Triton 500 or 60CSx? or ?

[+Prof_Fate]

I've been using an Etrex Vista and i'm not satisfied with it's performance, especially after seeing a friend's 60CSx - the 60 is 100000 times better with reception and accuracy!

 

So I want a new unit with a SirfStar3 chip. I use it ONLY for geo-cacaching, so many of the map features I don't care about, although routing might be handy (never used it, just had someone show me how to do it recently).

 

I want to be able to load caches into it easily. Can I do that via GC.com and USB port into the Magellan unit?

 

I also want to get a palm for paperless caching...I know nothing about palms. What's good for this without being overkill (cost wise anyway)?

 

googling pulled up a Pharos 535e...looks awesome - a lot more stuff for $10 more money. Any good for geocaching?

Edited January 26, 2008 by Prof_Fate

[+gpsblake]

Avoid the Triton right now at all cost. It's so full of bugs and really unusable for geocaching unless you only hunt a few at a time. People who have loaded up more than a few geocaches have reported all sorts of problems, from the unit getting real slow, to the fact is won't sort by distance right etc. The odometer doesn't work right on them. REI pulled them off their website until Magellan fixes all the software bugs in them.

 

And no, you can't load geocaches directly from geocaching.com directly to the Magellan like you can with the Garmin. You've got to download the data, then use Mapsend or a 3rd party application. And that's only if you have the Magellan Explorist/Sportrac/Meridian series.

 

And with the Triton it's worse, there is no 3rd party software that works with it, you have to use VantagePoint to upload your geocache data with.

 

I own a Triton, trust me, avoid it like the plague until a lot of the bugs are worked out.

[+Newbie456]

I too have a triton and am having serious issues trying to find any software that will let me dl to the device. I have loaded about 60 caches by copying and pasting into vantage point. I also have found that the online support was a complete joke. My unit (a 400) did not even come with any kind of manual and the one that is downloadable from magellan's website does little more then tell you how to find the buttons and what the icons on the main screen stand for. I don't know about you but I kinda figured the marker in the middle of the screen was supposed to be me. It offers no in depth processes, come to think of it, it didn't tell me anything that I could not find out by turning the unit on and looking at the lame base map. It took me searching through every menu on the unit before I could even set the clock. It wasn't in the settings menu at all, had to find it deep in the profiles menu. Why would you put it there??? And forget about the date being correct. To sum it up, BUY A GARMIN!. I'm not saying that this unit is inaccurate or doesn't look really sharp, but it takes way too much work to use. Too much time at home trying to load information and not enough time out caching.

[+Bone Ranger]

I have the Triton and completely agree that the manual is not helpful. I am using it more for mapping trails so as far as geocaching, I don't know. I do like the feature of being able to easily convert tracks to trails and then being able to always view them. I would love to know if anyone with a Triton has had luck importing more detailed maps than are included. I live in SoCal and only the Major Major highways are on the map, no lesser freeways or State Routes.

[mdg2003]

I bought my 60CSX and have owned it for less than 2 weeks now. I am certainly not an expert on GPS. Having said that, here's my 2 cents. I bought a Triton 400 3 weeks before that. I wanted the 500, but none were available in the local stores. Main selling point for Triton was supposed seamless mapping with NG topo SW. I never was able to get the maps to upload. I took it with me anyway on a trip to Saguaro NP. I figured I could play around with it and since we were not going back country, I was not relying on it for navigation. This is a good thing because it did lock up on me. It locked up, stayed locked up and remained frozen when I returned it for a refund.

I got the 60CSX and it is a really nice piece of gadgetry! Like one of the previous posts mentioned, it came with a manual I didn't have to download and print on my printer. The 60csx manual appears to have been written in English first, not some other language that was then translated into english, like the Triton manual. This is a biggie when trying to learn something you don't know a thing about. I read the Triton manual on the plane and have to say something was lost in translation. I read my 60csx manual and it all makes sense.

Buy the 60csx. I paid 300 bucks online and only had to wait 2 days for delivery.

[+geowizerd]

There is actually a reasonably positive review on THIS THREAD concerning the Triton. I'll wait a year, and see what's what next Christmas...

[+JohnnyVegas]

I think you would be better off with the Magellan explorist 500 or 600, they have more features than than the Garmin and Tritons

 

I use a Pocket PC with GPX sonar, I have not used a PDA.

[+IVxIV]

I think you would be better off with the Magellan explorist 500 or 600, they have more features than than the Garmin and Tritons

 

I use a Pocket PC with GPX sonar, I have not used a PDA.

 

Your Pocket PC is a PDA "Personal Digital Assistant" describes both PPC & Palm O/S devices

 

The Explorist 500 is discontinued from the Magellan website so, might want to be wary of that one. The 500LE is still listed, but I wouldn't recommend that one after the hassle my girlfriend had with hers.. and she's still trying to get compensated for her troubles with it.

[+3doxies]

Have a Mag Meridian Gold, and I, like you, wanted something with a better chipset. Had an order all typed in for a Triton 1500, just never did hit the send button...and am glad I did that. Instead, I was able to get a 60Csx for substiantially less money. Have used it for about 2-3 weeks now, and am quite satisified. Can street route when I want/need to (you won't be able to do that w/ a Triton for some time yet, I believe), and easily handle about 1000 caches at a time. Have a Dell Axim X5 that I use occasionally for "paperless" caching...but mostly, just take a quick look at the cache page in GSAK (map and all ) on the laptop before departing the car.