Magellan eXplorist 400
During the spring 2006 I bought a Magellan eXplorist 400 handheld GPS device and I’ve been using it quite a lot since then.
It is a good device, I use it mostly to geotag my photos and, quite more than I expected, to get driving directions. I wish I had waited a few more month, I could have gotten the 500 (with color screen) for the same price… oh well.
I’ve brought it every time I’ve traveled since I got it and it can be a precious help when lost 
What I like:
- Small
- Descent battery life, and charges pretty fast
- Being able to use its routing capability (Using it while driving would tell you to go left, right etc…)
What I don’t like:
- No “hold” function and buttons stick out, so when you carry it in a backpack buttons can be pressed.
- Could be related to the previous item, I’ve lost some data before. The track log would not record all my path. It has also happened when I don’t save and clear the track log for several days. Although I have space on the SD card, I wonder if there is a max number of points you can record per track log… Edit: Actually there is a maximum number of 2000 points per track log. So you need to make sure to save and clear your logs regularly. Once a day seems to do the trick.
- Getting a fix could be faster… it can take a few minutes if you are moving (Usually under a min if outside and steady)
- Data cable not very robust
If you are thinking of buy one I would recommend you get the 500 version. It doesn’t have additional feature, but the color screen is a nice bonus!
