[Az-Geocaching] Am I missing something - Magellen 200s

az_pistolero az_pistolero at mac.com
Tue Nov 14 16:19:43 MST 2006


I need to chime in that I like my GPS-V ($149).  Lets me download  
enough maps to cover a large city, albeit slowly over a serial link,  
and it'll do road routes.   The unit can also hold the Garmin Topos  
(hidden until you turn off the MapSource maps).   Runs for weeks on 4- 
AA batteries, I use the rechargeable type and carry a set of alkaline  
batteries as a backup.

Jon

On Nov 13, 2006, at 8:18 PM, Steven Stringham wrote:

> I concur - I LOVE my 60csx. This is a unit with GREAT reception. That
> being said, it is also a lot more expensive than the other units.
>
> What I was really complaining about was the STUPID decision by SOME  
> JERK
> who did not put a PC interface on a GPS. What kind of  idiotic  
> decision
> was that? It basically makes the unit completely, totally without  
> value.
>
> And, then I found this site:
> http://rhamphorinkx.newmail.ru/connect.htm
> And this ebay site:
> http://cgi.ebay.com/USB-data-cable-for-Magellan- 
> eXplorist-100-200-300_W0QQitemZ200045702470QQihZ010QQcategoryZ94874QQr 
> dZ1QQcmdZViewItem
>
> So, it might have an interface available for it. But, it is pretty  
> ugly.
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Guy Aldrich wrote:
>> I have to say the Garmin 60CSX is the most accurate unit I've seen
>> under all conditions and I have a Magellan meridian and a explorist
>> 210. With that new Cirf chip it seems to get you to ground zero
>> quicker . The explorist 210 has the most bang for the buck,You really
>> don't need a PDA because it displays type of container,full
>> name,terrain,difficulty,date last found and the full hint.
>>
>> On 11/13/06, Brian Casteel <bcasteel at uccinc.net> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I don't recall having problems like that in most cases.  In fact,  
>>> often
>>> times while sitting on my butt writing my cache log, I'll look  
>>> over to the
>>> GPS and watch it flirt with 0' on a regular basis.  If it happens  
>>> to get no
>>> closer than 5' on a cache, I'd consider that quite excellent  
>>> overall.
>>> Magellan has advantages over Garmin and likewise Garmin over  
>>> Magellan.  The
>>> most obvious between the 2 is the abundance of mapping software  
>>> options
>>> Garmin has available to the very limited Magellan options.  Of  
>>> course, with
>>> the newer gen Garmin units, satellite acquisition is much better  
>>> with the
>>> new SeRF chip.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Brian
>>>
>>> Team A.I.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>  ________________________________
>>>
>>>
>>> From: az-geocaching-bounces at listserv.azgeocaching.com
>>> [mailto:az-geocaching-bounces at listserv.azgeocaching.com] On
>>> Behalf Of Cordell Harris
>>>  Sent: Monday, November 13, 2006 10:06 AM
>>>  To: listserv at azgeocaching.com
>>>  Subject: Re: [Az-Geocaching] Am I missing something - Magellen 200s
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> OK Scott.  Did I fail to mention that we have had the opportunity  
>>> to compare
>>> the performance of (7) seven Magellan and Garmins against each  
>>> other while
>>> doing something like 500 plus caches all over the US.  In my  
>>> original
>>> missive a forgot about the emap unit.  The units we used are the  
>>> Garmin
>>> Emap, 76CS, Etrex Legend, Etrex Legend Vista Cx. The 3 Magellans  
>>> were all
>>> Sportrack Pros.  We seem to keep dropping them!  Maybe I should  
>>> also note
>>> that none of the units failed operationally. Of all the Garmins  
>>> the Etrex
>>> Legend is the best, e.g. sensititivy and accuracy.  All the  
>>> others have/had
>>> serious errors of 7 to 10 ft on the high resolution scale.  These  
>>> errors are
>>> consistent with caches that were placed by careful knowledgeable  
>>> cachers.
>>> We have also had opportunity to compare waypoints established  
>>> scientifically
>>> by standards.  The  3 Magellan Sportrack Pros were all perfect  
>>> replicas and
>>> were dead on.  I am not hostile toward Garmin, but cannot ignore  
>>> results.
>>> Both mapsource and mapsend topos (I have both) will allow  
>>> exchange of
>>> waypoints but not maps.  What I would like to be able to do is  
>>> use Delorme
>>> topo maps (superior) in either or both brands of receivers with  
>>> Garmin
>>> waypoint symbols.  My backhand at Garmin is simply because they  
>>> are the
>>> industry leaders in terms of sales and promotions and for now get  
>>> to set the
>>> trend.  Magellan Sportrack Pros are a great deal and very  
>>> adequate for
>>> geocaching.  I repeat my offer to trade the etrex legend vista Cx  
>>> for a
>>> eXplorist 500.  There is nothing wrong with the vista Cx except  
>>> the offset
>>> mentioned above.
>>>
>>>
>>> On 11/13/06, Roping The Wind <arizcowboy at hotmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> From: "Cordell Harris" <cordh5 at gmail.com>
>>>
>>>> Magellan has better, more user friendly receivers that are more  
>>>> sensitive
>>>> and accurate.  If >unconvinced, try caching with the owner of a  
>>>> Magellan
>>>> Sportrack Pro. Presently, we own two >Garmins a etrex legend and  
>>>> an etrex
>>>> legend vista cx.
>>>
>>>  The etrex line uses a patch antenna, which IMHO, is crap.  
>>> Upgrade to the
>>> new
>>>  60CSX and you will probably never see anything more accurate. I  
>>> do not
>>>  beleive that you can compare two GPS units for accuracy on a single
>>> geocache
>>>  or any geocache for that matter. The cache owner's coordinates  
>>> could be off
>>>  for one. Also, both your GPS units will give slightly different  
>>> readings on
>>>  where the cache is supposed to be. To find true accuracy, take a  
>>> waypoint
>>>  and mark it with your GPS. Of course, with any GPS, you have to  
>>> leave it
>>>  there for a few minutes for a most accurate reading (too many  
>>> inexperienced
>>>  cachers hide a cache, hit mark on their GPS and leave and dont  
>>> allow the
>>> GPS
>>>  to average location). Now, walk away a few hundred feet or more  
>>> and then
>>>  come back to ground zero and see where your GPS takes you. Do  
>>> this with two
>>>  units that you want to compare and see which one is most accurate.
>>>
>>>  Of course, as Loran said, all GPS's these days are decently  
>>> accurate. They
>>>  will all take you to a waypoint and get you within 30 feet or  
>>> less. Do the
>>>  example above once and you will find that both GPS's did their  
>>> job well
>>>  enough. If you want to find truly which unit is better, with  
>>> there still
>>>  being slight errors in GPS's, you will still need to do the  
>>> example above
>>>  several times to average your results out to truly see which  
>>> unit is
>>> better.
>>>  Seems nit picky. Well it is... as I just said, all GPS's are  
>>> accurate
>>>  enough. Still, if you want a GPS for just geocaching or marking  
>>> waypoints,
>>>  then a patch antenna Etrex or a Magellan GPS Blazer 12 (now that is
>>> ancient!
>>>  and I have one too) is all you need. If you want to mark a  
>>> little hole in
>>>  the ground that an ant just went in to and then come back a week  
>>> later to
>>>  find it... then you need to spend the bigger dollars for a unit  
>>> with a 12
>>>  channel SiRFstar III high-sensitivity (WAAS-enabled) chip and  
>>> built-in quad
>>>  helix antenna, with external antenna connection (like the Garmin  
>>> 60csX).
>>>  Either units will get you to a geocache or any point for that  
>>> matter. But
>>>  the latter technology will, on average, get you to a specific  
>>> point more
>>>  consistantly.
>>>
>>>> Garmins are overpriced/overrated and as industry leaders don't  
>>>> like the
>>>> strangle hold they maintain >on proprietary mapping software.   
>>>> We badly
>>>> need mapping software that will function universally in >handhelds.
>>>
>>>  Correct me if I am wrong, but doesnt Magellan also use  
>>> proprietary mapping
>>>  software? (Mapsend). I could be wrong on this, but I beleive  
>>> both Magellan
>>>  and Garmin have their own specific mapping software that must be  
>>> used for
>>>  mapping. I think both brands will accept some other mapping  
>>> software, but
>>>  only for uploading and transfering of waypoints, tracks, etc and  
>>> not maps.
>>>  If you want maps in your unit, you have to use their own mapping  
>>> software
>>>  (Mapsend or Mapsource).
>>>
>>>  Scott
>>>  Team Ropingthewind
>>>
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