I am currently using a Garmin Oregon 300 (looks a lot like a Dakota), which I bought for general outdoor use in 2009 as I wanted something that use replaceable batteries - not an option with the Edge 705 I had then. I have experienced quite a few snags with it recently, particularly when trying to load long distance routes/tracks. I have utilised the UK 1:50k OS mapping SD card that came with my Edge 800, but on several occasions the screen has locked and has to be switched off to reset. It's also not recording multi-day trips satisfactorily. Basically I have lost confidence in what is probably the most important gadget on my bike. So, what to do? Does anybody have some advice on how to get the old Oregon working better? If I have to upgrade what to go for? I have focussed on two quite different options:

Etrex 20/30 - cheap, very light, good battery life, but can the processor cope with the things my old Garmin is failing on?

Oregon 600 - Nice big screen, but short battery life and relatively heavy (esp with all the extra batteries required for multi-day trips)

Any experience of these? Is there another option I have missed? As frustrating as Garmin's are, I can't think of any credible competitor for biking.

Have a horrible feeling the old Oregon 300 might not cope with the BB200 route...

Dakota 20 does me ... I prefer the touchscreen to the eTrex joystick.

ZeroDarkBivi wrote:I am currently using a Garmin Oregon 300 (looks a lot like a Dakota), which I bought for general outdoor use in 2009 as I wanted something that use replaceable batteries - not an option with the Edge 705 I had then. I have experienced quite a few snags with it recently, particularly when trying to load long distance routes/tracks. I have utilised the UK 1:50k OS mapping SD card that came with my Edge 800, but on several occasions the screen has locked and has to be switched off to reset. It's also not recording multi-day trips satisfactorily. Basically I have lost confidence in what is probably the most important gadget on my bike. So, what to do? Does anybody have some advice on how to get the old Oregon working better? If I have to upgrade what to go for? I have focussed on two quite different options:

I wonder if the problem is with the SD card with the map on. My Garmin 800 started crashing and eventually I realised the problem was the card with the map.

There is now a free alternative to the OS maps. I have not tried them off road so don't know how much detail they have in the middle of nowhere, they have been excellent on road though. This article describes how to download and install on a Garmin Edge and should work the same for you http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2013/05/down ... 00810.html the cost would only be for a spare SD card to put the free map on.

Alternatively and a bit risky might to be to use windows disk check and fix to see if the existing SD card has been corrupted, but you might lose access to the maps if you let windows correct any problems on the card.

Dave

I thought Garmin cards supplied with gps units or more *ahem* conventional sources locked to the first unit they were installed in. iOffer ones don't it seems.

I'd do as above and try the osm maps. If they work, but you don't like them you might get some ioffer maps in time.....

Thanks for the tips - I don't think it is the Map SD card as it works OK when in the Edge 800 - not much of an IT person, but it appears the processor, or working memory in the old GPS just can't handle what's being asked of it…

Sounds like you are probably right that it is not the card then.

Just wondering whether the weight penalty of the 800 along with a USB battery might be a solution. Even a fairly light battery should give you a couple of charges. Also you can get boosters that use AA batteries to recharge a USB device, the booster is very light but I have no idea how many AA batteries you would need.

I have experienced quite a few snags with it recently, particularly when trying to load long distance routes/tracks.

I split tracks up so that they never have more than 500 trackpoints. Since I've done that I've never had a problem with my Dakota.