Customer Reviews

Magellan Meridian Gold Water Resistant Hiking GPS

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

After much comparison of Magellan and Garmin GPS, I plunked my $$ down on Magellen.

Purchase decision - My impression from OTHER reviews and info for Magellan was great hardware, weak software but considering all pluses, minuses and price points and my usage: hiking, biking, back-country skiing, driving, boating, I chose a Magellan Meridian Gold, 32meg memory, and Mapsend Topo Sofware. Keep in mind there's a lot to choose from and yet none seemed PERFECT.

I've now had it for 2 weeks of vacation time biking, hiking, driving and land surveying in S. Utah. I monkeyed with this unit everyday, becoming completely familiar with it's usage.

The Good: Solid, durable hardware. The Gold has a great feel, is a good size and fits into any of my outdoor shirt pockets. It holds satellite signal extremely well in trees, 2nd story house, Utah canyons. Solid feeling buttons and rubber armoring are all great. Seems to do very well on batteries using roughly a pair or less a day. (I already have a charger and extra batteries from my digital camera and headlamps).

The Bad: Mapsend topo software at 1:100,000 is not really precise at closest level. However, the amount of built in software and downloaded maps are sufficient for my usage and I can imagine the memory and processor speed needed for 1:24,000 topos. Also on the positive side Mapsend and Magellan built-in software has a ton of info! It's great having altitude, moon/sun info, vertical trip projections, and much more.

The Ugly: Magellan's method of setting routes and backtracking is absolutely terrible for my usage. I am so annoyed with this, I would return it if I hadn't already used it 2 weeks. Here's the deal -

If you go out for the day and retrace your route exacty, or just set it for the car in general it works very well. But so does a few cents worth of flagging, popcorn, or the cheapest GPS available.

In reality, I usually go on a hike, bike, or ski in some type of semi circle and at some point want to return to my nearest backtrack point and THEN start backtracking. I want the unit to beep when I get near the next point and keep counting them down. In the canyonlands of Utah and backcountry skiing here in Jackson Hole, Wyoming this could really be useful.

However, this ONLY works easily if you exacty retrace your trail.

So... in everyday usage where you aren't going exactly back down your same trail (why have a GPS?) you have to build a route with the GPS and/or go through the user database and select the nearest backtrack points. And then if you don't keep manually going through the database and selecting the next point, it will just keep pointing back at the last one. This is ridiculously time consuming on a day hike and makes operating the GPS the whole excecise instead of enjoying the outdoors. THIS SEEMS LIKE IT COULD BE EASILY CHANGED BY MAGELLAN BY SOFWARE PROGRAMMING.

More ugly: Really ugly.

Okay, so you set waypoints along your way using the GPS. Great, it does this well with 2 clicks. But THEN what??? It's back to the problem above.

It takes SEVEN screen operations and even more arrowing buttons to get a single one of these into a route. This completely insenses me. I could walk around circles for a day and eventually catch up to my wife and find the car in the time it takes to make a route! WHY CAN'T MAGELLAN MAKE IT SO I SELECT ALL THE POINTS FOR A ROUTE AT ONCE!!!???? How about storing waypoints in separate databases to start with? Or using two buttons in a computer-like fashion to highlight and select?

THEN: after I've got a route made HOW ABOUT if the GPS allows me to select manual or automatic retracing???? In other words, I want to go on a trip and set waypoints along the way. (Remember this is easy) Then, no matter where I am when I want to return to camp, I dump all my waypoints into memory in a few clicks, point the way to the nearest, and as I approach each new one, (automatic mode) the GPS beeps and rolls over to the next (lower number) waypoint.

If Magellan would make route setting and retracing easy, this would be a real must-have piece of gear for all my trips. At present, it's an electronic toy to play with while walking on flat ground or while my wife is driving the car. To give it the benefit of the doubt is also perhaps a good last resort safety measure so that if I get really lost I know where the nearest town is.

The annoying part is it is so close to being great, but Magellan's software programmers apparently never leave the office!

One last word - I find the Gold a great decision over the Platinum for using less batteries, having less to break, not needing re-calibrated everytime you change the batteries (daily) and knowing I haven't paid even more for some hardware that is mostly a toy because of the software behind it. Plus, I wouldn't go somewhere I could really get lost without a basic topo map and compass!

Three Stars overall for amazing toy that gives you info from satellites in outer space!

Since the Meridian is the ONLY hand held GPS receiver with expandable SD Card memory, how can any other unit compare?
It has superior reception and is also the only unit with rubber "armor" coating and a frame protecting the viewing screen.
The second day I owned my Meridian Gold I got out of my car, forgetting that the unit was on my lap. The Meridian hit the asphalt with a loud whack but never suffered a scratch.
The thing seems to lock on to sat signals like it's hungry.
The base map often shows roads and details I did not expect to see.
My only complaint is that, like the other GPS makers, Magellan charges way too much for their map software.
After spending hundreds of dollars for a GPS receiver, it is quite disconcerting to be charged and additional 50-100 dollars for the software.
Seems to me they would sell a lot more units if the software was more affordable or even if they charged a little more for the receiver and included one software CD.(worked for Nintendo<G>)

I've been looking for a GPS unit for a while. Garmin and Magellan are obviously the two key players in the market, and honestly, at this level ($200+) issues like accuracy aren't the decision point.

I started seriously looking for a unit after going out Geocaching with a couple of buddies. In that single use, I started to realize what I really wanted in a GPS unit. The top of the list was comfort in your hand - to use any unit in the field you're holding it in your hand. The unit should be comfortable, and the buttons should be easy to get to.

One thing that immediately came to light was that most of the Garmin units are _not_ comfortable to hold, and those that are, really only "work" in your left hand. That didn't make much sense to me and basically eliminated all of the Garmin units.

Off to Magellan!

The most popular of the Magellan units is the Map 330, and it is a wonderful unit. But, the one thing that bothered me about it was the memory size. 8 meg is a lot, but I was worried that I may have to sacrifice coverage area for detail. That lead me to look for a 16meg unit, and when I found out that the Meridian Gold also had an MMC (SD/MMC) memory card slot in it for map downloads, that seemed simply perfect.

And it is. The unit is great - I have no qualms about recommending this box, or _any_ of the Magellan units. They're well built, easy to use, have clear displays and... fit in either hand. :)

Just got my Magellan Meridian Gold. I have a couple of years experience with a Magellan Tracker. It was/is fine, but the Gold is just fantastic.

FIRST: Do NOT go out in the woods with _just_ a GPS, any GPS, even a GPS with maps and a compass. Take a _real_ compass. And, a _real_ map or chart.

SECOND: Take at least one extra set of batteries.

OK, now let's go for the Gold. How good is it? I live on a hill, in a single story house. If I sit here at my PC and hold the Gold outstretched in my right hand, then pass it to my left hand, and stretch it out, the Gold tells me it moved 5 feet North (to my left). Or, 5 feet South (back to my right). Of course, it can "see" two "WAAS" or "W" satellites from here, plus 5-8 regular GPS satellites. Right through the ceiling, attic joists, and roof.

I went to the bank today, parked perpendicular. I backed partly out of the slot, and then stopped for another car. The Gold told me I had moved 8 feet in the correct direction. I'm sure it was receiving the "W" satellites there, too.

From OFF, it comes on fast. Then you actually have to click past a "lawyer" screen (my term) to get to the good info you need. Bummer.

It runs as long on two AAs as my Tracker ran on four (17-18 hours, but I haven't confirmed it). The display is wider than my Tracker, and is much easier to read.

There is no compass in the Gold, but there is a compass-type display. You still have to move to get a correct orientation, but not far, see above.

The included maps are good, for working at the Interstate and US Highway level. Get down to major state highways, still pretty good. Below that, you need help. And, help is available. I have both topo and street software, but I haven't tried using it yet.

Lots of icons available for your marks, but it still allows only 500 landmarks and 20 routes, regardless of how much memory you add. I've got a 16mb chip, but haven't installed it yet.

Summary: This is a new generation of GPS, I'd say its the 3d; the Tracker was 2d, and I passed on the 1st generation. The displays and features are better, and the map & chart display capabilities are really great.

Caveat: The manual is on a CD. It is about 80 pages. Better study it at home before you go on a trip -- unless you take a laptop too.

After comparing all the various Garmin and Magellan models, I went with the Meridian Gold because of the large basemap and the sale price ($199 when I got it). The included map was quite accurate in the US, but when we went over to Canada the map had us 100 feet out into Lake Ontario while parked on the beach.

Where this receiver really shines is with the new (optional) MapSend DirectRoute software. The Navtech maps are high-quality and quite recent, too. I live in a new subdivision and all the streets are correctly listed. With a 128MB SD card as storage, I can get about a quarter of the entire US down to the street level loaded. With DirectRoute loaded, the Meridian Gold is pretty good at street address routing. It's only suggested one bizarre route, but once I passed the unusual turn, I pressed Reroute and it correctly recomputed the remainder of the trip to my house. (Of course, had I followed it, I may have had a shorter trip, but it was a state highway with traffic lights instead of the usual Interstate.)

When used with the freeware QuakeMap, the unit correctly locked my home waypoint right in the middle of my driveway on the aerial photos. (Good, of course, because that's where I was standing when I took the fix!)

For the money, this is a nice unit to have, and with the extra DirectRoute software, a much cheaper alternative to the standalone vehicle GPS nav systems.

I have owned this unit for more than a month now, and I am pleasantly impressed by it. I have owned a Garmin eTrex Vista and a Gecko, and I like the Magellan Gold much better.

There are several things that make this a very useful device for me:

1. Great button layout and customizable user interface. This unit fits nicely in your hand and can be used left and right handed alike. This is not the case with most Garmin units, esp the eTrex line. Also, there are many navigation screens with various data, and you can specify which screens you want to use and what to show on them; another plus. I rate the usability of this unit very highly because this is what matters the most when you are driving, and comes handy when geocaching or hiking.

2. Big, clear, readable screen. Although the screen resolution is lower than that of the more upscale eTrex models, the screen is larger and you can read it from a distance. Similarly, the fonts are bolder and easier to read. Map zoom in/out are two easy buttons for either hand. With eTrex, I would often end up changing the data screen when wanting to zoom since the buttons are on the side there; major plus for Magellan here. I love the screen when I am driving and don't want to take my eyes off the road for too long.

3. Waypoint averaging. This is most handy for geocaching. If you stay for a couple of minutes in the same location, you get a more consistent location readout.

4. Built in base map is very useful for driving. I have used it in Seattle as well as New York / New England. While not all streets are on it (you need to buy extra software for that detail), major streets as well as bridges, lakes, and even minor state roads are built into the unit. This comes real handy if you get lost in Bronx, say.

5. Quad helix antenna (as opposed to Garmin's patch antennas). This particular point can be debated. While I don't think the helix is better than patch for getting the initial lock, I have noticed that once locked on, I usually keep the signal with my Magellan in the woods and among tall buildings, while the Garmins I've used lose the signal easily. This may however be a clever UI trick - maybe Garmin says it does not have signal while Magellan says it has weak signal. In any case, I feel much more secure with this unit, especially when hiking.

6. Expandable and removable memory. This a big plus over Garmins. This unit takes SD (Secure Digiral) cards of multiple sizes. Garmin has built in some memory and you must use the slow serial cable to download maps. With this Magellan, you can store multiple maps on multiple card, plug and play, and use a fast SD card reader.

Additional detailed maps can be obtained from Magellan's MapSend software. I agree ... that the maps are outdated or simply inaccurate in places (some new streets are not there, and sometimes you're floating way off the highway). However, they are still good to have to show you the street layout. In addition, you can store as many maps as you want, as long as your SD card can hold them (i.e. the limit of 4 is only if you download directly to the GPS). And NYC/LA fit nicely in one map region! Magellan is coming out with new software that will even give driving directions, so you may want to wait for that before you decide whether/what CD to buy.

In addition, the battery life on 2 AA is good, and the unit is not heavy although it looks big. I have had it for only a month and have not had any problems with it. Hopefully, I won't have any :)

I highly recommend the Magellan Gold!

I have owned this unit for over a year now, and when I first started playing with it I thought it was a nifty device, but quickly discovered many of the shortcomings listed in the other reviews. I will spare you most of the repetition, but just let me say that the unit is as sturdy and easy to use as the others are saying.

I am writing this review because Magellan has just come out with new software, DirectRoute, that makes the Meridian truly useful for daily urban/suburban use. This software, along with a firmware upgrade that lets you utilize up to 65 MB on your Secure Digital card, makes this unit ROCK! DirectRoute is a software package (purchased seperately) that gives you TURN-BY-TURN DIRECTIONS, a feature that this unit seriously needed. I have been using the new software for a week now, and I can't get enough of it. As you start your journey, it maps out a route for you, and provides visual directions and beeps as you approach the next street to turn on. If you stray from your route, the RE-ROUTE feature re-routes your path on the fly, allowing you to bypass traffic and deal with detours with the flick of a button. They have also updated the points of interest, and are using more up-to-date maps. My father lives in a new housing development (less than a couple of years old, with new streets, in the suburbs of Los Angeles) and, to my surprise, his street is listed on the map.

For durability and reliability, this unit gets high marks. New software features have been slow coming, but the folks at Magellan have regularly put out numerous firmware updates and software upgrades that just keep making the unit better and better.

As for the reviews that talk about the unit dying, or the screen going blank, or whatever problem, they just got a faulty unit, so don't let that dissuade you from purchasing this nifty little toy.

This review is how to make your Meridian GPS more useful.
First buy the Magellan MapSend DirectRoute 980654-03 Map CD.
As the Meridian Gold lets you load street level maps onto SD memory cards. I got a 512 SD card and loaded 8 regions onto the card. When using the Mapsend directroute software you can create
64 MB or less regions. I was able to put the entire US into about 20 regions (with overlap). I was then able to save these regions to my hard drive (and then copy them to another medeia).
Once your regions are saved you can rename them anything as long as you leave .IMG at the end.
Now with a SD memory card reader all you have to do is drop and drag your region maps to any number of SD cards. I used a 512 SD card and I can fit 8 regions onto my Meridian Gold (Go into the menu page down to card utilities and load whatever map you have on your SD card, If you gave them a name to can tell them apart. You can only load one region at a time but this will save you from going back to the CD everytime you need new maps).

I rated the Gold _unit_ 5 (*****)stars earlier. I have revised my rating to 3 (***) stars for the _system_. Alone, the unit rates a 5*. But, the _system_ does NOT.

The 3rd generation GPS units are differentiated from the 2d gen by their ability to store a complete map, not just waypoints and routes.

The Magellan Meridian mapping software has two primary titles, one a topo map, the other a streets and Points of Interest (POI) map. Both lack the easy trip planning features of 2d gen Magellan mapping software. You can still plan a trip, but it is much more difficult. But this isn't all.

The upload methodology (to move the map into the GPS unit) is ridiculous, time consuming, and impractical.

I was going to sell my old Magellan Tracker, and all the software & hardware I've accumulated for it. NOT now!

In summary: A _great_ standalone unit with poor software.

When I first got the unit, I loved it. It appeared accurate, though it took a long time to acquire satellites at times. In fact, many times my Delorme Earthmate would acquire within 15 seconds, and the Meridian would take several minutes (while moving in a car sitting on the dash). The ability to use SD/MMC cards and load maps onto the unit was great for general usage. I used Magellan GPS for everything, from hiking, kayaking, driving, to boating.

HOWEVER, the specs say that the unit is IPX7 compliant, which means accidental submersion underwater for up to 30 minutes in 1 meter of water. I was in a kayak, got hit by a wave with the Meridian in my pocket, and was in less than 1 meter of water for less than 15 seconds, and water made it's way into the unit.

I sent Magellan/Thales navigation an email and gave them a call but was not given much help, even though I own multiple Magellan products (including the GPS companion, etc...). They noted that I could have it serviced for $150, which is what an new unit cost (this was not the platinum edition, but it is the same form factor and same case). All customer service would tell me is that sometimes water may enter through the keypad area. Well, if water enters through the keypad area, how can they advertise that it is IPX7 compliant?

I may be an isolated incident. However, with the customer service I received, I don't think I would ever buy another Magellan product, and will probably get rid of the rest of my Magellan products. I think the product design, features, usability, and intuitiveness is great, just the product does not perform up to expectations or promise. I would also consider customer service as well.