Review: Magellan TRX7 Off-Road GPS
Dave Maas 09.09.16
While exploring the outdoors in your UTV, you’ll either need to be familiar with the trails, how to use a compass, or have a reliable GPS device handy in case the trails turn you around. You can’t always count on cellular service, so I rule that out as a fail-safe for GPS use.
Magellan has developed an onboard GPS unit just for the avid ATV/UTV owner and hunter. I was able to get my hands on the new Magellan TRX7 ($649.99) and give it a workout during a spring black bear hunt in the Edmonton, Alberta, wilderness.
The body of this GPS is very rugged and made to resist damage in case you drop it. The unit is weather-proof and can take the dusty or muddy rides, as well. The sealed ports on the side of the TRX7 open up for SD card access and charging.
During my time with the Magellan TRX7, I discovered not only topographical mapping stored in the device, but also the ability to track my travels as I headed into the stand for the evening hunt. And one of my favorite features is the backlit screen, which shows up very well during the day – or more importantly – in the dead of night.
The trails into the treestands were very rough and had several hidden machine-damaging stumps and rocks. I marked these locations on the Magellan TRX7 for future reference. I also rated the severity of things such as mud, rocks, downed trees and even steep hills or off-camber sections of the trails. The unit’s software has multiple choice style entries that allow you to not only store the information for later, but you can also share this electronically for others to see the same hazards.
Although heavy trees can interfere with GPS signal, I didn’t have much trouble at all with GPS reception. Overall, I think the Magellan TRX7 is a great device for anyone venturing off into the wilderness.
To learn more about the Magellan TRX7, check out the video below.
