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GPS Garmin vs. Magellan

4K views 23 replies 16 participants last post by  alston4252 
#1 ·
Well I am stumped and would like to here your suggestions on which product is better. I have an old Garmin and it has been good I just want to upgrade. I am looking to use it on my boat as well as in the woods. Thanks in advance.
Craig
 
#4 ·
Every time this gets brought up I see more people touting Garmin. However, I own a Magellan 330M.

Now I bought mine 3 years ago so maybe Garmin has improved. But I will tell you what I found at that time.

At the time I did my research. Magellan had the best units. They are also the company that brought the technology to market first. They put out firmware upgrades to their units for free. When I bought my 330M, WAAS did not exsist. But when it became available they put out a firmware update and now my unit has it. As a matter of fact my unit will do everything their latest models will do including topographic.

My 2 cents :)
 
#6 ·
Hey NewFisher

I have a Garmin Etrex Legend. This is my second Garmin unit. It is about 2 years old and I really like it. I take it when I go on road trips or fishing to mark spots. You can get a disk for waterways and highways. It is loaded with features and I think the new ones have a few more. It is updatable with its USB cord and connecting to www.garmin.com . The only drawback is the small screen. Mine is 1-1\4" wide and 2" tall. I hope this helps...VIC
 
#7 ·
Garmin makes some nice units. They have one of the best GPS engines available. I have owned a couple of them and they are easy to operate, have all the features that you'll ever need, great software is available and fantastic customer service. Updated firmware is free to download from the Garmin site.

Never owned a Magellan so I can't comment on them.
 
#9 ·
The reason I am asking this question is because magellan has a hand held gps that is made for using mainly on a boat. It is the sport trac marine series. It looks nice and has something like 15MB of memory. I have done a minor comparison but still am undecided. Thank you for all your comments so far and keep them coming.
Craig
 
#10 ·
They all work fine in a boat, they just make it yellow and put marine on it so they can get an extra 20 or 50 bucks out of you. My first gps was a magellan which was a pos and the other two I have had have been garmins. I would stick with the Garmin.
 
#11 ·
NewFisher said:
The reason I am asking this question is because magellan has a hand held gps that is made for using mainly on a boat. It is the sport trac marine series. It looks nice and has something like 15MB of memory. I have done a minor comparison but still am undecided. Thank you for all your comments so far and keep them coming.
Craig
Here is a good exercise. How about all the Garmin guys tell us what yours will do that this one won't. And then tell us how much cheaper it is.

http://www.magellangps.com/en/products/product.asp?PRODID=912



SporTrak Pro Marine

The indispensable navigation device for mariners, Magellan® SporTrak® Pro Marine features an extensive 15 MB, built-in mapping database, including waterways, lights, buoys/beacons, fog signals, radar/radio, roads, parks, airports, political boundaries, interstate highways, major inland waterways, state highways and major roads, and city centers. An additional 17 MB of free memory enables you to expand your mapping capabilities with optional detailed maps from the entire line of Magellan MapSend® software products including BlueNavTM which offers detailed coastal marine charts.

SporTrak Pro Marine offers superior tracking and 3-meter accuracy, with nine customizable screens that provide an easy way to view your location, heading and route on a large, high contrast 160 x 104 pixel display. Built tough, SporTrak Pro Marine is waterproof and rugged enough to go with you on any boating adventure, or just across town, designed to make getting where you’re going a fun, easy and safe trip.

The SporTrak Pro Marine gives you all the great advantages of GPS in a full set of features:

Accurate
SporTrak Pro Marine finds your location by tracking up to 12 GPS satellites simultaneously. Assisted by the U.S. Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), the SporTrak Pro Marine is accurate to within 3 meters or better.

Easy to use
The intuitive interface and large keyboard provides direct access to key features, putting the power of GPS at your fingertips.

Built-in mapping of North America and expandability
Start navigating right away with an extensive, 15 MB, built-in mapping database of North America, including highways, major roads, parks, waterways, airports, cities and marine navigation aids, such as buoys, beacons, lighthouses and more. Easily expand your SporTrak Pro Marine’s capability with 17 MB of additional free memory, by downloading detailed marine navigation information using Magellan MapSend BlueNavTM software products.

Full Featured Navigation
Nine customizable graphic navigation screens show a map, compass, speedometer, and text readouts of heading, bearing, speed, direction, ETA, and more. Choose from 12 built-in coordinate systems and 76 datums including Latitude/Longitude, Universal Transverse Mercator, and Military Grid Reference System.

Store routes and track-points
Store up to 20 routes, 500 waypoints and 2,000 track-points to easily find your way back again.

Save Track-to-Route
The unique, Save Track-to-Route feature allows you to convert complicated track files into easy to follow routes. Save hundreds of routes by transferring them to a PC using optional Magellan MapSend software.

NorthFinder
NorthFinderTM technology shows your direction even when standing still.

Tides
Built-in information for major tide stations enables you to confidently navigate from port to port without having to guess about the conditions ahead. Additional detailed information is available with optional MapSend BlueNavTM software.

Sun/Moon positions
SporTrak Pro Marine shows you when the sun will rise and set, as well as the phase of the moon, for any date and location in the world.

Currents
With optional MapSend BlueNavTM software, SporTrak Pro Marine provides detailed information on currents in the waters you are traveling, making your marine adventure safer and more enjoyable.

Fish and game calculator
Want to know when the fish are likely to be biting in your little corner of the world? The Magellan SporTrak Pro Marine can tell you.

Satellite status
Monitor the GPS satellites in view and get information about their status.

Built to perform on the most challenging and rigorous adventure.

Large backlit high contrast display
Easily view all the GPS information you need to make your adventure fun and safe, even at night.

Compact and lightweight
At a mere 6.1 oz, the attractive SporTrak Pro Marine is compact and lightweight enough to slip into your pocket and go with you no matter where your adventure takes you.

Advanced power management
2 AA batteries provide up to 14 hours of continuous use.

Rugged construction
Rubber armored, impact resistant plastic allows you to confidently take SporTrak Pro Marine on that next great adventure.

Waterproof
SporTrak Pro Marine is sealed to IEC-529 IPX7 specifications â€" and it floats!

Built-in help database
The SporTrak Pro Marine is intuitive, easy to use, and all the major functions are described in step-by-step instructions.

Multiple language support
If you speak English, French, German, Swedish, Finnish, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese or Dutch, so does the Magellan SporTrak Pro Marine.

1-year warranty
We pride ourselves on building rugged and reliable navigation products that you can depend on, backed by a full one-year warranty.

Price $299.00 http://www.marine-electronics-unlim...duct_id=MG1106-0&Magellan_SporTrak_Pro_Marine
 
#12 ·
ns

Fresh2Salt said:
They are a bit more expensive but the return is phenominal. I use mine on the water and in the woods(mainly in the water). The BlueChart capabilities are second to none. Here's a link describing the BlueChart technology a little more.

http://www.garmin.com/cartography/ontheWater/
DISSipator does makes some good points. I took the "DISSipator challenge" myself (I've had the map 176 Garmin listed above for nearly 2 years now).
I looked those features over pretty close and I know my 176. That's a complete package there! I even wish my 176 had the "track to route" feature, I could use that, very similar features overall though.

I read quite a few reviews and most thought Magellan had the best topo and navagation maps but the Garmin "Bluechart" maps are more detailed for fishing. I don't know if this is true or not but that's what swayed me toward the Garmin. One other thing, my eyes are not so good anymore so the bigger screen is much easier for me to read. The 176 is pretty bulky for carrying it around in the woods but it's the biggest screen in a portable I could find.

A buddy of mine just bought the 176C (color) in a great "bundle" (bunch of extras) for @ 450 after rebate. The 276 is basicly the same unit with "autorouting" if you use it on the highway. This is not a feature I personally would spend the extra money on!

Nav on DUDE!
 
#14 ·
Garmin GPSMAP III Marks the spots, shows me the route, the distance I've traveled, Has a snail trail of where I've been, track back, Time, Max, current, and avg speed, odometer, tripometer, est. arrival, and probably alot of other stuff I never use. $100 ebay. The main thing that would be nice is the tide calculator. You may want to check out garmins web sight for info on thier current products. I'm sure they have somehting comperable to it.
 
#17 ·
I own the Garmin 76 and the Magellan MeridianThe Magellan has more memory capacity along with more features.
As for ease of use I would stick with the Garmin. The user interface is much easier to follow and understand.
If you are in need of the extra features go with the Magellan.
I rarely use all the capabilities of the Magellan and most of the time forget how to use the features. Consider what you are going to use it for and well you will train yourself to use it.

Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
 
#18 ·
I have the Sport Track 2 it has (?) around 27 Meg of memory thus you can upload a lot more info like highway maps etc if you buy the Magellan CD ($80). It is the same as the "Marine" model except for more memory and might even be a little less $. I believe the Marine model comes with some marine data pre-loaded. Buoys, markers, etc. Depends on your use. I have never owned a Garmin but understand they are very user friendly. I was not happy with the 2 previous Magellans, but I have had this one for about 2 years and am very happy with it.
 
#19 ·
gbo4 says As for ease of use I would stick with the Garmin. The user interface is much easier to follow and understand.
The Garmin interface really rocks! Once you've mastered a few basics, you can find any feature you want. Absolutely the most user friendly interface I've ever seen on marine electronics, depthfinders included. (don't they stink!) :spineyes:

Take that all you Magellan fans! :work:
 
#20 ·
I have the Magellan Sport Trak Marine and love it. It is used about equally in the woods and on the water. It is very intuitive and easy to use...a very simple menu.

I think that there are probably lots of good units out there and I'm not knocking any of the others, I've just had a high level of satisfaction from my magellan.
 
#21 ·
Good Texan said:
I have the Magellan Sport Trak Marine and love it. It is used about equally in the woods and on the water. It is very intuitive and easy to use...a very simple menu.

I think that there are probably lots of good units out there and I'm not knocking any of the others, I've just had a high level of satisfaction from my magellan.
I'm not really knocking any of the units, just messing with DISSipator, all in fun. See Ya, Pat :brew:
 
#24 ·
DISSipator said:
Waterproof
SporTrak Pro Marine is sealed to IEC-529 IPX7 specifications - and it floats!

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I own a Magellan Meridian Platinum. It has the same features as DISSipator's unit. I have not used any additional software that can be downloaded onto interchangable memory chips, but I like the basemap that comes programmed on it. I love the dash mounted cradle that allows this unit to run off my 12-volt while in the truck (with continuous backlit screen while night driving). I use it on the coast, at the ranch, and on the road.

I have not tested this reciever's waterproof capabilities. I was wondering if anyone can relate any info on this subject. My unit is also sealed to the same specs as the quote.
This is an expensive toy by my standards, and I just don't have the stones to test it while wading.

alston4252
 
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