Magellan Meridian Platinum

[Guest kellytklp]

Hi all

 

Has anyone used the Magellan Meridian series yet? I just read a press release on the Magellan Website. Looks great, I am wondering about performance. It may not be available yet.

 

Thanks

[Guest brokenwing]

It appears these have not been released yet. Here is a press release: http://www.magellangps.com/press/recreation/pr010806meridian.htm

 

They sure sound interesting!

 

brokenwing

[Guest brokenwing]

I was just looking at the Magellan site on these and discovered some really interesting stuff: They are supposed to be IEC-529 IPX7 compliant. In otherwords, waterproof. For those that were concerned about that issue with the other magellan line, it is a good step. Further, the units still have a quadrifiler helix antenna, have optional SD cards to allow memory upgrades up to 64MB, and now use NVRAM for data backup. No more battery backup required.

 

This is good stuff!

 

http://www.magellangps.com/products/outdoor.htm for more info...

 

brokenwing

[Guest BigJim]

I guess I know what I am going to spend my tax refund check on. :-)

[Guest Jebediah]

They look great to me. Magellan features and an eTrex style casing.

[Guest prv8eye]

quote:

---

Originally posted by brokenwing:

I was just looking at the Magellan site on these and discovered some really interesting stuff: This is good stuff!

http://www.magellangps.com/products/outdoor.htm for more info...

brokenwing

---

 

Wish Magellan would list the dang PRICES!!!

[Guest ClayJar]

face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by BigJim:

I guess I know what I am going to spend my tax refund check on. :-)

---

You have just given me a wonderful idea.

[Guest ClayJar]

face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by BigJim:

I guess I know what I am going to spend my tax refund check on. :-)

---

You have just given me a wonderful idea.

[Guest Mitch]

Decided to wait on purchasing my first unit after reading the specs on these.

 

I called a couple of vendors to try and get pricing and they weren't aware that these were even listed on the Magellan web site but did caution that what Magellan marketing says a product release will be (currently Sept) and when the products will be available are two very different dates.

 

I am willing to wait if these read up to the specs though.

 

Anyone have any good suggestion on places to get good prices on a new model like this?

 

Mitch

 

[This message has been edited by Mitch (edited 07 August 2001).]

[Guest leemannn]

when do we get our tax refund

any way?

 

Lee

provo ut

[Guest leemannn]

when do we get our tax refund

any way?

 

Lee

provo ut

[Guest Case_198]

We got our check last week! They go by the last two digits of your social security number. For example, if your last two digits are 03, you will get your refund before someone with a last two of 98.

 

==Case

[Guest Iron Chef]

The new Magellans look great! Like an eTrex on steroids if you ask me. Although I wish the screen res was a bit finer and the UI fixed up a bit, but it still looks like they will be killer units when they finally hit the shelves. Might even be enough to make a dent in Garmin's eTrex sales.

 

------------------

-Iron Chef

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

agefive.com/geocache/ ~ Fe-26

Lets Drive Fast and Eat Cheese!

[Guest morganw]

They have a screen almost the size of the GPSMAP76 but nowhere near the resolution. The display might be noticeably blocky. The Etrex series has a very high DPI, making the display very crisp.

 

I have to say that the SD expansion is a VERY VERY VERY welcome and SMART move. GARMIN should REALLY consider this and move away from their proprietary cards. The website lists 64mb expansion, but TOSHIBA will be selling 128mb SD cards pretty soon. The prices will be comparable to Sony memory sticks... 128mb for about $130 IIRC. You can't beat that.

[Guest ClayJar]

128MB. That should be pretty adequate for a few detailed map sections.

[Guest ClayJar]

128MB. That should be pretty adequate for a few detailed map sections.

[Guest ClayJar]

quote:

---

Clipping from a post on sci.geo.satellite-nav:

One retailer told me the Platinum wouldn't be out until Dec, and would

go for $349. (sigh)

---

If this is true, it's going to be really hard hanging on to my tax rebate check for that long... but I'll be able to save up for memory cards. (Hmmm... I could have the entire US in my glove compartment... now if only there would be a geocaching waypoint subscription system, where new caches get synched automatically and archived ones get zapped too.)

 

[Ed. Note: UBB doesn't do news:* URLs.]

 

[This message has been edited by ClayJar (edited 09 August 2001).]

[Guest leemannn]

Contacted magellan and they did not

know the pricing on the new units

passing the info along Lee.

[Guest ClayJar]

This is beginning to look like the Babylon 5 DVD speculation. (In case you're wondering, the latest unofficial word is December 4, 2001, for the release of B5: The Gathering and B5: In The Beginning together on the first DVD. Amazon even was taking preorders, which they stopped taking for now, since apparently they jumped yet another gun... eventually they're going to get shot.)

[Guest Case_198]

quote:

---

Originally posted by ClayJar:

quote:

---

Clipping from a post on sci.geo.satellite-nav:

One retailer told me the Platinum wouldn't be out until Dec, and would

go for $349. (sigh)

---

If this is true, it's going to be really hard hanging on to my tax rebate check for that long...

---

 

You would have to wait until Dec possibly if you waited for the Platinum Meridian, but the basic Meridian looks like it will be exactly what I'm looking for. From Magellan's site:

 

quote:

---

This premium line of high-performance, waterproof handhelds includes the Meridian GPS and Meridian Gold, available in September 2001, and the Meridian Marine and Meridian Platinum, available later in fall 2001.

---

 

==Case

[Guest ClayJar]

eridian Gold is the same as the Meridian Platinum, but without the electronic compass or barometer...

 

You know what? I like my non-electronic compass, and I don't really need a barometer. I think I'll be lining up for a Meridian Gold after all. It's bound to be cheaper; it's coming out sooner; it's got everything I need, and chances are, it'll have at least slightly longer battery life than the Platinum with the compass and barometer going.

 

Now, who knows a good spot to buy a few megs of SD to juice this thing up?

[Guest Case_198]

Hmmm...and the Meridian Basic is the same as the Meridian Gold except the Gold has an additional 14MB of built in Maps.

 

Being that is the only difference (besides color), I wonder what the price difference is. On that note, if you bought an additional SD card for the basic model would you be able to upload the additional 14MB of maps from the Mapsend software????

 

Very interesting...

 

==Case

[Guest Case_198]

Hmmm...and the Meridian Basic is the same as the Meridian Gold except the Gold has an additional 14MB of built in Maps.

 

Being that is the only difference (besides color), I wonder what the price difference is. On that note, if you bought an additional SD card for the basic model would you be able to upload the additional 14MB of maps from the Mapsend software????

 

Very interesting...

 

==Case

[Guest PharoaH]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Case_198:

We got our check last week! They go by the last two digits of your social security number. For example, if your last two digits are 03, you will get your refund before someone with a last two of 98.

==Case

---

I hope that's not right. If so, we're up that familiar tributary without a paddle. We're in the 80's and 90's

[Guest PharoaH]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Case_198:

We got our check last week! They go by the last two digits of your social security number. For example, if your last two digits are 03, you will get your refund before someone with a last two of 98.

==Case

---

I hope that's not right. If so, we're up that familiar tributary without a paddle. We're in the 80's and 90's

[Guest Linda]

quote:

---

Originally posted by leemannn:

when do we get our tax refund

any way?

---

Use this linkto see when your rebate will be mailed.

[Guest prv8eye]

Originally posted by morganw:

They have a screen almost the size of the GPSMAP76 but nowhere near the resolution. The display might be noticeably blocky. The Etrex series has a very high DPI, making the display very crisp.

 

I also wondered why the brand new Meridians don't have the higher resolution of the Map76.

I wonder if higher resolution eats up batteries quicker.

Can't think of any other reason not to have the highest resolution possible but I think longer battery life is more important (to me) than a slightly sharper display.

 

Gus Morrow

Oceanside, CA

[Guest ClayJar]

quote:

---

Originally posted by PharoaH:

I hope that's not right. If so, we're up that familiar tributary without a paddle. We're in the 80's and 90's

---

It's right, and I'm right up there with you (89). I'm scheduled for the week of September 17, 2001, but I figure that's pretty good timing for picking up a Magellan Meridian Gold.

 

As for prv8eye's question regarding battery life vs. resolution: Yes, there is a very distinct relation between the two. (It's true it's possible to build a higher resolution, longer battery life device, but to do so would raise the cost too much.) I've lived with MAP 330 resolution for a good while now, and it's an improvement in that. I'd much rather battery life than more resolution, as the given resolution is Good Enough to use comfortably, and any decrease in battery life will cost me money better spent on Jack In The Box's "Bacon Bacon Cheeseburger".

 

[This message has been edited by ClayJar (edited 10 August 2001).]

[Guest ClayJar]

quote:

---

Originally posted by PharoaH:

I hope that's not right. If so, we're up that familiar tributary without a paddle. We're in the 80's and 90's

---

It's right, and I'm right up there with you (89). I'm scheduled for the week of September 17, 2001, but I figure that's pretty good timing for picking up a Magellan Meridian Gold.

 

As for prv8eye's question regarding battery life vs. resolution: Yes, there is a very distinct relation between the two. (It's true it's possible to build a higher resolution, longer battery life device, but to do so would raise the cost too much.) I've lived with MAP 330 resolution for a good while now, and it's an improvement in that. I'd much rather battery life than more resolution, as the given resolution is Good Enough to use comfortably, and any decrease in battery life will cost me money better spent on Jack In The Box's "Bacon Bacon Cheeseburger".

 

[This message has been edited by ClayJar (edited 10 August 2001).]

[Guest Jebediah]

All I know is that Garmin told me that the reason for the reduced battery life in the Legend/Venture/Vista (compared to the the basic eTrex or Summit with compass turned off) is the increased power demands of high-res displays and optional features. They simply require more battery power. Nothing has yet approached the 20-22 hours of the eTrex on 2 no-name alkalines.

 

However, if past history is any guide, this is not an absolute immutable fact, but could conceivably be compensated for, at least partially, by increased efficiency of newer technology. Whether it happens at all or not probably depends in part on whether we as consumers demand efficiency as well as hi-resolution.

 

Since I travel off paved roads and marked trails, I will always carry a regular topo map. To date, I've found nothing as detailed in available software. Even if I eventually did, no matter how fine the resolution, no matter how detailed the display map scale, nothing will help if that receiver screen winks out & goes dark. Therefore I also prize battery life ahead of resolution. I'd rather have coordinates only and a good topo than nothing at all.

 

[This message has been edited by Jebediah (edited 10 August 2001).]

[Guest ClayJar]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jebediah:

However, if past history is any guide, this is not an absolute immutable fact, but could conceivably be compensated for, at least partially, by increased efficiency of newer technology. Whether it happens at all or not probably depends in part on whether we as consumers demand efficiency as well as hi-resolution.

---

The Magellan Meridian Gold has better resolution than the MAP 330, and has an estimated battery life greater than the MAP 330 (14 hours vs. 10 hours).

 

Better resolution, more features (a few MB of SD, for example), and an estimated 40% improvement in battery life? Wow. Of course, the IPX7-ness of it is my official "main reason". 30 minutes under 1 meter of water vs. a few raindrops within 15 degrees of vertical? Of course, since it floats, it probably won't be under a full meter of water for very long, eh?

[Guest Jebediah]

Yes, the extra published battery life over the 330 did not escape my notice, although when I made the comment I was thinking of the earliest generation 4- and 6-battery GPSRs vs. the current 2-batt models. I'm more interested in seeing 'real-life' figures, (the 330 never did better than 8 hours for me, the 315 never better than 12) but hopefully it will be close to the published amount and inline with similar Garmin products. And, it has no click stick.

 

I hope that front-mounted power button takes a lot of pressure to operate, it doesn't seem to have a guard around it. Irrelevant to most people, but I detest pulling a GPS out of a waist pouch or backpack only to find it's been bumped on and run dead. If I had my way it would be small & side-mounted with a prominent guard.

 

The IPX7 rating is a welcome sign that Magellan is listening to consumers. Of course, for land users the important point is not that you can hold the receiver under water but that it stands a much better chance of withstanding downpours, wetted keypads and humidity changes (higher IPX ratings are inclusive of the lower ones, meaning that in addition to immersion, the receiver now withstands spray, splashes, water jets and powerful water jets from all angles). I will certainly be considering Meridian along with some others for my next GPSR.

 

[This message has been edited by Jebediah (edited 10 August 2001).]

[Guest ClayJar]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jebediah:

I hope that front-mounted power button takes a lot of pressure to operate, it doesn't seem to have a guard around it. Irrelevant to most people, but I detest pulling a GPS out of a waist pouch or backpack only to find it's been bumped on and run dead. If I had my way it would be small & side-mounted with a prominent guard.

---

The resolution and lighting in the picture makes it really hard to tell whether or how the power button is setup. Hopefully, it will be at least as difficult to hit as the MAP 330's, and being a Magellan, there's also that added benefit of having to press Enter on the disclaimer screen. I used to see that as a drawback, but since I've never yet had my MAP 330 turn on accidentally, I've come to see it as a benefit. (If I turned it on, I just hit Power, Enter, Enter, and it's on, but if I didn't turn it on, a few short seconds at the disclaimer and it'll turn itself back off, unless I happen to hit Enter at the perfectly wrong time.)

 

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jebediah:

The IPX7 rating is a welcome sign that Magellan is listening to consumers. Of course, for land users the important point is not that you can hold the receiver under water but that it stands a much better chance of withstanding downpours, wetted keypads and humidity changes

---

Being a Baton Rouge-based geocacher, I can see the distinct possibility that humidity might condense near my receiver, rain just might fall on it, it could possibly get splashed or sprayed, and it might someday fall in a little water. That all being the case, I really, really, really hope that the Magellan Meridian Gold is available by the week of September 17th (oh, and thanks, Mr. President).