Looking for feedback on two GPS units

[+PATHer]

I have decieded to retire my Magellan Tracker and get a new unit with WAAS. The two that I have narrowed the choices down to are:

 

1) Magellan Meridian Gold

2) Magellan SporTrak Pro

 

Price wise they are about the same and many of the features are the same. One uses the SD card to load additional maps.

 

Couple of questions:

 

1) Which model would you lean towards and are their any reasons why?

 

2) How much space is required for loading topo maps in from Mapsend Topo? I would be looking at smaller sections rather than chunks of a state.

 

3) Any other useful information in making the descion.

 

Thanks in advance. . . . . .

[+TEAM 360]

Well, I was about to choose between the two as well, and the two are close, I ended up going with the Gold, as you can expand the memory down the road, if you need it...and then I looked at the Meri Plat, and went with that because I needed a GPS that could cook my dinner and clean my house as well as lead me to a cache...I overbought for what I needed (go from car to cache to car) but at least this way I won't have any regrets if I want to use the additional features later.

[3fros]

I had the same decision a while back. I really like the looks and size of the sportrak, but what made me buy the Meridian is the SD card for 2 reasons.

 

1. Up to 128MB (more with more cards).

 

2. It takes a LOT longer to upload a map via the serial port to the SporTrak than it does to load the same size map onto the SD card with a SD card reader.

 

Now if they would just put SD cards on the SporTrak.

[+embra]

I think 3fros gave you a compelling reason or two, but I was surprised to find something in the SD card I hadn't expected: the card is like a little hard drive.

 

I can save sets of waypoints from active memory then reload them at a later time. So I have a file for caches, a file for benchmarks, a file for routes, etc. Although I can load more than one set at any given time, I usually have only one set at a time active so the others don't clutter my display.

 

This also allows you to have multiple map files on the SD card (if you have a reader). Although MapSend packages will let you have up to 4 regions in a detailed map file, you are limited to one file at a time on the SportTrack.

 

I don't think the SportTrack (or any other GPSr) can do multiple waypoint or map files...someone set me straight if I'm wrong.

 

BTW, Harmony Computers has the Platinum at $257, about $30 higher than the Gold. I don't know if this is the best price around now, but personally I find the extra money to be worth the electronic compass for geocaching. The barometer, OTOH, is not something I ever look at.

 

Max

Often wrong but seldom in doubt