Customer Reviews

DeLorme Earthmate PN-60W Portable GPS Navigator with SPOT Satellite Communicator

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I decided to invest in the Delorme PN-60W after hearing some fantastic claims of accuracy from users of the PN-20 and PN-40. The group I geocache with primarily use Garmin units, and recently upgraded to the Oregon, but were all somewhat disappointed with its accuracy. While I have not yet bothered to activate the SPOT communicator, I have used the PN-60W on several geocaching runs and compared it against the Garmin 60CSx, 62ST, Oregon, and Colorado. So far, I am very pleased with the performance of the PN-60W. The accuracy of the unit is superb, the interface fairly easy to use, but there are some problems that need to be worked out.

Loading geocaches into the PN-60W is easily done when attaching it as an external drive to a computer and moving an entire pocket query from GC.com. Sending individual geocache files to the PN-60W from the website using the plug-in software has been problematic, however, and fails more often than not. Delorme obviously has some work to do in that area. Advertised features of the PN-60W include wireless sharing of GPX files with other PN-60W units, but this feature is not in the current user manual and a call to Delorme revealed that this feature may be part of some future firmware update.

While the screen is smaller than comparable Garmin units, the graphics are easy to see and understand. The user interface, while not as slick as that on the Garmin, is similar, and I was able to use it in the field after less than a half hour of study and experimentation. The actual process flow of selecting a geocache to find, navigating to it, and recording the find is very similar on the PN-60W to that of the Colorado. Marking a waypoint or geocache on the fly is almost as easy on the PN-60W as on the 60CSx, and making a projection only slightly more difficult.

One of the strengths of the PN-60W is the large amount of memory. With a 32 gig SDHC card, it can easily hold massive amounts of map data, several times that of any other unit I am aware of. I'm looking forward to combining satellite photos with topo maps on the unit when geocaching. The accuracy is also as good as advertised, with the PN-60W easily holding its own when compared against the Garmin 60CSx and 62ST. It's nice to have the accuracy of the 60CSx and also be able to look up the cache details, logs, and hints on the same unit, so finally I am going paperless with the PN-60W. As reported by others, all this power has a price: the PN-60W can eat up batteries quickly, but then so do the comparable Garmin units. At the moment I'm using only high capacity lithium batteries, but plan to purchase the Delorme rechargeable battery pack and car kit and give it a try shortly.

Overall, this is a very sound unit and great for geocaching, with tons of memory and super accuracy. A larger screen would be nice, but what Delorme really needs to do is fix the ability to send individual cache files from the cache page to the unit, and allow units to trade GPX files wirelessly. An added bonus would be to allow the PN-60W to trade GPX files wirelessy with other manufacturers' units, such as the Garmin Colorado, Oregon, or 62ST. That would be a hard package to beat!

I have been a PN-20 and a PN-40 user, with prior Magellan and Garmin experience. I find the PN-60w with the SPOT Communicator to be the best GPS yet for outdoor activities. While acknowledging other users' observations that the PN-60w and the bundled Topo North America software take more effort to learn and set up, they have more capabilities than comparable devices and software (think PhotoShop vs. Picasa or Word vs. Notepad).

These are the improvements I particularly like:
* Improved battery life (I see 15 hours with NiMH AA's; 21 hours with a non-OEM rechargeable Li-Ion). Improved power savings strategies can stretch this out considerably more.
* Activity profiles allow recall of specific info fields, screen display rotations, and other settings associated with different activities such as hiking, biking, or geocaching. Since there's a lot of customization possible, it's helpful to recall a specific setup with a push of a button.
* You can save and use as many track and waypoint files as memory allows (virtually unlimited).
* The SPOT Communicator allows for predefined and custom message transmissions well beyond cell phone range. I've found transmissions fairly reliable, although it helps to position the Communicator to have a good view of a clear sky (foliage has little effect on the PN-60w reception, but adversely affects effective SPOT transmission). Both my wife and I feel a little safer about my solo hikes.
* Warning sounds are easier to hear than with prior PN models.

As with prior models, the MapPack annual subscription provides reasonably easy access to special imagery such as 1:24K USGS topo quads or NOAA nautical charts. The newly available DigitalGlobe subscription provides detailed satellite imagery, but the high memory requirements limit the coverage one can carry on the device. Both subscriptions cost $30/year each.

Another review mentioned difficulty in transferring geocache data to the Topo North America program. I think this problem was a temporary one stemming from changes at the geocaching site; after initial setup I've found updating geocache data to require a single click of the mouse. The free CacheRegister applet available for download from the DeLorme site offers an alternative to Topo North America for cache management.

I'd like to see a larger screen yet. It's highly-readable and adequate for the job, but about as small as they come on a GPS. Beyond that, DeLorme has done an admirable job of responding to the user requests that they have received. I'd echo the suggestion of others to take advantage of the help available on the DeLorme Users Forum and at DeLorme customer support.

Mostly feedback for the SPOT service...

1. BEWARE! SPOT will require you to purchase yet an additional package on top of your normal service if you want to send custom text messages (AKA Facebook and Twitter). This is likely the main reason you are all buying this device. Very annoying given they don't mention that anywhere in the DeLorme or SPOT web site.

2. Mostly my overlook.. but the actual SPOT part of the device is a separate unit (you have to carry 2 pieces). Early product shots with an arrow between them gave me the impression that the SPOT bit was actually snapped on the back where the battery compartment is now. Just to being clear to those wondering as well. There are 2 units.

3. Comes shipped with firmware that wont allow for pairing of the two units. You must update firmware on the PN-60w first.

4. The DeLorme mapping application for your PC is very hard to use and doesn't really follow typical UI and human computer interaction conventions (yes I'm qualified and certified to make that statement :). The browsing and panning and zooming is a lot like Nat Geo TOPO. Both suffer from same Application UI issues.

5. SPOT Customer Service is very rude and unprofessional. Take a deep breath and try to be patient :)

6. GEOS Rescue however is top notch.

Hope these warnings help those window shopping.
Safe trails!

I have owned 3 GPSes over the years. My first was a Garmin etrex ... very basic, a little man walking around on a gray screen. Later I upgraded to the Garmin gpsmap 60c. That gps was way ahead of the etrx, it had color and memory and I was very happ with it! The Delorme PN-60w with Spot raises the bar yet again! It is an awesome unit. I've had mine for a month now and have used it every day ... learning, testing, experimenting, hiking, etc.

I like Garmin as you can see, I have owned two of them. This is my first Delorme unit and I am very impressed with it. I do a lot of hiking, backpacking, canoeing and exloring in the woods. The PN-60w has signal even when my older units do not. It also has a better accuracy; often down to an amazing 7 feet! The GPS is fully functional and offers a ton of features. Delorme's Topo NA 90 offers a lot of value to the GPS. I did a lot of research before I bought this model so let me share my findings:

Pros:
- Great maps for the entire US and parts of Canada and Mexico - at NO additional cost
- Very helpful technical support and helpful service department, I've personally had a good experience with them
- Spot Communicator - At first I did not really want this but realized that it would bring comfort to my wife knowing that I am safe on my outdoor treks. Now I love it. I send my wife/family/friends a message when I have no cell coverage on a hike or multi day trip
- The keypad is excellent, better than any other gps i've used
- Screen is very readable and works well
- It weights less than a Garmin gpsmap 60cs (important in the backpack)
- Does not have a touch screen (I don't like finger smears and scratches on my screens)

Cons:
- Topo NA 90 is not very intuitive (it does not operate like any software I've used before) but once I figured out how to use it I became very happy with it. (It's still much better than MapSource and it has great maps.) This con can be overcome with some learning.
- Does not support Garmin Chirp- how important is chirp to you now or in the next few years?
- As far as I know it does not support wireless to wireless gps communication- again how important is this?
- Screen is a bit small but I'd rather trade screen size for more battery life, While the screen size is smaller than my Garmin gpsmap 60c it is still very readable and because it has more pixels it looks great. The Delorme screenshots do not do it justice.
- Downloaded maps and digital images are node locked
- No maps for outside of the US but I do 98% of my traveling in the US and National Parks.

So it comes down to knowing which features are most important for your needs and activities.

If you want a feature rich handheld GPS WITH excellent mapping software for use in North America and don't mind learning the intricacies of moderate to complex software, if you are a hiker, backpacker, mountain biker, climber, geocacher, kayaker etc then you should consider this unit with the Spot Communicator.

If you want a simple car gps to get you to 'Big Eats' at the mall or it's important for you to have a large touch screen (at the expense of battery life) then you might want to consider an Oregon, Nuvi or Tomtom.

I would rate 4 1/2 stars with a small decrement for the difficulty transferring maps and pairing with the gps. Connecting the device to a computer is somewhat problematic at times (turning on and off the gps and wiggling the cord a lot). However, the maps are better by far than Garmin's (even the Garmin 24,000 series) and the spot device could truly be a lifesaver when one is out of cell phone range (where getting back safely could be a concern). The device, with a 32GB chip can hold the entire US and Canada Topo maps and the color imagery is almost as good as Google maps (but takes up a lot of space). The tracks are easier to see than Garmin or Lowrance GPS devices and the screen is much better than either the Garmin Oregon series ( which is too dim, unless one wants to run out the batteries in a half day) or the GPSmap 60/62 series (improved in the 62 series). The screen is smaller than comparable gps units however, but is certainly adequate for its purpose. I found the ability to work under foliage equivalent to the Garmin GPSmap 60 series and better than the Garmin Oregon or Lowrence GPS devices. The spot service costs an extra $100 per year and a memory chip is not included, so prepare for extra costs. My only criticism is the USB connection. The contacts are uncovered and would likely deteriorate with exposure to salt water.

Imagine a GPS that shows highly accurate positions on the land, on water, in cars, geocaching, kayak fishing -- you name it, but also lets you send text messages when outside cell coverage. I knew my wife would worry when my fishing expedition was running late so I sent her a message saying we were coming in about three hours late. From a satellite! I also sent a message on a hiking trip because I forgot one of my fishing rods and my son was coming in the next day, so he brought it. This was in a part of British Columbia without cell coverage in a remote camping site. I have used the Delorme paper map books and this GPS is just amazingly accurate, rugged, and reliable. The best tech product I have purchased in many years.

Well, I was impressed with this unit when I examined it at GW7. Having owned several Garmins previously it was quite an adjustment switching over to a Delorme. Setting the Topos up was quite laborious. They say you have a $40 credit worth of maps you can select. I still have yet to figure that out. Frankly, I do not find the Delorme site very helpful at all. However, customer service is excellent if you call them. I also had some issues getting caches loaded, but that has now been resolved with the free Cache Register applet. I have to say though, I thoroughly miss using my GSAK to be able to pick through my caches before loading them.

The biggest plus that I just love, love, love about this unit is the accuracy. I think it blows my 60CSx away, and I love that unit. I still carry it as back up. As for battery life, the unit practically eats NiMH batteries....as in mine will not last 8 hrs. So I purchased Lithiums and they are far, far better. However, if you cache as much as I do, this will become far too costly so I ordered the Li-ion rechargeable batteries. Hopefully these will prove to be the best way to go. I also subscribed to the map service, we shall see how that pans out as well.

I am and have been a SPOT customer for almost a year. I have an active SPOT II with them. BE WARNED!!! If you currently have a SPOT account you can NOT cancel and/or transfer your service to the new device. I have a couple of months left and they refuse to transfer that to the new device and refuse to offer any sort of refund. SPOT forces you to pay as if you are a new customer. IMO this is an extremely poor level customer service. Based on the attitudes of the support staff, SPOT clearly doesn't want my business. I have not decided at this point if I am going to keep the unit given the level of service (if you can call it that) they have provided. On the upside DeLorme was great when I asked them a few questions.

I would give this item a 1 but the GPS DeLorme GPS is a 5 so between the two it is "ok". I would recommend DeLorme highly. I have used their Topo software for years. Their support has always been helpful and the people nice to talk to. It is a shame that DeLorme doesn't have their own service separate from SPOT. I would gladly switch!

If this unit had a bigger screen, I'd give it 5 stars! I've been a Garmin fan for many years, but I need something that wouldn't shut off from vibration. I ride dirt bikes. Well let me tell you, this unit won't shut off! I dropped it at 30mph (on accident) and it didn't shut off. No need for hate mail, my front brake cable pulled the RAM mount forward while going off a jump and released the unit. Take note of where your cables are! Anyway, this unit is rock solid and sends messages via text, email and facebook with ease. It will even track you (every 10 minutes, cannot adjust) automatically on a website for friends and family to see. I do wish the auto tracking would update more often than every 10 min. Hiking wouldn't be so important, but on a dirt bike, I can cover some serious ground in 10 minutes. I keep the SPOT in my tool pack around my waist. It doesn't skip a beat even though it's in pack. If you look around a little, it's easy to find coupons for the tracking and messaging service options. Of course there are no charges for the GPS and emergency service. FYI, 1 "message" can go out to multiple people, including text, email and social network sites all at the same time. So don't worry about expense. I send extra messages just for the heck of it and can already see that there is no way that I'll be able to use the 500 message package that I purchased.

I have the SPOT 2 which I purchased in April 2010. Used it all summer with great results. I am retired U.S. Coast Guard and was the Search and Rescue Officer for many of my units. Many lives could have been spared if safety was on the list of any activity. Communication buys time. The SPOT will give you that peace of mind for not just you but for your loved ones. I just upgraded to the DeLormne PN-60w. I have the PN-40. The Delorme is a very good quality GPS. I have owned several different GPS's

I received numerous emails and mail to upgrade to the PN-60w. Which I did for both the GPS and SPOT are I believe is paramount for communications when off the grid. The big down side is if you have a current subscription with SPOT2 it is not transferable to the PN-90w. You have to spend the $149 plus to activate the new unit. Why do I need two subscriptions? I feel SPOT and I shared this with customer service need to make this clear the customer. Now I have to wait or buy a subscription for my new unit. SPOT needs to work out this if they are going to push their customer to upgrade. The good news is I got it on a deep discount through Amazon.