Memory Map Adventurer 2800 GPS Unit

Kev Smith
Reviewed: 23 January 2012

Save your money and buy a Garmin instead.

I had a unit bought for me as a present , at first it all seemed great sitting in the chair at home but on my first trip out with a pre planned route in it turned into a disaster due to the unit getting wet,
It looks good and the functions are easy to use but ! ! !

Build quality is not great compared to a Garmin unit it does feel very flimsy at times which can be a little concerning but if you want a unit that is fairly fool proof go ahead and spend your hard earn money.

For my sins I upgraded to a Adventurer 3500 due to reviews I had read and all I can say is what a load of ***p I have since sold both units on ebay and bit the bullet and bought a Garmin. There are numerous software issues from my own experience and I am glad to see the back of them both.

daviesp2
Reviewed: 15 November 2011

Avoid if you ever use this in the wet outdoors.

You can load up your Memory Map maps and view them on the GPS. Screen is quite small but readable.

The unit failed on me whilst navigating in the rain in Snowdonia. This device is completely unusable in an outdoor environment if you get it wet at all. Battery life is also short, not enough for a long day out in the hills.

Nice display, if small, but unsuitable for outdoor use as it cannot cope with getting wet in the rain.

Dorset Lad
Reviewed: 16 April 2011

Use of the Memory Map 2800 for geochching. (Not had time to use it for walking yet)

Having your position displayed on a map gives a very quick reference to location and surroundings with out the time and hassle of transfering coords to a paper map.
The extention battery pack is a real benefit as is the bicycle handlebar mount that screws to the back of it.

The screen is quite small so its necessary to zoom in and out frequently to get either detail or bigger picture of surroundings.
It is necessary to use a pointer to operate the touch screen as fingers are just too big and even with the pointer the keyboard is difficult to use.
It is possible to inadvertently move a mark with the pointer then end up searching in the wrong location.
The bike mount screws to the back with two screws so its not easy to remove for walking use and the "spiggot" makes it quite bulky.
I wish it wouldn't default to lat/long when I prefer OS coords.

It certainly does what I need. Whether any other brands would be better I've no idea as its the only one I've used since selective availability was switched off. I have found positions wander by up to 100 feet or so even in open ground. Also positions have been up to 30 feet away from published locations, but I've no idea if the error is with the published or my own position. Whilst these errors are not too significant for walking purposes, they can make geocaching more of a challenge.
More challenging though, is downloading maps from the online store! Maybe it will get easier with practice but so far I've struggled. Software is also quite expensive.
The 3500 model has a larger screen and is fully waterproof as opposed to weather proof but I felt the 2800 offered better value for money for the use I would be making of it.
For use in remote areas I would certainly not depend on it. I like my paper maps. However it is small enough and light enough to be worth carrying as a backup and certainly appeals to the gadget fiend in me.