I have made a tenative decision to buy a Magellan 315 GPS and Chartview Planner mapping software. They will be used strictly for kayaking (at least for now I do not know how else I might use them). The decision was based mainly on the fact that a friend has used this combination for several multi-week/multi-location trips and has had very good results. I picked the Magellan 315 over the Garmin E-trex due to its ability to store multiple routes. On trips I generally paddle at 4 or 5 different locations so having multiple routes stored before I leave home seemed like something I would need. I did not like the layout of the Garmin GPS 12 as well as that of the Magellan. However, I have not had a chance to spend as much time with the Garmin as I have with my friends Magelan 315 so I might be missing some of the Garmin's extra features. I have no experience with mapping software so I selected Chartview Planner based on my friends recommendation. As I understand it, for $100 it comes with north american maps (maybe not all of Canada and Mexico) that are suitable for generating waypoints for most all coastal trips. I think he has planned and downloaded routes in the Great Lakes, Georgia/Carolina coast, Florida/Everglades and Texas with the basic package. Additional Nautical Chart quality electronic maps are available as CD-Roms for particular areas. I just want to do general planning at home before I leave and download waypoints to the GPS. I will take paper charts with me on the trips. Am I missing anything I might want to consider before making this purchase. I have tried to get information at a couple of GPS websites, but I just kind of get overwhelmed with all the information they have. Thanks for your help. Mark J. Arnold MJAkayaker_at_aol.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Please consider my recent experience with Magellan. I purchased a Magellan ColortTrak in January of this year. I used it a few times and decided to take it with me while trying out a Necky Tesla. Beautiful day and I was paddling at about 3.7 knts. I looked down and it jumped to 12 knts then to 25 and its last reading: a whopping 36 knts before it died. Man can I paddle fast! I don't trust a GPS for long term navigation believing that the earth's magnetic field is much more reliable than a set of dead batteries. Here comes the good part. If you try and call Magellan to get tech support or customer service - Forget it. You get put on hold, get recordings that due to large call volumes that your wait time will be four minutes so you wait. You then get a recording that asks you to leave a message and someone will call you back. Don't hold your breath! It won't happen anytime soon. If at all. I would look at a comparable Garmin product. Magellan tried to purchase Loran and the deal fell through. Magellan's management had not planned or executed well and has in fact quit producing aviation GPS's when they initially owned that market segment. I believe that Magellan will be problematic for some time to come. Read: Questionable quality and poor customer service! Sports Chalet, where I purchased the unit came through with a new one. Thank you Sports Chalet!!! Their manager said that they were having problems with Magellan customer service with other customers. Caveat Emptor! Fred Thomas California Kayaker At 11:54 PM 7/12/2000 -0400, MJAkayaker_at_aol.com wrote: >I have made a tenative decision to buy a Magellan 315 GPS and Chartview > >Am I missing anything I might want to consider before making this purchase. >I have tried to get information at a couple of GPS websites, but I just kind >of get overwhelmed with all the information they have. > >Thanks for your help. > >Mark J. Arnold >MJAkayaker_at_aol.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 12:02 AM 07/13/2000 -0700, Fred T, CA Kayaker wrote: >Please consider my recent experience with Magellan. I purchased a Magellan >ColortTrak in January of this year. ... it died. If you try and call Magellan to get tech support or customer service - Forget it. >Fred Thomas Fred and all, I also purchased the ColorTrak about the same time, to replace an old single-channel Garmin GPS38 which died after 3 years of good service. I also couldn't raise Magellan on the phone, but did discover their website. All you have to do is send them the dead unit following the instructions on the website, and in about 2 weeks they send you a brand new or refurb unit. My replacement was new. Here's my opinion though -- Magellan quality bites. At its best ColorTrak has many problems and isn't worth the money. My next GPS will be the $69 Garmin model available at Fry's. When it dies you toss it. jerry. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Mark, I've used GPS for about 3 years now (gosh, its like an AA meeting). I've never used Chartview ... I've been thinking of buying a charting program. I mainly use GPS for a speedometer, and to let me know the distance back to the dock, and to record my daily distance for my logbook. I've set up routes for my old Garmin GPS 38 (which is dead now) and my new Magellan ColorTrak, but I have never actually used the routes on the water. I just have not found routes to be worth the trouble to set them up. Personally, I would not make the choice of GPS models based on routes. It is easy enough to have the points programmed and use "GOTO" to go from WESTP1 to WESTP2 to WESTP3 ... Now, it would be a horrible death on this group if I did not add that I always carry a map and always have both my deck compass and my pocket compass with me. I don't count on battery operated electronics as the primary means of getting back home safely (though GPS as one element of your safety gear is very worthwhile). jerry. At 11:54 PM 07/12/2000 -0400, MJAkayaker_at_aol.com wrote: >I have made a tenative decision to buy a Magellan 315 GPS and Chartview >Planner mapping software. They will be used strictly for kayaking (at least >for now I do not know how else I might use them). The decision was based >mainly on the fact that a friend has used this combination for several >multi-week/multi-location trips and has had very good results. > >I picked the Magellan 315 over the Garmin E-trex due to its ability to store >multiple routes. On trips I generally paddle at 4 or 5 different locations >so having multiple routes stored before I leave home seemed like something I >would need. I did not like the layout of the Garmin GPS 12 as well as that >of the Magellan. However, I have not had a chance to spend as much time with >the Garmin as I have with my friends Magelan 315 so I might be missing some >of the Garmin's extra features. > >I have no experience with mapping software so I selected Chartview Planner >based on my friends recommendation. As I understand it, for $100 it comes >with north american maps (maybe not all of Canada and Mexico) that are >suitable for generating waypoints for most all coastal trips. I think he has >planned and downloaded routes in the Great Lakes, Georgia/Carolina coast, >Florida/Everglades and Texas with the basic package. Additional Nautical >Chart quality electronic maps are available as CD-Roms for particular areas. >I just want to do general planning at home before I leave and download >waypoints to the GPS. I will take paper charts with me on the trips. > >Am I missing anything I might want to consider before making this purchase. >I have tried to get information at a couple of GPS websites, but I just kind >of get overwhelmed with all the information they have. > >Thanks for your help. > >Mark J. Arnold >MJAkayaker_at_aol.com > >*************************************************************************** >PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not >to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission >Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net >Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net >Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ >*************************************************************************** > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Snip > I have made a tenative decision to buy a Magellan 315 GPS and Chartview > Planner mapping software. Snip Mark, I have to go with Fred on this one. As the previous owner of two Magellans, they're basically junk, and mine didn't last more than a couple of months in both cases, even though I babied them. Water intrusion with one (kept inside a clear cell phone bag-- I think condensation got it) and the other just-plain-died. I called Magellan, e-mailed them, finally even sent them the dead carcass of my second GPS. No response. Contrast that with Garman, when I called to get info on an antena cable, they responded immediately, and even recommended I not get it as I wouldn't need it. Yes the Garmin layout is "clunkier" but it's relatively easy to get used to, and now I don't even think about it any more. As for Chartview, it's great. I used mine all the time in Rhode Island, and combined with their Tides and Currents program it was the gouge for paddling the Naragansett and surrounding areas. There you have my two bits fwiw. Regards, Kevin *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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