I bought my Active 10 last April and promised a review. However, rather than do a “first look” review I decided to wait until I had really tested it.
The unit has many published reviews (almost all positive) so I will not go over old ground. I will give my own personal “take” on the unit.
Firstly, if you have been navigating by map and compass for 30 odd years as I have, expect it to take a while to get used to a new paradigm in navigation. I would estimate that it took around three months use to get fully used to using this type of device.
Loading the SOTA summits and parking spots took just a few clicks and after that I really appreciated having all the mapping at my fingertips. The route planning is pretty good, making it fast to set up a route on the fly.
I have used the unit in all types of weather, during the day and at night and have found it 100% reliable (even in densely wooded steep-sided valleys). At night its electronic red-filter system is excellent. I can honestly say that I have done some walks with the Satmap that I would not have been able to do with conventional mapping as the routes involved changes to plans where I would not have had the right map with me.
At first I always carried a paper map but I will admit that over time I have taken them less and less. The Satmap is just such a good tool.
The user interface is simple to master - but has its quirks like any other. The buttons are easy to use even with my winter gloves on. Battery life is brilliant. I have the LiPO pack and it easily lasts all day (I have never got close to running it flat).
Overall, I give the Satmap a big “thumbs up”. It really is great.
In reply to MM0FMF:
I bought one about 3 / 4 years ago complete with N England 1:50000 maps and it was, I think, around the £350 mark from Ryedale Rambler.
Not sure of the prices now.
Its a great bit of kit but mine died of natural causes, I dropped it and it smashed. Now using the Colorado with OS mapping but it is not as good
But when you get old and myopic (I resemble the remark) can you still see the map? I print my 1:50000 maps out at least 1 1/2 times size just for that reason.
Being a confirmed Luddite, who does not trust his life to technology, I would not recommend being without a map and compass as back-up when on the hills (I do have a GPS though!)
I shudder at the thought of people going out with nothing more than a satnav, what happens if (when) it fails…on the other hand, I have had maps blow away! They can be impossible to find in a sea of heather, so the best plan is to memorise the route.
Slightly off the original topic but ever since I lost my map whilst descending Ben Vorlich (the loch lomond one and I always keep the map tucked into my rucksack straps and it just fell out and I didn’t notice), now I always attach the map via cord and one of those mini-krabs to the rucksack. Never lost one since (touch wood) and to get back on topic I’m sure the same method could be used for a Satmap/gps as they are a bit more expensive to lose than a map.