Garmin Colorado 400c review

UPDATE: I'm recommending the new touch-screen Garmin Oregon series instead of the Colorado. It has a superior interface, along with almost all the other good things found on the Colorado. Read my hands-on review of the Oregon 400t for more information.

The Garmin Colorado 400c is the marine version of Garmin's newest handheld GPS series. As such, it includes BlueChart® g2 coastal charts and a worldwide basemap with aerial imagery. The map detail includes includes shorelines, depth contours, navaids, harbors, marinas, port plans and coastal roads for the U.S. and Bahamas.

Before we get into details, let's compare the major differences between the four Colorado models:

• 300 - Worldwide basemap with shaded relief, no pre-loaded detail maps
• 400c - Worldwide basemap with satellite imagery (seen at right), U.S. coastal waters and Bahamas charts pre-loaded
• 400i - Worldwide basemap with satellite imagery, U.S. inland lakes and navigable rivers charts pre-loaded
• 400t - Worldwide basemap with shaded relief, U.S. topo maps pre-loaded

I covered the Colorado interface and hardware pretty thoroughly in my hands-on Garmin Colorado 300 review, so I won't repeat all those details and screen shots here. I highly recommend checking it out for a thorough look at the unit's pros and cons.

Compare prices on the Garmin Colorado 400c

Several Garmin Colorado 400c reviews have been posted at GPS Now. Follow that link to read them all, but here is an excerpt from a kayaker:

"I almost bought a 76Cx after getting lost kayaking in the Florida Keys a couple of times last year, but just before entering my order, I looked at the 400c. I'm glad I did. It has been a joy to use, and adds another dimension to kayaking backwater areas. I found the display easy to see in sunlight, as ambient light makes it more visible without battery sucking backlighting. I can usually get at least two 5 hour trips on a set of batteries with some to spare. I leave it turned on the entire trip in order to record my track. The track often helps redraw my charts when the GPS and other charts do not match the terrain, which can often happen in the sketchy areas back in the mangroves...

...I had discounted the tide function, but then found it to be almost as helpful as the navigation, as tides can vary almost 180 degrees between the bay side and the ocean side of the Keys. When the water is often only a few inches deep or gone completely at low tide, this is often a determining factor for the areas I frequent. The 400c quickly gives a tide readout for several tide stations in the vicinity of a planned route. However, I can't seem to get predictions for other than the current day..."

More Garmin Colorado 400c reviews

• More consumer-authored Garmin Colorado 400c reviews are being posted at Amazon.
• Another Garmin Colorado 400c GPS has been posted at REI.com (follow link and click the "Reviews" tab).

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

Other Garmin Colorado 400c resources

• A PDF version of the Garmin Colorado 400c owners manual
• Compare the Garmin Colorado 400c to other Garmin handheld marine units
• A comparison of the Colorado and Oregon series
• GPS Fix is a blog that focuses on the Garmin Oregon and Colorado series
  
• A Garmin Colorado mini-site
• A comparison of the Garmin Oregon and Colorado series
• Compare the Colorado to the Garmin 60CSx
• There is a Garmin Colorado message forum at Yahoo!
• And another Colorado forum

Compare prices on the Garmin Colorado 400c at these merchants:

• Find the low price on a Garmin Colorado 400c at GPS Now, where shipping is free on orders over $99 (and the upgrade to overnight shipping is dirt cheap!). Order by 5 p.m. Central Time for same day shipment.
• Check the current Garmin Colorado 400c price at Amazon.
• Get the Garmin Colorado 400c Hand Held GPS Navigator with US Coastal Charts at TigerGPS, where you get free shipping on orders above $250.
• Find a great deal on the Garmin Colorado 400c Portable Navigator - 3 Active Matrix TFT Color LCD at Buy.com.
• Check out the deal on a Garmin Colorado 400c GPS at REI.com, where satisfaction is guaranteed.
• Get the Garmin Colorado 400c for an amazing price on eBay.

From the official Garmin Colorado 400c web page:

Whether you’re sailing the high seas or hiking the backcountry, Colorado 400c is your all-in-one adventure guide. Preloaded with BlueChart® g2 coastal charts, Colorado is made with the saltwater mariner in mind. Packed with features, it includes a high-sensitivity receiver, barometric altimeter, electronic compass, SD card slot, color display, picture viewer and more. Even exchange tracks, waypoints, routes and geocaches wirelessly between similar units. When the going gets tough, Colorado leads the way.

Explore Coastal Waters

Colorado comes with built-in BlueChart® g2 coastal charts and a worldwide basemap with imagery — perfect for all your outdoor pursuits. Map detail includes includes shorelines, depth contours, navaids, harbors, marinas, port plans coastal roads for the U.S. and Bahamas.

Share Wirelessly

With Colorado 400c 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.

Rock on. Find Fun

Intuitive and  fun, Colorado features a Rock ‘n Roller™ input wheel for easy one-handed operation and supports Geocaching.com GPX files for downloading geocaches and detail straight to your unit. Customize Colorado's interface based on your favorite activity. Even show off photos of your excursions with its picture viewer. Slim, lightweight and waterproof, Colorado is the perfect companion for all your outdoor pursuits.

Keep Your Fix

With its high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver, Colorado 400c locates your position quickly and precisely and maintains its GPS location in the harshest marine environments. The advantage is clear — whether you’re sailing the high seas, in dense tree cover or near tall buildings — you can count on Colorado to help you find your way when you need it the most.

Get Your Bearings

Colorado 400c has a built-in electronic compass that provides bearing information even while you're standing still, and its barometric altimeter tracks changes in pressure to pinpoint your precise altitude. You can even use the altimeter to plot barometric pressure over time, which can help you keep an eye on changing weather conditions.

Plug in and Go

Conveniently plug in optional preloaded SD cards for all your outdoor activities on land or water. Just insert a MapSource card with detailed street maps, and Colorado provides turn-by-turn directions to your destination. Add select topographic maps to take advantage of Colorado’s 3-D map view which gives you a better perspective of your elevation. The card slot is located inside the waterproof battery compartment, so you don't have to worry about getting it wet.

Colorado 400c: For adventure in any direction.

Related posts:

• Our GPS reviews
• Garmin Colorado 300 review
• Garmin Colorado 400t review

Comments

[g.o.cashers]

There are a few things I'd like to know for the Colorado FAQ that I haven't been able get from the community or Garmin yet. Rich if you or anyone reading this has a 400c I'd love to know the following:

- Size of the 400c's internal memory
- Size of the 400c's map (gmapprom.img file)
- Free space on the 400c internal memory
- Types of maps used on the 400c (are they Bluecharts v9, g2 or g2 Vision)
- Does the 400c support Bluechart CD-ROM based maps (v9) in addition to the built in maps. There is a FAQ on Garmin's site that indicates it does not. I'd love to know why.

GO$Rs

[Rich Owings]

Wish I could say more definitively, but this is one of my compilations of reviews from around the Web, rather than a hands-on review. If you go to Garmin's Colorado 400c page and click on the "Maps" tab, you'll see quite a few BlueChart products listed. The "Features" tab says it is preloaded with Bluechart g2 and there is a g2 Vision graphic at the bottom of the page. In their cartography section (http://www8.garmin.com/cartography/g2vision/g2vision.jsp), they list the entire Colorado series as g2 Vision compatible with limitations, though I don't see it stated anywhere what those limitations are.

HTH

[cowie]

Good site for review info

[Rich Owings]

Thanks cowie!

[BAYLINER]

http://www8.garmin.com/include/cartography/Limitations.html

Limited Compatibility

Some Garmin units may only access limited features when used with certain MapSource products. In these cases, an asterisk has been placed by that product.

"Limited capability" may mean that a unit may be able to draw all the map features from the MapSource software, such as roads, lakes, nav-aids, depth contours, wrecks, etc., but the interactive capability of the maps may be limited. For example, you may not be able to "find nearest marinas" or look up additional text about a specific mapping feature.

We encourage you to e-mail [email protected] if you have any questions about the compatibility of certain units and MapSource products.

[J Walker]

Why no battery charger ? Using on sailboat with power would be easier then stopping at 7-11 on the way to buy batteries . Is information stored when battery fails .

[Rich Owings]

You can get a charger as an accessory. And yes, info is stored when the battery dies.