Satmap pros and cons

[Paul_ffitch]

I've had a Satmap Active 10 for a week now, and used it in anger for two day-long walks, as well as played around with it a good deal at home. I'd list the pro's and cons as follows.

Bad news first, in approximate order of irritation to me:

1) Screen flicker. Occurs on startup with batteries that provide higher voltages (typically lithiums or new alkalines)
2) Sensitivity is mediocre. Typically no better than my older Magellan Explorist 210, and sometimes worse. Nowhere near as good as my Tom Tom One.
3) No route download and track upload facility, in spite of promises of Satsync software.
4) You have to pay all over again for OS mapping data, even if you've bought it already for Memory Map. A pain for 1:50k; a really major pain for 1:25k.
5) Trip log function seems buggy. This includes incorrect date and I'm beginning to suspect a debatable distance measurement.
6) Track plotting buggy. I've seen the track plotted on the screen come to an end short of the current GPS position, even though logging still shows as not stopped.
7) The plotted GPS position often seems to have to catch up, and 'marches' across the map until settled.
8) Battery indicator is not a lot of good. Reports four bars up until the last few minutes, then plummets to critical batter warning and forced shutdown.
9) All saved routes appear on the map as gray blobs, whether you want to view them or not. You have to actually delete them to make them disappear.
10) The compass function seems poor. In spite of calibration, the static magnetic driven function seems erratic. The moving GPS driven function also seems erratic.
11) No full user guide, which doesn't help.

And the pros:
1) It uses proper OS maps. This is the killer advantage.
2) The two or four info boxes on the map screen are 100% configurable, which is extremely useful.
3) Seems pretty rugged, with a good carry case.
4) Battery life seems better than most other dedicated GPS units.
5) It is generally very easy to use.

I find this a very frustrating device: it's almost brilliant! On the one hand the 'Cons' list is depressingly long, but on the other it does use proper OS maps, which is fantastic. Several of the 'cons' listed above may be fixed by software updates, but I suspect the flicker and sensitivity issues are down to hardware, which is worrying.

Have I missed anything?

[robs1972]

Not sure what you mean by Cons number 6 or 7. The only time it marches across my screen is when the unit is switched on away from where I last turned it off.
_________________
I like mapping, I like mapping, I like mapping and I like to map!

[nonoftheabove]

I think your irritation re 4 is natural
BUT then i have had to pay out EXTRA
monies to update maps bought from Anquet
Its ALL down to Ordance survey wanting their pounds of FLESH.
No matter what system one purchased off the high street
every change in either hardware or map updates is going to cost shed
loads of cash.

Now your grumble re screen flicker well mine flickers on switch on then settles. Sensitivity lack of I am unsure what you mean by this BUT i have found it to be brilliant in plotting my tracks.

MY main pain in the bum IS the lack of software that has been 'on test'
allegedly to download tracks from PC to device. This point has gone very quite from HQ.
The sooner that something that 'functions' is released a collective sigh will be heard.

[rog62]

agree with point 5)... I have found conflicts with the summary of the route distance being different (10%) from the information recorded against the waymark (trip versus track)..I think this may be to do with the way in which the unit resets the logging data versus what it includes when you convert a track...

..point 7)...only happens when the unit has been moved a distance while switched off...

..point 9)..this is a pain - especially if you use the unit a lot in a single area. I spoke to SatMap about this - and they acknowledge that a number of users have "complained" about this and that they would incorporate a change in future software upgrades giving an option not to show inactive routes....

I agree with the "almost brilliant" conclusion...much of which can hopefully be resolved with sofware updates...if they ever get round to issuing any!!

[Physicist]

I find myself in almost total agreement with Paul's list of pros and cons of the S10. In fact I am so fed up with the long acquisition time for a position fix (notably when I have moved to another area of the country), the relatively poor sensitivity in anything other than open countryside and the indifferent battery performance that I have gone back to my Garmin 60 CSx loaded with the Garmin Topo software.

Satmap have the potential to create a truly great receiver but they cant just trade on the appeal of OS mapping while offering hardware performance inferior to much of the competition. Sort out the hardware problems (and the computer interfacing)!

[squired]

I've been very close to making a purchase of a Satmap unit a number of times, but the various issues, including some highlighted here, have stopped me.

My main use for the unit would be mountain biking. Poor sensitivity would definitely be a concern when riding through wooded areas. The lack of PC transfer software is also a major no-no for me right now.

When I first read about the Satmap I was so excited as it seemed perfect for me, but I can't help but think I may be sitting here 6 months from now waiting to see if something better is going to come along. If it was a couple of hundred quid cheaper I might just get it, but at around £400 with mapping, bike mount and battery pack (when it is finally available) we are talking half of what my mountain bike cost brand new. With fully operational car gps systems going for less than £100 now I really do think it is too expensive.

[Paul_ffitch]

Re Robs1972 reply above:

Re con 6): I have definitely seen, on one occasion only so far, the red track 'blobs' stop short of where my current position was being displayed. I carefully checked to see whether I had accidentally asked it to stop tracking, but I hadn't, as the 'Trip Log' screen was clearly showing the left button as 'Stop' (ie it's still tracking) rather than 'Start' (which would indicate that it has stopped tracking). It isn't clear to me what caused this, and I haven't been able to repeat it.

Re con 7): I have seen on at least three occasions, the GPS position when checked to be on a point somewhat further back in the walk that I was on, and then gradually move (while I was stationary, just watching the screen) over a period of about ten seconds, to the position I actually was on the map (which was clear from the surroundings on each occasion). Again, I'm not clear what caused this, although I suppose it's possible that it may have temporarily stopped updating the position due to an unstable lock (while the unit was in it's pouch strapped to my rucksack hip belt), and then updated it's position when it got a better lock after I took it out to hold. This is speculation, but if true it wouldn't say much for the sensitivity.

[GJF]

[mikealder]

[Paul_ffitch]

I do acknowledge Mike Alder's comments in his reply above, which are all reasonable. I agree a good number of the issues will hopefully be sorted via software updates, and I'm willing to put up with non-ideal 'oddities' initially as long as they get sorted in a reasonable timeframe.

The issue I am most concerned about, on reflection, is the sensitivity. The screen flicker (which I originally put as my top annoyance) is I suppose ultimately not a functional issue -at least not after a few minutes settling.

The sensitivity on the other hand is very much a functional issue, be it an unnecessary and frustrating wait for a satellite lock, or the frustration of a lost lock. It seems a shame that a SIRF-III device is being let down by some other aspects of the design (antenna?). I guess it begs the question of how often or easily the device actually loses a lock in practice. Mine didn't on the walks I have used it on (at least not that I noticed), only when I went indoors, which is understandable. Does anybody (Physicist?) have any examples of actually losing a lock after initial lock-on? May be better to post any reply to this particular question to the separate 'Sensitivity' topic thread.

[Alpine9]

I have one of these and basically I agree with the pros and cons.

Regarding accuracy. I was on the summit of Fairfield Mountain recently and the unit showed me about 25 meters to the east of where I actually was (at the trig point) and gave me an incorrect NGR. This unit is no substitute for a real map and compass. My Garmin Fortrex was almost spot on with its reference

I have found the availability of maps difficult. Although I have the Lake District National Park Premium it is proving very difficult to obtain others in the 1:50,000 range. Perhaps this is a supply problem.

Wonder if anyone else has had similiar experiences.

[kidstypike]

Does anyone know which software version the is loaded on the current A10?
I would presume Satmap are shipping the latest A10 with version 1.03.
Can anyone with a recent purchase say for sure?

kidstypike

[Paul_ffitch]

Mine was bought on 28th December and has 1.03 loaded.

[kidstypike]

[TheReverend]

This is a great thread, as I'm just about to purchase a GPS unit, and the Satmap seems like my ideal companion. However, I have read all the posts and am struggling to identify why the Satmap is better than other GPS units? I am assuming that the mapping on other units is so inferior to the Satmap, that I should just buy one and be done with it? I would use it to go walking/hiking etc all over the UK...and would like OS maps on the device for wherever I am going. Please could you let me know what maps come with it, and what I get over and above a Garmin unit for instance? I'm assuming that the OS maps are not available on any other platform, and other maps are just not as good?

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