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

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

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.

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

Wireless Sharing Of User Tracks, Waypoints, Routes & Geocaches Between Units
Features Built-In Worldwide Basemap With Shaded Relief
Features A 2.55-InchH X 1.53-InchW, Transflective Color Tft Display With 240 X 400 Pixel Resolution
High Sensitivity, WAAS-Enabled GPS Receiver

Price: $315.52

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

I couldn't have asked for anything better for the price. I have used this over the past 4+ months without a hitch. My first experience was a trip via our speedboat from Bonita Springs, FL to the Keys (Hawk's Cay to be exact). I used free map software available online (Maptech Chart Navigator) and free up-to-date chart downloads through NOAA to plot my trip. I set waypoints using the software and then used a converter program to put these in the format so that I could upload them to the GPS via the Garmin software. If you find computers comfortable, it is a breeze.

To put to bed one complaint, I used this unit in an unprotected boat in the middle of August in the middle of Florida Bay while en route to the Keys. To be honest, I have never been to a place where the sun was more bright (never mind the fact that even with sunscreen we were seared). Not once, and I mean not once, did I have a problem reading the display. I had it pointed right at me and/or face up, with no roof/canopy/shade/anything to block the sun and I had no problem looking down at 60+ MPH to see where I was and how close I was following my preprogrammed path. This GPS got me through the shallows by the Keys, into Channel 5, the Hawk Channel, and finally Hawk's Cay w/o a hitch. I was able to navigate through the Keys all weekend (full-sun) without any issue. The points of interest (i.e. gas stations, restaurants, CG stations, etc.) were handy to have too. Therefore, for me, this unit was absolutely the right choice.

When I came back from my trip, I was able to upload my exact path for the whole week to my computer and save it for future reference. I have used this GPS everywhere from Marco Island to Captiva and Cabbage Key and it has not given me a single issue. I do about 200-300 hours of boating per year and find this GPS to be a great tool to have aboard, especially if you break down at sea and need a tow (as we did recently - GPS coordinates got the tow boat to us much quicker then the old "I'm between X and Y inlet."

Final Verdict: Recommended! I was hesitant reading some of the reviews but in the end am glad with the purchase. -- Extremely happy with purchase....

I have a full-size chart plotter and radar on my 41 foot ketch. The 400c is a backup unit that is handy to use to check distances and points of interest without changing the displays on the full-size unit. It would be nice to have rechargable batteries in this unit, but the litium batts last more than a day under sail. -- CAPTAIN'S BACKUP