Your Input Wanted On Models

[Insideoutworlder Society]

There may be countless topics on this already, but it would take too long to find out so I'm just going to ask.

I recently bought a GPS thinking I would try out a couple and see which brand/model I liked better. After asking questions and price comparing, I settled on the Magellan Explorist 400. Although happy with it at first, I'm now wondering if there are better GPS's I could have gotten.

 

I'm looking for people who have a different (or the same) GPS to tell me what the PROS and CONS of each are (including attributes of the model), and approximate price you paid (please specify currency). Thanks!

 

I'll start, although I've only had my GPS for 2 weeks and may not have figured everything out about it yet.

(Please try to follow the same format as below when posting)

 

MAGELLAN EXPLORIST 400

Price: Originally $379CA, but found a deal at $269CA

 

Pros:

uses SD memory card (common in many digital cameras)

rechargeable Li-Ion battery (stated run-time 26h, but it seems less)

button navigation is fairly easy

includes a basemap (although I've noticed that one Highway is mis-numbered)

light-weight (not sure how much, but it hung around my neck half a day and I barely noticed it was there)

includes a Geocaching software

 

Cons:

display pixels 120x160

includes only a Basic User Manual (the Complete Manual is a .pdf on the CD)

doesn't seem to be able to input LSD coordinates to convert (eg. 11-36-70-11-w6)

 

Other Info:

16Mb internal memory

black & white

14 channels

display screen 1.4"x1.8"

500 waypoints

20 reversible routes

 

- 8th member of Insideoutworlder Society

Edited July 11, 2006 by Insideoutworlder Society

[+Miragee]

For that price you could get the new Legend or Vista Cx which takes memory cards, has a color screen, and with the City Select (or Navigator) maps installed, will auto-route you around unfamiliar areas.

 

These models use AA batteries. I use the 15-minute Energizer rechargeable batteries and always take spares with me. However, I can get "fresh" batteries in 15 minutes using the charger with the inverter in my car if I am on a road trip.

Edited July 11, 2006 by Miragee

[Insideoutworlder Society]

Some of the reasons I went with Magellan over Garmin were cheaper price and type of memory card. The Garmin required a less popular card which I would have to buy both the card and a card reader for the right slot.

 

I am not fond of quick chargers because, although convenient, they wear down battery life dramatically.

I imagine AA's are also heavier, even though it's cheaper to have spares of AA's than Li-Ions.

 

For me, a color LCD was not a major issue (nice but unnecessary).

 

I've seen an e-Trex Legend (I think that's what it was) but not a Vista. The e-Trex could convert an LSD, but seemed more complicated to use (but I can't say for sure as I never actually used it).

[+Miragee]

The batteries I use are made to be recharged in 15 minutes. In the year I have had them, I've saved lots of money, and time waiting in line to buy more batteries, over purchasing Alkaline batteries.

 

The reason I recommend Garmin is because of the terrible Customer Service friends, and others in these Forums, have had to endure from Magellan.

 

Do a Forum Search and see how bad Magellan's service is vs. Garmin's.

[+YuccaPatrol]

I would move the rechargable Lithium ion battery over to the Cons column.

 

If you lose power out there, how are you going to get your GPS working? It is so much easier to carry a few extra rechargable AA batteries or be able to buy an extra set at a gas station.

[Insideoutworlder Society]

Thanks for the tip about Service, Miragee.

YuccaPatrol, I put Li-Ion under Pros because of the battery weight and ability to be charged at any time without memory etc. For my use (mostly geocaching and sometimes for work) I don't need to have it on forever. I also have a cigarette lighter charger, since I always have my truck with me. I do see your point though, thanks for the input. I've also heard that some electronic devices that use battery packs may have an interchangeable pack that can house AA's or other instead. Never seen one however.

Edited July 11, 2006 by Insideoutworlder Society

[+YuccaPatrol]

Sounds like you are on top of making sure that you keep that Li-ion battery fully charged so it will be ready when you need it.

[misteraceman]

I am not going to pick sides Garmin vs Magellan. I have a Garmin GPSMap 60CS and I also have a Magellan Explorist 500 that I am trying out. I personally prefer colour but I also have compared the two units and here are my findings.

 

Garmin gets a lock much faster than the Magellan. I put them both on and drive more than 1 km before the Magellan finally gets a lock. Having said that, if I take both units inside of my house, just inside the front door, the Garmin loses satellites within 2 minutes, while the Magellan stays on. That is where the new xSeries of Garmins especially the Map60Cx or CSx would be preferred.

 

There just are not enough screens on the Magellan. It seems too easy that you only have 4 screens to scroll through and you can't do much more. The Garmin on the other hand, has sometimes too deep a menu system for newbies, and not so frequent users, that it can take a while to do something, but Garmins win this one with much more to look at.

 

I don't like the rechargeable battery, but having said that , I have gotten 14 to 16 hours of life from the Magellan 500. I understand that replacement batteries are available, but I have not found one where I live, so I would be looking at ordering from Magellan other than a new device out that uses 3 AAA batteries in place of the rechargeables. Again, I have not found it in Canada but the US and other posts indicate huge shipping - duty fees.

 

I find the Garmin screen much brighter than the Magellan plus being about 1/2 inch longer, but having said that I finally do like the fact that the Magellan always has a low light on, so that when I go out at night or in dim light, I do not have to turn on the light, but when I do, it is really bright.

 

I personally like Garmin's software over Magellan's. I did own a Magellan Meridian Gold previously, and was not particularly impressed, but did use DirectRoute V1 on it when it became available.

 

I also find the little buttons on the Magellan somewhat annoying, but still useable.

 

I could probably go on, but reading other posts containing problems with charging and the like, I have made up my mind that the Magellan is going back. I did not open the new Direct Route software and I did give the unit a try because of the pricing. I can still keep it and get $50 bucks back from Magellan to make my cost $269 Can which is cheap for a colour unit.

 

The best part of the Magellan for me is the fact that I can lock onto my satellites longer than the older Garmin C or CS models, but I am buying a new GPSMAP60Cx model in fact I just ordered it today because I found that using the units in the daylight the Garmin is brighter and I like the way the screen changes colour at sunset.

 

I also found that I do not like the electronic compass in the Garmins but do prefer the one in the Magellan and the Garmin GPSMAP60Cx better.

 

It is a case of living with what you buy, and if you have a pricepoint, then you live with it and dream about the unit you could not afford. What's a few bucks to make sure that you get what makes you happy.

I do think that you only get what you pay for, and so you have to decide for yourself if this is what you are happy with, never mind the arguments of Garmin vs Magellan.

[+geognerd]

I've also heard that some electronic devices that use battery packs may have an interchangeable pack that can house AA's or other instead. Never seen one however.

I invite you to look at this topic. The eXplorists that use the Li-ion battery can now take a AAA battery clip that holds 3 AAAs. This clip costs about $8. You could also buy a spare Li-ion battery for less than $10. The Motorola t720's high capacity battery will work. See this topic for details.

[Insideoutworlder Society]

Thank you misteraceman for the very helpful information. I had thought there weren't enough screens myself, but was overwhelmed as a first time user when looking at the Garmin. Why do you say that the buttons on the Magellan are annoying? The color Magellan where I'm at is about $100 more expensive than the black and white.

 

Thanks geognerd for the links on the new battery packs, I will most likely buy one.

[andygriffith]

Some of the reasons I went with Magellan over Garmin were cheaper price and type of memory card. The Garmin required a less popular card which I would have to buy both the card and a card reader for the right slot.

 

Actually, the Transflash a.ka. microSD cards come with an adapter so that they can be used in anything that takes a standard SD card. At least this is true for SanDisk.

Edited July 12, 2006 by andygriffith

[OGBO]

As someone who has been using various electronic widgets for many decades, it always amuses me that people feel so strongly that one or another brand and model is vastly superior to another. There is the ancient Mac vs PC religious war, for example. In reality, all devices have their strengths and weaknesses. Plus, in the world of electronics, there is the Fundamental Law of Electronic Widgets (FLEW for short) - no matter what you buy, by the time you get to the cashier, charge it to your card, and head for your car in the parking lot, there are 2 new generations out with more features and a cheaper price.

 

I have both Garmins and Magellans. What some are claiming as strengths others are claiming as weaknesses. For example, number of screens. First, Magellan actually has more "screens" than the 4 cited. It's just that menus are handled differently. Garmin occupies full screens with menus (on some but not all models), in places where Magellan uses a small popup window. So don't count "screens", look at what functionality is available. If the 4 screens with popups covers your needs, then why worry whether another unit has 5, 6, or 20 screens? Do you really use the track profile screen on the 60CSx (you can do the same thing by downloading your track into something like Topo and profiling it)? On the other hand, I do use the track profile a fair amount in the field. Do you need the flux gate compass (which chews up batteries for snacks), or is a good separate magnetic compass more useful (doesn't need recalibration), or maybe the Magellan-unique Sun-Moon indicator on the compass screen is more useful (I actually use this more than I ever use my Garmin's fluxgate compass)? There are several available displays on both Garmins and Magellans (and Lowrance for that matter) that I just skip over (or in models where you can, I just shut off).

 

Another aspect of this is the battery. It is really nice out in the field when searching for caches to be able to stop in the nearest grocery store or drug store when you run out of batteries, but if you have a really long life battery and don't have to swap (or know how to prolong the useful life of the battery), the changeability becomes moot. I get 30-40 hours on the battery in my eXplorist 400, vs 10-12 out of my Garmin60CSx (and that's with the compass and lights OFF!). So I can do (and have done) a weekend backpack on the Magellan on a single charge, rather than having to carry 4 extra AA cells. Yes, on a weeklong backcountry trip, with no AC outlet or solar panel, being able to carry a few extra batteries is nice.

 

In terms of accuracy, all current consumer GPSRs are the same, given the same number of SVs and WAAS availability. Given a short amount of settling time (for the built-in autoaverage), Magellans often get me closer to caches than Garmins (the 60CSx with the SiRF chips is proving to be more sensitive to multipath than my 60CS or my 12Map, or my Magellans). But the eXplorists do better under canopy than the plate-antenna Garmins (like the eTrex series or the 12Map), and most of the time as well as the quadfilar Garmins.

 

Again, whatever works for you is just fine. But, with the continual leapfrogging of the companies in features and performance, you will get something better next year for the same price or less. Work with what you have for a few months, then look at what next season brings. And as the new SVs get launched with the 2 added civilian frequencies, you will want to get a new widget in any case - none of the current ones will be able to take advantage of L5 or L3, or (when and if they get launched) Galileo.

[Insideoutworlder Society]

Actually, the Transflash a.ka. microSD cards come with an adapter so that they can be used in anything that takes a standard SD card. At least this is true for SanDisk.

This microSD I take it is Garmins? I can't remember the one I saw except that it had a funny arm on the side of the card. I have a standard SD card, and XD card, and a mini SD card with a bigger cartridge SD for my cell phone, and they all fit into the same slot on my laptop. The Garmins certainly did not look like it, but I may be wrong.

 

I get 30-40 hours on the battery in my eXplorist 400, vs 10-12 out of my Garmin60CSx (and that's with the compass and lights OFF!).

 

And as the new SVs get launched with the 2 added civilian frequencies, you will want to get a new widget in any case - none of the current ones will be able to take advantage of L5 or L3, or (when and if they get launched) Galileo.

Thanks for another very helpful post. I see what you mean about the screens.

 

What does "flux gate" compass mean?

 

Do you really get more than 30h on the Li-Ion eX400 battery?? I haven't actually tested mine, but I doubted it.

 

What do you mean L5 or L3? I've never heard of this.

Edited July 12, 2006 by Insideoutworlder Society

[+Red90]

As stated, when you purchase a micro-SD card, it comes with an adapter that is the same size as a normal SD card, so it can be used in any normal SD card reader.

 

However, you should not "need" to remove the card. When you plug the GPS into the computer the card can be set as a drive on your computer, so you can transfer files as with any card reader.

[+sbell111]

Your Input Wanted On Models

I thought this thread was about something else.

[+geognerd]

I get 30-40 hours on the battery in my eXplorist 400, vs 10-12 out of my Garmin60CSx (and that's with the compass and lights OFF!).

 

And as the new SVs get launched with the 2 added civilian frequencies, you will want to get a new widget in any case - none of the current ones will be able to take advantage of L5 or L3, or (when and if they get launched) Galileo.

Thanks for another very helpful post. I see what you mean about the screens.

 

What does "flux gate" compass mean?

 

Do you really get more than 30h on the Li-Ion eX400 battery?? I haven't actually tested mine, but I doubted it.

 

What do you mean L5 or L3? I've never heard of this.

Most people call this "flux gate" compass an electronic compass. Garmin uses a 2-axis compass in its CS/CSx units that must be held flat while Magellan uses a 3-axis compass in the eXplorist 600 that doesn't need to be held flat in order to get an accurate compass reading. Personally, I think you're better off spending $8 on a baseplate compass that doesn't need to be calibrated and doesn't eat batteries.

 

I think L5 and L3 are new frequencies that will be broadcast from some new GPS satellites and will be available to civilian GPS users. I wouldn't worry about it. Some people are perfectly happy caching with old units that don't even do WAAS. As for battery life from the eXplorist 400, I get about 18 hours and that seems to be par for most users. I am skeptical that OGBO was able to get 30-40 hours out of his.

Edited July 13, 2006 by geognerd

[Insideoutworlder Society]

- no matter what you buy, by the time you get to the cashier, charge it to your card, and head for your car in the parking lot, there are 2 new generations out with more features and a cheaper price.

 

Even though I know that's true, I didn't expect it to be that literally: I just bought my GPS 3 weeks ago, and today saw at a Wal-Mart in Canada, The Magellan Explorist 400 in a bundle package - GPS, Topo MapSend Map CD, and Carrying Case all sold together and for only $349.97CA ($85 cheaper than the same 3 items which I bought seperately, sigh). The only thing I didn't like about the bundle was that it was an army green, making it hard to read the buttons.

[+briansnat]

First, Magellan actually has more "screens" than the 4 cited. It's just that menus are handled differently. Garmin occupies full screens with menus (on some but not all models), in places where Magellan uses a small popup window. So don't count "screens", look at what functionality is available. If the 4 screens with popups covers your needs, then why worry whether another unit has 5, 6, or 20 screens?

 

What I like about the Garmins is that they have many screens, but you can supress the ones you don't use.