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Originally Posted by Kreyzhorse
Man that's too bad. My Magellan Explorist 200 works like a champ. Just bought the Topo 3D is its excellent. Have you updated your firmware on the Explorist? I haven't had to with mine but in issues where the software doesn't work, that is the suggested route.
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Updating the firmware was actually my first step, but it ended up completely killing my unit (wouldn't even show the map), so I had to reinstall the original software. About two to three weeks after I bought the unit, it died all together. It wouldn't even power up. At first, I thought the battery was to blame, but I tried a battery from a friends unit, and it still wouldn't power up. I even tried running the unit while it was plugged in. After the unit completely died, I compiled a list of all of the facts... times, dates, incidents, everything... and emailed a 1.5 page email to Magellan as well as Tiger GPS (where I bought the unit). Tiger GPS never responded at all, and it took Magellan 6 weeks to respond, only to tell me that there was nothing they could do about it. I am very unhappy with both of them, now. I will never buy anything else from Tiger GPS or Magellan.
Just a note: Magellan did not give Tiger as a reason for not covering the warranty. What they told me was that they had no way of testing my GPS unit, so there was no way of knowing what was wrong, and they didn't have the time to deal with any returned items. Their suggestion was that I 'simply buy another unit.' They also had a massive recall on a previous generation of the Topo 3D software, but they stated in their email that my particular bundle was not listed as having the software covered in the recall.
I still have the unit and all of the original packaging. It's tucked away in my closet. I know it isn't doing me any good, but I just didn't have the heart to throw out something I had spent $250 on at the beginning of that month. So, it's been collecting dust for the past year.
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Originally Posted by MeekAndMild
Funny but I had trouble with my Garmin back about a decade ago. It threw me off GPS for a long time. But a couple of years ago I got a Magellen Topo and it works just fine.
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The Magellan had thrown me off GPS units for a while, as well. The big saving grace in my experiences came when I bought a Tom Tom One to use in my car. I drive for a living, so I bought the unit just on faith that it would work as well as everyone had said it would, and it truly does. Granted, an Automotive GPS unit doesn't exactly compare to a handheld, but it's just the knowledge that a GPS unit really can be pinpoint accurate... it made me willing to give handhelds a shot again.
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Originally Posted by bclark1
Honestly, a $90 Garmin eTrex and a cheap compass backup served me well for a while. This Christmas I just got a Magellan Crossover, it mounts in the card and then is designed for outdoor use. It's apparently already got maps for state parks and things onboard, but I haven't had it in the field yet. I have driven it halfway across the country with good results, including getting back to my parents' cabin that Google Maps wasn't able to find until very recently. It also could get a signal indoors, which I'd say is analogous to a thick tree canopy (I did have that problem with the eTrex). Haven't tested topos, but they're in there. Marks waypoints and pulls coordinates intuitively. Supposed to be waterproof too, although I haven't tested that either. In any case, you'll probably have it figured out before I have a better review from the field, but it seems good so far.
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Actually, the snow in VT doesn't clear the woods enough to actually make it too far away from civilization without snowshoes until about June. The GPS I am researching right now is for my Coyote Hunting this year, which will start whenever I can actually get back into the woods. I would be VERY interested in any review you could post. Especially if you are having better luck with Magellan than I did. I keep an open mind and take in ALL the facts. My mind isn't actually 100% completely made up until I am in the process of ordering my new unit. (Or in the store picking it up, as the case may be.) That is why I always start researching things months in advance. The Explorist 200 I own was the one item I actually bought pretty much on impulse... and look where that got me. Of course, I am sure I would have been much happier if I just went to walmart and paid the extra $50. I could have taken it right back up there. I know I am to blame for that. Live and learn.
I can land nav with a map and compass quite well... The GPS unit is just easier for my circumstances. None of the other guys I hunt with have any land nav skills, so if something were to happen to me, we could find ourselves in a heap of trouble real fast. The GPS would prevent any of that from becoming a reality.
Thanks for all the great info, guys! Keep it coming!