Compare Prices on Magellan 980812-01
Choosing the eXplorist XL was a tough choice for me. I was trying to choose between the Garmin GPSMap 76CS (the altimeter/barometer version of the of the color-display 76C) and one of the other Magellan eXplorist series units.
ALTIMETER/BAROMETER/THERMOMETER REQUIREMENT
One of the first strikes against the XL is that it lacks an altimeter and compass. This is pleasing as I consume a supplemental analog compass for navigation while hiking, and the XL is able to settle direction based on movement when I'm driving. Evenso, the compass on the 76CS is finicky as it is a 2-axis compass (which means that it must be held level with the ground) . I say it's finicky because other users have indicated that it doesn't prove direction very well unless they're holding it perfectly level, and sometimes it's a crapshot as to whether or not they're holding it adequately level.
On the other hand, the 76CS has a helpful altimeter on it (mighty better than that of the eXplorist 600, the thermometer/barometer/altimeter of which is located too conclude the hot backlight and makes for some delicate untrue readings) . Quiet, GPS can estimate altitude well enough. The altitude accuracy tends to be 1.5 to 2 times further off than the horizontal readings (meaning that if you're getting a horizontal accuracy of 10 feet, the GPS altitude will only be true to within about 15-20 feet) . A properly calibrated altimeter (calibrated every few hours) will provide accuracy of about 15 feet. To me, the increase in accuracy of going from GPS altitude calculations to altimeter calculations isn't primary. Even w/o the alt/bar/temp option, I'm okay. I utilize an analog thermometer if I need to know it, and utilize other techniques to decide the weather.
The XL does provide a compass but it isn't magnetic. Instead, like most units that do not include a seperate internal compass, the XL uses changes in GPS place to settle direction of fade. As long as you're spicy, you'll be able to settle your direction (or, again, you can fair bring an inexpensive analog compass with you if you're hiking) . If you're driving, you'll be challenging snappily enough that the compass indications will be very trusty.
WEIGHT
The unit is heavy. I beget that the 60C and 76C made by Garmin each weigh about 5.5 oz w/o batteries, and about 7.5 w/ batteries. By comparison, the 400/500/600 series by Magellan weigh about 5.5 oz WITH the battery in them (they exhaust a rechargeable Li-Ion battery) . The XL, on the other hand, weighs about 8 oz w/o batteries, and about 12 oz with the four batteries installed.
BATTERY LIFE
The four batteries can last about 15 hours, comparable to the Magellan 400 & 500 which also last about 15, but pall in comparison to the 60C & 76C, each lasting about 30 hours, and the 60CS & 76CS which last about 20 hours) . While the power duration seems comparable to other eXplorist units, hold in mind that the XL uses four batteries at a time. This is inconsequential when driving or geocaching, but very problematic if you're doing long-distance hiking with the unit (in which case I'd recommend a ForeTrex or other lightweight unit) . The 15 hours quoted is using the backlight on the "gross" setting with occasional utilize at "high." With the backlight off, I've had the unit last around 25 hours before I changed the batteries fair to be respectable.
The battery indicator on the unit isn't very obedient. At best, it shows that my batteries are about 80% chubby when they're fat charged (which is lawful -- I'm using NIMH rechargeable that are, technically, rated for 1.2V and at maximum charge will have about 1.4V) . The jam is that the unit shuts off (after giving about 30 seconds warning) when the battery indicator shows that the batteries have about 40% remaining. Once you become aware of this, it's not a dilemma but on first utilize it's misleading.
No power cord, though will race off of the USB cable when connected to the computer. When connected to the computer (in any mode, not objective power mode), you can change out the batteries while the unit is running with no problems or loss of power. I should mention that it will NOT charge batteries while using the USB power connection. I assumed this when I bought it but conception I'd pass the information along.
DISPLAY
The exhibit is really nice. On Magellan's website, it indicates that the note is 220x176, which is crude resolution for it's size. After finally getting through to someone in the know at Magellan (and this meant bypassing about three seemingly smooth technical serve persons who insisted that the website is suitable) I found out that the resolution is actually 320x240. This is about 115 pixels per slide, which is a dinky less than the eXplorist 400/500/600 series, each of which are at about 125 ppi. (By comparison, the Garmin GPSMap 60C and 76C have a resolution of about 105 pixels per streak, though I should admit that I cannot distinguish the level of detail between 105 ppi and 125 ppi.)
One thing to contemplate about the demonstrate (and is often mis-advertised on many sites) is that the indicate is 16-color, as is the case for the Magellan eXplorist 500 & 600. For accurate usage, 16 color is more than titanic. The 256-color present of the Garmin units is nice, but more posh than primary. The only time I gaze that the Magellan has only a 16-color point to is on the startup hide (wherein it shows a fairly grainy depiction of Earth) .
Backlight turns completely off (on a marginally sunny day, it is very readable though it is impossible to discern colors very well) . This is better than the 400/500/600 series as they do not allow you to turn off the backlight but instead only turn it down. This is very problematic on the 600 as the backlight messes up the thermometer and altimeter readings.
The Garmin present has an advantage in that it allows the user to change the mode to "nighttime" wherein the background is unlit and the colors are subdued such that the night time user (or in my case, night time driver) doesn't lose their night vision when glancing at it. The XL, on the other hand, does NOT have a "nighttime" mode and is magnificent shimmering, even at the lower (readable) light level. It's aesthetic for city and interstate driving but I have to turn the backlight off for low-light driving conditions on the backwoods roads of rural Mississippi (and this is easily done with the push of a button) .
A workaround for nighttime driving is to change the GPS usage option from "land" to "marine." This is done by going into the menu, choosing "design setup" and selecting "Marine" as the distinguished usage. This changes the color of land from a blinding white to a more manageable sad yellow. Though I only consume my on land, I always leave it in "Marine" mode.
I should also point out that the keys on the XL are backlit using a subtle red hue. This is invaluable as it allows a user to easily survey the keys in low-light conditions.
ANTENNA RECEPTION
The eXplorist XL uses a microstrip patch antenna as opposed to the quadrifilar helix antenna utilized by most Garmins. Additionally, it uses 14 channels to glean data (most units exhaust 12 channels) . This exiguous advantage seems to provide greater accuracy. Outside, I typically accumulate an accuracy of about 7-10 feet, which is outstanding for a handheld GPS unit. In my vehicle, I secure accuracy of about 7-10 feet with the unit sitting anywhere in my vehicle (could only got 35 feet when using a eXplorist 500 for some uncommon reason) . Inside my apartment, which doesn't allow for kindly reception at all, I accumulate accuracy of 35-70 feet (which beats out the other units I've tried as I haven't been able to lift up signals in my apartment using other units) .
Supposedly the Garmin GPSMap 60CSx models use SIRFIII technology to augment their accuracy, making them on par with the Magellans. The GPSMap 60, GPSMap 60C, nor GPSMap 60CS employ this and require that the user acquire the unit fairly lawful for best reception.
When I'm hiking, I simply turn off the backlight to set aside energy, establish the XL in a shrimp carrying case (I employ a camera case that fits it almost perfectly) and place it to my belt. The accuracy when I do this is vast. At the destroy of a days hiking, I can stare at the unit and look everywhere that I've went (so long as I'm travelling in places that can receive the satellite signals) .
DISPLAY PAGES AND USER FEATURES
There are four note pages. The main one is plan explain which can be location up to reveal north as up, course as up (meaning the direction you want to go), or track as up (meaning the direction you're actually piquant) . This page has two boxes at the bottom that indicate ancillary data at the user's discretion. I have it space up to expose elevation and accuracy, though I could have chosen Bearing, Accelerate, Heading, Estimated Time of Arrival, Direction, Off Course, Distance to Slay, Time, Date, Max Bustle, or Average Urge. On the main intention page, you can go the cursor over a situation or plot and it will present you the location's name, how far to the area, and the direction to gather there.
The next page is a compass page (uses GPS to resolve direction, therefore you have to be though-provoking) and has needle indicating accurate north (can be switched to magnetic north if desired, wherein the unit uses known magnetic offset from suitable to calculate magnetic north) . It also shows the direction to the sun and moon, as well as to the waypoint (or Point of Interest, as Magellan calls them) . Again, you can have two user fields displaying any combination of the information state as listed on the main device page.
The next page is an information page. It shows: dwelling, elevation, accuracy, data/time (which is place to UTC as default, but you can manually station it to your dwelling / time zone), swagger odometer (mercurial and easily reset to 0), and power condition (either external power, if connected to a computer, or battery power and charge level) .
The last page shows how many satellites are being tracked and what their orbit is. The unit will exhibit a satellite being tracked that has a "W" on it as opposed to a number -- this is for the WAAS satellites. Also, it will display strength of reception. If no number is associated with the reception, then that is the reception for the WAAS satellite -- I wish Magellan would have conventional "W" here again.
I utilize the main device page most. The Magellan zooms in and out easily. Each zoom level has a account reference to show size. It can zoom out until you eye all of North America, or zoom in such that the reveal chronicle indicates 100 feet (for a total conceal size of 400' by 600') .
You can picture the unit's track and place those files to the unit for later explain using MapsendTopo 3D (or NG TOPO! if you convert the file to a comma-delimited text file) .
The XL also has advanced features for determining the best time to fish and hunt (which I haven't traditional) . It allows you to "simulate" GPS usage (which is handy if you want to learn how to spend it while sitting on your sofa) . It also shows the sunrise/sunset times for the moon and sun based on either your modern state or one selected from memory, and also shows the moon's phase. For the Sun/Moon selection, you could retract any date you want, not impartial the modern date.
The XL allows for place and perimeter calculation. I venerable it recently to choose acreage on a land tract. The GPS provided the status and perimeter and square miles and miles, respectively. I wish that there was an option for it to list the state in acres, or hectares, but as is the conversion is easy enough.
I read somewhere that the 500/600 doesn't allow the user to take MGRS as the coordinate system, which is something I frequently utilize. Again, I cannot verify this. The XL, however, does allow for spend of the MGRS coordinate system.
MEMORY/SOFTWARE
The XL comes with 56mb of onboard memory. Half, or 28mb of this is taken up by the background basemap that comes standard with the unit. The standard background basemap displays all Interstate roads, many medium and astronomical cities, as well as a fine number of highways.
The XL can accommodate SD cards of any size. This means that you can load custom basemaps that are produced using Magellans softward (the various iterations of MapSend) . I should imprint that you CANNOT load files from the Garmin software, nor can you load the maps that advance with National Geographics TOPO! (for that matter, you cannot load the maps from NG TOPO! on any handheld) .
The two main programs that are available from Magellan are DirectRoute and Topo3D. With either of these programs you can form a custom basemap for loading onto an SD card in the eXplorist. Herein lies a caveat: DirectRoute will only allow you to export maps up to 56mb in size; Topo3D will allow you to load maps up to 246mb in size. (However, there is a workaround to this spot listed below.) To give you an opinion of how gigantic these are, 56mb easily encompasses Arkansas, Louisianna, & Mississippi. The 246mb file I currently have loaded covers Unusual Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisianna, & Alabama.
You can carry multiple basemaps on your eXplorist (i.e., I could carry the new basemap 256mb basemap as well as a few more 256mb basemaps to camouflage most of the US) however you can only activate one basemap at a time. This isn't problematic, as it takes only a few seconds to switch from basemap to basemap.
I should point out that there is a workaround to the file size limitation. The file size constriction is state in the MAPSEND.INI file, which can be opened using any archaic text editor. Inside the file, there is a fraction with the following info:
[DEVICE_DEFAULTS]
Com_Port=3
Baud_rate=4800
Memory_Size=8000
Conv_Maximum_Number_of_Regions=9
Maximum_Number_of_Regions=1
Conv_Memory_Size=246784
Write_Export_Log=0
Write_GPS_Log=0
Write_upload_Log=0
UploadDevice=0
MMC_NAME=detail00.img
SDSpeed=410
The line Conv_Memory_Size=246784 indicates the maximum file size (on DirectRoute, the size is listed as 65636) . You can change it to any number, though larger file sizes are increasingly more processor-intensive. It is advisible to obtain a backup of the file before modifying it.
Concerning DirectRoute, I haven't archaic this but I have heard that it does not provide ample detail for backroads. Topo3D, on the other hand, covers topography as well as nearly every road out there (and Topo3D also shows gas stations, resteraunts, bars, etc.) . The roads detailed on Topo3D seem to provide sizable coverage. I have yet to derive a road in backwoods Mississippi that wasn't indicated on Topo3D. And I have done a lot of backwoods four-wheel driving, which indicates to me that Topo3D shows unbiased about every road out there (and certainly every road I've seen when I compare Topo3D to the NG TOPO! program) .
In terms of creating a basemap and sending it to the eXplorist, the files have to be converted for employ in an eXplorist (a 256mb file takes about an hour on my P4, 2.8 GHz w/ 1000 mb RAM) and then select even more time to transfer to the unit via USB (about an hour to transfer a 256mb file) . So that's about two hours to transfer one 256mb basemap (and the computer is fairly taxed when converting the file, meaning the computer is mostly unusable -- though during transfer there is no plight and you'd be free to spend the computer without danger of computer dreary down) .
The advantage that DirectRoute would offer would be to provide turn-by-turn navigation. While this would be useful on very busy streets, I acquire that I don't need turn-by-turn navigation but rather a general sense of where I need to go. Topo3D does provide this. For instance, I was recently in Starkville, MS and wanted to collect an obscure resteraunt named "Oby's." I went to the search function in the eXplorist, typed in "Oby's" and a page showing the address and phone number of Oby's appeared (again, this was information provided from the basemap from Topo3D) . I then hit "GoTo" on the eXplorist and it told me the direction and distance to the site, as well as a line linking my station to that of Oby's. The proper state of Oby's was about 100 feet from where the GPS indicated, but if you mediate about it, that's incredibly cessation.
But... Topo3D does not provide turn by turn navigation... I had to choose which roads to occupy to secure there, but again the line linking my fresh station to the desired plot helped tremendously in "eyeballing" the route.
PC CONNECTIVITY
Again I consume MapSend Topo 3D with the XL. MapSend isn't location up to handle USB but it is possible to exercise the XL with the software anyway. By setting the NMEA broadcast to "V2.1 GSA" and setting the MapSend to Serial Com Port 3, I'm able to have the GPS tracks appear on my laptop realtime. This isn't really primary as the XL's shroud is more than enormous for displaying everything, however if you wanted to exercise it with a laptop, it is possible to do so.
One nice thing about using TOPO 3D (one really nice thing, to be precise) is that TOPO 3D has mammoth street information for driving, as well as many gas plot and restaurant listings. If you're using the unit for driving, you can snappily type in an obscure restaurant and the XL will explain the street set as well as the address and telephone number. Sometimes the coordinates are off by a quarter mile (in rural towns this happens sometimes, though I've only had it happen twice) but usually it is valid to within a hundred yards (and often within 100 feet), which is more than adequate for driving you there.
National Geographic Topo! does NOT work with the XL (or the 400/500/600 series, for that matter) as of this writing. Even the newer Topo! packages that allow for USB communication with the Garmin 60 and 76 series GPS will not link up with the Magellan. I've contacted NG and they've said that they hope to have updates to their software for Magellan 400/500/600/XL compatibility by late-Spring, 2006.
Once NG TOPO! is state up to work, you will have the same functionality as TOPO! has with all GPS units, meaning that you will be able to diagram routes and send them to the unit, or retrieve track histories from the unit and note them on the rasterized topographic charts of TOPO!. You will tranquil be UNABLE to send the maps to the unit, though this is moral with EVERY unit out there (the main limitation is that the files in TOPO! are titanic bitmaps and would prefer up an astounding amount of dwelling on a SD card, not to mention every long load times) .
MANUAL & SUPPORT
The eXplorist XL manual should be downloaded from Magellan. The printed manual that comes with the XL is about 24 pages and only covers the most basic information. The unit ships with a PDF of the elephantine manual, though I would vow going to Magellan's website and downloading the most original manual as the one that ships is Paunchy of errors. If you order any of the eXplorists, it would attend to download the latest manuals prior to receiving the unit as to aid familiarize you with the basics (installing batteries, connecting to a computer, etc.) .
Additionally, many users of the 400/500/600 series area that they hook the USB cord up to the unit incorrectly at first (basically, you hook it up such that the cord points downward, as indicated in the downloadable manual) . The XL only allows for the USB cord to be connected one scheme -- easy enough.
The 400/500/600 series tend to have a predicament wherein they lock up during USB communication. This was fixed through a unique firmware update. The only firmware update from Magellan didn't conceal this content for the XL, however I was surprised to secure that the XL doesn't suffer from this same predicament as the 400/500/600 series. My guess is that Magellan learned from the problems experienced with the 400/500/600 series and corrected the same problems in the XL before packaging the final product. If the unit does lock up, it can be turned off by holding the "Nav" key and the "Menu" key simultaneously and then hitting the "Power" button.
When I've had questions, I've found it difficult to accept in touch with Magellan technical aid. Sometimes I regain through to an operator, sometimes I have to leave a drawl message. Basically, if you try to contact them and you're do on believe, determine to leave a message... I cannot remember but you may have to be on possess for a couple minutes before you're given this option. At any rate, Magellan has always called me attend. Their technical serve has been valid sometimes, while other times I've felt like I had a distinguished better belief of GPS technology than they did. They allow for email encourage though it can buy a week or two to receive a response.
By comparison, I called and emailed Garmin to survey how their tech attend compared. I've had an easier time getting through to their technical help and they seem fairly knowledgeable. If you're anticipating calling technical aid often, Garmin might be a better bet. I think myself to be somewhat technically-savvy and only idea on really needing technical back should my unit select the farm (in which case, I've heard that Magellan is fairly salubrious about helping customers with broken units, even after warranty, a big plus in my idea) .
On the plus side, Magellan does seem to be proactive about taking user's advice to heart in updating the firmware. The reason that Magellan went with the more-expensive rechargeable Li-Ion batteries for the 400/500/600 series in the first position was because of user input asking that this be implemented. I've seen where some of the geocaching forums actually compile lists of user complaints/recommendations and forward them to Magellan, and to Magellan's credit they seem to implement these changes when they can.
When Magellan does get changes via firmware updates, I've found that the updates are stunning easy. The instructions on their station peek daunting at first but they're really thorough and easy to do.
Overall, it was a very hard choice in choosing the eXplorist over the 76CS (comparably-priced at the time of this writing) . Garmin has better technical relieve and their units seem to be more robust and user-friendly. Ultimately, I liked the fact that the XL has a sizable, nice reveal. I'm not trying to discourage anyone from getting a Garmin, as there are many things that I really like about the Garmin, however after I weighed my options, I felt that the XL was the better choice. Here are the pros and cons of the XL:
PROS
-price ($350 from Office Depot, compared to $410 for the GPSMap 76CS and $290 for the eXplorist 600)
-battery type (AA, gigantic if you've got lots of rechargeable)
-battery life (expansive, unless you mediate that it drains four AA's)
-display size (2.8" x 2.1", or 3.5" diagonal)
-display resolution (320x240, or 115 ppi)
-color (again, only 16 colors but that's more than enough)
-menus and submenus (once you salvage obsolete to it, it's magnificent rapid, I consider)
-unit reception/accuracy (compared to other receivers, I've found this one to win a satellite lock like a flash AND in moderate coverage -- this is a great plus)
CONS
-weight (3/4 lbs is a lot if you're hiking with it)
-hard to rep a carrying case for this thing
-customer relieve (could utilize more knowledgeable succor, not to mention easier to score in touch with)
-power cord (none, means I might have to change batteries on long road trips)
-computer connectivity (easy once you secure archaic to it, but it can be confusing if you're recent to it or haven't read the instructions)
-using Magellan software (it works, but it takes some know-how on the section of the user. But again, once you've read the instructions and figured it out, it's fairly easy)
-very dinky software help from 3rd parties (like Nat'l Geo's Topo!, though this slay up in the "pros" column once NG updates their software later this year)
Ultimately the XL received 5 stars because it's met every expectation I've had. If I had expected something different or belief that there were honorable products out there, I would have gladly given it a 3 or 4. Everything listed in the "cons" column was expected, and the problems with software are overcome if you're technically proficient and updates later this year will invent for better interface with 3rd party software.
I recently upgraded my GPS by purchasing a Magellan Explorist XL handheld unit. It replaced the first GPS unit I purchased a few years ago ... a Magellan Meridian Gold. In this review, consequently, improvements, comparisons and features of the unique Explorist XL are frequently compared to the older Magellan model.
The Hardware
Out of the box, the first thing you peruse is the size and weight of the Explorist XL. At 7.5 cm (2.9) wide, 16 cm (6.3 in) long and 3.4 cm (1.33 in) thick and weighing 340 gms (0.75 lb) with four AA batteries installed, the XL Explorist is a honorable handful. It is a nice acquire, with a rubberized, waterproof, impact-resistant casing and the unit feels solid. The frequently-used control buttons are at the lower front of the unit, well-located, like on the older Meridian Gold.
There are eight control buttons, including two for device zoom, one for selecting navigation screens, a menu button, a "goto" button, a "designate" button plus a combined joystick/enter button and an "sprint" button that reverses button commands. On the XL unit, these control buttons are illuminated when the backlight is on.
There is a separate lug on the case to build a lanyard. This is an improvement over the screw-on lanyard of the Meridian Gold series; however no lanyard is included with the Explorist XL.
The veil for the four AA batteries is on the assist of the unit. It is secured with a quarter-turn thumb-screw. The compartment mask fits very tightly with determined attention to waterproofing. With the Meridian Gold, the slide-latches securing the battery shroud did not provide considerable confidence. The XL shroud is a gargantuan improvement.
The dwelling of the power on/off button is on the upper upright side of the XL unit. The button is imbedded in the rubberized covering. It requires mighty wretchedness to activate this button. The area and stiff action is an improvement over the Meridian. In this set, the power button is not likely to be accidentally pushed. (Therefore, there is no need for a "power-protect" menu selection on the XL, as with the Meridian Gold.)
On the left side of the XL case, is a similar imbedded button for the indicate backlight. The backlight control on Magellan Meridian models was to bear down the power key. Having a dedicated backlight button has is a remarkable better arrangement; however there are only two levels of illumination and "off". One lower illumination level for night driving would be dapper.
The connection of the USB cable (supplied) is similar to the cable attachment system on the Meridian Gold. The cable connection is made via a six-contact shoe that is held in state with a quarter-turn screw. The quarter-turn is better than the screw-system outmoded on Meridian models, but nevertheless, it takes some peril to put the XL USB cable. Some improvements in do could be made here.
It is worth mentioning that external power to the XL unit is automatically provided while the GPS unit is attached to your computer via the USB cable. No longer do you have to grief about batteries running down when transferring files between computer and GPS unit. Curiously, there are no external power connection terminals on the GPS except through the USB cable connection. So for now, if you retract a cable to provide external power to the XL Explorist (for example, from the lighter in your automobile) the USB cable must be attached to the XL unit and the power cable from the cigarette lighter plugs into a socket on the USB cable. This is a quirky, messy procedure, but it works. It appears the XL was rushed to market before Magellan could offer mounts and accessory cables for the XL. I am confident Magellan will provide better one-cable external power solutions in the future.
A clean feature of the XL case earn is access to the SD memory card. This is located on the right-hand side of the unit. No longer do you have to consume the batteries (like on the Meridian) to take or install the memory card. The SD memory slot is located under a waterproof rubberized flap. The card is very easy to install and purchase.
Installation of four AA standard or rechargeable AA batteries (not included) in the XL unit is straight-forward. Magellan wisely reverted to the utilize of AA batteries in the Explorist XL unit following negative reaction to the line-up of Explorist models with built-in rechargeable battery packs (an impractical belief for campers, back-backers and others with no means to recharge the unit or change batteries.) Safe to explore Magellan reacted snappily and reverted to standard batteries with the XL construct.
With four AA batteries, the XL unit is advertised to last 19 hours, however, I found 12 hours with four rechargeable NiMH batteries rated 2300 mAh each was a reasonable expectation, but the discharge rate varies with expend of the backlight. You can state up the XL so the backlight automatically goes off in 30 sec., 1, 2, 4, 10 min. or never.
The XL has a grand camouflage measuring a chubby 5.2 x 7.1 cm (2 x 2.8 in) This was one of the main reasons for buying this unit, and it is a unbelievable feature. The 16-color cloak is glorious, well back-lit and easy to search for under all lighting conditions. It is noteworthy easier to peep than the B & W camouflage of the Meridian Gold and with color, it is mighty easier to distinguish between geographical features such as roads versus rivers. As mentioned, a lower illumination setting for the back-light would be smart.
Software
Before operation, the first thing to do is register your XL unit with Magellan at their internet website. This is significant later on, when it comes to purchasing and activating detail maps.
The Explorist XL unit comes with an installation wizard CD. This contains the XL USB driver, Mapsend file conversion software and Magellan Geocaching software.
The unit also came with a Mapsend DVD that contains a program called Mapsend Manager, plus several detail blueprint software programs including Mapsend Swear Route NA, Mapsend Topo 3D Canada and Mapsend Topo 3D USA. If you pre-pay for one of these programs, an unlock code is supplied. Mapsend Manager will capture you through the steps required to install the software and then to enter the code to unlock it. As mentioned previously, an internet connection and prior internet registration of the XL unit is indispensable.
If you did not pay for software, Mapsend Manager software takes you to the Magellan region where you can grasp and unlock the selected software on-line.
Mapsend Manager finds all Mapsend software on your computer and provides an easy interface to access any of your Mapsend programs, plus file conversions, file transfers etc. The Mapsend Manager is also available free from the Magellan website.
There have been a lot of reviews complaining about Magellan Mapsend software. To the contrary, my experience has been suitable. I have had no problems. I admit Magellan's system to "unlock" software over the internet is a bit cumbersome, however, many software companies seem to be doing this now, starting with Microsoft.
A substantial advantage of this system is that once the software is "unlocked" there is no requirement to insert the novel CD or DVD in the drive to utilize the Mapsend programs. Some Mapsend software with this onerous protection feature was a vast injure and impractical.
Once the Mapsend software is loaded on the computer and unlocked, the process of compiling detailed arrangement site files for utilize on the XL Explorist is easy. A ample improvement in the software is there are no longer limits to the size of regions that can be compiled. I have compiled tremendous regions over 100 meg with no problems. After selecting and naming a desired detail blueprint location, exhaust the articulate "upload to GPS". A requester will launch and ask if you want to transfer the file to the GPS or the computer's hard drive. It is best to affirm the program to write the file onto your hard drive. Thus saved, the file can then be easily copied to the SD card or internal memory of the GPS. Hint: to transfer the relatively gargantuan plan files to the SD card, it is great faster to expend a card reader.
One orderly feature of the Mapsend software is that it automatically creates all the distinguished directories on the SD card and internal memory with intuitive names including "detail maps", "background maps", "geocaches", "my POIs" (points of interest), "track logs" etc. This makes it very easy to manage and transfer GPS files.
With a USB connection, one sees the GPS as a connected hard drive which makes it an order of magnitude easier to design file transfers compared to the frail serial port (COM1) connection of the Meridian Gold. My only complaint is that you must manually switch the XL Explorist to access either the SD memory card or the 30 meg internal memory. It would be more convenient to access both GPS memories without switching, but perhaps this is technically impossible through one USB port.
Operation
The Magellan Explorist XL manual is comprehensive. It is included on the CD and can also be downloaded free from the Magellan station. Anyone contemplating the Explorist XL should download and glimpse the manual before committing to acquire.
The XL model starts up rapid. All the introductory warning screens of the Meridian are gone ... thank you Magellan!) and the XL immediately attempts to locate satellites with the built-in "patch" antenna. The XL is designed to track and compute 14 satellites. Specifications for the unit say it finds and computes a fix from "icy" location in less than two minutes and from "warm" dwelling in less than one miniature. The unit actually locks in faster than those times and holds the signal considerable better than a Meridian Gold. The XL does not work indoors (as reported by some other reviewers) however; it does work in proximity to a window facing the lawful direction and is able to catch up signals where the Meridian Gold will not.
The Explorist XL toggles through four important screens. One is the "satellite tracking shroud" and three are "navigation screens". The first navigation shroud is the "intention shroud" where the zoom controls allow you to zoom in/out through an astonishing scale range from 2700 kilometers (1600 miles) to 35 meters (100 ft) . The zooming computations, with a detailed intention, are not as mercurial as I would like, but adequate.
The famous arrangement cover can be configured in many different ways. You can position the scheme orientation to always north, or oriented per a selected course, or oriented by the direction (track) you are following. The orientation "by track" is handy for driving navigation, but the computations to orient the plan are complex and device redraw is relatively tiresome, especially when using in an automobile. In this respect, the XL has similar performance to the Meridian Gold.
The arrangement cloak can be spot to "land spend" or "marine utilize". With the marine setting, water is shown blue and land is shown yellow. In land exhaust, water is blue and land is shown white.
The substandard procedure supplied on the Explorist XL unit is very sparse in details. It is highly recommended, therefore, that you hold an SD memory card and one of Magellan's "Mapsend" detailed maps to fully consume the XL's detailed mapping capability.
A cautionary impress here!! Previously purchased Mapsend software (Such as the Streets and Destinations series for USA and Canada) does not work with Magellan Explorist models ... including the XL. If, like me, you had a distinguished investment in older Mapsend software, you will be disappointed that you have to rob unique GPS software. However, there are a lot of improvements in the newer software versions, so the investment is worth it.
I purchased Mapsend Stammer Route for North America for $130. I also purchased a 256 meg SD card. I now wish I had purchased a larger capacity card. Gigabyte SDs are available at reasonable cost these days and the Explorist XL can expend this astronomical memory to your advantage, making enormous detailed maps portable and available at all times.
The second navigation camouflage on the XL is the "compass" cover. This veil shows a graphical compass face with an electronically calculated north, a pointer showing the residence course; the direction of a destination waypoint (if one is region) ; and the direction of the sun and the moon. Unfortunately, the XL electronic compass is not one that will point north when you are stationary. You have to be fascinating at least 0.3 km/hour (0.5 mph) for it to work. The technology is available, so I wish Magellan had included the type that continues to work when stationary. If you have Mapsend routing software, and space a street route, this compass camouflage will transform into a sequential list of turn instructions.
The third cloak is called the "dwelling mask." This contains information such as longitude, latitude, elevation, site accuracy, date, time, and stir odometer and battery condition.
In addition to the navigation screens, several secondary screens are also available from the Advanced Features menu. There is a Fish/Hunt veil, an Space Calculation cloak, a Sun/Moon camouflage, a Vertical Profile cover. On the Meridian Gold, most of these screens were principal screens yielding a total of eight screens to toggle. Magellan was wise to relegate the less famous screens to the background on the Explorist XL ... they are available if needed, but out of the scheme of the valuable screens old-fashioned to navigate.
Each of the three navigation screens have optional inset information boxes and these can be customized from a list of 16 procedure information options; run, distance, bearing, ETA etc. The Meridian Gold also had this feature.
Having two banks of memory with the installation of an SD card, adds the complication that you have to determine where to store files. The XL's menu gives you a choice of SD card or internal memory. There is immense 30 meg internal memory built into the XL, however this is too exiguous for sizable detailed scheme files. My preference is to store detail procedure files on the SD memory card and smaller files such as points of interest (POI) files, geocache files in internal memory. (A effect on GPS terminology; Magellan has, in their wisdom, decided that points of interest (POIs) are the same as waypoints. Therefore on the XL, all waypoints are considered to be POIs.)
Magellan had the wisdom to include conversion software for converting waypoint, route and track files created with older Mapsend software to the modern format required for the XL. Unfortunately, as mentioned, the conversion software doesn't convert (*.img) detailed blueprint files created from older Mapsend software.
One portion of supplied software that I found to be difficult and confusing was the Magellan Geocache Manager version 1.09. The software allows trek and tumble of downloaded geocache ".loc" files, but when a file-save is attempted, the program says it will be saved as a Magellan "*.geo" file. This doesn't happen. No *.geo files are created. The file is stored as the unique *.loc file. Happily, the Magellan Geocache software adequately converts and transfers *.loc files into another file format (*.gs files) and transfers these to the geocache directory of the XL unit. Again, a decision must be made whether to store geocache files in SD memory or internal memory.
The XL has a PC-like file system with directories, subdirectories and files. This is very intuitive for any computer-user and noteworthy easier than the endless lists that one had to scroll through on older Meridian Gold models.
The Explorist XL GPS operates exactly as expected. It is legal. It has tracking and abet tracking. Waypoints (points of interest), marks and tracks can be created with the GPS unit or via the Mapsend Maps on computer and transferred as files. A titanic improvement is that waypoints (POIs) can now be named with up to 20 characters (versus 8 on the Meridian), allowing meaningful names.
You can station up routes and with Mapsend Routing Software,you have the choice of turn-by-turn instructions for driving, or route navigation using waypoints, or simple "goto" "point of interest" navigation. The unit also has a Geocache database which remains to be tested.
Some Deficiencies
My summary list of deficiencies for the Explorist XL is relatively short:
*Change originate so rechargeable AA batteries recharge when unit is connected via the USB cable.
*One additional lower backlight illumination level is required.
*Improved cable connector for external power supply should be provided (so USB cable does not have to be worn.)
*The connection of USB cable to attend of GPS can be improved.
*A lanyard should be supplied.
*Stationary electronic compass should be standard.
*Provision for an external antenna should be made.
*Faster cloak redraws would be dapper.
*Old Mapsend software is not compatible and cannot be converted for expend with Explorist XL. Magellan should at least have offered their steady customers an upgrade discount.
*At this writing, there are few choices in brackets or mountings for the XL unit.
Conclusion
In spite of the preceding minor complaints, the Magellan Explorist XL handheld GPS is an first-rate unit. It seems that Magellan listens to their GPS customers and critics, keeping the best and most neat Magellan features, while eliminating many of the poorer features. The result is the Explorist XL model. In impartial a few years, the improvements made from the Meridian Gold model to the Explorist XL model are very impressive. Grand improvements in Mapsend software are also apparent.
The designate of the XL unit is very competitive compared to other handheld GPS units with comparable or lesser features. At this time, the Sizable XL color camouflage and SD memory capability cannot be matched in any other handheld GPS at any note. The Magellan Explorist XL is highly recommended,
- Magellan released the eXplorist XL before they were really ready
-- The available software (Swear Route and Topo) is about 2 years used, so you have to jump through hoops to catch it to install to your machine ... it doesn't easily scrutinize your USB port.
-- As of January 2005, there are NO ACCESSORIES available, not even an AC charger ... not a mount, nothing
- The software is very difficult to install. Most of the disks they provided are not recognized by my computer.
- To log on to their web spot you have to go to your browser Privacy settings and Fetch ALL COOKIES. This is presumably because their set has none of the registered MS compatible certificates.
- The wait for customer service if you call (and ever earn through) is arrangement too long...a possible indication of all the problems people are having.
- The FAQs on the web position are a joke ... contrivance out of date.
- Only about 10% of the web status says anything about the XL.
- You can set a 2GB SD card in the machine, but the unit will not engage maps more than 64MB. That makes it hard to be seamless on a drive across the country
That being said. I mild like Magellan better than Garmin. Once you procure all the details ironed out ... the very painful details, the system is shapely astounding. Sizable color mask is easy to discover in whisper sunlight.
