GPS Devices Life

Magellan Maestro 4050 Portable GPS Navigation System Car GPS Receiver Key FeaturesDesignationAutomobile Technical FeaturesIncluded Software/MapsEurope Ma...

Magellan MAESTRO™ 4050 Car GPS Receiver Product MAESTRO-4050 ENG Key FeaturesDesignationAutomobileForm FactorFixedMap cap...

This review assumes that you already have a basic knowledge of GPS systems and are considering the Magellan MAESTRO 4050 as your model of choice.

I work as a paramedic for a local hospital and we have this model GPS in one of our paramedic fly cars. It is imperative that we have accurate easy to obtain directions to any address. We’ve had great luck with this particular model.

Setup and Installation

The installation and initial setup of most Maestro models is a relatively painless task. It can be mounted with either a temporary suction cup style bracket or permanently mounted to a dashboard. It can be wired to a vehicle’s 12-V DC system or it will plug into your cigarette lighter. When the unit is engaged for the first time it will automatically guide you through initial setup and connect to the appropriate satellites.

Navigating Around Town

I have noticed that the Maestro doesn’t seem to keep up as quickly as some other GPS units I’ve used in the past. Especially when driving in the 35-45 mph range, there almost seems to be a slight lag with the location.

Entering a Destination

Like all newer model Magellan GPS units, entering your destination is very simple. Magellan seems to have fixed the bug from older software that would delete the information in “Previous Cities” when the unit was powered off… each time I use the Maestro I always can get back to the past cities entered.

There also seems to be a few extra confirmations and options that need to be entered compared to some other GPS models. After entering the destination and selecting “Shortest Time” I expect the GPS to just do its thing. Maestro asks for one more additional confirmation, as well as a confirmation of the address before getting to the Shortest Time/Shortest Distance/Highways menu screen. Usually this wouldn’t pose a problem to most users, but when I’m trying to get to an emergency scene it does get rather annoying.

Following Directions

The voice navigation with street names is very helpful. Most Maestros will advise you of the street name rather than just “Turn right ahead.” There is one problem with this though, which again shouldn’t be too much of a problem to the average user… the Maestro knows only what is programmed and that is usually the proper names of roads… so “Main Street” becomes “Highway 105″ and “Interstate 95″ sometimes becomes “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Highway.” If you are not use to some of the names of the roads this could get a little confusing at first. In any case, it is a relatively minor inconvenience.

Overall

Maestro is a well built, well programmed GPS unit that comes with a hefty price tag. If you demand the latest and greatest in electronics then head out to your local Circuit City or Best Buy, drop a few hundred dollars, and pick one up today. The Maestro is also great if you find yourself always needing directions and a lot of guidance when driving in unfamiliar places - you’ll find the voice navigation with street names very convenient and helpful. If you just need a basic GPS unit to guide to you on the occasional out of area trip, then consider a less expensive GPS unit.

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