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Satmap Active 10 - still relevant

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 echo34 18 Nov 2023

I’ve just found my old Satmap Active 10 in a box, and was just wondering g if it’s still relevant as a gps device? 
 

I haven’t used it for years (still works fine) as the phone is quicker and easier to use, but I’m considering doing the Spine Challenger next year which requires a handheld GPS. Is it worth keeping or perhaps upgrading to a more modern unit with better hardware and software?

the UI is a bit clunky and it takes an eternity to get a GPS signal. I believe I purchased it around 2008 so it’s pretty old tech, but also makes the phone gps look incredibly impressive by comparison, with almost instant location 

In reply to echo34:

It can't download ephemeris & almanac info from the web like a phone can (AGPS), so a cold start will take much longer; up to 12.5 minutes to acquire the slow, rotating drip feed from the constellation. But once acquired, it should give a fix as quickly as a phone. Just keep it turned on for 13 minutes every four hours...

Your phone probably has a multi-system receiver, able to use GPS, GLONASS, Beidou and Galileo. So more likely to be able to see enough satellites to get a fix. IIRC, the Satmap has a SIRFStar 3 chip; good, but GPS only.

I'd also check the battery life if it's lithium.

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