explorist 710 in Italy

[+JohnnyVegas]

I am geocachng in Italy for five weeks, after one week these are my observations

 

Magellan explorist 710 problems when geocaching in Europe.

 

One, when using with European street maps for turn by turn directions it does not refresh fast enough, there are time when I have to pull off to the side of the road so that it can catch up to my position

 

Two, Batteries life is very bad when using turn by turn navigation one set of AA's will only last about one hour. This could equal about 12 euros in batteries in a day of use or $15.00 a day.

 

Three, micro SD card becomes loss and navigation stops this requires putting a piece of paper under the batteries to hold card in place.

 

Four, the nav screen can change on their own.

 

Five, when switching from turn by turn to point to point the GPS must be turn off and on to select the geocaching mode successfully

 

This is is not a good choice in GPS selection for turn by turn navigation. A Garmin Nuvi would be a better selection as Magellan does not offer a Street navigation model that can be use for geocaching.

 

I have and old Nuvi that I left at home because it is to old to update with european maps with the cost of 5 weeks in Italy buying a new with european maps was not in the budget

[+splashy]

European maps can be downloaded fro free, very good maps @ http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/

If you spend $15 a day on batteries, you better get a cheap Nuvi should be about $80 or used even a lot lass.

Don't you have an Android smartphone with you?

[+JohnnyVegas]

European maps can be downloaded fro free, very good maps @ http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/

If you spend $15 a day on batteries, you better get a cheap Nuvi should be about $80 or used even a lot lass.

Don't you have an Android smartphone with you?

do not own a smart phone and do not want a smart phone, I make about 4 phiones call a month with my cell phone. garmin maps will not work in a magellan gps

[DavorF]

Two, Batteries life is very bad when using turn by turn navigation one set of AA's will only last about one hour. This could equal about 12 euros in batteries in a day of use or $15.00 a day.

 

It would be good to use car mount + 12V power while you're driving.

Also maybe the unit is "slower" when running on batteries ( some power saving mode like on laptops )?

 

D*

[+splashy]

@JohnnyVegas

Seems you're a bit out of luck J Vegas, I would also be frustrated if I got the wrong Gps with me.

 

I suggested Open street maps because it's cheaper to buy a chaep Nuvi compaired too spending a fortune on batteries, or/and if you had an Android (what you don't) you could have used these free apps and maps on that phone for free offline.

 

Maybe you can rent one somewhere.

[+germanybert]

You should have bought a Garmin.

 

Do you still have your USA maps activated and can you disable them? On most Garmins you can turn off different areas which seems to speed up the unit. I don't know if Magellan has this feature.

 

Do you tracking on (does magellan even keep tracks)? If so turn it off.

 

Sounds like you are using regular batteries. Have you tried Lithium? I use only Energizer Advanced Lithium and cache everyday for hours and the batteries last for at least week or more.

[+JohnnyVegas]

You should have bought a Garmin.

 

Do you still have your USA maps activated and can you disable them? On most Garmins you can turn off different areas which seems to speed up the unit. I don't know if Magellan has this feature.

 

Do you tracking on (does magellan even keep tracks)? If so turn it off.

 

Sounds like you are using regular batteries. Have you tried Lithium? I use only Energizer Advanced Lithium and cache everyday for hours and the batteries last for at least week or more.

More on the 710

After goping through a round you have top pull over to the side of the road for 30 nsec9onds to a minute while the 710 catches up to you location. I just cannot refresh fast enough if you are going more the 5 mph. It rally got lost when I was doing 100 mph on the auto strada today while on the way to Cheiti.

 

Here is another one, the voice will day left turn in one mile while the screen is showing a right turn !!! The voice is not correct, you just follow the arrow on the screen.

 

And lets not forget, when you come to and off ramp the voice says stay on current roadm really It has to say that.

 

Make me wonder if the reg street routing Magellan are as screwed up. \

 

magellan producec the first consumer GPS but the company has change ownership so many times it is a wonder that they are still in business, their engeneers for the hand held stuff must be a real work. I wonder if they ever test the Magellan 710 with the street navigation function be=ore it was put on the market. SO far it is crap.

When I get home they are going to get a very long snail mail from me. Next trip overseas I will buy a Nuvi.

[tr_s]

Next trip overseas I will buy a Nuvi.

 

The nuvis are great. My 1200 has not shown a single problem. I guess these are why Garmin's stock keeps up to par, there ought to be a huge market for vehicle GPS.

 

the new eTrex line - sigh. Leaves a whole lot to be desired. It's like it was designed by a whole different set of engineers or a different company.

[+germanybert]

I would never try to navigate a road with a handheld trail GPS and would never try to Geocache with a Nuvi. Get the right tool for the right job and you will eliminate a lot your problems.

[+Socal ZukiCachers]

I would never try to navigate a road with a handheld trail GPS and would never try to Geocache with a Nuvi. Get the right tool for the right job and you will eliminate a lot your problems.

 

So which class does the Garmin Montana fit into?

 

David

[+Glenn]

 

Magellan explorist 710 problems when geocaching in Europe.

 

 

Did you have these same issues when using this GPSr in the USA? It almost sounds as if this is the first time you're using this particular GPSr. A vacation isn't exactly the best time to learn the capabilities and limitations of a new GPSr.

[+Socal ZukiCachers]

I would never try to navigate a road with a handheld trail GPS and would never try to Geocache with a Nuvi. Get the right tool for the right job and you will eliminate a lot your problems.

 

So which class does the Garmin Montana fit into?

 

David

 

Both ... but then if you select auto mode you're presented with a nuvi-like GUI, so I guess at that point it is just like a nuvi

 

Thanks, I've used the MOntana and I know that is works great, but I was hoping Geo Jedimeister would tell me which one it fall under, because the eX710 is basically the same way. When in Hiking or Geocaching mode it is a standard point-to-point GPS; however, when switched to Nav Mode it is just as much a Turn-by-Turn units as the Nuvi because it is actually running the Magellan Roadmate/Maestro software.

 

John Vegas - This is David, Mac's caching buddy from Barstow. I do have a couple of questions for you. I spoke to the guys as Magellan's HQ about your and they asked if you're running the turn-by-turn map on the class 4 SD card like they recommend. If not, they informed me that the problem your having with the delay will occur. Also, if your SD card locking with place, slide the clip down until it snaps, when you put the card in or is the clip damaged. If it is, give me a shout and we can see about getting your GPS replaced. I'm asking this because I have the eX510, 610 & 710 and although I did have a clip come out of one of the units, I was able to replace the clip; but I haven't had any problems with the SD cards coming loose when their locked in correctly.

 

David

Magellan Insider

[+JohnnyVegas]

 

Magellan explorist 710 problems when geocaching in Europe.

 

 

Did you have these same issues when using this GPSr in the USA? It almost sounds as if this is the first time you're using this particular GPSr. A vacation isn't exactly the best time to learn the capabilities and limitations of a new GPSr.

no at home I use a Nuvi (a very oled one) for street routing, I never used the 710 for street routing in the USA, Garmibn no longer offers support for my Nuvi it is to old, it need to be replaced anyway, it has been on my dash to long so now the screen is just about kaput Th3e 710 is not new to me, I bought when ir first came out.

Edited July 21, 2012 by JohnnyVegas

[+JohnnyVegas]

here is the latest I am one the way to a little town called Moliterno to see some cousins I last saw on a visit in 1973. I get to a road sign the says Moliterno 18 kl to the left, the Magellan is saying go to the right. Ha!!If this is the same software that is in the road mates there must be a lot of lost people out on the roads around the world.

 

Dang the caches in this part of Italy 30 miles appart and those are the close ones. In a week it is Rome, no more rental car and lots of the caches there are at tour sites. And there is a bus that does a not stop tour site run that you can on and off at all day long. No more walking, my feet are killing me.

[+Glenn]

So you've never tested the 710 routing in the US and you're having issues in Italy. I lived on Sicily from 2000 to 2003 and I can understand how routing can be an issue. There were a few roads in the town where on the maps it showed as continuous road but if you tried to drive thru you'd end up at the top (or bottom) of a set of stairs. The road continued again when the stairs stopped but there was no way you'd be able to get your car up (or down) the stairs. Then there were the roads that weren't on the maps and the highways to nowhere that where only a couple of blocks long.

[+JohnnyVegas]

So you've never tested the 710 routing in the US and you're having issues in Italy. I lived on Sicily from 2000 to 2003 and I can understand how routing can be an issue. There were a few roads in the town where on the maps it showed as continuous road but if you tried to drive thru you'd end up at the top (or bottom) of a set of stairs. The road continued again when the stairs stopped but there was no way you'd be able to get your car up (or down) the stairs. Then there were the roads that weren't on the maps and the highways to nowhere that where only a couple of blocks long.

you just desribed the street my hotel is on, half way down it is stairs. I have had problems with the nuvi regarding street that are not there or that turn into dead ends. But the Nuvi does not restart when you make a free way excit to impriove its accuracy. thid feature is only offered by magellan