Garmin GPS v Magalen GPS

No longer available bruce , Prices at the moment are $600 au landed

About US$320-340 three - four weeks ago from CHILEJOSE@aol.com. I have bought two colors of this guy in the last couple of months. Both arrived with the windscreen mount and powerlead and canvas case, shipped global priority express USPS in 5-6 days and landed here for AU$570. Jose will ship to Aust with value stated as about USD100 so you won't get slugged by customs.

I can't recommend this guy highly enough. I first got onto him through ebay and then dealt direct second time around.

Regards

Dave

PS The base maps are out there. Search the Magellan Meridian group on Yahoo and there was a link in October or November to a site with all the available basemaps for USA, Australia and others for download (69Meg zip file) if it's still there. I love broadband.

Geo, thats the dude Ive always used..

agree... now have at least 4 from him, never a problem.. Eric is also tryin to use him, as have about 2 dozen others Ive put onto him!

That doesn't surprise me. He said he is shipping 4-6 a week to Australia. I found the newspapers he uses as packing material fascinating. One was their real estate section and one was their cars guide.

Man, Real Estate is expensive in California! But big 4wd's are common. Oh and the Septics are a bit upset that petrol has hit US$2.40 a gallon - ohhhh can you hear the violins??

That's about 70 Aussie cents a litre.

Lets see our petrol is 50% over price or more, and our GPS gear is at least 100% over priced. How come the Aussies get screwed?

By the way, given the choice and having played with both I'd get the Platinum not the Color Meridian. I don't like the screen - particularly when it's zoomed out at high level detail when you are in an area with lots of water, creeks etc - the whole screen goes blue! Also you need the back light on in daylight at all times.

The other advantage to me is the electronic compass which is great when geocaching (www.geocaching.com) as it corrects gotos when you turn without moving where a compass heading based on GPS course won't change unless you move.

Dave

Agree with the colours needing backlight on all times, but I got the ciggy lighter cable for mine so tis not an issue...

David,

Mate they are asking about 500 hundred for the lot. All software, craddles, mounts, wiring and the kitchen sink.

Regards

Nick

At that price I would not hesitate to buy it if it is in good condition.
Garmin mapping is now way ahead of Magellan mapping.

for that price for the 176C I would go for it too

I agree Chrispy, I have had the GPS 2+ now for several years without any problems, and I don't even wish to upgrade yet.
It has been on many outback, very remote trips and been quite accurate each time.
Functionality is also quite easy. It must be if I can use it!

Way too far below eye line for me. Any time spent looking down is a recipe for an ambulance ride.

At 100kmh you are doing about 30metres per second. You want to add sixty metres to your braking distance stick it down low like that.

And don't tell me you don't look at it unless you are stopped....

Dave

Dave

Well...actually....I DON'T look at it unless I have stopped.......my wife looks at it while I'm driving. She does the navigation :)

Seriously, I have had them at eye height, and at the distance they are from you on the dash-top anyway (and the concentration involved in that) - you might as well hit that tree you didn't see coming. GPS units are NOT, in my honest opinion, meant to be watched while driving. If we are following a track (or back) log, then Jenny reads the display for me and tells me to veer either way at a track intersection. She has the map out as I refuse to have a laptop running in the car - we prefer paper. So..... how do you use a GPS and a map or laptop and still look at it - even when it is at eye level?

Besides all that..... modern cars designers don't leave you with too many neat mounting options on curved dashs these days :(

That's good to hear Crispy,

Many people do though and if they are going to look at something it might as well be in eyeline than down there. Many car stereos are too low, buttons too small, writing impossible to read etc.

I'm not a fan of laptops mounted in cars for the same reason, with the second reason that most commercial mounts aren't designed to restrain one in an accident only to hold it in a convenient location. Anything with a moving map display will be watched at times by the driver, as will a mobile in a handsfree or anything similar.

Cars are complicated and no necessarily well laid out. It's unavoidable that they are going to have distractions to drivers.

On the map topic I suppose the only pro is that a map that shows you exactly where you are and what the next street is, and is up on the windscreen, is far better than the Melway or UBD upside down on the passengers lap. And while many do some still try to read that while they're driving too, and shave, and put on make up, and look at what the kids are doing in the back seat.....

It all keeps me in a job.....

Dave

Sent my US bought Magellan Platinum to Perth (with US basemap on it) and proof of purchase and had it back from Magellan in less than 10 days with the back light fixed.

Can't argue with warranty service like that.

Dave