Garmin or Magellan? Comments please.

[Dunaruna]

A friend of mine wants to buy a handheld mapping GPS. His budget is tight, he is left with two choices. The Magellan eXplorist 200 or the Garmin eTrex Vista. Both look like good units but I would appreciate your input. Thanks.<br /><br />His budget won't stretch so anything even slightly more expensive is not in the running.<br /><br />Aldo

 

[JB]

Re: Garmin or Magellan? Comments please.

Magellans may be a good unit.<br /><br />Garmin is a very good unit, has the best customer support in the world, and has a great variety of firmware.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Garmin or Magellan? Comments please.

Thanks JB. Are you familiar with the Vista? Its new to us.<br /><br />Aldo

 

[Sea Six]

Re: Garmin or Magellan? Comments please.

My first handheld was a Magellan, but if I had to do it over again I would have gone Garmin.

 

[Boatist]

Re: Garmin or Magellan? Comments please.

The Vista's have really small screens. If he does not wear glasses may be ok, but if he wears glasses may be a waste of money. I know I would never buy one. Driving in the car just to small to see.

 

[MTFishGuy]

Re: Garmin or Magellan? Comments please.

We use Garmins at work, forestry-related. They make a tough/good GPS, although we use Etrexs (which have less bells and whistle than the Vista's and can be bought for less than $100). We had a Magellan too, when we first started using GPS, and it was accurate but a little less user-friendly. <br /><br />One bit of advice, the software and hardware is not compatable. If you go Garmin, stay Garmin. Your Magellan stuff won't work with a Garmin. <br /><br />O/W, 1 GPS unit is pretty much the same. All they do is triangulate signals from satellites in near-earth orbit. Everything else is extra.<br /><br />Tips: Get a unit that uses AAs, not AAAs. Cheaper to buy AAs and they last longer. Get a unit that can download to a PC via a PC interface cable if you want to download or upload info, O/W you are dead in the water. The Etrexs have these features, but not some of the GEKOs (for example).

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Garmin or Magellan? Comments please.

The magellan uses Navionics and the Garman uses Bluechart, both systems are readily available here and about the same price. I think his choice comes down to screen size. The extra bells and whistles on the garmin make it a little bit more user unfriendly IMO. Both have cigarette lighter socket connections. <br /><br />But its not my choice to make, I'll pass on your comments. Thanks.<br /><br />Aldo

 

[jheron]

Re: Garmin or Magellan? Comments please.

I have used a vista (free of charge while my e-trex was being repaired) and I quite liked it, I found it very user freindly. I like the garmen 1 handed operation . I am not however familliar with the magellan unit.<br />regards, Jon