 |
I purchased my Magellan eXplorist 200 without ever having used or purchased a hand held GPS receiver before. I purchased this mostly to begin "Geocaching", which involves basic coordinate and map reading with some navigational and detective-like skills mixed in. I needed a device that, as a beginner, I could easily figure out and work to my desired level of expertise before moving up the complexity ladder that inevitably grips gadget freaks like mysef. This unit has performed remarkably well for me. This unit is a basic GPS which is easy to understand and even without a manual I was able to maneuver through the various screens and functionalities and figure out how everything works. I am impressed with its size and light wieght as well as its robust, shock-resistant design. I have already dropped it somewhat severely while caching and it is no worse for the wear. The screen has adjustable contrast and also an adjustable backlight that makes this useful at night as well. The main navigation/map screen is somewhat customizable and I like being able to decide which information I have displayed. The unit appears to track quickly once it has acquired satellites and more often than not I find the accuracy within 30 meters which is extremely helpful for locating pin-point coordinates. I also have found that the size of the unit makes it suitable to take on my long training runs so that the distance traveled can be measured accurately, a function that I had not initially considered that is becoming more and more useful. The drawbacks to this particular device I have found to be the lengthy amount of time to acquire a lock on position from the satellites. I believe it takes on average around 8 minutes for my unit to acquire, but once it does it is remarkably quick in response. I have not had any trouble getting satellite signals and trees or overhanging objects or even clouds do not seem to hinder the unit. One other drawback is the battery life. This unit sucks power, that is for sure! I have made it a habit to check the battery life meter (a handy feature, now that I know the power sucking nature of the unit) before I leave home or civilization so that I am not stuck out somewhere with a dead rig. This has not proven to be a major issue, just something that could be annoying if you are not prepared. All in all I am extremely happy with my purchase. I found my magellan used for 70 dollars on Ebay and I believe it was a steal. This unit has good functionality, especially as an introduction to GPS units and tracking/navigation. The eXplorist 200 is well built and has useful interfaces for each of its functions and screens. The buttons protrude from the unit and are rubbery for easy use as well and very straightforward. I highly recommend this to the not-so-serious GPS user who needs to get their feet wet and doesn't mind a no-frills unit.Read full review
The Magellan eXplorist 200 GPS Receiver has been dependable for me and is a great little GPS device with plenty of features. If I were to change two things about the eXplorist 200, it would be the display scale and the ability to load data from a computer. I would have the display be able to close in to about 20 yards per inch on the screen as do similar models in its price range. The eXplorist 200 only scales down to 100 yards per inch. This can sometimes make a big difference when geocaching. I also want my next GPS to be able to connect to my laptop via cable or blue tooth and transmit/receive data. After manually loading a few hundred lat and long positions, the extra expense would be worth it. If these issues are a concern, I would go with one of the higher-level eXplorists by Magellan. Other than that, the eXplorist 200 is a great model and very rugged and dependable. Its there when you need it and the B+W graphics are easy on the eyes and intuitive to understand. The joystick control becomes 2nd nature in no time. Also, my eXplorist 200 was able to pick up a signal roaming through the woods many times when my buddy's slightly less-expensive GPS device would not.Read full review
The Magellan eXplorist 200 is the 2nd-lowest model in the Magellan family of GPS receivers. The following is a brief guide to the features found on the eXplorist 200 and how they compare to other models: eXplorist 100 - basic navigation, 20 routes, 500 waypoints eXplorist 200 - 100 series + North American Highway Map (Unit Reviewed) eXplorist 300 - 200 series + Electronic Compass (2-axis), Barameter, Altimeter & Thermometer eXplorist 210 - 200 series + PC Interface, 22MB Memory eXplorist 400 - 210 series + Rechargable battery, SD Card Slot, Loadable Maps eXplorist 500 - 400 series + Color Display eXplorist 600 - 500 series + Electronic Compass (3-axis), Barameter, Altimeter & Thermometer The eXplorist 200 is great for the casual hiker, biker, geocacher, boater or travelor. The slight cost difference between the model 100 and 200 is worth it for the convenience and potential life-saving value of the main highway maps. If you ever got lost in the woods the eXplorist 200 would allow you to easily navigate to a main road. Positives + Rugged Design is both impact and water resistant + Great Accuracy + Good Value + Clear Bright Monochrome Display with Backlight Negatives - Menu Control / Buttons semi-intuitive - Lanyard Attachment Point too Small Overall the eXplorist 200 respresents a Good Value in a basic handheld GPS. Casual users will find it adequate for most uses and a good addition to any outdoor or automobile safety kit.Read full review
This GPS system is great for Geocaching. Young explorers can hold and work the controls with ease. It does not have the capacity to download way points directly from the internet, but they are easy enough to name and put in manually. I like that it will store a bunch of way points (geocaches) and then we just leave it in the car and if we want to do some we just turn it on and go. You can add notes to your way points too. I would like the map to be able to zoom in farther with side-streets. This only shows major roads. Pretty good for me and my 4 year old daughter. Maybe when the kids are older if they still like doing it we can get a more expensive one that will have nicer street-level maps. That is quite a leap in cost just to have those maps though. Enjoy!
This is a great little gps for the average person.It doesn't have a bunch of frills,but not everyone needs a barometer on a gps.I purchased this unit to help me find the edges of my property.It performed flawlessly.You can enter your lattatude and longetude you want to go to,push a button,and presto,it tells you where to go to get to that point.The compass works great as long as you are moving.I have no problem at all suggesting you look into this gps if you are looking to buy one.There are better units out there,but this one does everything I could ever need it to.I do suggest you purchase the cd for it though.The instruction booklet that comes with it is just that,a booklet.It tells you the basics of the unit,but nothing like the cd.the cd tells you everything you can do with it.In my opinion,this gps deserves 4 and a half stars.Read full review
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in GPS Units
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on GPS Units
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- You may also like
