Magellan Explorist GPS

Danny Colyer said:

Following a recent ride where I became trapped after dark in a maze of
country lanes and took over 2 hours to find my way out, SWMBO has
informed me that I'm getting a GPS unit for my birthday whether I want
one or not.

My top priority is that it should display my location using OS
co-ordinates, as I'll always be using it in conjunction with a paper
OS map.

The facility to program a route in advance and have the unit alert me
when I need to make a turning would be useful. Any connection to my
computer must be via USB, as I CBA to rummage round the back of my
desk to find a serial port every time I want to use it.

Basic mapping would be nice, but I don't want an expensive unit and
nor do I want to have to spend extra on maps for it.

Having rummaged around www, I think the one to go for is probably the
Magellan Explorist 210. Before I order it, does anyone here know of
any problems with it that I ought to be aware of, or can anyone
suggest another unit that I ought to consider, or can anyone simply
reassure me that I'm making the right decision?

Probably OK.

I'm not familiar with Magellan models. However, following checklist:

batteries - AA or AAA, not proprietry. Thus easy to replace and cheap for
rechargeables.
handlebar mount which *fits* your bike.
computer interface costs.
Size of readout, particularly reading data in rain. (My Garmin has "big
numbers" option which I use).

Don't dismiss mapping units. Even without road maps drawn, I find having
place names as dots on the screen extremely useful. For cycling in France I
have all the commune names (ie. just about every town and village). Makes
referencing position back to a paper map very easy.

I went with Garmin as there is more support for third party mapping (ie.
free stuff). But you need to be a little bit into computer nerdy DIY
software to exploit.

Of the Garmin's I would suggest you check the Venture Cx which seemed good
value for cycle use.

- Nigel

--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/

Danny Colyer said:

Following a recent ride where I became trapped after dark in a maze of
country lanes and took over 2 hours to find my way out, SWMBO has
informed me that I'm getting a GPS unit for my birthday whether I want
one or not.

Maybe you have other reasons for needing a GPS, but cheapest solution
to that problem would be an old fashioned compass. You presumably knew
roughly where you were on the OS map so could work out a bearing that
would let you choose roads taking you nearer home until you found a
recognizable road. Cost maybe a £5, or £10 for a really good one, no
batteries to go flat, unlikely to get nicked if you leave it on the
bike...

Actually, I fancy a GPS for my birthday, but haven't quite worked out
why I "need" one.

Rob

Danny Colyer said:

Having rummaged around www, I think the one to go for is probably the
Magellan Explorist 210. Before I order it, does anyone here know of any
problems with it that I ought to be aware of, or can anyone suggest
another unit that I ought to consider, or can anyone simply reassure me
that I'm making the right decision?

Your usage is much teh same as mine. I have a nearly geriatric
Magellan 315 which has been basically reliable. Mine hasn't got maps,
and I note that the model you propose only has major roads - fine if
you're using it as supplemental to a proper map, but you probably
won't be able to navigate with it without a map (or preset waypoints).

I'm not actually up-to-date with current models, but when I bought
mine I liked that magellans:

ran off two AA when most competitiors used 4 (OK, it went through 2
quicker than other units went through 4, but if teh 12 hours was going
to be enough it made for a slightly smaller unit)

had slightly more customisable screens than most

in my tests, coped better with tree cover than the equivalent model
garmins.

The work GPS is another (newer and fancier) magellan, and it has coped
with assorted abuse. (At least, it probably has - shared equipment
normally gets abused, and I know it's still working 'cos I used it
recently).

So, a general vote-of-confidence for magellan handheld gps, even if I
can't comment on current models.

regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|

Nigel Cliffe said:

I'm not familiar with Magellan models. However, following checklist:

batteries - AA or AAA, not proprietry. Thus easy to replace and cheap for
rechargeables.

Check. When generating a shortlist, I dismissed anything that didn't
take AA or AAA batteries.

Quoted message said:

handlebar mount which *fits* your bike.

Check.

Quoted message said:

Don't dismiss mapping units. Even without road maps drawn, I find having
place names as dots on the screen extremely useful.

I haven't. The Explorist 210 is a mapping unit. It comes with a
basemap, I have no idea whether the Magellan or the Garmin would have
the better basemap.

Quoted message said:

Of the Garmin's I would suggest you check the Venture Cx which seemed good
value for cycle use.

It was on my shortlist, and was well on the way to the top until I
noticed that the USB cable wasn't included in the package, effectively
adding to the cost. But come to think of it, I expect one of my camera
leads will be suitable.

Advantages of the Venture Cx over the Explorist 210 are the colour map
(Explorist is monochrome) and the battery life (32 hours quoted for the
Venture, against 17 for the Explorist).

Damn, now I'm going to have to start thinking about the Venture again.
Thanks Nigel.

The spec at <https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?cID=145&pID=410> says
that there is no built in memory. Does that mean that I have to have an
SD card in order to load routes?

Do you have a Venture Cx? Does it give OS co-ordinates? None of the
Garmin specs mention co-ordinate formats, though my reading around
suggests that most of them are able to display OS.

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often
"Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down.
Daddy, why did you put that down?" - Charlie Colyer, age 2

Quoted message said:

Danny Colyer said:

Following a recent ride where I became trapped after dark in a maze of
country lanes and took over 2 hours to find my way out, SWMBO has
informed me that I'm getting a GPS unit for my birthday whether I want
one or not.

Maybe you have other reasons for needing a GPS, but cheapest solution
to that problem would be an old fashioned compass. You presumably knew
roughly where you were on the OS map so could work out a bearing that
would let you choose roads taking you nearer home until you found a
recognizable road. Cost maybe a £5, or £10 for a really good one, no
batteries to go flat, unlikely to get nicked if you leave it on the
bike...

Definitely fixing your position with landranger and compass after
dark, especially in lanes with high hedges, and especially unfamiliar
ones is actually quite time-consuming and often features a fair bit of
trial and error. It's often not possible to get a good definitive
bearing off something distant, and actually sometimes comes down to
matching distances between roadside (or near roadside) features.

Likewise on flat moor tops in poor visibility.

In both these cases, I find a GPS to be a convenient shortcut to
assist navigation. If the batteries go flat, or it breaks, or teh MOD
is jamming it you can do it the old-fashioned way, but if it works it
can be quite handy and save lots of time (and sometimes lots of
legwork).

Quoted message said:

Actually, I fancy a GPS for my birthday, but haven't quite worked
out why I "need" one.

Very few people need one, but it's often convenient.

regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|

Quoted message said:

Maybe you have other reasons for needing a GPS, but cheapest solution
to that problem would be an old fashioned compass. You presumably knew
roughly where you were on the OS map so could work out a bearing that
would let you choose roads taking you nearer home until you found a
recognizable road. Cost maybe a £5, or £10 for a really good one

I've got a couple of really good compasses, if only I remember to carry
one. On this occasion I didn't have a compass with me, but I didn't
actually need one because the stars were out.

I knew that I wanted to head roughly North East. The problem was that I
would follow a road heading North, then find a mile later that the same
road was now heading South. I also knew which villages I wanted to ride
through, if only I'd been able to find a junction with a signpost.
Signposts don't seem to be terribly popular on Somerset's country lanes.

Even when I found a signpost, it was hard to know whether I'd ridden
through a village or not when some of the villages seem to comprise
little more than a cow shed!

Still, for all my wife's worrying I really enjoyed the ride (haven't
done a decent night ride for about 10 years), and I got to see the sun
set twice:
<http://www.colyer.plus.com/temp/z-0706012100sunset.jpg>
<http://www.colyer.plus.com/temp/z-0706012111sunset.jpg>

(The second picture, which I'm now using for wallpaper at work, was
taken 10 minutes after the first, having ridden round the hill that it
set behind the first time).

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often
"Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down.
Daddy, why did you put that down?" - Charlie Colyer, age 2

Danny Colyer wrote on 11/06/2007 19:34 +0100:

Quoted message said:

Following a recent ride where I became trapped after dark in a maze of
country lanes and took over 2 hours to find my way out, SWMBO has
informed me that I'm getting a GPS unit for my birthday whether I want
one or not.

My top priority is that it should display my location using OS
co-ordinates, as I'll always be using it in conjunction with a paper OS
map.

The facility to program a route in advance and have the unit alert me
when I need to make a turning would be useful. Any connection to my
computer must be via USB, as I CBA to rummage round the back of my desk
to find a serial port every time I want to use it.

Basic mapping would be nice, but I don't want an expensive unit and nor
do I want to have to spend extra on maps for it.

Having rummaged around www, I think the one to go for is probably the
Magellan Explorist 210. Before I order it, does anyone here know of any
problems with it that I ought to be aware of, or can anyone suggest
another unit that I ought to consider, or can anyone simply reassure me
that I'm making the right decision?

Depending on your phone you could get a bluetooth GPS unit - about
£50-60 and then get the mapping software for your phone as an
alternative. Bluetooth unit stowed somewhere out of the way and just
get your phone out to find out where you are.

--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell

Quoted message said:

Do you have a Venture Cx? Does it give OS co-ordinates? None of the
Garmin specs mention co-ordinate formats, though my reading around
suggests that most of them are able to display OS.

--

Can't comment on the Magellan units but I've been using an old basic
Garmin E-Trex and can vouch for its usefulness, esp. on long rides,
It doesn't display all roads (the Venture can), but it can display
roads/tracks either by recording where you've been or by planning a
route in advance on the memory-map (OS 1:50 000) software and then
downloading it. Having the near-by towns entered as way-points is
usually enough to keep you from getting lost. The Garmins can display
OS Grid Refs no problem. Handlebar mounts are available for normal
and over-size bars and the batts (2xAAs) will easily last a couple of
full days.

Whichever make or model you go for, a recent good tip I've found is to
use Google Earth for route-planning and then export to a .KML file.
Then use a freely available tool - GPSBabel to convert the .KML to an
open .GPX fornat which you can then download to your GPS. Works well
in the car too - avoiding the need to buy a Tom-Tom (so long as you
plan your routes in advance).

Regards,

Duncan

Danny Colyer said:

Following a recent ride where I became trapped after dark in a maze of
country lanes and took over 2 hours to find my way out, SWMBO has
informed me that I'm getting a GPS unit for my birthday whether I want
one or not.

My top priority is that it should display my location using OS
co-ordinates, as I'll always be using it in conjunction with a paper OS
map.

The facility to program a route in advance and have the unit alert me
when I need to make a turning would be useful. Any connection to my
computer must be via USB, as I CBA to rummage round the back of my desk
to find a serial port every time I want to use it.

Basic mapping would be nice, but I don't want an expensive unit and nor
do I want to have to spend extra on maps for it.

Having rummaged around www, I think the one to go for is probably the
Magellan Explorist 210. Before I order it, does anyone here know of any
problems with it that I ought to be aware of, or can anyone suggest
another unit that I ought to consider, or can anyone simply reassure me
that I'm making the right decision?

you can run a basic satnav on phones, i use it in the car. get a phone
with GPS built in and a phone holder on the bike?

should be a fair bit cheaper than the GPS

roger

Tony Raven said:

Depending on your phone you could get a bluetooth GPS unit - about
£50-60 and then get the mapping software for your phone as an
alternative. Bluetooth unit stowed somewhere out of the way and just
get your phone out to find out where you are.

My phone (Samsung A300) doesn't have bluetooth and I don't really want
to replace it. I had a look at GPS enabled phones, but decided to get a
separate unit.

Thanks for the suggestion, though.

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often
"Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down.
Daddy, why did you put that down?" - Charlie Colyer, age 2

Duncan Smith said:

Can't comment on the Magellan units but I've been using an old basic
Garmin E-Trex and can vouch for its usefulness, esp. on long rides,
It doesn't display all roads (the Venture can), but it can display
roads/tracks either by recording where you've been or by planning a
route in advance on the memory-map (OS 1:50 000) software and then
downloading it. Having the near-by towns entered as way-points is
usually enough to keep you from getting lost. The Garmins can display
OS Grid Refs no problem.

That's all useful information, thanks.

Quoted message said:

Whichever make or model you go for, a recent good tip I've found is to
use Google Earth for route-planning and then export to a .KML file.
Then use a freely available tool - GPSBabel to convert the .KML to an
open .GPX fornat which you can then download to your GPS.

Great, I've been hoping to pick up tips like that.

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often
"Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down.
Daddy, why did you put that down?" - Charlie Colyer, age 2

Roger Merriman said:

you can run a basic satnav on phones, i use it in the car. get a phone
with GPS built in and a phone holder on the bike?

should be a fair bit cheaper than the GPS

I looked into it, but I don't really want a new phone and, if I want a
phone with the same features that I'm looking for in a GPS, it's likely
to work out more expensive. But thanks.

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often
"Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down.
Daddy, why did you put that down?" - Charlie Colyer, age 2

Ian Smith said:

So, a general vote-of-confidence for magellan handheld gps, even if I
can't comment on current models.

The vote of confidence is reassuring, anyway. Thanks Ian.

--
Danny Colyer <URL:http://www.colyer.plus.com/danny/>
Reply address is valid, but that on my website is checked more often
"Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down. Daddy, put that down.
Daddy, why did you put that down?" - Charlie Colyer, age 2

Danny Colyer said:

Roger Merriman said:

you can run a basic satnav on phones, i use it in the car. get a phone
with GPS built in and a phone holder on the bike?

should be a fair bit cheaper than the GPS

I looked into it, but I don't really want a new phone and, if I want a
phone with the same features that I'm looking for in a GPS, it's likely
to work out more expensive. But thanks.

the phone goes to street view, which if lane running is probably wise,
it will not last as long nor use AA power. which is a issue.

if your on contract or would use a contract the phone could a saving,
though it's rather depended on useage.

roger

Duncan Smith wrote on 11/06/2007 21:47 +0100:

Quoted message said:

Whichever make or model you go for, a recent good tip I've found is to
use Google Earth for route-planning and then export to a .KML file.
Then use a freely available tool - GPSBabel to convert the .KML to an
open .GPX fornat which you can then download to your GPS. Works well
in the car too - avoiding the need to buy a Tom-Tom (so long as you
plan your routes in advance).

Or use Toporoute or Sanoodi and export directly from Googlemaps into GPX

--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell

Quoted message said:

Depending on your phone you could get a bluetooth GPS unit - about
£50-60 and then get the mapping software for your phone as an
alternative. Bluetooth unit stowed somewhere out of the way and just
get your phone out to find out where you are.

You'd get a good display of a proper OS map with a smart-phone or
pocket-pc too, which I haven't seen yet on any of the Garmin/Magellan
dedicated devices, but the snag is (and it's quite a big one) that the
battery life would be very limited in comparison, maybe only 4 hours
or so (unless things have changed in the last year or so) - and when
it goes that's your life-line gone (though I suppose you could always
carry a spare).

I'm not electrically minded enough to work out whether it's
theoretically possible to hook up the phone's power to a dyno though.

An OS map display would be nice, esp. for MTB, or more so for fell
walking. I wonder when the GPS manufacturers will get round to
sorting out their displays to handle it, I have to say I'm surprised
it hasn't happened yet.

Regards,

Duncan.

"Duncan Smith" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]

Quoted message said:

An OS map display would be nice, esp. for MTB, or more so for fell
walking. I wonder when the GPS manufacturers will get round to
sorting out their displays to handle it, I have to say I'm surprised
it hasn't happened yet.

I'm not. OS maps are bitmap based and not vector. Therefore they're hugely
memory intensive and aren't natively routable.

I've been using the Garmin GPSmap 60cs/csx for 2 years now - both have been
excellent, and with the GB topo 2 maps loaded, they're nearly as usefull as
an OS map. Combine this with memory map and the need for GPS based OS maps
is eliminated, and I have the advantage that I can route myself if I get a
tad lost or need the short way home.

I've recorded every leisure ride I've done in the last two years on memory
map using the GPS and for a self-confessed anorak like me it's fascinating.

To the OP: Garmin, every time.

Tim
--
Sent from Birmingham, UK... Check out www.nervouscyclist.org
'I find sometimes it's easy to be myself, but sometimes I find it's
better to be somebody else.' - Dave Matthews 'So Much To Say'
My 'reply to' address is valid, mail to the posting address is dumped

Duncan Smith wrote on 11/06/2007 23:05 +0100:

Quoted message said:

You'd get a good display of a proper OS map with a smart-phone or
pocket-pc too, which I haven't seen yet on any of the Garmin/Magellan
dedicated devices, but the snag is (and it's quite a big one) that the
battery life would be very limited in comparison, maybe only 4 hours
or so (unless things have changed in the last year or so) - and when
it goes that's your life-line gone (though I suppose you could always
carry a spare).

Depends whether you want to have it running all the time. I just use
the phone for spot checks along the way in which case it only needs to
connect up when you look at it. You can leave the GPS unit running
because they generally have 15-20 hr battery life and rechargeable
batteries. As long as the GPS is running you don't have any acquisition
time delay.

--
Tony

"The most savage controversies are those about matters as to which there
is no good evidence either way."
- Bertrand Russell

Danny Colyer said:

Following a recent ride where I became trapped after dark in a maze of
country lanes and took over 2 hours to find my way out, SWMBO has
informed me that I'm getting a GPS unit for my birthday whether I want
one or not.

My top priority is that it should display my location using OS
co-ordinates, as I'll always be using it in conjunction with a paper
OS map.

The facility to program a route in advance and have the unit alert me
when I need to make a turning would be useful. Any connection to my
computer must be via USB, as I CBA to rummage round the back of my
desk to find a serial port every time I want to use it.

Basic mapping would be nice, but I don't want an expensive unit and
nor do I want to have to spend extra on maps for it.

Having rummaged around www, I think the one to go for is probably the
Magellan Explorist 210. Before I order it, does anyone here know of
any problems with it that I ought to be aware of, or can anyone
suggest another unit that I ought to consider, or can anyone simply
reassure me that I'm making the right decision?

I've got one. It tells me where I am if I'm not sure, eg on trails (it
doesn't show the trails, only the major roads, but it give os reference, and
displays most villages). Also useful in unfamiliar towns. I don't have it on
a mount, just in my pocket, or a bag somewhere I can reach (depends which
bike.). If you have it on a mount you can get it to display a speedo
complete with moving needle so you can pretend you're in a car. Also a
compass, and where the sun is (or the moon). You can programme a route and
it should give you warning when a turning point is coming up. I have only
tried this once, in the car, but I don't really want that function. I have
used it for the opposite reason, by turning down roads I don't know, getting
totally "lost", then picking up the 210 to get the map reference, and
finding a way out. More detailed maps are available for it, but again,
that's not what I want it for.
It logs your route, so you can retrace it if things get really bad, but it's
interesting to save the route and import it into Memory Map or the cheaper
(=free) GPSTrackmaker (http://www.gpstm.com/) and check the altitude
profile, speed profile, time spent in pub etc.
Niggles - batteries only last a couple of days - I change them each day
to be on the safe side - it will lose the current track if the battery goes
while in use. Get rechargeable and carry spares.
- even holding one or two tracks in memory severely
reduces the time it takes to display the current track or a stored one. I
download the day's ride to laptop then delete it off the 210 each day.
Forgot to take the lead on my recent 10 day holiday, and had to save the
routes internally. It has plenty of memory for this, but just seems so
reluctant to divulge the information later.

I'm happy with it. Mind that Garmin Etrex that Matthew's posted a link to
looks like good value.

Martin Bulmer