Garmin Oregon 400t Review (GPSmagazine.com)

Verdict: Like a Garmin Colorado mated with an Apple iPhone

The Oregon is Garmin's latest generation of handheld mapping GPS units, and the company's first handheld model to use a touch screen interface. Available in five different models, the 400t ships with preloaded U.S. Topo maps, has pre-configured profiles for recreation, driving, Geocaching, boating, and fitness, has an electronic compass and altimeter, and can be expanded with additional maps.

1. Garmin's New Oregon Handheld GPS Models

	200	300	400t	400c	400i
Interface:	USB	USB & NMEA 0183 compatible	USB & NMEA 0183 compatible	USB	USB & NMEA 0183 compatible
Preloaded maps:	no	no	Yes (U.S. Topo)	Yes (Bluechart g2)	Yes (Inland Lakes)
Built-in Memory	24 MB	850 MB	4 GB (1.1 GB available free space for additional maps)	4 GB	4 GB
Electronic Compass	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Electronic Altimeter	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Wireless unit-to-unit transfer with other Oregon units:	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Price:	$449.99	$499.99	$599.99	$599.99	$599.99

Oregon is Garmin's newest line of rugged, outdoor mapping handheld GPS units. All five Oregon models share the exact same size, weight, touch screen, battery life, GPS chipset, and IPX7 waterproof rating. The differences between each unit are highlighted in the above chart.

The less expensive Oregon 200 lacks an electronic compass, altimeter, wireless unit-to-unit transfer, and has a paltry 24 MB of internal memory (additional maps can be used with the addition of an optional microSD card for more storage).

All four remaining Oregon models (300, 400t, 400c, and 400i) are virtually identical, differing only in their memory and maps. Depending on what type of outdoor activities you'll primarily be engaged in, the you'll want to choose the appropriate corresponding Oregon model.

The 200 is an entry level model that can be expanded with additional maps on microSD cards. The 300 model comes with a built-in basemaps with shaded relief. The 400t comes preloaded with U.S. Topo maps, has a 3-D map view, and is probably the model most general outdoor enthusiasts will want. it's also the Oregon model best suited for Geocaching.

The 400c is aimed at boaters, and comes with Bluechart g2 maps for exploring coastal waters. The 400i is aimed at fisherman and other operating on lakes, and comes preloaded with Inland Lakes maps.

2. Technical Specifications

Physical & Performance:
Unit dimensions, WxHxD:	2.3" x 4.5" x 1.4" (5.8 x 11.4 x 3.5 cm)
Display size, WxH:	1.53"W x 2.55"H (3.8 x 6.3 cm); 3" diag (7.6 cm)
Display resolution, WxH:	240 x 400 pixels
Display type:	Transflective color TFT touchscreen
Weight	6.8 oz (192.7 g) with batteries
Battery:	2 AA batteries (not included); NiMH or Lithium recommended
Battery life:	16 hours
Waterproof:	yes (IPX7)
Floats:	no
High-sensitivity receiver:	yes
GPS Accuracy:	< 33 ft (10 m) 90% typical
WAAS Enabled:	Yes
Acquisition Times:	< 1 second (warm start) < 33 second (cold start) < 36 seconds (autolocate)
Update Rate:	1/second continuous
Compass:	Accuracy: +-2 degrees (+-5 degrees in extreme Northern and Southern latitudes). Resolution: 1 degree
Altimeter:	Accuracy: +-10 ft. (+-3 m) Resolution: 1 ft. (.3 m) Range: from -2,000 ft. to 30,000 ft. (from -610 to 9144 m)
PC interface:	USB
Case:	Rugged, metal-plated, waterproof to IPX7
Temperature Range:	From -4 to 158 degrees F (-20 to 70 C)
RoHS version available:	yes

Maps & Memory:
Basemap:	yes
Preloaded maps:	yes (topographic)
Ability to add maps:	yes
Built-in memory:	4 GB
Accepts data cards:	microSD card (not included)
Waypoints/favorites/locations:	1000
Routes:	50
Track log:	10,000 points, 20 saved tracks

3. Features

Electronic compass
Barometric altimeter
Geocaching mode
Outdoor GPS games
Hunting/Fishing calendar
Sun and Moon information
Tide tables
Area calculation
Custom POIs
Wireless unit-to-unit transfer (shares data wirelessly with other similar units)
Picture viewer
Touchscreen

4. What's in the Box

Figure 1: Garmin Oregon 400t Retail Box

Figure 2: Everything That's Included In The Box

The Oregon 400t includes the following items in the box:

Garmin Oregon 400t
Carabiner clip
USB cable
Owner's manual on disk
Quick start guide

Figure 3: Garmin Oregon 400t, Front

Measuring 1.53"W x 2.55"H (3.8 x 6.3 cm), the Oregon 400t is about the size of a cell phone. The hardware feels well made, and the rugged, metal-plated, waterproof case fits nicely in the palm of your hand.

Except for the power button, there are no physical controls on the Oregon 400t; all operations are performed via the 3-inch touchscreen display.

Figure 4: Garmin Oregon 400t, Rear

The back of the Oregon 400t is constructed of scratch-resistant gray plastic, and has a metal mounting spine that accommodates the included Carabiner clip (shown in figure 10).

Figure 5: Garmin Oregon 400t, Left Side

Oregon's elegant tri-tone case is constructed of matt metal, gray plastic, and black rubber wrapped around the middle for better grip.

Figure 6: Garmin Oregon 400t, Top

Oregon's top and capped with a protective metal plate, embossed with Garmin's name.

Figure 7: Garmin Oregon 400t, Right

The power button is located on the upper-right side of the GPS, positioned roughly where your thumb rests when holding the Oregon in your right hand., or index finger if your holding the 400t in your left hand.

Pressing and holding the power button powers the Oregon on or off, and pressing and quickly releasing the power button brings up the brightness adjustment screen.

Figure 8: Garmin Oregon 400t, Bottom

The bottom of the Oregon 400t is home to a Mini-B USB jack, protected by a rubber weather cap.

Figure 9: Oregon 400t's Mini-USB Jack

List the weather cap on the bottom of the he Oregon to access the USB jack. The weather cap is attached to the Oregon at one side, so there's no need to worry about misplacing the cap.

Figure 10: Carabiner clip