+MrMac204 Posted June 22, 2004 Share Posted June 22, 2004 currently considering which gps to buy- the 60cs seems to have pretty much everything (I think, I am a newbie to all of this ) but I really like the idea of what the Thales mobile mapper can do accuracy wise..... BUT! where I live (Vancouver Canada) the waas signal is so weak that I cannot get it - (I did see a reference somewhere that said northwest usa area did not get the waas signal) so I am wondering if any increase in accuracy (thales) would be negated by not being able to recieve the waas signal. also not sure if the mobil mapper has the features that are avail. on the 60cs... I guess if I could get a 60cs with 3 foot accuracy- whooohoooo!!! but I guess that's in the future for now. currently have a 176c from my boat, but it really eats up the batteries, (3 hrs) and its not really suited to "portability" and it doesn't like going under trees very much.... "signal lost" sigh..... heck I live in a rain forest!!! gotta find those signals somehow... have a good day all! Mac. Quote Link to comment
+JohnnyVegas Posted June 22, 2004 Share Posted June 22, 2004 mobile mapper ? could not find this on the Thales web site. Quote Link to comment
+MrMac204 Posted June 22, 2004 Author Share Posted June 22, 2004 http://products.thalesnavigation.com/en/pr....asp?PRODID=928 I hope this works, I do not really know how to post links Quote Link to comment
vr12 Posted June 22, 2004 Share Posted June 22, 2004 (edited) http://products.thalesnavigation.com/en/pr....asp?PRODID=928 I hope this works, I do not really know how to post links Online Price: $1,595.00 ???? Looks like remarked color Magellan model priced few times higher. 60CS is a way better. .... yes, I compared pictures, it is Magellan Meridian Color, and it cost $415 at Amazon. Edited June 22, 2004 by vr12 Quote Link to comment
+Imajika Posted June 22, 2004 Share Posted June 22, 2004 Hmmm.... Mobile Mapper: $1595.00 -or- Garmin 60cs: $419.00 Easy choice I'd say! I have a 60cs and I really love it. I love the color maps and the auto-routing feature (using City Select software). The battery life is great, the screen is large enough to read easily, the screen looks great in any light, it's durable, it's just a GREAT gps, in my opinion. Quote Link to comment
+JohnnyVegas Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 thanks for the link, I was not looking in the correct place, I think the magellan mobile mapper is overkill for geocaching or recreation. If you want to compare the garmin to a magellen, one of the Meridians be a better match up. I use a meridian gold, I like the use of an SD card for memory. As far as color screens, I do not like them, I have found them hard to see if the sun is in the wrong place, like in the sky. this is even more of a problem if you are wearing polarized sunglasses. Quote Link to comment
+Mechanics Hands Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 (edited) That might have been true for magellans, but I dont think it does for the Garmin 60 series as far as the color screens. A friend had the sportrack color and sent it back imediately because the screen was so horrible. The Meridian color is better for sure but it pales in comparison to the G 60's. But the G 60 is superb. I looked at one and took it outside and compared the Meri color to the 60cs and the 60cs was the hands down winner. (mine should be arriving friday) Yes I liked the idea of the SD cards for the Meri's, but I wouldnt be using that as much as I would the screen. I had decided to get the Meri color or platinum, but took one final look at the garmins, saw the 60's and looked closer and closer and finally broke away from the Meri's. If Garmin had a gps with the design of the 60's with sd cards I would have got it without thinking twice. The screen backlight is also fully adjustable to suit the lighting conditions which can be a big advantage. MH Edited June 23, 2004 by Mechanics Hands Quote Link to comment
+JohnnyVegas Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 I also treid the Garmin 60C outside and did not like it, I never said one was beter than the other, I do not like the Mageallan or the Garmin color screens, I would rather use a monochrome screen. Quote Link to comment
dantonac Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 well, I am a happy Magellan color user. To each their own, right? But seriously a $1500.00 GPS is waaaaay too much to spend on a handheld unit for geocaching. My Magellan which almost always gets a WAAS satellite even under tree cover I have tested repeatedly and it gets <10ft accuracy with WAAS and normal 20-50ft accuracy without. I am sure a Garmin under the same circumstances would perform comparably. Either unit can be had for under $500 with street routing software, data cable, vehicle mount, SD card and cigarette lighter power adapter. Well, OK, the Magellan can be had for under $500 with all that, the Garmin prices out higher. The Garmin gives you 256 colors, the Magellan 16. To my eyes the Magellan screen is fine in all light conditions, it just needs to be tilted to see it best under varying light conditions. I like the SD memory card of the Magellan over the 256 color of the Garmin and have always believed Magellan makes better hardware than Garmin for the same or lower price. Of course I am biased. Make your own call what to get, but whatever you do don't pay 1500 for a handheld geocaching unit. Thales is the owner of Magellan. Thales, to my knowledge doesn't make any GPS, Magellan does. If you buy a marked up Thales you are simply overpaying for a Magellan. Quote Link to comment
+Centex Trekker Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 My 60CS actually looks better in the sun than in the shade. The screen I mean. Quote Link to comment
dantonac Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 well, I am a happy Magellan color user. To each their own, right? But seriously a $1500.00 GPS is waaaaay too much to spend on a handheld unit for geocaching. My Magellan which almost always gets a WAAS satellite even under tree cover I have tested repeatedly and it gets <10ft accuracy with WAAS and normal 20-50ft accuracy without. I am sure a Garmin under the same circumstances would perform comparably. Either unit can be had for under $500 with street routing software, data cable, vehicle mount, SD card and cigarette lighter power adapter. Well, OK, the Magellan can be had for under $500 with all that, the Garmin prices out higher. The Garmin gives you 256 colors, the Magellan 16. To my eyes the Magellan screen is fine in all light conditions, it just needs to be tilted to see it best under varying light conditions. I like the SD memory card of the Magellan over the 256 color of the Garmin and have always believed Magellan makes better hardware than Garmin for the same or lower price. Of course I am biased. Make your own call what to get, but whatever you do don't pay 1500 for a handheld geocaching unit. Thales is the owner of Magellan. Thales, to my knowledge doesn't make any GPS, Magellan does. If you buy a marked up Thales you are simply overpaying for a Magellan. Quote Link to comment
robertlipe Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 By my understanding, Thales Navigation is Magellan for consumer grade stuff and 'Thales Navgation' for Surveying, Mapping (making, not using), and OEM grade gear. See: http://products.thalesnavigation.com/en/ The MobileMapper is indeed largely the Meridian hardware, but it runs different firmware and integrates differently with their software to MAKE maps. For geocaching, it's overshooting the target; stay in the Magellan line. Quote Link to comment
+MrMac204 Posted June 23, 2004 Author Share Posted June 23, 2004 well I guess my point was "generally" about whether the extra $$ to get the extra accuracy was worth it, and would it make any diff. anyway cause we don't get the waas signal here in B.C. but thank you all anyhow for the responses Quote Link to comment
+Wild_Bill Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 Regarding accuracy, I think one thing to consider is if you are using the GPS primarily for Geocaching, those that are placing the caches are not using as accurate a GPS as the one you describe. I currently own a 60cs and love it. My first GPS was a Vista. I have no experience with Maggies at all. Quote Link to comment
vr12 Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 well I guess my point was "generally" about whether the extra $$ to get the extra accuracy was worth it, and would it make any diff. anyway cause we don't get the waas signal here in B.C. but thank you all anyhow for the responses Trust me, there is no extra accuracy there. Quote Link to comment
Moun10Bike Posted June 23, 2004 Share Posted June 23, 2004 well I guess my point was "generally" about whether the extra $$ to get the extra accuracy was worth it, and would it make any diff. anyway cause we don't get the waas signal here in B.C. Actually, BC has no problem getting WAAS. See this link: http://www.nstb.tc.faa.gov/vpl.html I am just a little bit south of you (Seattle area) and am able to pick up both the Pacific and Atlantic WAAS birds regularly. Granted, they are low on the horizon, but they are visible as long as you are in an open area. Quote Link to comment
+GOT GPS? Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 The 60C/CS, Sportrack, and Meridian Color all suffer from glare, and they do need an Anti-Glare Coating on the Inside and outside of the Plastic Window over the LCD display, or at least you would need an Anti-Glare Screen protector for the GPS units. Even I have problems with glare on the GPS 60C, and I do need some of those Anti-Glare screen protectors(Is there a link to some???). Sportrack Color - Not enough memory and it has no USB capabilities. Meridian Color - When turned off, I did not like the Blackness of the Display, and I returned it because my eyes did not like it's display. Would be a cool GPS, if Magellan got some LCD display modules that are used in the 60C/CS. It then would put the Meridian Color at 160x240 pixels, but the LCD Module needs to be a little bigger for the MeriColor. GPS 60C/CS - Coulda Had more memory, but it works good. I bet it has a 64 meg memory chip with an available 56 megs for loading maps. 60C/CS Should have had a 128 Chip and the 76CS with a 256 meg memory chip. Ive had several Magellans and Garmins, and I fine the 60C does alot for me. The big problem is, that the bigger the memory of the GPS, the greater your TRIP will be, and make the 512 megabyte GPS seem very limited. Quote Link to comment
+Tahoe Skier5000 Posted June 24, 2004 Share Posted June 24, 2004 The Mobile Mapper seems like a pretty neat unit, but what's the big deal, honestly? It's accuracy is nowhere near impressive for that amount of money... I'm trying to figure out what else it does that drags the price up so high. Quote Link to comment
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