Magellan Meridian Platinum GPS Receiver

Pros:
Expandable memory! Good size. Light weight. Large backlit screen. Electronic compass. Floats!

Cons:
Eats batteries. Electronic compass needs re-calibration after changing batteries. No USB.

The Bottom Line:
This is an excellent GPS receiver! You won't regret getting a Meridian Platinum! If you don't need an electronic compass and barometer, get a Meridian Gold. If you want color, choose the Meridian Color.


The decision
I had visited Magellan's and Garmin's respective websites to compare technical features of their various devices, and MSRP. It came down to selecting between three different models; Garmin eTrex Vista (GEV), the Magellan Meridian Gold (MMG) and the Magellan Meridian Platinum (MMP).

The GEV is a little bit smaller, but feels heavier. The GEV also has a smaller screen compared to the MMG and MMP.

I would say that the expandable memory feature was THE one feature that helped me decide. Left with only two models to choose from, the final choice was an easy one. I decided to get the MMP. The MMG has expandable memory just like the MMP, and also has 128MB of built-in memory, but no electronic compass and no barometer.

Expandable Memory
The Meridian series use Secure Digital cards. You can use any size SD card.

I have managed to load all of the state of California onto a 256MB SanDisk SD card, and I have a lot of space left.

You can save and retrieve waypoints and routes to/from the SD card. You can copy maps, waypoints and routes in and out from any PC equipped with an SD card reader/writer.

Electronic Compass
The electronic compass is really nice as it gives you heading and bearing standing still. It appears that the technology in the MMP is still in its infancy. The electronic compass has to be re-calibrated each time batteries are replaced, or the device has been dropped to the ground. It is not much of a task to re-calibrate the electronic compass, it usually takes less than a minute, it's just that it has to be done so often. Re-calibration of the electronic compass is of course only needed if you want to use the electronic compass. There is an option to use GPS satellites for compass functions instead, but that requires you to be moving at 0.5mph or more.

Another downfall of the electronic compass is that it sucks the life out of your batteries. With the electronic compass active, you get about 9 hours of battery life. Turning the electronic compass off, and using the satellites for compass functions, gives you another 5 hours of battery life from fresh batteries.

Basemap/Detail Map Functionality
The MMP comes with a 16MB basemap for North America. Not a lot of detail. A number of detail maps can be loaded onto SD cards and used in the MMP. I have 5 detail maps on my SD card currently. A menu option in the MMP allows you to select which map to use as detail map.

Accessories
If you, as I, are going to use the receiver both in and outside the car, there are some things that will make it even more useful. Magellan has two accessories that I find very useful, and quite frankly, I am kicking myself for not getting them earlier.

1. Vehicle Mounting Bracket
Allows you to easily see GPS data in the receiver, your location etc.

2. PC Data Cable w/Cigarette Lighter Adapter
If you're planning on using the receiver with a laptop.

3. Power Cable w/Cigarette Lighter Adapter
If you don't want to connect to a laptop, but do want to save batteries.

Likes: Expandable Memory for downloading Maps & Waypoints
or adding Streets & Trips or Topo map software.
Just add an SD Card.

Accuracy.....If you're going to be using a GPS under Heavy Tree cover
you can't beat A Meridian Series GPS. I Use mine for hunting and
Geocaching and It's very Accurate. Most of the time it will get me
to within a couple feet of where I'm going.

Electronic Compass....Nice feature if you need one but you do have to
re-calibrate it when changing batteries which is a little of a pain.

I've tried other GPS units and so far this one has worked beyond my
expectations. Accuracy is the most important feature of a GPS and I
Believe the Magellan Meridian is one of the most accurate even under
heavy tree cover.
I like the larger size and easy to find buttons on the front of the
unit. It makes it much easier at night. Some GPS units buttons are
too small and are too close together which makes it tough if you have
big hands.

Dislikes: Battery life is about 8 hours on a new set of batteries. If using
the Backlight at night it will use them up much faster and cut the
time to about 4 hours. I always carry an extra set of batteries
with me.

I could deal with having to re-calibrate the Electronic compass
Although it's a little of a pain.

Of all the GPS's I would have to give this one 5 Stars.

I have been using Magellan GPS products for over 6 years. I own a Meridian Gold and an Explorer 100. I wanted the Platinum model because my travels take me over land and water during the daytime and nighttime hours. The Platinum model is perfect for that because, even without specially designed marine software, the Meridian maps allow for marking of waypoints on the water as well as the land. I decided to buy this particular GPS from eBay because of all the amenities and extras available with the purchase such as software, etc. These extras alone cost more that I paid for the entire package I won on eBay. Well, if you had a Gold Series, why buy a Platinum? Often I work with contract labor and the need for an extra GPS is warranted especially when a worker is new to the woods or swamp or lacks for a perfect sense of compass direction. It is easy to establish a headquarter position and important way points without constantly being in radio contact which can be annoying and distracting. I recommend the dependable, reliable, easy on batteries, attractive, informative security of Magellan products to all who inquire about GPS and besides, the Platinum model is the top of the Meridian line. Respectfully yours, Brad Vincent

I purchased it used and while it doesn't have all the features of a more current GPS, it functions well. Don't get me wrong, really all it doesn't have is a color screen, a camera, etc. The user interface could stand to be more intuitive, but the user manual (on cd) is easy enough to navigate. The reception is far better than the Garmin Vista I used to have. It recieves a signal in the woods and in the car. The backlight will drain the batteries quickly, but at least it takes double A's. I've read alot of reviews where people were dissatisfied with it, but I haven't had a single problem. Overall, I couldn't be happier with it.

I had the gold which is a very good machine, then went to platinum. I like the software for the meridian line. I used my gold for years traveling by car, air and foot. it served us well for geocaching. I liked the extra memory availablity, thermometer, baromter & compass of platinum. I would have rated my platinum 5 but must go down to 4 now i bought the explorist 500LE. I kept the Plat. for hiking & camping because of thermometer & barometer, but 500 does not have but does have color screen.