN-40 because the screen was said to be better and it also had a 3-axis compass (the 400t doesn't but the 450t and 550t do but are much higher priced than the PN-40).



Though the screen is somewhat smaller it looks so MUCH better in direct/indirect sunlight. I can turn the backlight completely off and it looks great. The backlight is also much brighter when you need to turn it up. No problems there.



The compass works better than the Oregon 400t being that it is a 3 axis compass. I've been out with the PN-40 four times now and one time the compass got a little 'nutty'. I did a quick calibration and it worked fine after that. The Oregon 400t went nutty on me multiple times and I simply could not trust it. Bottom line though is if you need a compass... take a real compass and only trust these things if necessary.



It comes with some coppertop batteries but I put in energizer lithium 8x batteries. The documentation says that the GPS can determine between alkaline and lithium but when I went to the battery page it said the were alkaline so I manually changed that. They worked great and I highly recommend them. I hiked 8 miles with them and it is still reporting they are full. I had issues with batteries with the Oregon 400t though most people say they work fine. I had problems within 40 minutes with coppertops and the batteries were FINE (multimeter doesn't lie).



Both GPS's have great features and this is where Garmin has something very unique. I raved in my other review over being able to put your own trail maps onto the garmin and use it for hiking. It is a cool feature and if you make it correctly can be a real benefit. You 'can' do the same thing with the PN-40 but you need to purchase their GIS software XMAP. It isn't cheap and isn't worth it just to put trail maps in.



While that is a downer, you can download a large number of map layers from Delorme such as USGS Topo, Aerial and Sat photos. I've done this and while it is probbly very useful I haven't had to resort to using it yet. I think I need to take it somewhere I am not familiar with yet to gauge its usefulness.



Geocaching: Both support geocaching and downloading GPX's from Geocaching.com out of the box. The download of individual GPX files using the Send To GPS function worked faster (or so it seemed) with the PN-40 than the Oregon. And... IF you are a paid member of Geocaching.com you can buy ($9.99) Delorme's Cache Register software. Basically this app manages your Pocket Queries (query search that contains large number of geocaches). You can download from Geocaching.com HUNDREDS of Caches into the GPS at once. It took about 2 minutes to download 500 caches from the website and put them into the PN-40. Quite nice and might be worth the $9.99 if you are a hard core into geocaching. The Cache Register software also will sync up all caches you marked as 'found' to your Geocaching.com account. The PN-40 allows you to mark a Geocache found and also allows field notes. Those too get uploaded to your account and it seems to work as advertised so far.



The user interface for the GPS isn't hard to use. Matter of fact it works like some of my older Garmins (Page goes forward, quit goes backwards). If you read the manual (and who does that?) you can find useful button/keyboard shortcuts when entering in text for Geocaching.



One neat feature the Garmin 400t had was it could show you a graph in how your hike changed in elevation on the GPS itself. The PN-40 cannot do this but you can get the exact same thing if you import your track into the included Topo software (now comes with version 8).



Speaking of the included Topo program, it actually IS a very good program but its user interface isn't the most intuitive thing to learn. If you ever used Delorme's Street Atlas it basically works the same way. I 'think' it is because Delorme makes a lot of GIS apps (like XMAP) and the interface comes from that software. GIS people think 'differently' about geospatial data and so the interface is tailored more to their liking.



Customer Buzz
 "Finally I found a GPS that I can rely on." 2010-03-18
By L. Eric Ray (Birmingham, AL USA)
I have owned several GPS's over the years, some were difficult to use, one that failed when I needed it the most. I finally bit the bullet and bought the PN-40 with extra memory right after it came out. Unfortunately, I paid full price, more than it is selling for now. I have been extremely pleased with its performance. I bought the re-chargable battery pack and although the charge still doesn't last as long as the throw-away batteries, it is still convenient to plug it in either the car or home to top off the charge. Unlike the previous GPS (Magellan), this one has been extremely accurate and reliable, although, from my past experience, I still recommend you have a simple compass and a map with you as a back-up.

Customer Buzz
 "GREAT UNIT for GEOCACHING, Compass was iffy!" 2010-03-03
By Shawn A. Wolfe (Housotn , tx)


Just some background I had ordered the PN-40 to try it out since I was not impressed with my Garmin Dakota 20 I had just purchased. I have a review of that unit Garmin Dakota 20 2.6-Inch Touchscreen Handheld GPS Navigator there if you would like to see what I thought of that.



Pros of PN-40

1. The Screen - Even though it is small for the size of the unit and smaller than the Dakota 20 even this screen is great. It really is easy to read in sunlight. I found the more sun you had the easier it was to see. That is the translucent or transductive or some kind of technology it says. lol. But it works great. The screen being small the maps still looked like they were in HD compared to the Dakota 20 and my friends Oregon 300.

2. Construction - This thing just feels rugged. It looks totally water tight. From the screw down battery cover (no screwdriver needed)to the brass contacts used for USB (there is no USB plug it is a true CONTACT connection which adds to the water tightness)

3 Features - This interface is very simple. It is not as snazzy as some GPS I have seen but it does the job. You can route to Geocache via street turn by turn and then switch to hiking directions when you get out of the car. The paperless geocaching is excellent as well. It came with USA Topo maps and Street maps as well as street maps for Mexico and Canada as well. The other maps are available for $29 a year. Very nice compared go Garmin's per map price. I was also surprised this unit came with a 4 gig mem chip extra in the box. I had not expected that. Honestly I do not travel enough to require a larger chip for maps but it does support up to 32 gig.



Cons of PN-40

1. Battery life - This unit is only rated at 14 hours so I expect about 10 to 12 with good NiCad rechargeable. I will see though. So far I have only pushed it to 10 hours. The new Garmin lines (Dakota and Oregon) get 16 to 20 hours.

2. Compass - The unit has a 3 axis compass. The compass is electronic when you are standing still and it is GPS based when you move. I have not had any luck at all with the compass when I am standing still and the electronic compass takes over. It seems like a paper clip would throw it out of whack even. In my car the metal really did a number on the compass, but only when I was not moving. When moving it is very accurate.

3. Keys - I will admit having back lit or lighted keys would be nice. I will get used to button placement soon and will be able to do everything blindfolded but I have fumbled the past few nights looking for some caches.



Overall I am very happy with the unit. I sent the Garmin Dakota 20 back. It was only $20 more than the PN-40 so price was not a deciding factor. I found this unit was just way simpler without a touch screen and the fact the Garmins come with no maps at all gave this one an edge.

Customer Buzz
 "Too much for too little" 2010-02-19
By M. Childs (Weaverville, NC)
I bought this because of all the good reviews I saw. I guess if you want something that is close to accurate, doesn't pick up all that good and is hard to ues it is a good choice.

My nuvi 550 GPS picks up signal faster and is more accurate than this. The maping software is very deep but very hard to use.

Customer Buzz
 "Difficult to Learn, difficult to use" 2010-02-07
By Ellen L (Atlanta, GA)
I bought the DeLorme hoping to use it on hiking trails. I'm a day hiker. I wanted to turn it on at the start of a hike, have it identify where I was and show me what trails/roads were available from that spot. I wanted a "safety net" in case I got turned around on hikes. That ease of use is what I had come to expect from a GPS, because I use a Garmin unit in my automobile and frequently take it with me when I travel, domestically and overseas. For the record, I bought this unit because of the detailed maps, which are clearly superior to what I saw on the Garmin "hiking" units.



It comes with TopoUSa maps, so you have to load them on your computer, you have to learn that software, you have to download the maps for particular areas you plan to travel, you have to figure out how to tell it you're hiking (not driving, boating, etc.) There is no default to limit the device to hiking trails.



The instructions are not adequate for the complexity of the device, and I have not been able to find additional, detailed instructions on line.



Perhaps if this weren't my first "hiking" GPS I would be more forgiving, but it's complexity makes it essentially useless for a day hiker.






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