+Jeff in Pa Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 I have the 210 and am very pleased with it but now I am looking at a second unit and can't decide which one. I have narrowed it down to the 400 bundle with the topo included, I assume the unit has the rechargable battery and is monochrome like the 210 now the 500LE with topo 3D I think use's 3 AAA's and has the color screen, I was wondering how long three AAA's will last? Any opinions or is there anyone who has or does own both? One more thing, please no comments like "buy a Garmin" I prefer the Magellan's. Thanks, Jeff Quote Link to comment
+Danske Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 I purchased a Magellan 500LE about two months ago, I am happy with it. The 3 AAA batteries lasted 4 to 6 hours, the backlighting is a big drain. Turning the display to dim greatly extends battery life but makes it hard to read in the sun. Magellan has the rechargeable battery pack and charger on sale for $20, just takes about 6 weeks to ship. I paid $175. I do not know anything about the 400. Quote Link to comment
+T F T C Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 Go for the color. The AAA's only last for like 8 hours or something, but you'll get a coupon for a deal on rechargable Magellan batteries, so you should get those (17 hours/charge) or you can buy Motorola equivalents for cheaper. Quote Link to comment
+bpcooper14 Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 I second the last post. I went for the 500LE and picked up a couple motorola batteries off of ebay. I have also found that a sony PSP charger works well as my recharger. 3 batteries + the chargers for about $30 is the deal that I found. I've had my 500 since xmas and have no complaints Quote Link to comment
bellapacifica Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 Got the 500LE and love it,but make sure ya go with the rechargeable battery!! Enjoy!! Quote Link to comment
+Rockin Roddy Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 500 is the way to go...color screen! It's a great unit...did you see the price at REI??? I think it was $189 for the 500LE bundle!! Make sure to buy the li-ion battery though! Also, buy the car charger as you'll find that useful for trips and such! My battery pack has yet to be drained and I've used it a lot...even accidentally left it on over night once...over 14 hours and still had 1/4 of the charge left! Quote Link to comment
JSJJ Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 I would go with the 500LE. Check REI for the deal!! Quote Link to comment
+Gadget_Cacher Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 I had the 400 but sold it and got the 60csx...the 60csx is a much better unit and is more accurate, has more features, and is all around great. I liked my 400 it was ok, but it wasn't what i expected. However i do like mapsend a bit better than mapsource. Quote Link to comment
+user13371 Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 Couple of people have mentioned a great deal at REI. Link? I can't find it on their site. Quote Link to comment
+T F T C Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 (edited) ..or you can Froogle it. http://froogle.google.com/froogle?hl=en&am...e&scoring=p $162. Edited April 17, 2007 by chimbisimo Quote Link to comment
45 Colt Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 I have the 500LE and I love the unit. Mine came with the rechargable battery & the AAA battery clip. Quote Link to comment
+user13371 Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 (edited) Froogle it. ...Ah, thanks. That does give the good pricing from various vendors, but not the bundled deal at REI that two other posters mentioned. I did spot a "special" on the GPS page of their website: http://www.rei.com/gear/feature/category/g...REI_SSHP_GPS_LD ... but when I clicked it I got "Your search for *** did not return any product results." Either the deal is expired or something else is wrong with their site Edited April 17, 2007 by lee_rimar Quote Link to comment
+user13371 Posted April 17, 2007 Share Posted April 17, 2007 REI deal is gone. Bummer. At least I asked, here's the transcript of my online chat: Welcome to REI Live Help, a Gear Specialist will be with you shortly. REP: Good morning. LEE: Looking for pricing on Magellen Explorist 500LE Adventure Bundle? Link is on your GPS page but goes nowehere it seems... LEE: Pardon me, website calls it "outdoor bundle" REP: I don't find any reference to this item. REP: Can you forward me the link you're looking at? LEE: Start at www.rei.com/gps REP: okay. REP: Next step? REP: After rei.com/gps? LEE: On my screen there are several featured items shown - one of them is the Explorist 500 LE outdoor bundle. Do you have this in your screen? REP: Yes, I do... LEE: Click it. REP: I understand your situation now. LEE: Thanks. Solution? REP: Here's the situation... REP: We advertised this bundle because we were expecting to have a hundred or so bundles.... REP: but Magellan is having some issues right now so we're not accepting backorders at this time. REP: We will remove the reference to this product shortly. LEE: Ah, a pity. Can you make me a "raincheck" or other good deal on a 400 or 500 with the Topo maps? That's the package I need. REP: I'm sorry; I don't have authorization to make an exception of this nature. LEE: Okay, thanks for the info anyhow. REP: You're welcome... REP: and thanks for your understanding. REP: Enjoy the afternoon. Quote Link to comment
+Jeff in Pa Posted April 17, 2007 Author Share Posted April 17, 2007 Thanks guys, This is what I came up with for $240 http://www.tigergps.com/magellanexp500adv.html I will only buy from a dealer who has good ratings on this site http://www.resellerratings.com/rlist-s1-n2.html I have been stung before and I don't want it to happen again, REI looks good but with 12 ratings. Too bad their deal is gone, that was an awesome price! I may keep looking. Jeff Quote Link to comment
JSJJ Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 Bummer about REI. I guess I was really lucky as I found it the day it went on sale. Quote Link to comment
+user13371 Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 (edited) REI fixed the website. Instead of getting a broken link when you click the Explorist 500LE bundle for $189, it now DOES let you order it -- but tell's you it's backordered. Good enough for me! I put one on order. They don't charge your credit card until shipped, and can cancel it if I find a better deal in the meantime. http://www.rei.com/gear/feature/category/g...REI_SSHP_GPS_LD Edited April 18, 2007 by lee_rimar Quote Link to comment
murja Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 (edited) You guys should try "buydig.com". Explorist 500le for $175.00 which includes the Mapsend software for $9.99. They're in stock. Then go to Magellan and get the Lion battery and AC adapter for $19.99 Edited April 18, 2007 by murja Quote Link to comment
+user13371 Posted April 18, 2007 Share Posted April 18, 2007 (edited) You guys should try "buydig.com". Explorist 500le for $175.00 which includes the Mapsend software for $9.99. They're in stock.Thanks, that saves about $5 over REI's deal and provides instant gratification if it's really in stock and ships on time. But... - Their link is just for the 500 LE base package, not the bundle - Doesn't say anything about Mapsend (where do you get it for $9.99?) - Doesn't ihave the carrying case that comes with REI's bundle - Doesn't get REI member points - Might not be as easy to return if there's a problem. I think I'll leave my order on REI for now. Then go to Magellan and get the Lion battery and AC adapter for $19.99That, I wouldn't do. I can get two or three compatible cell-phone batteries from eBay and elsewhere for that money, and I already have USB charging gizmos. Edited April 18, 2007 by lee_rimar Quote Link to comment
murja Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 No carrying case, but mine came with a special $9.99 offer for Mapsend Topo. The CD comes in the package, you have to call in for an "unlock code" and pay them by credit card the $9.99. Saves around $100.00 in the long run and shipped really fast. Quote Link to comment
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