Light list and waypoint information is displayed on pop-up windows. I found that the FX324 Map computes and displays position, speed over ground, course over ground, range and bearing, time to go, velocity to destination, estimated time of arrival, cross-track error and, of course, chart graphics. The 110-page manual is rather comprehensive, and would probably benefit from an index. The structure of the menus was especially refreshing-regardless of how deep I was in the system, the way out was always clear.Īfter my test without the manual, I read through it to see what features I had overlooked. The FX324 Map Color’s menus and functions are fairly intuitive-more so than those of Magellan’s earlier-generation units (and those of its competitors). That is, I attempted to power up the system, establish my location on the chart display, and create and navigate to a waypoint without consulting the manual or a reference card. My morning with the FX324 Map Color began with something I like to call the “no-manual logic test. Waypoints, routes and tracks can also be downloaded and uploaded from a personal computer. Users can create their own waypoints and routes by using the cursor directly on the chart or by keying in latitudes and longitudes. The FX324 Map stores up to 1,000 waypoints, 30 routes of up to 50 waypoints each and six tracks of 1,000 routes. Channels: 12 parallel Compatibilities: WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS Accuracy: within 1 meter WAAS/EGNOS: +/- 1 knot Refresh frequency: 1 second Acquisition: 2 minutes (cold start) 45 seconds (hot start) Map System: Navionics Gold MapSend BlueNav Screen: 16-color backlit TFT Resolution: 320 x 240 pixels Illumination: 380 candella/m2 Memory: flash rom Waypoints: 1,000 Routes: 30 reversible Operating temp.: 14° to 140° Power: 10 to 36vDC Consumption: 12vDC/700 mA (max with light) Menu, Escape and Enter are dedicated keys, as is Mark/MOB, which is set apart from the others and colored red. Next to it are a telephone-style keypad and four-way rocker button, which controls the cursor. It also comes with hardware for surface and yoke mounting and software that updates the FX324 Map’s internal programming instructions.Ī column of buttons is mounted to the right of the screen for quick access to commands. The unit comes with two cables-one for attachment to a personal computer, the other for a boat hookup. Its 5-inch, 16-color thin-film transistor (TFT) display is backlit and has a resolution of 320 by 240 pixels. The unit is about 9.5 inches wide and 5.5 inches high. I cradled the FX324 Map Color in a notch on the instrument panel and mounted the external mushroom antenna on a spare radio support. It proved itself economical and easy to use. To test its performance, I rigged the unit on the flying bridge of a Luhrs 32-footer and used it for several hours as I navigated the islands off Norwalk, Connecticut. Magellan’s new FX324 Map Color, which is also available with a monochromatic display, is a 12-channel, WAAS-enabled GPS navigator/chart plotter.
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