Garmin GPSMAP 76CSx vs Colorado 400t
There’s been quite a lot written lately about the Garmin Colorado series of GPS receivers lately. I decided to check out the product at their web site, and do a quick comparison of the high end Colorado, the 400t, against my 76CSx. Here are the results:
| 400t | 76CSx | |
| Display Size | 1.53″W x 2.55″H | 1.6″W x 2.22″H |
| Display Resolution | 240 x 400 pixels | 160 x 240 pixels |
| Waterproof? | Yes – IPX7 | Yes – IPX7 |
| Floats? | No | Yes |
| High Sensitivity Receiver? | Yes | Yes |
| Waypoints/Favorites/Locations | 1000 | 1000 |
| Routes | 50 | 50 |
| Track Log | 10,000 points, 20 saved tracks | 10,000 points, 20 saved tracks |
| Built In Memory? | Yes | No |
| Data Card? | SD Card (not included) | 128 microSD card (included) |
| Preloaded Maps? | Yes (topographic) | No |
| Unit-to-unit transfer (shares data wirelessly with similar units)? |
Yes | No |
| Picture Viewer? | Yes | No |
All else being equal (more or less), that sums it up. I do like that the 400t has internal memory, into which you can load maps, and that it accepts SD cards (I have more of those from my cameras than I do microSD cards). The picture viewer might be kinda cook for viewing hints or something. The fact that you can transfer info from similar units would seem to be beneficial only if you know somebody else who has one! And, since I use mine when I kayak, I certainly appreciate the fact that the 76CSx floats!
The 400t seems interesting, and I would like to get my hands on one to experience it myself. For the meantime, however, given the price of these things, I’ll stick with my trusty 76CSx. It’s helped me find my way more than once!
Yes, the entire Colorado series does seem interesting. I have a 76CSx as well, and was considering replacing it with a 400t or 400c, so I asked Garmin for some info not covered in their specs, and got a response from their support organization. I have purchased many maps for the 76CSx: TopoUSA, City Navigator North America, City Navigator Europe, and Bluechart Americas. I’ve been able to place all these on an array of 1gb microSD cards, but it took quite a few. I hoped to replace all of them with a single 16gb SD and 400c. The c has all Bluechart regions unlocked which is a “better value” than the t for those wanting both types of map data. The 400t has maps equivalent to TopoUSA 2008 which is not locked to begin with.
The trouble is, according to Garmin, the largest SD supported by Colorado is 4gb, and the existing 76CSx mapset limitation, 2025, exists for the Colorado as well. It’s not clear how the 400t solves this problem since the retail TopoUSA has > 4gb map data and > 6000 map segments. But until Garmin removes these Colorado limitations, I think I’ll also be sticking with my trusty 76CSx.
I know some geocaching friends who got the chance to try out the 400t over the weekend, and the initial reviews are not very encouraging. Seems there is still work to be done with respect to geocaching and geocaching functions for paperless caching. Add to that what you’ve written, and I see no reason to drop $500+ for a new GPSr.
Hi,
Do you know of any good blogs/groups for the 76csx? I just got one and have some questiions. Mosty it insists on starting all road routes at an elementry school several miles from my home, and the units location. I’m hoping to find how to correct this.
Thx,
Brian