After researching handheld mapping GPS units for weeks, the choice came to this or the Garmin Etrex Vista. The latter got eliminated after I read all the horror stories about the problems it has catching satellite signals. The Garmin unit has a couple of extra features (such as "road lock" and an aneroid barometer), but also costs at least [more money]. And anyways, I couldn't understand what the point of having those extra features was if I was not going to pick up any satellite signals! pThis is one impressive piece of hardware. It is very ergonomical and has a good feeling in one's hand. You can operate it with one hand, and the wrist strap comes in handy so that you don't have to worry about dropping it. The buttons are laid out very logically and the operation is simple and easy to understand. The screen is easy to read and you can adjust the level of detail on the map screens to eliminate unwanted clutter. brThe unit is amazingly sensitive and manages to get signals from 8 or 9 satellites under most circumstances (including inside my house). It is frighteningly accurate both in terms of position as well as speed. Backtracking back to my vehicle after a long walk was a breeze with this unit (though, to be honest, I already knew the route. I just used the GPS for fun and made sure it wasn't asking me to do stupid things!).brYou do have to remember that this unit can not do automatic routing for you using its built-in or uploaded maps. If you want units with those capabilities, you have to go for dash-mounted units that cost $$$ more. But the map information in this unit is good enough for most reference purposes. The 9MB basemap is quite detailed with most major roads and highways well-marked. The 23MB additional space for maps uploaded from Mapsend CD's is quite spacious. I uploaded the rectangular region bounded by Milwaukee in the north, Peoria in the south, Galena in the west and Grand Rapids in the east into the unit and it occupied only 11MB (it did take 20 minutes to do the upload because of the slow serial connection).brMy only complaint regarding the unit is that it sometimes shows me driving where there is no road, and then the road gets displayed when I go into a higher level of zoom. I don't know what the criteria are for whether a given road is displayed at a given level of zoom, but the algorithm is not very intelligent or adaptive.brAlso, make sure you stock up on rechargeable batteries. I have to recharge my batteries after every 10 hours of use (the manual says 15 hours, but I think that is only with alkaline batteries).brBottomline: I think this is the most capable GPS unit at this price point.

I just received my Magellan SporTrak Pro GPS unit, and after about three hours of non-stop twiddling with it, I can safely say "WOW!" I powered up the unit for the first time INSIDE my house, and it started acquiring satellites. Pretty amazing.pHighlights:p- Easy to usebr- Dead accuratebr- Surprisingly detailed base mapbr- Well worth the moneypThe only Down Sides I've noted are:p- PC cable securing screw has a small, floppy D-ring-type handle on it, which makes securing the PC cable to the GPS somewhat finicky. The same type D-ring is used for the lanyard loop/battery compartment screw. It's OK, but nothing I'd design.p- Magellan doesn't make a carrying case for it, but a slightly modified Nokia 5160 leather case works very well!p- The backlight makes an annoying hum. It is barely noticeable at the Low setting, but on High, it sounds like a mosquito. Good thing I detest backlights to begin with.pIf you want a GPS, go buy this unit. Don't mess with the "toy" GPS systems that only use "patch" antennas. The quad helix on the Magellan systems is FAR superior.

I did a lot of research before purchasing a GPS receiver. The choice came down to Garmin's eTrex Vista and Magellan's SporTrak Pro. I purchased both with the intention of returning one. There was definitely a difference, not only in quality, but also in price. I am VERY pleased with the SporTrak Pro. Let's face it the two things that matter most in a receiver is 1) ability to pick up and hold satellite signals, and 2) accuracy. For this reason, I was VERY disappointed in Garmin's eTrex Vista (which I will be returning). From my experience, the SporTrak Pro is far more accurate than the Vista and I rarely have problems holding satellite contact (even in our home). The Vista, on the other hand, kept losing my position even in minimal tree coverage. The SporTrak directed me right to the position I was searching for (within 1-5 feet). The Vista had me far off the mark and my position kept jumping around. When you do lose satellite contact with the Vista, it does not track your route. The SporTrak fills in those gaps if you lose contact. The Vista is definitely "cooler" looking and a bit smaller, but smaller is not always better. Save yourself money and headaches and choose the SporTrak Pro.NOTE: One reviewer noted that his SporTrak pro made a humming noise when the backlight was on. I have noticed that too, but it's not that loud and it does not bother me.

This is my third GPS and I generally like the features and screens. The built-in map, however, is terrible. It contains major errors that are inexcusable. For example, the Parks Highway - the main route from Anchorage to Denali is labled as another highway. Roads and trails in Denali also way off. Near our home in Arizona, the Map calls the Verde River the Salt River, which is nearby, but way different for navigation purposes. Mapsend maps are better - but not good enough to rely on 100%, which is what you want in a GPS. Magellan could solve this problem by spending a little more for higher quality maps.

I was trying to decide between the Meridian Gold and SporTrak Pro - finally deciding on the SporTrak Pro. The Meridian series is expandable with extra memory - but you need to purchase extra memory. The SporTrak Pro comes with 23 MB available memory. I felt this was the best compromise for the money. I also purchased MapSend Streets and Destinations. Some reviews I read complain about the accuracy associated. Since I sell Geographic Information System software I know what the cost is associated with compiling this type of data. Believe me, the accuracy that you get with MapSend is well worth the money. Sure address ranges aren't perfect, and newer streets are missing, but think about the amount of data that IS there! I was able to create waypoints and upload half of New England to my SporTrak Pro - using only 8 MB. I do wish Magellan would expose some of the advanced aspects of GPS: such as the PDOP, satelite health, etc. This information is helpful in determining how accurate your position is being reported.So far I am quite happy with my selection.

This is my first GPS and I am very pleased with it. I have mainly used it for geocaching. It is very easy to use. The manual is straight forward. I have been in the woods with a lot of tree cover and rolling hills and it still kept a good lock on the satellites. The basemap is pretty good with just a few small inaccuracies. But from researching other units, that seems to be common. The display is very clear in the sunlight or shadows. I have downloaded the software update from Magellan. It added two new navigation screens. Overall a great product. I have not really noticed any flaws.

First of all, the Sportrak Pro is a total joy to use and one of my favorite electronics that I own. I have used Garmin, Military GPSs, and Lowrance. They all work. But I wanted to make sure that the one that I bought would not site in my backpack and not be used. The Sportrak Pro is the most comfortable to use and was the almost instantly easy to operate straight out of the box.pI bought the GPS for one reason. I am deployed to Iraq and do frequent moves where knowing where your exact location is a matter of life and death sometimes. Not to be dramatic, but that is why I bought one. I wanted a machine that I could count on everyday that fits in my pocket and is responsive in all conditions. So far it is a champ.pIn my bookpProsbrAccuracy (dead on)brEase of usebrLarger screenbrNavigation screens that make sensebrOne-button waypointsbrBacktracking (easy). I can get back the exact way I came.pConsbrSoftware. If you need an extensive suite of GPS software, go somewhere else. You can still use great programs like ExpertGPS, and others. Mapsend needs some work. It is expensive for the accuracy and quality of the maps in Mapsend. If they get that fixed, watch out. pIf Mapsend were better, this machine would get 5 Stars all the way. pBottom line: I love this machine. Would I buy it again? In a minute.

One of the biggest questions that I had when I was trying to decide between GPS units was, just how much map data will each GPS hold? From a total newbie to GPS standpoint when they said that 23 Mb will hold a lot of data I didn't know how much was "a lot". Well from the Mapsend Topo Software (1:100,000 scale) you can fit all of Utah (including that little patch of wyoming thats included when you draw a square around UT, and 2/3 of Arizona in 23 Mb. That includes full topographic data and all the points of interest. Some have said that the topographic software doesn't contain very many trails. It's true, but the topo data is of the greatest worth since you can upload routes outlining your custom trails. Since the topo maps are digital you can zoom in mroe than what you could visually see so you can get distinction of the topography in particularly steep areas. Some of the points of interest like summits can be pretty close to where they're supposed to be topographically, or from what I've seen up to 1/5 of a mile off in the topo software. A comparison of the street map where I live compared to the GPS coordinates put me within 0.03 miles of the actual location, so I'm assuming that if the street data is close, then the topo data should be as well. The inaccuracy of the points of interest are a different story.pAfter a couple hours of playing around with it I'm very satisfied with my decision. The unit is fast and very responsive. It displays a high amount of data quickly, and pans and refreshes the onscreen data acceptably.

This is the second GPS receiver I've owned. I started out with a Magellan 315, which was perfectly good for most purposes. (I actually have no REALLY good reason to have a GPS receiver, but I've always loved orienteering and maps and related stuff ever since I was a Scout, many years ago.) However, lately I discovered geocaching, and the 315 just didn't seem to do the job, whether it was because of cloud cover or tree cover or my own inexperience, so I upgraded. I like this one very much. It feels "natural" in your hand, and the grip is secure (and it has a wrist loop, just in case). Under most conditions where I've used it, it's extremely accurate, particularly when it can set up WAAS averaging.pI gave it four stars. One, no Mac compatibility, although I understand there's a work-around. Two, I drive a principal highway regularly, and the track, compared with the base map, always shows me at least 50 feet off the highway. I left tracking on for a dozen trips, and my track was always about 50 feet off their base map. Fifty feet is quite a bit when the claim is accuracy within three meters. (And yes, I'm using Magellan's default map datum, so it should correspond with their base map.)pAll that being said, I'm very pleased with the device. BTW, if you use it in the car, spring for the cigarette lighter external power cord. A data cable comes in the package, so PC users can download or upload waypoints, or even track their route on a laptop in the car, but I find the power cable more useful. There's a combination cable, too -- both data and external power.

I didn't spend a lot of time researching GPS units, just an afternoon googling around the web. The Magellan looked pretty good, features and memory wise, so I bought one. They were just on the market, and I stole one cheap because it wasn't a Garmin, and of course it couldn't be as good, so a couple of early ones sold cheap. That was in June, 2003.
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br /At first, I just enjoyed owning one and being able to download detailed maps from my laptop that would cover a whole state at a time. It only has 24mb of memory available for map loading, but it turns out to be plenty. I usually never used it unless I was lost in a strange city.
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br /I bought the 12v car adapter and started using it like a car GPS, small screen but it was useful. I gradually began to notice some other funtions, like the built in speedometer that seemed to be more accurate than the one in the car. From what I understood of civilian GPS accuracy, that shouldn't be right - then I found about WAAS, and the increased accuracy it offered, and gee whiz - the Sportrak already had it built in.
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br /Gradually, I started looking to do more with GPS, and I had a German friend tell me about using the unit with a laptop as a really big screen in car GPS unit. Hmmm... I was given some old Microsoft map software (Mappoint) and figured I was going to have to buy a new unit to make that work.. but pushing a few buttons .... good grief this thing has the NMEA 2.0 function built in too! It can talk to Mappoint and all kinds of other aftermarket software. After looking around for an updated package, I bought Delorme Street Atlas which is an amazing talking package. It doesn't cost much, and the detail and functions are great.
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br /I started to get interested in Geocaching, and lo and behold on one of the GPS nutcase sites, I found a test of the Sportrak where it basically trounced a Garmin 76s for positional accuracy. http://gpsinformation.net/mgoldreview/sportrak-pro-rev.html
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br /SO I'm still trying to figure out if I need another GPS. The Sportrak Pro is certainly a great deal, and superior especially for accuracy to any other unit in it price range, even today. Since a already own a laptop, I have a very sophisticated GPS unit that I load in the car for vacations and business trips, and that cost me far far less than the $700 to $1000 a good in car unit costs.

I bought the SporTrack Pro GPS about a month ago. The first thing I did was to download the new 3.02 software from the Magellan site. Follow the instructions and you won't have any problems. The second thing I noticed was that the database map is at least 5 years out of date and downloading data from the optional CD ROM helps some but its still old inaccurate data. I drove downtown (20 miles) then used the GPS to get me back home. Most if the time the unit showed me off the road but it did get me back to within 9ft of where I started. I also noticed that the unit emits a high pitch sound when the light is turned on and gets louder when the light is set to high. I phoned Magellan and told them about the high pitch sound and they asked me to return the unit to the vendor. After getting a new unit guess what, it emitted the same annoying sound when the light is turned on. I went down to my local store and asked to see the same GPS unit. They all emitted that high pitch sound when the light is turned on. I'm sure folks who use it out in the wilderness want every animial to hear them coming half a mile way. If I had to do it all over again, I'd go with another manufacture. The vendor was great to bad I can't say the same about the manufacture (Magellan). Magellan, your customers don't mine paying more for up to date software but they hate paying for obsolete data at any price. Magellan, get it together because your SporTrack Pro unit can be a real winner if you get your Mapsend data updated.

One of the reviews on line(gpsinformation.net) says this is the most accurate consumer handheld unit they have ever tested !! pMake sure to get the cable to connect to your PC, so you can update the firmware online. Mine had version 3.0 installed- the first thing to do is update to ver. 5.0 before you enter waypoints, as you will loose them. What a difference 5.0 makes-gives you more screens, seems to increase the sensitivity, which lets it pick up more satellites, even picks up WAAS corrections inside the house, in front of a window that faces the wrong way!!pI purchased the topo sofware (haven't recieved it yet)to supplement the base map. I heard it's not that great, but with the rebate, it was cheap enough to try.pMight even go geocaching this weekend. Just because I can!!

After a fair bit of research, ended up getting a Sportrak Pro and have not been in the least bit disappointed. Picked up the whole trail walking in the hills/woods under fairly leafed out tree cover of the Botanical Gardens in Chapel Hill. And the accuracy is uncanny. Visiting friends @ Emerald Isle (off the NC coast) this weekend, I took a WAAS reading in their driveway. After uploading the waypoints and downloading the right aerial photo, I'll be, if the waypoint wasn't right there smack in their drive. We also determined that the odometer in his new Camry was off by 3.2% (agreeing w/in .015 miles of the milepoint markers on HW 58 over a 10 mile drive). br brOne of the main reasons i got a GPS was to see how much improvement over conventional geocoding a GPS provides (and, as a bonus, compare geocoding package accuracy.) If a study needs pinpoint accuracy (ie being off by .5 miles or more makes a difference - it won't in many cases), a WAAS enabled GPS is the way to go, no doubt about it.pBTW - in reference to a prior review: the internal map(s) are likely what're off somewhat- not the GPS. Every reading I've verified with aerial photos or other methods has been accurate w/in feet, not meters. But it's still fun to follow a drive w/ an amazing degree of accuracy (as a passenger!), even if you appear to be 50 feet off the hway sometimes~~.

After a fair bit of research, ended up getting a Sportrak Pro and have not been in the least bit disappointed. Picked up the whole trail walking in the hills/woods under fairly leafed out tree cover of the Botanical Gardens in Chapel Hill. And the accuracy is uncanny. Visiting friends @ Emerald Isle (off the NC coast) this weekend, I took a WAAS reading in their driveway. After uploading the waypoints and downloading the right aerial photo, I'll be, if the waypoint wasn't right there smack in their drive. We also determined that the odometer in his new Camry was off by 3.2% (agreeing w/in .015 miles of the milepoint markers on HW 58 over a 10 mile drive). One of the main reasons i got a GPS was to see how much improvement over conventional geocoding a GPS provides (and, as a bonus, compare geocoding package accuracy.) If a study needs pinpoint accuracy (ie being off by .5 miles or more makes a difference - it won't in many cases), a WAAS enabled GPS is the way to go, no doubt about it.BTW - in reference to a prior review: the internal map(s) are likely what're off somewhat- not the GPS. Every reading I've verified with aerial photos or other methods has been accurate w/in feet, not meters. But it's still fun to follow a drive w/ an amazing degree of accuracy (as a passenger!), even if you appear to be 50 feet off the hway sometimes~~.

After lots of research, I finally decided to purchase this Magellan over the Garmin Legend. The decision was based mostly on other websites and reviews questioning the sensitivity of the Garmin. I can't say anything about that, but I know I can usually get enough signal on the 1st floor of my 2 floor house (and I'm away from any windows). In the open, I can usually get 100% signal from 6 satellites and a little from a 7th (it only needs sufficient signal from 3). It's a little bigger than the Garmin, but being an RF engineer, I know that generally, the larger the better the antenna performance. I can't wait to take mine on a hike. FYI The unit comes programmed with fairly detailed maps of the US and very general maps of the rest of the world. If you want more, I guess you have to buy the CD.pUpdate: I compared my unit to my friend's Garmin Legend and from the window at work, the Magellan did seem to perform better.brI managed to lock on to 3 satellites, while the Garmin only two.

After lots of research, I finally decided to purchase this Magellan over the Garmin Legend. The decision was based mostly on other websites and reviews questioning the sensitivity of the Garmin. I can't say anything about that, but I know I can usually get enough signal on the 1st floor of my 2 floor house (and I'm away from any windows). In the open, I can usually get 100% signal from 6 satellites and a little from a 7th (it only needs sufficient signal from 3). It's a little bigger than the Garmin, but being an RF engineer, I know that generally, the larger the better the antenna performance. I can't wait to take mine on a hike. FYI The unit comes programmed with fairly detailed maps of the US and very general maps of the rest of the world. If you want more, I guess you have to buy the CD.Update: I compared my unit to my friend's Garmin Legend and from the window at work, the Magellan did seem to perform better.I managed to lock on to 3 satellites, while the Garmin only two.

I bought this in the Warrior Pack with MapSend Worldwide and MapSend Topo. It works great, has all of the capability expected. But it is not perfect.
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br /Pros: Easy to use, accurate navigation, large screen, VERY Rugged.
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br /Cons: Uses a DB9 parallel connector to hook to the PC. This connection is not on all PCs and not on most laptops. I had to purchase a DB9 to USB cable to hook to the PC. Parallel connections are slow. The 4-color gray scale screen is difficult to use for navigation. It is impossible to tell the difference between a topo line and a stream. Does not pick up well in forested areas or in metro downtown areas.
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br /All in all, I would not recommend this due to the limitations of the 4-color gray scale screen. I would recommend either a 16-color gray scale system or a color system, such as the SporTrak Color.

I am an avid fisherman. I have had the Sports Trak Pro for about 4 months. This unit is fantastic! I was fishing on the Intercoastal Waterway in the Everglades and it got real foggy. I do believe that this unit got me back to safety using the Back Track feature. I use the "Time to Fish" all the time. It is 90% right everytime. The Maps that came in this unit are up-to-date. It's accuracy it incredible! The "Road Screen" is so useful, I use to get lost easily. But not anymore. Saves alot of time when you can go directly where you want without going in circles! As for the noisy backlight? The highpitch sound is there. but unless you strain to hear it you can't. In closing... It is the most complete unit and you will never regret your purchase.

I've had the SporTrac Map (identical except for memory size and base map) for five months and am extremely satisfied with it. I've never before owned a product that gets better as time goes by, but this one does. Magellan continues to update and improve the software, their latest revision added two of my favorite functions, average speed and maximum speed. And the unit can display the terrain ahead of you, a feature only offered by Magellan.pThere is no question that it takes some study to learn all the possible functions that this unit is capable of, and the users manual is somewhat marginal. But there are lots of other resources. There's a Yahoo group devoted specifically to the SporTrac series, folks there are willing to help with any question. If you are into newsgroups, check out sci.geo.satellite-nav. Another great place to begin your research is at gpsinformation.net

I've had my SportTrak since May of 2004 and have enjoyed it very much. I've used it while hiking in both Texas and Louisiana in hot, muggy conditions and it's never missed a beat. I've dropped it on the road more than once and other than a scratch or two on the body, you'd never know. The built-in North American map contains the primary highways you'd expect, but it also shows a surprising number smaller roads as well. It's gotten me out of trouble more than once. With the MapSend software, it's even better. I use it on road trips as well as while hiking and wouldn't trade it for anything currently on the market.

This GPS does exactly what it's supposed to do. I haven't had the opportunity to load any maps into it yet, but the navigation aids included in the on-board memory are pretty good. My only complaints are that the clip for attaching a lanyard to is way too easy to break, and that connecting the serial cable is cumbersome. My lanyard clip broke off after only a few cache hunts, and the serial cable has to be screwed on (literally) to the unit.

Super product. I've brought it all over the US and Europe and have had great success with it. Only problems I have had have been when the unit's inside a room or in a car, the antenna's not as powerful as it could be. An external antenna would be a great feature. Can't tell you how many times it's helped me find my car again in strange cities.

I have had my Magellan SportTrak Pro for almost a year now, and I am a completely satisfied customer! The accuracy and reliability of this unit are nothing short of amazing. It locks onto the GPS satellites quickly and stays locked on even under heavy cloud cover and foliage. The built-in North American basemap is great! I can't recall even one inaccuracy. The battery life is great! The price is right! I could go on raving about this product all day, but I'm running out of typing space, so let me leave off with this: If you want a great handheld GPS, Buy a Magellan Sport Trak Pro! You will not regret it!

This unit worked great for the first year or so...though it didn't get much use.
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br /Then it started locking up...just after the warranty expired of course. It has happen 3 times and now I have a very expensive paper weight!
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br /The first time it locked up was becuase of an incomplete download of the MapSend software. I had been throught the process before, but for some reason while loading an update the unit locked up.
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br /So after trying numerous times to get help from Magellan via telephone and email and finally getting a response that was no help at all, I had to sent the unit back to them for repair. It cost me $15 each way for shipping and Magellan charged me $95 to fix it.
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br /Once it finally got sent back (about a month later) the unit worked for a few more weeks and then one day when I turned it on it went into eternal restart mode over and over again and finally locked up on the start screen. The only way to turn it off was to remove the battery pack. So, once again I had to pay for the shipping each way and the repair charge of $95 and wait.
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br /Then, once again the unit failed the same way it did previously. So, now I have a $500 paper weight because of the initial $250 purchase price and cost of sending and repairing the unit twice.
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br /Bottom line is: DON'T BUY IT!

The is the most accurate GPS I have ever tested.brIt is a good overall unit.

I had a yellow Etrex but just got this one. You really can't go wrong here. Please note this GPS does not have a true magnetic compass, how ever it does have "Northfinder" and I have always been able to find North. I could go on and on but just look at the specs.