ooglek's Full Review: Magellan Meridian Color Handheld GPS Receiver
I love geocaching, so I got my wife (ha ha) a GPS. I did some research and found the Magellan Meridian GPS. I got it for about OneHundredandTwenty bucks on Ebay.
Easy to Use
Some GPS devices have a single button and a mouse-like thing. Frankly, I like buttons. Single use buttons on a device of that size are very useful. My Magellan has 9 such buttons, and that rocks. It has your standard power button and a directional mouse-like button (which could actually count as 4 buttons instead of 1, but who's counting). In addition, it has zoom in and out buttons, a "Nav" button which takes you forward through the screens (7-9 different screens, all useful in different situations); an "Esc" button which allows you to go backwards through the screens but also "Escapes" you out of the tiered menus quickly; an "Enter" button; a "Menu" button; and finally a "Goto" button, which allows you to save your current position (hold 2 seconds), or if you've moved the cursor on the map, to Go To that position. I'm sure there are other features the buttons have, but they are very handy -- no multi-tiered menus to go through to get to the function you want.
Accurate
I've used some low-end GPS devices, and they annoy me in the fact that they don't have WAAS capability. This definitely helps you get to exactly where you want to go. I wouldn't get a GPS without it. The Quadrafilar Helix antenna also helps in this arena. Some say the "internal patch" antenna is better because it is smaller, but I've found this antenna to be a bit more accurate. Sure, this sucker is a bit larger than some garmins, but I find it to be more accurate than most. Shows your current speed (I've seen it go up to 600mph on planes I've used it in), altitude (up to 38,000 feet I've seen), shows your altitude profile (cool on a plane), your tracks, a trip odometer, distance and bearing to your goal (Goto point), fish and game calculator, sun and moon locator (for using when you aren't moving -- you can still find North -- called NorthFinder(tm)) and a bunch more cool stuff that I haven't looked at yet. Also acts as an Atomic clock!
Solid
I've dropped it on rocks, from trees, and in streams. Still works. Used rechargable AA batteries -- works fine. Left it in my car where it gets hot in the summer -- no problems. This unit is very solid.
Upgradable
Many entry-level units don't have expandable memory -- this one does. Up to 128MB SD (Secure Digital) Cards. Download maps onto your card (via the unit or get a USB Card Reader) and put them into your unit. Very cool stuff, and MUCH cheaper than your in-car GPS. And more useful.
Cons
The auto-shutoff is nice when the batteries run out, but it doesn't (a) save your current position, nor (b) save your current Goto, nor (c) save any Goto waypoints you've uploaded or set since you powered it on. I always download my waypoints, turn the unit off to make sure they get saved, then turn the unit on again. Minor, but notable nonetheless.
The battery life, 12-14 hours, is fine for me. Some people say that theirs gets 22 hours; well, that's why I use rechargable batteries. A single charge lasts me 3-4 geocaches usually. That's enough for me, but on the low side for some.
The acquisition time is also a little slow on this unit. I've seen entry-level GPS units with 45 second Cold Acquisition time -- its 2 minutes with this guy folks, and 1 minute for Warm Acquisition, compared with 15 seconds for other units.
Overall
For the price I paid, a great value. I couldn't be happier. To be happier I would have to spend more money to get a color screen and more maps. Oh yeah, did I mention the maps? They are pretty decent -- most major highways, cities, bodies of water and highways are shown (for the US). That's included. The SD card will let you expand that to streets and Restaurants and such. Very cool. Buy it!
Caveat
There is a new SportTrak line I haven't looked at. They seem similar to the Meridian line, but check it out before you do -- it may not be as nice. It will probably be difficult to find the Meridian GPS now except on Ebay. I know that shopharmony dot youknowwhat had them for about the price I paid but just discontinued it a few days ago.
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