Mapsend Topo 3d Is Not As Good As V4.20d

[stutzismydog]

I recently purchased a Magellan eXplorest XL and the latest MapSend ToPo 3D to replace my old trusty Magellan Meridian Platinum that is using the *outdated* MapSend ToPo V4.20D software.

 

My dilemma is,…after reviewing the new ToPo3D maps on the PC, I find that the trail and logging roads details that we use on our ATVs for navigation and were the most important feature on the old V4.20D are now severely lacking to non existent on the new ToPo 3D version . What is up with this $100 worth of useless to me and screwed by Magellan ToPo 3D software??? I don’t get why they would come out with this new software and add several nice features (3D ??) and severely reduce the useful purpose and operation of this product ??

 

Now my question is,…..I have the original purchased old V4.20D software that has the trail’s and logging roads that I have found to be most useful when out in the boondocks. Can I load ToPo V4.20D on to a SD chip and install it into my eXploerst XL with all the copy protection crap and have it work in color ?? I know that the SD chip that I loaded with V4.20D and had in the MeriPlat will not talk to my new XL, I tried that already.

 

This dump Italian is fast loosing patience with this French product.

Thanks for any and all help.

[+salcedo]

You cannot use Topo 4.20 with the eXplorist units.... BUT if you know your way around computers a bit, can follow some directions (that are not always clear), and are willing to download an 80 meg file from Magellan, you can create maps for the eXplorist using the Topo 4.20 map data.

 

Start by reading the instructions at

 

http://msh-tools.com/exploristmain.html

 

If that page seems to make some sort of sense and you want to give it a try, you will need to download MMOconverter.exe from that site. You will also need to download Magellan's MobileMapper Office. The official Magellan FTP site is

 

ftp://ftp.thalesnavigation.com/

 

Check out the Yahoo MobileMapper group for more information.

 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mobilemapper2/

 

In that group, I've also posted a document (MMOfficeMapsend.pdf ) that tries to condense the instructions into simple 1-2-3 type steps.

 

Good luck! It's really pretty easy once you get it going.

 

Oh! And according to some recent press releases, Magellans will soon be U.S. products.

 

-Ricardo

[+embra]

Looks like Ricardo has you covered pretty well. I've always been intimidated by the process of converting (although I've never looked at it very closely). Ricardo sounds encouraging...I'd love to hear if anyone tries this as to what their results and general experience is.

 

What you are seeing is a perception shared by others. In Magellan's defense, they had a lot of complaints about inaccuracies in the very old TIGER public-domain database used for Topo. So for Topo3D they bought rights to the Navetq database, considered state of the art in a general sort of way (also used by Garmin). Unfortunately, Navteq doesn't map out logging roads and such. So it's two steps forward, but one step back.

 

Some people keep Topo on their old Meridians and switch units as needed. I guess it's either that or try to do the conversion.

[stutzismydog]

salcedo & embra

 

Thanks for your reply. I feel especially screwed on this purchase and duped by a manufacture that I had placed a level of confidence. I expected unquestioned that they would uphold a level of professionalism when they replaced and upgraded an old product with the new ToPo 3D product, and that it would be as good or better than the previous,...,..but than a fool and his money is soon parted.

 

I am not that will versed in computer clarifications of shoddy work by a manufacturers less than par software hackers but I appreciate the explanation and links that salcedo provided,...thank you!

 

I will pass on this and hope that the new owner of Magellan provides a fix for all of us loyal fools.

Edited July 22, 2006 by stutzismydog