toyotechwv
Observer
Just looking for some feedback on this unit. I just need a basic GPS nothing fancy. How does this one compare to an eTrex??
Magellan eXplorist 100
- Thread starter toyotechwv
- Start date
computeruser
Explorer
First off, I'd skip the 100 and go one or two steps higher in the model line so you can at least have a basemap.
I've got a few solid years of use on the (discontinued? replaced?) Explorist 200. It rides in the car, in my pocket, on my MTB handlebars, in the rain, in the heat, and it just keeps on going. I have dropped it in lakes, in snow, left it out in the rain (oops) all night, and left it in the sun until it got so hot that the screen washed out and was unreadable; after drying/thawing/cooling, it is back to normal and keeps on ticking. It isn't able to synch with the computer, which means a LOT of tedious punching in coords by hand. But the preloaded (non-upgradeable) basemap is worth every penny over the basemap-free 100 series.
My wife is using a Garmin eTrex Legend at the moment, with downloadable maps. It is a nice unit and the maps she has loaded on that unit are clearly better than the preloaded basemap on my Explorist 200, but I find the manual waypoint entry system slower than my Magellan. When it's all said and done, though, it's six of one, half-dozen of the other. Both brands provide a perfectly serviceable unit that will get you around nicely. I do think that the bicycle handlebar mount system on the Garmin is more clever, though the Magellan one is easier to field-fix with a rubberband or strap or tape so you can still use your GPS after you ran the mount into a tree or some such thing.
If I was looking for another pocket-size GPS for anything but the most basic of uses, I'd put up the extra coin and look at the Explorist 500 or 600. Even for simple, low-tech geocaching, the ability to put more data on the unit and to install better maps seems very worthwhile to me. Otherwise, go with the 210.
Incidentally, if you wanted one to carry around from time to time and be able to read it really nicely in the car, the Explorist XL is a SUPERB unit. A buddy had one for a while (he was a die-hard Garmin guy and went back to the dark side), and I was really impressed with that unit with the topo map software. The screen on this unit - larger, brighter, color, more detail - is wonderful to look at after using my black-and-white low-res screen for the past few years.
I've got a few solid years of use on the (discontinued? replaced?) Explorist 200. It rides in the car, in my pocket, on my MTB handlebars, in the rain, in the heat, and it just keeps on going. I have dropped it in lakes, in snow, left it out in the rain (oops) all night, and left it in the sun until it got so hot that the screen washed out and was unreadable; after drying/thawing/cooling, it is back to normal and keeps on ticking. It isn't able to synch with the computer, which means a LOT of tedious punching in coords by hand. But the preloaded (non-upgradeable) basemap is worth every penny over the basemap-free 100 series.
My wife is using a Garmin eTrex Legend at the moment, with downloadable maps. It is a nice unit and the maps she has loaded on that unit are clearly better than the preloaded basemap on my Explorist 200, but I find the manual waypoint entry system slower than my Magellan. When it's all said and done, though, it's six of one, half-dozen of the other. Both brands provide a perfectly serviceable unit that will get you around nicely. I do think that the bicycle handlebar mount system on the Garmin is more clever, though the Magellan one is easier to field-fix with a rubberband or strap or tape so you can still use your GPS after you ran the mount into a tree or some such thing.
If I was looking for another pocket-size GPS for anything but the most basic of uses, I'd put up the extra coin and look at the Explorist 500 or 600. Even for simple, low-tech geocaching, the ability to put more data on the unit and to install better maps seems very worthwhile to me. Otherwise, go with the 210.
Incidentally, if you wanted one to carry around from time to time and be able to read it really nicely in the car, the Explorist XL is a SUPERB unit. A buddy had one for a while (he was a die-hard Garmin guy and went back to the dark side), and I was really impressed with that unit with the topo map software. The screen on this unit - larger, brighter, color, more detail - is wonderful to look at after using my black-and-white low-res screen for the past few years.