Garmin Oregon 200 Portable GPS System Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I just had Oregon 200 for a few days and decided to perform an indoor battery life test to see how this receiver holds up on battery life compared to its siblings, Colorado 300. With WASS off, Battery Save off, backlit off and auto track mode on, it actually remained on for 17.5 hours with a pair of Sony CycleEnergy 2000 mAh (NiMH) batteries. Garmin claims 16 hours for this receiver. In comparison, Colorado 300 can only hold for 10-11 hours (less than 15 hours claimed by Garmin) in the same test. This is way beyond my expectation, particularly after my disappointing experience with Colorado's poor battery life.

The receiver is also very accurate and acquires signal fast. It took about 3 minutes for the 1st useful sat. acquisiton (cold start) and under 10 seconds to have good lock (warm start) afterwards. My test was done indoors and Oregon had lock on more than 7 sats all the time with 15 - 40 feet of accuracy.

As this is the cheapest model in the Oregon family, some features are also stripped off.

1. Only comes with 24 MB of internal memory. Micro SD expansion is supported though.
2. No audio beep (even for battery low warning).
3. The built-in base map has no DEM so no shaded relief on this map. Oregon 200 does support shaded relief for maps with DEM (for example, US TOPO 2008).
4. No altimeter, barometer and compass.
5. No wireless transfer capability to share information with other receivers.
6. No support for HRM and bike candence.
7. Only lanyard included (no carabiner).

Overall, I like this unit so far for its built quality, accurate positioning and long battery life. Too bad Garmin has stripped off several good features (probably contributes to better battery life performance). To users who don't need those features, this is a great buy if the price is right.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Garmin Oregon 200 Portable GPS System

Product Description:
Get in touch with the great outdoors with Oregon 200. This next-generation handheld features a rugged, touch screen along with a built-in basemap, a high-sensitivity receiver, microSD™ card slot, picture viewer and more.

Touch and Go
Oregon 200 leads the way with a tough, 3-inch diagonal, sunlight-readable, color, touch screen display. Its easy-to-use interface means you'll spend more time enjoying the outdoors and less time searching for information. Both durable and waterproof, Oregon 200 is built to withstand the elements. Bumps, dust, dirt, humidity and water are no match for this rugged navigator.

Find Fun
Oregon 200 supports Geocaching.com GPX files for downloading geocaches and details straight to your unit. No more manually entering coordinates and paper print outs! Simply upload the GPX file to your unit and start hunting for caches. Show off photos of your excursions with Oregon's picture viewer. Slim and lightweight, Oregon is the perfect companion for all your outdoor pursuits.

Keep Your Fix
With its high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver and HotFix™ satellite prediction, Oregon 200 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 Oregon to help you find your way when you need it the most.

Add Maps
Conveniently plug in optional preloaded microSD cards for all your outdoor activities on land or water (see maps tab for compatible maps). Just insert a MapSource® card with detailed street maps, and Oregon provides turn-by-turn directions to your destination. Add select topographic maps to take advantage of Oregon's 3-D map view which gives you a better perspective of your elevation. With BlueChart® g2 Vision, you'll get everything you need for a great day on the water including depth contours,

Get 16% OFF