Cons: Battery drain, cost, additional cost incurred buying memory, maps on CDROM, etc.
The Bottom Line: If you frequently use a GPS, it is worth the cost, but if you are an occasional user of a GPS, you will want something much less expensive.
ag4hq's Full Review: Magellan Meridian Color Handheld GPS Receiver
My wife bought me this unit as an upgrade to my older Magellan Map330. We do ALOT of geocaching and get lots and lots of use out of our GPS unit. I am writing this review after two seperate geocaching trips. The color screen is very easy on your eyes, making it easier to differentiate between highways, backroads and creeks. Highways are now yellow, creeks and lakes are now blue. This is particularly helpful when you are driving. Some other features I like about the Meridian Color are the rubber armor around the unit and the heftier size. When you are out in the woods geocaching your GPS unit will naturally get bumped around a little here and there and it is nice to know it is protected. The larger size unit fits better in my hand, and the larger screen does not require me to squint to see where I am. Now, the negatives....and these are minor complaints, because overall, I love this unit. First complaint is battery life. The color screen does not work very well without the backlight on, but the backlight sucks life out of the battery. Without the backlight on, two AA batteries last about 12-14 hours, but with it on they last only 6 hours. Not a big deal because you can pretty much get where you are going and back within six hours, but make sure you have the DC cord or a spare set of batteries. My only other complaint is the need for a Secure Digital card in order to store maps in the unit. You can buy any size you want, and with the new firmware installed (ver 5.12) you can max out the memory with a 512MB(!) SD card. That is a lot of map data!! But SD cards of that size are pricey. Frankly, you are in great shape with only 64MB, and I got a good deal on a 128MB card so that is what I am using. You will also need the CDROM with the maps to upload to your memory card, but the one I bought for use with my Map330 works with the Meridian Color, so I avoided the additional cost. Overall, if you use a GPS often as I do, you will be happy with this unit. If you only need a GPS occasionally, this unit is overkill.
Meridan Color handheld GPS unit MapSend DirectRoute CD-ROM 64 MB SD memory card Vehicle mounting bracket Turn-by-turn audio prompts; includes serial i...More at Amazon Marketplace
Full-color 120 x 160 pixel display; backlit for easy night-time use Uses WAAS technology for accuracy to within 3 meters or better 16 MB of built-in m...More at Amazon Marketplace
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