Meridian and Map Send software?

[jnlpedersen]

Is anyone using the Magellan Map Send Topo software with their Meridian Gold? My interest is in getting topo info and more detailed street mapping. Does this software really do both? Please reply with your experiences.

 

Happy caching!

[+Jamie Z]

I'm using Topo with my Gold... and there isn't much I can say. I have have very little experience with USGS Topos... and in addition, I live in an area of very little elevation change.

 

But... for my use, and for the few trails I've been on that have some small climbs, it seems to be pretty good.

 

I've found the street info to be pretty accurate, at least as far as maps go. There are a couple [errors] I've run into, but nothing so major as to cause me a big inconvenience.

 

The only hard part is... the GPS is pretty useless to use as a map. If I am in an area where I'm trying to get somewhere, and I want to know which streets to take, it's very difficult to scroll around and get an idea of the best route. Mostly, I've found it to be a good supplement to a paper map. I look at my paper map, select my route, and watch on the GPS to make sure I'm not going astray.

 

Jamie

 

(fixed a misleading typo)

 

[This message was edited by Jamie Z on April 11, 2002 at 11:21 PM.]

[player]

I find that many of the answers that we get on this web site are mis leading for people who are just starting out with a GPS unit.

 

I recently got my Platinum and purchased the MapSend topo based on recommendations.

 

The unit was absolutely correct and I thank everyone for their advice. I am totally satisfied.

I find however, that unless people who are so willing to give you answers ask you about your needs first, then take everything said with a grain of salt.

 

I am using my GPS for geocaching and metal detecting sights.

 

I could have done without the mapsendTopo.

 

There are to many mapping sites available (easygps) that have much more detail and far superior to the MapSendtopo.

 

The base map for my needs is just fine. When I go out on a hunt< I will depend on other sources for my hard copy maps to get me there and use my GPS for the final pin pointing for caches and saving spots for metal detecting.

 

In my opinion, and I am new, you don't need the topo and you don't need the SD card and reader. If your dealing with wants it is a differant story, but from a needs stand point, you can do with out.

 

In time I may prove myself wrong, but for now I would recommend the unit and outside vendors.

[+Ranz]

I have Mapsend TOPO and it does a great job overall. I am not fond of the interface and it is not really user friendly but the street detail is very good and the topo info is fairly accurate. It does seem to be based on 1:100,000 not 1:24,000 but it has done very well for me in Utah where elevation changes can be very radical.

 

I have made a couple of trips to Ohio this year and I got to do some caching while there. I loaded a detail map for Ohio on the SD card and loaded it when I got there. If it hadn't been for that map I might still be there trying to get home. The streets were very accurate and as I traveled I could watch the terrain develop around me. I found many lakes, valleys, and small towns that made my experience really fun.

 

There are quite a few things I would change about the software if I could. I would also add some more options but bottom line, While in Ohio I never felt lost once while my gps was on. I had a great time and traveled where I felt like going. The detail map gave me more than enough information to make that possible.

 

Mapsend is the only option if you want to tranfer maps to the Meridian but It does that very well. I prefer Delorme' TOPO on the computer side but on the GPS side mapsend is great.

 

If only Magellan would let 3rd party developers license the transfer. (Just wishing....Maybe someday...)

 

[Top]

I use both MapSend Topo and DeLorme TopoUSA. Why? Well, I already had the TopoUSA before buying my Meridian Gold. As I am always armed with paper maps before going out 4wheeling, I'm confident that I'm in the general area. No map I've come across is accurate in every detail. Especially where I take off to. Dirt roads change year to year. Generally I use MapSend to upload maps to the MeriGold and the TopoUSA to print maps of where I've been. Each program has drawbacks. If your starting out, I recommend the MapSend Topo as it has the same street detail as the MapSend S&D and will get you to where your going (give or take a few feet).

[Top]

I use both MapSend Topo and DeLorme TopoUSA. Why? Well, I already had the TopoUSA before buying my Meridian Gold. As I am always armed with paper maps before going out 4wheeling, I'm confident that I'm in the general area. No map I've come across is accurate in every detail. Especially where I take off to. Dirt roads change year to year. Generally I use MapSend to upload maps to the MeriGold and the TopoUSA to print maps of where I've been. Each program has drawbacks. If your starting out, I recommend the MapSend Topo as it has the same street detail as the MapSend S&D and will get you to where your going (give or take a few feet).

[+infosponge]

I have a Meridian (green) and Mapsend Topo with maps loaded onto a 32Mb SD card.

The street detail is great...the topo features have come in handy while hiking around. A few times I've found features on the map nearby a cache and made extra side trips.

One of my favorite features is the ability to look up an address on the GPS. I can type in an address of a store or someone's house and then the Meridian will create a waypoint for it and I can navigate right to it...really nice if you're not totally familiar with an area.

[+Ozarktroutbum]

I've got the Mag Green, sandisk 64 mg card, sandisk USB reader and Mapsend Topo. I love the Green but was a little disapointed with Mapsend. The data is "mostly" accurate. It shows a few things that aren't there and some place/street names are mis-labeled. I believe this is due to their source data being inacurate. My What REALLY ticked me off about Mapsend, is that it lacks certain Windows features we have grown to love. Case in point is that when building a route, you have to add the waypoints one by one instead of shift/clicking a whole slew of them and dropping them on a route. Also certain features we have grown to love in spreadsheets are lacking in the waypoint area like being able to select and manipulate entire columns. All the features in EasyGPS.... I hope that they will be re-releasing Mapsend soon in an update as all the instructions refer to the Mag Map 330 and never mention the Magellan. All in all I think Meridian should concentrate on making GPS units, and leave the software/data development to a 3rd party. Oh, and while I'm on a rant..... WHO'S BRIGHT IDEA AT MERIDIAN WAS IT TO SELL ME A PRODUCT THAT IS DESIGNED TO BE USED OUTDOORS WITH THE FRIGGIN MANUAL ON CD-ROM. So here I am tromping through the woods lugging a laptop or worse yet 80 pages of loose copy paper trying to figure out the features on my new Magellan. Oh, but I did get a nice 80 or so page "Getting Started" manual printed in 5 or 6 languages. That was really useful the first hour...

Things being what they are, I'd probably make the same purchase again but I'd look more closely at the software side. The way I figure it Meridian owes me an update.

[+Ozarktroutbum]

I've got the Mag Green, sandisk 64 mg card, sandisk USB reader and Mapsend Topo. I love the Green but was a little disapointed with Mapsend. The data is "mostly" accurate. It shows a few things that aren't there and some place/street names are mis-labeled. I believe this is due to their source data being inacurate. My What REALLY ticked me off about Mapsend, is that it lacks certain Windows features we have grown to love. Case in point is that when building a route, you have to add the waypoints one by one instead of shift/clicking a whole slew of them and dropping them on a route. Also certain features we have grown to love in spreadsheets are lacking in the waypoint area like being able to select and manipulate entire columns. All the features in EasyGPS.... I hope that they will be re-releasing Mapsend soon in an update as all the instructions refer to the Mag Map 330 and never mention the Magellan. All in all I think Meridian should concentrate on making GPS units, and leave the software/data development to a 3rd party. Oh, and while I'm on a rant..... WHO'S BRIGHT IDEA AT MERIDIAN WAS IT TO SELL ME A PRODUCT THAT IS DESIGNED TO BE USED OUTDOORS WITH THE FRIGGIN MANUAL ON CD-ROM. So here I am tromping through the woods lugging a laptop or worse yet 80 pages of loose copy paper trying to figure out the features on my new Magellan. Oh, but I did get a nice 80 or so page "Getting Started" manual printed in 5 or 6 languages. That was really useful the first hour...

Things being what they are, I'd probably make the same purchase again but I'd look more closely at the software side. The way I figure it Meridian owes me an update.

[+Jamie Z]

quote:

---

Originally posted by infosponge:

I can type in an address of a store or someone's house and then the Meridian will create a waypoint for it and I can navigate right to it...really nice if you're not totally familiar with an area.

---

 

IS... I've seen this feature on MapSend proper, but is it also on the GPS? How do I do it?

 

Jamie

[+alexm]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jamie Z:

IS... I've seen this feature on MapSend proper, but is it also on the GPS? How do I do it?

---

 

Menu ->

Database ->

Select SD Card Map Region ->

Address ->

Type Street Name >

Select Street with "Enter"->

Type Number ->

"MARK" ->

-> Enter

-> Save

 

Or something very close to that.

...

[+alexm]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Jamie Z:

IS... I've seen this feature on MapSend proper, but is it also on the GPS? How do I do it?

---

 

Menu ->

Database ->

Select SD Card Map Region ->

Address ->

Type Street Name >

Select Street with "Enter"->

Type Number ->

"MARK" ->

-> Enter

-> Save

 

Or something very close to that.

...

[+infosponge]

Yeah, what he said. :-)

It took me a while to realize that I could do detailed address/POI lookups ON THE GPS. How cool is that?

From the database screen a list of the regions in the SD card is displayed and once you select one of those it's like a whole 'nother world opens up.

[+Jamie Z]

Uh...

 

Wow... I just now got it.

 

See, when I did the:

menu -->

database -->

 

I didn't seem to get a region... but in reality I am, I just didn't see it. See, I only have one region currently loaded and it's called "Memphis". So all I had was this screen with the word "Memphis" on the bottom... I figured it was just to select that city, since that's where I am.

 

Got it now, thank you!

 

Jamie