Ridiculing Magellan

[+MDAgent]

To each his own. I think whatever works for you is the best GPS you can find.

 

I do own an Explorist 200, though, and I'll say this. If the menus are the same for all the Explorist series (and I think they are) I can get to a waypoint in about half the clicks with my Garmin Etrex Legend than it takes with my Magellan Explorist 200.

 

Bret

It takes me 3 clicks (GoTo, My Points of Interest, the POI itself) to go to a waypoint with my explorist 200. So the Garmin can do it in 1½? We must be doing something different.

 

I'm not trying to be adversarial, I'm just curious.

Let's see......firing up my Explorist....using it out on a day of caching....

 

1. Hit the Goto button

2. Screen pops up that says "A goto already exists, clear it?" I click "Yes"

3. A Screen pops up that says "Do you want a new GOTO" Well, that's why I clicked "Yes" last time, but..ok..."Yes"

4. Screen pops up for choice of "My Pts of Interest" or "Background Map." I'll take Pts of Interest. "Click"

5. Scroll through "My Pts of Interest," find the one I want. "Click"

 

I'm ready to go

 

Now with the Etrex Legend:

1. Hit the find button

2. Tap down for Waypoints

3. Click Nearest

4. Choose my waypoint "click"

5. Click "GOTO"

 

Whoops. My bad. Same number...I apologize.

 

Still, the Explorist menus don't make a lot of sense to me. How necessary are steps 2 and 3? They seem to be there just to make the unit idiot-proof.

 

Just to clarify, I have no interest in ridiculing Magellan. I've owned 2 Magellans and will probably own more in the future. I've owned three Garmins and will probably own more in the future too. All that really matters is that I can get the GPS to do what I want it to do.

 

Bret

Ahhh.. but steps 2 and 3 are only necessary if you had a previous target which was not automaticly cleared when you arrived there.

 

Most of the time my eXplorist is 3 clicks.

 

I win!

[+jacques0]

Ahhh.. but steps 2 and 3 are only necessary if you had a previous target which was not automaticly cleared when you arrived there.

My, we are beating this dead horse, aren't we? Oh well, I've been one of the guilty parties, so I'll weigh in again.

 

I've never had my eX200 automatically clear a GoTo when I arrived. If I arrive at a destination, then walk---say---100 feet away from it, my gps will tell me I am (go figure) 100' away from the destination.

 

Which model do you have?

[+MDAgent]

I just don't really care for the Meridian's user interface.  If I want to search for a certain waypoint I have to scroll through as many as 500 of them. How stupid is that!

 

There were other things that I found annoying, starting with that stupid warning when you fire up the unit. I keep turning the unit on and looking a minute later and seeing it off again because I faild to acknowledge that I read the warning  .

 

Also I found the detail on the maps to be wanting. This was Streets and Destinations. Maybe the other ones are better?

I've got Topo 3D. The detail is surprising. I'm very impressed, even on city streets. I'm with you on the Meridian Gold. The menus and interface were designed by satan.

Edited June 4, 2005 by MDAgent

[+MDAgent]

Ahhh.. but steps 2 and 3 are only necessary if you had a previous target which was not automaticly cleared when you arrived there.

My, we are beating this dead horse, aren't we? Oh well, I've been one of the guilty parties, so I'll weigh in again.

 

I've never had my eX200 automatically clear a GoTo when I arrived. If I arrive at a destination, then walk---say---100 feet away from it, my gps will tell me I am (go figure) 100' away from the destination.

 

Which model do you have?

Oh... you know it's the way I use my eX 600. When I arrive at a cache. I turn my unit off. When I turn it back on the goto is cleared.

 

So now that I think about it, it's not that it clears automatically. It clears when it's shut off. Yours does the same thing I suppose.

 

You ridicule Magellan users????

[+MDAgent]

Better. There were a lot of complaints about the old Streets & Destinations and Topo. So the newer DirectRoute and Topo3D use the same NavTech data that Garmin uses.

 

I happy to report that on the explorists there is but a single button push to get past the opening screen--no more lawyer screen(s). Apparently Magellan still sees the need to prevent accidental power-ons.

I think the opening screen is just a way to keep you busy while it lock onto the satellites.

[+jacques0]

You ridicule Magellan users????

Good Lord, no!! I'm probably the #1 proponent of the explorist 200 on these boards. I love this unit.

[+MDAgent]

...Since the eXplorist line doesn't do averaging, there is no boomerang effect.  I've been eXtremely happy with my 600, as has Joani, who was previously a Garmin user.  ...

Here's a question for you. One advantage Magellan had was less bouncing around in the woods. Probably due to the same averaging that causes the boomerang effect. Have you noticed more bouncing with the explorists?

I haven't noticed any bouncing at all. It takes me to the coordinates and there's the stuff I'm looking for. I've also not noticed any "boomerang." I don't know what that is. Somebody described going past the coordinates and having to come back.

 

I can't see that happening. I switch from the map to the compass when I get close to the coordinates, there a little alert beep that tells me I'm close and a target on the compass. I follow the arrow. There it is.

 

I could see passing the coordinates if I were running, but I don't usually run up to a cache.

[+MDAgent]

You ridicule Magellan users????

Good Lord, no!! I'm probably the #1 proponent of the explorist 200 on these boards. I love this unit.

You said you were a guilty party. So does that mean you ridicule Garmin users?

 

How can you stand not being able to download waypoints and maps on the 200?

 

I like the unit too, because the handling, but I like being able to download stuff.

[+jacques0]

ditto on that MD. The eX200 is the only gps I've ever owned and my only exposure to the "boomerang effect" is what I've read on these boards. Usually, I keep it on the map screen (track up) and walk until the distance field says 4 or 3 or 2 or 1 feet/foot away. I then look at the accuracy field on its window, and then begin looking in that radius of a circle. As often as not, I'm already standing next to the cache.

 

I really should use a Garmin sometime, though, just to broaden my perspective.

 

Someone earlier said that it depends mostly upon what one is used to. I think that is spot on.

[flir67]

To each his own. I think whatever works for you is the best GPS you can find.

 

I do own an Explorist 200, though, and I'll say this. If the menus are the same for all the Explorist series (and I think they are) I can get to a waypoint in about half the clicks with my Garmin Etrex Legend than it takes with my Magellan Explorist 200.

 

Bret

It takes me 3 clicks (GoTo, My Points of Interest, the POI itself) to go to a waypoint with my explorist 200. So the Garmin can do it in 1½? We must be doing something different.

 

I'm not trying to be adversarial, I'm just curious.

Let's see......firing up my Explorist....using it out on a day of caching....

 

1. Hit the Goto button

2. Screen pops up that says "A goto already exists, clear it?" I click "Yes"

3. A Screen pops up that says "Do you want a new GOTO" Well, that's why I clicked "Yes" last time, but..ok..."Yes"

4. Screen pops up for choice of "My Pts of Interest" or "Background Map." I'll take Pts of Interest. "Click"

5. Scroll through "My Pts of Interest," find the one I want. "Click"

 

I'm ready to go

 

Now with the Etrex Legend:

1. Hit the find button

2. Tap down for Waypoints

3. Click Nearest

4. Choose my waypoint "click"

5. Click "GOTO"

 

Whoops. My bad. Same number...I apologize.

 

Still, the Explorist menus don't make a lot of sense to me. How necessary are steps 2 and 3? They seem to be there just to make the unit idiot-proof.

 

Just to clarify, I have no interest in ridiculing Magellan. I've owned 2 Magellans and will probably own more in the future. I've owned three Garmins and will probably own more in the future too. All that really matters is that I can get the GPS to do what I want it to do.

 

Bret

I'm guessing the idiot proof feature is there so you don't get your self lost or killed.but I've heard of 2 stories where us soldiers where changing the batteries in the gps devices, I guess they forgot to click goto again after changing the battery. and gave fire positions on their on own cooridinates killing there group or soldiers.

 

I've heard of this once during desert storm one then again during desert storm 2. I heard of it on the net or news...

 

anybody else remember anything about these...

[+Renegade Knight]

Evidently Garmin users are better crap flippers than Magellan users.  Suck it up and get even.  Trust me there are things about a garmin that you can make fun of.  (tossedsalid covered one).

I think I'll go out and get a Garmin so I can find out what's bad about it. If I'm going to flip crap, I will have to at least flip well-informed crap.

Dude! With all your posts in this thead you are going to single handedly wear down all the Garmin users!

[+jacques0]

I just meant that I was guilty of taking part in this thread, that's all.

Edited June 4, 2005 by jacques0

[+Team GPSaxophone]

Evidently Garmin users are better crap flippers than Magellan users.  Suck it up and get even.  Trust me there are things about a garmin that you can make fun of.  (tossedsalid covered one).

I think I'll go out and get a Garmin so I can find out what's bad about it. If I'm going to flip crap, I will have to at least flip well-informed crap.

The rubber gasket thingie that goes around the outside of the Etrex line comes off (bad glue - doesn't handle heat well)

The internal connections to the screen and the click-stick are poor and come loose. When it happens, the screen either goes blank or is otherwise unreadable. Usually a sharp tap on the GPSr will fix it...temporarily

 

Other than that, I can't think of anything else I don't like about my Legend (except it not being color, but the color one wasn't out when I bought mine)

I'm sure other Garmin users can add more problems to my list.

[+Ralphbongo]

The best GPS is the one that you spend y o u r money on (good or bad) and you will defend it to the end. As I have only used garmin, an etrex and a 60c I wil not compare them to another brand which I don't use. I bought both units because they fit my hand,were easy to use and loked cool. Later I found their service department was great. So thats my story. BTW this is a funny thread thanks for the

[+GOT GPS?]

Why why why why why is there no handheld Garmin GPS that can Off-The-Shelf memory cards?

 

This is the only gripe I have with them.

[+JeepCachr]

Why why why why why is there no handheld Garmin GPS that can Off-The-Shelf memory cards?

 

This is the only gripe I have with them.

Thats the exact reason that after being a long time Garmin user I purchasd a Explorist 600. The explorist can do a bunch of things the Garmin can't and I'm getting used to the menus.

 

There is a Garmin way and a Magellan way. Not that either is better, just different.

[+Milbank]

To each his own. I think whatever works for you is the best GPS you can find.

 

I do own an Explorist 200, though, and I'll say this. If the menus are the same for all the Explorist series (and I think they are) I can get to a waypoint in about half the clicks with my Garmin Etrex Legend than it takes with my Magellan Explorist 200.

 

Bret

It takes me 3 clicks (GoTo, My Points of Interest, the POI itself) to go to a waypoint with my explorist 200. So the Garmin can do it in 1½? We must be doing something different.

 

I'm not trying to be adversarial, I'm just curious.

How many clicks does it take to get to the waypoint?

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie pop?

 

[+niskibum]

The funnest part of ridiculing Magellan users is finding one that it really bothers, and then really hammering them! I usually stop when they start to cry though....well, usually.

 

It really is a case of Chevy vs Ford, or more recently everyone vs Dodge, but to be honest, if GM was a French company I'd be driving a Ford right now.

[+Trekingbear]

HELLO i AM A NEW MEMBER HERE AND i DO NOT SEE WHY ALL THE FUSS ABOUT WHAT UNIT IS BEST I use the explorist 200, not fancy but i was amazed that it took me right to my caches and it even works inside my truck. I think you guys need to get out of this discussion and get out side. And now that I have done the same stupid mistake I will never come back here. Trekingbear

[+Team GPSaxophone]

HELLO i AM A NEW MEMBER HERE AND i DO NOT SEE WHY ALL THE FUSS ABOUT WHAT UNIT IS BEST I use the explorist 200, not fancy but i was amazed that it took me right to my caches and it even works inside my truck. I think you guys need to get out of this discussion and get out side. And now that I have done the same stupid mistake I will never come back here. Trekingbear

Sorry, it's kinda hard to cache inside a cleanroom. I go caching on my days off.

 

[tossedsalad]

tossedsalad...Bret is saying the same thing, except that in his point number 3 for the eXplorist the user would select "No" instead of "Yes".

I'm not sure what you are saying. Of course you can do that in the menues that Bret describes, but Bret does not understand why you need that second Yes/No selection. He thinks it is asking the same thing as the first and it is not.

 

"Still, the Explorist menus don't make a lot of sense to me. How necessary are steps 2 and 3? They seem to be there just to make the unit idiot-proof."

 

I believe he thinks ending the current GOTO and starting a new GOTO are the same thing. I did too at first, but once I wanted to end a GOTO I realized why they ask it this way.

 

I don't disagree that the Magellan menues seem a bit clumsy if you are used to the Garmin. But now that I have used my Merigold a few days I don't have a problem with it at all.

 

Of course now that I have learned any GPS it is easier to learn a second one, but both Linden (an eTrex owner) and I had a hard time even figuring out how to enter a waypoint into his unit. Good thing he was driving the first few times we went out. I played with the unit until I figured out some of it. Turns out he can't read in a car! So when I drove he couldn't even enter waypoints!

[tossedsalad]

I haven't noticed any bouncing at all. It takes me to the coordinates and there's the stuff I'm looking for. I've also not noticed any "boomerang." I don't know what that is. Somebody described going past the coordinates and having to come back.

 

I can't see that happening. I switch from the map to the compass when I get close to the coordinates, there a little alert beep that tells me I'm close and a target on the compass. I follow the arrow. There it is.

 

I could see passing the coordinates if I were running, but I don't usually run up to a cache.

My friend has an eTrex which we both used until I got my Merigold last week. In the little I have used it we both see a world of difference. The "boomerang" effect is due to the unit not updating the numbers on the screeen fast enough to point you in the right direction regardless of which screen you are using. It is fine until you get close and then you can go up to 100 feet past the cache before it starts to tell you to go the other way.

 

We just saw this Thursday when we did a couple of caches in his neck of the woods. One was off a wide straight path. By the time the compass needle started to swing around, we were 100 feet too far and did not give it time to settle before we went off the path. We eneded up hiking some 200 feet through the trees when the cache was less than 100 feet off the trail. But it did take us to within 20 feet of the cache.

 

On the other hand, his eTrex would not have worked well under the tree cover. It typically gives us locations that range around a 100 foot diameter circle. I guess you could call this the "wandering drunk" effect!

[+jacques0]

tossedsalad...I still think we're saying the same thing, but just for clarification: How, then, do YOU end a GoTo?

 

I don't think Bret ever said he needed to actually activate a GoTo, but he does need to press the GoTo button, then answer Yes, then Yes to the following 2 queries to initiate a new GoTo, or else Yes then No to end the current GoTo.

 

His objection was that to go to a new waypoint he needs to go through these two queries. His wish, I believe, is that after pressing the GoTo button he would be taken directly to the waypoints screen, bypassing the "are you sure" and "do you want" screens.

 

Someone a ways back made a valid point about having those screens to prevent accidentally ending a GoTo. As an enthusiastic eX200 user, I don't give it a second thought (unless I get caught up in a discussion here!).

 

Anyway, as another poster said, this discussion over a couple clicks has probably gone far beyond its practical use. I'm going outside for awhile.

 

Have a great weekend.

Edited June 4, 2005 by jacques0

[+MDAgent]

I haven't noticed any bouncing at all. It takes me to the coordinates and there's the stuff I'm looking for. I've also not noticed any "boomerang." I don't know what that is. Somebody described going past the coordinates and having to come back.

 

I can't see that happening. I switch from the map to the compass when I get close to the coordinates, there a little alert beep that tells me I'm close and a target on the compass. I follow the arrow. There it is.

 

I could see passing the coordinates if I were running, but I don't usually run up to a cache.

My friend has an eTrex which we both used until I got my Merigold last week. In the little I have used it we both see a world of difference. The "boomerang" effect is due to the unit not updating the numbers on the screeen fast enough to point you in the right direction regardless of which screen you are using. It is fine until you get close and then you can go up to 100 feet past the cache before it starts to tell you to go the other way.

 

We just saw this Thursday when we did a couple of caches in his neck of the woods. One was off a wide straight path. By the time the compass needle started to swing around, we were 100 feet too far and did not give it time to settle before we went off the path. We eneded up hiking some 200 feet through the trees when the cache was less than 100 feet off the trail. But it did take us to within 20 feet of the cache.

 

On the other hand, his eTrex would not have worked well under the tree cover. It typically gives us locations that range around a 100 foot diameter circle. I guess you could call this the "wandering drunk" effect!

I'm glad I haven't experienced that it sounds an aweful lot like being drunk.

[+MDAgent]

Evidently Garmin users are better crap flippers than Magellan users.  Suck it up and get even.  Trust me there are things about a garmin that you can make fun of.  (tossedsalid covered one).

I think I'll go out and get a Garmin so I can find out what's bad about it. If I'm going to flip crap, I will have to at least flip well-informed crap.

Dude! With all your posts in this thead you are going to single handedly wear down all the Garmin users!

I'm learning a lot of great stuff that I wasn't able to find using searches of old strings. I really didn't mean to be whiny and I didn't really mean to be adversarial. I just wanted to learn some stuff about the difference in devices and the mentality of the people who use them.

 

What they like, what they don't like and why Garmin users are all a bunch of jerks.

 

 

(that last little part was a joke... Sheez, lighten up!)

[+Cog&Gil]

Once upon a time, I would own nothing but Magellan GPSrs.

When I found out that they are now a French owned company, I will own nothing but Garmin products.

[Pinon]

The first GPS unit I bought was a Magellan Merigold. I have used Garmins as well but decided on the Merigold for my first purchase. I am amazed at how accurate my Merigold is. I am planning a trip this fall in Arizona into a wilderness area. My Merigold will be my main guide for this backpacking trip. I've said it before and I'll say it again...

I love my Merigold................

[+dazed&confused]

why why why why why is there no handheld Garmin GPS that can Off-The-Shelf memory cards?

 

This is the only gripe I have with them.

 

I was told just tonight by an employee of a large sporting good store that the Garmin rep told him (Objection, heresay!) that their handhelds would have SD card capability by October. BTW, this guy was a Garmin man, always used that brand and would only use that brand. Now I know the reps are salesmen and salesman (women too) have been known to lie more than fisherman (but not more than lawyers or politicians). Still, its a believable rumor since it is the one notable feature that Magellan has over the other manufacturers and its cheaper than just adding a bunch of memory into the base units.

 

Whoever liken it to the Ford, Chevy, Dodge brand loyalty hit the nail on the head...

 

dazed&confused

[+embra]

I was told just tonight by an employee of a large sporting good store that the Garmin rep told him (Objection, heresay!) that their handhelds would have SD card capability by October.

I take note with great interest. My understanding of why Garmin has shied away from expandable memory was related to concern that waterprood integrity was too difficult to assure, but it has seemed to me that Magellan and Lowrance have demonstrated this is a doable feature. If this rumor manifests--and to my eye it would be a dadgum smart thing for Garmin to do--I think you'll see some Ford owners hopping the fence.

 

I find the 4/5/600 explorists to be a pretty good product, if lacking a few things that I can forgive on initial releases so long as they are quickly remedied by firmware updates. Over the last year I have dispaired of firmware upgrades for the Meridian line that implement requested features, or even address identified bugs. I have to ask myself why the situation would be any better with the explorists than the Meridians. There could be reasons, but as I've gathered an impression of an underresourced company in dealing with firmware and customer support issues, I feel like my hopes are out on a limb.

 

So...it will be an interesting end to the year. If Magellan boosts my confidence in them by then they can retain me as a customer. But if they fail in this regard and Garmin comes out with a model that removes the one compelling reason I have not bought Garmin, I see some ebay vending in my future.

[+TotemLake]

Nevermind... redundant post.... well to make use of a perfectly wasted post...

 

I think you guys need to get out of this discussion and get out side. And now that I have done the same stupid mistake I will never come back here. Trekingbear

 

 

My but you are a newbie aren't you? After reading the posts you haven't figured out there are people that like to complain... i mean people that like to argue...errr... debate the finer points of GPSr's and geocaching?

Edited June 5, 2005 by TotemLake

[+JeepCachr]

My understanding of why Garmin has shied away from expandable memory was related to concern that waterprood integrity was too difficult to assure, but it has seemed to me that Magellan and Lowrance have demonstrated this is a doable feature.

I've seen this mentioned before as the reason why Garmin doesn't do memory cards. I don't believe it for a second. On all of their units that aren't sealed with a battery inside (like the foretrex 201) there is no reason that the memory card couldn't go in the battery compartment like the explorist 600 does. I don't like taking the battery out to swap the card though, that part is not optimum.

 

Another thing I have never understood is why Garmin won't allow you to load more than one set of waypoints. Now that I have a magellan and have the ability to use a memory card I've stopped using the memory card. If I ever drop the money on their maps I can see the need for the memory card. In the mean time the 8mb of internal memory can hold more 35kb 500 waypoint files than I can imagine loading. Thats right 35k per 500 points.

[+Corp Of Discovery]

My understanding of why Garmin has shied away from expandable memory was related to concern that waterprood integrity was too difficult to assure, but it has seemed to me that Magellan and Lowrance have demonstrated this is a doable feature.

I've seen this mentioned before as the reason why Garmin doesn't do memory cards. I don't believe it for a second. On all of their units that aren't sealed with a battery inside (like the foretrex 201) there is no reason that the memory card couldn't go in the battery compartment like the explorist 600 does. I don't like taking the battery out to swap the card though, that part is not optimum.

 

Another thing I have never understood is why Garmin won't allow you to load more than one set of waypoints. Now that I have a magellan and have the ability to use a memory card I've stopped using the memory card. If I ever drop the money on their maps I can see the need for the memory card. In the mean time the 8mb of internal memory can hold more 35kb 500 waypoint files than I can imagine loading. Thats right 35k per 500 points.

Are you saying you are loading multiple WP files and have no card in the unit? I know on my Merigold that that is not how it works, is it changed on the Explorists?

[+rpestes]

Those people are nuts if they bug you about using a magellan. I had an e-trex summit and got rid of it and got a magellan map 330 just because the garmin had such bad sat. reception. The bottom line for me was if it loses sat. lock it aint no good to me. My magellan tracks sats. much better and works just fine. In fact I just ordered an explorist 500!

[+embra]

Are you saying you are loading multiple WP files and have no card in the unit? I know on my Merigold that that is not how it works, is it changed on the Explorists?

Roger that; the 4/5/600 have internal memory available to serve the functional equivalent of an 8MB SD card. So you can store a lot of waypoint files, as JeepCachr said, and/or a small detail map file. Although quite similar to the Meridian firmware, this is one of the differences.

[+Corp Of Discovery]

Are you saying you are loading multiple WP files and have no card in the unit? I know on my Merigold that that is not how it works, is it changed on the Explorists?

Roger that; the 4/5/600 have internal memory available to serve the functional equivalent of an 8MB SD card. So you can store a lot of waypoint files, as JeepCachr said, and/or a small detail map file. Although quite similar to the Meridian firmware, this is one of the differences.

Thanks for the info. Thats pretty sweet. I always wondered why the other units with internal memory couldn't do that. Its one of the things I'm always telling people about when I describe the versatility of an SD card in my Gold.

[+GOT GPS?]

Two very simular GPS units, with how the memory card slot is positioned within the GPS units, are the Meridian units and the Garmin Emap GPS. The Batteries have to be taken out with those GPS units, and the memory cards clicked into place, then the batteries put back into the unit. I believe that the positioning of the memory card in the Emap and Meridians, does allow moisture to enter into the internal part of the GPS units via the card slots. If you have a dirty gasket on an Emap or Meridian, moisture can enter into the battery compartment, and through the card slot, and into the internal workings of the units, fogging the display.

 

I believe that Garmin has bought every off the shelf Magellan GPS, for testing purposes, and only is now considering the use of memory cards in their upcoming new Garmins, because they may have tested the new explorist GPS units for water proofness.

 

An Explorist 400/5/6 can get water into it's battery compartment if it's gasket is dirty, and it hits the water. The Memory card and the batteries will get wet or damp, but not the internal workings of the GPS unit. When an Explorist does hit the water or severe rain, you should remove both the memory card and battery to air out those.

 

---Edited in below: ------

 

I may be wrong because I just noticed an opening into the insides of the Explorist GPS unit underneath where the memory card goes, so I don't know how Garmin may do this.

 

Here is the picture showing the inside of the comparment of the Explorist.

http://www.imagerack.net/is.php?i=860&img=GPS_004.jpg

Edited June 6, 2005 by GOT GPS?

[+JeepCachr]

When you plug the USB cable into the explorist you have to chose whether you want to see the 8mb internal memory or the SD card to be visible as a drive letter on your PC. You don't need the SD card to have multiple waypoint files. I'd just as soon pull the card and use it in my various card readers, and pocket PC's but having to remove the battery and recalibrate the compass every time makes it troublesome. Though it is nice to load files to the SD card in the field with just my PDA and no cables.

 

Isn't a dirty battery door gasket a potential for leakage in every GPS? I don't see why having a memory slot in there would make it less waterproof. That is unless your saying the garmins battery compartments are sealed from the rest of the gps and would still be water proof without a battery door on them.

[+GOT GPS?]

When you plug the USB cable into the explorist you have to chose whether you want to see the 8mb internal memory or the SD card to be visible as a drive letter on your PC. You don't need the SD card to have multiple waypoint files. I'd just as soon pull the card and use it in my various card readers, and pocket PC's but having to remove the battery and recalibrate the compass every time makes it troublesome. Though it is nice to load files to the SD card in the field with just my PDA and no cables.

 

Isn't a dirty battery door gasket a potential for leakage in every GPS? I don't see why having a memory slot in there would make it less waterproof. That is unless your saying the garmins battery compartments are sealed from the rest of the gps and would still be water proof without a battery door on them.

Why would you want to remove the SD memory card, instead of just leaving it in there??

 

I remember getting water in the battery compartments of my Garmins, so I know that a dirty gasket can be a problem.

 

Would be interesting to see what Garmin will be doing with memory cards, now that alot of people have bought an Explorist GPS.

[+JeepCachr]

Why would you want to remove the SD memory card, instead of just leaving it in there??

So that I wouldn't have to fuss with the cable and so that I can load or unload the memory card from my PDA.

 

I could potentially share waypoints or routes with other explorist users that I haven't met yet.

 

Idealy I'd like to remove the memory card by removing the battery door but not have to remove the battery. That way the unit would remain water tight but would still have the card easy to remove. Because of the way it goes into the explorist I rarely remove it.

[+Briggzz]

I have a merigold and as far as I'm concerned, you can't find a beter gps anywhere.

 

I Agree

[+BlackBuck]

I am a new merigold user and it works much better than my friend's eTrex. Under tree cover he wanders around a 100 foot circle and I work in a 20 foot area. Of course he paid $60 new for his and I paid $150 used. Also, I really like the fact that mine floats! I tested that in the sink the other day. It even floats standing upright in the water so the head sticks up and out. If I put yellow tape on the top I should be able to spot it easily if I drop it in a lake. Do the eTrex units float?

Magellans do float!!.........very qiuickly down the river!I dropped my sport trak map while kayaking being black it blended right in with the water and was gone!The yellow tape idea is great i wish i had thought of it my self.So now im in the market for a knew model I just can't decide which?

[+jacques0]

Which river, and where's the mouth?

Edited June 6, 2005 by jacques0

[+MDAgent]

I am a new merigold user and it works much better than my friend's eTrex.  Under tree cover he wanders around a 100 foot circle and I work in a 20 foot area.  Of course he paid $60 new for his and I paid $150 used.  Also, I really like the fact that mine floats!  I tested that in the sink the other day.  It even floats standing upright in the water so the head sticks up and out.  If I put yellow tape on the top I should be able to spot it easily if I drop it in a lake.  Do the eTrex units float?

Magellans do float!!.........very qiuickly down the river!I dropped my sport trak map while kayaking being black it blended right in with the water and was gone!The yellow tape idea is great i wish i had thought of it my self.So now im in the market for a knew model I just can't decide which?

Too bad it didn't sink like a rock. Would that have been better?

[+BlackBuck]

"Too bad it didn't sink like a rock. Would that have been better? "

 

What small and petty thing to say!

[+Renegade Knight]

...Another thing I have never understood is why Garmin won't allow you to load more than one set of waypoints. Now that I have a magellan and have the ability to use a memory card I've stopped using the memory card. If I ever drop the money on their maps I can see the need for the memory card. In the mean time the 8mb of internal memory can hold more 35kb 500 waypoint files than I can imagine loading. Thats right 35k per 500 points.

I'd rather just have 10,000 waypoints without having to swap them. Failing that I'd like the option to swap file sets. It would be handy on trips. Neither company though gives me my first wish when it comes to waypoints.

 

Changing tracks. Now that Explorists are becoming legendary for reception (and I'll beliieve it when someone tells me they turn off all the software that magellan uses to give you a false "lock" and reports a wrong position like I have seem them do) I'd like to see what Garmins going to do with their next generation. The SD card rumor doesn't thrill me one way or the other I'd rather just see 256mb Native Ram. But if the SD card allows for better battery life....then it will be interesting. Hopefully this is the VI I've been holding out for.

Edited June 7, 2005 by Renegade Knight

[HokieBird]

Does anyone know when (speculation or rumors accepted as well!) the next generation Garmin receivers will be coming out? Any ideas? I tried to start a thread on this a couple of weeks ago and it quickly went dead (since no one seemed to know anything on this topic).

 

Edit: the thread had lots of readers, but no posters. So I'm assuming folks are very interested in the topic, but there is little information out there. BTW, has anyone asked Garmin?

 

-HokieBird

Edited June 7, 2005 by HokieBird

[+diverhank]

I happen to own both Garmin (Street Pilot 2610 and Forerunner 201). I also play around with the Legend and Vista from friends so I'm very familiar with the Garmin products. So I am practically a Garmin guy. I recently bought a used Magellan Map330 because it was so cheap ($50 with mapsend CD).

 

I must admit that I didn't think much of Magellan GPS but now I'm not so sure. I was thoroughly impressed with the M330. This thing is packed with features and is very easy to use compared to Garmin units. And this was built in the previous century! The bottom line is I'm not ready to bash magellan products at all. I'm still a Garmin guy though.

[+diverhank]

 

Would be interesting to see what Garmin will be doing with memory cards, now that alot of people have bought an Explorist GPS.

Garmin is no stranger to using memory cards. Their higher end GPS such as the Street Pilot 2610 and C320 already uses memory cards (compact flash and SD, respectively). They load the waypoints into internal memory though, not on the memory cards (for maps only).

 

I think it's inevitable to go to removable memory cards. I'd love to have a IPX-7 type GPS with full PDA functionality (read cachemate or equivalence)...sounds to me like the Explorist line has a leg up on that.

[+MDAgent]

"Too bad it didn't sink like a rock. Would that have been better? "

 

 

                      What small and petty thing to say!

Thank you. I'm working on developing the skill.

 

Honestly, I didn't mean anything by it. It was a poor attempt at humor.

 

Two poor attempts. I apologize.

Edited June 8, 2005 by MDAgent

[+JeepCachr]

...love to have a IPX-7 type GPS with full PDA functionality (read cachemate or equivalence)...sounds to me like the Explorist line has a leg up on that.

Geocache mode on the explorist falls just a little bit short. I think its better than Garmins attempt on the 60CS but it still has some glaring faults that are preventing me from using it. Most noticebly is its limitation of 200 points per file. It was hard enough for me to go from a GPS that could do a thousand POI's to the explorist which does 500 (per waypoint file) but then to use the geocache manager I have to limit it to 200 and I can't edit move or delete them on the gps.

 

They sure look pretty on the map though.