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Magellan And Garmin Wish List


The Blue Quasar

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Geo Dog and I were comparing what our respective GPS units can do, and this ultimately lead to a "I wish mine would do this" discussion.

 

Geo Dog has a Magellan SporTrak (dunno if there is a type or not)

The Blue Quasar has a Garmin 60C

 

So we thought it might be fun to build a wish-list that we could submit to see about future improvements for GPS units.

 

Here are the ideas we brought out, and I hope others might post their ideas too and maybe we can encourage Garmin and Magellan to add features.

 

I've read that 50% of people that own a GPSr are using it Geocaching.... therefore GPSr's should be designed with Geocachers in mind.

 

- Magellan has an SD RAM card slot, Garmin could really use this idea too. Being able to load different files of caches/maps/topos would be nice.

 

- Garmin has icons for Geocache/Geocache Found. While this is a start.... Being able to use ALL the Geocaching icons would be great... like Traditional, MultiCache, Event, Virtual..... Magellan should add Geocaching features (if they have them, we aren't aware of them)

 

- Garmin, after you find a cache, allows you to choose the next closest cache, but that's it. You should be able to click down the list and select (and once you pick, be allowed to navigate by street or direct.... right now it goes to the compass screen only)

 

- A "LOCKED" option for a co-ordinate... this way you can set certain waypoints as LOCKED and they cannot be deleted unless the lock is removed. You could effectively delete all your waypoints and your Home co-ords would remain. Pagers have this feature. I realise that you can do this by deleting types on the Garmin (I don't know about the Magellan) but when you have 8 or moer different types, this would be far easier.

 

- Goind along with the Geocaching icons, you could also add an option that when the user "Marks" a new co-ord there would be a check box/ radio button that allows you to say it is a geocache. This would make multi-caches far easier when doing the next stage and then selecting "Find" for closest.

 

That's all I'm going to put up, let's see what else is suggested.

 

:) The Blue Quasar

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I'll go along with the non-proprietary memory sticks/cards for the units. Mind you, Garmin seems to be shipping GPS receivers with so much E2PROM memory (and USB programming) there's no need to add any more.

 

I made a suggestion some time ago to Garmin to add more symbols for my line of work, which is radio (antenna types, more towers, high-rise site, broadcast stn etc). Since then I've seen them add *contacts* and coloured *numbers* and *ovals*. I haven't figured a use for these yet, but I guess someone influential needed them real' bad!

 

I think what I'd really like to see is more brands to choose from.

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If its true that 50% of the people with a GPSr are using them for geocaching then there should be a market for having one unit with all the caching features of a GPSr (naturally with the previously mentioned features included) and a PDA combined into one unit.

 

It would be nice to paperless cache with just a nice rugged GPSr and not need a PDA.

 

Maybe after you receive enough ideas this thread should be sent to Garmin and Magellan.

Edited by chet99
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It would be nice to paperless cache with just a nice rugged GPSr and not need a PDA.

 

As you probably know there is a Garmin PDA/GPSr for like $700 but not too rugged!

 

My suggestion for a feature is to be able to "beam" co-ords between two GPSs like you do info between two PDA's or from a PDA to a printer.

 

What about a Digital Camera GPS.. instead of stamping the date and time it stamps the co-ords where the picture was taken.

 

There are advances with GPS chips in cell phones for enhanced 911 service.

 

This wish list is a great idea.. lets us hope the manufactures are listening.

 

Murfster

Edited by murfster
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I'd also like to see a shortlist of icons so I could have a half dozen of my favorites readily available from the waypoint screen instead of having to scroll through that long list all the time. Even being able to set a different default icon would be a start.

 

Same thing for waypoints. It would be nice to be able to create "folders" within the waypoint list.

Edited by PDOP's
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- Garmin has icons for Geocache/Geocache Found.  While this is a start.... Being able to use ALL the Geocaching icons would be great... like Traditional, MultiCache, Event, Virtual.....  Magellan should add Geocaching features (if they have them, we aren't aware of them)

 

You can do this right now. With xImage You are able to make your own custom waypoints. I have never got around to making any but this thread shows that it can be done and I believe that you can get all the icons from links that people have made.

 

edit spelling :blink:

Edited by The Two Navigators
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I have a few issues with the "find" and autorouting features.

 

First, when I am getting it to find a street address, why does it not default to the town I am in? Scrolling around to spell the name of the town seems extra frustrating. I'd like to see the default town name be at the top, with an option to type over it if I am navigating to a different town.

 

Along the same line, I'd like to see them change the order of data entry so that it goes town > street > number instead of town > number > street. Sometimes, I just need to get to the street, and sometimes I don't know the number of the place I am going.

 

A touch screen would be nice too. Forget all this scrolling around with gloves or cold fingers.

 

Changing map/graphic colours to improve contrast would be nice. Also handy for colour blind folks.

 

I agree that memory cards and IR beaming would be great features to have. Or, even allow a "null cable" type rig to send points between units. And, that having a set of "favourites" or lockable waypoints, like home, friends' houses, etc would be handy.

 

I'd also like mine to give me a rumble or a mild electric shock when we are driving past the next stage on a multi so that we don't drive past so many when I am navigating. <grin>

 

LugNuts

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My short list.

 

NO SD RAM slot. Just enough native memory to stuff every concievable map I could dream of using into the GPS so I never have to switch a mapset again.

 

Blue Tooth so I can interface with other GPS's and Cell Phones and PDA's. I want to be able to 'beam' a waypoint over to the next guy.

 

Native GPX support of a universal standard (ie Not custom Firmware for every GPX standard out there of which there are now two caching standards). I don't want to have to use GSAK to tweak my waypoint file before I upload it to the GPS. I just want it to work.

 

Nema 2 for USB/software support.

 

"Mark Your Car" special waypoint button. I don't want to have to do more than press two buttons to mark my car, and one is better. This is the most marked waypoint I use.

 

10,000 waypoint memory. I'm not sure it's enough but it's a good step in the right direction.

 

Small GPS, Large Screen. You can't have both but there is a balance and I'm just not seeing it in GPS's that are made. The 60screen is ok but they could of made it bitter or the GPS smaller. if I need it to float I can attach a rubber tuck to the laynyard mount, or use lithum batteries. Were I to always use it in water then my outlook would change on floating over size.

 

Interface Templates. So you can toggle between geocaching mode, Pilot mode, Vacation driving mode etc. Each interface would be enhanced to the function, and customizable.

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Garmin 60 series...

 

A lock switch (like on mp3 players). I'm always accidentally pushing buttons.

 

On the map screen, have the data fields customizable depending on if I'm autorouting, or going to a waypoint or if I'm not navigating. (I don't need to see the distance to destination if I'm not actually going somewhere.)

 

Ability to turn off the display to save batteries. When I'm out for a hike and all I'm really interested in is my track log.....

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Oh maybe I am doing something wrong, but don't you wish you could turn the backlight OFF by quickly pressing the power button. It turns on, but won't turn off till a timer says so.

 

I set mine to not turn off so when I'm night caching it stays on, or driving. But I cannot turn it off unless I power down completely.

 

I like those suggestions that were posted recently, the lock switch like an MP3 player was good, as was the MARK CAR.

 

Lugnuts and I have the same ideas, this list is getting better and better.

 

GPSr's defintely need to be designed more with caching in mind.

 

;) The Blue Quasar

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The one thing that bugs me about my Magellan is the fact it will not display meters in 100s. Instead of saying 600m, it will display 0.6 Km.

 

I know its small but I find it kind of annoying thia it is so simple yet not implemented.

 

That't it. Though I also wish Mag. would add Geocache icons, and the key lock thing is very cool.

 

Scott

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Magellan Meridians (perhaps other models as well) need a sturdy attachment method for a lanyard or wrist strap instead of the flimsy one that broke on mine less than a month after I got it.

 

They also need a raised lip around the power on/off button to prevent turning it on or off accidentally while you're carrying it or when its in your pocket.

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Good to see some Magellan users out there with some suggestions. Was beginning to think that only Garmins needed some geocaching improvements :) .

 

Here's my list (for a Meridian Gold), some of which have already been mentioned:

 

Geocaching Icons - although I have GSAK set up so I can have different icons for different cache types it would be much better to have custom ones that match those used by GC.com

 

A way to use all that extra memory on the SD card - I currently have 200 MB sitting there doing nothing. Would be real nice to be able to store cache details and view it on the GPSr. Something like a built in Cachemate would mean I don't have to carry the PDA along as well as the GPSr.

 

Get rid of the 200 limit for messages attached to user waypoints (and the 39 character limit for each message). At least that way I could at least have the hints available on the GPS (for emergency use only of course :unsure: )

 

Fix the boomerang effect so when I get close to the cache the GPSr doesn't overshoot - and I don't have to do the Magellan backstep or the ever decreasing circle dance. (BTW I don't mind the fact that it only switches to metres from kms when it gets within 100 metres of the cache - that's a good reminder it's time to start to dance :) )

 

The raised lip around the Power key is a good suggestion although you can partly get round the accidently turning off problem by setting it up so you have to press Enter as well as Pwr to turn it off.

 

I don't use a lanyard but it would be nice to have a secure place to attach one if I wanted to.

 

And, of course, better maps. Topo Canada is a big improvement over S&D Canada for geocaching (I now can usually tell which side of the creek the cache is on and how far I have to climb to get to it) but it's still missing a number of significant details - including the street I live on even though it's been there for about 20 years. On the other hand it does have the rail line that was removed 20 years ago so that maybe is an indication of how current the data is. And give me town names again - even my old Magellan 315 has more towns on the base map than my Meridian with Mapsend (and the ones that are there are often in rather odd places). And include some trails - or at least some of the major ones like the Bruce Trail. Best of all would be a non-proprietary map format so I can put any maps I want on the GPS although I won't hold my breath waiting for that feature.

 

And a more user friendly and up to date manual would be helpful (maybe a geocaching specific version). I did think of some other features that would be good to have and then reread the manual and found some were already there and also found features (like the proximity alarm) that the manual doesn't even mention! And then there is the mysterious No Message on the Alarm/Msg screen that I haven't figured out what it's supposed to be for or how you can use it!

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Beaming!!! Brilliant Murfster!

 

I love that idea... we are ALWAYS reading co-ords to each other on our group hikes

Your GPSr doesn't beam ?? Time to get a Garmin RINO. You can send waypoints to each other, and you show up on each other's maps. In fact, the perfect GPS would be an updated RINO with...

 

- Features off the 60CS (Colour, auto-routing)

- more transmit power on the radio

 

When Garmin make that I'm buying more! but already the Rino series are great GPS units for working together.

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What I would most like to see from Garmin is a new version of the eTrex carrying case that is specifically fitted for the Legend C and Vista C.

 

The C model screens are a little wider which means that it is hard to see the edges. The sides of the case could also be 1-2 mm lower, I think, as maybe the power and menu buttons are shifted a little.

 

Still, this is still the best case going, IMHO -- the only time I take my GPS out of it is to change the batteries. Hopefully they come out with a new one.

 

As far as the Vista C goes, I'm 100% satisfied. It does everything I need and does it better than I expect.

 

Bluetooth would be a nice feature though...

 

Regards,

Anthony

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Sounds like Magellan listened and at least added some of my wish list features. See this Press Release. A file folder structure on the SD card sounds like a good idea. I'll have to wait and see if the geocaching features offer anything I can't do already. Not sure I like the idea of a rechargeable Li ion battery pack - I'm quite happy with my NiMH AA's. I'm going to have to give this a test drive though. There's a thread already started about this Magellan offering on the GPS & Software forum.

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Kinda late posting to this topic but ....

 

My neighbour's house was broken into and they took anything of value that was small and portable. This brings up our treasured GPS'r ...any cretin can pilfer it and use it to their hearts content.

 

How hard would it be to add a lock code (program it yourself for a combination or series of button presses) to these units? The "owner" splash screen is of use only if your unit is found by an honest person. ;)

Edited by [MTB]_Intrepid
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