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Garmin Colorado 400t Handheld GPS Unit with U S Topographic Preloaded Maps

June 25th, 2009 GPS Reviews No comments

Garmin Colorado 400t Handheld GPS Unit with U S Topographic Preloaded Maps




This rugged, advanced handheld is packed with detailed topographic maps for all your hiking adventures not to mention 3-D map view, a high-sensitivity receiver, barometric altimeter, electronic compass, SD card slot, picture viewer and color display. Exchange tracks, waypoints, routes and geocaches wirelessly between similar units. Slim, lightweight and waterproof, Colorado is the perfect companion for all your outdoor pursuits.

Watch an interactive demo.

Share Wirelessly
With Colorado 300 you can share your waypoints, tracks, routes and geocaches wirelessly with other Colorado users. Now you can send your favorite hike to your buddy to enjoy or the location of a cache to find. Sharing data is easy. Just select “send” to transfer your information to other Colorado units.

Keep Your Fix
With its high-sensitivity, WAAS-enabled GPS receiver, Colorado 300 locates your position quickly and precisely and maintains its GPS location even in heavy cover and deep canyons. The advantage is clear — whether you’re in deep woods or just near tall buildings and trees, you can count on Colorado to help you find your way when you need it the most.


Explore More
basemap 3D Colorado’s preloaded U.S. topographic maps, 3-D map view and a built-in worldwide basemap with shaded relief give you all the tools for serious climbing or hiking. Map detail includes national, state and local parks and forests, along with terrain contours, elevation information, trails, rivers, lakes and points of interest.

Just in case you’re wondering how steep that hill really is, Colorado’s 3-D map view helps you visualize your surroundings — giving you a better perspective of the elevation.



Expand Your Horizons
streets topo coastal The Colorado also accepts SD cards, so you can use Garmin preprogrammed SD cards to add maps that serve any and all of your outdoor activities on land or water. Just take your pick from a wide selection, including street maps, topographic maps, coastal charts or inland lake data. The card slot is located inside the waterproof battery compartment, so you don’t have to worry about getting it wet.


Rock on. Find Fun
rocker wheel waypoints Colorado’s innovative Rock `n Roller input wheel for easy one-handed operation and intuitive screen interface make it as easy to navigate the device as the outdoors.

Customize Colorado’s interface based on your favorite activity.

Even show off photos of your excursions with its picture viewer.


Experience Paperless Geocaching
notes Colorado supports Geocaching.com GPX files for downloading geocaches and detail straight to your unit. You’ll have at-a-glance cache descriptions and details to aid in your search.


Get Your Bearings
compass altimeter Colorado has a built-in electronic compass that provides bearing information even while you’re standing still.

Its barometric altimeter tracks changes in pressure to pinpoint your precise altitude. View elevation data before you begin your ascent or descent. You can even use the altimeter to plot barometric pressure over time, which can help you keep an eye on changing weather conditions.

Interactive Demo

User Ratings and Reviews

3 Stars Topo map trails.
The pre loaded topo map trails are not accurate, spicifically the Pacific Crest Trail in the southern Sierra Wilderness in southern California, in the Sierra Navada Mountains. Otherwise I love the unit.

3 Stars Great unit, bad battery situation.
I have a Garmin Vista. It goes 24 hours per battery set. This thing needs a set of batteries per day in the field. As you still need a paper map, I returned it.

4 Stars What to say that hasn’t been said…
I love this unit, it’s my first GPSu I’ve taken it snowshoeing and hiking, and forest road exploring, and saved some mountain bikers from a purgatory of unmarked forestry roads (they were already about 2 miles off course when we bumped into them and they didn’t even know it) and so far I can’t find a road in the city or in the hills that it doesn’t know about, with trail heads listed, I don’t have to say “I hope this is the right road” ever again, I use the word ROAD loosely.

The GPS status display is very informative, tracking on foot with good Sat coverage accuracy tends to hang out around 5-6 yards, In the car it’s usually around 10-15 yards, one thing to note is, turn it on before you start driving or while you’re at a stop, it doesn’t like to lock on while moving, but once it’s on and locked it will track at high speed just fine.

Battery life is as advertised! I’m using recargable NiMH and as long as I limit backlight usage I can easily get 12 hours out of one set.

The preloaded topo is fantastic! So much information and so many POI’s, parks,little dam’s, and peaks I’ve been past many times before without ever knowing. The city base map however is a tease, it has the streets listed so you can use it like a map and see where you are, but it doesn’t lock onto streets, it views them as a background, so without buying the city software, when you set a destination it makes a straight line from you to it, I guess this might work if you commute in a small aircraft though!

I’m very happy with the product, but for the price I think the city nav should have been included, that’s why I knocked off a star. On the other hand I can’t blame Garmin for their business model as everyone needs to make a living.

4 Stars Great performer but battery hungry
This is a great unit; very accurate and easy to use. Be prepared to spend a little while getting used to the menu layout as some items you might expect to appear under one menu appear under another menu entry. But apart from the small “learning curve” this is a very nice GPS unit. The roller-style control is very easy to use and the “tracks” feature is particularly well developed in this unit. The only real issue is that the battery life can be quite short. However, there are three tips which will help you get a good 14 to 15 hours of continuous use. First, don’t use the back-light unless absolutely necessary (fairly obvious, really). Second, select the auto record setting in the “tracks” function to “update least frequently”. This second expedient seems to double the battery life and the unit still seems to update every 5 seconds or so (how far can you walk in 5 seconds anyway??). Third, if you use nickel metal hydride batteries make sure they are REALLY fully charged. Don’t use a rapid charge cycle (charge instead over night using a standard charger) as this gets the batteries hot and the total charge is dramatically reduced. Without these measures, I could only get an hour or two of operation when I first received the unit. Not using the back light added another hour of use and minimizing the “tracks” update frequency added another 4 hours of use. Finally figuring out what was going on with my battery charger resulted in a good 14+ hours of continuous use.

5 Stars First One
This is my first handheld GPS device. I bought it to GeoCache. It works well and has many features I like. The only knock is that the learning curve (expecially how to use it with my computer) was longer that it needed to be if there was a better manual.

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GARMIN 010 10723 02 Carrying Case For Nuvi Series Travel Assistant

June 22nd, 2009 GPS Reviews No comments

GARMIN 010 10723 02 Carrying Case For Nuvi Series Travel Assistant




Every Garmin product is designed to meet the most demanding standard: customers’ satisfaction. That’s why Garmin equipment is manufactured to give you reliable service for years to come, with intuitive features you can grow into over time – all at a price you can afford. Fits perfectly For nuvi 200- 250 – 260 – 270 – 350 – 360 – 370 Personal Travel Assistants

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Garmin case
We found the case to be convenient. You just have to remember to put the Garmin in the case “face down” so you keep your fingers off the top switch when time to take it out.

1 Star Pretty, but your GPS will fall out of this case
I own two Garmin Nuvi’s a 670 and 765. This particular case came as standard equipment with the 670. The first one allowed that 670 to drop out of the case if the open end was ever pointed anywhere near down. Gravity pulled that GPS out of there many times. I lost the original equpiment one, and replaced it with a newer version of this case. The GPS fit was a bit more snug, but the GPS could still slip out.

If you always carry your GPS with the open end of the case between parallel and vertical to the ground, this is a gorgeous useful case. If you are like most people, and sometimes let things go random directions, well your GPS will land on the floor.

In addition, the little open pouch you see on the front of this unit, absolutely nothing fits inside there. I think you might get a piece of paper to fit in there, but certainly no SD cards (unless you want this hideous bulge on the outside of the case). That is certainly a major waste of fine leather.

One positive thing about this case, the leather is nice.

Look for the Garmin carrying case with the flap. That one will never ever let your GPS fall out.

5 Stars GARMIN nuvi 255 case
This case is a perfect fit for the Garmin nuvi 255. There is no need for a strap to hold the unit in the case, as it is a nice snug fit. Perhaps a “belt loop” would have been nice, but if you are looking for a case to protect your GPS when you put it in a purse or glove compartment this one will do the job.

2 Stars Overpriced, but what choice do you have?
I’m giving this item 2-stars mainly based upon price. At the time of my purchase, this item is over $12.00. It’s a small case that is made in China (what isn’t these days) which probably cost around $1.00 to produce. I which other companies would come out with alternative cases. The only one I find is from Case Logic and is over 10-inches long, so it will not fit in many glove compartments, though you can put the power cord inside it. I purchased this case simply because I didn’t see another option.

I find it amusing that on the back of the package is written “Durable case protects your GPS and keeps all accessories together. KEEPS ALL ACCESSORIES TOGETHER??? I guess someone in China wrote that also and it got mixed-up in translation. ;-)

4 Stars Fits the need – snug fit – watch the power switch!
What can I say – it is a case. My Nuvi fits snugly inside and looks fine. Not sure it affords much protection in terms of cushion, but it will save the screen from other objects in the pocket or my wife’s purse.

Only annoyance: you really need to watch how you put the Nuvi in or you will inadvertently switch it on. The switch side needs to be by the opening.

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Magellan Triton 2000 Handheld Navigation System

June 18th, 2009 GPS Reviews No comments

Magellan Triton 2000 Handheld Navigation System




Reinventing handheld GPS, the Triton 2000 is the first of its kind, ultimate outdoor GPS. Amazingly easy to use, the large, 2.7″ color touch screen makes it simple to navigate the intuitive menus and control navigation features with a touch.

Use our exclusive VantagePoint software to easily manage and upload detailed maps, user generated content, updates and upgrades on your PC. View saved routes and tracks. Customize them for future trips or create new ones.

Use your own SD-cards, up to 4 GB, to save photos and sounds, store routes and waypoints and add an unlimited number of detailed maps. It’s easy to expand your navigation capabilities with optional topographic maps, marine cartography, and other applications. Find your way on all your outdoor adventures. Plus, Triton is the first handheld GPS to offer compatibility with National Geographic TOPO! State series and Weekend Explorer 3D maps. These highly detailed nation-wide topographic maps based on USGS 1:24.000 series quads, offer seamless scalability, multi-layer overlays and much more.

Use the 2 mega pixel camera to capture images of your journey. Snap a shot of the amazing view, your adventuring companions and your found geocache or favorite campsite to attach to a waypoint or just to capture the moment. Share your images with friends and family, download the pictures to your PC for posting to the Web, email friends and family or create prints.

Record audio notes for waypoints and play them back with the built-in microphone and speaker. A powerful, low battery consumption LED flashlight helps you find your way in the dark: an invaluable tool for camping and other outdoor recreation.

Additional advanced features include a 3-axis electronic compass and built-in barometer. The electronic compass shows your direction even when standing still and no matter how you hold the unit. The barometer gives you advance notice on the changing weather and helps provide a highly accurate elevation reading.

Triton

User Ratings and Reviews

1 Star GOOD PRODUCT….BAD SUPPORT
You can use it only in USA. Just roads maps. Good product…but limited because of the support. I sold it

3 Stars Good, but slow and cumbersome software
I’ve been using this device for biology for about a year now and in fact, the software has improved dramatically, but it still has a ways to go. I find the processor VERY SLOW at times. Yes, all caps. The features buttons are often cranky and stiff – thus needing a good push to work. The touch screen is great – kudos on that feature. I compared reliability to a Magellan sub-meter GPS unit in open grassland and its +/- a meter – that’s pretty sharp! I hope that Magellan still works on their end of the software – last release was 6 months ago and it needs some tuning for sure! Certainly you must update to the 11/28/08 update, otherwise the device is unusable.

4 Stars Great GPS, terrible documentation
Now that I have this GPS working with maps from TOPO! loaded in the SD card, this is a fantastic device for locating myself while hiking. The receiver works really well, and I have had no problems with the system crashing. There are lots of nice features, and I’m getting used to the menus quickly. Perhaps Magellan and National Geographic have worked out some of the bugs that bedeviled the initial release of the Triton series.

For context: I started using TOPO! in 1998, before Wildflower Productions was taken over by National Geographic, and I am used to using survey grade GPS devices and connecting them to computers. Even with this background, it took me over two hours to figure out how the get the Triton to negotiate with my computer. Magellan documentation for the Triton is hopeless. NG has a very useful support page that describes how to set up the Triton for communicating with TOPO!, but it is difficult to locate on their web page and it is not entirely accurate. But now that I know what to do, transferring maps is quick and easy, and the device works well.

Magellan’s gps software, Vantage Point, is poorly documented and not very robust. Also, the documentation for the camera (which is not a very good camera) and the mp3 player are pretty much non-existent. Apparently, Magellan has a lot of faith in the abilities of the American consumer.

Final thought: this is the future of GPS. Who wants to use a device where all you see is a blank screen with a marching stick figure or highways? If you are out hiking, especially off trail, you need to see where you are on detailed topo maps. Garmin sells 1:100,000 topographic maps , but these are worthless compared to the 1:24,000 USGS topo maps that come with TOPO!. Yes, you have to purchase the topo maps from National Geographic, but you also have to buys maps from Garmin. Remember how awful the first digital cameras were? They got better because people bought them and financed the innovation that lead to the fantastic cameras we now enjoy. Magellan went out on a limb and created a great device that needs a bit of tweaking and a good manual; I’m happy to help support their innovation. Once the Triton is set up, it is very easy to use. I plan on using the Triton 500 for my college-level geology students.

1 Star Magellan Triton 2000
The Magellan Triton 2000 is a serious piece of junk! I use various GPSr all the time, daily, as an avid geocacher (TheAlabamaRambler), as a traveler and as a hunter and fisherman. I have owned 7 GPSr. I tried today to use a Triton 2000 to find 3 geocaches, hide 1, connect to my XP computer and load National Geographic TOPO software. It failed at every task. It even bombed out when calibrating the compass repeatedly! In five hours of intermittent daytime (no backlight) use it ate two sets of batteries. I never did get it to connect to the PC. Magellan tech support acknowleded that there is a “bug” in the installation software and said they’d call me back within 48 hours. I told them don’t bother and took this clunker back. The Garmin GPSmap 60CSx is a FAR superior GPSr.

5 Stars Misunderstood or Adopted too Early
I understand that there were a lot of problems with earlier firmware/software across this entire product line. All I can say is: Thanks! I am more pleased with the Triton 2000 than about any other electronics I have ever purchased, and I think the bad press led to the price drop. I use this baby every weekend when I go hiking in the (very desolate) mountains and deserts here in NM. Battery life is excellent, touch screen is bright and can be used with gloves, and the ability to automatically geotag the pictures I take of every petroglyph, mineral outcrop, ancient stone building, artifact, and panoramic view I have the benefit of stumbling across down here is almost beyond description. The NatGeo 7.5 minute topos are great, and there is good unlicensed software out there also. I definitely need the dustproof aspect, and being able to wash it in the sink is another bonus.

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Magellan Maestro 3200 3 5 Inch Portable GPS Navigator

June 14th, 2009 GPS Reviews No comments

Magellan Maestro 3200 3 5 Inch Portable GPS Navigator




Affordable, ultra-thin and amazingly easy to use, the Magellan Maestro 3200 enables you to find virtually anywhere in seconds without reading the instructions! The simple touch-screen menu presents easy options in brilliant color! The large 3.5″ touch screen shows your position on the interactive map, plus distance to the next turn, distance to destination, ETA, street names and more, all at a glance. Voice guidance offers worry-free driving with turn-by-turn directions so you can keep your eyes on the road. Easily find your way around town or from Florida to Washington with built-in maps of the 48 contiguous United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. 1.3 million pre-programmed Points of Interest (POI) enable you to search and select nearby services, and recreation and business locations. Find gas stations, restaurants, ATMs and more. Phone numbers are included (when available) so you can call ahead for information and reservations. The SiRFstarIII GPS receiver and built-in high-sensitivity antenna provide the fastest position acquisition in the industry for reliable navigation. QuickSpell intelligently searches and checks spelling so you can enter your destination with just few touches of the screen. SmartDetour prompts you to route around sudden slow freeway traffic. The integrated rechargeable battery provides cable-free navigation for up to three hours. Ultra-thin, pocket-sized, wireless and fully self-contained; take your Magellan Maestro anywhere for easy navigation! Auto night view – Adjusts color and contrast for easy night viewing SD-card compatibility – Back up your address book Digital music player – Listen to MP3 and WMA audio files from your own SD cards through the integrated speaker or standard headphone jack

User Ratings and Reviews

2 Stars I wouldn’t buy it again
I am very unhappy with the product. The directions are poor. It often takes me out of my way and then tells me to make a u-turn. Yesterday it told me to make a right off of the highway onto a side street and then make a u-turn, well, why not just make a left? Which is what I did. On the way home it sent me far out of my way to get to I-95 when there was a closer more direct way to have gone. The screen is hard to read. I liked my ViaMichelin much more, but it was stolen.

4 Stars Good product, but not outstanding
This product works as advertised, it will give you spoken directions to the place you designate. It is small, literally fits easily in a shirt pocket, and the image is readable, “voice” is loud enough to be easily understood, and battery life is good. It announces each juncture with a loud tone (you can choose from several options), and each point is indicated very precisely, enough to amaze passengers who have never used a GPS before. The screen clearly tells you at top and bottom what road your on now, and what road you’ll next be turning or exiting onto. One negative is that the library of Points of Interest is quite small–Small enough to be inadequate if you depend on them, rather than on entering addresses.

This is the third GPS I’ve had, each from a different major manufacturer, and I find that they all do the job, but each brand has different quirks–Both good and bad. The major good quirk for the Magellan 3200 is that when you are approaching an intersection or exit, the GPS presents you with a small abstract diagram of the intersection with the path you need to take clearly shown. This is not needed for a simple right turn at a “plus-shaped” intersection, but in some cases where you are exiting a freeway and after exiting will have to immediately choose one of three closely-spaced exits, it is very valuable! But you do have to be able to look at the screen, not always an easy thing in dense traffic. The negative quirk is that the Magellan 3200 doesn’t distinguish well between minor bends in a freeway versus exits or sharp turns. Sometimes after getting onto a freeway I like to know how far it is to the next exit–Can I relax for a couple of hours, or will I be exiting in two minutes? You’ll never find out from this device! It picks arbitrary points on the freeway (sometimes but not always on obvious slight curves) as waypoints, and will announce a junction upcoming. Till you get to the point, you’ll never know if it is a genuine exit, or if you will continue moving along the freeway as if nothing had happened. This is annoying, but not fatal. On the other hand, it sometimes announces “slight right turn ahead” and you will find yourself taking an exit and doing a 270 degree turn onto a new road!

I’ve had this for almost a year after buying it in an Amazon lightning deal. I feel I got more than my money’s worth out of it, but I do expect to replace it before long with a GPS that announces the streets and has a larger library of Points of Interest.

5 Stars Magellan Maestro—Love it!!!!!!!
I purchased this product and immediately put it to the test on a trip to Boston. This product saved me time and frustration. It was easy to use and accurate.

My only difficulty was with the mounting on the window shield, it has to be positioned just right in order for it to get the appropriate amount of suction. Highly, highly recommend this product.

1 Star terrible customer service
I purchased this item under a year ago and it already has problems. I took very good care of it and one day it just did not turn on. I mailed it back to the company and they have had it a month now. They are clueless and rude on the phone and I have no product now for 1 month and counting. I will not consider another magellan product or recommend one to anyone due to their incompetent customer service.

4 Stars Service From Amazon
The product is just fine. he service and customer help from Amazon leaves a great deal to be desired. As of today my account has not been credited with the return of the 2nd GPS I recived! And, when I go to MY Account to review status, it shows nothing about the GPS I purchased!

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Magellan Maestro 3225 3 5 Inch Portable GPS Navigator Factory Refurbished

June 12th, 2009 GPS Reviews No comments

Magellan Maestro 3225 3 5 Inch Portable GPS Navigator Factory Refurbished




Ultra-thin and stylish, Magellan Maestro 3225 offers amazingly easy-to-use GPS auto navigation at an affordable price. Travel throughout all 50 of the United States, plus Puerto Rico, and Canada. 1.3 million pre-programmed Points of Interest (POI) make it easy to find restaurants, gas stations, ATMs, the nearest coffee and more. Touch the simple menu on the large 3.5″ color display to get an instant route to virtually anywhere in seconds. The intuitive interactive screen shows your route and position on the map, plus distance to destination, arrival time, street names and more. Turn-by-turn voice guidance offers worry-free directions without even looking at the screen. SayWhere text-to-speech technology enables you to hear street names with each turn. Magellan’s QuickSpell feature intelligently searches and checks spelling while entering addresses and POIs, making it easy to find what you’re looking for with just few touches of the screen. Search POIs by name or category, near your position or near any city. Interactive onscreen icons show nearby services. Touch an icon to see the address and phone number (when available) and get an instant route. Store locations in the Address Book for easy navigation on recurring trips. Set the Home button to your house or any location to find your way back from virtually anywhere. And backup your personal data using your own SD cards. The SiRFstarIII GPS receiver and built-in high-sensitivity antenna pro

User Ratings and Reviews

4 Stars MAGELLAN GPS
I like my GPS. You can’t beat it for the price I paid. It hasn’t done me wrong so far. Very easy to use.

4 Stars Very satisfied!
I upgraded from the Magellan Maestro 3100. This model is the same system, but includes text-to-speech. I like the fact that you have the optin of inputing the zip code. Compared to other brands I have used, magellan is what I choose to buy for budget friendly gps. The casing is also attractive. I would recommend this to anyone who is in the market for an entry level gps.

5 Stars great for the price
For 1/2 the price of other GPS units (including refurbs), this unit does what it is supposed to do. It won’t give you the quickest route if you already know where you are traveling (like to your home as one reviewer mentioned), but that’s not the purpose of a GPS as I see it.

If you are traveling in an area you do not know or trying to find an address, then this does what it is supposed to do.

The fact that it speaks the street names and exits is an extra plus that was not on some of the other comparable units.

The maps may be two years old, but so are most of the roads, so not a big deal.

3 Stars ok for the price
info in it must be old because the first time i tried to enter an address, it said it didn’t exist. but usually it gets me where i want to go.

5 Stars GPS
This item was exactly as what was described. I got my old GPS stolen, and this one was great. And in great condition.

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