Meridian Upgrades

2.3k · February 17, 2004

I am running a MeriPlat with version 3.12. I am thinking of upgrading to the latest version, 5.(something, I have it downloaded already). Anyone using the latest version: what is your average EPE? Also, anyone know what differences there are between the two versions? Any help would be appreciated and would help me to decide if I am going ahead with the software upgrade or not. Right now, my average EPE is about 12-20', but with a good lock, I get down to 7' sometimes.

February 17, 2004

If I have good sat reception I'll usually show 6-13' EPE. When I'm in a deep canyon or in a thick forest my MeriPlat likes the numbers 83-87'. As far as the diferences go, there are a few things. Here is a list for ver. 5.12:

-49 waypoints possible for each route (it was 30 before)

-waypoints can be marked visible/unvisible

-there is a new parameter for showing the total distance to end of

route

-proxomitry alarms ( alarm when you near a waypoint)

-light turns on, when an alarm rings

-goto line changed

-user maps will be shown first in the database/goto-list

-goto-setting will not be lost, if unit is turned off

-browsing streets will now show the city in a different line, too

-tracks will be moved to routes in a different manor

-Rechargable Battery will be monitored better

-scroll speed on maps was increased

-tracking fixed, when you tried to track with 0.01 km, it happened,

that you got time skips, which resulted in date hops in mapsend.

EDIT: These are the differences between ver. 4.? and ver. 5.12. I'm not sure what additional differences there would be jumping up from ver. 3.12

Edited February 17, 2004 by Warriorrider

1.3k · February 17, 2004

-goto-setting will not be lost, if unit is turned off

I've heard that one isn't true.

I have a MeriGold with the newest firmware, and my numbers are similar to yours during good conditions. On average, in decent conditions, it seems to average around 20-40.

February 17, 2004

-goto-setting will not be lost, if unit is turned off

I've heard that one isn't true.

It's true for a route. Not a goto to a waypoint. <_< I should have clarified that.

5.3k · February 17, 2004

-goto-setting will not be lost, if unit is turned off

I've heard that one isn't true.

It's true on a street route goto.

I've seen that list before and there are other things on it that I think are less true. I can see no difference on rechargeable battery handling - there is no menu option for NIMH and at full charge it still shows 80% and it still shuts down prematurely. There are other things on that list that I think are folklore, but since Magellan hasn't seen fit to publish a list, I'm not going to debunk them.

Team360, to answer your question, I definitely think the 4.06 upgrade is worthwhile. The pos-dest line option and improve projection code is a win. If you don't have DirectRoute and you don't have an SD card that needs the fix, I don't see a reason to go to 5.x yet. There are visible differences, but I can't think of any benefits unless you're in those two categories. I haven't pulled a chi-square on them, but I've noticed no statistically significant change in EPE on my units.

9.5k · February 17, 2004

Actually, there are two significant differences that I saw between 4.06 and 5.12.

Satellite almanac acquisition is faster. (Complaints in previous threads and forums had it that the acquisition was slower when upgrading from 3.xx to 4.xx. )
Tracking is more accurate and closer to real time i.e. the lag isn't as significant.

IMHO that alone makes it worth the effort to go to 5.12 from 4.06. I'm unable to advise a good comparison of earlier versions without providing other folks anecdotes.

February 17, 2004

FWIW...

I thought accuracy and speed actually decreased with the 5.12 upgrade and ended up going back to 4.06... I'm willing to wait a bit for the next upgrade (whenever that may be)...

Bill

Team Flushingrouse

February 18, 2004

Anyone know if they will be adding moving average speed as opposed to the total average speed?

February 19, 2004

Where do you get these firmware upgrades? I have v4.02. I went o the Magellan support site and this is the latest version they have for download. Where do you guys find ver. 5.12 and 4.06?

Thanks........

oh, I have a Meridian GPS

February 19, 2004

Right now, my average EPE is about 12-20', but with a good lock, I get down to 7' sometimes

I've done some tests with our Sportrak and Meriplat. Using benchmarks, I've found that the ACTUAL accuracy of both units is usually around 9-12 feet. However, the EPE often reads 30-35 feet under those circumstances. Which means the unit is consistently a good bit more accurate than it thinks it is. I haven't experimented with different versions of the firmware, but it seems you could get variations in both ACTUAL accuracy and EPE accuracy. In other words, just because your EPE improves, your actual accuracy may not. The unit may get better (or worse) at knowing how accurate it is, without getting you any closer to the cache than it does now. If that makes sense. <_<

5.3k · February 19, 2004

Where do you get these firmware upgrades? I have v4.02. I went o the Magellan support site and this is the latest version they have for download. Where do you guys find ver. 5.12 and 4.06?

Thanks........

oh, I have a Meridian GPS

There are 4.03 and 4.05 version available for download at the Magellan Meridian Yahoo Group. These versions are not on Magellan's website, but they are dispributed on update CD's that come with some of the mapping programs. Join the group, then click on Files, Firmware & Basemaps. There is no 5.xx version available, as that release is for use with the auto-routing DirectRoute software which is not supported on the basic Meridian.

February 20, 2004

I see that someone has just posted a new 4.06 firmware version for the Meridian. Also, there are 2 discussions going on concerning questions/problems with version 4.05. If you're moving up, I would go directly to 4.06.

9.5k · February 20, 2004

Where do you get these firmware upgrades? I have v4.02. I went o the Magellan support site and this is the latest version they have for download. Where do you guys find ver. 5.12 and 4.06?

Thanks........

oh, I have a Meridian GPS

There are 4.03 and 4.05 version available for download at the Magellan Meridian Yahoo Group. These versions are not on Magellan's website, but they are dispributed on update CD's that come with some of the mapping programs. Join the group, then click on Files, Firmware & Basemaps. There is no 5.xx version available, as that release is for use with the auto-routing DirectRoute software which is not supported on the basic Meridian.

Ummmm actually I downloaded 5.12 from the Magellan website for my MeriPlat. You just don't know the version you're downloading anymore until it's on your desktop as a .zip file and open it to see the .hex file name.

Now as far as accuracy concerns are I can only give you my anecdotes that go with it. I noted 2 significant differences particularly when I went on the cache machine in Olympia.

1. The lag is there but it isn't as big as it was. That is, I don't have to wait 5 minutes for the unit to settle down, it is settled within seconds of reaching the area.

2. On locating caches when there was another MeriPlat unit nearby with a different version, mine would be spot on the coordinates while the other person was wandering an easy 30-50 feet away and had time to allow theirs to settle down well before I came in the area.

This was very typical throughout the time I was on the hunt from cache to cache and all I could do was shrug my shoulders at the differences.

Now there was one time I was inside a deep ravine and the GPS did show a good 100 feet away from where the cache was at, but then so did everybody else and time was needed to allow the limited constellation geometry that was seen to be computed.

5.3k · February 20, 2004

Ummmm actually I downloaded 5.12 from the Magellan website for my MeriPlat. You just don't know the version you're downloading anymore until it's on your desktop as a .zip file and open it to see the .hex file name.

I was referring to the Basic Meridan model that the original poster asked about.

4.1k · February 20, 2004

I am running a MeriPlat with version 3.12. I am thinking of upgrading to the latest version, 5.(something, I have it downloaded already). Anyone using the latest version: what is your average EPE? Also, anyone know what differences there are between the two versions? Any help would be appreciated and would help me to decide if I am going ahead with the software upgrade or not. Right now, my average EPE is about 12-20', but with a good lock, I get down to 7' sometimes.

Sitting at my computer the Meriplat with ver 5.12 is tracking the sats slightly better than the ver 4.06. The 5.12 show EPE of 26 ft and the 4.06 shows EPE of 30 ft. When we are outside the EPE drops to 7 - 15 ft consistantly.

We did notice that with the upgrades when you download waypoints it doesn't erase those that are already on the unit.

John

February 20, 2004

We did notice that with the upgrades when you download waypoints it doesn't erase those that are already on the unit.

That's a nice addition :lol:

9.5k · February 21, 2004

Ummmm actually I downloaded 5.12 from the Magellan website for my MeriPlat. You just don't know the version you're downloading anymore until it's on your desktop as a .zip file and open it to see the .hex file name.

I was referring to the Basic Meridan model that the original poster asked about.

Right you are. I missed that post. Will 5.12 work with the basic model? Wasn't there a base memory issue to hold the firmware?

February 21, 2004

We did notice that with the upgrades when you download waypoints it doesn't erase those that are already on the unit.

John

What software are you refering too. I have 5.12 and when I download waypoints from MapSend Streets & Dest. and Topo it wipes out the waypoints in active memory. EasyGPS and NG Topo does not however. It's just like ver. 4.06 was.

5.3k · February 21, 2004

We have some folklore in the making here...

The host software, not the firmware, is responsible for the (stupid) clearing of all waypoints in the receiver. So if something in that regard changed, it was becuase of something on your host computer. (GPSBabel has never cleared all the waypoints and this behaviour has been consistent from across Magellans with firmware ranging from 1.03 through 5.12. Mapsend is pretty unique in sending the "vaporize all waypoitns" command.)

I've cached with two units in hand, one with 4.06 and one with 5.12. I couldn't tell any statistically significant difference in "overshoot", EPE, lock time, or accuracy. The reality is that all of these things are somewhat imprecise and will vary from time to time with identical units and identical firmware. On any given moment, one or the other would "win" any such comparison in my experience.

5.12 does not work on any Meridian that isn't named after a mineral.

February 21, 2004

We have some folklore in the making here...

The host software, not the firmware, is responsible for the (stupid) clearing of all waypoints in the receiver. So if something in that regard changed, it was becuase of something on your host computer. (GPSBabel has never cleared all the waypoints and this behaviour has been consistent from across Magellans with firmware ranging from 1.03 through 5.12. Mapsend is pretty unique in sending the "vaporize all waypoitns" command.)

I've cached with two units in hand, one with 4.06 and one with 5.12. I couldn't tell any statistically significant difference in "overshoot", EPE, lock time, or accuracy. The reality is that all of these things are somewhat imprecise and will vary from time to time with identical units and identical firmware. On any given moment, one or the other would "win" any such comparison in my experience.

5.12 does not work on any Meridian that isn't named after a mineral.

I tend to agree with you robertlipe. Other than the use of DirectRoute, the biggest advantages for me with ver. 5.12 are the ability use 49 waypoints to a route if need be (instead of 30), making individual waypoints invisible (I seldom use this though), and the biggest plus is to see the total distance to the end of a route and not just the distance to the next waypoint.

4.1k · February 21, 2004

We did notice that with the upgrades when you download waypoints it doesn't erase those that are already on the unit.

John

What software are you refering too. I have 5.12 and when I download waypoints from MapSend Streets & Dest. and Topo it wipes out the waypoints in active memory. EasyGPS and NG Topo does not however. It's just like ver. 4.06 was.

I was using Easy GPS :lol: I just tried Mapsend and it did erase the waypoints on the GPSr. Sorry about that.

John

5.3k · February 21, 2004

5.12 does not work on any Meridian that isn't named after a mineral.

I've never heard of the mineral Color :lol:

February 21, 2004

Where do you get these firmware upgrades? I have v4.02. I went o the Magellan support site and this is the latest version they have for download. Where do you guys find ver. 5.12 and 4.06?

Thanks........

oh, I have a Meridian GPS

You can get 4.05 and 4.06 for Meridian GPS from the files section of the Magellan Meridian Yahoo Group

Meridian Upgrades

Recommended Posts

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Link to comment

Join the conversation