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Magellan eXplorist 500LE Color Handheld GPS
 
Manufacturer: Magellan
Customer Rating:
 
List Price: $269.99
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Product Description
The built-in color map of North America makes it easy to view roads, rivers, waterways, greenways, city centers, airports and other major points of interest. Save 5 track logs, 20 routes and 500 points of interest to the 8 MB available internal memory. Store an unlimited amount of data on your own SD cards.

The Magellan Geocache Manager enables you to download coordinates from the Internet directly to your eXplorist 500 and the PC-style file system makes it easy to manage all your data.

Easily add detailed MapSend maps for topographic or marine navigation and turn-by-turn street guidance.

Intelligently designed for comfortable right or left handed use, the clearly marked keypad provides one-touch access to all your most important features. Joystick controller makes scrolling the simple menus fun and easy. The large color display is easy-to-read day or night. Customizable navigation screens show your location, speed, direction, and distance to destination and more, just the way you want it.

Slip your compact (2.2 in x 4.7 in) eXplorist into your pocket and let it guide you on every outdoor adventure. Magellan TrueFixTM technology provides superior accuracy and reliability, giving you the freedom to explore without concern of getting lost.

Your eXplorist 500 is lightweight and pocket-sized so you can take it with you everywhere.

The eXplorist 500LE does not include a Li-ion battery or AC adapter but offers all the great GPS features and functions of the eXplorist 500 for a lower price.


Features


  • Color screen - 16-color screen makes it easy to read maps and information in all lighting conditions

  • Built-in maps - North American or European basemap shows major roads, parks, waterways and many points of interest

  • SD-card expandability - Add unlimited MapSend topographic maps or turn-by-turn street routing

  • Simple file system - Save, organize a

Product Details
  • Satisfaction Ensured.
  • Manufactured to the Highest Quality Available.
  • With True Enhanced Performance.
  • Latest Technical Development.

Video Reviews
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Customer Reviews
Last Magellan unit I'll ever purchase
 
Review Date: January 3, 2010
Reviewer: Jeremy A. Goodwin, Fresno, Ca
Good luck...
After having several earlier eXplorist models, I decided to purchase two 500LE North America units for my girlfriend and me. It's been two years now and the mediocrity of the product has compelled me to submit this review:
Usability is becoming progressively more difficult with each model upgrade that I purchase. Product usage is grossly inhibited because of map licensing roadblocks that Magellan sets up. This really stymies the creating maps process and ultimately serves as a deterrent from using the unit. So much so, that I won't be purchasing Magellan again in the future. Anytime you want to make any changes or upgrades you need to enter far too much information. I even had to provide all of this information just to email the company. I eventually managed to successfully install the Topo Map software onto my girlfriend's laptop (XP) but was unable to do so on mine (Vista). I had to go on a virtual treasure hunt in order to find all of the correct software (plug-ins, patches etc.). I followed all of the information to no avail. If you actually need to call Customer Support's IS, good luck. The department is farmed out overseas. They are difficult to understand and have no apparent firsthand knowledge of the products. They listen for keywords and plug them into a trouble shooting cascade. I spend the greater part of my life creating and following protocols. The unit and Mapsend DirectRoute software is just incompatible with Vista and too much damn work to use. If it doesn't just plug and play the first time around, bonne chance.
Magellan support is non-existent
 
Review Date: December 6, 2008
Reviewer: Tech Guy,
Flimsy internal battery carrier snapped. Found one on that E site for MUCH less than Magellan would cost. Magellan support offers friendly people who want to help you, no really they do. But wanting to, and actually being able to, are entirely different things.
Good and Bad
 
Review Date: April 28, 2008
Reviewer: R. BOISVERT, San Marcos, CA United States
This is my 1st GPS and bought from Costco for [...]. I figured if its as bad as they say I can return it. First off, the entire connection to the USB port is a non-issue once you figure out that the moron that developed it put tabs on the plug that lead you to install it upside down. After an hour of messing with it, I tried it the other way and it instantly worked and has ever since. I think this is why so many people have problems connecting it to the PC. The unit seems to be accurate, but sometimes gives screwey distances. If you scroll thru the menu it corrects itself (dont know if all GPS units do this or not). The "windows file system" is very difficult to figure out where files are sent to and how to find them again. Its much easier to use points of interest and locate them by area, alphabetically, or by distance. This unit can use AAA or the li-ion battery which I dont have but will soon get because like other reviewers, it eats batteries quick.

All in all, it seems like an OK product with some glitches. Without another GPS to compare it to I give it a 3 due to the poor file navigation interface.
Great Unit for Geocaching
 
Review Date: April 4, 2008
Reviewer: Splat Shooter,
I have been using the Magellan eXplorist series for 3 years and have owned several different models. Comparing other units with the same feature set the Magellan eXplorist 500LE is by far the best bang for the buck. I have not had any problems with the unit being recognized by a PC or a MAC (I have used both). The file system is great, I can set up different routes, waypoints, and geocaches on seperate SD cards and then load the SD card into the unit for the area I am going to. Very easy.

The software that comes with the 500LE is very basic, and the detailed manual is on the CD that comes with the unit (not printed). However, I have found several 3rd party applications that work great with the eXplorist series.

I use Lithium-Ion batteries and find that I can get 8-10 hours of use if I watch how I use the tracking and back light features. In one of my units I use the optional rechargeable battery an I get about the same usage.

I am happy with the eXplorist 500 series the unit is durable and I can trust it.
good value handheld GPS
 
Review Date: March 31, 2008
Reviewer: Reza Perkasiana, Jakarta, Indonesia
The Magellan eXplorist 500LE is my first GPS, before I've used only Garmin GPSs. I've decided to purchase a GPS to support my work as an RF Engineer and this GPS does it jobs well. Few things I don't like about this thing, but it's very minor. If you have this, you need to purchase the battery pack too so that you wouldn't need to open its back cover to have it powered because you'll be able to recharge the battery while it's impossible if you're using 3xAAA batteries. In overall, I'm satisfied with the Magellan eXplorist 500LE.

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