GPS reviews, news, tips, tricks and deals
Early this year I posted about the GolfLogix GPS, based on the Garmin eTrex platform. It turns out that Magellan is into golf too, as evidenced by the SkyCaddie SG3 and SkyCaddie SG4, which are based on the Magellan eXplorist line.
The SG4 is showing up in a couple of different places on Amazon, where it is attracting (depending upon which page you go to) both good
Via Digg.
Related post: GPS for golfers
UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide or check out our other Magellan auto GPS reviews.
The Magellan Maestro 4050
Before we go any further, let’s take a look at the rest of the feature set. Like its sibling, the Maestro 4040, the Maestro 4050 has a 4.3″ wide-screen, the SiRFstar III chipset, Bluetooth for hands-free cell phone use and preloaded maps of the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. Both units also have 4.5 million points of interest (POIs) and they both call out street names for upcoming turns.
What separates it from the 4040 is the that the Magellan Maestro 4050 has live-traffic included (an option on the 4040) and the previously mentioned voice-recognition feature.
To see how the 4050 stacks up against other units, check out my Magellan auto GPS comparison chart.
UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide or check out our other Magellan auto GPS reviews.
The Magellan Maestro 3140
The 3140 has pre-loaded maps of the entire U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, while the 3100 just has the lower 48 states. A big difference, in my mind, is that the 3140 has 4.5 million points of interest (POIs), versus an anemic 750,000 POIs for the entry-level 3100.
Moving up to the Magellan Maestro 4000 series gets you a 4.3″ wide-screen interface.
UPDATE: A newer lineup, the Maestro 3200 and 4200 series, is a little thinner and lighter than the original Maestros.
To see how the 3140 stacks up against other units, check out my Magellan auto GPS comparison chart.
UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide or check out our other Magellan auto GPS reviews.
The Magellan Maestro 3100
I have not been very impressed with receivers with such a low number of POIs. Even units with 1.5 million POIs have frequently failed to turn up the store, restaurant, etc. that I was looking for, meaning that I would need to enter the address for navigation (if I even had it). Other reviewers, linked to below, didn’t seem to have many problems with the Maestro 3100 though. Perhaps they are in areas without as many new stores, etc.
UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide or check out our other Magellan auto GPS reviews.
The Magellan Maestro 4000
UPDATE: Read our Magellan Maestro 3100 review and Magellan Maestro 3140 review.
Magellan has announced two more members of their Maestro series, the Magellan Maestro 3100 and 3140. Both are based on the thin Magellan Maestro 4000 series models, which have a 4" screen. The 3000 series will have a smaller form factor, with a 3.5" screen. Both the 3100 and 3140 will sport the SiRFstar III chipset. According to Magellan,
“Without compromising the quality and richness of experience that Magellan stands for, we have been able to pack into an even smaller form factor premium features found in the Maestro 4000 series. These include text-to-speech, full map coverage, AAA travel information, and more. In addition, they are the first auto navigation solutions on the market that use the new Samsung 2443 processor for rapid routing."
UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide or check out our other Magellan auto GPS reviews.
The Magellan Maestro 4040
UPDATE: Check out our Magellan Maestro 4000, Magellan Maestro 4040 and Magellan Maestro 4050 reviews.
GPSReview.net reported last night that a new Magellan GPS series, the Magellan Maestro, is about to hit the market. There’s nothing on Magellan’s website yet, but I did find out that TigerGPS.com already has the Maestro series on their site. They are showing an availability date of early April 2007 for two of the units, and mid-May for the top of the line model..
This is the first thin series (0.8") that’s been put out by Magellan. The Maestro units will include a new user interface and improved graphics. What’s really exciting though, is that the top of the line model, the Magellan Maestro 4050, will include voice recognition capabilities (something that showed up on my 2007 GPS wish list). Let’s take a look at the differences in the three units:
Magellan has announced a $49 upgrade option to convert your RoadMate 2200T to a CrossoverGPS. From the press release (additional commentary below):
The CrossoverGPS upgrade creates an outdoor navigation mode in the Magellan RoadMate 2200T to help users find their way through land areas without streets by using the latitude and longitude for geographical locations. The upgrade equips the Magellan RoadMate with topographic contour maps and easy-to-use functions including the ability to create and go to waypoints and routes or backtrack. The upgrade also provides a compass screen and the ability to save a base camp location. The integrated battery lasts up to eight hours for extended cord-free operation during outdoor activities.
The CrossoverGPS upgrade also gives users the flexibility of loading additional mapping software for boating and land activities to the Magellan RoadMate 2200T through optional memory cards. Users can load marine charts, lakes data with fishing hot spots and additional topographic detail, currently available at www.magellanGPS.com.
UPDATE: This model has been discontinued. For current recommendations, please refer to our auto GPS buyers guide or check out our other Magellan auto GPS reviews.
For the past few weeks I’ve been trying out the Magellan CrossoverGPS
The Magellan CrossoverGPS is very similar to the model below it, the RoadMate 2200T, except that the Crossover GPS adds pre-loaded topo maps. Like the 2200T, The CrossoverGPS offers voice prompted turn-by-turn directions, a 3.5” color touch screen and pre-loaded highway maps of the U.S. and Canada. Additionally, both units feature the SiRFstar III chipset, an SD slot that allows you to load more detailed topo maps or marine charts, an MP3 player, photo viewer, and real-time traffic capabilities. I did not receive a traffic receiver and was not able to test that aspect of the unit.
According to the manual, the Magellan CrossoverGPS has 90 meter topographic maps included for the 48 contiguous United States, though the unit I tested had topo maps of all 50 states and all of the Americas. The manual also says that more detailed (30 meter) topographic maps can be added by purchasing one of the Magellan MapSend Topographic products from www.magellanGPS.com. The screen shows 20 foot contour intervals, but this is likely interpolated from 90 meter data, which can lead to inaccurate contours. The pre-loaded topo maps do not show trails or streams, giving you another incentive to buy detailed MapSend topo maps. Oh yeah, you can’t use your old copy of MapSend to load topos; you have to buy a new version on an SD card, but the U.S. version is not yet available.
