Customer Reviews

Magellan Meridian 2.2-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

UPDATE: 20040807 Point-to-Point routing works great and, for the most part, finds reasonable routing paths on highways and major city streets. Take the pre-set locations with a grain of salt since the pre-sets (sometimes) seem to show a general location of a landmark and not a precise point such as an entrance.

Best response time so far -- 8 satellites located in about 3 seconds while sitting in a parking lot at Muir Woods on Mt Tamalpias, CA.

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This is the coolest gadget I've used in a long time!

Setup was simple - just follow the onscreen instructions and soon the unit will be searching for satellites and locking onto your location. From my bedroom window (house is on a hill) the Meridian Color was able to find 5 satellites within a couple of minutes and then keep the signal as I moved to the other side of the house to my office. Very impressive.

As far as the MapSend software goes, it loaded fine and quickly found the COM port that had the GPS unit attached. The only tricky spot was having to upgrade the firmware on the GPS unit itself since the pre-loaded version was 3.4x and the upgrade was 5.1x. The instructions provided on the upgrade CD-ROM didn't match the software setup at all.

Fortunately the software has limited options so it wasn't difficult to figure out (Go to UPLOAD and select Program Code Only making sure that the unit is on and has a fresh set of batteries installed. Then find the right .hex file for your GPS unit that's on the CD-ROM provided.) Don't freak, just read the instruction sheets before trying to do the upgrade.

Anyway, the unit appears to be working great. The color screen is terrific and has a High/Low setting (hold the PWR button down a few seconds) to save on battery life.

The unit also insists that only one mapping image can uploaded into the unit at a time. Not good if you want to visit more than 1 region over a period of time. The trick is to "pretend" you're uploading a region but have the GPS receiver turned off or disconnected. Proceed with the map preparation until the software says it can't find your unit then cancel out. Go find the .img files in the Program Files/Magellan/MapSend DirectRoute NA/Export/Images directory and then copy them to your SD card using Windows Explorer just as you would any other file. Sounds complicated but it's really just a basic file transfer.

After the files have transferred, stick the SD card back in and power up. The maps can be found by pressing MENU/CARD UTILITIES/CHANGE MAP.

Unfortunately, it's the battery life that's the reason this GPSR gets only 4 stars and not 5. This unit is a battery hog! If you use the color screen on high don't expect more than 6 hours per set of batteries.

Because of this I've ordered a separate 12v cigarette lighter power cable for the car and will keep the power/data cable for home use. The cable only comes with a 12v cigarette plug so I've also purchased a 110v to 12v adapter so that I can use household current. I also bought a swivel mount to use at home as a cradle -- no need to use the attachment screw on the connector and the unit is upright and viewable. Extra stuff to clutter my desk but it should save me from a lot of aggravation.

Overall the Magellan Meridian Color appears to be a great GPS receiver and the point-to-point routing features for use in the car (MapSend DirectRoute software comes with the Traveler's Pack bundle) is terrific. The expandable standard SD card capability is a feature only Magellan seems to have (Garmin, are you listening?) and that, along with the color screen, should be reason enough to get this snazzy little unit.

Happy triangulating!

This is great in that it is in color. The catch 22 is that it eats batteries. I have this and a Garmin model Emap. The color is a great feature. But to help get the most out of it you do need the CD's with the added features for maps. The confusing part is the instructions on setting up waypoints. The best deal is play with it till you get familiar with it. You can't break it by playing with it. I would give it five stars but the battery eating is really bad, have plenty of AA batteries if you use this on a trip.

Pro: Uses an SD card for fast uploading of detailed maps.
Con: Only can upload 60 MB of data onto the SD card. I have a 1GB SD card and it won't add onto the data that was uploaded, it just keeps re-writing over the first uploaded detailed map. Therefore, had to buy 2x64mb SD cards ($16 each) to upload additional detailed maps of europe so that we don't need to take our laptop with us. I guess this is a plus because no other portable GPS comes with the external memory capability. Magellan seriouly needs to upgrade this feature to be able to read off of >1GB SD cards.

Pro: Menu features are fairly easy to navigate through.
Con: No auto-reroute feature. Have to push 2 different buttons to get the unit to recalculate new route. No voice feed back feature telling you to turn. You do however get a very annoying audible "beep, Beep, BEep...." noise as you approach closer to your next turn.

Pro: this value pack came with an ok car stand for the unit.
Con: doesn't come with a USB connector to your laptop, just a serial connector. Hard to find newer laptops with a serial port.

Comments: if you can wait for the next generation gps units... do! You may be disappointed with what's out in the market in terms of handheld gps units that double up as automobile units.

The Magellan Meridian Color is my first GPS receiver, so I can't compare it with others. But it is an amazing piece of equipment. It is extremely versatile, well made, fun and useful. With the latest firmware upgrade, v5.34, and the excellent optional MapSend DirectRoute mapping computer software (made by NavTech) this is both a great handheld hiking GPS and an in-car, turn-by-turn, street/address routing device.

Although the internal memory is only 16 MB, enough for the adequate base maps that are pre-installed, the capability to use SD memory cards for uploading detaled street or topo maps from the computer greatly expands the usefulness. I am using a 256 MB memory card in my Meridian Color, on which I currently have uploaded detailed street maps for most of California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Texas from the DirectRoute software. These have to be limited to no more than 64 MB regions that can be selected on the GPS through the "card utilities - change map" menu, and are available in the GPS at all times. If I want more maps than fit on one card, I can buy another card and swap them as needed.

The color screen is very good and can be seen well in a car from the drivers seat position when the unit is held in the optional dashboard suction-cup mounting bracket. Unless the sun is right on it, it is bright enough to be seen in the middle of a sunny day, and can be dimmed at night. The zoom function allows you to quickly zoom out to see your current position in reference to the whole world, or zoom in in reference to as close as a 100 ft scale of detailed street or topo maps.

The only negative comment I have is that the output connection from the GPS to a computer is a serial port type, rather than USB. Most newer laptops don't even have serial ports anymore. However, this is remedied by using a serial/USB converter (about $20). The uploading of detailed maps is much faster anyway when done directly to the SD memory card using an SD memory reader/writer (also about $20), which makes it mostly unnecessary to connect the GPS directly to the computer.

The GPS receiver goes through 2 AA batteries in about 6 hours of use with screen continuously at full brightness. I bought an AA battery recharger with 6 batteries for about $20 which works great and takes away the cost of replacing batteries.

The Meridian Color can quickly convert among all major coordinate systems, and has multiple screens to show you such things as your current coordinates, elevation, speed, heading, and needed bearing toward a chosen destination ("waypoint"). It can store up to 500 waypoints and 20 routes. For hiking purposes it can track your movement and then allow you to use a "backtrack" function to see and re-trace your path back to where you started.

I've had this GPS for 3 weeks now and I love it. I do a lot of Geocaching (www.geocaching.com) and it's made it much easier to find our geocaches. Now and then I use it for guidance to new destinations, and it works beautifully. Learn to trust it: You will arrive at your destination if you follow its directions.

I used the mapping software and defined an area on my PC that includes all of San Diego County, all of LA County, and all of Las Vegas -- and now I have street-level guidance in real-time anywhere I drive! It is a wonderful thing to have this with me as we take weekend drives. The included 64 MB SD card still has about 45 megs of room left to add even more maps.

I am still waiting on European maps (ordered through Amazon) and plan on taking this GPS with me on vacation through central Europe next month; while there are European maps, there is, unfortunately, still no map routing for Europe, but that's OK with me: I know where I'm headed to.

The color capability makes a big difference -- far better than my former Garmin GPS. Be sure to use the included cable while driving so you don't kill the batteries within a few hours. I'm happy to have this thing -- it's made life easier and I do more Geocaching, more driving to unknown places, more exploring.

The new software that is available with this bundle makes the unit much more fuctional. This is the perfect alternative to the person who doesn't have the money to spend on the new Magellan Roadmate 500 or Roadmate 700.

This is my first GPS device; I've seen other GPS devices design specifically for the car (Magellan Roadmate 700 etc), but what drove me to buy this one was the portable size of the unit.

I've used it in both rainy overcast and clear sunny weather in the SF Bay Area - SF to Petaluma to Dublin, and I get good connection with up to 6 or 7 satelites. The key is to get a lock-on, before starting your trip. Usually takes less than a minute to lock into the satelite(s).

I was considering using my PDA (Sony TG50)as a GPS (via Blue-Tooth connections), but I'm glad I purchased this separate unit as there is no car power adapter for the Clie (recharging yes, but)and the cost for the blue tooth version was about $350.

The Mapsend software that came along with this package is very up to date and I was able to find and set user-points quite easily. I found setting the user-points on the device alot easier than on my home computer. The driving directions are not exactly my regular routes, but come pretty close.

Using the 64mb card is ample space so far. Car adaptor is a must. Firmware upgrade was not difficult. Have not had to call Magellan for customer service, yet...

Overall a very good product and one that gets me from point A to point B, without spending over $425, including Case too.

The Meridian Color GPS is great. The unit is small but the screen is easy enough to see in my truck. To get the detailed maps I need I am using a 256meg SD card with Map Send Direct Route. It is easy to load maps and mark places I want to see to the GPS and then "goto" them while I am traveling. I have used unit in the San Francisco rain and it worked perfectly, I am not sure why the other reviewer had water problems.

Pros: I will never be lost again, Expandable memory, Color screen, Turn by turn directions, Nice sized unit that easily fits in my jacket pocket, Quick to pick up satellites, Intuitive menus

Cons: Battery life could be better, Comes with a serial connection for the computer A USB type would have been been better since most computers do not use serial anymore, Magellan is vague about availability of map updates but so is Garmin so it's probably the norm for GPS companies.

I just bought the color unit with the entire travel package (Software, cables, SD card, car cradle)and have just begun to play with it, and I am extremely impressed with how the unit functions. Once I learned how to maneuver the unit, and downloaded detailed maps, I get an accurate and concise street by street map and directions. I am planning some longer trips and will use the unit as my primary map guides.
I will also use the devise to plot and measure our Cross Country course, which should be more accurate that using the wheel to measure the course.
Like the other reviews, the battery life is very disappointing, but if it is plugged into the car power outlet, it will stay lit and will not drain the batteries.

This is my first GPS receiver and I really feel like I made a great choice. The Traveler Value Pack really is the way to go with the Magelan Meridian Color GPS.

The software is relatively easy to use and the color screen is worth the extra expense.

I use it primarily to navigate street routes and it's been excellant. I've been very suprised with the comprehensive database of places you can find in the reciever: restaurants, gas stations, parks, entertainment venues, tourist attractions, banks are all there.

I also have used it on my mountain bike and its been very solid and accurate.

One thing you must do if you own this product, buy rechargable batteries. Its worth it, because the backlit color screen really eats up the juice.