Magellan Meridian Platinum Handheld GPS Navigator

Average customer rating: 3.5

Magellan Tech Support is Terrible
Ridiculously Disapointing!
Good GPS
Terrible product
Expectations were apparently too high

Listmania:

GPS compatible with MapSend DirectRoute
Magellan GPS

Magellan Meridian Platinum Handheld GPS Navigator

Manufacturer: Magellan
Product Group: CE
Binding: Electronics
ASIN: B00005OLYD

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Amazon.com Product Description

Take care of all your instrument needs with the Magellan Meridian Platinum Handheld GPS Navigator. This rugged GPS unit coordinates data from up to 12 satellites to pinpoint your location anywhere on the globe, and it includes a barometer and a three-axis digital compass. The 16 MB database provides details on U.S. cities, interstates, major roads, and airports. The Meridian Platinum's Secure Digital Memory Card slot allows you to slide in a data card to get even more detail, or to use a memory card to store waypoints and routes.<P> <table align=right width=130 cellpadding=10> <tr> <td> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/meripla_2_sm.jpg" border=0 align=top>
<small><b>Map screen. View larger.</b></small></td></tr> <tr> <td> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/meripla_4_sm.jpg" border=0 align=top>
<small><b>Data screen. View larger.</b></small></td></tr> </table> <table align=left width=200 cellpadding=10> <tr> <td> <img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/G/01/electronics/detail-page/meripla_1_sm.jpg" border=0 align=top>
<small><b>The Magellan Meridian Platinum GPS is a simple, versatile GPS receiver. View larger.</b> <small></td></tr></table> The Meridian Platinum has a variety of navigation screens that make it a breeze to use. The map screen will show you where you are, or, in Cursor Mode, you can scroll through the map of your current area to see where you're headed. The compass screen makes it easy to quickly check your bearing, whether you're on foot or in your car. If coordinates are your need, the Meridian delivers with easy-to-understand position screens that show all the relevant information for longitude and latitude. And with other handy displays like the road, data, speedometer, and satellite status screens, the Meridian Platinum makes it easy to gather all the information you might need to get home, find your waypoint, or navigate across the country.

The Meridian Platinum is PC-compatible and stores up to 500 waypoints and 20 reversible routes with up to 30 legs. It also comes with a quadrifilar helix antenna for optimal satellite signal reception and fast position fixes. WAAS and EGNOS capability adds to the versatility of this receiver, which can be operated in English, French, German, Dutch, Finnish, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, or Swedish.<P> See your exact position on the Meridian Platinum's seven navigation screens and vertical profile graphs, which show elevations of the route traveled. The oversized grayscale display allows you to easily see location information, and it comes with a backlight and backlit keypad for use even in dim light. Waterproof rubber armoring and an ergonomic, compact design add to the Meridian Platinum's functionality.<P> The Meridian Platinum is compatible with Magellan's MapSend software, including MapSend Streets Europe and the recently released MapSend Topo for the United States. Vehicle, bike, and swivel mounts are sold separately.<P> <br clear="all"> <b>What's in the Box</b>
Meridian Platinum GPS receiver, PC cable, 2 AA batteries, wrist strap, user's manual, and CD-ROM (user's manual with 9 languages).

Product Description

Magellan Meridian Platinum is the ultimate GPS receiver for the serious navigator, featuring a 3-axis electronic compass that provides rock steady readings regardless of how you hold the unit. A built-in barometer gives you advance notice on the weather, and an extensive, 16 MB, built-in mapping database shows your position to within 3 meters or better. Rugged, weather-proof design, large display, intuitive operation and nearly unlimited expandability make the Meridian Platinum an incomparable GPS receiver.

Customer Reviews:

Magellan Tech Support is Terrible.......2006-09-23

My Magellan Meridian Platinum has somewhere around 50 to 80 hours of use during elk hunting seasons during the last two yesrs. Seemed to be OK unit when it worked.

I took it out this year (Sept 2006) and it didn't work. Changed multiple sets of batters and nothing. Tech support in India is terrible. You explain what you have done, they seem to listen, then they begin asking questions (in poor US English) that starts with stupid questions and covers what you just told them.

Finally after several calls, I find that Magellan has set a $155 repair fee. I cannot express how mad I am at a company that sells a high end GPS and it fails and they abandon any responsibility. If I ran over by a car, I would expect them to charge me. But sitting in my hunting pack in my basement hardly constitues abuse.

I cannot recommend any aspect of Magellan. PS, after lodging a email request, I never got a response.

Ridiculously Disapointing!.......2005-12-27

I travel a lot in relatively tough conditions in a 4X4. Last week I went into Northern Arizona--I figured...what the heck I might as well get a GPS to help me as I will be 70+ miles from the nearest town. Not only did the unit fail to get more than 2 satellites --useless for point recognition--it asked me for the lat and long of where I was!!! What a joke--Magellan sucks! Isn't that what the GPS is supposed to do? tell you where you are and not the other way around? Going to Garmin.

Good GPS.......2005-09-17

Although this GPS has great functionality, it goes through batteries quickly. I always carry spares. I highly recommend the cigarette lighter adapter.

Terrible product.......2005-08-27

The Meridian Platinum sucks up battery power quickly. Does not usually last beyond 8 hours, whether using regular batteries or rechargeables. This happens without using the backlight and without a lot of screen changes. Secondly, the Mapsend software is 6 years out of date, 6 YEARS! Requests to Thales for assistance goes unanswered. Have sent 6 emails, received no replies. Their new 3D software uses the same maps, 6 years out of date. I would recommend any manufacturer in the world but these people. TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE PRODUCT, TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY DON'T CARE ONCE THEY'VE SOLD THEIR PRODUCT.

Expectations were apparently too high.......2005-05-29

I have owned this unit for a couple of years, and I have upgraded the software recently as well (rev 5.4). I would not buy another GPS of this model, and I have doubts about Magellan products in general after my experience with this unit. My reasons are a little different than other reviewers.

On my unit, the electronic compass is unreliable, and has to be recalibrated every week. This is particularly so if it is used around the electromagnetic environment of a vehicle, and whenever batteries are changed. Most importantly, there is no warning that the compass needs to be reset. Therefore you might find yourself walking along a heading that is completely inaccurate, without realizing it.

One of the key issues when using a unit like this is trust, and in particular trust when in the 'nearly lost, semi panic' situation that we all hope to never find ourselves in. My unit falls short often enough that I cannot trust some of the data I am getting.

In an effort to improve reliability I have set the compass orientation to "GPS course", so that when the compass fails, then at least the direction of movement on the map will be reliable. However I find it disconcerting when 'heading' is so dramatically incorrect. Evidently 'heading' is data derived from the internal compass, and the unit is happy to give data that is inconsistent with it's own data from the GPS direction. For example, when walking quickly east, the unit will always accurately show my movement on the map as east, even when the electronic compass has lost calibration. However on the next screen the 'heading' will be labeled as a ridiculous 221 degrees, or some other bizarre number, even when the unit is pointed directly along the eastward line of movement. It seems to me that it should be easy for the unit to be programmed to show a warning to the user that the compass is giving inaccurate data, since the data from the unit is in conflict with itself. If such a warning were reliable, then I would at least know when the unit needs recalibration. Sadly, Magellan seems to have made no effort to accomplish this. Without an internal check of the electronic compass I wouldn't trust this unit to get me out of trouble.

In some ways I should have anticipated this. Clearly, a GPS should not be relied on for simple information as to which way north is. It is much better for pinpointing your exact location, ultimately the most important data that a GPS offers. Therefore if I ever need to buy another GPS I would get one that does not have an internal compass. It would be nice if Magellan were to offer a software upgrade that allowed the user to turn off the internal compass, so that battery use would be lower and data would be more reliable. Spurious data is worse than no data at all.

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