At just 6.1 ounces, the Magellan SporTrak Color has a high value-to-weight ratio. Adding to a highly accurate GPS receiver, it has a built-in electronic compass and barometer to make it a complete navigation tool. And readings are a pleasure with its full color display.

To ensure it can survive whatever it's exposed to, the rubber-cushioned case of the Magellan SporTrak Color is not just waterproof but floats. Within its 2.2" W x 5.6" H x 1.2" D dimensions is contained a 12-channel GPS receiver that has a base position accuracy to within seven meters. When Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) signals are available, position readings are off by less than three meters. European travelers can use the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System (EGNOS) to obtain similar accuracy as with WAAS. And the receiver is also Differential GPS (DGPS) ready for use by those with a DGPS beacon receiver.

An accurate GPS receiver isn't worth much if you can't read the display. But that's not a problem with the SporTrak Color. Its 240 x 160 pixel LCD screen has adjustable contrast and backlighting. And the presence of color makes it easy to distinguish map details. The keypad is backlit so you can navigate just easily at night as you do during the day. To prevent unnecessary draining of the two AA batteries, there's an optional backlight shutoff timer. The timer is adjustable for 30 seconds to 10 minutes of receiver inactivity. After the backlight is shut off, tapping any key brings it back on.

When you're ready to start trip planning or exploring, the Magellan SporTrak Color is prepared with a built-in map of North America or Europe. The 10 MB of data (11 MB Europe) the basemap contains covers major roads, cities, waterways, parks, airports, and marine navigation aids. But you're not limited to only what the basemap provides. There's 22 MB (21 MB Europe) of memory available to store more detailed maps using Magellan software and a PC.

The most unique features of the SporTrak Color are its built-in compass and barometer. With GPS, you can determine the direction you're headed only if you're moving. A regular compass can provide readings anytime, but it needs to be held relatively still and level to work. Electronic compasses aren't sensitive to up and down movement, but some still need to be held level to operate. However the SporTrak's compass can be held at any angle and still give accurate readings. The barometer is equally handy with its display of both the current barometric reading and a graph of readings for the last 24 hours. Using the graph can provide an easy way to watch for changing weather conditions.