Spotlight Customer Reviews
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Good product
Comment: The Topo map package is great, takes some learning. You can look at the area you are interested in with 3d, pan, tilt, profile, gives you a good idea what to expect.
The PN-40, a little confusing editing routes, but seem to work well. Finds Sat. fast, works in my coat pocket while hunting, works in a room with no windows in the house.
I would buy it again.
Customer Rating: Summary: No better GPSr for off-road use!!!
Comment: If you're looking for a handheld GPSr unit for off-road use, you won't find a better, more cost-effective product.
I'd been researching to buy a new GPSr unit for two years. During that period, a couple of the major manufacturers announced new lines that really got my hopes up, but turned out to be disappointments upon release. (No names here; if you've done your homework you know which units I'm talking about). I'd about decided to go with the tried & true Garmin 60 Csx when I started seeing some buzz about the DeLorme PN-40. The more I looked into it, the more it became apparent that this was the unit to get.
I have had zero problems with this unit. Sure, the included Topo 7 Mapping software has a learning curve but that's what you would expect for a product having the advanced capabilities which it has. Also I have seen complaints that the display screen is smaller than some other manufacturers units. I decided I would rather have a screen that was more readable under various conditions than a bigger screen that was less readable.
But the two deal makers for this unit were the $29.95 annual map subscription (USGS quads, color and b&w aerials, satellite, coastal, etc. images) and the EXCELLENT DeLorme users forum. The maps I have already downloaded would cost me hundreds (going on thousands) of $$ if I had to buy them individually; and whenever I've been confused or had a question about how to do something with the unit, it's always been answered on the forum. BTW, DeLorme staff actively participates in the forum; find another brand doing that!
An earlier review said they were disappointed because the unit didn't show trails. Not sure what they were talking about; the USGS topo quads are the same as the paper 1:24k quads, so all trails shown on topo quads are shown. (The base map on the unit obviously doesn't include that level of detail for the whole USA; I'm sure it would require multiple tetrabytes! You import to the GPSr the areas that you want.)
Anyway, I could go on forever but bottom line - I couldn't be happier with this unit!
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Unhappy with PN-40
Comment: Received unit 12-15-08. Very steep learning curve for the included TOPO-7 software. In side by side comparisons with a Garmin Etrex Summit HC, the Garmin is consistently more accurate. After a few days the unit started locking up when connected via USB to a computer. Found the 8 pin connector had 3 pins with weakend springs. Connector is poorly designed.
Customer Rating: Summary: Works as an odometer, frustrating though
Comment: I bought this thinking hiking trails would be on the maps that I install. This is not the case. Disappointment #1. I get the topo software on the computer and think I can download maps from there onto the PN40. I tried for a couple hours and gave up. My wife tried for a few more hours and gave up. Now I use it a pedometer basically since there are no maps for where we walk. Also several streets on the maps are wrong, showing streets leading where there are none and have never been. If you follow the streets on the maps, you'll be going through vacant fields and several fenced yards. Everything I try does not work or I fight it for several frustrating attempts, then next time back to square 1. Even using as a pedometer it's not working exactly correctly, for example I reset, then walked 3.2 miles in 45 minutes and it showed my average was 3.5mph. This is not correct as I'm relatively sure at the pace I walk I would cover more than another 0.3 miles in 15 additional minutes time. So to summarize I'll still rate it a 4 but I'm very disappointed really.
Customer Rating: Summary: Better Then Most
Comment: This is a nice little unit. I especially like the ability to download color satellite photos to overlay them on your topo map. I had purchased one of the first TOPO DVD and enojoyed using. I was a little disapointed that not much has changed in version 7.0 execpt of the ability to down load overlays. The electronic compass is not to bad but it did take a couple of attempts to calibrate correctly in order to work properly. The biggest problem I see with the unit is it's battery life. I had put new batteries in the unit a couple of days earlier and used it for a short period of time to establish my home location, downloaded some satellite images of the area I was going to be hunting and I thought I was ready to go. However, as I got to my spot in the dark the low battery indicator came on. I had to power down the unit hoping some of the battery would came back to get me back to my car. It did but it was a little nerve racking because I had forgotten my backup compass. If taking the unit to an area you're not farmiliar with make sure you print a map from the TOPO program and bring a backup compass or carry lots of batteries with you.
