Free2BeMe

I've had 3 instances to call Magellan for support. I've never used the online support thing, but have called them on the phone. I haven't had any long wait times and their help has been dead on and quick. Don't believe the shysters.

Most, if not all, of the eXplorists come with the Geocaching Manager software. You don't need GSAK or any other program to download Geocaches.

Magellan support has been superb in my opinion. I bought an eXplorist 600 last year. I phoned support twice and the wait time was short and the help was dead on and quick. I bought my brother an eXplorist 400 and called for help and got the same great service. I think there's a lot of folks that "heard" somebody a long time ago complain and they keep building on that. Don't believe it.

Darn, I was hoping that would help. I have an eXplorist and most features should work the same way. Under Preferences, Active Setup you should have the Basemap set to default and the Detail Map turned off - I don't think you can remove the detail map if it's in use. Try again to delete the map in Map Utilities. Can you connect your GPS to your computer via USB and delete the file that way? If the above didn't work, I would suggest contacting Magellan by telephone for better/faster results.

I figure the gas shouldn't be too much of a problem if you plan your cache route carefully. I'm going to do that while it's too hot to go out.

Here's the annswer from Magellan's website under Support/Obsolete Products: SporTrak Pro Question: My SporTrak Map/Pro unit will not allow me to load a new map, no matter how small. I had previously loaded a map successfully. What can I do? Answer: You can delete the old maps from your unit to facilitate loading of a new map. Simply press the “MENU” button and select “MAP UTILITIES”. Then select “DELETE FILE” and select each map (one at a time) and verify “YES” to clear the map from unit memory. Once the stored map(s) has been cleared, you can load your new map. I hope this helps you.

I just checked my MapSend Topo 3D North America v1.00 build 1150 and it does have the Alaska map, but seems to show only Interstates, State Highways and Airports in addition to the lakes, bays and National Parks.

This is simple process using the Magellan MapSend xxxx software (Topo 3D or other) on your computer. Place your waypoints where you want them or load them from a previously-saved file. Now click the toolbar where is says "Waypoints". On the drop-down menu choose "Build Route". A window will open on the right-hand side of your screen. Do you see where it says "Route 1"? Click on that to rename it something memorable such as "Secret Spot". Now to build the route is simple too. Simply drag your waypoints from the list of waypoints shown on your screen to your route folder "Secret Spot". Now all you need to do is save your file and upload it to your GPS using the Magellan Conversion Manager.

Not sure what Mapcenter is. The only maps you can load onto your Magellan eXplorist are Magellan MapSend maps.

When you created your map in Mapsend Topo 3D, you may have had the option to turn off/on POI's and Topo deselected. This would leave you with a basically blank map I think. Glad you got it corrected anyway.

I bought my eXplorist last month -- it's my first GPS and have found it very easy to use. I did my homework by making a list of available units and the features of each -- then chose the one that best suited my needs/wants. I've had 2 contacts with customer support and both have been positive.

I have nothing to offer, but thought you'd be interested to know that the Magellan Mapsend Topo North America also shows city streets as well as most dirt roads and the POI's.

I phoned Magellan twice right after I bought my explorist 600. No waiting on the phone - fast answer (serial number input) and got an immediate answer to my question. The second call was less than a 5 minute wait and got immediate response to that question (connecting to the computer) as well. I'm very happy with the response I've had and extremely happy with my decision to buy the eXplorist!

Hi whitetailfan, I'm new to the GPS scene and have also just purchased a Magellan eXplorist - I got the 600. At first I was pretty overwhelmed too by the manuals -- in fact I kept nodding off while trying to absorb all of that! My Topo3D for North America also came with a firmware update CD. I phoned Magellan the CD does not apply to the eXplorist (so you may as well toss it out) -- use the firmware upgrade on their website. You may not need it though, mine didn't. It's actually very easy to use the map software. After loading it on the computer I simply drew a box around an area and saved it. I added POIs that I wanted to test and took off the next day. I EASILY found several petroglyph sites that I'd searched for many times without GPS. I am hooked! Now all I need to do is go try a few geocaches.

Hi whitetailfan, I'm new to the GPS scene and have also just purchased a Magellan eXplorist - I got the 600. At first I was pretty overwhelmed too by the manuals -- in fact I kept nodding off while trying to absorb all of that! My Topo3D for North America also came with a firmware update CD. I phoned Magellan the CD does not apply to the eXplorist (so you may as well toss it out) -- use the firmware upgrade on their website. You may not need it though, mine didn't. It's actually very easy to use the map software. After loading it on the computer I simply drew a box around an area and saved it. I added POIs that I wanted to test and took off the next day. I EASILY found several petroglyph sites that I'd searched for many times without GPS. I am hooked! Now all I need to do is go try a few geocaches. Forgot to mention - after you save your edited maps to the computer be sure to use the MapSend conversion program to upload the maps (and POIs) to your eXplorist. You'll find the link in the Magellan eXplorist folder on your computer.