Magellan Meridian 2.2-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

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(More customer reviews)UPDATE: 20040807 Point-to-Point routing works great and, for the most part, finds reasonable routing paths on highways and major city streets. Take the pre-set locations with a grain of salt since the pre-sets (sometimes) seem to show a general location of a landmark and not a precise point such as an entrance.
Best response time so far -- 8 satellites located in about 3 seconds while sitting in a parking lot at Muir Woods on Mt Tamalpias, CA.
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This is the coolest gadget I've used in a long time!
Setup was simple - just follow the onscreen instructions and soon the unit will be searching for satellites and locking onto your location. From my bedroom window (house is on a hill) the Meridian Color was able to find 5 satellites within a couple of minutes and then keep the signal as I moved to the other side of the house to my office. Very impressive.
As far as the MapSend software goes, it loaded fine and quickly found the COM port that had the GPS unit attached. The only tricky spot was having to upgrade the firmware on the GPS unit itself since the pre-loaded version was 3.4x and the upgrade was 5.1x. The instructions provided on the upgrade CD-ROM didn't match the software setup at all.
Fortunately the software has limited options so it wasn't difficult to figure out (Go to UPLOAD and select Program Code Only making sure that the unit is on and has a fresh set of batteries installed. Then find the right .hex file for your GPS unit that's on the CD-ROM provided.) Don't freak, just read the instruction sheets before trying to do the upgrade.
Anyway, the unit appears to be working great. The color screen is terrific and has a High/Low setting (hold the PWR button down a few seconds) to save on battery life.
The unit also insists that only one mapping image can uploaded into the unit at a time. Not good if you want to visit more than 1 region over a period of time. The trick is to "pretend" you're uploading a region but have the GPS receiver turned off or disconnected. Proceed with the map preparation until the software says it can't find your unit then cancel out. Go find the .img files in the Program Files/Magellan/MapSend DirectRoute NA/Export/Images directory and then copy them to your SD card using Windows Explorer just as you would any other file. Sounds complicated but it's really just a basic file transfer.
After the files have transferred, stick the SD card back in and power up. The maps can be found by pressing MENU/CARD UTILITIES/CHANGE MAP.
Unfortunately, it's the battery life that's the reason this GPSR gets only 4 stars and not 5. This unit is a battery hog! If you use the color screen on high don't expect more than 6 hours per set of batteries.
Because of this I've ordered a separate 12v cigarette lighter power cable for the car and will keep the power/data cable for home use. The cable only comes with a 12v cigarette plug so I've also purchased a 110v to 12v adapter so that I can use household current. I also bought a swivel mount to use at home as a cradle -- no need to use the attachment screw on the connector and the unit is upright and viewable. Extra stuff to clutter my desk but it should save me from a lot of aggravation.
Overall the Magellan Meridian Color appears to be a great GPS receiver and the point-to-point routing features for use in the car (MapSend DirectRoute software comes with the Traveler's Pack bundle) is terrific. The expandable standard SD card capability is a feature only Magellan seems to have (Garmin, are you listening?) and that, along with the color screen, should be reason enough to get this snazzy little unit.
Happy triangulating!

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An ideal solution bundle for recreational purposes as well as vehicle navigation.This value pack includes Magellan's Meridian Color GPS and Magellan's new MapSend DirectRoute software.MapSend DirectRoute is a powerful map software package that adds address level routing and guidance to your Magellan handheld.The value pack also includes a 64 MB SD card, vehicle mounting bracket and a 12 volt cigarette adapter and data cable.

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Brunton Multi-Navigator MNS GPS with Neoprenerying Case Review

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(More customer reviews)...The first thing I would like to say is "WOW!" I just purchased one of your new MNS receivers and am so very pleased with its performance, that I just had to write you a quick note.
I have been shopping for quite some time for a little handheld, but was kind of stubborn and too "old fashioned" to spend the big money on one of those new toys. I know that they eat batteries and are not very accurate, and I guess I was hoping that technology would bring the price down and accuracy up. I have owned one of your eclipse compasses (the big one) for awhile and have been pleased with its performance, and so naturally I wanted your MNS. I like the compass, altimeter and weather features found in your unit, as well as the GPS.
I am a registered land surveyor in the state of Kansas and Colorado, as well as an avid outdoorsman, so you can understand why I like things to be very very accurate as well as durable and most of all, reliable. My company owns the Trimble GPS surveying equipment, so I know what GPS is and basically how it works. I understand the coordinate systems and lat/longs for locations and navigation, barometer and altimeter measurements and of course, how to operate a compass. I have seen the need for GPS and understand its capabilities and most of all, its limitations, but I still wanted a receiver to "play with". So finally, I stumbled across one of your units in a store that was going out of business, and I just couldn't pass up the price.
The first thing I wanted to do with it is put it to the test. I know that they all say "plus or minus 15m accuracy", which to me is not very good. Yes I could find my car while out hiking with that kind of accuracy, but I want to be within a few meters. I recently staked a house for a friend of mine that sits in the middle of 45 acres of very hilly, heavily wooded land. I used the standard survey transit and tape to square up the house where he wanted it in a nice clearing. But then came the difficult part, which is locating the house within the property. The county needs approximate side yard ties and a drawing when he goes in to get his building permit. It would take over a day to traverse by conventional methods to obtain the side yard ties, so I thought I would try the MNS and see what it can do.
I obtained the county appraisers map from the clerks office in digital format, which just happened to be in NAD 83 datum. I then loaded it up into autocadd (computer aided drafting software) and clicked the latitude and longitude locations on the property corners. I plotted it out and went back to the field. Much to my amazement, I mean really to my amazement, every property corner on this 45 acre site hit to the tenth of a second of the lat/longs shown on my map, which is about plus/minus 10 feet (3m) accuracy! It is so much better than expected, that I couldn't believe it! It was cloudy with partial tree cover and the little MNS performed flawlessly and hardly touched the battery supply! I am not suggesting that I will use this receiver to survey with by any means, but I did want to let you know that I am very happy with its performance which exceeds its listed specifications. I just wish that soon I will get to use it for fun instead of work!
Scott Confer, RLS 08May01

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Whether in the tropical rain forest or exploring the Arctic, the Multi-Navigator has been designed to withstand the most extreme weather conditions. The Multi-Navigator is designed so the built-in True-Magnetic™ Compass can work independently of the GPS receiver function, allowing you to navigate without the assistance of satellites yet update your position when needed. This unique feature allows for amazing battery conservation; giving you weeks worth of battery power rather than hours worth.

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Garmin Power / Data Cable for GPSMap 276c Review

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(More customer reviews)cord works fine, but didn't fit in desired location because the connector is straight instead of the 90 deree end as shown in photo.

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Garmin Data/Power Cable 010-10513-00 Cables (temp)

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Garmin Marine Mount Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this mount to use on my personal watercraft. It does work but I feel that it's a bit too flimsy and feels like it will break easily. I have the Garmin handlebar mount on my motorcycle and it's much more sturdy.
I have used this marine mount on my PWC and it hasn't broken "yet", but I don't have much confidence in it. I will use it until it breaks then replace it with a RAM mount.
I removed the middle adjustment section to make it more compact and less flexible. It is nice that Garmin designed it such that you can remove the extra section and still have it work.

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Mount your GPSMAP 60C/60CS onboard your boat with this marine mount.Designed expressly for the the GPS60 series this mount features swivel adjustments for angle and orientation.

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National Geographic TOPO Arizona Map CD-ROM (Windows) Review

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(More customer reviews)I live in Idaho, and actually, really, go into the wilderness. The level of detail provided by garmin's u.s. topo offering is honestly not sufficient for accurately setting waypoints. National Geographic's state series is indeed sufficient (in fact it's the best for Idaho). Not to be cruel, but being able to download inadequately detailed map source is not nearly as important as being able to download truly accurate waypoints. Buying both packages would obviously be the best solution, but really you can set up all the detail you need (for getting in & out) using just national geographic (whereas you can't with garmin's u.s. topo stuff).
Critical note: I strongly recommend not carrying *just* electronic maps if you really, truly, go into wilderness. Electronic toys aren't foolproof - they break through no fault of your own, they get dropped, can get destroyed if you fall, etc. Paper maps should *also* be carried - ideally ones printed out just for your current trip.
The garmin hardware itself is truly impressive. Their mapsource topo offerings, on the other hand, need a lot of work. It's as if the people who did them never visited the U.S., and/or never really went into many of the U.S.'s real wilderness areas.

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With the TOPO! map of Arizona, National Geographic has taken the interactive topographic map experience to a new level. By combining its own standard-setting maps with the high-quality scanned versions of the actual paper USGS topographical maps, the National Geographic TOPO! State Series offers five levels of map detail that is unprecedented in its accuracy. Professional and weekend hikers alike will be amazed at how indispensable TOPO! will quickly become in the back country.Simply load TOPO! onto your PC, and you'll immediately begin to see the benefits of this award-winning software. With TOPO! you can customize any of the hundreds of state maps available with your proposed routes, notes and even photos. You can also create and view elevation profiles that will help you visualize your planned trek. By connecting to any standard color or black-and-white desktop printer, TOPO! allows you to select the exact area that you want to print, even if it is larger than the screen or covers multiple quad maps. TOPO! makes it a breeze to add map border information to printouts, including UTM or latitude/longitude grids, scale bars, north arrows, and magnetic declination. With Adventure Paper (sold separately) you can print out waterproof trail maps -- along with all your marks and annotations -- that will survive any rainstorm the wilderness can throw at you.TOPO! is also GPS ready, with no extensions or upgrades required. Transferring waypoints and routes between your GPS and TOPO! couldn't be easier. And with Pocket TOPO! (sold separately), you can take full advantage of your PDA the next time the wilderness calls. Simply download your maps and notes to your device, and off you go. When your trip is complete, you can upload the field notes you took with your PDA back onto your PC, and you'll have created a detailed record of your hike for future reference. No more worries about not being able to read your notes or misplacing your notebooks. Everything you need for your next hike will be saved exactly where it should be--with your map!The many advanced features that make the National Geographic TOPO! mapping software the ultimate topographic map experience for all your back country adventures include:
TOPO! USA Place Finder: Use TOPO!'s advanced search functions to find trails, camps, lakes, parks, towns, and much more in a matter of seconds.
Export Features: With TOPO! you can export customized maps in a number of different raster file formats (.gif, .jpg, etc.) for use in other applications.
Import Features: Import GPS and vector data from a variety of sources, including GPS receivers, spreadsheets, and the web, to overlay on your maps.
National Geographic mapXchange: Download custom map overlays and swap files with other TOPO! users on the National Geographic mapXchange Website.
Coverage ArizonaWhat's in the Box Set of CD-ROMs with topographical maps covering the entire state.

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Magellan MAP 410 2.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

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(More customer reviews)The Map 410 worked flawlessly returning from Block Island, RI to New London, CT last week. Although I did not (on order) use the CMAP NT software, I could follow the base map. The unit was right on going through Watch Hill Passage...showing set and drift all the way to New London.
Then I took it to Chicago...used it in my rental car (also had Magellan's Hertz Neverlost) it was unbelievable...Could anticipate highway exits, and secondary roads as well as the Neverlost! Does not have turn by turn directions...but it clearly showed me where I was and where I needed to go...best zoom is at about 5 miles when traveling at fast speeds...can't wait to see the Map Send software when it comes out...

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The MAP 410 is a portable, cartographic GPS receiver with a high resolution display that represents your location and all of your surroundings. The powerful 12-channel receiver is compact and lightweight for easy use while making your way outdoors. YouÕll be able to navigate to destinations all over the world using the MAP 410Õs internal map with waypoints (up to 500), navaids, and points of interest.
Designed with both the Outdoor and Marine enthusiasts in mind, the MAP 410 is ideal for hiking, mapping your favorite fishing hole, marking trails or charting courses over land or water. Using four AA batteries, the MAP 410 will operate continuously for up to 12 hours and the internal lithium backup battery will keep the receiverÕs memory active for up to 10 years.
The MAP 410 has a built-in barometric pressure sensor to give you more accurate altitude readings. The altimeter does not need any calibration or activation. The MAP 410 uses the combination of a pressure sensor and GPS elevation to give altitude readings of about +/-200 feet.

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Garmin 010-10676-00 Carrying Case for GPS Units Review

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(More customer reviews)Please note that this review is for the Garmin Carrying Case for the rhino. It seems the review is appearing for other products too.
The holes giving access to the thumb stick, volume button, and zoom button are horrible. The case shifts a little and pushes a button or, most commonly, presses the thumb stick one direction or another. For example, my case liked to push the thumb stick down. The volume button got pressed somehow and my rhino went mute. I promptly cut the plastic away from the buttons. Problem solved. Only other problem was fogging between the display and the transparent plastic. Solved by cutting away more plastic and using adhesive screen protectors. Messed up the fit a bit too.
I recommend just using adhesive screen protectors. The rhino might get roughed up, but the screen will stay OK.

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This flexible carrying case protects your Rino unit while still allowing you to operate it. Features clear vinyl lens over display area and cut-outs for buttons and antennas.

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