Looking at older Handhelds - Need Advice on SporTrak and Meridian

I have a Magellan SporTrak Map that I use for 4x4 trips in the desert. I use it for navigation while I am out there and I like to get the track off the GPS when I get home. I overlay it in Google Earth.

My SporTrak seems to have developed a common problem. The plastic on the back has failed and the insert that holds the battery tray in the unit came out. I found a seller on eBay that has the back plastic for $15 but I am considering "upgrading".

This is what I like about my SporTrak:

• The map detail
• I already own the car cable, windsheild mount
• I know how to use it
• Multiple screens; lots of data

This is what I don't like about my SporTrak:

• Monocrome
• Track history limited to 2000 points
• Small screen

The biggest problem I have with it is I fill up the track history. The screen size I can live with but I would like a bigger one if I could get it.

So I was poking around eBay and see that the accessories I have will work with other SporTrak models. If I went with a SporTrak Color I would have essentially the same GPS with a color screen and larger detailed map capacity. If I a patient I can pick one up for a little more than the back plastic to repair my SporTrak Map and in addition to the other pluses the Color model doesn't have the battery tray so I won't have to worry about another failure down the road.

I again poked around eBay and see that a Magellan Meridian Color uses the same cable and software AND it has expandable memory. I would need a new windshield mount but they aren't that bad on eBay. The track history looks like it is still 2000 points but I think I read that you can save tracks to the card which would be handy when the memory gets low.

Do you know if there are any other Magellan models that share a cable with the SporTrak models? If so do any of them have a color screen with capacity for more than 2000 track points?

Is the Meridian worth the upgrade from the SporTrak? What are the advantages besides expandable memory?

Any advice is appreciated.

 

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I won a Sportrak Color on eBay. The price was right and I don't have to buy accessories. It will buy me time until I figure out what I really want to use and I have to money to get it,

 

Magellan SporTrack is an old model.
I advise you to buy modern Magellan eXplorist 510 (or 610 if you want magnetic compas).
It have color touchscreen. Track is limited by 10000 points. And there are a lot of other interesting features.