Sunday, March 18, 2012

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Garmin Oregon 300 review

Garmin_oregon_300_r

UPDATE: The Oregon 300 has been discontinued. For current recommendations, check out our handheld GPS buyers guide or our Garmin handheld GPS comparison chart.

The Garmin Oregon 300 is one of Garmin’s first touch-screen handhelds for backcountry use. The Oregon 300 comes with a built-in worldwide basemap with shaded relief. Unlike the Oregon 400 series, the 300 doesn’t come with pre-loaded detailed maps. Don’t let that dissuade you though – there are plenty of free maps available for Garmin units. Here’s how this model compares to other units in the Oregon series:

  • Oregon 200 (GPS Tracklog) – Simple basemap, no pre-loaded detailed maps; unlike other Oregon models the 200 has no barometric altimeter or electronic compass
  • Oregon 400t (GPS Tracklog) – Built-in topo maps of the United States and a worldwide basemap with shaded relief
  • Oregon 400c (Garmin) – Built-in BlueChart® g2 coastal charts and a worldwide basemap with imagery
  • Oregon 400i (Garmin) – Built-in U.S. Inland Lakes and a worldwide basemap with imagery
  • Oregon 450 (GPS Tracklog) – Worldwide basemap with shaded relief, no pre-loaded detailed maps, triaxial compass, brighter screen than previous models
  • Oregon 450t (GPS Tracklog) – Built-in topo maps of the United States and a worldwide basemap with shaded relief, triaxial compass, brighter screen than previous models
  • Oregon 550 (GPS Tracklog) – Worldwide basemap with shaded relief, no pre-loaded detailed maps, triaxial compass, geotagging camera
  • Oregon 550t (GPS Tracklog) – Built-in topo maps of the United States and a worldwide basemap with shaded relief, triaxial compass, geotagging camera

To see how the Oregon 300 stands up against other Garmin models, check out my Garmin handheld GPS comparison chart.

Compare prices on the Garmin Oregon 300

I really like the Oregon series touch screen. It’s a superior interface and I recommend it highly instead of the Colorado series models. The touchscreen really is a joy to use.


But these high-resolution screens have visibility problems, especially in bright light. Rather than rehash everything here, please read my hands-on Garmin Oregon 400t review for a full look at the unit’s pros and cons.


More Garmin Oregon 300 reviews

I’ll be posting more hands on GPS reviews as they appear, but in the meantime, here are some…


Other Garmin Oregon 300 resources


Compare prices on the Garmin Oregon 300 at these merchants:


About Rich Owings

Rich is the owner, editor and chief bottle-washer for GPS Tracklog. Connect with him on Twitter, Facebook or Google Plus.

Comments

  1. yogazoo says:

    PROS
    – Capable of terrain shading
    – Aerial imagery via Garmin BirdsEye
    – Touchscreen

    CONS
    – Two axis compass
    – Screen difficult to read in bright sunlight / shaded sunlight

    3.5 stars.

  2. Steveparaglider says:

    Great GPS but the software (Mapsource version 6.16.3 is pretty basic and doesn’t allow for gradient profiles of Australian maps. I uploaded the above version and details of some tracks visible on the previous version disappeared. Annoying!) GPS PDF manual is very basic.

    Otherwise very good and waterproof and drop proof.

    Steve

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