leathco Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 I was going to get the eTrex Legend (blue model). Changed my mind after I went to Wal-Mart and found the price to be 40 dollars higher than advertised and they refused to pricematch their website. Later that day me and a buddy were checking a local electronics store and he talked me into the eXplorist 200. He's joining me with his own GPS later, but he is saving for a higher end model. I however cannot justify 400+ dollars, so I'm happy with the functionality of the unit I got. My question is which units have a higher accuracy, better battery life, and overall a better GPS? Quote Link to comment
+Adrenalynn Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 (edited) I was going to get the eTrex Legend (blue model). Changed my mind after I went to Wal-Mart and found the price to be 40 dollars higher than advertised and they refused to pricematch their website. Later that day me and a buddy were checking a local electronics store and he talked me into the eXplorist 200. He's joining me with his own GPS later, but he is saving for a higher end model. I however cannot justify 400+ dollars, so I'm happy with the functionality of the unit I got. My question is which units have a higher accuracy, better battery life, and overall a better GPS? Hi, Welcome! This is really answered all over the forum. Did you read around for a bit? The answer before the flame war starts yet again is "yes." or "no." Both. Neither. It's a religious argument with no correct answer. Either one will get you within a hundred feet of a geocache. From there: there's a reason geocaching.com's slogan is "where you are the search engine" Now we'll sit through a thousand posts of flaming. Edited April 15, 2006 by Adrenalynn Quote Link to comment
+Miragee Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 Both units work fine for Geocaching. The difference really shows up if you have a problem with your GPSr and need to send it in for warranty repair. Magellan is notoriously bad when it comes to service. A friend recently tried to get service on a MeriPlat that was less than a year old and covered by a two-year extended warranty. It took weeks. He bought the new Garmin Map60CSx as a replacement. Garmin's service is fantastic. Recently a friend sent her very used Garmin Map60CS in because the lettering was coming off the buttons. The GPSr had been dropped many times and the screen was terribly scratched. However, it still worked perfectly. Garmin sent her a brand new GPSr. Quote Link to comment
+Chuy! Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 Wanna hear politics? Magellan is owned by a French company which is partly owned by the French government. Garmin was initially created in Kansas, but their current home base is a Carribean island, most likely a tax shelter decision. Most of their products are made abroad, Garmin has a large production facility in Taiwan. I'm not sure about Magellan. Of course, it's all about quality control, and from what I have gathered, both are similar. It's in the features; software; update fixes; and product support that give one the edge over the other. Garmin, handily, has the edge, thus far. Quote Link to comment
+The Geocache Hunter Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 I've owned both Garmin and Magellan GPSr's. First a Magellan Sport Pro and now a Garmin 60cs. I think the magellans menus and data input were more user friendly but Garmin has more options and greater data. My Magellan rarely had problems with getting reception under tree cover or in canyons but my Garmin does. However the Garmin says the accuracy is 2-3 meters 90 percent of the time and doesn't need to catch up or average when I stop where as my magellan had to rest a few minutes to get good coordinates. I bought mapping topographic software for both products and found Magellans to be highly inaccurate with very few trails where as Garmins software is very very accurate and has every minor trail on it. Both were good for roads though. Quote Link to comment
+bottlecap Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 What about Lowrance? Quote Link to comment
+badlands Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 I've had the E500 for about a year. It's the only unit I've ever had. I hear they are going for about $200 new these days. Can't beat the price. Quote Link to comment
+Airmapper Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 What about Lowrance? I was wanting to say that so bad! Quote Link to comment
+Adrenalynn Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 The apparent reason that Magellans *appear* to be so much better in dense cover is that they do vector averaging. If you're moving at 2.5mph at bearing 110deg and enter tree cover, 3 seconds later, I should be able to give you an idea where you are. Unless you veer off sharply or stop. That's why it takes time for them to "settle down". You need to "break averaging". The Garmin algos, on the other hand, tell you "the truth". If it doesn't have accurate position, it tells you that, and gives you its best guess based on how many sats it can see. Including none. There are advantages and disadvantages. In the field, I frequently see a friend's Maggy Meridian Gold 60-70ft off at the quick cache location where my old eMap is 4ft off. Then given a few minutes, the Meridian will slowly correct itself to pretty much match the eMap... For coarse navigation, the Magellan is the better bet. For close-in work, the Garmin probably beats it. My personal take, and personal choice (for caching) is: "If I'm 3/4mi out, I have plenty of time for course correction. If I'm 50ft away, I want the dadgum thing to tell me where I am!" - hence a big reason I swear by (and sometimes "at") my Garmin. If I were frequently hiking half the day in dense foliage where ending-up a hundred feet off just meant I had to stand on tippietoes to see my parking spot - then the Magellan would be my first choice. Quote Link to comment
+Team JSAM Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 (edited) I have an eXplorist 200 and have been very happy with it, I am still a noob to caching and think its a great starter it had more options than the etrex that is the only reason I went with the eXplorist one thing I will say is magellan does not like to answer there phone when I first purchased the unit I called customer care at about 1300 hours on a tuesday and was on hold for 45 mins and they finally answered and asked who I was holding for and I told her my question and she said please hold then held for about 15 more mins before hanging up. So I would say they make a good unit for just starting off but when the day comes that I upgrade I will most likely going with a garmin. Edited April 16, 2006 by JsamFam Quote Link to comment
Team Kryptos Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 I started with the Exp. 200 too. Loved the unit but quickly grew weary of entering in the coords all by hand. Our all day cache trips were always preceded by 8 hours of research and data entry. NOT FUN. But the unit was always dead on. It would lead us to within 10 ft 90% of the time. A couple weeks ago we got a Vista CX and Mac GPSpro. Love it! I can set up a pocket query and D/L all the coords in a few minutes. Hundreds of them. Got the SD chip with topo maps that cover my geographic area for 750+ miles. But I haven't been less than 60 ft accurate yet. Maybe AFTER I find a cache and have sat at the same spot for a while , the GPS will settle down and I will only be 30 ft. away. I have to calibrate the compass most everytime I turn it on. It just doesn't jive with all the claims I have heard from the Garmin side. /missing my maggie! Quote Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 Garmin and Magellan are both makers of good GPS units. If someone gave me an Explorist 200 I would take it back and trade it in on a 210. The 200 does not connect to your computer and that ability is the number 1 thing you will need for your GPS. Quote Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 The apparent reason that Magellans *appear* to be so much better in dense cover is that they do vector averaging. If you're moving at 2.5mph at bearing 110deg and enter tree cover, 3 seconds later, I should be able to give you an idea where you are. Unless you veer off sharply or stop. That's why it takes time for them to "settle down". You need to "break averaging". The Garmin algos, on the other hand, tell you "the truth". If it doesn't have accurate position, it tells you that, and gives you its best guess based on how many sats it can see. Including none. There are advantages and disadvantages.... My observations are the same. Between a GPS V and a Sport Track Pro, In real world use neither had clearly better reception, but they did operate differently. Under tree cover the V would have me wander around in a wider area than the Pro. The Pro a smaller area. That's that averaging thing. The Pro would also not tell you it has lost it's lock when it had, but the V would and so on. The Pro would typically shoot you past teh cache then you would have to come back (the boomerange effect) the V would have me walk up to the cache. The Pro's averaging made it better as locating a cache on top of a cliff in heavy tree cover when you walked up to the bottom. The V would take you to the bottm then tell you it lost lock. (The pro didn't have lock either but it's dead reconing or averaging kept you on track in this case). Overall they operate differently and it helps to know those differences so you can either compensate or take advantage of them. Back to the OP: All newer GPSs have better reception than the older ones. My comparison between the V and the Sport TRack Pro are now considered "older" GPSs. Quote Link to comment
+ClikSnap Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 I've had 2 of the lower end Magellan units, the Meridian Gold and the eXplorist 200 North America. I hated (HATED!) the monochrome, low res screens, which in places like cities (Edmonton Alberta for one, where I do a fair bit of caching) where you have a cluster of roads, highways, creeks, rivers, and what have you, the screen became very cluttered and sometimes confusing as to which was which. I thin switched to a Garmin eTrex Vista, where I was having the same problem, despite having a higher resolution screen. I now use a GPSmap 60C which I LOVE. The high res color screen makes it MUCH easier to discern highways from township roads, creeks from rivers, and everything in between. When I bought it, it was one of the best GPSr's available, and still is. By the end of this month tho, I'll be switching to a GPSMAP 60CSx, as I really want a more sensative antenna. I find myself (often) under heavy tree cover and the better antenna would be more accurae under those conditions. The lesson I've learned here is: Spend the money, buy something that covers ALL your needs. Don't buy a lesser unit saying to yourself "oh, I'll never use this in such-and-such a circumstance, so I don't need such-and-such in a unit", because one day you WILL need it in those exact circumstances. I'll be doing alot of hiking and caching in BC this summer with the forestry services. I want a unit I can rely on. Not to mention, you can buy something once and spend the 400 bucks, or you can buy something lesser 4 times and spend twice the money in the long run. But that's just ONE mans' opinion. Quote Link to comment
+HaLiJuSaPa Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 What about Lowrance? I was wanting to say that so bad! Me too Also, this sounds like a problem with Wal-Mart, not Garmin. You shouldn't dismiss a particular make or model of GPS on the policies of a store selling. Go to other stores like Target or look at online vendors or even eBay (sometimes new ones sell there and other times even used ones can get warranties via Square Trade). Good luck! Quote Link to comment
+Thrak Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 Only a HERETIC would say anything other than Garmin! Quote Link to comment
leathco Posted April 17, 2006 Author Share Posted April 17, 2006 After working with the 200 I beleive I'll keep it. Hand entering coordinates doesn't bother me, mainly because I'll only go after a few caches a week, and most of the time other than caching it will be used for camping (mark campsite, go get lost in woods.) I looked at the 210 but it seemed a bit pricey for the extra features. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 (edited) The Pro would typically shoot you past teh cache then you would have to come back (the boomerange effect) the V would have me walk up to the cache. I would notice this on group hunts. The Magellan users would all be hunting 100 or more feet past the cache while the Garmin users were right on it. I hear it isn't an issue with the eXplorist model though. Just a Meri and Sportrak thing. Magellan is owned by a French company which is partly owned by the French government. Almost as bad as that, Thales Navigation (the parent company of Magellan) gives money to the Church of Satan. The Thales logo is a rendition of the Muslim symbol for Satan and if you take the names of the major Magellan models, Sportrak, eXplorist and Meridian you will see: Sportrak, eXplorist and Meridian Edited April 17, 2006 by briansnat Quote Link to comment
leathco Posted April 17, 2006 Author Share Posted April 17, 2006 Almost as bad as that, Thales Navigation (the parent company of Magellan) gives money to the Church of Satan. The Thales logo is a rendition of the Muslim symbol for Satan and if you take the names of the major Magellan models, Sportrak, eXplorist and Meridian you will see: Sportrak, eXplorist and Meridian I am not meaning to be rude, but do you have any proof to substantiate that claim? Quote Link to comment
+HaLiJuSaPa Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 Almost as bad as that, Thales Navigation (the parent company of Magellan) gives money to the Church of Satan. The Thales logo is a rendition of the Muslim symbol for Satan and if you take the names of the major Magellan models, Sportrak, eXplorist and Meridian you will see: Sportrak, eXplorist and Meridian I am not meaning to be rude, but do you have any proof to substantiate that claim? Though there was no smiley, I have a feeling that briansnat was being tounge-in-cheek.... Quote Link to comment
+geognerd Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 I looked at the 210 but it seemed a bit pricey for the extra features. The 210 is only about $50 more than the 200, though $50 is a big deal for some people. The computer connectivity, autorouting, and 22MB of memory are definitely worth $50 in my opinion. But to each his own. Quote Link to comment
+Woodbutcher68 Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 (edited) The Pro would typically shoot you past teh cache then you would have to come back (the boomerange effect) the V would have me walk up to the cache. I would notice this on group hunts. The Magellan users would all be hunting 100 or more feet past the cache while the Garmin users were right on it. I hear it isn't an issue with the eXplorist model though. Just a Meri and Sportrak thing. That's part of the stealth feature to throw off the muggles! Edited April 17, 2006 by Woodbutcher68 Quote Link to comment
+JohnnyVegas Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 The apparent reason that Magellans *appear* to be so much better in dense cover is that they do vector averaging. The new magellans of the Explorist series do not use vector averaging. As far as the Explorist 200, while this one will work fine. It does not have an option for a computer interface. the Explorist 210 would be a better choice. Not only will in allow the use of a data inteface it has 22MB on memory for map and Data storage, the Garmin Legend (Blue) has 8MB for storage, the Exp 210 will do auto routing the Legend will not. If you want a detailed TOPO map the Magellan map send topo 3D incluldes street names the Garmin software only include names of major roads. The Explorist 210 sells online for about 30or 40 dollars more than the old blue Legend, It is lot more GPS for not a lot more money than the blue legend. I have used several Garmin and Magelan hand held units over the years, they both work. just about any GPS made now is going to work fine for geocaching, most of the problems I have seen have been a problem having to do with cachers making mistakes when placing a cache. The only decent hide I have seen by a Noob was placed by Adrenalyn, but Adrenalyn waited untill getting about 100 finds befroe palcing a cache. But this thread is not about when should a noob hide a cache. Quote Link to comment
+Adrenalynn Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 The apparent reason that Magellans *appear* to be so much better in dense cover is that they do vector averaging. The new magellans of the Explorist series do not use vector averaging. As far as the Explorist 200, while this one will work fine. It does not have an option for a computer interface. the Explorist 210 would be a better choice. Not only will in allow the use of a data inteface it has 22MB on memory for map and Data storage, the Garmin Legend (Blue) has 8MB for storage, the Exp 210 will do auto routing the Legend will not. If you want a detailed TOPO map the Magellan map send topo 3D incluldes street names the Garmin software only include names of major roads. The Explorist 210 sells online for about 30or 40 dollars more than the old blue Legend, It is lot more GPS for not a lot more money than the blue legend. I have used several Garmin and Magelan hand held units over the years, they both work. just about any GPS made now is going to work fine for geocaching, most of the problems I have seen have been a problem having to do with cachers making mistakes when placing a cache. The only decent hide I have seen by a Noob was placed by Adrenalyn, but Adrenalyn waited untill getting about 100 finds befroe palcing a cache. But this thread is not about when should a noob hide a cache. Thanks! Since the averaging thing has been "fixed" they should be pretty equiv. In some ways, that's kinda a shame since the averaging thing is great in a quickly moving vehicle. The opposite becomes true when you're moving 70mph, then pull off the road - it takes awhile for the gps to "catch up". Even my eMap has some issues with that, although my Carputer doesn't... (laptop-like-based computer with an Earthmate GPS mated to either Delorme or Streets and Trips 2006) Anyway, the upshot still remains: It's a crummy carpenter who blames his hammer... Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 Almost as bad as that, Thales Navigation (the parent company of Magellan) gives money to the Church of Satan. The Thales logo is a rendition of the Muslim symbol for Satan and if you take the names of the major Magellan models, Sportrak, eXplorist and Meridian you will see: Sportrak, eXplorist and Meridian I am not meaning to be rude, but do you have any proof to substantiate that claim? Ummm, did you read the last sentence? If that isn't evidence enough, then I can't help you. Also the CEO was on Oprah and if you play the tape backwards you can hear him say "Oh Satan my master, I bow down before you". Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted April 17, 2006 Share Posted April 17, 2006 ... or was that Santa? I forget... Quote Link to comment
+JohnnyVegas Posted April 18, 2006 Share Posted April 18, 2006 How abut this for a GPS Quote Link to comment
jamieb520 Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 I'm a bit new to Geocaching, I just got my GPS last christmas. I didn't get it for geocaching, I got it for cycling tours. I researched on the net for months to find the right one I wanted, had everything I need or would need. I finally decided on the Magellan Explorist 400, a bit pricey, but I think it was worth it, I've only found 7 cache's so far, and 6 out of those 7 were within five feet of the heading listed on my GPS (that I got off here, to make it harder I don't enter the way point on my gps, I write it down on paper, and follow it that way) Only thing I don't like is the compass on it, but to buy a regular magnetic compass is only a few bucks, and that way I can look at the compass while I'm following the heading on my GPS. Its totally expandable, so the only thing that limits the size of detailed map I put in, is the size of the card I purchase. It has a rechargeable batterie, so if I'm on a long trip I have to buy another rechageable batterie, but the batterie's are small and not really expensive. Quote Link to comment
jamieb520 Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 I'm a bit new to Geocaching, I just got my GPS last christmas. I didn't get it for geocaching, I got it for cycling tours. I researched on the net for months to find the right one I wanted, had everything I need or would need. I finally decided on the Magellan Explorist 400, a bit pricey, but I think it was worth it, I've only found 7 cache's so far, and 6 out of those 7 were within five feet of the heading listed on my GPS (that I got off here, to make it harder I don't enter the way point on my gps, I write it down on paper, and follow it that way) Only thing I don't like is the compass on it, but to buy a regular magnetic compass is only a few bucks, and that way I can look at the compass while I'm following the heading on my GPS. Its totally expandable, so the only thing that limits the size of detailed map I put in, is the size of the card I purchase. It has a rechargeable batterie, so if I'm on a long trip I have to buy another rechageable batterie, but the batterie's are small and not really expensive. Quote Link to comment
+budd-rdc Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 What about Lowrance? I was wanting to say that so bad! I use all three brands (Garmin, Magellan, Lowrance). I proclaim brand name bias immunity. Until Garmin started dumping the blue eTrex Legend on the market, eXplorist 210 was priced equivalent to it, since they are supposed to be competing models. (about $150-$200) It is too bad the 200 was chosen instead of 210 - the convenience of PC connectivity can not be emphasized more. Magellan vs. Garmin vs. Lowrance? It depends. Sometimes, it pays to go to a store and talk to a rep or play around with one. If you factor in shipping & handling costs, maybe buying it locally isn't such a bad idea. Quote Link to comment
+budd-rdc Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 Wanna hear politics? Magellan is owned by a French company which is partly owned by the French government. Garmin was initially created in Kansas, but their current home base is a Carribean island, most likely a tax shelter decision. Most of their products are made abroad, Garmin has a large production facility in Taiwan. I'm not sure about Magellan. Of course, it's all about quality control, and from what I have gathered, both are similar. It's in the features; software; update fixes; and product support that give one the edge over the other. Garmin, handily, has the edge, thus far. Historically, Mergers and Acquisitions have a great track record of helping insiders and shareholders, but a poor one helping consumers. I guess this is true regardless of politics. Garmin can further claim they help pay for oil & gas exploration - there's a big deduction in 1040 for that sort of stuff. All modern GPSr are accurate enough for Geocaching, so that should not be the issue in the purchase decision. I found Garmins to be the easiest to learn, and due to their updating coordinates quicker than other makes, they are more forgiving to the newbies. Quote Link to comment
+Team Neos Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 We loved our Garmin eTrex Legends so much that when we did upgrade--for auto-routing--I chose the 76cs and my husband chose a 60cs. When we first got our Legends, I used to enter cords by hand. The first time I entered the cords wrong (I have mild dyslexia) on three of the ten caches that we were planning for a day, I decided to get a premium membership, so I could enter coords using the computer. When we took our first trip, and I entered a couple of hundred caches at once, I was one very happy person. I couldn't go back to entering coords by hand. Quote Link to comment
+ganlet Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 what a topic. 557 views in lil over an hour. if that doesnt say something i dont know what does. my $.02 own a explorist 210 and an etrex vista. i perfer my explorist but the vista is always loaded with the current PQ just incase. im gonna have to send my explorist in for service soon, so im torn about gettin a legend for my caching while its in the shop or just making do with my vista (which drives me nuts). Quote Link to comment
continental drifter Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 Walmart wouldn't match their own website price? Yet another reason why Wal-Mart blows! To stay on topic I have a Magellan Meridian and love it. Quote Link to comment
+Vanillahip Posted April 21, 2006 Share Posted April 21, 2006 Another vote for Garmin...but I spent a lot on the GPSMap 60Csx Reaaaally love it Quote Link to comment
+beefsquad Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 Just started geocacheing this weekend and i love it. but ive searched for 5 caches and only found one. the 0ne we found was in a park and ride so there were few hiding places. im using a magellan 315 which i bought about 5 years ago when i was in the army. I basically blew the dust off it and went. i remember it used to work great but now it seems to do a lot of hopping around. while searching for a single cache it said at 3 locations approx .05 mi apart i was right on it. i circled and circled but to no avail. the gps bounced terribly. IS IT TIME TO BUY A NEW GPSR. If so any suggestions for $300 or less very accurate, able to upload waypoints and maps doesn't necessarily have to have an internal compass(i have my army lensatic compass). im not sure what other features are good for geocaching? thanks for any help not politically or profit motivated. Quote Link to comment
+Lee-2 Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 We use Garmin with MapSource. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 Just started geocacheing this weekend and i love it. but ive searched for 5 caches and only found one. the 0ne we found was in a park and ride so there were few hiding places. im using a magellan 315 which i bought about 5 years ago when i was in the army. I basically blew the dust off it and went. i remember it used to work great but now it seems to do a lot of hopping around. while searching for a single cache it said at 3 locations approx .05 mi apart i was right on it. i circled and circled but to no avail. the gps bounced terribly. IS IT TIME TO BUY A NEW GPSR. If so any suggestions for $300 or less very accurate, able to upload waypoints and maps doesn't necessarily have to have an internal compass(i have my army lensatic compass). im not sure what other features are good for geocaching? thanks for any help not politically or profit motivated. The Magellan 315 is a fine entry level GPS that will work great for geocaching. Just make sure you have all the settings correct (wgs84 datum, dd.mm.mmm coordinate format). If you get deeper into the sport you may find yourself wanting to upgrade to a more advanced unit. Quote Link to comment
+Team Neos Posted April 24, 2006 Share Posted April 24, 2006 (edited) briansnat, I think you missed the subtle clues left by a married man who wants to talk his wife into letting him buy a new toy! beefsquad, briansnat would not steer you wrong...I haven't used that model, but it is surely good enough to begin geocaching. You will have an easier time finding caches as as you get more experience. One suggestion that I have to help with bounce is to make sure that you are letting the unit get warmed up well. With some units, it seems like the longer they are on, the better they work. Edited April 24, 2006 by Team Neos Quote Link to comment
+Prime Suspect Posted April 25, 2006 Share Posted April 25, 2006 Walmart wouldn't match their own website price? Yet another reason why Wal-Mart blows! To stay on topic I have a Magellan Meridian and love it. It's not uncommon for companies to have 'internet-only" prices. Quote Link to comment
+Texsox Posted April 25, 2006 Share Posted April 25, 2006 Coke or Pepsi? PC or Mac, White Sox or ScRubs? Garmin or Magellan If you answered Coke, PC, White Sox, and Garmin, you win. Quote Link to comment
AndyB&B Posted April 27, 2006 Share Posted April 27, 2006 (edited) I was going to get the eTrex Legend (blue model). Changed my mind after I went to Wal-Mart and found the price to be 40 dollars higher than advertised and they refused to pricematch their website. Another good reason not to shop at Walmart..... Edited April 27, 2006 by andy@northlc.com Quote Link to comment
+aka Monkey Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 Speaking as someone who has used both units, my vote goes for Garmin. Here's why: * Magellan had an edge when their units were the only ones with expandable memory. This is no longer the case now that Garmin has their "x" series. * Magellan units have also had an edge in satellite reception over Garmin which was easily verifiable. Once again, Garmin's x series has closed this gap. * The Magellan user interface is, in my opinion, far less intuitive. Speaking as a designer, the interface is also ugly and unprofessional. My girlfriend was able to use my Garmin without ever looking at the manual. That's not the case for the Magellan that she owns. * Garmin has a MUCH better reputation for customer support, both in repairs and in releasing updates. * Garmin is releasing all of their software for Macs, which may not matter to most of you, but it's a deal-breaker for Mac owners. * Garmin has a much wider product offering, meaning your more likely to find a GPS that fits your needs. Actually, my comment on Garmin's Mac support is relevant in more than one way. As Mac owner myself, I fully understand the idea of "you get what you pay for." It's true with Garmin as well. If cost is your deciding factor in any decision, Magellan is more likely to be your choice. And to be fair, a Magellan will serve you just fine. But if you've used a Garmin (or Mac) for any period of time, you're likely to find you're unwilling to use a Magellan (or PC) unless you have to. Quote Link to comment
+geognerd Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 * Magellan units have also had an edge in satellite reception over Garmin which was easily verifiable. Once again, Garmin's x series has closed this gap. * The Magellan user interface is, in my opinion, far less intuitive. Speaking as a designer, the interface is also ugly and unprofessional. My girlfriend was able to use my Garmin without ever looking at the manual. That's not the case for the Magellan that she owns. I agree with you about everything except for these two points. For reception, only the SiRF-equipped 60 and 76 x-series units appear to have an edge (albeit slight) over Magellan. Robert Lipe's comparison as I read it didn't make the 60CSx appear a whole heck of a lot better than the eXplorist 600. Though I just realised you said Garmin has "closed the gap" and didn't outright say they have surpassed Magellan. So I guess I agree with you there. As for interface, I think Magellan's is just fine. And Garmin's isn't too bad either. But my experience is opposite that of your girlfriend's. I read the manual for the 60-series and still had issues running it, but I was able to figure out my first GPSr (eXplorist 100) without ever looking at the manual. The quality of a user interface is highly subjective. It has the word "user" in it, so it obviously depends on the user. I can run a Garmin, but not as easily or quickly as I can a Magellan. That's just me. Perhaps I'd get used to a Garmin after a while. I will give Garmin kudos for having a better trip computer screen. And I will give Magellan demerits for using what looks like Comic Sans as a font on some of their screens. Quote Link to comment
+bobbarley Posted April 28, 2006 Share Posted April 28, 2006 I taught a GPS course the other day and had my hands on several models from both Garmin and Magellan. I noticed that the Explorist 200 took longer to figure out its new locaction(I travelled 400km with all models) at start up. But so did a Geko! The one thing that I really dislike about some units from both G and M is those little track point dealies! I sure enjoy big butt...ons on my Map76. Good to use with gloves on. Both M and G have units that are hard to use and some that are easier. Buy for the features you want (memory, colour screen, big buttons) and dont worry about the minor technical differences. Both M and G are will work. Just to continue the flame war......Lowrance sucks! Quote Link to comment
Mag Magician Posted April 29, 2006 Share Posted April 29, 2006 (edited) I own an old Magellan 310gps, and when it quit working, I e-mailed tech support. The tech replied with a fix within two minutes, and I was up and running within an hour. I found support to be amazing. By the way, my dog chewed the unit to shreds a few hours later, and it still works. I just had to silicone the tooth marks to make it waterprood again. I haven't tried the E-trex yet but that may be my next purchase due to pricing. P.S., beefsquad, if you took the 315 out of the closet and "blew it off" then the same fix applies to you as did my 310. go to magellan.com and post support for the fix. It works. Edited April 29, 2006 by Team Magic Quote Link to comment
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