Magellan Roadmate 2200T 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Factory Refurbished) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This device works great.It is a fantastic bargain.It picks up satellites quickly even indoors.The voice system which tells you in advance to expect a turn, what street to turn on, and then signals exactly when to make the turn,is incredible.

The menu system is fairly easy to learn and use. And it has numerous built in shortcuts like remembering previous addresses, and cities, and streets, and figuring out and listing possible street names once you type a few letters.The touch screen is easy to use (once you learn a few tricks, listed below).If you go off course it quickly calculates a new route for you.

Some caveats:

1) Don't expect to be able to read or make changes while this is installed in your car.It would be too distracting to look at while driving, or try to enter information while driving, so its better to just listen for instructions rather than try to follow the visual map.

2) Google the Magellanpage to print out a users manual, and read it before you try to use this unit.

3) You have to get used to the instructions.The voice in the machine, tells you you are approaching a turn.Thatdoes NOT mean turn at the next intersection.It means be prepared to turn so you can turn when the GPS sounds a tone indicating you have arrived at the intersection to turn at.Unless you realize this you will make a lot of premature turns.

Also it sometimes tells you to continue in _x miles.For example "continue on US101 in .5 miles." Since you are already on US 101 you may wonder why it says that. What you will discover is that in .5 miles the road divides or there is a major exit that you do NOT take.That's why it says continue.The message continue alters you that --even though there is no turn off for you to take --you need to be alert to NOT accidentally take the wrong branch.

4) The touch screen is very sensative to exactly where you touch.For example, if you are on the map page, and want to go to themenu screenyou must touch exactly on the highlighed part with the words "menu". If you tough the screen a little bit too high or too the left, you will simply adust the map and get another map screen and wonder why the GPS doesn't seem to work.There is no problem when you touch the exact right areas, but you do have to be exact.With a little practice at home you can learn to use the touch screen without a problem.If you do make a mistake its easy to correct once you realize that the problem is the need to touch the screen in the exact right place.

5) If you hit too many keys too rapidly its possible to freeze the unit.
This is not easy to do, but I did this once when I put it into sleep mode from which I couldn't get it to awake.This is like your computer locking up.Fortunately the solution is simple: Just move the reset button back to off and then back to on-- and your unit will unfreeze and you can turn it on and use it.Your stored data won't be lost.The unit froze only once, but it was good to know the problem could be fixed simply.

6) The unit has feature for photos and music which I haven't used and probably will never use.

Non of the above caveats are problems.Just hints to make it easier to use.

I have had no problems with the unit, which I bought refurbished from Amazon including a $20 rebate which I sent away for but have not yet received.

My one experience with custommer service at Magallen was good.I got someone from India, who helped mu understand what the real serial number was for the rebate form.The number on the back was hard to read,and appeared different from the serial number on the box(I couldn't tell whether one of the numerals was a 5 or 6-- It turned out one was a 5 and one was a six, but I got thru right away and the person at the customer service desk was very patient and totally helpful.

This unit is frequently compared to the TomTom one, which sells refurbished for about the same price.

This unit in contrast to the TomTom one GPS,tells when you are about to turn what street to turn on--which is important for theobvious reason, that you can look for the name of the street on the street sign in advance and to confirm it is where you need to turn, instead of just depending on a tone.For thisreason alone, I'd choose this over the TomTom one.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Magellan Roadmate 2200T 3.5 Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Factory Refurbished)

Product Description:
A full-featured, expandable vehicle navigation system, the refurbished Magellan RoadMate 2200T GPS navigator is a must for family vacations, business outings, and a host of other on-the-go occasions. The device is outfitted with simple touch-screen menus and a built-in interactive map of the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, making it easy to select virtually any destination and enjoy turn-by-turn directions as you drive. The 3.5-inch color touch-screen display also lets you enter an address or select a point of interest to instantly receive the best possible route using the shortest time, shortest distance, most freeways, or least freeways. And thanks to the nearly 1.5 million preprogrammed points of interest, you can quickly find the addresses and phone numbers (when available) of gas stations, airports, hotels, restaurants, and much more. It's also possible to save your personal points of interest to the internal address book or favorites list and then access them later.
The RoadMate 2200T comes with the SIRF StarIII advanced processing chipset, which boasts a stronger and wider search range that quickly acquires a satellite signal even in urban canyons and other traditional "no signal" locations. When time is of the essence, you can take advantage of some of the RoadMate's advanced features, including helpful technology that routes you around sudden slow freeway traffic, a multi-destination routing option, QuickSpell software that automatically completes your entry for quicker recognition, and a 3D birds-eye view that helps you clearly see your surroundings. You can even select up to 20 destinations in advance to plan out where you need to go.
Although the RoadMate 2200T is designed for the vehicle, you can also upgrade it to become a CrossoverGPS 1 suitable for all your outdoor adventures (the upgrade accepts topographic outdoor maps). And because it's waterproof to IPX-4, there's no need to worry about coffee spills, rain, humidity, or renegade splashes. Perhaps the coolest feature for frequent drivers, however, is the built-in music player and picture viewer, which let you take your entertainment wherever you go.
Other features include a best-in-class battery performance that provides up to eight hours of continuous use, a Secure Digital (SD) card slot for memory expansion, and a high-impact plastic case. Measuring 4.28 by 3.15 by 1.12 inches (W x H x D), the RoadMate 2200T weighs 7.8 ounces and is backed by a one-year warranty. This product has been refurbished to like-new condition.
What's in the Box
RoadMate 2200T GPS system, windshield mount, DC power adapter, USB data cable, CD-ROM, car holder, adhesive dashboard disk, quick reference guide, user's manual.