Reviews > Navigation and Map Gear > GPS > Magellan SporTrak Topo 2003 > Andy Mytys > Long Term Report

Magellan SporTrak Topo GPS

Long Term Report

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Thales Navigation Item: Magellan SporTrak Topo GPS (http://www.magellangps.com) Item Number: 980616-39 Product Number (physical unit): 800480-10 Year of Manufacture: 2004 MSRP: $399.99 Listed Weight: 6.1 oz (173 g) Weight as Delivered: 6.3 oz (179 g), including:   . SporTrak Topo GPS, 4.5 oz (128 g)   . 2 AA Energizer Batteries, 1.7 oz (48 g)   . Wrist Strap, 0.1 oz (3 g) Size: 5.6 x 2.2 x 1.15 in (14.2 x 5.6 x 2.9 cm) [h] x [w] x [d] Display: 2.2 x 1.33 in (5.59 x 3.88 cm) [h] x [w] Display Resolution: 160 x 104 pixels Power Source: 2 AA Batteries (included) Availability: North America Warranty: One year from original purchase date, extended to original purchaser only. Repaired or replaced products are warranted for 90 days from the date of return shipment, or for the balance of the original warranty, whichever is longer. Warranty Extension: Within 90 days of purchase, customers can extend the base warranty to three years for a cost of $39.95.

The information in this Long Term Report of the Magellan SporTrak Topo GPS is to be taken in addition to my Initial and Field reports, where I summarized the basic functions inherent to the SporTrak Topo GPS.

Product Description:

A handheld, 12 channel WAAS/EGNOS enabled recreational GPS unit that provides location accuracy to within three meters (10 ft). The SporTrak Topo comes pre-installed with a complete set of topographical data for the United States, including the lower 48 states, Hawaii, and 80% of Alaska. This data includes details such as topographic contouring and elevation, highways, major roads, waterways, and coastlines. There are eight customizable navigation screens that can be used to represent output in a variety of ways, allowing the SporTrak to meet the demands of many different applications. The SporTrak also comes with MapSend Topo software, giving PC users the ability to exchange track and waypoint data between their computer (Win95, 98, XP, NT only) and the GPS via a serial-based interface cable (also included). Additionally, the MapSend software contains a greater level of map detail for the United States. The SporTrak accepts up to 20 MB of regional data for upload, providing the consumer an even finer level of navigational feedback.

Testing Approach and Field Conditions:

In general, my approach to testing can be defined as the desire to objectively evaluate the Magellan SporTrak Topo GPS in terms of its usefulness as a tool for navigation. I have evaluated the bulk of its built-in features, as well as its ability to interface with external tools such as Magellan's MapSend Topo software that's included with the purchase of the SporTrak. I also gained some experience with interfacing the SporTrak with other mapping software titles such as DeLORME's Topo USA and National Geographic's (hereafter referred to as NG) state series of PC-based USGS topographic maps. I have used the GPS in the field as a stand-alone tool in navigation, as well as an enhancement to traditional map-and-compass orienteering.

In my Initial Report, I gave an overview of the SporTrak's basic and extended features, and introduced Magellan's MapSend Topo, a software package that ships with the GPS and enables PC-based owners to interface the SporTrak with their computer. Past journeys can be viewed, and new routes can be explored from the comforts of home.

In my Field Report, I set out to evaluate the SporTrak's basic performance with six questions in mind:

• Can the SporTrak reliably determine my current position?
• Can the SporTrak lead me to where I want to go?
• Do the SporTrak's built-in topographic and street maps accurately represent reality?
• Can the SporTrak help me to determine the most efficient and safest route to travel in?
• Does the SporTrak present its data in a manner that's meaningful to me?
• Does the SporTrak provide enough data to meet all my navigation needs?

• Creating a GPS waypoint for a given coordinate and having the SporTrak lead me to it.
• Wandering through the woods aimlessly, without a care in the world, then seeing if the SporTrak can lead me back to the trailhead along the same path I walked.
• Answering the question, "Where on God's green earth am I?"
• Planning a bushwhack from the comforts of home and having the GPS lead me down my chosen path.

Satellite Acquisition, Data Collection, and Position Calculation

As mentioned in my Field Report, my SporTrak unit seemed sluggish in finding and capturing its initial satellite feed, and even slower in collecting the data from these feeds once a signal had been captured. It took many minutes for the GPS to report on my actual position and enter into a state where it was ready to navigate.

Since I posted my field report, I've been able to restore my unit's performance such that it is now comparable with other SporTrak units I've conducted side-by-side experiments against. Essentially, I performed a complete re-initialization of my unit by:

1. Pressing the "Esc" button while powering the unit up - this ran a "Burn In" test, which can help to recover a dead GPS after a firmware upgrade. While I didn't upgrade my firmware, I decided to run this test anyway.
2. Clearing the GPS' memory, making sure to select the "All" option.
3. Initializing the GPS and manually entering in the time, date, and country/state that I was in.

A typical scenario would have me getting an initial satellite signal at the trailhead before starting my hike. Conditions at or near the trailhead were always such that I had a clear view of the sky, and the GPS quickly was ready to navigate. However, when I would turn in for the night I would often be under the cover of trees. When I would turn the GPS on the next morning, it would take many minutes to regain its satellite feed. Sometimes, satellite signals would fade in and out - I could never maintain a simultaneous lock on the minimum number of satellites necessary to triangulate my position. This meant that I would have to start hiking without a signal and, while I would obtain a signal somewhere within 1/4 mile of my starting point, I ended up having a hole in my mapping that the GPS filled by just simply drawing a straight line between where the previous night's camp was and the position where the GPS captured its signal.

The image to the right shows an example of overhead conditions that were present when the GPS had troubles obtaining its signal. Now, the real issue may be the trunks of these trees blocking signals, rather than the leaves themselves... I don't know what was actually blocking my signal.

It should also be noted that the GPS had no trouble holding a signal while walking through such a canopy. Stranger yet is the fact that I can get signals inside my home, with bricks making up the side walls and drywall, joists, and shingles above me. Why the signal seems to be so elusive in the woods is beyond me.

Also, I find that, on powering up the GPS, it takes more than just the acquisition of three satellites to report on my current position. The SporTrak topo goes through a phase it refers to as "collecting data," where it uses the information sent from the satellites to compute its current position. This step can take a few minutes itself, and more often that not the signal of one of the satellites being used in the calculation is lost, such that the process is prolonged further as new satellites are searched for, with the calculation process repeating once an adequate signal has been captured once again. In fact, six satellites can be captured and there may still not be a position that's retrieved. Captured satellites does not equate to having captured the necessary data from any of the given satellites.

Overall, the SporTrak's ability to acquire and hold satellite signals is still the best of any GPS I've used to date.

I'd also like to add that I seem to have better results in obtaining a signal when the GPS is moving than when I am simply standing in one spot waiting for it to acquire a signal. In the foliage example above, I stood in one spot for ten minutes and the SporTrak never was able to report on my position - it couldn't even maintain a lock on three or more satellites for more than a second or two. After taking just a few steps with the GPS in my hand, traversing perhaps 20-feet (6 m), I suddenly had a fix on where I was.

SporTrak Performance - Creating a GPS waypoint for a given coordinate and having the SporTrak lead me to it:

This scenario represents one of the most common applications that the GPS is used for. An example would be marking a waypoint at the car before heading out onto the trail, then having the GPS display the direction and distance to the car. Impromptu routes can then be created that allow the exploration to continue, but with the main purpose still focused on bringing the day to an end. The hobby of Geocaching is entirely based on this function as well. I mainly use the compass screen for Geocaching, referring to the "Map Screen" only when my route leads me off-trail. Even then, the map screen is only used to get an idea of where I actually am relative to fixed objects such as roads, streams, and lakes. Then I pull out a "real" USGS map, find the spot that's being reported by the GPS, and make further navigation decisions based on terrain as reported by the USGS. I find the SporTrak's maps simply lack enough detail to describe the terrain around me.

SporTrak Performance - Wandering through the woods aimlessly, without a care in the world, then seeing if the SporTrak can lead me back to the trailhead:

As one walks with SporTrak in hand, the GPS keeps track of one's progress by creating a path of electronic breadcrumbs in its memory. At any time, one can activate a "backtrack" feature, and these breadcrumbs will be used by the GPS to create a route that retraces the user's footsteps... at least this is the idea. In practice, the route tends to waver a bit. The GPS seems to constantly calculate its position, thus satellite signals being received on the way out can vary from those received on the way in - perhaps the position error was only 23 feet (7 m) along a segment of trail when originally hiking the route, but the GPS finds itself with a 68 foot (20 m) position error when arriving at the same section during the backtrack. For this reason, the "Road Screen", which represents the user's route as if they were traveling on a road, is of little use when following backtracks under forest canopy. When I tested the backtrack feature in parallel with the "Road Screen" along maintained trails, the GPS, more often than not, showed the "road," or in this case the trail, as being quite a bit to one side or the other of the actual footpath I traversed.

SporTrak Performance - Answering the question, "Where on God's green earth am I?":

While the GPS's internal maps lack in detail, they do contain enough content and accuracy in major details such as roads, rivers, and lakes to give one a good idea of one's present location in relation to such features. One could easily move the location pointer on the SporTrak's map on top of a desired destination, such as a road, create a waypoint, and then simply have the GPS navigate them to that location. Instead of walking around in circles, the SporTrak can easily lead a lost hiker to a point where navigation is less of an issue, or at least one where other people are bound to show up.

SporTrak Performance - Planning a bushwhack from the comforts of home and having the GPS lead me down my chosen path.:

The three map graphics above show a track from a recent hike. The image on the left displays the track on the screen of the SporTrak GPS. The image in the center shows the track uploaded into the MapSend program. The image to the right shows the track uploaded into NG's Topo!. The section of the track extending from the road in the lower-left corner through to the end of the straight segment near the center of each map represents a walk of about 0.8 miles (1.3 km) down an old two-track. This segment of trail is flat and boring, and I've always imagined how nice it would be to find an alternate route using the section of public land along the south side of the two-track.

The problem is that the area in question is extremely overgrown - there are jacket ripping thorns, poison ivy, and boot sucking swamp to deal with. The bush is so thick that it's easy to get turned around as one scouts the various holes in the thickets.

Using the mapping tools that come with the SporTrak, one could theoretically propose a route and upload it into the GPS. In the field, the SporTrak could be used to guide the hiker down the proposed route. Any deviations that needed to be taken would be automatically captured in the track-log. Since the GPS was being used to navigate between pre-programmed waypoints, the route taken would have a good chance of staying on a course that remained close to what was planned. Once back in front of the computer, the actual route walked could be uploaded back to the PC, and a final map could be created for others to follow. In fact, one could export one's track to a route and then publish the routes waypoints so that other hikers could use in their GPS units to help them follow the same bypass.

The problem is that Magellan's software doesn't provide maps with enough detail to make good route decisions when planning such bushwhacks, at least not in my area. Comparing the MapSend and Topo! maps above, it is clear that MapSend image not only lacks in topographic and terrain detail, but the data it does provide is wrong. In contrast, one can see the ridges and swampy areas clearly represented on the Topo! product. Using the NG software, one can see the results of my planning below. In the image below (left), I drew a route that followed ridges and stayed clear of the swampy areas, features that aren't shown at all in the MapSend maps. I then instruct the software to create a set of waypoints equally spaced along the course of my route (NG's Topo! lets me decide how many waypoints to create). I decided to create many more waypoints than I really needed, as I wanted to deviate from the proposed route as little as possible. Finally, the route is uploaded to the GPS. Unfortunately, the route looks a bit messy on the SporTrak screen (below, right) because the GPS displays all the waypoint names when showing the route - even when the "Map Screen" is configured to hide waypoints; they continue to be shown when previewing routes. What's really important is that the GPS captures the track that I walk. Because the SporTrak is so adept at maintaining a satellite signal, even in thick bush, my track is successfully logged and ready to be reviewed once I return home.

Other Considerations:

• Durability: To date, I have had no durability issues with the SporTrak Topo GPS. Having only been dropped once, it has had little physical abuse. I also have opted to protect the SporTrak by purchasing the optional belt-clip carrying case. I typically attach this case onto the webbing found on the outside of my pack's shoulder straps.
  
  
• Ergonomic Design: The SporTrak fits comfortably in the hand, and its buttons are very easy to use without looking. I do find the process of swapping batteries to be a chore, as the battery compartment is held onto the SporTrak with a screw. On the plus side, this screw, along with the gasket surrounding the top of the battery housing, ensures a watertight fit. I certainly wouldn't want to compromise that in favor of a little convenience.
  
  
• Screen Clarity: The screen's contents are always easy to make out, and I find that I never have to adjust existing contrast levels to compensate for the sun's glare. At night, the lowest backlight level has proven to suffice for all my needs, though there is a brighter level of backlighting available.
  
  
• User Interface: I find the SporTrak's functions were very intuitive and hence easy to learn. I have had a few difficulties, but the source of these was centered on errors in the user manual that led me in the wrong direction. For example, the user manual states that to activate or deactivate a route, "Enter" should be depressed after the desired route has been selected. Actually, "Menu" needs to be pressed in order for the user to be shown further options for the route, amongst which is Activate/Deactivate. There have been a few instances where I've been a little confused on how to use a GPS function while out in the field, and I have attempted to resolve these questions using the SporTrak's built-in help screens. Unfortunately there is no topic listing or index set up for the help system. Basically, the help that's provided is nothing more than a compilation of tips, divided into eight categories - there's very little in the way of "how-to" that's included. Users advance from one tip to the other via the "previous" and "next" buttons. There's no way of knowing if the answer one needs is actually in the help system - users need to just start reading and hope for the best.
  
  
• Waypoint Creation: I also wanted to make sure I mentioned an issue I had with waypoint creation. With detailed map information loaded for a given region, any address within that area can be looked up by the GPS, with the option of creating a waypoint at its location. For auto-based travel, this has proved to be a very handy feature indeed. Basically, users can lookup an address by selecting a region uploaded to the SporTrak's internal database and selecting "Address." At this point, the SporTrak will query for the street name. As the user enters in letters, the GPS will "guess" at the street, by completing the street name based on "like" matches in the database. If the guess is wrong, the user simply continues entering letters. When a street name has multiple hits, due to, for example, the street finding itself across multiple zip codes within a city or within multiple cities, an entire list of matches will appear. As these choices are scrolled though, additional details about each entry, such as the city and zip code, is given at the bottom of the GPS' screen. The bearing and distance from the GPS' current position to the highlighted street are also given. The problem is that some city names are too long, and the zip code gets truncated. For example, I see two entries for Washington Ave. in Ann Arbor, MI. One is for zip code "4810" and the other is also for zip code "4810." It should read "48104" and "48108". I have to view this information on the next screen, and if I guessed wrong, come back and try again. I really don't see the value of knowing the bearing and distance to this street before I've even established that it is indeed the street that I'm looking for. I'd rather that the lower line was reserved for the zip code and street number range (e.g. 500 - 15680).

Magellan Technical Support:

Magellan supplies various options for technical product support:

• Internet/Web based support - FAQ/user manual
• Internet/Web based support - firmware updates
• Internet/Web based support - e-mail a question/issue
• Internet/Web based support - repair requests
• Telephone based support - talk to a technician
• Telephone based support - leave a message
• Fax based support

The online support that Magellan provides is pretty basic. It would be nice to see a categorized list of support questions that Magellan received from customers in the past, and the answers to these questions that their technicians supplied. The user manual that's supplied online is simply a PDF version of the paper manual that comes with the SporTrak - it has the same issues with accuracy and omissions as the hardcopy. The firmware updates are nice, but there is a lack of documentation, both online and in the form of a readme file, that explains what changes/fixes the update will provide. There's no way to know in advance if the firmware upgrade will address the issue I'm trying to fix, or take away some feature I've come to rely on (e.g. the current update to the SporTrak Color removes the "Tide Screen").

I've tried telephoning Magellan's customer support numerous times. While I telephoned during their posted North America support hours (7am - 5pm PST), there was either no technician available or the estimated wait for service was in excess of 20-minutes. While there was an option to leave a message, my time is limited and I didn't want to enter into a game of "telephone tag" with support staff. Nor am I interested in e-mails being sent back and forth. My thoughts on the support issue is that most common problems have already been addressed in past e-mail's to customers... why not make those available on the website and save everyone some time?

Specific Improvements I'd Like To See On Future Models:

The Magellan SporTrak Topo is aimed at "hunters, hikers, mountain bikers, freshwater fishermen, off-road enthusiasts and other outdoor adventurers." With this in mind, I find it odd that the SporTrak isn't packed with features that would support these target user's - features that, for the most part, already exist on other SporTrak models or would be fairly easy to add.

• First, I'd like to see the 3-axis Electronic Compass from the SporTrak Color added to the Topo model. This feature allows the SporTrak to calculate bearing and heading internally. In contrast, the SporTrak Topo's compass needs a satellite signal to display direction of travel. In addition, the SporTrak topo needs to be moving in order for the compass data to be accurate - I can't stand in one spot and figure out what's going on. Due to the SporTrak compasses' limitations, I find that I still have to take a standard compass into the field with me.
  
  
• The SporTrak Color also provides weather information - barometric pressure trends and temperature are reported. Barometric pressure is what I'm really interested in, as I could use it to forecast incoming weather for my area.
  
  
• The "Tide Screen" from the SporTrak Color could also prove useful. There are many times when I find myself setting up camp near a beach on one of the Great Lakes. I'm always hesitant to sleep directly on the beach out of fears that I'll wake up in the middle of the night with 6-inches (15 cm) of water in my tent. If I knew what time the high tide occurred at, I would have more confidence in my judgment in terms of if I should attempt sleeping on the beach.

Some of the SporTrak's existing features are just annoying:

• The wrist strap is too short. If I'm wearing a glove, for example, I need to take the glove off before being able to get my wrist through the loop.
  
  
• Each time the GPS is powered up, there is a series of screens that pops up showing welcome, copyright, and disclaimer information. This gets tiring real fast.
  
  
• The current integrated help system is nothing more than a collection of tips - it is difficult to find the topic that I am interested in, and there's no guarantee that my topic is even covered by one of the tips. It would be nice if the help system were divided in categories that mimicked the GPS's screens, so that I could quickly drill down to the subject I was interested in.

Then there are features that I wish the SporTrak had:

• Today, the GPS emits an alarm when the battery power is low. At a point in time afterwards, the GPS will simply turn off. The batteries still have power in them though. I wish the SporTrak would use some of this energy to emit a final, LONG, high-pitched tone when it is in the process of shutting down. This would alert me that the GPS is no longer tracking. There have been times when I have ignored the low battery warning because I knew I still had time before the GPS turned itself off. In my complacency, I ended up not capturing my entire track as the GPS shut down without warning.
  
  
• The "Map Screen" can be customized such that waypoints are not displayed. Unfortunately, the SporTrak does not extend this setting into the "View" mode for waypoints and routes. So, if I have the GPS show me a route that I've plotted, all the waypoints associated with that route will be displayed in addition to the route itself. This can make for messy viewing. I would also like an option where I could view waypoint icons, but hide their names.
  
  
• I'd like to see an option where I could turn off the searching for satellites function. When I am using the GPS with my computer, satellite searching becomes an annoyance. "Map" screens can lock up as the GPS stubbornly attempts to report my current position, something which I am not interested in and that may not even be attainable given my current location (e.g. the SporTrak can never get a signal in my basement). Of course, satellite scanning should not remain inactive between power-ups.
  
  
• Wristwatch capability - The SporTrak has an internal clock. It tracks time and date from the moment it is configured, whether a satellite signal is present or not. I'd like to see this information displayed on the SporTrak's screen when it is not being used. I'd like to be able to set an alarm as well. At the very least, I'd like to have an alarm that I could set that would trigger the GPS to turn itself on and start beeping.
  
  
• Self Diagnostics - My SporTrak's performance has varied greatly, to the point that at times I have questioned the health of my unit. A self-diagnostics screen, where the GPS' various systems were tested and reported on, would be comforting to have. In comparing my experiences with those of my fellow reporters, I am confident that there's nothing wrong with my GPS unit at this point in time.
  
  
• Waypoint icons that hunters, hikers, freshwater fishermen, etc. are actually interested in - The SporTrak is designed primarily for off-road users. Why are the icons for waypoints created for "civilized" use? For example, there are waypoint icons for golf, RV service, amusement, sports arena, tourist info, exit ramp, museum, winery, resort, and zoo. I also feel that some icons are redundant, for example auto service, RV service, and truck service - use one, make the distinction in "notes." I could easily scrap a bunch of waypoint icons on the SporTrak for substitutes that would be much more useful for the intended user group. Where are the icons for waterfalls, reliable water sources, trailheads, trail forks, spots where pictures were taken, fishing holes, caves, etc? Zoo? How about bike shop, bait shack, beer store, outfitter, or ranger station? With the limited amount of topographic information that is at times available, icons for physical features such as steep grades in trail and swampy areas would also be helpful. Of course, such personal desires will vary from user to user. Ultimately, the solution is for Magellan to have a library of icons available on the SporTrak, with the ability to select a custom subset of up to 42 (a screen-full) for use in defining waypoints.

Accessories that come with the SporTrak can also be improved (artificial limitations are a bad thing):

• The MapSend software should do away with its various limitations. Specifically, the number of waypoints that a route can contain should be set to the maximum number of waypoints that the SporTrak can support (documented as 500) and not 30. The number of regions of additional map detail that can be uploaded to the GPS should be limited by the size of the SporTrak's memory buffer (20 MB) rather than set to an artificial limit of three.
  
  
• The MapSend software should also append data it uploads to the SporTrak's memory rather than overwriting data that's already present on the GPS. For example, if the SporTrak has 20 user-defined waypoints in its memory, using MapSend to upload a set of 15 waypoints will result in the original 20 waypoints being lost. This is a limitation of the MapSend software, as evidenced by the fact that waypoints can be uploaded to the SporTrak using NG's Topo! software with no such loss of data.
  
  
• The SporTrak GPS should do away with its own artificial limitations. Specifically, the number of waypoints that a route can contain should be set to the maximum number of waypoints that the SporTrak can support (documented as 500) and not 45. It is interesting to note that routes uploaded using NG's Topo! software do not have such software based limitations - users are allowed to upload routes with as many waypoints as the SporTrak will handle.
  
  
• The user manual should accurately reflect all of the SporTrak's features. Because of the inconsistencies between the SporTrak and its manual, learning to use the full suite of features has been, at times, an adventure in trial and error. For example, two of the alarms available on my SporTrak Topo are "Arrival" and "Proximity." The settings under each one are identical, and I've yet to figure out what the difference is between these two alarms. Maybe there is no difference, and it's simply a merging of two old software systems that used different terms for the same thing - perhaps both sound an alarm as my "Arrival" at a given waypoint is within a selected "Proximity."

The Value of the SporTrak (is it worth paying a premium for built-in maps?):

After using the SporTrak for six months, I tried going back to a basic GPS that lacked integrated maps - I felt naked!

First and foremost, I think that, as an overall package, the Magellan SporTrak GPS delivers an outstanding satellite receiver that can hold signals even in the densest of forests. This is followed by a crisp, clear screen that's visible in direct sunlight, the black of night, and everything in between. The user-interface is no slouch either - buttons are easy to find and responsive, and the overall ergonomics are such that I don't even look at the keypad when using the GPS. Oh yeah, the SporTrak is waterproof too; so using it in the rain isn't a problem. These characteristics alone put the SporTrak into an elevated class of electronics compared to that of "entry" level GPS units, and a premium price can be expected as a result. As for the integrated maps, my thoughts are as follows:

• I would not invest in this GPS if my primary use were going to be for navigating while driving. There are GPS units available on the market that are much more suitable for this purpose, with larger displays and other features that allow the user to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes focused on the road.
  
  
• If my primary use for a GPS were recreational Geocaching, I would also avoid this GPS. Most Geocaches are located less than 1/2 mile (0.8 km) from a parking area down maintained trails. For Geocaching, the SporTrak GPS is overkill.
  
  
• For users who like to refer to maps while in the backcountry, either detailed USGS or simple trail maps provided by the local land management agency, the SporTrak can certainly enhance that experience. While its maps may lack the acute accuracy of USGS topographic maps, they do a fine job of giving users a general feel for where they are in relation to other objects in the vicinity, whether the surrounding area is defined as a few hundred feet/meters or a few miles/km.
  
  
• For those wishing to plan backcountry adventures using base mapping tools provided with the SporTrak, I would recommend allocating an additional $100 into the budget and purchasing NG Topo! software for the area in question. The MapSend software that is supplied with the SporTrak should be used to upload more detailed maps to the GPS, as the built-in maps on the SporTrak can be even less accurate than the auxiliary data provided, but none of the SporTrak's maps can be trusted as substitutes for 7.5' USGS topographic maps.

Addendum:

In the upcoming weeks, I will be using the Magellan SporTrak GPS on a high-altitude trip in Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. I will be sure to update this report upon my return, noting map accuracy and satellite signal reception experiences. Stay tuned...

Personal Biographical Information:

Reviewer: Andrew Mytys Email: amytys@gmail.com Homepage: Andy's Lightweight Backpacking Site Location: Michigan Age: 33 Gender: Male Height: 6'1" (185 cm) Weight: 165 lb (75 kg)

     Backpacking Background:

I live in Michigan and have been hiking seriously for 15 years, although I've camped since I was 6 years old. I consider myself a lightweight hiker. I carry the lightest gear I can get my hands on which will provide a comfortable wilderness experience and adequately support the goals of my trip. Unless my goals are time/distance oriented, my pace is always slow. I rarely exceed 1.5 miles (2.4 km)/hour. I rest frequently, hike long days, and enjoy whatever nature throws my way.

Reviews > Navigation and Map Gear > GPS > Magellan SporTrak Topo 2003 > Andy Mytys > Long Term Report