I have a Magellan Crossover and have been very pleased with it. However, I haven't tried to import\export waypoints.

 

That's the C550, not Nuvi 550. It is much larger & does not have breadcrumbs.

 

Finally made up my mind... I purchased the Lowrance XOG...

 

I found this report which makes interesting reading...

http://www.greatlakes4x4.com/showthread.php?t=71447

The guy's conclusion is that the Magellan unit has the edge over the Lowrance XOG...

 

You did good getting the XOG I have both Magellan, and XOG

Love the XOG down side battery life

33

 

I'm tempted to just get the Colorado 400t, and add the City Navigation maps. Having had handhelds and automotive units in the past, I think I'd really rather have the handheld shale/size.

 

Rvampf, which do you prefer the Xog or the 600c. Seems like the 600c you would save in the long run since the topo maps are allready put into the unit. Ordering for the xog is extremely expensive. Any head to head comparisons of the two?

 

It is a matter of what size you can live with, the 600c is a very powerful GPS but in my JK I like the size of the XOG, in my Truck I only use the 600c
I have used both on my motor bike and if I only take one I like the XOG, smaller less bulk
The 600c has a much brighter higher resolution screen so if you have room you will not be disappointed the the 600c
the Mapcreate Topo maps for the XOg are about $90 for the entire US and comes with their Card reader/writer which you have to use for the GPS to read the map files. and an SD card $10-25
The down loadable maps are very expensive, I have only bought a few Satellite images for an area I want to explore.

 

Well, I've had my Magellan Crossover for a couple of weeks now. The only GPS I really have to compare it to is my Garmin 330C I bought in early 2006.

My overall opinion is that it's a good product for the price (I paid $224 delivered online). If you will be mainly on the road, but need something to cover those periodic trail rides it's a great product. If you will be only on the roads, I would probably go with a Garmin Nuvi. If you are hardcore, spend lots of time in rugged, deep terrain, want detailed aerials/topos/etc.

Pros's on the Crossover...

- Crossover mode delivers what I was hoping for. I have not tried to import waypoints or anything fancy, but it keeps you track & has built-in topos that are adequate but not as good as my hand-held hunting unit.

- Battery power is excellent. I recently took it on an eight hour trip & ran it unplugged just to see how the battery did. Lasted a full eight hours & did not run out of juice (but was probably about to).

- Map Quality/readability was a bit disappointing until I ran the firmware upgrade. After that, it looked about the same as the Garmin.

- Location seemed to be slightly ahead of the Garmin (about 1/2 second).

- When you keep the unit in 2D mode (most of us think in a "map" view of the world) it can automatically give you a split screen with the 3D mode on one side when you approach your turn, still leaving the 2D MODE ON THE OTHER SIDE.

- Sound is loud & clear.

- Size is small enough to make packing it for trips easy, but it is a bit heavy because of the battery. It did come with a holster in case you wanted to use it for hiking/walking.

- It also has a "screen off" mode to save power. In this mode it still gives you audible alerts. I can see this being handy if you are walking, or running low on battery power.

- Can store photos & MP3's on an SD card. This is hand as a "back-up" in case you forget the iPod.




Con's on the Crossover....

- Points of Interest is outdated. I just bought the unit, but it seems to have the exact same maps as the Garmin I bought in January 2006. A number of roads/POI's that are more than 3 years old are not on it.

-POI is not as easy to search as the Garmin.

- While the windshield mount is very stout, the unit does not pop in & out quite as smooth as my 330C or my in-laws' Nuvi. Also, the mount does not have power connections built-in. You have to plug/unplug the jack from the side.

- It does not seem to charge from the USB connector like the Garmins. Since my phone, my wife's phone, MP3 player, & video player can all run from a mini-USB connector, it makes it simpler to only have one charger in the Jeep.

- It gives a silly tone at the instant you are supposed to turn instead of actually saying "turn right".

- Unit is slightly more involved to use. That probably has as much to do with the fact that my 330c was so limited that it did not have many options. As a result, the 330c has become my wife's GPS & I get the Crossover with more bells & whistles.

 

Hey all,

Just got the crossover as well. However, where (or how) do you actually get the Topo maps?

Magellan's web site does not list the Topo map it shows in the instructions just the AccuTop map (which the crossover is not listed as a platform).

It has the D/L's for the Topo maps in Mexico and Canada but not the US, so I am really confused.

Thanks