What is the difference between garmin oregon and dakota

Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Paste as plain text instead. Only 75 emoji are allowed. Display as a link instead. Clear editor. Upload or insert images from URL. All Activity Home Geocaching and Followers 2. Reply to this topic Start new topic. Recommended Posts. Posted September 2, Link to comment. All about size and input method. Etrex 30X - Small screen button input Etrex Touch 35 - Small screen capacitive touchscreen input replacement for Dakota Oregon - Large screen capacitive touchscreen The ones above are all current units with more or less the same software and GPS type.

These two are dual purpose units and will work like Nuvi in the car and a handheld in the field. Posted September 2, edited. Edited September 2, by sussamb. Thank you, that is what I am looking for. I have since upgraded to an Oregon , and my wife currently uses the 62s.

I will likely sell the 62s and get my wife an Oregon or perhaps an eTrex 30 Touch. So, to answer your original question: Dakota -- Oregon -- Montana. Posted September 5, edited. Join the conversation You can post now and register later. The main reason why the Dakota 20 is cheaper than any current Oregons is its smaller, lower resolution display. This is 2. This makes the device considerably smaller, and it weighs in at under g rather than g. But the Dakota 20 is equally rugged. It has the same robust build, and is also accredited to be waterproof to IPX7 standards.

So adding an extra map will be essential if you want to use it as more than just a posh digital compass. You can also upload maps to the devices on-board memory, of which MB is free. However, the USB port is only version 1. The usual range of destination options are available, though. The latter can either be via the traditional city-street-number input process or you can enter a postcode, but not a full seven-digit UK one, just the initial group and first number of the second group.

You can choose to navigate via roads with maps that support this feature. The Active Route option provides turn-by-turn directions to help you along your way as well. Another feature available with the appropriate maps is the ability to navigate to a Point of Interest. Most of the software widgets available in the Oregon are still available.

The Trip Computer includes useful information such as average speed for your journey and distance travelled. The area calculator prompts you to walk round the perimeter of a space, and then works out how large it is. As measured on my electronic scale 1 g precision : Garmin Dakota 20 Garmin Oregon Empty: g 3.

The Oregon inspires less confidence. The battery cover of my Oregon squeaked and moved 1 mm when pressed.

The plastic cover contacts the rubber seal around the battery compartment. As an advantage, the cover is a bit easier to remove than on the Dakota: changing batteries is simpler. It feels like a handle of a big power drill. The Oregon feels like an oversized soap, ready to slip out of control when you relax the grip. Photo: Garmin Dakota 20 handheld in direct sunlight no backlight Photo: Garmin Oregon handheld in direct sunlight no backlight I can hold each unit with just one hand and operate the functions with my thumb.

Photo: Garmin bike mount compatible with Dakota and Oregon GPS on a Brompton The solution, shared by Dominique BLACHON , is to: wrap the handlebars or the ahead stem with a layer of inner tube cut to size attach the Garmin mount over the wrap As a result, both units stop rotating so much on the handlebars and barely budge on the ahead stem.

The Oregon is way too bulky, at least for my standard hands. However, if you already run with water bottles in your hands, the weight might be OK for you. The differences between the units?

While less reflective than the glass of the current MacBooks and iPhones, the new Garmin screens allow you to get a general idea of your make-up. In hiking mode, the problem is a bit less severe. Bearable when hiking. A pain when cycling. A slightly thicker screen frame — 3,3 mm 0. Smaller buttons, arrows and icons — smaller margin for error when touching the screen. So if you plan to type often, the Oregon may be a better choice.

The heritage of the American driving culture, I guess… Waypoint names are limited to 30 characters! Less than a Twitter post. Amazing for a XXI century gadget. Even worse, the user-interface shows only the first 20 characters or so. Neither the Dakota nor the Oregon provide orthographical approximation or spell-checking.

Real-life example: downtown Geneva, Switzerland. Street name given over a cell phone, just before its battery died.

No written reference. I finally had to search for a hospital that I knew was nearby, then pan the map around and locate the street visually. Overtype only. Ugh… I mean, even the most basic cell phone can do that! But if you take several additional precautions: place the units into pockets without sharp objects inside keys, climbing hardware, cooking gear, coins… keep the screen side towards the body protect the screen from branches when going through avoid rubbing sand or small debris into the screen when interacting with the unit Then both the Dakota and the Oregon screens will remain relatively scratch-free.

No proprietary battery packs like in the Garmin Edge Or Apple iPhone. In the real world, the Dakota requires less juice because its screen remains readable without backlight, most of the time. The Oregon gulps down batteries. A 2-hour, km mi drive from Geneva to Goppenstein in Switzerland has exhausted 2 fresh alkaline AAs 3D in-car view with backlight set to max. The Dakota will last a day of touring, a backlighted search for the campsite and the morning ride to the lunch restaurant.

Well over km mi. Carrying and tracking a paper map for easy sections when hiking is more efficient than on the bike, because of the lower speed and shorter distance. Sure, it could still help in 2 cases: record your track and later help you follow this track back, for example, on a glacier to avoid the crevasses use your brains and rope-up anyway!

A vector map uses mathematical equations that combine geometrical primitives points, lines, curves, shapes or polygons to represent forms and colors. You never see the pixels. Zoom in, zoom out: the image is rendered in real-time. Always crisp and beautiful. A pixel map , on the other hand, uses a bitmap, fixed representation. When you zoom in, you loose resolution, when you zoom out, you also loose precision and sharpness.

When choosing a digital map, prefer the vector variant. The City Navigator map has zero bike-specific information. Unlike France or Spain, Switzerland is a rather bike-friendly country, with thousands of kilometers of bike lanes and one-way streets open for two-way cycling.

None of this is on the map. No blue arrows like on the GoogleMaps provided by Tele Atlas. They just lack any visual clue. The digital map saves weight, bulk and time: no need for a backpack or panniers just to carry tons of paper no need to correlate the real world to the map and keep track of turns no need to carry a separate list of restaurants, lodging and shops You can go cycling in any direction, for as long as you wish, and never get lost.

It combines data from cm and cm cartography, in vector form, and includes tons of information: Photo of paper map left compared to Garmin Dakota screenshot of digital map right Photo of paper map left compared to Garmin Oregon screenshot of digital map right complete and detailed road and trail network: highways divided lanes junctions rest areas parkings 2nd class highways undivided lanes trunk roads 1st class roads at least 6 m wide 2nd class roads at least 4 m wide suburban roads at least 4 m wide 3rd class roads at least 2,8 m wide 4th class narrow roads at least 1,8 m wide 5th class paths, trails and bicycle paths 6th class footpaths traces!

An amazing work of graphic design. The Topo Swiss v2 is sold on a CD. The ultimate navigation aid, routing allows you to select the point of departure, then the point of arrival, and let the GPS unit: select the most appropriate route shortest duration, shortest distance, scenic route, etc.

Well, almost. Pedestrian: you bet! Bring it on! Pedestrian: avoid? I can walk on the side if I want to, but I do like silence. Not a good idea for a road bike on slicks. Or a folding Brompton. I ride in the bus lanes. Great fun! Pedestrian: avoid. Garmin considers you a Tour de France rider. No panniers. Unlimited muscle power. Cheers, food and water in the car that follows behind. On the Tenerife island in Spain, where all roads go either up or down, the Dakota brought me onto super steep roads where I struggled out of the saddle while in my lowest Pedestrian: Garmin will recommend to climb up and down a hill just to walk on a highway.

Might be OK if you ride a mountain bike. Pedestrian: this is the method to choose. Go the shortest route. It means: straight line. Go man, go! A building? Go through. A lake? Swim buddy!

A forest? Machete, machete! Use your brains instead. Better be lost but intact. In the evening rush hour. In the winter darkness. Most routes proposed by the Dakota in Paris are simply ridiculous. Once an optimal route is uploaded to the device, navigating is a lot simpler with a GPS than with a map, especially in the Paris suburbs. Not enough processing power. Satellites acquired, weather great.

Please, get me there. Both units fail to draw the screen as quick as the incoming GPS and compass data. Example: On high-speed roundabouts, the map reorients a bit too late.

Was that the 2nd turn? Am I going out at the right exit? Especially on the heavy traffic, 2-lane roundabouts. My advice: get a device with a 3-axis compass.

I also prefer local weather forecasts to nightly barometer pressure trending. In other words, both units manage to compute their positions in urban canyons and under heavy foliage despite the smallish receiving antennas. Both units benefit from the HotFix software. Unlike geostationary satellites, GPS satellites move in relation to a fixed point on the Earth surface.

Each satellite flies around the Earth twice a day. Because the satellite constellation keeps moving even though you keep still, the GPS receiver needs to constantly adjust to the changes. Of course, the HotFix system fails if you move over a considerable distance with the GPS unit switched off. The Dakota also tends to receive more satellites in challenging conditions. For example, it keeps the GPS signal indoors farther from the openings to the sky, compared to the Oregon.

In the city, the Oregon has a hard time acquiring a satellite fix when switching it on and immediately riding away. Fortunately, the user interfaces differ to conform to the general Mac OS and Windows look and feel. Unfortunately, RoadTrip on the Mac lacks some of MapSource features: It refuses to download any waypoints or routes from the Dakota, which is a real pain.

It is currently unable to route on trails, edit tracks, draw shaded reliefs or build elevation profiles for routes. You have to switch to BaseCamp for all that. A duplicate. Per waypoint. So if you have a bunch of duplicate waypoints, the process becomes a hassle. Follow the convoluted procedure: install the map on a Windows machine either virtual or real unlock it on Windows via the not so easy-to-use, special plug-in required, web-based process install the Garmin MapConverter software on the Windows machine convert the unlocked PC map in the MapConverter save the converted map somewhere a Mac can access virtual folder, USB drive, network volume… install Garmin MapManager on your Mac open the converted map in MapManager MapManager installs the map into RoadTrip and BaseCamp As easy as 1, 2, 3… 8!

Uh oh! Mostly without backlight, saving battery power. Although perfectible, the Garmin Dakota 20, with its 3-axis compass, is currently the best GPS mapping device available, in my opinion. It may also be more precise for low-budget surveying-type applications when used with an external antenna.

But for cycling and backpacking use, I think the Dakota 20 is now better. Get it if you plan to ride on the European roads. SwissTopo v2? Gorgeous, awesome, superb. Get it if you plan to hike, climb or mountain bike in Switzerland. Smaller, 2 inch screen. Buttons interface. Works with any Garmin-compatible maps. Max waypoints.

No compass. Uses a proprietary battery pack. Mac OS and Windows software. Built mainly for in-car use. Although waterproof to IPX7 standard, it lacks an outdoor-viewable, transflective screen and uses a proprietary battery pack.