Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3517 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Garmin
• Model: OREGON 300
• Dimensions: 1.38" h x 2.28" w x 4.49" l, .43 pounds
• Hard Disk: 512MB
• Native resolution: 240 x 400
• Display size: 3

Features

• High-sensitivity GPS receiver with barometric altimeter, electronic compass, microSD card slot, and picture viewer
• Sunlight-readable, 3-inch diagonal color touchscreen display
• Wireless capability lets you exchange tracks, waypoints, routes and geocaches between similar units
• Features built-in base map with shaded relief
• Rugged, waterproof, and durable handheld navigator

Amazon.com
Manufacturer's Description (July 11, 2008)
Easy to learn and simple to use, the waterproof Garmin Oregon 300 features a high-sensitivity GPS receiver and preloaded worldwide basemap with shaded relief for incredibly detailed map presentation on the unit. It also offers a high-resolution, color 3-inch touchscreen that reacts as you tap or drag through menus and options. With its high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver and HotFix satellite prediction, Oregon 200 locates your position quickly and precisely and maintains its GPS location even in heavy cover and deep canyons. It's also equipped with a barometric altimeter and electronic compass, and it's compatible with Garmin's heart-rate monitors and speed/cadence sensors.

The Garmin Oregon 300.

The Oregon 300 provides a basemap that can be easily supplemented with additional mapping or charts for your adventures on land or at sea. The device lets you customize five profiles--automotive, marine, recreation, fitness or geocaching--making the most beneficial features for each activity the easiest to access through quick shortcuts. The tough, 3-inch color touchscreen display is easy to read even in direct sunlight, and the Oregon's easy-to-use interface means you'll spend more time enjoying the outdoors and less time searching for information.

It also plays well with others, allowing for wireless exchange of tracks, waypoints and geocaches between other Oregon units and Garmin Colorado models.

This unit 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.

Conveniently plug in optional preloaded microSD memory cards for all your outdoor activities on land or water. The card slot is located inside the waterproof battery compartment, so you don't have to worry about getting it wet. Just insert an optional Garmin MapSource card with detailed street maps, and the Oregon provides turn-by-turn directions to your destination. Add optional topographic maps to take advantage of the Oregon's 3D map view which gives you a better perspective of your elevation. And with optional BlueChart g2 Vision maps, you'll get everything you need for a great day on the water including depth contours, navaids and harbors.

Garmin's HotFix capability automatically calculates and stores satellite locations, greatly reducing satellite acquisition time so that you can turn the unit on and get going. Geocaching is even easier with the Oregon, which quickly downloads online information for every cache, such as location, terrain, difficulty, hints and description, so that you don't have to tote printouts with you.

Garmin Oregon 300 screenshots.

Features and Specifications

• Worldwide basemap with shaded relief
• Built-in 3D DEM (Digital Elevation Model) basemap
• Wireless exchange of user routes, tracks, waypoints, geocaches and images
• MicroSD card slot for optional mapping and data storage
• Track log: 10,000 points, 20 saved tracks
• Electronic compass, barometric altimeter, temperature sensor
• Display: 3-inch color touchscreen with 240 x 400-pixel resolution
• Batteries: Two high-capacity or lithium-ion AA batteries for up to 16 hours of use
• Unit dimensions: 4.5 x 2.3 x 1.4 inches
• Weight: 6.8 ounces with batteries

Garmin Oregon Model Comparisons

What's in the Box
Oregon 300, carabiner clip, USB cable, owner's manual (on disk), printed quick-start guide

Customer Reviews

Great upfront but leaves you wanting more
I read some of the comments about the problems with the Oregon, but I think they were played down. I went from a 60csx to an Oregon 300.

I use my handheld gps for backpacking, day hikes, and street navigation.

Oregon pluses I noticed:
1) 3d view shows elevation even in street mode
2) shaded relief
3) touch screen
4) smaller size
5) screen lock feature is nice
6) sat initial lock is very fast and strong
6) Battery life is pretty good for a touch screen. Lithium batteries will get you about 15 hours.

Oregon negatives:
On the map screen you have the option of two fields or no fields
1)can not flip from screen to screen without exiting to the main menu and then selecting the other screen ( seems like they could just let you slide you finger left or right at the bottom of the screen to go to the next or previous screens. The do basically this on the main menu screen.
2)battery meter does not read correctly
3)car power adapter that is recommended by Garmin is not correct. I has a 90 degree turn that is the wrong way. Works but is not correct.
4)No preview of your pending turn when the system beeps to let you know a turn is coming.
5)If you are on another page other than the map page you get a beep warning that a turn is coming but no preview. You just see the page you are on at that time.
6)should you miss your turn the Oregon is sporadic regarding how fast it will correct your path. Maybe immediately maybe a few blocks, maybe never.
7)Can not manually stop, edit, or recalculate your route from the map screen, you must exit the map screen to the main menu then go to active route screen.
8)Screen is very dim. In full sunlight you can not see the screen to read it. I light cloud cover it is hard to read.
9)Not many search options. With the Garmin 60CSX you can search by almost any criteria you can think of.
10) You can not customize the Oregon much, 60csx you could customize everything.

Bottom line: If you have not had a gps before or you have had a low end unit you will like it. If you have had a high end unit like a Garmin 60csx you will be disappointed.

I returned mine and got another 60csx.

Many nice features, but a few backwards steps
I bought the Garmin Oregon 300 after owning a Garmin eTrex Legend CX for the last year or two. Alhough initially sceptical of the touch screen, it actually works well. I like the menu system too. My main criticism of the Oregon is the fact that the screen (at max brighness) is not nearly as bright as the Legend screen. The Oregon screen is almost invisible in bright light, even when the screen itself is shaded. This is a significant issue in Australia. My other critism is that the customisation of the navigation screen is limited, with one fixed field at the top and only 2 adjustable fields (Legend has up to 4 adjustable fields).

Purchased for Hiking and Biking
I purchased the Garmin Oregon 300 primarily for hiking and for mountain biking. Recently, I used the hand held in Rocky Mountain National Park near Estes Park, CO. Reading several reviews, I decided to purchase what I felt was "current" technology rather than spending less money on a unit that has been on the market several years. Here are my observations:
- In most reviews you'll see complaints about mapping software. It is true that the Maps are very expensive, I ended up purchasing two City Navigator and US Topo. I considered the National Parks West mapsource, however as each of these additions are $100 or so it starts to get more expensive than I'd like.
- I felt the US Topo map was "good enough" for my hiking in the National Park. Many of the trails were visible but not much detail on them, but for what I was doing it was OK. I marked each trail head that I was traveling, and used the device to track my travel time, rest time, gain in elevation, and captured my "tracks" for future reference. As I returned from the trail end to the trail head, this gave me a good estimate on ETA, and sunset times.
- The touch screen is a great feature (i do have an iPod Touch and like this interaction).
- The battery life is OK. I purchased the auto charger and be careful that it has an "L" shaped connector that doesn't fit well into the Oregon (It's made for other units). After the fact, I saw reviews that recommend getting a third party charger.
- The size of the device is very good, feels comfortable in the hand. Built very well, seems sturdy.
- The 300 built in base map is not very useful, I'd recommend looking at the others that may include maps that you'd need to purchase built in.
- The menu's are OK, but I've found that the City Navigator is challenging me to route using Freeways, continually wants to route me as the "crow flys".
Overall this is a quality product, however, expensive when you consider the cost of the additional maps. I'm hoping that we can use the US Topo for biking. Our local trail system would be nice to be able to overlay onto the US Topo as well as the snowmobile trails in the eastern Upper Penn.