Explorist 100?

kevin.harrison2 said:

Has anyone got experience of using the Magellan Explorist 100 gps ? Anyone
got a view on which is better for entry level handheld gps for UK fell
walking; the Explorist 100 or the basic Garmin Etrex?

My priorities are (1) it locks/aquires successfully (2) battery life, (3)
works at low temp (winter wild camping), (4) weight, (5) hooks up to PC.

Looking at the specs, the Explorist looks better (and cheaper) but I can't
see any UK user reviews on it.

It's only been out about 6 months, and most UK stockists prefer Garmin.
There are some yahoo groups (e.g. magellan_meridian) that cover Magellan
handhelds in detail; I don't know if there's one for the Explorists.

I believe none of the current range (100, 200, 300) will hook up to
a PC. There's a new range that will (4,5,600) due out but not here yet
so vaporware for the moment. Also, the Explorist 100 is very expensive
over here : it was released as a sub-$100 model in the states but
seems to go for over ?100 !

-adrian

In article <[email hidden]>, kevin.harrison2
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Has anyone got experience of using the Magellan Explorist 100 gps ? Anyone
got a view on which is better for entry level handheld gps for UK fell
walking; the Explorist 100 or the basic Garmin Etrex?

My priorities are (1) it locks/aquires successfully (2) battery life, (3)
works at low temp (winter wild camping), (4) weight, (5) hooks up to PC.

The Explorist (100, 200 & 300) do not have computer connections. Neither
does the Garmin Geko 101. I would not buy one without a connection - not
just because of data transfer (both ways) but also for software updates
to fix bugs in the receiver.

I have six receivers including a basic yellow eTrex and a Geko 201. The
Geko is my unit of choice for most trips outside a car (walking, cycling
& running). It is small and light and has much better software than the
eTrex (and better capabilities in some aspects - 10,000 trackpoints as
opposed to ~1500 for instance). The eTrex is also nearing the end of its
life and will not be getting any improvements to its software. The Geko
being 4 or so years younger is still likely to get some development if
Garmin feels it is needed.

The only downside I would see for some people is that it uses AAA
batteries but as I use these in my head-torch and a had torch as well as
sometimes a radio I already have rechargeable AAAs so that is a
non-issue for me.

The price difference between the eTrex and Geko 201 is £7 (well worth
it) here:

http://www.gpsw.co.uk/cats/cl3_23.html

Note that neither the basic eTrex not Geko come with a data cable. You
can buy the genuine Garmin cable for nearly £30 but I would recommend
the £13 clone from:

http://www.lynks.co.uk/cables.html

--

Dominic Sexton

As an etrex user of a few years - i'd agree.
Plus the age of the Etrex is showing these days alongside the newer
offerings with quicker satellite lock-on etc

"Dominic Sexton" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, kevin.harrison2
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Has anyone got experience of using the Magellan Explorist 100 gps ?

Anyone

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

got a view on which is better for entry level handheld gps for UK fell
walking; the Explorist 100 or the basic Garmin Etrex?

My priorities are (1) it locks/aquires successfully (2) battery life, (3)
works at low temp (winter wild camping), (4) weight, (5) hooks up to PC.

The Explorist (100, 200 & 300) do not have computer connections. Neither
does the Garmin Geko 101. I would not buy one without a connection - not
just because of data transfer (both ways) but also for software updates
to fix bugs in the receiver.

I have six receivers including a basic yellow eTrex and a Geko 201. The
Geko is my unit of choice for most trips outside a car (walking, cycling
& running). It is small and light and has much better software than the
eTrex (and better capabilities in some aspects - 10,000 trackpoints as
opposed to ~1500 for instance). The eTrex is also nearing the end of its
life and will not be getting any improvements to its software. The Geko
being 4 or so years younger is still likely to get some development if
Garmin feels it is needed.

The only downside I would see for some people is that it uses AAA
batteries but as I use these in my head-torch and a had torch as well as
sometimes a radio I already have rechargeable AAAs so that is a
non-issue for me.

The price difference between the eTrex and Geko 201 is £7 (well worth
it) here:

http://www.gpsw.co.uk/cats/cl3_23.html

Note that neither the basic eTrex not Geko come with a data cable. You
can buy the genuine Garmin cable for nearly £30 but I would recommend
the £13 clone from:

http://www.lynks.co.uk/cables.html

--

Dominic Sexton

Thanks for the replies to date - I'd not realised the Explorists couldn't
link to the PC. I'd not considered the Geko but will look now.

I'm also thinking of spending a little more - possibly the Garmin Venture or
Legend. Do the comments about the etrex software being old and unlikely to
be updated apply to the these too?

Kev

In article <[email hidden]>, kevin.harrison2
<[email hidden]> writes

Quoted message said:

Thanks for the replies to date - I'd not realised the Explorists couldn't
link to the PC. I'd not considered the Geko but will look now.

I'm also thinking of spending a little more - possibly the Garmin Venture or
Legend. Do the comments about the etrex software being old and unlikely to
be updated apply to the these too?

The Venture and Legend are second series eTrexes and have better
software than the first series (eTrex, eTrex Camo, eTrex Summit). They
are still getting on a bit but are better receivers. They both come with
the PC interface cable so you should bear that in mind when comparing
prices.

You might also want to look at the Garmin GPS72 and the Magellan
Sportrak. Both are good but quite a bit larger. Ideally you want to take
a trip to a well stocked shop and have a play with as many of the
receivers as you can to compare them. Boating shops / chandlers usually
have a good selection and tend to be more keenly priced than the
"outdoor" shops.

Good luck navigating through the maze!

--

Dominic Sexton

kevin.harrison2 said:

Thanks for the replies to date - I'd not realised the Explorists couldn't
link to the PC. I'd not considered the Geko but will look now.

Quoted message said:

I'm also thinking of spending a little more - possibly the Garmin Venture or
Legend. Do the comments about the etrex software being old and unlikely to
be updated apply to the these too?

Not to the new C (colour) variants, which are completely new hardware
and software inside a similar looking case. But they only have USB
(not RS232) serial connection.
--
Chris Malcolm [email hidden] +44 (0)131 651 3445 DoD #205
IPAB, Informatics, JCMB, King's Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JZ, UK
[http://www.dai.ed.ac.uk/homes/cam/]