Magellan eXplorist 500 Water Resistant Hiking GPS by Magellan
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List Price: Our Price: $164.99 You Save: $235.00 (59%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: GPS or Navigation System See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of Magellan eXplorist 500 Water Resistant Hiking GPS
Digital camera Review: Just read on
Summary: 2 Stars
This GPS handheld is slow to aquire signal and fix position. 2 minutes was my best time ever, in open field with clear view. Ususally it takes about 4 minutes.
The altimeter is inacurate, for example according to explorist my house is sometimes 58, and sometimes 121 meters above sea level and anywhere in between.
Map screen is very slow to change, so you often have to stop and wait for the map to catch up with you... It improves when you move fast, such as on the bicycle or in the car (please pull over before using in the car - the screen is tiny and hard to see).
Color screen is nice and crisp, but is very small. My cell phone has a biger screen, literally!
Changing screens is very slow, you press the NAV button and wait, wait, wait...
Unit freezes when you choose certain functions, for example area calculation or track projection. Must turn off and on again.
Distance traveled displays in 100 meter increments. My previous GPS handheld showed 10 meters.
Significant signal loss in the woods or parks (poor antenna?) and thus great inaccuracy.
Battery life is terrible. I could never get more than about 6 hours. How they can get away with advertising 17 hours?!?! Going on an all day hike? Camping? Forget it if you don't have a portable charger, or spare batteries. Contrary to advert on the retail box, the rechargeable battery will NOT "keep you on course all day."
Not directly compatible with Mapsend software. To use topo maps you must use 2 software packages: mapsend + something that converts mapsend to format readable by explorist (comes with the unit).
So called Detailed mapsend topo maps (available separately) are incredibly obsolete and inaccurate and you cannot edit them yourself.
No neck strap included with this handheld.
Geocache files downloaded from the net come only with coordinates, no tips, etc. So you may as well type them in yourself as i find it to be faster than launching the software and farting around trying to upload.
very poor manual, if you're new to GPS, you will have to seek info on Usenet and elsewhere on the web to understand datums, etc.
Digital camera Review: Lots of features. Not for the novice.
Summary: 4 Stars
I am still trying to figure this thing out. I am very computer/electronic savy, so I thought this would be easy to learn..NOT! It is packed with more features than stated. The 600 is suppose to upgrade you to a compass. The 500 has a compass as well! When I have time to figure this thing out, I am sure I will not be disappointed.Digital camera Review: Magellan Explorist 500
Summary: 3 Stars
Like many others, I find the manual instructions are useless. Positive comments: I like the saved route function that can be played back for review in color code for the different travelling speeds. Or maybe I'm impressed easily. NEGATIVE COMMENT: waterproof NOT! Already had to replace the battery due to the cover does not remain sealed. I suspect the lid is not stiff enough to retain its shape. You can press the lid down when the one and only screw is tightly secured. Not good. There may be other damages...not sure. The company apparently does not to provide any updates or patches to allow using the new vista computers or linux operating systems. It would be nice if file names could be set through the computer and sequencially named.Digital camera Review: Magellan GPS Products - Customer Beware
Summary: 1 Stars
Megellans "customer service" is by far the worst we have experienced. Based on our experience, it appears that Magellan's customer service tactic is to put the customer on hold for long periods hoping that they will hang up, always making the customer call back, never agreeing to follow up with a return phone call or e-mail and making false promises. I'm assuming all with the intent that the customer will eventually just give up. Not only has Magellan not stood behind its product, its customer service people are obviously trained to give customers the run around. What a NASTY way to treat people. Read on if you want details of what we have been through.
In April of 2006 I bought my husband a Magellan Explorist 300 for his birthday. It was to replace a 10 year old Magellan that was much larger and heavier. After several months the NAV button wasn't working properly. By the time he got around to call "customer service" it was a couple of weeks after the 1 year warranty. He was told the warranty would not be honored as it had expired. We paid to ship and repair the unit. When we got the unit back, it was not the one we sent in as it had a different serial number. The NAV button of this replaced unit did not work. My husband called within a week, of receiving this "repaired" model and was told by "customer service" that the Explorist 300 was discontinued, they would not honor the "repaired" model and that they were no longer servicing the model. He was then told he would just have to buy another model. He indicated that this was not acceptable and pressed to speak with a supervisor. He was first told no supervisor was available and with further pressing was put on hold for 10-15 minutes before a supervisor responded. She indicated that they would provide him with an Explorist 400 at no charge, but that they were out of stock and he would need to call back in a week. After the week, the call was a series of holds (always 10-15 minutes each time) before a supervisor came to the phone. This supervisor said the Explorist 400 was out of stock as well as the Explorist 500 and that they would ship him an Explorist 600. After two weeks went by, my husband called to find out if the Explorist 600 had been shipped. They said it would be shipped within 1 week and when my husband asked by what mode of transport, they indicated UPS. When he asked them to provide the tracking number he was told to call back in a couple of days for it. He calls back a couple of days later and again after a series of holds was told the Explorist 600 was being shipped out and that he should have it in a few days.....again he's instructed to call back for the tracking number. He calls back days later, again a series of holds, and is told the computer system is down and he will have to call back the next day. He calls back, again a series of holds. The "customer service" rep promises that this time it will be shipped and that he will even send an e-mail providing the tracking number within 24-48 hours. You guessed it....no tracking number. My husband calls every week and is "promised" that it will be sent (this time) and he will receive it in 3-5 days. This has been going on for over two months now and still no replacement model. My husband is determined to get Magellan to stand behind their product, but I think it is an exercise in futility and that he will never get the replacement model he was "promised".
Digital camera Review: Magellan customer service NIGHTMARE !!
Summary: 1 Stars
Amazon was great about refunding my money from these 'TWO" defective units.Customer service understands very little English from India. The units burned up with the defective Magellan DC power adapter. No one at Magellan could explain or give any tech support on the power output of the DC adapter due to their language " PROBLEMS " via email or over the phone after four calls and at least six emails. I will never buy any product from Magellan again !!