Magellan eXplorist 200 - GPS receiver - hiking Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I bought one of these low-end GPS systems for use outdoors and was very impressed with the no-frills but quality menu design and simple and intuitive operation.

I've taken the Explorist on a number of trips and found that it did well when I was driving along with the GPS unit sitting on my dash or when wandering in the Sierras where I live. I took it on a trip to San Francisco with my girlfriend and we used it to navigate us back to my parking spot with zero difficulties. Don't let the low price fool you... Magellen did a nice job with this little beauty. I have dropped it a number of times, once it fell about 20 feet and survived with zero marks and works as good as new.

I've also used the unit to find my way on back-woods trails and to mark my positions and visited checkpoints. Takes a bit of re-learning to get used to setting checkpoints, but once you get the hang of it, this tool shines and does a good job of getting you back to where you started.

Last year, I used it to help chart our course when I was blocker for the company motorcycle group on our yearly ride. I don't drive motorcycles but drive my sports car as the water and luggage hauler and general navigation and electronics/communications support person. The Explorist came through repeatedly in showing us our exact location and kept us from taking a few wrong turns. I coupled the Explorist with pre-printed maps with coordinates printed on them so that it was quite clear where we were at all times.

While the color displays on GPS units are neat, the black and white display on the Explorist does seem to sip battery power lightly and I was getting about 2 - 3 days of use out of batteries with near constant usage. On the motorcycle trip I kept the unit powered down until I needed to check position, so for a ten day trip, I only changed batteries once. I'd recommend using the newer rechargables with 15 minute charge time to save $$$.

The only thing I wish was a bit different would be the little steel screw that you have to twist off to get the battery compartment open. Not sure why they make the little twist piece so hard to get big fingers around, but a small sharp tool or hook is all you need to pull that piece out and then you can twist the screw off. The big thing is to NOT lose that screw once you have the case apart!

I do thing it is a good investment to get a small leather pouch for the GPS so that you do bang it around too badly in rough terrain. Yes, it is extremely tough and well built, but hey, it cost $$$ and why not keep it looking good? ;>)

There is also a small hole at the top for threading a strap through so you won't lose the GPS. Suggest a bit of leather cord to push through and hook to a belt or whatever.

Perhaps one day I'll replace the GPS for a more capable unit, but for now, this thing really does the job and I'm pleased with it.I consider it an essential travel tool now.

5 stars - Well built and for the money, quite the steal. My hat is off to Magellen!

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Product Description:
Meeting your more advanced navigational needs, eXplorist 200 features TrueFix technology, an 8 MB built-in background map plus the ability to save up to 5 track log files, 500 points of interest and 20 routes. The built-in map includes roads, parks, waterways and more, to help you find your way. Put the power of easy-to-use and affordable GPS in your pocket.

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