Magellan eXplorist 200 Handheld GPS Receiver

The Magellan eXplorist 200 GPS Receiver has been dependable for me and is a great little GPS device with plenty of features.

If I were to change two things about the eXplorist 200, it would be the display scale and the ability to load data from a computer. I would have the display be able to close in to about 20 yards per inch on the screen as do similar models in its price range. The eXplorist 200 only scales down to 100 yards per inch. This can sometimes make a big difference when geocaching. I also want my next GPS to be able to connect to my laptop via cable or blue tooth and transmit/receive data. After manually loading a few hundred lat and long positions, the extra expense would be worth it.

If these issues are a concern, I would go with one of the higher-level eXplorists by Magellan. Other than that, the eXplorist 200 is a great model and very rugged and dependable. Its there when you need it and the B+W graphics are easy on the eyes and intuitive to understand. The joystick control becomes 2nd nature in no time.

Also, my eXplorist 200 was able to pick up a signal roaming through the woods many times when my buddy's slightly less-expensive GPS device would not.

This device seems to work almost anywhere I take it, and usually has little difficulty in dense forest areas. this has more than enough memory for you to store as many waypoints and Marks as you would see fit for almost any length of a trip, and comes built-in with most major roads and important locations(hospitals, airports, etc) already built in, and does not interfere with the memory performance.

For those of you who will be using this for Geocaching, this device is wonderful. It is almost always dead-on, regardless of what its telling you the error of accuraccy is. It also lets you rename points quickly and easily, so you can use the name of the cache and dont get confused when doing specific ones in a cache-dense area. The device will also sort the list of Marks alphabetically, as well as nearest and furthest, so you can quickly pick the closest cache to start with.
The button layout itself is pretty simple yet very functional for even kids to use; each button is clearly and descriptively labeled, and the main joystick-like button works very well and accurately.

I only have a couple of negative things I can say about this device; you cannot connect it to your computer to download/upload maps, waypoints, and Marks to it; this prevents it from being used by serious geocachers who will go and do 30 or 40 in one day; manually entering a lot of data points all at once does become a little tedious. Magellan does, however, have an explorist model(210) that does about the same thing as this one,costs little more, but has connectivity capabilities; it's almost the same model as this, with the extra connection ability added.

The other problem I have with the device is its power-on satellite up-link (connection) speed; it can take it a good 5 minutes at least to pick up a signal to get even its 2D position. avoid getting this if you're going to be using it for emergency situations where time is critical; higher-end makes and models usually connect within 1-2 minutes tops.

I purchased my Magellan eXplorist 200 without ever having used or purchased a hand held GPS receiver before. I purchased this mostly to begin "Geocaching", which involves basic coordinate and map reading with some navigational and detective-like skills mixed in. I needed a device that, as a beginner, I could easily figure out and work to my desired level of expertise before moving up the complexity ladder that inevitably grips gadget freaks like mysef.
This unit has performed remarkably well for me. This unit is a basic GPS which is easy to understand and even without a manual I was able to maneuver through the various screens and functionalities and figure out how everything works. I am impressed with its size and light wieght as well as its robust, shock-resistant design. I have already dropped it somewhat severely while caching and it is no worse for the wear. The screen has adjustable contrast and also an adjustable backlight that makes this useful at night as well.
The main navigation/map screen is somewhat customizable and I like being able to decide which information I have displayed. The unit appears to track quickly once it has acquired satellites and more often than not I find the accuracy within 30 meters which is extremely helpful for locating pin-point coordinates. I also have found that the size of the unit makes it suitable to take on my long training runs so that the distance traveled can be measured accurately, a function that I had not initially considered that is becoming more and more useful.
The drawbacks to this particular device I have found to be the lengthy amount of time to acquire a lock on position from the satellites. I believe it takes on average around 8 minutes for my unit to acquire, but once it does it is remarkably quick in response. I have not had any trouble getting satellite signals and trees or overhanging objects or even clouds do not seem to hinder the unit.
One other drawback is the battery life. This unit sucks power, that is for sure! I have made it a habit to check the battery life meter (a handy feature, now that I know the power sucking nature of the unit) before I leave home or civilization so that I am not stuck out somewhere with a dead rig. This has not proven to be a major issue, just something that could be annoying if you are not prepared.

All in all I am extremely happy with my purchase. I found my magellan used for 70 dollars on Ebay and I believe it was a steal. This unit has good functionality, especially as an introduction to GPS units and tracking/navigation. The eXplorist 200 is well built and has useful interfaces for each of its functions and screens. The buttons protrude from the unit and are rubbery for easy use as well and very straightforward.
I highly recommend this to the not-so-serious GPS user who needs to get their feet wet and doesn't mind a no-frills unit.

A rugged, no-frills unit that works as advertised. It acquires a fix pretty rapidly under most conditions, and is very easy to use. The bright yellow color makes it hard to misplace, too.

Be sure to ask about returning the product where you purchased it if you have any problems. Mine quit working after 2 months and Wal-Mart would not let me return it. Magellan was suppose to send me a replacement in the mail under warranty and I have not received it yet. It has been 10 weeks and have made over a dozen phone calls. They keep telling me it is on the way. Just called yesterday and they told me there were "Errors in the transaction". It took them 10 weeks to figure that out?? I would never buy another Magellan product in my life. My friends have had a lot of problems with theirs also. Don't waste your money like I did. I'm buying a Garmin next and will probably have to eat the money I have in the Magellan piece of s*%#. Their products suck and so do their customer service.

Haven't had it long enough to really test it out. It seems to be very well made and rugged. It's a little slow getting started, but worked well.

havent recieved it in the mail yet but as of right now i thought i was a great buy and it seems this seller is someone who does great buisness

This is a great little gps for the average person.It doesn't have a bunch of frills,but not everyone needs a barometer on a gps.I purchased this unit to help me find the edges of my property.It performed flawlessly.You can enter your lattatude and longetude you want to go to,push a button,and presto,it tells you where to go to get to that point.The compass works great as long as you are moving.I have no problem at all suggesting you look into this gps if you are looking to buy one.There are better units out there,but this one does everything I could ever need it to.I do suggest you purchase the cd for it though.The instruction booklet that comes with it is just that,a booklet.It tells you the basics of the unit,but nothing like the cd.the cd tells you everything you can do with it.In my opinion,this gps deserves 4 and a half stars.

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This GPS system is great for Geocaching. Young explorers can hold and work the controls with ease.

It does not have the capacity to download way points directly from the internet, but they are easy enough to name and put in manually.

I like that it will store a bunch of way points (geocaches) and then we just leave it in the car and if we want to do some we just turn it on and go. You can add notes to your way points too.

I would like the map to be able to zoom in farther with side-streets. This only shows major roads.

Pretty good for me and my 4 year old daughter. Maybe when the kids are older if they still like doing it we can get a more expensive one that will have nicer street-level maps. That is quite a leap in cost just to have those maps though.

Enjoy!

Everything you need and nothing you don't to get going with a rugged geocaching GPS. You could get more, but no need.

that is the think that I really needed for deep drop fishing. easy to use. everyone who can use a mobile phone can easly use this.

I bought this item for it's easy use, the new ones are to comlicated and cost too much. the item was new ,used once or twice . I put batterys in and tunred
it on and it works. everybody that has one should carry a spare one,just in
case one is damaged or lost.

For the money, this was a great buy. The AA size batteries last a long time and rechargeable batteries work great in it. It is small and lightweight and water resistant. It is great for using in rainy weather or snow skiing. The bright yellow case helps keep it from being lost. It is easy to use and has a nice back light with 2 level settings. It lacks a usb port for downloads and does not have a way to enter locations by coordinates.

My wife and I are geocachers and we have been looking to upgrade our equipment.
This is a high quality, lower priced way for us to achieve many of our desires. Size, ease of handling, great display have have proven we chose wisely. We have used the GPS and found it to have no major faults.

I bought this for geocaching, and it works great! Only a few dislikes; it takes a little getting used to putting in the longitude and lattitude, but after a few times you get used to it, and sometimes it takes a minute or two to find the sattelites. But that might just be where I turn it on at.

It is great for setting caches too, just save the location in your points of interest. I recomend this one to anyone geocaching. Easy to read screen, pretty good battery life, and the screeen is even backlit in red. Looks pretty cool, and is good for when you are in the woods, but using the light will drastically reduce battery time.

I bought the Magellan eXplorist 200 Handheld GPS Receiver new off e bay for $40. its a very good gps for the price. I use it for geocaching and it works great! the only downfall is the fact that you cant connect to your computer. so you have to punch in coordenance by hand. Its great for beginners. For the price you cant get any better!

Awesome - As I gently merge into the next generation of technology, the Magellan Handheld GPS receiver is an excellent addition to my collection. The GPS is easy to use and easy to navigate. It is great for a beginner, which I would classify myself as. I am very pleased with the receiver..

I had the Magellan in just a few days, This EBAYer is fast. It came complete as described and just like the pictures. I baked it and then went right to work testing it agaist my other handheld GPSr and it was SPOT on. Great product! Thanks.

this gadget is the coolest thing ive ever seen.i hunt deer and i use to navigate through the woods and find my way back to my vehicle.it even lets you mrk spots and find your way back to them on a later date.awsome product

PURCHASED THIS ITEM WHEN I RECEIVED THE ITEM ITS NEW BUT IT WAS NEW IN 2004 ALSO I LEFT FOR THE SELLER AND I HAVE YET TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK

Use with students- wanted more so they can more easily access one- very positive experience- works well

I was looking for a GPS for my husband's birthday. This turned out to be a great buy, he loves it!!

I was even able to get it in short notice and have it to my house by his birthday!!