Product Description

The eXplorist 500LE does not include a Li-ion battery or AC adapter but offers all the great GPS features and functions of the eXplorist 500 for a lower price. High-speed USB port and unlimited SD card data storage make it easy to add detailed maps, for topo, marine or street navigation. Save track logs and more to 8 MB free memory.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23907 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Thales
• Model: 980771-112
• Dimensions: 4.70" h x 2.20" w x 1.30" l, 3.00 pounds
• Native resolution: 160 x 120

Features

• Connectivity Technology: Not Applicable
• Wireless Technology: Not Applicable
• Number of Channels: 14
• Acquisition Time: Cold Start 60 Second(s) /Hot Start 20 Second(s)
• Memory: 8MB

Customer Reviews

Magellan support is non-existent
Flimsy internal battery carrier snapped. Found one on that E site for MUCH less than Magellan would cost. Magellan support offers friendly people who want to help you, no really they do. But wanting to, and actually being able to, are entirely different things.

Good and Bad
This is my 1st GPS and bought from Costco for [...]. I figured if its as bad as they say I can return it. First off, the entire connection to the USB port is a non-issue once you figure out that the moron that developed it put tabs on the plug that lead you to install it upside down. After an hour of messing with it, I tried it the other way and it instantly worked and has ever since. I think this is why so many people have problems connecting it to the PC. The unit seems to be accurate, but sometimes gives screwey distances. If you scroll thru the menu it corrects itself (dont know if all GPS units do this or not). The "windows file system" is very difficult to figure out where files are sent to and how to find them again. Its much easier to use points of interest and locate them by area, alphabetically, or by distance. This unit can use AAA or the li-ion battery which I dont have but will soon get because like other reviewers, it eats batteries quick.

All in all, it seems like an OK product with some glitches. Without another GPS to compare it to I give it a 3 due to the poor file navigation interface.

I should have saved my money
I bought this as an impulse buy when I saw it on clearance at Wal-Mart for $110, marked down from $199. I had been contemplating upgrading from my explorist 210 (which I still love).

OK, the battery life on 3 AAA is not good. I have used it maybe 2 hrs and have devoured 2/3 of the battery life (according to the battery indicator). All of this with the back light off. I doubt the enviroment can afford this type of battery waste.

Accuracy. The unit I have has a serial number that starts with 0133. This comes preloaded with the latest firmware frim April 2007, ver 5.2.17. It will not lock, or track onto the WAAS satellites for improved accuracy. Don't expect accuracy better than 20 feet as a result. The version of firmware does not allow me to downgrade, or load in a version that works for the euro versions (and is only supposed to be used for euro ver). I understand that units with a serial number which starts with 011 do not have this problem.

If I knew then what I know now, I would not have purchased this unit.