Satmap Active 10 Plus GPS
Customer ReviewsLike many walkers I have been waiting for an OS based GPS for years - and so when this came out I was very interested. The reason I waited so long was mainly price - could I justify the amount of money. Having bought this in the autumn after the price dropped a bit and then bought the basic maps I need (ie from the 1:25k series maps) I reckon I have spent nearly £600 = serious money.
Another thing that had put me off was, being a bloke, I don't think I need a navigator ie. something that tells you which way to go (who wants life to be too easy) ... However, the Satmap is really just an OS map with your location on it - you still need to navigate the route yourself.
So, is it worth it - I would say it depends on how worried you are about the effect of getting lost. If you walk in areas with well defined paths and visual references you can take bearings from then, as long as you are sensible about the weather and keep your wits about you, you probably don't need to spend the money on this. However, I now do a lot of walking at night as well as in forests and thick woodland - which makes keeping track of location by map and compass very difficult. Also, I am responsible for others now - wife and dog - which is a big deal. The Satmap has taken the stress out of navigating in these conditions.
Usability is pretty good. The buttons can take a hefty press to register, but that means they won't get knocked by accident too often. The screen is fine with excellent detail and I like the fact that there is a built in screen protector which can be replaced at low cost. The night vision setting (red screen) works, although routes get hard to read. I have not had any sunlight problems as yet. I can't imagine having it on handlebars of a bike though.
Software is OK. I like the trail logging function very much - seeing exactly where you walked as well as distance, height etc, and you can store the records as well as convert them to routes for future use. I like that you can add a route on the fly - eg. if you need to get back to base in a hurry, and it will give an estimated time to destination (you enter the speed. Battery life has been good and I have not been caught short as yet. I charge it before a full day walk and intermittently for short walks. In any case it charges from a USB port, so I take a power monkey with me in the rucsac (which holds enough charge for another day's use).
It picks up the satellites fast (outside of buildings - so you don't switch it on in the house). I have not had any problems with signal loss as yet - and most of my use has been in forests and thick woodland. Also, I have never had a software crash - maybe this has been sorted with the new OS.
So, I am very happy I bought it. I have safely covered terrain in conditions which I would not have attempted before. There is still the fun of navigating, it has just taken the uncertainty of location away so you can concentrate on enjoying the walk.... By Excellent piece of kit
Tags:
Satmap,
GPS,
Active 10 ,
map,
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