what operating system

[mandyj]

my first post,

hello to you all, i have looked at depth into which operating system the active 10 works with, could anyone please confirm that it is windows ce 5.0.

Although i don,t currently own the active 10, i,ve narrowed my choice down to the active 10 and memorymaps adventurer 3500.

The one thing that i have seen with the active 10 are the regular fixes that make the 10 the best big screen gps at the moment. My problem is i have quite a few memorymap v5 1-25000 maps, and that makes my decision more difficult. i have used the etex venture for the last 2 years and am not new to handheld units.

I,ve trawled through the topics for the last few days and the only downside i see is the waterproof issue, i only use it for mountain walking and mtb, should i go for the 10, big question, but some small responses may just be of some help, thanks

mandy

[Bosun]

Mandy,

Yes the waterproof issue seems to raise its head frequently.I think Satmap seem to suggest that in a number of cases ( no pun intended ) the rubber seals have been left open allowing ingress of water.

I suppose as well you only hear about the problems on a forum such as this,people don't tend to post and say that they haven't had a water leak problem.There is the long awaited rubber case which is supposed to be due out this week ( see another thread ) which should solve any water problems,albeit at a price.It can't fit to the bike mount though.For cycling I fit mine into a small size Ortlieb document case with a slit up the back to fix to the mount,works well.

To be honest seeing you have a number of M-M maps then from a financial point of view the Adventurer would make more sense even though the Satmap mapping is very good ( I have all mine all on one card,brilliant ), like all digital mapping it ain't cheap.

As far as the OS goes yes I think it is Windows based but whether it is CE v 5.0 I don't know.I am sure someone will be along to confirm it or otherwise.Either that or check with Satmap,they do answer the phone and reply to e-mails in my experience.Their customer service in general is very good and they are UK based.

Ian

[LostMike]

I have used mine for mountain walking (at least once a week) for over three years and never had a problem with water ingress.

Never worried about what the operating system is as I can't access it.

Hope that helps.
_________________
LostMike
Satmap A10. Platform 21
Software version 1.5.9193
Satsync 1.525

[mandyj]

Thanks all for your replies, still debating, i will make my choice in the next 2 weeks, thanks again.

[gearguru]

Hi Mandy

I meet a Satmap rep last week they are doing a tour of shops running up to Christmas, he was a great help. I have an Active 10 which I have had for a couple of years now and it's great no problems with water and really easy to use. whilst in the store he upgraded the softwear to the latest platform. While he was doing this I had a look at the new MM unit, the maps look great but thats where it stops the GPS features are very basic. Route planning is not as easy as the satmap but it's biggest downfall is no compass which is somthing I would expect to see on a unit with this price tag. check on the satmap website to see if the rep is near to you I learned a lot from him that I did not know and they are doing a deal with 1:50 maps if you buy a unit from them, which im a bit gutted about after buying mine

[outdoorsdel]

When I heard that new purchasers of a Satmap were being given £200 worth of free 1:50k maps of whole Britain (to compete with the new MM gps, I assume) I had a little moan to Satmap and asked if they would help a loyal customer who's spent hundreds of pounds on their software. I now have the whole Britain map for £99.99 - not ideal, but better than nothing.

[lostme]

[outdoorsdel]

I emailed them saying that it was disappointing that new purchasers were getting £200 worth of software, but loyal existing customers needed to pay the full price for the whole Britain 1:50k map. They made that half price offer as a result.

[31satara]

I use mine mainly on the MTB. I did have a few issues with waterproofing on long rides in foul weather when mounted on the bars, and consequently used an extra cover as suggested above when it was bleak. However, the rubber case has been faultless. Unfortunately you have to cut a small hole in the back for the bike back, but it does fit tightly onto the mount. I've not had any water ingress and the screen remains clear whatever the weather. I would recommend the zagg cover on the case as in muddy rides the screen can get dirty and wiping off the mud could scratch it.

[mandyj]

Hi, and thanks again for your latest replies.

Gearguru, i wonder if you could explain more about your statement, i,m slightly mixed up with how much easier it is to load routes on the active 10, your statement is quote the GPS features are very basic. Route planning is not as easy as the satmap but it's biggest downfall is no compass unquote,
I was under the impression that route planning would be considerably easier with the mm 3500 as opposed to the active 10, because you carry out all the planning on the mm 1-25000 maps i have, from my research on this forum thought you had to go on line to do the same for the active 10, ARE MY MISSING SOMETHING.
With the compass, i have never had total faith in any electronic compass i have used to date, and always take a silva, and of course a map for emergencies.

Anyway thanks for your comments, it gives me more info, and it looks like i will need to do a lot more research before i commit to one and not the other.

mandy

[Bosun]

Mandy,

Since your first post there has been a new software update ( free ) to the Active 10 and the release of the Proshield case ( £39.99 from Satmap,cheaper perhaps elsewhere ).

I think the update and the case have moved the Active 10 into a new league compared with the opposition so you may like to factor this in when making your decision.

As someone previously mentioned I would consider visiting a retail outlet where the visiting Satmap rep could answer all your questions and demonstrate the various functions of the Active 10 before you invest ( and yes at the price of GPS's it is an investment ) your hard earned cash.

If you check out the Satmap site ( http://www.satmap.co.uk/ ) the Active 10 Plus now bundles with the whole of the UK at 1:50 000 ( £200 to buy ) and there are reductions on other maps as well.Don't forget the bespoke mapping service can sometimes work out cheaper than the published maps depending on the area/scale that you want.

Also if the unit gets damaged you can have a full refurb for £25.

It always was a decent piece of kit,superb now.

Ian

[nick789uk]

Hi Mandy
Just a point for you to consider even with the Satmap you can plan your routs with Memory map and export it to your satmap thats what I do or you can use the online rout planner from satmap, I have tried the MM2800 and it was not a match on the satmap, don't know what the MM3500 is like but if it is simular then the satmap wins hands down, the only draw back I can see is the maps you would have to buy new maps were I think with the MM 3500 at least with the 2800 you could down load the maps straight to your unit, hope this helps.

Nick

[mandyj]

Its been a while since i posted my original question,

But i decided to go for the ad3500, more for the mapping i had, didn,t really want to buy them again from satmap.
Anyway when first purchased the ad3500 had a few problems, nothing i couldn,t work with, apart from a screenlock, it became a right pain.
So did i make the right choice, well memorymap have just announced a big upgrade which really takes the unit to the next level, plus a working screenlock, i,ve had a chance to see both the satmap and the 3500 at close range and i personally think the ad3500 wins on screen brightness and refresh rate, i also do know that comes at a cost with loosing the trackup feature, no compass etc.
So i suppose they both have + and -.

mandyj

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