If you want a mapping GPS receiver without frills, the Magellan SporTrak Map may be just what you're looking for. It has all the accuracy and reliability you need for any outdoor navigation activity. And its ease of operation makes it right for even the first-time user.

The case of the Magellan SporTrak Map measures just 2.2" W x 5.6" H x 1.2" D and yet contains a 12-channel GPS receiver capable of position accuracy to within three meters. Regular accuracy for the receiver is within seven meters but by using the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), it reduces errors by over half. Similar accuracy can be achieved using Differential GPS (DGPS), since the receiver is also DGPS ready. However DGPS does require you also have a beacon receiver, which makes it more cumbersome than WAAS.

Although it doesn't add anything to the 6.1 ounce weight of the SporTrak Map, the basemap certainly contributes to its value. The receiver has 2 MB of North American map data built in. It's like a glove compartment full of interstate road maps showing the major roads, waterways, and cities. It also has 6 MB of memory for storing additional maps you may download. These could be city street maps, marine charts, or topographic maps for countryside explorations.

If you can read and have a thumb (or finger), you can use the Magellan SporTrak Map. The large center key is a directional control like a computer's mouse. And with it, you select from a menu one of the seven main information displays. The most often used display is the Map Screen. This shows your location on the map along with two customizable data fields. These fields can display various trip information of your choice, such as speed, direction, or the estimated time to your destination. With pan and zoom controls you can view whatever area and detail you want. Other screens include your direction, as shown by a compass image or with text, your speed on a speedometer's image or the text numbers, position information, and local GPS satellite status. Except for the satellite screen, each screen includes customizable data fields.

Data fields aren't the only thing you can customize with the SporTrak Map. Besides longitude and latitude, there are 11 other map coordinate systems you can choose from as well as 76 map datum. If English isn't your favorite language, you have eight other choices for the text displays. And the several programmable alarms, let you choose to have a visual alert or include a tone sounded at the same time. This is particularly helpful for off-course notification or arriving at a certain point. And if you ever forget what your options are, there's a built-in help system to guide you through that feature.