Need help on GPS model - Deal or Dud?

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Preacher Man

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A friend is offering me a Magellan Explorist 200 for $50.00. The unit is in mint condition. I don't know enough about GPS units to know if this is a good opportunity or not. For driving I use my cell phone as a GPS. What I'm looking for is a GPS unit for outdoor use. I don't think I'll be using it that much, so I don't want to spend a lot on it, but I don't want to get something that's no good either or that will not deliver when I need it to. Online reviews show this model as a good beginner's unit, but it can't be linked to a computer. I don't know how that affects the unit's usability.

Can you guys shed some light on the subject? Is this a deal I shouldn't miss, or one I want to pass?
 
Magellan suck.....................Garmin only when it comes to GPS's.... Asking the guy why is he selling it ? look up info on line about that model ? reviews etc..you will quickly learn it is not worth the $50...
 
Here's some reviews (first three non-manufacturer sites from Google)
http://www.globalpositioningsystems...ml?PHPSESSID=70de4adabfd91808dfb1591deb5d1ba2
http://gpstracklog.typepad.com/gps_tracklog/2005/12/magellan_explor.html
http://www.epinions.com/pr-Magellan_Explorist_200_GPS_Receiver

All have good things to say. I'm still using a similarly equipped GPSr myself for geocaching , hiking and fishing. You may want to upgrade later, as this one doesn't have a PC link option and the screen is greyscale (black and white). It does include basemaps though.

I'm going to counter tony's post and say go for it. The 'best' gps units are probably Corvallis or Trimble, but that's surveyor-grade stuff.
 
well In my experiance,trimble is outdated and obsolete in aviation/coast guards and by every manufacture out there Garmin leads the way ,by land/sea/air ... not random spouting I know by using !
 
The question posed by the OP was Explorist vs $50. As you well know from experience, tony, the Magellan vs Garmin argument is a non-constructive circle that is best avoided.

Simply put, a brand new Explorist 210 for $50 is a good deal. I'd love to hear your thoughts on why there's such a gap between the two brands (bearing in mind the market that the OP is looking at), although I don't know how well it will contribute to answering the OP's question.

It's unfortunate that you think I was suggesting you were randomly spouting. That's not the case.
 
I would say if you are just going to use the GPS to make sure you dont get lost and find how far you are from what ever point as the crow flies you cant go wrong with that GPS unit. I do have 2 Garmin 60cx which i realy like. I still own the Magellan 315 and for basic out doors it does just fine. I used it for backpacking and set up routes. So go for it and you would be very happy ... BUY IT.

Sasha
 
:thumbdn:Stay away from Magellan's....they are really poor compared with Garmins.
 
Magellan is not so bad unless you have problems and there customer service is not up to par.. But i realy didnt have any problem with my old 315 and it still about as acurate as my brand new 60cx from garmin.. yes i did compare the two.
 
Try to find a Garmin for $50. . . I have no experience with the Magellan Explorist, but for $50 it's hard to go wrong. Take it for a test drive and if it works, go for it.
 
Thank you all for your responces. I think that I will take the unit for a test drive and see how I like it.
 
ras said:
Try to find a Garmin for $50. . . I have no experience with the Magellan Explorist, but for $50 it's hard to go wrong. Take it for a test drive and if it works, go for it.
Click to expand...

Well said.

I use a Garman 60CSx for geocaching and wouldn't use anything else; But, I have friends using all of the different Magellan Explorist models for geocaching, and they swear by them.

For $50 I don't think you can go wrong; (as long as it works).:D
 
I have a Magellan Explorist 300 and have just recently upgraded to the Garmin 60csx for the following reasons. My Explorist had no easy way to get track info out of the unit, poor quality display and maps that couldn't be upgraded, poor startup time and antenna signal strength was poor, no signal indoors or in heavy cover. Battery life is poor. Positives: It did provide accurate positions when I compared to commercial DGPS at work and it did get me out of the woods when I am lost and a pretty handy compass. If you want the most basic GPS unit, Fifty Bucks, I'd don't see why not for the money.
 
My Magellan broke within 1 year. Sending it back to the company for repair was an ordeal involving a 90 min wait for a rep and then having to go thru a list of stock questions asked of me in such poor english I was nearly unable to understand them.

Even worse was the rep who was from India or Pakistan apparently could only understand very basic English.

Then they sent me a note that said that the Credit Card info I gave them was not valid.

My card WAS valid so I called back customer service, went thru the same list till the person would FINALLY let me tell them about the problem.

Unfortunately normally when there is a problem like this the rep reads your CC data back to you and you can see it's a number written down wrong and can straighten it out. This didn't happen with the rep I just gave it to her again and asked if it was all ok which she couldn't answer.

Then about a week later my unit came back. Unrepaired with a note that the credit card info being invalid.

I then emailed the company and asked could I please talk to someone about this who understood English.

I got an email back my repair order had been re opened and to please call the same line I'd been calling to give them my info.

I threw the F--king unit in the trash. The problem (according to them) was the circuit board had shorted out. Because I couldn't find the sales slip it wasn't covered by warranty even though how would a short be my fault, and the price they quoted to fix it, which I was willing to pay was nearly the cost of the unit new:thumbdn:

So avoid them. The unit was junk. Customer service sucked. Never buy a Magellan.
 
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