Thread: Magellan Explorist any good??

Originally Posted by DRanged

Has anyone got a Magellan Explorist 600 or the XL. If so what are your thoughts for bread crumming and off road with ''DiscoverAus'' SD card.

Thanks in advance.
justin

I have a XL and like it. The bigger screen is really good. They really are a good GPS and are easy to operate and fully functional.

We have the mapping and it would appear to be good, but we've only been as far as MT Mee so I better reserve judgement.

If you've any questions ask away

Originally Posted by Captain_Rightfoot

I have a XL and like it. The bigger screen is really good. They really are a good GPS and are easy to operate and fully functional.

We have the mapping and it would appear to be good, but we've only been as far as MT Mee so I better reserve judgement.

If you've any questions ask away

Thanks mate.

Are you using '' DiscoverAus streets and tracks" as they advertise in the packages. I like the sound of easy to use. Also does it have any problems aquiring satellites through your Defender w/screen. The reason I ask is the garmin map72 has problems through a Rangerover screen.

Thanks Justin

Yep we have the discover aus streets and tracks. It's good, but as I said I really need to reserve judgement on it until we've been further afield.

We're using it with the bracket which it came with with puts the unit further from the windscreen than I would like (I would class this bracket as useless). In normal open driving it hasn't had a problem but in the heavily wooden Mt Mee it did drop out a little. I have a RAM bracket and I intend to mount it in this which will help it's positioning which should solve the problem.

Thanks for the heads up.

Justin

I have the Magellan Meridian Platinum, and a friend has the Explorist XL. I like the size of the colour screen on the XL, and it appears to be a very good unit.

The XL picks up the satellites quicker than the platinum and more of them. My friend reckons the XL doesn't show as many of the smaller tracks as my platinum. He is using the Discover Aus software and I still have the old Mapsend software, although I mainly use the Natmaps on Oziexplorer to create routes.

I have the XL. I upgraded from the Meridian gold.

I use Destination Australia Streets and Tracks Topo.

Does what I want very well...large colour screen and comprehensive maps for off road (a little outdated for recent highway/motorway upgrades).

I use a re-radiating antenna (the receiver sits on the roof) to improve the reception in the disco.

I have the explorist 600. The screen is a little small but I find it is easy to use and see. Breadcrumbing and tracks are no problem. We went from Syd to Alice Springs via Mungo National park, Broken Hill, Flinders Ranges, Oodnadatta Track, Coober pedy, Uluru, Kings Canyon and the Merinie loop. We went to east Mc Donald ranges, Ruby Gap, hermansburgh etc etc and back home via just as many places and we tracked the whole trip. The Aus tracks and streets software is great except when you are traveling along a region that crosses back and forth between two state borders. This is a problem because you can only have one state loaded at a time. It was a mere inconvenience when travelling along the Vic/NSW border though not a major problem. The good thing is being able to upload all your data to a computer and getting all the information about your trip and plotting it on a map. It is very comprehensive, the mapsend software is great though it is not as user friendly as it could be.

Sometimes it takes a bit of time to pick up the satelites, I have one of those suction cup windscreen mounts and I just hang it out the widow until it gets it's bearings. It is usually ok from then. Most of the time it has at least 4 satelites but I've had up to 12 on occasion.

It has lost satelite connection on the odd occasion but only once have I found it to be a problem. We were deep in a narrow valley with tall trees and thick canopy so it was understandable. We found our way ok because we had the map and compass to check.

Being a small unit it's good to be able to take it out of the vehicle and carry it with you when you go hiking. You can track you course again and later have a look where you went on the computer.

I have found sometimes we would be driving on the highway and the GPS would say we were about 200 meters off in the bush. That has only happened on the rare ocasion and would probably be due to a lack of satellite visability at that time.

I hope this helps.

Cheers

Josh
The topo maps on the streets and tracks is very good. I have found on mine that the new sections of the Syd-Brisbane freeway aren't necessarily up to date but I have found that there are tracks that aren't even on some topo maps.

Sorry for the semi thread hijack, but do you think with the Discover Aus Streets & Tracks on these Explorists does the job for remote areas or should you get the Outback version as well? I'm tossing up between the Explorist and the Crossover.

I define "doing the job" as knowing how far turn-offs to gorges on GRR and turn-off on outback roads etc.

thanks for any advice.