» Magellan CrossoverGPS Portable Road, Trail and Marine GPS Navigator Review

Magellan view their CrossoverGPS as a GPS navigation device which can be used for car and outdoors navigation as well as marine navigation. It was originally called the RoadMate 2500T but Magellan changed it to CrossoverGPS to better reflect its capabilities. Features which support this spread of different navigation applications include preloaded street and National Geographic “Topo” topographic contour maps, IPX-4 waterproofing, compass, altimeter, protective Sport Guard and excellent battery life.

The Magellan CrossoverGPS has a 3.5 inch color touch-screen display. Its form factor is larger than outdoor specific navigation devices (3.4 x 4.3 x 1.1 inches or 8.5 x 12.5 x 2.6 cm) so that it’s a convenient viewable size in the car. Auto night view adjusts color and contrast for easy night viewing when required.

A removable protective rubber bump guard, called a Sport Guard, covers the rim of the device. Altogether the CrossoverGPS weights in at 235 grams. For outdoor and marine used where it may get wet Magellan have built the CrossoverGPS to the IEC international IPX4 standard. This means that it is protected from splash in all directions. While it can be used with wet hands and can get splashed with water, the navigator cannot withstand immersion.

Car Navigation

The GPS receiver for the Magellan CrossoverGPS is the SirfstarIII which is very sensitive and will attain and maintain GPS satellite signal locks even in weak GPS signal areas such as under heavy foliage or in an urban canyon.

The CrossoverGPS road navigation display gives a 3-D birds-eye map view and has simple touch screen menus. Magellan have provided four routing methods to use including; shortest time, shortest distance, least or most use of freeways and road toll avoidance. Preloaded are detailed street maps of North America. Road navigation features include;

• Multi-destination routing which works out the most efficient route if you need to make several stops
• SmartDetour provides routing around slow freeway traffic
• SayWhere text-to-speech announces street names rather than intoning the common “turn left” or “turn right”. It gives feedback that you are on track without glancing at the display.
• Instant locate – gives current location should you need to call for roadside assistance or emergency services
• QuickSpell – provides the auto-complete feature popular with cell phone handsets
• Interactive POI icons – allow you to see the contact number and get an instant route
• 1.5 million points of interest (POI) – make is simpler to find gas stations, restaurants, ATMs, airports, parks and more
• Address Book and Favorites List – Allow the creation and storage of personal POI for easy routing to places you frequent
• Optional TrafficKit accessory - avoid traffic with Real-time traffic incident reports. (traffic subscription required)

Outdoors Navigation

In outdoor navigation mode the Magellan CrossoverGPS provides navigation guidance using GPS coordinates for geographical locations, such as the latitude and longitude of a starting point and a desired destination. Other convenient features include an altimeter, compass screen and the ability to save a base camp location. Distance to destination, cross track error (XTE), estimated time of arrival are available on the outdoor navigation screens.

A number of Mapsend Topo topographic contour maps are available from Magellan. They can be loaded using an SD card. National Geographic Toppo Maps do not list the Magellan Crossover as being compatible.

Battery life is important for outdoor us and integrated will last up to eight hours in full use but, realistically will last longer when conserved using the stand-by-mode which turns of the display while still powering the GPS receiver.

Marine Navigation

When you switch to Marine mode, the CrossoverGPS automatically changes measurement units to nautical miles for distance and knots for speed. The Compass screen will show XTE (CrossTrack Error) and a Road Screen, which will show a black line on the map, will direct the user to the chosen waypoint. The user can zero in on the waypoint by steering the boat so that the black line remains in the center of the unit. If the difference between the heading and the bearing is such that the line is off screen, a large arrow will point either left or right to tell the captain how to correct his position.

Magellan’s MapSend BlueNav marine charts and MapSend Lakes charts are available via Secure Digital memory cards and navigate your outdoor adventures.

Magellan CrosoverGPS Entertainment Capabilities

The Magellan CrossoverGPS comes with a music player and photo viewer. The music player supports both mp3 and WMA files and allows you to create playlists. It plays over the inbuilt speaker or you can plug in headphones. The picture viewer supports JPEG and BMP images. The device is also the ideal travel companion with integrated MP3 player and photo viewer for added entertainment. Photos and music files can be transferred using the SD memory card slot.

In the Box

• Magellan CrossoverGPS
• AC adapter
• car charger
• vehicle mount (dash and windshield)
• USB cable and
• reference material.

There have been reports that the CrossoverGPS is a bit sluggish with route calculating so as with all GPS purchases you need to do an in-store evaluation to check that its performance is acceptable. Everyone’s needs differ. After purchase you need to check that you have the latest firmware version installed to ensure that any bugs that have been discovered since release are patched.

Resources for Magellan CrossoverGPS

Amazon Magellan CrossoverGPS Customer Reviews.
CNET Magellan CrossoverGPS Customer Reviews

Check you have the latest Firmware version

Magellan FAQ for Magellan CrossoverGPS
Magellan CrossoverGPS Manual PDF

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Magellan CrossoverGPS Specifications

Physical

Case: High-impact plastic
Base Map: Pre-loaded with detailed street maps of 50 United States, Canada and Puerto Rico and topographic coverage of the 48 contiguous United States
Size: 3.4″ H x 4.3″ W x 1.1″ D
Weight: 8.5 oz. with Sport Guard™ 9.4 oz.
Display: 3.5″ color touch screen display, 2.11″ x 2.81″ (53.6mm x 71.5mm)
Memory: 4 GB hard drive pre-loaded with maps of the 50 United States, Canada, Puerto Rico and topographic maps of the 48 contiguous states
Data Storage: Unlimited / Secure Digital (SD) Card compatible
Antenna: Built-in multidirectional patch
Operating Range: 14 to 140°F (-10 to 60°C) Battery charging temperature 32 to 113°F (0 to 45°C)

Performance

Receiver: 20 channels, SiRF Star III
Acquisition Time: Hot: 1 second, Cold: 40 seconds, Initial: 5 minutes
Accuracy: 3 to 5 meters (10 - 16 feet) - WAAS/EGNOS, < 7 meters (15 feet) - GPS only
Languages: English

Power

Source: Li-Ion rechargeable 1900mA, 12 V AC or 12 vehicle adapter (sold separately)
Battery Life: Over 8 hours continuous use