5. GPS Signal Strength - The Mighty SiRF

The Magellan RoadMate 2200T uses SiRF's high performance SiRF Star III 20-channel GPS receiver. This chipset is extremely sensitive and able to maintain solid signal reception even when driving in challenging situations, such as dense urban environments (behind tall buildings), bridges, and canyons. In fact, in my testing I was able to get a strong signal even indoors. The integration of SiRF's chipsets into the latest generation of in-car navigation systems has been a watershed event for GPS manufacturers and made GPS navigation significantly more reliable.

Prior to SiRF, line-of-sight to the sky was required to receive GPS signals, resulting in less than optimal GPS performance in many situations. SiRF's chipset has ushered in a new era of GPS performance, allowing signals to be acquired quickly and maintained while driving. Make sure to check that any new GPS you buy uses SiRF's chipset. I'm always amazed that people continue to buy GPS devices that are old and outdated and sometimes even cost more than the newer devices with SiRF chipsets -- even from the same manufacturer.

I found the Magellan RoadMate 2200T a strong performer, although signal performance was not as good as units that have a flip-out patch style antenna.

6. Mounting the RoadMate 2200T in the Car

Figure 22: Windshield Mount and Cradle

At the base of the mount is a lever that is used to tighten the suction cup to the glass, creating a secure connection. To properly attach the windshield mount, clean the area of the glass that you will be connecting the mount to, then hold the mount so that the suction cup is flat against the mounting area and push the lever down.

Figure 23: RoadMate 2200T, Mounted and Powered On

The final step in the mounting process is to connect the 12v cigarette lighter adapter. Unfortunately, the mount cradle does not provide power to the unit, so you have to pull open the protective rubber flap on the right side of the unit in order to connect the power adapter. This is not only unsightly, but is also is difficult to do at night and adds time to the mounting and unmounting process. This is something Magellan should consider correcting by way of an improved cradle that you connect the power adapter to instead of the unit itself.

During my testing I noticed a small amount of vibration while driving. It's not enough to be particularly bothersome, but it's enough that Magellan might consider some design refinements to their mount. Magellan has made a lot of improvements to their mounting hardware over the past 5 years, but they still trail behind Garmin in this area.

7. Powering on the 2200T for the First Time

Figure 24: Powering on the MRM 2200T

As I mentioned earlier, the MRM 2200T ships with the reset switch in the off position. Before you can power the unit on, you'll have to lift the protective rubber flap on the left side of the RoadMate. Then, using a pen or something similar, slide the reset button up to the on position, as shown above. Once the reset switch is in the on position, you power the RoadMate on by pressing the power button for 1 second.

Figure 25: Setting First-Use Options

The first time you power on the RoadMate 2200T, you are presented with a short series of setup questions. The first option that must be set is language. Choosing your preferred language establishes the language that will be used for displaying text as well as verbal instructions. Curiously, the menu shows English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. However, only English and French can be selected.

Figure 26: Setting the Time Zone

Touching the '-' or '+' buttons cycles through the various time zones until your correct zone appears. My one complaint is that you have to manually check whether you are currently observing daylight savings or not. Similar GPS units from Garmin do not require this. Once your time zone and daylight savings option are set, touch 'Save' to move on to the next set in the setup wizard.

Figure 27: Setting Unit of Measure

Setting the unit of measure determines whether miles/feet or kilometers/meters will be used to compute and display distance measurement. After choosing the unit of measure, touch 'Save' to move on.

Figure 28: Warning Screen

Once the initial, first-time-use, setup is complete, a legal disclaimer/warning is shown. Touch 'OK' and you're ready to start using the RoadMate.

Figure 29: Main Menu

When you power on the MRM 2200T, you are presented with the main menu, shown above. From here you can launch the GPS navigation application (NAV), the music player (Music), the picture viewer (Viewer), or configure system settings (System).