Great GPS UNIT, Very Inexpensive.
Written: Dec 28 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Worked out of the box in about a minute's time. Flawless directions. Instant re-routing.
Cons: On one occasion the alert to change direction came a bit late, in our opinion.
The Bottom Line: Inexpensive. Respected name in GPS. Updated maps. Voice direction and street announcements. Many other useful data displays. Easy to read on-screen display.
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| lovehifi's Full Review: Magellan RoadMate 700 Car GPS Receiver |
I looked for a portable GPS for my better half this Christmas. Didn't have much to spend.
I was going to buy a Nextar GPS for $79. But I'd read so many reviews stating that updates are all but impossible and the preprogrammed road maps are old and outdated. That's bad. If the unit cannot be updated, you may not even be able to find your way to a more recent address, road, etc.
By contrast, the Magellan is updatable and uses much more recent mapping.
Ran across this Magellan RoadMate 1212 at Best Buy on Black Friday. It was also $79, so I bought the Magellan.
At the price of $79, many GPS units offered are remanufactured, refurbished or otherwise less than brand new first quality. Especially brand name units. Finding this Magellan brand new at this price was a steal.
Magellan has had some great and not-so-great reviews. At one time Magellan was the top-of-the-line in GPS systems. Garmin has since passed them in respectability, but you can't touch a Garmin for this price either.
The Magellan RoadMate 1212 worked flawlessly out of the box. No programming or other preparations required.
We plugged the Magellan into the cig lighter and turned it on. Within a minute it was up and running, acknowleding exactly where we were parked.
We've used it a few times just for fun. The Magellan actually found a shorter and quicker route to our home from my son's friend's house located about a 1/2 hour drive from us.
Operating the GPS is so easy you barely need instructions. Simple ON-SCREEN operations and easy to recognize symbols make it a cinch to use.
When we miss a turn, the GPS automatically reroutes and tells us when to turn next. It recognizes our mistake almost instantly.
Only once did we find a slight flaw in its directions, as follows.
We were driving on the highway. We knew the correct direction to take. Up ahead was a split, one way going east and the other west. The GPS did not tell us to move to the left lane to go west until we were almost on top of the split in the road. Had we been in unfamiliar roadways and had there been heavy traffic, we might have missed the correct direction to take.
The Magellan RoadMate announces the upcoming change in direction, usually at least 1/2 mile before hand. On occasion, this GPS forewarns us as early as 2 miles prior to the needed change.
Sometimes, the announcement comes in odd increments, such as 1.1 miles or 0.4 miles. I don't know why that is.
When we are at the point of change, the GPS makes a jingle noise as a final warning.
On the screen is a map of the current road and any roads intersecting onto the road on which you are driving.
Also, on the screen is the name of the next turn you must make, such as a street name, a highway exit, etc.
Along with the name of the next turn, is the mileage to that point.
Other useful symbols on the on-screen map are such things as gas stations coming up.
You can even display longitude and lattitude.
Finally, on the screen is the EST (estimated time of arrival) to your destination. This EST may adjust itself if you are driving quicker, slower or make a wrong turn and so on.
The 3.5 inch screen is very clear and easy to read. Even though I require reading glasses, I have no problem reading the screen.
The volume is loud enough, although if you crank your car stereo you may not be able to properly hear the GPS. This unit tells you the turn and name of street or intersection as well as displaying it on the screen.
You can also have the GPS indicate your current speed, which is accurate, as well as the direction of travel (N,E,S,W).
As a last note, for hikers and the like, the unit can be powered for several hours on its rechargable battery and take you where you want to go by foot or bicycle.
NOTE ABOUT THEFT:
Because GPS units are so small and do not require any password, they are being stolen left and right and sold on the black market. Just recently at a local bowling alley did I hear an announcement warning all the customers to make sure their GPS units are hidden out-of-sight. Apparently, thieves are breaking into the cars and just grabbing the GPS units and running. In a short time they can vandalize many cars, leaving the owners with broken windows and stolen goods. It's sad that we can't leave anything of value in plain sight, but that is the sorry state of reality.
I plan to buy a case and have the GPS always tucked away in her purse.
The Magellan is easy enough to remove. It simply 'clicks' into place, sort of the way a cell phone is held in place by a belt clip. Popping the Magellan on and off the windsheild mount is easy, but, I am wondering if, over time, the plastic clip will break. Only time will tell.
The Magellan 1212 comes with a software disc which I haven't yet run. It also comes with an effective mount using a suction cup for the windshield. My wife's car has a smaller windshield, so it is a little difficult to place the GPS without hindering her visibility of the road.
There is also an adhesive backed disc which can be attached to the dash. I don't know how well that will work. It is my experience that the vinyl excretes an oil that makes adhering anything to it very difficult. Also, most dashboards are not really smooth, further complicating that problem.
The signal which the GPS receives via satelite was strong all the time. Weather or driving in the city did not seem to affect it whatsoever.
All in all, at $79, this was well worth the price. Now, I don't have to worry about my family getting lost anymore. Actually, we are looking forward to taking this Magellan on our next vacation. No more worrying about reading road maps. Let's face it, road maps can cost $5-$10 or more. For the price of a few maps you can own an ever changing map.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
lovehifi
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Member: Stan
Location: USA
Reviews written: 159
Trusted by: 5 members
About Me:
I have always had a fascination in the field of audio.
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