The Magellan eXplorist GC GPS sits in a sweet spot price that makes it an excellent entry point into the world of geocaching for the urban outdoorsman.
Customer rating
The Good :The Magellan eXplorist GC is a small GPS device that is rugged IPX-7 waterproof. The device is ready to go out of the box, preloaded with geocache and batteries included. All relevant information about a geocache can be accessed from the menu well organized eXplorist. The color screen has a place of great vision and not fade in direct sunlight.
The Bad :The device could really benefit from a touch screen. The lack of an internal compass means that the item can only be monitored on the basis of movement.
Review :According to Geocaching.com, "Geocaching is a treasure hunt high-tech played around the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called caches, to outside and then share your experiences online. "
The Magellan eXplorist GC GPS is one of only a handful of paper, geocaching purpose-built devices on the market and the first incursion of Magellan in the niche - though not his first off-road GPS handheld device. With a color display and a durable design, the unit looks ready to face the world's largest treasure hunt, but what about the technology with it?
What Customer Say?
By Hugo D. Hackenbush
What is Geocaching? It's an outdoor activity akin to treasure hunting, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world.
Sound interesting? Then you might want to give the Magellan eXplorist GC Handheld Geocaching GPS Navigator a whirl. It's an entry-level GPS geocaching device that is perfectly suited for neophytes, yet has enough capabilities to suit the basic needs of geocaching veterans.
The good:
No-frills geocaching device is perfect for newbies as it covers all the basics expected from a geocaching device; It has a nice, colorful screen; its interface is intuitive and easy to use, with very precise tracking and a nice compass feature; is small (but not too much so), ruggedly-built, waterproof and feels very comfortable in the hands; battery life is stated by Magellan to be a very good 15 hours, but my experience with the eXplorist GC using standard Duracell batteries has averaged battery life at around 17-18 hours; has a "suspend mode" that preserves battery life; it comes preloaded with 1,000 of the most popular worldwide geocache locations; it includes a highly detailed worldwide basemap; it can accommodate up to 500 waypoints and 5,000 point tracklogs; USB interface is non-proprietary; various plug-ins and firmware updates (as well as the device's user manual) is (or will be) available through Magellan's website, promising increased device functionality and software improvements; optional 30-day trial for premium geocaching membership services, which allow for great features such as paperless caching, pocket queries and bookmarks (after the 30 day trial, there is a $30 annual fee or a $10 three-month fee for the optional membership service); price is right for a GPS geocaching device of this caliber.
The bad:
No other GPS capabilities besides geocaching included in package; no option to add external memory; text is fairly small, potentially making reading a chore for those with strained eyesight; software response is somewhat sluggish; very basic features means this is a no-frills geocaching device which, while perfect for newbies, may not be satisfactory for more experienced (or wealthier) geocachers who are looking for more "bells and whistles" in their geocaching device; as mentioned earlier, in order to get the maximum benefit of this device, you will have to fork over either a $30 annual fee or a $10 three-month fee for premium geocaching membership services (IMO, totally worth the extra cost for the premium features).
All in all, considering its terrific price point and what you get right out of the box, the Magellan eXplorist GC Handheld GPS is strongly recommended for newbies or those on a tight budget.
Click to See Product Detail
Magellan GPS Unit Series RoadMate, eXplorist, Maestro, Triton
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technorati Tags: GPS, GPS Unit, Magellan, Magellan eXplorist, Magellan eXplorist gps, Magellan gps
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Customer rating
- Ease of use
- Learning curve
The Good :The Magellan eXplorist GC is a small GPS device that is rugged IPX-7 waterproof. The device is ready to go out of the box, preloaded with geocache and batteries included. All relevant information about a geocache can be accessed from the menu well organized eXplorist. The color screen has a place of great vision and not fade in direct sunlight.
The Bad :The device could really benefit from a touch screen. The lack of an internal compass means that the item can only be monitored on the basis of movement.
Review :According to Geocaching.com, "Geocaching is a treasure hunt high-tech played around the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called caches, to outside and then share your experiences online. "
The Magellan eXplorist GC GPS is one of only a handful of paper, geocaching purpose-built devices on the market and the first incursion of Magellan in the niche - though not his first off-road GPS handheld device. With a color display and a durable design, the unit looks ready to face the world's largest treasure hunt, but what about the technology with it?
What Customer Say?
By Hugo D. Hackenbush
What is Geocaching? It's an outdoor activity akin to treasure hunting, in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to hide and seek containers (called "geocaches" or "caches") anywhere in the world.
Sound interesting? Then you might want to give the Magellan eXplorist GC Handheld Geocaching GPS Navigator a whirl. It's an entry-level GPS geocaching device that is perfectly suited for neophytes, yet has enough capabilities to suit the basic needs of geocaching veterans.
The good:
No-frills geocaching device is perfect for newbies as it covers all the basics expected from a geocaching device; It has a nice, colorful screen; its interface is intuitive and easy to use, with very precise tracking and a nice compass feature; is small (but not too much so), ruggedly-built, waterproof and feels very comfortable in the hands; battery life is stated by Magellan to be a very good 15 hours, but my experience with the eXplorist GC using standard Duracell batteries has averaged battery life at around 17-18 hours; has a "suspend mode" that preserves battery life; it comes preloaded with 1,000 of the most popular worldwide geocache locations; it includes a highly detailed worldwide basemap; it can accommodate up to 500 waypoints and 5,000 point tracklogs; USB interface is non-proprietary; various plug-ins and firmware updates (as well as the device's user manual) is (or will be) available through Magellan's website, promising increased device functionality and software improvements; optional 30-day trial for premium geocaching membership services, which allow for great features such as paperless caching, pocket queries and bookmarks (after the 30 day trial, there is a $30 annual fee or a $10 three-month fee for the optional membership service); price is right for a GPS geocaching device of this caliber.
The bad:
No other GPS capabilities besides geocaching included in package; no option to add external memory; text is fairly small, potentially making reading a chore for those with strained eyesight; software response is somewhat sluggish; very basic features means this is a no-frills geocaching device which, while perfect for newbies, may not be satisfactory for more experienced (or wealthier) geocachers who are looking for more "bells and whistles" in their geocaching device; as mentioned earlier, in order to get the maximum benefit of this device, you will have to fork over either a $30 annual fee or a $10 three-month fee for premium geocaching membership services (IMO, totally worth the extra cost for the premium features).
All in all, considering its terrific price point and what you get right out of the box, the Magellan eXplorist GC Handheld GPS is strongly recommended for newbies or those on a tight budget.
Click to See Product Detail
Magellan GPS Unit Series RoadMate, eXplorist, Maestro, Triton
Back to Home Page
technorati Tags: GPS, GPS Unit, Magellan, Magellan eXplorist, Magellan eXplorist gps, Magellan gps
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