After one month - is the Satmap Active 10 a good buy?

andyb2 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 12, 2008 Posts: 32

I've had the satmap active 10 for a month now and think i can comment fairly on it.

i wanted the unit when it was announced. it seemed to be just what i had always wanted. i waited until it appeared all the glitches had been sorted.

i have found that when it works as designed it is a fantastic, unrivalled device.

however i would advise against purchase for these reasons:

battery life - this is still a major issue as it devours power. true, the advance power saving option really helps but at the expense of reducing backlighting and loss of 'track up' function. you also have to have the screen switch off every 15 seconds to eke out power.
the unit also drains batteries when turned off.
the li-pol battery is better, however when the unit locks up it is a real pain to disconnect.

software - much better than it was, but still prone to freezing, locking up, loosing satellite fix, difficulty reaquiring fix, loosing trail data etc.
the fact that uniquely the unit has no reset button means that restarting means removing the batteries - a real pain in bad weather.

i used the unit whilst away on holiday and was restarting the device 3 -5 times during a walk.

support from satmap - response to emails patchy, often no one available when phoning.
staff attitude ranges from wonderfully friendly and helpful, to patronising.

hardware - the device looks great, sits in the hand well and is easy to use in bad conditions.

however the units screen system lets it down badly.

the theory is brilliant - a sacrificial screen cover that protects the inner screen from damage. the outer screen cover really is sacrificial - within days it is scratched and cloudy. but you remove the cover to reveal the pristine inner screen.
only it is'nt pristine. my screen has always been covered and only cleaned using a microfibre cloth. however it is scratched and covered in small pits and craters.
the reasons are these:
the inner screen is very soft (acrylic) the top screen touches the inner screen and when it moves it rubs and scratches it. when the unit gets wet water gets between the screen, brings in grit and scratches the screen. rainwater etches the inner screen.
to be honest it's so soft anything damages it!

i have garmin gps units with unprotected screens that are spotless.

for this system to work the inner screen should be toughened glass.
to protect it from damage the screen protector should sit above the inner screen resting on a rubber gasket holding it 2mm above from the inner screen. this would provide impact protection and stop the two screens scratching each other.
the current screen system is fatally flawed.

i really like the active 10 - but it just does'nt work as advertised and i regret spending £400+ (active 10 + maps) to act as a beta tester.
think hard before you purchase.

Trevor1234 · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2008 10:53 pm Post subject:

Hi andyb2
Well, thanks for your opinion. I can see that you gave the subject a lot of thought and your views are honest and true. And as you say, the device costs a lot of money.

The cost of the device plus maps would make a whole in anyone’s pocket and one should expect near perfection from such a purchase.
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Darren · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 8:07 am Post subject:

Hi Andy,

Thanks for your comments. I agree that the screen issue does need to be resolved. Whilst I have had no issues with the actual glass screen becoming scratched but the cover has and I understand that you are not alone in experiencing this issue.

I haven't had the lock-ups you and others describe, in my time with the unit it has locked perhaps two or three times and in all cases powering off was sufficient, what software version are you using?
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andyb2 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 12, 2008 Posts: 32

hi,

i'm currently testing beta version 1.186. however that has only been on for a few days. the unit came pre-installed with 1.16.
initially i was really happy with the active 10. the problems occured after a week - possibly as a result of temporary files clogging the memory.

i think one of the issues is that unless the unit is used 'in the field' long term, then these issues don't show up.

the screen issue was a serious design error though - incidently satmap tell me that the inner screen is not glass but acrylic. it can be replaced but that involves returning the unit and has to be paid for - and the replaceable screen was meant to avoid having to do this.

the screen covers themselves have changed - the foam spacer strips are missing and so the image is further degraded by 'oil stain' marks

bluewomble · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jan 02, 2008 Posts: 18

I've also experienced lockup issues with both 1.16 and 1.18-6 (beta)... I think it might have something to do with using large map packs...

I've recently installed 1.18-9 (beta) which is available in 'the usual place' on satmaps website... I haven't had a chance to use it out in the field yet, but my initial impression is that it seems much more stable and much faster and more responsive (from 30 mins of playing around with it).

I'll be using it 'properly' at the weekend, so I should be able to report back on it then.

Ash.

FrequentFlyer · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 12:02 pm Post subject:

I totally refute the generalisation that it is a useless piece of kit. Sure, I have had niggles, but overall I would thoroughly recommend it...the more I use it the better I like it. The learning curve has been long for me, (as a non techy), but having just about got the hang of all the options...it's a decent bit of kit. I do a lot of walking and the battery (Lipol) certainly lasts way over a full days walking, and that's scrolling, zooming and looking at it perhaps a bit too much.) My screen is scratched but no more than my mobile and I can't see that it is a problem...well not for me. The guys I walk/climb with all have Garmins/Eltrexs' and they are all really impressed with my A10. It would be nice to plan a walk on the PC I accept, particularly using the SD card but since I was put onto the 'Hug', even I have find it easy to fine tune the A10 when I convert a route over. So it's not all bad news.
ps It's a shame that the 1:25 scale maps are on the pricey side, which I understand is not all the fault of Satmap......I would like to see them promote a library offering as , for me, to spend £100 or so on a long distance trail which I would only walk once, is a bit of a No No.

andyb2 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 12, 2008 Posts: 32

i certainly don't believe it is a useless piece of kit - and i think my review was measured (and regretful).

sure mobile phone screens get scratched - but the whole point of the dual screen is to avoid permanent damage to the inner screen - this system just does not work.
i have 2 garmin units that i've used weekly for the last three years - not a scratch on them.

the software/battery issues are well documented - yes they are getting better but you do have to 'nurse' the device. it certainly is'nt to a military specification.

i can switch on my garmin gps and after a long days walking it has guided me and recorded my route - no lockups, freezes or power failures.
the satmap active 10 has ordnance survey mapping which is great - but the disadvantages are high.

incidently my wife runs a nokia n82 phone with viewranger ordnance mapping software. it has a smaller screen and is not waterproof - but it does everything the satmap does without the problems. she even gets 9 hours battery life on a charge! (and the screen is'nt scratched)

Physicist · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 2:51 pm Post subject:

I concur with the continued frustrations and joys of the Active 10. The joy is of course the OS mapping. Many of the frustrations arise from things that should have been sorted out before the product was launched. Why for example is there not a simple mechanical on off switch that removes the necessity to have to remove the (lithium) batteries at the end of the day. Surely they new the current drain before launch (but perhaps the overoptimistic battery times in their early advertising suggests otherwise!). I can leave alkaline cells in my Garmin for months on end and they don't drain.

Many of us have are old hands with gps receivers (I purchased the first hand-held Garmin) so we have certain expectations when we purchase an Active 10 and not all of these are fulfilled. I suspect that those who are new to GPS will be more willing to live with the Active 10's irritations than us oldies are. Although Satmap are putting in a lot of effort to sort out software bugs they do need to spend some time on the hardware. The only hardware change I can spot is the anchored rubber socket cover (a most welcome improvement).

The Active 10 really does have the potential to be a world-beater within its intended market (go elsewhere if you want postcode routing or aircraft navigation). I want them to achieve this.

andyb2 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 12, 2008 Posts: 32

i agree entirely with physicist.

i too have used gps units for many years - i find they add to my enjoyment of walking and cycling in the british countryside - until now.

because of this we expect the active 10 to be an improvement on garmin units - and in some ways it is. but the basics of a robust, waterproof, reliable gps have not been met. when it works it is a joy to behold, but when it does'nt i just want to abandon it. instead of viewing the beautiful british landscape you are frantically trying to get the unit to work.

i wish satmap well, but i do feel really short changed. they have a lot of my money in exchange for a unreliable device. and at the moment they won't even reply to emails. this is meant to be a hi tech company.

its interesting that no one from satmap ever tries to engage in this forum

cwmboy · Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 8:39 am Post subject:

Darren · Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 8:45 am Post subject:

paul1q2w3e4r · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 30, 2007 Posts: 22

mrg2003 · Posted: Mon Jun 16, 2008 8:09 am Post subject: Satmap active - my experience

andyb2 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 12, 2008 Posts: 32

i think that is the crux of the matter - you have to carry a garmin unit as a backup. i don't think you will find garmin users carrying a second backup unit.

i've come to the conclusion that i should go back to carrying my garmin and when i need exact confirmation on ordnance survey 1:25000 mapping i look at my wifes nokia n82 phone using viewranger software (www.viewranger.co.uk)

as for this being expected on a windows device. that would have been true 5 years ago, but not now.

as for their customer care i'm not so sure - they seem unable to respond to emails

andyb2 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jun 12, 2008 Posts: 32

i think that is the crux of the matter - you have to carry a garmin unit as a backup. i don't think you will find garmin users carrying a second backup unit.

i've come to the conclusion that i should go back to carrying my garmin and when i need exact confirmation on ordnance survey 1:25000 mapping i look at my wifes nokia n82 phone using viewranger software (www.viewranger.co.uk)

as for this being expected on a windows device. that would have been true 5 years ago, but not now.

as for their customer care i'm not so sure - they seem unable to respond to emails

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