Outdoorsmagic - Updated Review

[goon525]

You might want to read this updated review, which takes account of recent software upgrades etc:-

http://www.outdoorsmagic.com/news/article/mps/uan/5830

Seems to me, based on my early experience with the unit, that they're pretty much spot on.

[Dave_the_Hiker]

The only thing I would argue about in the updated review is the following:-

"Battery life is now much improved, but we'd suggest that if you're investing in an Active 10, you bit the bullet and invest in a rechargeable Power Pack. The Lithium Polymer cell replaces the 3 x AA tray and together with improved software, means you no longer need fret about battery life."%

I am using Duracell Supreme AA 2650 mAh NiMH Rechargeable Batteries. These give 11 hours life with the screen permanently on and set at 80%.
I believe this is similar to the LI-Pol pack which has a similar capacity of 2700 mAh.

The big advantage of the Duracells is they are relatively cheap and you can carry a spare set. You could carry a spare Li-Pol but that would be expensive and I would hate to try changing it halfway up a mountain while changing the AAs is easy. The Li-Pol pack is not designed to be changed on the move!

The only downside of the Duracells is that they will self discharge faster than the Li-Pol. So don't expect a full charge if you don't use the Satmap for a couple of weeks.

If you decide to go the AA route, please be aware that not all NiMH AA cells are equal. I have some no name 3000 mAh AA cells which only last 5 hours on the Satmap! Stick to Duracells; they have a good reputation.

The other thing to watch out for is the charger. Many chargers can only recharge 2 or 4 cells. As the Satmap uses three cells you will, after the first use, be in the position of trying to recharge three empty cells and one full one which wasn't used. Depending on the charger this will result in one of the cells being grossly overcharged thus shortening its life or one of the cells being hardly charged at all. It is essential that the charger used has four independant charging channels. I use the Fujicell SCH808F Smart Fast 1 hour AA AAA Battery Charger. It doesn't charge Duracells in 1 hour but it is pretty quick.

As far as I am concerned battery life is now a non issue!!

Dave
_________________
SatMap Active 10 - 1:50K maps
Garmin Vista HCx - Topo GB II, City Navigator Europe.
HTC Artemis - Memory Map, Tomtom 6
TomTom 520 - 8.320 firmware 815 maps.

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