Comparison Shopping: Magellan Meridian Color Handheld GPS Navigator 16 MB

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Magellan Meridian Color Handheld GPS Navigator 16 MB

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07th of January 2009

Review:
The Magellan Meridian Color GPS receiver is just as at home navigating the highways and byways in your car as it's tracking through your beloved mountain trails. This top of the line GPS device features a preloaded 16 MB map database of North America, which may be augmented by in depth maps from optional CD ROMs via the Secure Digital memory card slot. It also offers easy to read navigation screens, good sized buttons, and a thumb directional pad on the front, and WAAS Wide Area Augmentation Service for three meter accuracy.

Map screen. View bigger.

Compass display. View bigger.

Road view mode. View bigger.

The Meridian Color is versatile GPS device that's perfect for navigating the highway or the trails. View bigger.

in comparison to Magellan's Sportrak line, the Meridian is bulkier both in weight 8.5 ounces with batteries in comparison to the Sportrak's 6.1 ounces and in general dimensions 6.5 by 2.9 by 1.2 inches W x H x D making it not quite as pocketable unless you have cargo pants. The bright color screen measures 2.2 by 1.75 inches and has a decent 160 x 120 pixel resolution with 16 colors. Compared with the staid monochrome screens of most GPS devices, the icons and mapping details jump off the screen. We found it to be nicely readable in the car and in most outside conditions, although it was not at its best in direct sunlight. As with cell phones in the car, you'll must be cautious with your handling. The Meridian Color may be a bit diverting while you are driving, as you must read the screen for turning information though there are audible prompts rather than hear a voice directions.

With a selected map region loaded into the memory, simply press the GoTo button and choose either a new or earlier loaded waypoint or a point of interest such as an airport or sports arena to navigate to via a street path. After some calculating, the Meridian Color presented us with a turn by turn journey that we could follow while driving. As we neared each turn, the Meridian Color emitted a set of beeps to warn us of the forthcoming direction change. The set of beeps elevated to an urgent level when we were right over the turn. We used this to plot a course to Seattle's Space Needle, and it made satisfactory results. but, if you are familiar with the terrain, you may have found your way in less time with better shortcuts. If you turn off the Meridian while following a path, you may be able to return right back to it once you turn the device back on.

Magellan's Meridian series offers Secure Digital SD memory card expandability, which is a bonus for adding a big amount of map data, particularly for long trips. but, we were disappointed at its placement inside the device behind the batteries rather than in an external slot. This will not be a problem for most users, but it may be annoying if you had some maps spread across some number of cards.

We experienced good battery life throughout our test Magellan boasts 13 hours of uninterrupted use with two AA batteries. If you do plan on recurrent use in your car, we suggest either buying the optional cigarette lighter power cable or using NiMH rechargeable batteries, which usually supply a longer battery life, also as minimized cost in the long run.

in general, we were happy with this movable hybrid car/outdoor GPS receiver. The Meridian's color screen certainly gives fast looking at details while out hiking or mountain biking, while the driving navigation features were indeed useful in not known locales. but, if you do plan on using your GPS mainly in your car, you may want to think about moving up to either Magellan's Meridian Color Traveler which will include a street map CD ROM, car mounting bracket, and power adapter or the Magellan Roadmate with voice instruction. Agen G.N. Schmitz

Pros:

Color LCD is readable routes and icons pop off the screen

Controls well laid out, navigation screens are intuitive especially for new users

Optional mapping software is easy to use and transfer

Cons:

SD memory card slot not easily accessible

We recommend a power adapter or NiMH batteries for expanded car use

Note: All available screen shots were in black and white. The Magellan Meridian Color gives 160 x 120 pixel resolution with 16 colors on all screens and displays.


What's in the Box
Meridian Color GPS receiver, PC cable, two AA batteries, wrist strap, and user's manual English/French.

Review:
The Magellan Meridian Color GPS receiver is just as at home navigating the highways and byways in your car as it's tracking through your beloved mountain trails. This top of the line GPS device features a preloaded 16 MB map database of North America, which may be augmented by in depth maps from optional CD ROMs via the Secure Digital memory card slot. It also offers easy to read navigation screens, good sized buttons and a thumb directional pad on the front, and WAAS Wide Area Augmentation Service for 3 meter accuracy.

in comparison to Magellan's Sportrak line, the Meridian is bulkier both in weight 8.5 ounces with batteries in comparison to the Sportrak's 6.1 ounces and in general dimensions 6.5 x 2.9 x 1.2 inches W x H x D making it not quite as pocketable unless you have cargo pants.

The bright color screen measures 2.2 x 1.75 inches and has a decent 160 x 120 pixel resolution with 16 colors. Compared with the staid monochrome screens of most GPS devices, the icons and mapping detail literally jumps off the screen. We found it to be nicely readable in the car and in most outside conditions, although it was not at its best in direct sunlight. As with cell phones in the car, you'll must be cautious with your handling. The Meridian Color may be a bit diverting while you are driving as you must read the screen for turning information though there are audible prompts rather than hear a voice directions a feature of the Magellan Roadmate.

With a selected map region loaded into the memory such as from the Mapsend DirectRoute CD ROM, simply press the Goto button and choose either a new or earlier loaded waypoint or a point of interest such as an airport or sports arena to navigate to via a street path. After some calculating, we were presented with a turn by turn journey that we could follow while driving. As we neared each turn, the Meridian Color emitted a set of beeps to warn us which elevated to an urgent beeping when we were right over the turn. We used this to plot a course to Seattle's Space Needle, and it made satisfactory results though, if you are familiar with the terrain, you may know better shortcuts. If you turn off the Meridian while following a path say if you take a coffee break, you may be able to return right back to it once you turn the device back on.

Magellan's Meridian series offers Secure Digital SD memory card expandability, which is a bonus for adding a big amount of map data especially for long trips. but, we were disappointed at its placement inside the device behind the batteries rather than an external slot. This will not be a problem for most users, but it'll be annoying if you have got some maps spread across some number of cards.

We experienced good battery life throughout our test Magellan boasts 13 hours of uninterrupted use with two AA batteries. If you do plan on using it lots in your car, we suggest either buying the optional cigarette lighter power cable or using NiMH rechargeable batteries which supply a usually longer battery length also as minimized cost in the long run.

in general, we were happy with this movable hybrid car/outdoor GPS receiver. The Meridian's color screen certainly helps with quickly looking at details while out hiking or mountain biking, while the driving navigation features were indeed useful in not known locales. but, if you do plan on using your GPS mainly in your car, you may want to think about moving up to either Magellan's Meridian Color Traveler which will include a street map CD ROM, car mounting bracket, and power adapter or the Magellan Roadmate with voice instruction. Agen G.N. Schmitz

Pros:

• Color LCD is readable routes and icons pop off the screen
• Controls well laid out, navigation screens are intuitive especially for new users
• Optional mapping software is easy to use and move

Cons:

• SD memory card slot not easily available
• We recommend a power adapter or NiMH batteries for expanded car use

Early Adopters Pick: January 2003. The 1st handheld GPS unit with a full color screen.

The Magellan Meridian Color is the 1st handheld GPS receiver to feature a full color screen. Find your way with superior tracking and accuracy to inside three meters, a fitted mapping database, and a high color, high contrast, backlit, 120 x 160 pixel display. The Meridian Color finds your place by tracking up to twelve GPS satellites at the same time, and is assisted by the U.S. large Area Augmentation System WAAS, so it is correct to inside three meters or better.

The Meridian Color is ruggedly constructed and is waterproof, so you may be able to take it anywhere, if you are navigating the streets or hitting the trails. It features nine customizable graphic navigation displays as well as a map, compass, and speedometer, and text readouts that show heading, bearing, speed, direction, ETA, and more. you may be able to decide from twelve fitted coordinate systems and 76 datums as well as latitude/longitude, the common cross Mercator grid, and the Military Grid Reference System.

The Meridian Color features 16 MB of fitted maps of North America including interstates, highways, big roads, waterways, cities, airports, and more that you may also expand by downloading onto an optional Secure Digital memory card not included. you may be able to store up to 20 routes, 500 waypoints, and 2,000 track points, and the Save Track to Route feature lets you to change complex track files into easy to follow routes. Magellan MapSend software, available individually, allows you to save hundreds of routes to your PC.

Other features are NorthFinder technology, which shows your direction when standing still, sun and moon positions, which shows you when the sun will rise and set and the phase of the moon, a fish and game calculator, which shows you when the fish are probably to be biting in any location, and satellite position, which monitors the GPS satellites in view and gets info about their position.


The 1st Meridian Gps Receiver For Serious Navigators Who Want A Vibrant Outdoor Viewable Color Display In A Go anywhere Handheld System. 120x160 Pixel, 16 Color Display For Easy looking at Outdoors. Features 16 Mb fitted Map With Navaids Ad Obstructions, Sd Card Expandability. Waterproof It Floats. External Antenna Connector. With Rubber Armoring In A Classic Platinum Gold Color. Type: Meridian Color Reference ID: EB01_20092 5023018



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Magellan Meridian Color:
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