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The PN-40 does everything I need it to do. I use it primarily for kayaking trips. I typically put it in track mode and let it track my path. Later I upload the recorded GPX file into Google Earth to see my path. The screen is a bit small but very visible even in bright Florida sunlight. The unit has a full set of cool "extras" like moon phase, sun up and down times, tide charts, compass,and altimeter. Most every time I have used i get a 3D WAAS fix, accurate tracking. Maps, basically you will want to pay the $29 for the Delorme map library. It allows access to all their maps ( topo, sat, NOAA ) for 1 year. You select and download what you want in the Delorme TOPO program and transfer it to the PN-40. You can pay another $29 for access to super high res aerial imagery but you will need to be using TOPO9 ( or map X ) program to take advantage of that. Why not five stars? First and biggest knock is battery life. If you use regular AA's with this thing it will burn through them in 3 hrs of light use. I get somewhere between 6-8 hrs using 2300mAH rechargeable NIMHS. Not bad, not great, acceptable. Second knock, screen could be a bit bigger. Third knock, the contacts for the USB cable are exposed. Should you get some sea water on them you will need to clean them ( eraser method ). I think the design should have at least had a removable cover for the USB contacts. I paid $120 from someone on Ebay who looked like he was honest when saying he used it twice. Overall I am highly satisfied.Read full review
The PN-40 has a few setbacks, but after some research, nothing else came close to handling the needs I expected out of a GPSr. My uses are mostly biking, hiking, and other recreational activities. It still works great for navigation, but since I haven't tried other GPSr's I cannot rate it against anything else. It comes with Topo8 USA and a free month premium membership at geocaching.com. It also comes with 40 dollars of selectable maps, which quickly ensures that the 30/year for an unlimited download subscription is well worth the price. The learning curve on the software, and to less of an extent, the receiver itself, is pretty high compared to what I was expecting. I dont expect the average person looking solely for a navigation system to put the time and energy into learning how to use it properly and get full use from it. There have been a few issues. Once or twice it has restarted on its own while I was in the middle of a task. This happens under 50% battery life and usually while there is a lot of information on the screen. The batteries also die pretty quickly and I wouldn't recommend regular alkalines or you'll be donating limbs to keep the thing powered before a few months time. I did put some NiMH re-chargables in it, and they last longer, but it appears they still need to be removed to be charged. After having it hooked up to my usb port on my computer the batteries never seem to charge. In the end, I knew what I wanted long before my purchase and was happy with where I put my money. I would have rated this excellent but it obviously has some flaws. This unit has a lot of potential (think graphing calculator vs basic calculator), but not everyone needs it all. Delorme's website has user forums and plenty of options for customer support. I hear they also take recommendations from customers on a regular basis and incorporate them into later versions. So even if your not 100% happy, they may meet your needs in the future if its possible.Read full review
Only reason it gets a 4/5 is simply because this is NOT a beginners GPS unit. This is my third one and definately the most complicated. I've continually upgraded through the ranks, but I believe that the PN-40 will serve every need I'll ever have! I did my homework and researched reviews and specs, very happy with the purchase. To those considering The Delorme PN-40, be sure you read reviews and understand that it does have a slight learning curve. The unit is packed with functions and it takes almost a full day of tinkering with it and the manual before you understand enough to take it in the field. ALSO, big note here, many people complain that it is slow.... LIES! Very quick. Although, it is slow the FIRST time you turn it one. It has to go through system reboot from factory fresh and locate itself. Mine took almost 10minutes. But now once I turn it on I have a 3-D lock with WAAS within 10=30 seconds depending on cover. Excellent unit. Highly recommended. Just be ready to play with it. Happy HuntingRead full review
The DeLorme Earthmate PN-40 GPS Receiver is everything it is advertised to be, a great little hand-held GPS device. That is, if you live in the U.S. of A. Or perhaps Mexico. As with many other American companies, DeLorme just don't seem to understand that there are other worlds, territories, even oceans, beyond the borders of the good ol' U.S. of A. Granted, DeLorme does sell world wide maps for this device, but they will cost you two arms and a couple of internal organs, and even then, it'll only get you a general view of any one country. Don't expect anything revolutionary. For Americans, I'm sure it is a great device; outside those limited boundaries, stick a finger in the air and hope for a breeze. Also, battery usage is joke. Single use or rechargeable, stock up on extras if you plan on using this thing.Read full review
I also own a PN-20 and the PN-40 addresses many of the shortcomings of the earlier model. The satellite acquisition and screen redraw times have been dramatically improved. Delorme continues to have by far the best map data available, and these maps are now much more useful with the substantially improved redraw rate. You can also subscribe for unlimited map downloads at only $30, which is an excellent deal. They have also improved their software for transferring map data, which is now much more intuitive. On the down side, the screen remains much too small and display of maps is still somewhat buggy. In some instances, only part of the map data is displayed on the screen, and the device still occasionally locks up requiring a hard boot (battery removal).
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