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Garmin Colorado 400t Handheld GPS Unit with US Topographic Preloaded Maps | 
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| Brand: Garmin
Category: CE
Buy New: Too low to display
New (69)
Avg. Customer Rating:  29 reviews
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Tracks: 20
Batteries Included: No
Native Resolution: 240x400
Shipping Weight (lbs): 3
Dimensions (in): 1.4 x 2.4 x 5.5
MPN: 010-00622-45
Model: 010-00622-45
UPC: 053759067091
EAN: 0053759067091
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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| Features:
| • | Innovative Rock n Roller input wheel | | • | Wireless sharing of user tracks, waypoints, routes and geocaches between units | | • | SD card slot for optional mapping and user data storage | | • | User configurable profiles: automotive, marine, recreation, fitness, geocache |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
handheld GPS navigator for use outdoors, in a car, or on a boat * 3" backlit LCD display (240 x 400 pixels) with built-in picture viewer * WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System) capability improves GPS accuracy to within 3 meters * Rock n' Roller wheel control for one-hand operation * pre-loaded detailed U.S. topographic map with 3D imaging *
Amazon.com Product Description--January 21, 2008
This rugged, advanced handheld is packed with detailed topographic maps for all your hiking adventures not to mention 3-D map view, a high-sensitivity receiver, barometric altimeter, electronic compass, SD card slot, picture viewer and color display. Exchange tracks, waypoints, routes and geocaches wirelessly between similar units. Slim, lightweight and waterproof, Colorado is the perfect companion for all your outdoor pursuits.
Watch an interactive demo.
Share Wirelessly
With Colorado 300 you can share your waypoints, tracks, routes and geocaches wirelessly with other Colorado users. Now you can send your favorite hike to your buddy to enjoy or the location of a cache to find. Sharing data is easy. Just select "send" to transfer your information to other Colorado units.
Keep Your Fix
With its high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver, Colorado 300 locates your position quickly and precisely and maintains its GPS location even in heavy cover and deep canyons. The advantage is clear — whether you're in deep woods or just near tall buildings and trees, you can count on Colorado to help you find your way when you need it the most.
| Explore More |  |  | Colorado's preloaded U.S. topographic maps, 3-D map view and a built-in worldwide basemap with shaded relief give you all the tools for serious climbing or hiking. Map detail includes national, state and local parks and forests, along with terrain contours, elevation information, trails, rivers, lakes and points of interest.
Just in case you're wondering how steep that hill really is, Colorado's 3-D map view helps you visualize your surroundings — giving you a better perspective of the elevation. |
Expand Your Horizons
|  |  |  | The Colorado also accepts SD cards, so you can use Garmin preprogrammed SD cards to add maps that serve any and all of your outdoor activities on land or water. Just take your pick from a wide selection, including street maps, topographic maps, coastal charts or inland lake data. The card slot is located inside the waterproof battery compartment, so you don't have to worry about getting it wet. |
| Rock on. Find Fun |  |  | Colorado's innovative Rock `n Roller input wheel for easy one-handed operation and intuitive screen interface make it as easy to navigate the device as the outdoors.
Customize Colorado's interface based on your favorite activity.
Even show off photos of your excursions with its picture viewer. |
Experience Paperless Geocaching
|  | Colorado supports Geocaching.com GPX files for downloading geocaches and detail straight to your unit. You'll have at-a-glance cache descriptions and details to aid in your search. |
| Get Your Bearings |  |  | Colorado has a built-in electronic compass that provides bearing information even while you're standing still.
Its barometric altimeter tracks changes in pressure to pinpoint your precise altitude. View elevation data before you begin your ascent or descent. You can even use the altimeter to plot barometric pressure over time, which can help you keep an eye on changing weather conditions. | Interactive Demo
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| Customer Reviews: Read 24 more reviews...
 Wonderful for the Amateur February 20, 2008
53 out of 55 found this review helpful
I'm not one of those extreme high-end geocachers. I just love a walk in the woods. However, I want to find the cache when I go to look for it. Last year I upgraded from a Garmin Explorer to a 60CSX and was in love. Unfortunately that got stolen. I've saved my money and now have the Colorado 400t. It's everything my 60CSX was and more. The new rocker control is a lot easier to use than the controls on the 60CSX or the Explorer. The accuracy is fantastic. With the City maps plugged in the road navigation is wonderful. This really is the best GPS unit I've used for hiking & caching. I'm really impressed with the ability to swap between profiles, using the Automotive until I hit the trail and then switching back to the Geocaching mode. Start up time & satellite acquisition are good. They're now supporting SD instead of the mini-SD cards and that's a good choice on Garmin's part. A lot of the new interfaces are improved over the old ones plus, like the old ones they're customizable.
Like everyone else, the fact that only one cache at a time is visible is a pain, but all the other features quickly wash that away. I haven't found the maps to be inaccurate, but then I mainly use it for off-road hiking and the hills, mountains & streams are pretty solidly in place, even in Massachusetts. It is a little dim in bright sunlight.
Despite these small shortcomings, this is a wonderful GPS unit. I intend to get years of use (and hang on to it more tightly).
UPDATE: Garmin released a software patch that fixed the problem with displaying multiple cache's. That's one less of the few and small negatives to worry about. I'm still loving this GPS unit.
 Needs work February 11, 2008
40 out of 49 found this review helpful
I've had mine for a few days. Comes with a very superficial manual so it takes some playing with it to get to know the unit. Very accurate GPS, nice interface. The ability to carry all cache information is great for geocaching, but getting the full caches on the unit is far from intuitive--the manual simply says "download them," but it's a bit more involved than the usual process of simply clicking on the "Send to GPS" button.
You cannot see more than one geocache on the map at a time. I'll expand: Geocaches are visible only on a separate geocache page, and only the selected cache shows up on that map. To see multiple geocaches on the map page, you have to load them separately as waypoints, without the additional information for paperless geocaching. (and you have to tweak it to see waypoints on a map--a simple bug but you'll have to research how to do it) Check out the online forums--the inability to see multiple geocaches on the map is probably the number one complaint of Colorado users so far, at least those interested in geocaching. In addition, the Colorado offers no means of marking a geocache on the unit as "found," or deleting it from the unit without the use of a PC.
I was also interested in the ability to pair the unit with the heart rate monitor or cadence sensor. I've tried it with my Garmin Heart rate monitor and it pairs just fine, but so far I can only view current heart rate. Unlike my Garmin Edge, there is apparently no way to upload heart rate history for later review. When asked, Garmin support implies that the unit will not work with Garmin's MotionBased website, but that it will work with Garmin Connect, a revamped site for uploading activity history and sharing that will supposedly be active for most Garmin GPS units "in a few months." (It currently works only with the Garmin 50 fitness watch.) In fact, I managed to get the Colorado to upload its track log to Motion Based (which I currently use for my Edge), but no luck with the heart rate data from the Colorado (though I routinely upload this from my Edge). Here's hoping this is resolved with the roll out of GarminConnect---the Heart rate monitor is far less useful without the ability to analyze how it changed throughout an activity.
I like mine fine, and I'm holding onto it in hopes that software fixes will be forthcoming from Garmin. If they integrate it correctly with GarminConnect, enabling sharing of files over the internet and full history analysis, this will be a fantastic tool/toy. Garmin seems to be aware of the potential of utilizing this kind of community-based knowledge-- First, the unit can share waypoints, tracks and routes, as well as basic geocache information, wirelessly, though the chances of me running into another Colorado user and needing this function seem minimal. Second, Garmin's purchase of MotionBased must have been for some reason--the idea of going online, viewing others activities and downloading their track files is a great one. Sort of like an online wiki trail guide. There needs to be more ability to comment on your own and others' tracks, but the potential is there.
Garmin separates its lines between "trail" "automotive" and "fitness." This unit, I had hoped, would attempt to do it all--it has an automotive mode, and supposedly, with the addition of another map, it will give turn-by-turn directions (though it has no speaker, so I doubt they'd be audible as they are in the Nuvi). It's ability to pair with the Garmin heart rate and cadence monitors is promising, if later software fixes address the inability to view history of that data. If you want a GPS for hiking, there are other mapping handhelds out there that are cheaper (including some nice ones made by GarminGarmin GPSMap 60CSx 2.6-Inch Mapping Handheld GPS). If you want the enhanced Geocaching functionality or the fitness monitoring, you might want to wait a few months to see if Garmin follows through with the necessary software fixes.
Opportunity lost February 19, 2008
28 out of 35 found this review helpful
I've put off buying a GPS for a long time and finally took the plunge with the Garmin Colorado. I feel that this is a great unit, marred by aspects of the software implementation and the Garmin model of dealing with map data. I gave the Colorado 3 stars in an uncharacteristic fit of generosity.
First, the good:
* This is a great looking, great feeling piece of hardware. It's light, but has a good heft. It's solid. The rubber material used for the battery cover feels very good in your hands. The physical interface is above par. The interface wheel is very well executed, a great bonus for a motorcycle rider like myself (gloves work well with the wheel, but just OK with the "soft buttons").
* The screen could be brighter, but is clear and the screen updates seem to be pretty good.
* Garmin seems to have the hardware down, reviews indicate that they used their own hardware for GPS reception (as opposed to the well regarded SiRF chipset). It is accurate (based on by tests with Google Earth), and very sensitive. It quickly makes its satellite acquisition and does so within my home.
* It seems to have some good integration with geocaching.org and wherigo.com, although I haven't tested it yet.
* The basic navigation and UI of the device is pretty good.
And... the bad.
* As a first time Garmin customer, I wrote off the tales of Garmin's terrible software. I was wrong to do so. Learn to use gpsbabel and Google Earth to supplement your needs for waypoints and tracks. There are some tricks for custom POI's and some more I'm sure I haven't discovered yet. The PC software is poor. The device loaded maps are not usable with the PC route planning software (no included DVD??).
* Maps. OK, they're serviceable. However, here in the Bay Area, I have already found some areas where they are wildly inaccurate: mislocated, missing parts of existing roads, missing roads. The unit is apparently capable of turn-by-turn routing; however, not with the loaded map set. Plan on spending another $150 on making your investment roadworthy. I can't tell yet, but it doesn't look like you can enter an address for road navigation, you must use a waypoint entered on the unit or from the PC software. All of the road name data is included in the unit but unaccessible to you. Welcome to Colorado.
* More on the previous point. This model is the 400t. The "t" stands for "trails". I live in Marin County, CA and this area could have been used as an example of fantastic trail coverage, but not for this version. There are really no trails in this unit as far as I can tell. I did find some trails in Pt. Reyes National Park, but other popular nearby hiking areas (Mt. Tamalpais) do not have any trails available. There are a number of trailheads marked, but no trails. I assume this means that there is little chance for trail coverage in more sparsely populated areas.
* OK, this is just a nitpick. The "Rock and Roller" is a good input device, but it is a copy of the wheel from the Apple iPod. That's not bad, but mouse over the map to the Apple campus and you will find that the Garmin dunderheads renamed the infamous Apple driveway to "Infinite Loo". Cute, but Garmin could stand to learn more than a few things about software engineering from Apple. Scratch that. Garmin should fire their software engineers and throw caution to the wind.
* Again, based on reviews, this unit is apparently capable of using the freely available (and fantastic) USGS raster maps. We will apparently have to wait for Garmin to capitalize on this government funded resource. Garmin aren't the only offenders here: just note that they put their bottom line above customer satisfaction. Underline that last bit if you've followed me this far. If Garmin has used any of this free data in the generation of their maps, they should be fined for corrupting it.
All in all, if I had to do it again, I think I would wait. If you need it now... It is good enough. I like the device, but I find the overall experience to be severely tainted. Soon enough there will be GPS enabled devices that can access Google Earth imagery wirelessly and this 400t might find its way onto an internet auction site.
Fantastic, but not perfect. February 10, 2008
25 out of 26 found this review helpful
I bought this item with the understanding it had flaws. It is a new line, and it is a big step to take. Almost like moving from Windows 98 to Windows XP. It takes a lot of getting used to, and it is cumbersome to set up. I spent over 3 hours backing up the maps that come on the unit (not viewable on the PC, but do back it up because if lost they are not recoverable), customizing the "profiles," and rearranging the shortcuts to an actual usable rotation.
The unit runs off of shortcuts, rather than buttons on the front of the unit (like to 60C series). One button pulls up a menu of options to scroll through. You can change profiles to bring up different sets of shortcuts and settings.
I.e. I start in Automotive, which has a map viewed form above, with on-road auto-nav to a location near a geocache. Once I find a parking spot, I press the shortcuts button, and change to "geocaching" profile. It automatically switches to 3d topographical, "off-road" map that I follow to the cache. When I get close I shortcut to the option of compass o get right to it.
I have not had the bad experience of draining batteries. I accidentally left it on the first night after using it, and even after caching with the backlight periodically on, it still had bars left on the gauge the next morning.
Accuracy is not an issue (it is quite phenominal, 7-10ft 90% of the time) and I get full strength GPS signal inside the middle of my house (never ever got that with my 60CS).
The basemap roads are off significantly, but since I purchased the city-nav software with the unit, I only had to deal with the basemap for the ride home from where I bought it :). 80ft accuracy on the topography mapping is not so hot when driving (which side of the knoll am I on?), but when hiking it is more than accurate enough with the path tracking turned on (if 80ft off gets you lost while hiking, you probably shouldn't be hiking off the path).
The geocaching options are fabulous, being able to view the full name, description, previous logs, and an option to view the hint is great.
My only complaints are that geocaches don't show on the maps (only waypoints do). You can't edit/delete/mark-as-found geocaches at all. The marketing for this unit is a complete lie when they say "bright display even in the sunlight". Truth be told, on a sunny day like today, even in the shade, with the backlight fully on, it is hard to see the details on the screen. Also, only certain mini-usb chargers will charge the unit. The one I use to charge my cell phone puts the unit into "computer linking" mode rather than as a power supply (rendering it unusable as a GPS). Other phone charges work fine for some reason, there must be a difference between Type-A mini USB and Type-B mini USB that the unit is sensitive too, while most cell phones and the like are not.
Overall with the 400t, city nav 2008, the dash mount (60cs version doesn't fit), new car charger and protective case, it came to a ridiculously high cost, but understand this: I would buy it again. If you do so, just remember that the effort you put into setting it up to fit your needs makes a huge difference. Take the time to learn it inside and out and you will experience how the complexity of it turns into versatility and enjoyment.
Good to get if you don't have the 2008 Topo maps already. January 20, 2008
17 out of 33 found this review helpful
I have to consider this unit along with the 300 model. The 400t is basically just the 300 with 10 times the memory at 4GB AND the 2008 Topo loaded. If you own the 2008 Topo already, you can just go buy a 4GB SD card and it would be the equivalent of the 400t.
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