Explorist GPS
Submitted: Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 16:51
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Member - Leith H (NSW)
I am in the market for another gadget and a GPS is next on the list.
Has anyone had much experience with the Magellan Explorist 400. I want a basic GPS that will tell me where I am but I also want it to be expandable for when I get to know how to use them a bit better in regard to downloading waypoints etc.
Any advice would be much appreciated.
Leith
Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 18:10
Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 18:10
Leith,
Nothing at all wrong with your choice matey.
Anything from the model 210 up will give you adequate expandability.
The Explorist 400 has 8 MB of basic memory to hold the base map, plus a further 8 MB of memory for additional software such as DiscoverAus or Great Desert Tracks, should you determine the need for more detailed maps.
You should be able to upload & download waypoints to and from a PC, or Laptop, or even connect to a Laptop running OziExplorer or similar, for moving map capability.
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Follow Up By: Member - Leith H (NSW) - Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 19:43
Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 19:43
Sand Man
Would it be worth the extra $100 for the colour version or it doesnt make much difference to the veiwing.
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 20:13
Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 20:13
Yes colour explorists are much better than the
grey scale ones..so if you are heading down that path and can afford it get one (ie 500 or 600)
Cheers
Greg
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Follow Up By: The Explorer - Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 20:21
Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 20:21
P.S. With respect to Magellan Map data - the 400 has SD card slot so you are not limited to the internal 8mb of memory (the "old" DiscoverAus will fit onto a 256mb card - new topo comes on 512 card). The 210 has no SD card slot but has 22mb of spare internal memory....so can only be used it with old DiscoverAus ..not the new DiscoverAus Topo...which is only available on SD card i.e. no software for cutting select areas (of a smaller size) and loading
Cheers
Greg
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Reply By: Pluto - Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 19:31
Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 19:31
I think your idea of the 400 is a reasonable choice, depending on what you want from it.
As an off road navigator, I think it is a very good choice.
If you want to use it for on road, turn by turn navigation (ie. auto-route generation) then the Explorists and Meridians will leave you wanting very quickly.
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Follow Up By: Member - Leith H (NSW) - Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 19:40
Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 19:40
What would you recommend if I also wanted turn by turn navigation.
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Follow Up By: Pluto - Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 19:50
Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 19:50
My first choice would be Garmin.
There is a number of units you could consider, such as:
GPSMAP 60C
GPS V (although it is getting to be a very old unit)
Quest
GPSMAP 76C (I think it has autoroute)
GPSMAP 276C
avoid the Street Pilots don't support off road as
well.
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Follow Up By: Member - Leith H (NSW) - Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 20:01
Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 20:01
Pluto
Would I be able to load the discover aus map onto the Garmin units or is it a different platform ?
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Follow Up By: Pluto - Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 21:10
Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 21:10
Unfortunately not. Garmin and Magellan vector maps are not compatible. However third party maps for the Garmin units are available and they go a fair way to filling the off road mapping gap.
The Tracks4Australia map set is quite good. You can download it for free.
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Reply By: Sarg - Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 22:05
Monday, Feb 20, 2006 at 22:05
This is from a member on gpsaust. Might be worth the wait to see what it is like.
Sounds good tho.,but I would guess it will be a few $$$.
I was speaking with a GPS dealer in
Brisbane last week and he advised that as
well as the new Magellan RoadMate 360 - turn-by-turn hand held GPSr from Magellan, due out the first half of this year, Magellan is also planning to release a combo GPS which handles both turn-by-turn as
well as DAST, Great Desert Tracks and other soon to be release products. He had no info regarding if the compo will be based on any current Magellan product, only that it will be in a hand held i.e. portable style. Apparently it is due for release during the last quarter of 2006.
Further, the dealer advised that apparently Magellan and Hema are working more closely together and as
well as the excellent Magellan/Hema Great Desert Tracks software, in which the mapping images and data can be loaded onto SD cards for use with Explorist/Meridian/etc GPSr, in a similar way as DAST, they are also planning to bring out other joint products with
Cape York being the first. Release date is about mid year.
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Reply By: Member - Leith H (NSW) - Tuesday, Feb 21, 2006 at 15:56
Tuesday, Feb 21, 2006 at 15:56
Thanks for the replys, gave me a few more things to consider before I purchase.
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