Oregon 450 and sunlight?

[+Redfist]

I know the description claims to have a "sunlight readable display". I'm curious to hear from those who have the unit how well it works in the sun? Maybe even bright BRIGHT sun like we have here in Phoenix?

 

I'm leaning towards the Oregon 450 (instead of the 62s) but for that one concern.

 

Thoughts?

[+t4e]

i've seen people complaining about it and i honestly have no idea why, i have a 550 and and i have absolutely no issues with the screen readability in the sun

[+larryc43230]

i've seen people complaining about it and i honestly have no idea why, i have a 550 and and i have absolutely no issues with the screen readability in the sun

+1

 

Like all the units I've owned, there are lighting conditions that are better or worse for viewing the screen, but I've had fewer problems with my 550t than with any of my previous units.

 

--Larry

[+ecanderson]

I know the description claims to have a "sunlight readable display". I'm curious to hear from those who have the unit how well it works in the sun? Maybe even bright BRIGHT sun like we have here in Phoenix?

 

I'm leaning towards the Oregon 450 (instead of the 62s) but for that one concern.

 

Thoughts?

The issue certainly isn't bright sun. Turn it the right way, and it's brighter than any backlight you've ever seen. The problem is in half-light (you know, under those pine trees looking for tree hides) where you don't have the advantage of the sun, but the ambient is enough to make the backlight less effective. We've got quite a lot of photons out here in Colorado, too!

[+gunguy&fam]

I know the description claims to have a "sunlight readable display". I'm curious to hear from those who have the unit how well it works in the sun? Maybe even bright BRIGHT sun like we have here in Phoenix?

 

I'm leaning towards the Oregon 450 (instead of the 62s) but for that one concern.

 

Thoughts?

The issue certainly isn't bright sun. Turn it the right way, and it's brighter than any backlight you've ever seen. The problem is in half-light (you know, under those pine trees looking for tree hides) where you don't have the advantage of the sun, but the ambient is enough to make the backlight less effective. We've got quite a lot of photons out here in Colorado, too!

 

+1. I just bought mine this week.. I got a heck of a deal on a lightly used 450t with road maps for 200. Couldn't pass it up. I used it in the strong light a couple of times and have had no problem. Definitely better than my droid in the bright light.

[MtnHermit]

I know the description claims to have a "sunlight readable display". I'm curious to hear from those who have the unit how well it works in the sun? Maybe even bright BRIGHT sun like we have here in Phoenix?

I have a OR 450 and without a doubt I can say the brighter the better. In fact, I'll often seek out shafts of sunlight in the forest to better read a map. High contrast screens like a compass or the odometer data and it really doesn't matter the light. But for a map, direct, bright sunlight is the best.

 

This is just opposite of the two Nuvi's I own, direct sunlight makes then unreadable.

[+splashy]

In the sunlight a screen doesn't get better (ok there Is always better), in the shade with a backlight it's nice also.

I really don't understand why people keep suggesting it's not readable in the sunlight.

As in AZ, in LV we have the same light, when you're blinded by sun and saltcrystals in the dessert you have to find sometimes the right angle to look into the screen, but no other gadget will do better.

Edited March 5, 2011 by splashy

[+ecanderson]

In the sunlight a screen doesn't get better (ok there Is always better), ..

I'm hoping by that last ( ) that you meant that turned the right way, you discover that the 450 has great reflective properties off the LCD below while maintaining exceptional contrast. Of course, it's also possible to turn any of these the wrong way and blind yourself!

 

The primary reason that many touch screens seem to be a bit dimmer is that they have a micro-thin layer of metal between you and the LCD for the touch sensing part of the assembly. Doesn't help with light transmission. However, these 'resistive' touch sensors don't care what you touch them with. They'll respond to fingers, pens, gloves, pencil erasers, a stylus, a stick -- anything you can poke them with. The 'capacitive' flavor that does not use the metal layer isn't so happy with anything but you doing the touching up close and personal. While brighter when everything else is equal, you can't make selections with the closed tip of your pen or a gloved hand.

[+jeepdelfuego]

I'm surprised that no one chimed in with the my Garmin 60, 62, or etrex screen is brighter than any Oregon. You can not beat the resolution of the Oregon screens and the ease of a touchscreen menu. I've used the Oregon 200, 300, 450, and Dakota 10 and I have not had any issues with the screens. As someone has already mentioned, if you can't read the screen in direct sunlight, tip the unit until you do see the screen. I use my GPS's mostly in the desert and I don't have any complaints about the Oregon. Well, it would be nice if the batteries lasted 24 hours. Geez, nobody is ever happy around here. :-)

[+Redfist]

Thanks all for your comments.

 

Cabelas had the Oregon 450 on sale for $250 USD today so I bought one. I'll play with it for the next 60 days (return policy period) and if I have problems with the screen will likely return it and buy the 62s instead.

[+ecanderson]

I'm surprised that no one chimed in with the my Garmin 60, 62, or etrex screen is brighter than any Oregon.

To be fair, buried in the middle of a tree hide, or at dusk, they are brighter. My old Summit HC is much easier to see when I am in there doing "tree inspections" . Even with my 450's backlight up full, the half-light visibility isn't as good as the 60/70/eTrex series units. But then, none of those have that layer of metal between you and the LCD, either. That said, I don't spend all that much of my time inside a pine tree, and while I could ask for more backlight for such circumstances, I've been able to live without it. Having used it extensively now, I wouldn't trade the 450 touchscreen for any of my older "toggle/button" units.

 

What thoroughly sold me on the touchscreen approach (first experienced on my Dakota 20) was the speed of entry of "Notes" after logging the find. I had always done this on paper before - on long caching days, I hate to toss out some lame entry like TFTC instead of being able to jog my memory about the actual cache so I can say something meaningful about the cache, the site, or the find. Tapping the screen, I can enter pretty detailed notes about the find in about 1/10 the time it was taking me with the 62 I tried a few weeks ago.

[+user13371]

Something for anyone else considering a touchscreen unit is if you will be using it mainly/exclusively as a HANDHELD unit, or if it will frequently be used in a fixed-mount situation like the handlebars of a bike.

 

Handheld is a lot easier to deal with in varying light conditions because you can always adjust the viewing angle even without thinking about it. Fixed-mount limits your viewing angle, so you have to find one that's more usable under varying light levels and angles of incidence.

[+jeepdelfuego]

Thanks all for your comments.

 

Cabelas had the Oregon 450 on sale for $250 USD today so I bought one. I'll play with it for the next 60 days (return policy period) and if I have problems with the screen will likely return it and buy the 62s instead.

 

Congratulations on your purchase and you got a great deal!

 

Don't forget to visit this site for free maps for your Oregon:

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/state/all

[+BAMBOOZLE]

Thanks all for your comments.

 

Cabelas had the Oregon 450 on sale for $250 USD today so I bought one. I'll play with it for the next 60 days (return policy period) and if I have problems with the screen will likely return it and buy the 62s instead.

 

Thanks for the heads up.....I just ordered one myself. My wife uses a 60 CSx and also walks in with the Nuvi 500....this will cut it down to one unit and she's used to the 500 touch screen. I probably will not need detail maps for it ( I drive with a Nuvi 780 and have detail maps on two Magellans I use.

[+Strang Family]

We have an Oregon 450 and have no trouble reading the screen in bright weather.

[+kwitsman]

It's my opinion that when folks complain about seeing the screen, it's mostly in the Map area. The compass function is very easy to see. For maps, I turned off the shading and now with the white background those roads are very visible.

[+The Yinnies]

I never liked it for on the road, it was bad. In the field it was good, you just had to move it a little.

Thanks