Garmin Colorado 400t

The Garmin Colorado 400t is an all-in-one GPS navigator from Garmin’s Colorado series. It is suitable for exploring the backcountry as well as freshwater lakes. The Garmin Colorado 400t comes included with topographic maps for hiking adventures, 3-D map view, a built-in basemap, high-sensitivity receiver, barometric altimeter, colour display, SD card slot, picture viewer and more. Besides that, it also has wireless capabilities that allows users to exchange tracks, waypoints, routes and geocaches between similar units.

Specifications
The Garmin Colorado 400t measures 60 mm x 139 mm x 35 mm (W x H x D) in dimension and weighs approximately 206.9 g including its standard provided battery. The Garmin Colorado 400t features a transflective colour TFT display that measures 38 mm x 63 mm (W x H) or 3 inches diagonally with a resolution of 240 x 400 pixels. It is powered by 2 AA batteries which are not included and have to be purchased separately. The Garmin Colorado 400t works best on NiMH or Lithium batteries which are able to provide up to 15 hours of battery life based on typical usage. Besides that, it also incorporates IPX7 technology which makes it waterproof. In addition to that, the Garmin Colorado 400t also utilizes USB and NMEA 0183 compatible interfaces. In terms of maps and memory features, the Garmin Colorado 400t has the ability to add maps. It has a built in memory of 384 MB available for user to store data. Besides that, the Garmin Colorado 400t also has a memory card slot that is built for SD memory cards which have to be purchased separately. The Garmin Colorado 400t can store up to 1000 waypoints/ favourites/ locations, 50 routes, and 10000 points and 20 saved tracks. There are also preloaded street maps including BlueChart g2 with limited capability. Additional features include automatic routing with turn by turn routing on roads with optional mapping for detailed roads, a built-in electronic compass, a barometric altimeter, and is geocaching-friendly. Besides that, the Garmin Colorado 400t is also compatible with custom maps and includes outdoor GPS games. Other features include hunt/ fish calendar, sun and moon information, tide tables, and area calculation. Besides that, the Garmin Colorado 400t also includes the ability to accept custom POIs (ability to add additional points of interest), perform unit-to-unit transfer (shares data wirelessly with similar units) as well as includes a picture viewer. The Garmin Colorado 400t comes pre-loaded with U.S. topographic maps, 3-D map view and a built-in worldwide basemap with shaded relief to give you all the tools for serious climbing or hiking. It is also compatible with Garmin’s preprogrammed SD cards which include street maps, topographic maps, coastal charts or inland lake data. Not only that, the Garmin Colorado 400t is located inside the waterproof battery compartment which protects it from getting wet. In addition to that, the Garmin Colorado 400t also has wireless compatibility to allow you to share your waypoints, tracks, routes and geocaches wirelessly with other Colorado users by selecting “send” to transfer your information to other Colorado unites. There is also a fun an intuitive rock ‘n roller input wheel that allows for easy one-handed operation and also supports Geocaching.com GPX files for downloading geocaches and details straight to your unit. The Garmin Colorado 400t interface can also be customized based on your favourite activity. In addition to that, the Garmin Colorado 400t also incorporates a high-sensitivity WAAS-enabled GPS receiver that helps you locate your position quickly and precisely as well as maintains its GPS location even in heavy cover and deep canyons. Besides that, the Garmin Colorado 400t also comes with a built-in electronic compass that provides bearing information even while you’re standing still as well as a barometric altimeter that tracks changes in pressure to pinpoint your precise altitude. There is also an altimeter that allows you to plot barometric pressure over time to help you keep track on changing weather conditions.

Reviews

“After owning a Colorado for six months, I can say I am ’satisified’ with the way it is working after the release of 2.60. But I am not thrilled, as in my opinion more could be done to get this unit working even better. Colorado owners have had to endure few software updates for the first six months, to get this unit working they way they want it to. Some Colorado owners have been disenfranchised with the announcement of the new Oregon series, which is the younger brother of the Colorado with a touchscreen interface. The release of the Oregon was a well kept secret and units were on the streets within two weeks of the announcement. What troubles many Colorado users, is that it seems that Garmin has been focused in on the Oregon, instead of fixing the Colorado first.” (GPSInformation, 2008)

“Personally, I like the versatility and the ability for it to switch profiles quickly. The screen is big enough to see and the click wheel plus the new interface gives is enough functionality that is configurable so that you aren’t overwhelmed with the capability and not able to use it because there is too much “stuff” to get through.” (GPSLodge, 2008)

“Colorado is Garmin’s newest handheld outdoor GPS aimed at outdoor, marine, and fitness enthusiasts. Available in 4 versions, the 400t model includes 3D elevation perspective and ships preloaded with U.S. topographic maps. Additional maps can be purchased from Garmin. Colorado is also the first GPS to support Whereigo (“where I go”), groundspeak’s newest GPS-based activity (the same folks who made geocaching popular).” (GPSMagazine, 2008)