When shopping for a new GPS receiver a few years ago, I was working within a specific budget and had a short list of specific features I had to have. I wanted to spend less than $300, the unit needed to be very durable for rugged use, and I had to have an easy way to download my waypoints into a user-friendly mapping program. And, of course, accuracy was a must.
After considering various models, the Magellan Meridian Gold seemed to fit my needs perfectly and I have not regretted the purchase.
The Magellan Meridian Gold GPS receiver is a rugged navigational unit designed for the serious traveler. This unit can track up to 12 satellites simultaneously, assisted by the U.S. Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). Boasting accuracy to within 3 meters, the Gold’s ease of use and customizable screens allow even a novice to navigate with confidence. I had no trouble initializing and setting up the unit within a few minutes without referring to the manual.
The Gold has a 16 MB built-in basemap of N. America, including all major roads, cities, and airports. Using an optional SD memory card, users can upload additional maps available from Magellan or other vendors. Magellan recommends MapSend mapping software, which provides detail at street level for selected locations.
The Gold is a mid-range unit in the Meridian series, offering a number of valuable features for both land and marine navigation. It is a step above the basic Meridian model, which has only a 2 MB basemap, yet lacks the electronic compass of the Meridian Platinum and the color display of the Meridian Color.
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Like most GPS receivers, this handheld device is very lightweight, weighing only 8 oz. with the two AA batteries. The shape of the unit fits comfortably in your hand or you may want to mount it on the dashboard of a vehicle. A number of optional accessories are available, including a swivel mounting bracket, external power cable with cigarette lighter adapter, and a handy carrying case.
The Pros
- Ease of use - The 8 sequential screens are intuitively designed and easy to customize. You can turn off any screens not needed to further streamline use.
- Display clarity - The Gold’s display size is an impressive 2.2" x 1.75". With a resolution of 120 x 160 pixels and two-level backlighting, you should have no trouble reading the screen under almost any lighting condition.
- Rugged - The rubberized body and waterproof design allow the user to take this unit anywhere. It withstands fairly extreme temperatures and, unlike some GPS units, the Gold does not shut off when jarred. What’s more, I can personally attest to the fact that the Meridian Gold actually floats if accidentally dropped in water. (Mine has bathed in no fewer than five streams in three African countries!)
- Relatively inexpensive - With the release of advanced models, the Gold’s price has been reduced, making it a very good buy. Consumers can locate this unit for less than $250.
- Battery life - With normal use, high quality alkaline or NiMH batteries should last up to 10 hours. This can vary, depending on how often you use the keyboard to enter extra data for waypoints. The two-step process required to power the unit ON, though annoying at first, means the unit cannot be turned on by accident and waste battery life.
The Cons
- Antenna - The Gold does not allow use of an external antenna. However, the unit proves very impressive in most high canopy locations. A side-by-side comparison under high canopy, with a colleague using a Garmin GPSMap 76S with external antenna, revealed comparable "if not better" results from the Gold.
- PC cable - The data cable attaches to a serial port. Because some notebook computers lack a serial port, many mobile users will require an adapter for using this unit via USB.
- Audio beeps - Although the sound emitted during screen navigation or by the low battery and proximity alarms may be advantageous for some, users preferring silence (while tracking animals, for example) will want to disable these sounds in the setup menu.
- Available maps - Detailed maps of remote locations outside the U.S. and Europe are not available for upload. Thus, some users will need to provide their own detailed maps and mapping software to fully appreciate and interpret the waypoint data after downloading to a PC.
Using the Magellan Meridian Gold: Some Basic Facts
The Gold’s design is simple and user-friendly. All buttons are on the front of the unit and are sufficiently large, well-marked, and easy to navigate. Although some buttons have multiple uses (e.g., the POWER button doubles as a backlighting button), these functions are easy to learn.The setup process is equally straightforward. Users can select from 12 coordinate systems, 9 languages, and the preferred choice of navigation units, time format, etc. Complete instructions can be found in a well-written User’s Manual, available online for download as a PDF.
Among the standard features of the unit, pressing the GOTO button allows users to select a city, highway, airport, or waterway from the built-in database and receive guidance to this location through the navigation screens. You may also choose from the user-defined database of waypoints using the GOTO feature.
This same GOTO button is used for marking waypoints. When the button is depressed for 2-3 seconds, a new menu appears for data entry. A simple press of the ENTER button saves the waypoint location with a default name. If you want to take a little more time, a handy keyboard matrix allows you to add more detailed names or comments for the waypoints.
In addition, fifty-two icons can be selected to further distinguish the waypoint data. You can save up to 500 waypoints, 2000 track points, and 20 routes. These are fairly standard numbers for this type of unit; users who require more must be prepared to download data to a computer and erase the user database to start fresh.
In all, the Gold is an excellent choice, whether you’re hitting the wilds of Africa or just want to take the family for a cross-country road trip.
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About the Author
Janette is a hobbyist writer who enjoys using her GPS devices and educating people about GPS manufacturers, discount GPS receivers, and everything GPS!