Garmin Colorado or Oregon

[Fenders]

My old Garmin 12 has finally expired after many years of abuse. It has served me well and now I need to find a replacement. I have reduced my list to either the Garmin Colorado or Oregon. Both are very similar in their specs.
Has anyone here experience of these devices and if so what are your thoughts? Also, what cartography was installed?
I believe its the mapping that can be expensive.
I have looked at the recent Sailing Today test but it only looks at the Oregon and not the Colorado.
I'd be grateful for any feedback, positive or negative.

Fenders

 

[Mariner69]

I have what I think is the Colorado 400T; I don't have it with me in the office hence the "I think".

I picked it up in the USA last June. It was brilliant in the Mountains using the built in topographic maps.

On return to the UK I got the Blue Chart for the East Coast and also the Ordnance Survey maps. Both work brilliantly and for some reason they work well together so if you want to go ashore and hike it is all there. The unit also has a baraometer function so you can see the pressure trend, also sunrise sunset and lots of other info.

I used to use a Magellenan hand held which I acquired in 1996 and found very useful. I would just refer to the position and plot on the charts. The new unit replaces that capability and is good with the mapping but doesn't seem quite so good with the route to run and course to steer type layout. I don't believe that it is the fault of the unit; it is just that I was too impatient to get to sea with the bad weather last year.

All in all, it is great for many uses and fits nicely in my pocket when not on the yacht. I have it listed down for a thorough manual reading before going out next.

 

[Impaler]

I have an Oregon 400t and it's brill. It comes with built in European mapping which is perfectly good. I bought an SD card of the Moray Firth which is fine but you can't read the pictures or 3d views, you need a grown up plotter for that. For a dual purpose pocket machine it's vg. However it gobbles batteries so buy rechargeable 2500 batts,

 

[Fenders]

Thanks for your replies.

Fenders

 

[Nico]

I recently looked into the options in some detail. I have a GPS 12 but wanted a mini plotter. I bought a 76 CSx from Marine Superstore for 225 quid including the Blue Chart large, which is an excellent deal. The topo maps (sub-OS) aren't much good and if you want to go walking there are better options, but the marine charts are o.k. Touchpad's aren't that popular among the hard core brigade, but at least you get a bigger screen. I prefer buttons but the screen on the 76 is a bit poky. It's waterproof and floats. To achieve the latter it's quite big but not heavy.

So there's a third option for you to consider.