Magellan eXplorist 600 North America Review

First of all, Magellan’s eXplorist 600 has a rechargeable Li-Ion rechargeable battery 1300 MAH, that holds up to 17 hours of continuous usage. That is a major plus with the 600, considering that several of the eXplorists require the use of AA batteries. While it’s not a major problem to keep buying batteries for the other versions, it’s a very good feature of the 600 to have it’s own internal battery.

That being said, the 600 is a feature packed GPS device that’s great for outdoor adventures, such as hunting, backpacking, geocaching, etc. It has a 2.25 inch diagonal display, 16 color transflective with high resolution. The backlight feature works perfectly. For a smaller screen (the XL has a screen size of over 3 inches), the display is surprisingly easy to see.

The 600 does come preloaded with maps of North America that includes major roads, parks, waterways, and different points of interest. It has 8 MB of map storage, and an additional 8 MB of user storage.  You can also download and save more information via an SD card slot. It’s easy to use, and ready to go straight from the box. Other features include a barometric pressure altimeter and a barometer and thermometer. The eXplorist 600 is packed with a lot of additional features that previous GPS devices in the eXplorist series did not have.

The size is another great feature. At only 2.2 inches wide by 4.7 inches high by 1.3 inches deep, it can easily fit inside your pocket. And at only 5.4 ounces with the battery, it won’t weigh you down if you use it during hiking or backpacking trips.

The satellite signal is strong. That’s another great feature. Other devices of this caliber do not get as strong a signal. It uses TrueFixTM 14 channels, WAAS/EGNOS, and you can count on the signal being strong, even indoors or during bad weather. It’s a good navigational device, particularly for geocaching. The Geocache Manager is a great tool to download coordinates.

The navigation screens, language recognizability, and a few other minor points are basically the same as others in the eXplorist family. The 600 is fairly more expensive than the earlier devices, such as the 300 or 400. While you could pick up an eXplorist 300 for around $100, the 600 will run you closer to $300. But it does have a lot more features, and the satellite signal is much stronger in the 600. You can also use the 600 more effectively for driving, if you choose to load the additional maps.

The bottom line is, while the eXplorist 600 is not jam packed with features that you’d find in really expensive units, it is a great device for the price. And there are significantly better features with the 600 than with the previous versions of the eXplorist series.

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Do you want all the bells and whistles? Your Magellan eXplorist 600 is packed with them. You get a 3-axis electronic compass, a barometric pressure altimeter, barometer, and thermometer, plus the ability to expand your GPS mapping using a high-speed USB data port and unlimited secure digital (SD) card storage. The Magellan Geocache Manager enables you to download caches directly to your eXplorist 600 and with the PC-style file memory system it’s easy to manage all of your data.

Your eXplorist 600 features a 16-color display so you can see everything in brilliant color. Easily navigate with the intuitive keypad and easy joystick control. Add detailed street maps, topo or lake maps using optional Magellan MapSend software.

8 MB of built-in maps and 8 MB of available memory mean you can save up to 5 track log files, 20 routes and 500 points of interest on the internal memory. Store unlimited data on optional SD cards.

Magellan TrueFixTMtechnology provides superior accuracy and reliability giving you the freedom to explore without concern of getting lost.

Pocket-sized, powerful and full of valuable features, your Magellan eXplorist 600 gives you real GPS that can guide you in full color on every outdoor adventure.

Features

• Color screen – 16-color screen makes it easy to read maps and information in all lighting conditions
• 3-axis compass – Clearly see your direction no matter how you hold your GPS, even when standing still
• Barometric Pressure Altimeter – Get accurate, reliable elevation readings
• Barometer and Thermometers – Get advance information on changing weather
• Easy-to-use – Navigate in seconds with simple menus, one-button shortcut to key features and joystick control
• Built-in maps – North American or European basemap shows major roads, parks, waterways and many points of interest
• SD-card expandability – Add unlimited MapSend topographic maps or turn-by-turn street routing
• Simple file system – Save, organize and access all your stored data with ease
• USB data port – Manage maps and waypoints and download coordinates from your PC
• TrueFix®technology – Reliable accuracy to within 3 meters
• Area calculation – Instantly see the distance and area between any geographic points
• Vertical profile – View graphical elevation changes for where you’ve been or where you’re going
• Geocache Manager – PC application to download and organize coordinates from the Internet
• Track logging – Store 5 track files with 2000 points each and an unlimited number on your own SD cards
• Four navigation screens – Map, Compass, Locator and Satellite Status deliver easy-to-use information
• Rugged construction – Encased in rubber armored, impact resistant plastic
• Water resistant – Don’t worry about getting it wet
• Languages – Choose English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Finnish, Portuguese, Dutch or Norwegian.
• No service fees – Ready to use with no activation required
• Full Warranty – One-year in North America, Two-year in Europe

Specifications

·     Product Number: 980771-06A

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