Reviews > Navigation and Map Gear > GPS > Magellan SporTrak Color 2003 > Todd Martin > Field Report

Field Report - Magellan SporTrak Color
Color Handheld Global Positioning System (GPS)

Description of Experience and Comments on Product Performance:
As a preface to this field report, I'll first provide a brief description of how I typically use a GPS when planning and executing a hike since it has considerable bearing on my experience with the unit. For many off trail excursions I'll typically plan and plot my route using the 1:24,000 scale USGS topographical maps contained in National Geographic Topo! software. The software allows me to both mark waypoints that I plan to visit during the hike and to plot out a route. I'll then print out the map and download these points into my GPS so that in the field I can use the GOTO feature of the unit as an aid to navigating to my destination. For travel across a complex & rugged landscape, I may leave the GPS on for extended periods particularly when a circuitous route is involved. While traveling cross country on open desert terrain, I'll typically turn the unit on only infrequently, simply to check my bearings. Since there can be differences between the location of features marked using the software, I'll often mark the location using the actual GPS reading in the field. The GPS when used in conjunction with a map which has a coordinate system displayed along its margins provides a powerful navigational tool.

Satellite Acquisition:
In order for a GPS to be useful, it must acquire at least 3 satellite signals. Satellite signal strength can be affected by several factors including the satellites' current position in earth's orbit and whether there are any obstacles that impede signal strength. Buildings, walls, mountains, rocks, and tree cover can all affect the ability of the GPS to pick up the signal. Weak signals may cause the GPS to either take a long time to determine its position, or unable to determine its position at all.

My experience to date is that the Magellan SporTrak Color does an exceptional job at acquiring and tracking satellite signals. The unit picks up signals quickly and under conditions that prevent my current GPS from doing so (including from within my house). Since the unit appeared to work so well, I began bringing it on canyon trips that I would normally consider unsuitable for GPS use due to the high canyon walls and limited visibility to open sky (satellite signals can not penetrate rock). On a 5 day backpacking trip in Kanab Creek in the Grand Canyon the unit was used to follow progress through the canyon which can be difficult in the serpentine twists of the drainage. Kanab Creek is a deep drainage on the north rim of the canyon that has sheer walls and is narrow in places. While there were many sections along the route in which the unit was unable to acquire a signal, it did manage to pick one up in several locations which enabled me to determine my location.

I have found that the unit has no difficulty establishing a signal in open or moderately forested terrain or while driving in a car. I noticed, however, that when I turn the unit on after traveling several hundred miles since its last use, that the GPS takes longer than normal to determine the location. Re-initializing the GPS increases satellite acquisition speed in these circumstances. The manufacturer recommends going through the initialization process when traveling greater than 500 miles, but my experience is that it also helps for distances of 300 miles (since initialization only takes a minute, it is not inconvenient to perform).

Interaction with National Geographic Topo! software:
As mentioned above, I currently use National Geographic Topo! for my mapping software. The software allows you to view all the 1:24,000 USGS topographical maps for a state (Arizona in this case) as well as create waypoints and routes which can be exported to a GPS. In order to determine if the Magellan SporTrak was compatible with the software, I attached the GPS to my computer using the cable which comes with the unit. The cable features a standard 9-pin connector on one end and a unique 4 point connector on the other. The cable attaches to the back of the GPS via a small screw, that I found difficult to get into the threads on the back of the unit. Once screwed in, the four metal contacts on the cable mate with the metal pads on the GPS.

With a waypoint selected in Topo!, it is possible to export the coordinates using the Export Wizard in the software. As part of the export process, the program must be configured to match the GPS by selecting the make and model of the unit from a dropdown list. Though the SporTrak Color model did not appear as an available choice in this list, there was a choice for ColorTrak which proved to work. Importing waypoints into the software from those stored in the GPS works in a similar fashion and can be done from within the Topo! software. Both operations seem to take slightly longer using the SporTrak than with my other brand of GPS, but otherwise works fine. It is also possible to create a waypoint directly by entering the coordinates by hand into the GPS.

The waypoint and GOTO feature work well if it is possible to travel a fairly direct path to the waypoint. For more complex routes that involve several changes in direction it's better to create a route. A route essentially consists of multiple waypoints strung out along a path. A route can be created by drawing out the path using the Topo! software, or creating it directly in the SporTrak. From the software, the route can then be exported into the GPS using the same steps as for a waypoint. Activating the route in the GPS allows the user to follow this more complicated path.

User Manual Error:
On page 46 of the manual there is an illustration which shows how to activate a route. The illustration indicates that the procedure involves the following selections:
     Menu button > Highlight 'Routes' > Select Route > Highlight 'Activate' or 'Deactivate'

Correction:
The process should read:
    Menu button > Highlight 'Routes' > Select Route > Menu Button > Highlight 'Activate' or 'Deactivate'

Use in the Field:
The main features of the SporTrak are intuitive and easy to use. The two features of a GPS that I use the most (MARK and GOTO) have dedicated buttons which allows the user to quickly activate those functions without scrolling through multiple menus. I was able to effectively use all the basic features of the unit within 30 minutes of taking it out of the box. Most of the confusion I've had to date with the unit can be traced back to errors in the user manual (so far I've identified three errors which are documented both in this report and my initial report).

All the navigation screens are configurable, so that the user can choose what type of data they want to have displayed. There are 8 different navigation screens to choose from. I found that I did not use many of them and turned off half, so that I wouldn't have to scroll through as many to get to the screen I wanted (the nav screens I use are the: Map Screen, Compass Screen, Position Screen and Satellite Status Screen).

The buttons are fairly easy to operate, though I find it somewhat tricky to get the left and right scroll keys to work correctly since they need to be pressed in a precise spot to function. I also found that because the keys are mushy and do not have a physical 'click' to them, it's sometimes difficult to know when the button has been activated (the unit does allow the user to configure the buttons so that they beep when depressed). My other impression is that because the buttons are located at the very bottom of the device, it is somewhat difficult to operate using only one hand. I find I can't retain a firm grip and press the buttons with my thumb at the same time. It might be though that using the wrist strap would help alleviate fears of dropping the unit during use, but the strap is extremely short. I found that there was simply no way to get the strap around my wrist and operate the GPS with that same hand (unless the unit is held it upside down, but then it makes reading the screen a challenge). On such a nice unit, the wrist strap is surprisingly inadequate.

When using the SporTrak Color for navigation using the GOTO feature, the unit does not remember the point you are going to if you shut it off and turn it back on again. I typically try to conserve the battery life of my GPS, by only turning it on occasionally to insure I'm on the right track. Because the unit does not keep the GOTO point active, it means I have to scroll through several screens to activate the waypoint every time I turn the unit on, an activity I find unnecessarily inconvenient.

Display:
The display screens are all easy to read, in both bright sunlight and at night, however, because the screen is curved, I find it causes a bit of distortion around the edges. In bright sun the screen colors of the SporTrak Color aren't particularly noticeable. Color is most visible when lighting conditions are somewhat dim and the backlight display on. Personally, I don't think the color screen adds much in the way of value to this GPS.  My main objective is to be able to easily read the contents on the screen and the SporTrak Color display is fine in this aspect.

Outside in the harsh glare of the desert sun, the backlight is not useable (in fact, I've found it's impossible to determine whether the back light is even on). Because of this fact, I'm somewhat befuddled by the fact that there is no way to change the backlight setting so that it defaults to 'off'. The manufacturer states in the manual that: "The backlight causes severe drain on the batteries in the SporTrack". If this is the case it makes no sense to me that it defaults to 'on' ever time I power up the unit. It is possible to manually turn the light off, by pressing and holding the Power button twice - for 2 seconds each time. However, I find this to be tedious and difficult to confirm since I can't even tell if the light is on to begin with while outside during the day.

Durability:
During the course of the test period, the GPS has been carried in either my shorts pocket or in an outside pocket of my pack.  I've used the SporTrak Color on quite a number of hikes in the last two months and other than some scratches on the display screen, it has continued to function normally. In the field, the unit has been exposed to some heat and dust and has gotten wet with no ill effects. The manufacturer claims that the unit is waterproof, so as a test, I filled a sink with water and tossed the in SporTrak. I have noticed no ill effects from this test and was able to confirm the manufacturers claim that the unit even floats (which is a good feature for both boaters and those who hike in wet canyons).

Weather Features:
While I have not used the weather feature very much, I have taken a cursory look at it. The GPS features an internal thermometer and barometer that provides the current temperature and as well as a 48 hour barometer history. It is possible to calibrate both instruments if the initial readings are not correct. My experience so far is that these readings appear to be accurate and that the barometer history could perhaps be used to make some predictions about the weather with practice. I'm not much of a meteorologist, so beyond falling pressure = storm, high pressure = sun, I'll probably use other sources of information for the local forecast. Be aware that the unit does not take barometer readings while it is off, so it will only have a barometer history if it has been used recently. I plan to further evaluate this feature during the long term testing period.

Compass:
In addition to the normal navigational functionality which comes with a GPS, the SporTrak Color also includes a 3-axis digital compass. A normal compass must be held flat in order to function. This is sometimes difficult to do, and at the very least means the user has to stop walking to get a bearing. The SporTrak can be held at any angle and the compass will continue to point north which makes it easy and convenient to walk and navigate at the same time.

Initial Impression:
The Magellan SporTrak Color is an intuitive and easy to use GPS which has so far proven to be an excellent tool for navigation off trail. It also has quite a few extra features that are nice to have in the field and make the unit suitable for other activities than just hiking (boating and driving come to mind). These features are nice, but without the ability to receive satellite signals, a GPS is just added weight in your pack. I'm not sure if it's the antenna used or the software, but my initial impression of the the SporTrak Color is that it does a superior job of acquiring and holding a signal.

Reviews > Navigation and Map Gear > GPS > Magellan SporTrak Color 2003 > Todd Martin > Field Report