Product Description
Weekend warriors find yourselves on the map in living color with the largest color screen in a rugged GPS handheld. The easy-to-use eXplorist XL delivers quick access to key features, plus limitless map storage via the built-in SD card reader/writer. 14 parallel channels with WAAS enabled Back-lighted keypad with Joystick on front housing Easy switching between map files. In a few clicks, change from Street maps to Topo maps to Lakes maps. Dimensions (HxWxD) - 6.4x2.9x1.33
Customer Reviews:
Stay away from this one.......2007-11-03
First the first level technical support is terible and the second level technical support is non existant. Letters to the corporate office go unanswered.
I bought it a year ago and have had it in the field twice. It is my fifth Magellan GPS. I continue to use my meridian color.
The base map is terible... for instance it does not show the Hudson or Misissippi rivers. The base map is used at higher zoom levels even when you load a detailed map. This makes getting a "overview" impossible. It took over 1 1/2 months of calls to customer support to tell me that the map as as designed.
The unit is heavy and the battery life for 4 batteries seems the same as the color unit with it's 2 batteries. The size and weight are a tradeoff for the bigger screen.
I use mapsend 3d software and have 3 reistered versions yes one for each of the Magellans that I still own. I dug the XL out last week to give it another try, the annoyance had worn down a little, only to find that the version 1.50 of the software would not let me change back to the XL from using it with my Color unit. I messed up up on this. Support told me that there was no fix except to buy a new copy of the program. If you purchase software you must strictly regulate that it is used only for the XL unit ... If you change it it may not let you change it back.
Magellan is still very good at getting a fix and retaining it and processing the map and gps data..
Excellent Multipurpose GPS.......2007-10-02
This is a great all around GPS unit. This GPS is not for someone who will exclusively use it in a vehicle. Nor is it the best GPS for someone who will use it only for hiking. It is the best of both worlds.
I fish, camp, hike, hunt and drive. So I wanted a GPS that is portable and could do street routing and display topo maps. The XL's screen size rivals most dashboard mounted GPS units. The screen is twice as big as the screens on the other GPS units in the Explorist series. This makes for a great GPS to drive with.
The Explorist XL uses AA size batteries (4) which is a must if you are going to be away from a power source. If you plan to hike with a GPS you need a standard size battery so you can bring extra. I use rechargeable AA batteries in my unit but I always have AA backups in case I need power and don't have a means to recharge.
This unit was an upgrade for me from the Magellan Meridian Color. The Meridian is about the same physical size as the Explorist XL but the Explorist XL screen is twice as big. After owning other Megellan handheld GPS units for about 6 years I like these units very much. But Magellan's customer and technical support is horrible! Also the software for detailed maps can be pricey ($149) but it is a must if you have one of these units.
Avoid Magellan GPS Products!.......2007-05-25
There are some very good Amazon reviewers here doing a fine job detailing the pro's and cons of this item, so I'm not going to waste your time detailing the unit. I own this and two other previous generations of magellan higher end color GPSs, so I think I'm pretty qualified to offer an opinion to my fellow GPS users. I have no axe to grind, don't work for a GPS company and just want to save my fellow explorers headache & stress.
GPS units rely heavily upon firmware, techincal support, map software and map software updates. No mater how feature rich, ergonomic or well priced a GPS unit appears (all of which has drawn me to Magellen GPSs), without the back-end software tools & support, the product is a failure. Magellan (Thales) has failed miserably providing quality in any of these areas over three generations and 4 years of products. I have spent nearly 100 hours troubleshooting their firmware update failures, searching for correct firmware, talking to them about promised map updates that never came, waiting months for warranty returned products that fail withing minutes of return, customizing PC data interfaces to insure reliability, talking to useless call centers in India ...the list goes on and on. If I wasn't a skilled and experenced network engineer/pc geek, I would have shot myself years ago due to the troubles I've run into with Magellan GPS products. I would go out of my way to insure a friend would never buy a Magellan product, and would even go so far as insuring that my boss avoided one (and I don't like him all that much!). Look to the other GPS company for nearly trouble free products and support, becuase you will find neither with Magellan! Nuff said?
GPS Upgrade.......2007-04-15
I have owned a Magellan GPS since 2003, the Meridian Platinum, it recently lost its display forcing me to look for an upgrade. The closest unit to the Meridian was the Explorest 600, but I opted for the Large display on the XL.
I do miss some of the navagation screens the Meridian had. But I am starting to get use to the XL. I laso purchased the Direct Route NA 3.0 and they work well together. Only had it for 2 weeks so I will update this in a month or so.
Magellan Explorist XL Evaluation.......2007-03-18
Signal reception - excellent. Accuracy - excellent. Screen display - best on market! Joystick control - a dream. PC/Unit software interface - OK (you have to understand the logic behind their programming). If you have problems with XL's heavy weight and low battery life - DEAL WITH IT! because you'll be using an exceptionally good product.
Product Description
980812-01 EXPLORIST-XL - Magellan handheld GPS "eXplorist XL" - Compact mapping GPS - Largest (3.5") color display available in rugged handheld GPS systems - 30 MB available memory - MapSend map compatibility - Easy-to-use one-button access to key features and simple menus with keypad and joystick - Robust built-in North American basemap makes it easy to navigate - Unlimited SD-card expandability - Advanced file memory system allows user to easily save, organize and access optional MapSend maps, POIs or tracks - High-speed USB data port - TrueFix technology takes advantage of 14 parallel channels, 2 dedicated WAAS and EGNOS satellite-based augmentation systems channels for fast signal acquisition, minimal signal loss, and reliable accuracy to within 3 meters - Area calculation: select the points of interest on the map and the eXplorist XL will determine the area between them and the perimeter around them - Vertical profile: use this function to determine how steep the trail ahead will be - Geocache Manager: download geocache coordinates from Internet sites and use them on your outdoor adventures. - Multi-lingual menu: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Finnish, Portuguese, Dutch, Norwegian - Track logging: store up to 5 track log files, each with 2000 track-points, to the internal memory and store an unlimited amount of track log files to optional SD cards - Navigation screens: view speed, direction, distance to destination - No service fees - Monitors satellite status - 4 Standard or rechargeable AA batteries provide up to 19 hours of continuous use - Power management tool sets automatic backlight and power shut off - Rubber armored, impact resistant plastic - Waterproof to IPX-7 standards - 1 Year manufacturer's warranty - BlackPackage Contents: - Unit - USB data cable - MapSend software DVD - Manual - Quick start guideMGEXPLORXL
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful IF you don't use Windows Vista.......2007-06-19
purchased the Magellan explorist XL in Feb. '07. Since then I've been absolutely disappointed. At the time I was running Windows XP Pro at home and loved the GPS USB cord and being able to upload my tracks into Google Earth. Unfortunately I upgraded to Windows Vista Enterprise due to necessity. I have made numerous calls to Magellan about the fact that the GPS isn't compatible with Vista and have always gotten the same non-committal response. "We'll have drivers in about 2 months." I call back every two months and get told the same thing by the outsourced, barely understandable customer service. I mean, how hard is it to put together a USB driver? It's not! It's now almost 7 months since Vista was retail released. This unit is wonderful if you are using an OS other than Vista or if you don't mind the constant swapping of a SD Card between the GPS and your computer. If you only use Vista, save yourself the hassle and look for another manufacturer.
What a screen.......2006-09-06
I recently purchased the XL after my Sportrak Color failed to connect to the computer any more. Magellan will fix it, but with limitations of the old, I thought I would just replace it. What a difference! I used both this weekend while Geocaching, and they both acquired the signal at the exact same moment, both had the same accuracy, and both were easy to use, but the XL has a much larger and brighter screen. I am very pleased with this product!
Another bonus - geocaching points are incredibly easy to input through the use of the supplied Geocaching Manager software. It even has a link directly to [...]! Upload took less than a second once I entered the points I wanted to go to.
Now the downsides - with my old unit, I could connect the unit to the computer, and upload maps, regions - whatever - to my unit directly from the software. I now have to export the data to a file, then upload to the GPS separately. Kind of a pain, but much quicker once you have those files created. It would take 30 minutes before to upload a new region, not it goes much faster. Also, it comes with USB, so I don't have to mess with another cable to make the connection. Also, this unit has the capability of using an SD card - which means I can upload the entire US from Direct Route without having to wait every time I move into a new region. Switching between maps is very easy.
Another downside - don't call Magellan for Tech support. You're better off figuring it out on your own. You will speak to someone in India who apparently needs to look up EVERY support question. They'll put you on hold for "just 2 minutes" after you tell them what's wrong. They'll come back on and say "try this" - I already did. Then they'll put you on hold for "just 2 minutes". I went through this for over an hour one night. And any time I've tried to call them, you'll find that you're on hold for quite some time before reaching a breathing human.
Final downside - I'm not able to find accessories for this locally. This includes at our Sporting Good giants (like Cabela's).
BUT - let me say this again - I love this new unit. There are some navigation changes with the unit, but they've made some great improvements.
Product Description
Why is the Hybrid AA battery better? The Hybrid AA Battery is the next step in battery evolution. Original Alkaline batteries could only be used once and had to be thrown away. Bad for the environment, and bad for your wallet. Why throw money away? Nimh Rechargeable batteries were the solution, they could be used over and over again, but they had to be charged right out of the package, and would slowly drain even when not being used. If left sitting for a few months after being charged it would drain completely. The latest and greatest battery technological improvement, the Hybrid AA, overcomes these limitations by being ready to use right out of the package and holding it's charge up to four times as long. You can charge your batteries and they will be ready to go when you need them, no more charging immediately before use. *These batteries will work with any device that uses AA batteries, and replace any obsolete Alkaline AA or Nimh AA batteries.* COMPATIBLE w/ Magellan GPS Handheld Navigator eXplorist 100 210 600 XL 200 300 North America / Triton 1500 / 2000
Product Description
Pro Power Smart and Super Fast International charger is great for either International or Local User. It comes with 4 snap-on plugs suited for 160 world locations. Its compact size allows you to keep it in your pocket or we have provided you with convenient scratch guard protector Bag for Storage and Transportation. The charger comes with FOUR 2700 AA Rechargeable Nimh Batteries that are currently the most powerful and longest lasting batteries available. Can be recharged up to a 1000 Times! Forget about your camera ever running out of power or any other electronic device charged with AA/AAA batteries. It simply makes your life and travel Simple. Full compatibility: Magellan eXplorist 100 - 210 600 - XL eXplorist 200 / 300 North America - Magellan Triton 1500 / 2000
Product Description
The largest color display in a rugged GPS and a remarkable 30 MB available memory, SD card expandability, plus high-speed USB data port and MapSend map compatibility make your eXplorist XL the ultimate multi-use GPS.Add optional MapSend topo maps for your outdoor adventure on the trail, street maps for turn-by-turn auto navigation on the road, and lake charts for your boating and fishing adventures on the water. Easy-to-use one-button access to key features and simple menus make GPS navigation easier than ever.
Cheap Consumer Electronics:
- Magellan Maestro 3140 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
- Magellan Meridian Color Handheld GPS Navigator (16 MB)
- Magellan Meridian Gold Handheld GPS
- Magellan RoadMate 2200T Portable GPS Navigator, Silver
- Magellan RoadMate 3000T Portable GPS Navigator and MP3 Player
- Magellan RoadMate 6000T Portable GPS Navigator
- Magellan RoadMate 800 Portable GPS Navigator
- Magellan RoadMate 800 Portable GPS Navigator
- Magellan RoadMate 800 Portable GPS Navigator
- Magellan RoadMate 800 Portable GPS Navigator
Cheap Consumer Electronics List
Cheap Consumer Electronics
Handheld GPS
|
GPS & Navigation
|
Categories
|
Electronics
|
MP3 GPS
|
Mapping GPS
|
Outdoor & Camping GPS
|
PDA & Mobile GPS
|
Sports & Fitness GPS
|
Traffic-Enabled GPS
|
Travel GPS
|
Two-Way Radio GPS
Magellan 980847 USB Cable for the eXplorist XL
Magellan 980850 Clip Case
Magellan 730387 12v Cigarette Lighter Adapter Cable for the eXplorist Series
Magellan USA 3-D Mapsend Topo Software
Magellan eXplorist Carrying Case with Belt Clip
Magellan External Power Cable with Cigarette Lighter Adapter
Garmin 010-10085-00 DC Power Adapter
Magellan Meridian Canvas Carrying Case
Magellan Meridian Swivel Mount Bracket
Magellan Meridian External Power Cable with Cigarette Lighter Adapter
