Ground-breaking features and the prospect of OS mapping on screen from Garmin's latest GPS.
Garmin Oregon 300 GPS
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Price:
£299
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Weight:
192.7g including batteries
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Features:
WAAS-enabled GPS receiver with HotFix satellite
prediction, micro-SD Card slot for loading mapping and saving routes
and waypoints, 3-inch colour touchscreen interface, powered by two AA
batteries, USB
port, wireless route transfer. Full spec below.
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What's It
For?
The Garmin Oregon 300 is Garmin's latest hand-held navigation
unit and is aimed at both basic and advanced navigation use. The
combination of a new touch screen interface and, from early November,
the ability to load OS mapping should extend its versatility even
further and make it far more user-friendly than most previous GPS units.
The Techy
Bits
The new Oregon adds some interesting new features to the stuff you'd
expect from any top-end GPS unit. A micro-SD Card slot means that you
can upload mapping - more of which in a second - and also means massive
storage for saving waypoints and routes.
The really interesting bit is that from early November, you'll be able
to upload OS mapping to the Oregon allowing you to see your exact
position on a proper OS map on the screen in front of you. Because the
unit uses vector base mapping under the rasterised OS map, it can also
plan routes ahead for you, remember where you've been and use a
database of information to, say, tell you where the nearest cafe is and
take you there turn by turn.
A new HotFix feature automatically calculates and stores crucial
satellite information and speeds up position finding without waiting
for data collection from satellites.
In addition the Oregon uses a touch screen interface - will it survive
the outdoors, frankly we don't know yet, but we'll find out - has a USB
port for linking to your PC and can also share routes wirelessly with
other compatible Garmin units, which is a neat touch.
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Full Specification
Waypoints:
only limited by micro-SD card space
Routes:
only limited by micro-SD card space
Tracks:
only limited by micro-SD card space; automatic tracking and TracBack
lets you retrace your path
Trip odometer:
Current speed, average speed, time of sunrise/sunset, resettable
maximum speed, trip timer, and trip distance, configurable trip
computer screen
Position format:
Lat/Lon, UTM/UPS, OSGB and other grids
Receiver:
WAAS enabled GPS receiver with HotFixô satellite prediction
for quick satellite fix
Acquisition times:
Warm: Approximately 15 seconds
Cold: Approximately 45 seconds
Update rate: 1/second, continuous
Power Source:
2 AA batteries
Battery life:
Up to 10 hours
Size:
22.3" x 4.5" x 1.4" (5.8 x 11.4 x 3.5 cm)
Weight: 6.8
oz (192.7 g) inc batteries
Display:
1.53"W x 2.55"H (3.8 x 6.3 cm)- 3" diagonal colour screen
Case:
Waterproof to IEC 529 IPX7 standards
Temperature range:
Not available
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How It
Performs
The Oregon 300 is certainly groundbreaking, with a whole
array of radical new features. The most obvious development is the new
touchscreen interface, and the almost total lack of buttons.
The only button is the power button on the top right hand side, with a
mini-USB interface on the base being the only other thing to break the
smooth lines of the handset. The case itself is solid and comfortable,
with a slightly rubberised edge, and a heavy duty watertight plastic
cover.
Big picture / small picture - OS mapping out in November 2008
The micro-SD card sits inside the device, under the battery cover, and
provides space not only for Garmin's traditional base and Topo maps,
but at long last full Ordnance Survey mapping. This major new
development is a big step forward for UK GPS users, and hopefully one
that will be continually supported in future models.
Battery life from a pair of AAs is average, giving about 10 hours of
continuous tracking with occasional location checking. The other major
new development is the ability to transfer route data wirelessly
between Oregon and Colorado users, in addition to the traditional PC
sync via USB.
This makes it feasible to transfer backtrack information,or just pass
on useful route tips while out on the hill. The touchscreen interface
is both intuitive and responsive, though its ability to cope with the
worst of British weather has yet to be tested, and the "Profile" system
makes life easy for even a novice to GPS.
There are five Profiles to choose from (eg Geocaching), each of which
automatically moves the most likely actions higher up the menu system.
In practise pretty much everything is accessible with two, or at most
three, taps on the screen making it useable without needing to refer
extensively to the manual.
Where the Oregon falls down most is the screen brightness, with the
screen washing out in anything resembling sunshine, and difficulties
even in "ordinary" conditions. Despite ten setting levels, the only way
of getting a good view is to stop and shield the screen from glare.
Strangely, given the Oregon using a "high sensitivity" chipset our
receiver had trouble getting a fix in sky-restricted areas, with a
total loss of signal in conifer plantations. The HotFix system does,
however, re-aquire the signal very quickly once back within view of the
sky as well as giving very good hot and cold first fix times.
First impressions are that the Oregon 300 may well be the
way ahead for
outdoor GPS, but it needs work on the display and time for people to
build confidence in touchscreen technology outdoors.
Hopefully all
future Garmin GPS for outdoor use will follow suit with OS map
compatibility, and it's a shame this isn't backwards compatible beyond
the Colorado range. We'll bring you an updated review once the OS
mapping is available in early November 2008.
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 Ground-breaking features,
easy to use interface, future compatibility with OS mapping.
 Display hard to
read in sunlight, jury out on touch screen durability.
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Know more or want to?
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product check out our user review system and post your opinions to
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