GPS Devices Life

Does Not Work On a Network System - Magellan eXplorist¿ 400 Handheld GPS Receiver As a Geotechnical Engineering Group We purchased two units as a start up. We want the GPS to log location (POI) an...

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The Magellan 310 is an old, discontinued GPS receiver. I bought the Magellan 310 at $30 at a local chain department store. As I suspected, the unit displays the coordinates in only 4 digits of “minutes” (A.K.A. DD MM.MM format). Modern GPS receivers display 5 digits of minutes. Unfortunately this means the Magellan 310 can only display coordinates to within +/- 60 feet in each dimension (North/South and East/West).

When I hooked the Magellan 310 to a laptop computer with a serial cable, the 310 outputs up to 6 digits of Minutes - more than sufficient for any task. So if you’re looking for a bargain priced GPS receiver for use with a laptop for something like NetStumbler or DeLorme Street Atlas, I think this is a good bargain if you can find it under $50. Be sure to budget for extra cost of

a serial cable (about $20) as the cable is not

included with the serial cable.

Unfortunately, you can’t transfer saved waypoints between your computer and the 310 with the serial cable.

I also think this GPS receiver is perfectly suitable for situations where high precision isn’t required. For example, finding your way back to your car after hiking in the woods doesn’t really require 3 Meter precision like modern GPS receivers have - the Magellan 310 should get you within 20 Meters (about 65 feet). That should get you close enough to see your car.

Geocaching

One of the most popular reasons for buying a GPS receiver is for geocaching. Most people that want to try out geocaching look for a low-priced GPS receiver so they can try the sport and decide whether or not they like it. While it might be tempting to buy the Magellan 310, I strongly suggest spending a few more dollars on a GPS receiver with 5 digit minute precision like the Magellan 315 or the Magellan Sportrak. It is technically possible to geocache with the Magellan 310, but you’ll have to manually adjust for the 4 digit minute precision. Explaining how this adjustment works is beyond the scope of this review, but trust me when I say you want something better than the Magellan 310 for geocaching.

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