Garmin Colorado 400c Handheld GPS Unit with US Coastal Waters Preloaded Maps

Submitted by Reviewer (not verified) on 2 March, 2008 - 02:40.

Garmin Colorado 400c Portable GPS System with Preloaded Coastal Waters Maps

Model	010-00622-61
Producer	Garmin
Media	Electronics
Catalog	CE
Rank	21814
List Price	US$639.99

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Reviews:

Rating 3.5/5 from 24 reviews

Colorado 400C

Rating: 4/5 2010-08-24

I have owned the Colorado 400C for 2.5 months and use it on a sailboat going less than 8 mph. The 2 problems are 1) the speed jumps all over the place second by second when going that slow so it is useless for sailing needs (I wonder if the ETA, ... are inaccurate) and 2) the map display and cursor/track up only works correctly if the GPS is lying horizontal (if the GPS is vertical the cursor moves down & sideways). Garmin tells me the inaccurate speed is a feature due to the intense accuracy of WAAS. They had no answer for the need to hold horizontal other than telling me that the satellite reception breaks up over water and can't be used on the water. I am pleased with it (since I am upgrading from a 14 yr old Garmin 12) in many ways & don't see an alternative for a manual GPS with charts on a sailboat. Also the price is right.

I have tried this GPS walking, driving, riding the launch at our marina, and on the high speed ferry to try to debug the problems. It works fine on the high speed ferry which is where I've figured out the many features since I have an hour to play.

I plan to use my ancient Garmin 12 for speed -- hope it lasts.

I did upload the firmware when registering at Garmin. But haven't had the problems others reported.

I found that I needed to buy Homeport for an additional $30 (download the charts from my GPS into Homeport) so that I could create routes on my home computer and then upload them. Worked well. If you are a novice with this kind of GPS there is a huge learning curve and the simplistic manual is little help.

I just figured out after 10 weeks that I can display 2 pieces of info on the Map page and 4 pieces of info on the Compass page. It is pretty easy to toggle between the 2 so can get Heading, Bearing, Distance to next point, ... (wish they would explain in the manual the 20 different options here).

When you move the cursor forward over a NavAid or Waypoint it shows Distance and Lat/Lon. It would be most USEFUL to show Distance and Bearing but there seems no way to change.

I have spent ALOT of time with GARMIN techs (& waiting to get through) who I sometimes get helpful info from.

Reliable performance but g2 chart anomalies

Rating: 4/5 2010-07-07

I just returned from a 150-mile sail on the Maine coast using the 400c as our primary navigation tool. I installed the marine mount on the cabin top under the dodger and hard-wired it into the boat's 12v system using the accessory cord, which doubles the brightness compared to battery power, so it was readable in all conditions under the dodger shade. Buoy-to-buoy navigation was a snap: just zoom out and cursor to the area you want, zoom in till you find the next buoy and press GO. Then switch to "trip computer," using the Big Numbers option to give speed, bearing and distance in numerals large enough to be read anywhere in the cockpit. Speed readings are accurate right down to zero which is great for low wind conditions. It also gives tide times for your immediate location, very convenient but using the tide function can crash the unit and force a restart, so I came to avoid it. The G2 charting is 99% accurate but has some shallow-water anomalies so if you are anywhere near shore you will want to use this along with a paper chart. (I thought an update might cure this but Garmin Tech itself advised that the update can crash the unit.) For sailboats, the great advantage of the handheld over larger chartplotters is the low power drain. You can use it all day without affecting the battery; while a plotter like the 441 drains the amperage under sail with its 15 watt input. I got mine refurbished through Amazon for $249. It is amazing to have this reliablity and coverage for such a price.

It's got to be user error. I couldn't find a thing wrong with it.

Rating: 5/5 2010-07-03

I don't usually write many reviews but I had to comment on this unit. I read all the reviews and was skeptical about buying it. I used it in the Bahamas. I have used plenty of GPS units in the past so I decided to find out for myself. The price was to good to pass. I preloaded approximately 50+ way points and made more than a dozen routes. The GPS on the boat I chartered was useless and I only brought the Colorado 400c for a backup. It turns out I had to use this unit as my primary throughout my sailing trip. I was able to navigate the shallow sea of Albaco without any issue. The screen was plenty bright... when it wasn't.. a press of the power key and the use of the wheel... the screen was plenty bright. I hate to point out the obvious but the only time I had trouble seeing the screen was when I had my polarized sun glasses on. My wife who doesn't use a GPS unit was able to use with ease and loved the screen when motoring into narrow channels. I didn't have any problems at all. The Colorado is going to stay in my sailing bag for good. This unit is well worth the price.

Flawed but Excellent Device

Rating: 4/5 (1 out of 1 think this is helpful) 2010-05-28

I just got one of these for an over-water trip that I'm planning next week. This is my first GPS, so I didn't have any preset expectations. My requirements were reasonable waterproof performance (i.e., lives up to the claimed IPX7 standard), can operate continuously in all conditions for more than 12 hours and that the interface is easy to use.

Prior to purchasing this model, I did make myself aware of some pretty loudly-stated drawbacks, including the ill-fitting battery cover (more on that below), incidents involving water damage and the "battery hog" reputation (with some supporting tests). I also considered the GPSMAP 60 CSX, but figured that the screen wasn't quite large enough to be easily legible during vigorous activity - bigger is better!

Upon receipt, the first thing I did was inspect the water sealing - and I was somewhat disappointed at the design. It's probably cheap to manufacture, but I would have gone in a different direction. Basically the battery cover squeezes down on two o-rings; one around the batteries themselves and one around the SD card slot. I've seen others say that the cover fits better without the SD card slot o-ring, which is just about the dumbest performance-related design comment I've heard about this device. Without that o-ring, the device is no longer capable of being submerged.

The main problems with this design are two-fold: first, stress on the battery cover, which is the main attachment point for clips, mounting brackets etc. could deform the cover and thus pull it away from its pressured contact with the o-rings. This is bad, but not a disaster so long as the o-rings are in good condition. The second issue is that the main o-ring around the batteries is subjected to shearing every time the cover is removed; this is a recipe degradation over a very short period of time without preventative measures.

Clearly Garmin didn't think this through carefully. What I did was apply a fairly generous coating of silicone grease to the o-rings, improving their contact with the cover, and lubricating them so that the main one in particularly will slid against the battery cover with significantly less wear. I believe that this will extend the water resistance of this device substantially beyond the base design, and haven't been able to think of any other reasonable solutions. The top flap that protects the USB port is another problem area, and I don't have an answer there. Again, a problematic design choice.

Garmin has a "beta" case design here. If they redesigned it JUST A LITTLE bit, it would be absolutely phenomenal.

In any case, after greasing up the case, I hosed down the unit thoroughly, which is very abusive because it forces water into it, and then dunked it in a bucket (about 1.5' deep) for about 30 minutes. As you might guess from the 4-star rating, it still works great! However, it can't lock on to the satellites while under water, which is fine because I won't be using this to navigate whilst scuba diving.

With respect to the interface, the controller is actually fantastic - very easy to get around, works well with gloves etc. Touch screens just don't work in all environments, and this controller is better than buttons. If you could program the soft keys (maybe you can?) it'd be even better. However, the waypoint configuration capability on-device flat-out sucks. Why can't you enter lat-long data by number? That's b.s. You might be able to, but I haven't figured it out yet - and the manual is completely worthless. It's really too bad, because this is obviously a powerful device. It's like the engineers came up with a great interface, and then forgot to write down how it works.

Finally, to test battery life - and keep in mind that this is a recent buy - I put in some lithium batteries (before dunking it in the bucket!) and turned the screen on, WAAS - everything - and frequent redraws because I've been fooling around with it all day. So far, 16 hours later, I'm on 4-out-of-4 bars. I did load the newer software (3.4 for the device / 2.9 for the GPS chipset) so maybe that helps, I don't know. And maybe it just likes Lithium. The upshot is that this will work on one set of batteries for a long run of continuous operation.

I'll update this review if things turn out differently (e.g., if water gets in, battery life somehow changes for some reason etc.).

If Garmin would have done a better case design and actually included some documentation this would be a "must buy" product for people who need GPS.

Don't update the firmware. Otherwise OK.

Rating: 3/5 (3 out of 3 think this is helpful) 2010-04-13

Update: Used the unit on the weekend. Worked great and it is what I expected. Beware that the screen is very dim unless you have direct sunlight hitting it at the correct angle. I still recommend the unit if you are willing to put up with this issue. Again, I haven't been able to find an option. The Oregon 400c is the only one I can think of but I wonder if the screen brightness is really better.

I am giving the unit three starts but with the intent to update this review in the future once I really play with it for a while.

I just wanted to confirm what a previous reviewer wrote (Conrad). DON'T UPDATE THE FIRMWARE ON THIS UNIT. Hey, I even wrote it in annoying caps because I did read the review and did not followed the advice.

I got the unit yesterday played with it a little. I was quite happy with it but then I decided to register it with Garmin and update the firmware. I updated to software 3.3 (from 2.5) and from that point on the unit was broken (from a software standpoint). I really mean broken. The maps will loose detail as you zoom in (no more aids to navigation). If you zoom out, you loose the pretty satellite view (in fact, nothing but blue would show on my unit). The menu became erratic (if you tried to change some settings the unit would not keep the setting).

Fortunately, after spending 3 hours on the phone with Garmin (and three different people), I got a file to revert the software back to version 2.9. This is the version (or earlier) that Garmin recommends for now.

What I don't get is that version 2.9 is a bunch of versions prior to 3.3 and still Garmin had absolutely no information on their web site stating that this was a problem. When I talked to costumer support they immediately recognized the problem and told me what to do so, Garmin, why do you keep this update in your site?

Regarding the dim screen it is true, it is dim. But I wonder if the new Oregon is better. I heard similar complaints. What I can report is that the screen is fine in direct sunlight (it's transreflective) and of course indoors. If you are in a shade with bright sunlight outside then it can be a problem (like in a car).

I still will give this unit a chance. The Oregon unit is a bit more money than what I was willing to put down right now.

Regards,
Chris

Editorials:

Product Description

Saltwater mariners will love the built-in detailed BlueChart g2 coverage for the coastal U.S. and the Bahamas in the 400c. The chart detail includes shoreline,depth contours, navaids and port plans.

Amazon.com Product Description--January 21, 2008

Amazon.com Product Description--January 21, 2008 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. Slim, lightweight and waterproof, Colorado is the perfect companion for all your outdoor pursuits.

Watch an interactive demo.

Share Wirelessly
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 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
	The Colorado 400c 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.

Expand Your Horizons 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.
Streets	Inland Lakes	Terrain	3D Terrain

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.

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.