Hi all,
Further to the above comments, here's some additional info about the Satmap Active 10 (beware, it goes on a bit!).
After a couple of years casually thinking about it and months of seriously looking into it (I’m a terrible procrastinator) I have finally taken the plunge and purchased a GPS..sorry GNSS...er sorry handheld Satnav device!
I looked into the usual suspects but settled on the Satmap Active 10+
One of the primary drivers was the increasingly bothersome need to use a magnifying glass to see the finer details on maps so I was looking for a mapping device with a large screen and the ability to zoom in/out at will. I also wanted full OS mapping and proper button operation rather than touchscreen. Obviously price was a factor too!
Above the others I looked at, the Active 10+ ticked these boxes for me.
Lyle posted some pros & cons in a separate post (see above) which I also had to factor in.
So what did I get for the ~£300 I paid on Amazon – delivered in 2 days free! (Satmap site price = £370 for same bundle)
Apart from the Active 10 unit itself, the bundle contained:
• Base mapping of the world
• An SD card containing the whole of GB at 1:50k (OS)
• A sturdy carry case (nylon pouch style) with lanyard
• A 2700mAh LiPol Rechargeable Battery with car charger & multi-national wall charger
• 3 lithium AA batteries (interchangeable with the LiPol using supplied battery caddy)
• A 1/3rd off voucher for a mapping purchase
• USB connecting cable
• Sync software for upload/download of files
• File conversion software (eg convert .gpx to .map for upload)
• Basic access to planning software (+3 months trial of premium version)
I have had the device a few days now and have not used it in anger (e.g. on a full day’s walking) but have done some small trials, including a couple of short (30mins) routes and some geocaching (using the “Go To” feature). Here are some of my findings/feelings so far...
I did one route plan on the unit itself. You move a cursor around the screen (using the handy ‘joystick’) and click to create route waypoints. The second route I planned on my Mapyx Quo software – saved as a .gpx file, converted to a .map file in the supplied file conversion software and imported onto the device with the supplied sync software. An extra step but really very easy and a matter of moments.
Following the route was easy – ‘activate’ the required map and route (simple actions) then select “Start” to start recording your track (displayed on the screen in large or small red dots – or not at all as you prefer). Select “Stop” at the end and you can choose to clear the track/log or save it (the saved file is in .map – proprietary Satmap – format but you can convert the saved file to .gpx format in the conversion software and it’s ready to upload to whatever you want to view the track in! Again, this is an extra step but, for me, it’s a solution to one of Lyle’s ‘Minus’ points.
The geocaching involved selecting some local caches from Geocaching.com, downloading the data. As I am not a Premium member, this was in basic .loc format not .gpx but was easily converted to .map format ready for the Active 10. These were displayed as POI’s on the device (options for displaying always, never unless specifically selected or by proximity). Select the POI, click on it to make it a ‘Go To’ and the device guides you there with straight-line route on the map display and by a pointer/distance screen.
Re the compass/pointer – there are both electronic compass (only two-axis which means I have to hold it horizontal to work properly...but that just feels like using a normal compass so is not a worry for me) and a GPS compass. Satmap say the electronic compass is used when stationary and the GPS compass is best when in motion. The unit switches between the two at a configurable speed of motion (or not at all if you prefer). I didn’t really use the compass screen and mainly focussed on the pointer (which ‘points’ at the next waypoint/Go To (depending on what you are doing). The pointer needle did seem to jump around a bit on one of my mini-routes (my very first outing) but maybe I was doing something wrong. This is something I’ll have to check out more thoroughly. Another outstanding point is that I haven’t located a “stop navigating to” button when I have reached a Waypoint on a route. The unit did stop itself and automatically move onto the next shortly (about 15-20m) after passing a Waypoint but that presupposes that you know in which direction you are supposed to go next! Another thing to review and report back on (there are so many settings on this thing maybe I have missed this one so far).
Getting a fix was pretty quick (max a couple of minutes so not an issue for me) and a reasonable fix was maintained even under heavy(ish) tree cover (geocachers seem to like hiding things in woods!). The best displayed accuracy so far was 2m (7 satellites fixed) and 5m seems to be standard.
Today I was out with the Satmap in bright sunshine and the screen was, as Lyle suggested, a little unclear. I found, however, a setting option for the backlight called ‘Sun Filter’ and, when applied, it did improve clarity of display significantly enough for me to be satisfied (Satmap do warn, however, that “With the Sun Filter your screen loses some intricate map details in order to enhance the visibility of the map in sunlight” so that’s something to properly check out. Beyond that I also found a ‘Night Filter’ which turns the whole screen red, presumably to protect night-vision! Another thing to test at some point.
I was concerned with Lyle’s Minus comment regarding waterproofness (only IP65 rather than 7) and indeed read other comments about this in other internet reviews. Someone I know (who is a Mountain Leader) has an Active 10 and swears by it saying it is rain-proof. To protect my investment (as I had already decided to get the Active 10 due to other features) I went for the optional silicon protective case (or ‘rubber boot’ as Lyle calls it). This isn’t cheap at £40 but cheaper than repairing the main unit if it did leak – the case takes the waterproof rating up to IP67. They also claim it is designed to protect the Active 10 from a fall of 3m onto concrete! This case is tight fitting and quite chunky increasing the unit’s footprint (or handprint might be a better term) a little but not too much for my tastes. Personally, I didn’t find using the case interfered at all with operating the main buttons - the joystick was a little more awkward with it though, but this isn’t a control I think you’ll need too much when actually out in the field. Let’s see how that one goes. (WARNING: I opted for the orange case thinking it would offer better visibility if I left the Active 10 sitting on a rock and wandered off then had to come back looking for it. Whilst I still think this is true, it really is a very ghastly orange and I’m sure that any of the other colours would be more aesthetically pleasing! I’m debating exchanging it for something a little more discrete – customer services tell me I can happily do that).
Which brings me onto one of the best bits of this initial review – my experience dealing with the Satmap staff – or more particularly with one member of staff, a very friendly and professional lady called Rebecca (permission given to publish Rebecca’s name!). I don’t know about you but I am frequently left underwhelmed with the service I get from people on the end of phones/emails, even when you are looking to spend money with them. I mostly get the feeling that they are just going through the motions. So I was more than pleasantly surprised by Rebecca’s assistance.
I was interested in buying some additional mapping (at 1:25k scale) and, looking at Satmap’s offering, there are a multitude of options.
I have to say that some of them are quite expensive but you have to bear in mind a couple of things:
- the fact that many Satmap maps are now what they call ‘toggleable’ which means that the SD card contains both (for GB) either BOTH OS 1:50k and 1:25k or BOTH 1:25k and 1:10k (for “orientation in urban environments”) for the area selected and you can switch between them at a single button press rather than have to zoom in/out to switch scale.
- what it would cost to buy equivalent paper maps at both scales
Anyway, I was asking Rebecca some questions about what my options were including what I could use my 1/3rd off voucher for etc. Rebecca replied in a very friendly and comprehensive way but what I’d asked for wasn’t possible. Ok, I thought, that’s the end of that, better think again.
A few hours later, a new email pinged into my inbox, from Rebecca, saying “I’ve been thinking about what you said you need and here are a few ideas about how you might get near to your solution”. The ideas were not exactly what I wanted but the fact that she had taken the time and trouble to ponder on my requirements and bother to follow it up with creative suggestions impressed me.
Next day, whilst still thinking about it (I did say I was a terrible procrastinator!) yet another email from Rebecca arrived saying she’d been talking about my requirements with her mapping team and here was yet another option, a bit closer to my needs. This level of thought and customer care I feel is fantastic and very unusual (I compare it to my experience with Garmin UK – I have a GPS running watch – and their perfunctory levels of support). Regardless of any minor shortcomings of the Active 10 v other devices (and, of course, I feel the Active 10 has advantages over other devices too) I’m happy that I have chosen the right company to support me going forwards!
In the end, I actually got better than I originally wanted! I was looking for the Peak District at 1:25k. The standard offering of the Peak District National Park was obviously an option but I wanted something that extended a little to the west (thus covering the area between where I live and the Peak District border. Rebecca offered me the Peak District map but customised to include the additional area I wanted (small but significant to me) and to include the 1:10k ‘layer’ on top of the 1:25k & 1:50k layers (thus 3 toggelable scales all on one SD card and all for the same price as the standard Peak District offering – and I was still able to then use my 1/3rd off voucher to reduce the price! Bargain!!
Also bear in mind that Satmap have periodic Flash Sales where, for that day only, selected products are offered at 50% off! Yesterday you could have got:
• Brecon Beacons National Park (at 1:25k & 1:50k)
• Coast to Coast National Trail (at 1:25k & 1:50k)
• Whole of Germany (at 1:50k)
...each at 50% off.
Sorry this has been so long and a bit rambling, especially the last bit. As my experience with the Active 10 increases, I will (probably) post some more if people seem interested. In the meantime, I hope the comments so far may help anyone who has decided they want to invest in a handheld satnav but have yet to settle on which device to get.
Tara for now!
Steve
