Everything You Need to Know – Detailed Satmap Active 20 Review

Satmap Active 20 Overview

Score 10 OUT OF 10

The first time we heard of these chaps, they launched the Active 10 and Active 12. The devices were the first of their kind, especially in the outdoor niche. And, in terms of function and quality, the devices were decent and had many great things going for them. 

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For instance, you could navigate the touch screen while wearing your gloves, and they had quite an intuitive user interface. The software also worked great, and the maps were super accurate. 

But they also had their flaws: minimal weatherproofing and a polycarbonate screen protector that seemed to scratch at the slightest provocation.

Enter the Active 20, and it looks like Satmap is ready to redeem itself. In this article, and by the powers vested on us by you, dear reader, we will be determining just how well Satmap did with its redemptive efforts in the Active 20.

Do we have high hopes? Definitely. Not entirely sure we’re sold in the looks department, though. We don’t think there is any reason to look like we are on set for a 1920’s movie. Yes, mobile phones weren’t invented then, but you get the point.

However, if you somehow get past the looks (which is difficult since it’s right in front of you), the device is excellent and of high quality. Satmap built on all the good of the older devices and tried to improve the features that weren’t so great. 

For instance, the screen is brighter and high resolution, the casing is more solid and water-resistant (IP68 standard). But then you pay the price for these upgrades, too, because the device is quite heavy.

Alright, we’re getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s dive in and get into the nitty gritty of the Satmap Active 20.

Features of the Satmap Active 20

A Sleek Touchscreen

A sleek touchscreen has become a vital feature for any GPS device. Any brand that doesn’t include this feature will find that it gets swept up by the influx of smartphones pre-loaded with OS Maps, Memory Map, or ViewRanger. So, a touchscreen feature makes perfect sense these days.

Fortunately, the touchscreen on the Active 20 is sleek and works fast. There’s hardly any lag time, and it works almost as perfectly as the screen on a smartphone. 

In fact, if you remember the iPhone 3G that was released in 2008, the Active 20 bears a close resemblance to that phone, at least size-wise and resolution-wise.

The screen itself is high-res, which is just a fancy way of saying the screen is sharp. Well, at least, it’s sharp enough for the job. But don’t expect “smartphone sharpness.” You might find that the Active 20 is a bit grainy, but it isn’t too bad. 

We only have a bit of an issue with how the touch controls eat up a sizable amount of real estate that might have given us more usable space to view the map.

Now, let’s talk about brightness. The screen is quite bright, and you will be able to view the map even in the sun, which is very important. 

The only challenge is that you can’t exactly turn off the backlight to preserve your battery. Because with the Satmap Active 20, once the device sleeps, the screen goes off completely, which isn’t very convenient. Other brands make it such that the backlight goes off, but the screen stays active all the same. It would have been nice to have that feature.

One more thing, the 2.5 millimeter Gorilla Glass protects the screen of the Satmap Active 20. So, it’s pretty sturdy.

Solid Housing

The Satmap Active 20 is quite the brick. It’s big with a super solid build. It’s not exactly the fanciest device you’ll ever see, but the build is rock solid.

The buttons by the side of the device are also sweet and handy. You’ll be able to operate them using your gloved hand no matter how thick the gloves are. So, if for whatever weird reason you prefer to use the buttons rather than the touchscreen, the user experience remains pretty good with the Active 20.

Another area where the Active 20 outdoes its predecessors is in water resistance. In older devices, we saw little to no weatherproofing. However, the Active 20 one-ups them as it comes water-resistant with an IP68 rating. The addition of this feature means that sudden weather changes won’t be a concern for you as you go hiking or camping. 

We also like that Satmap fixed the scratching issue of the other older devices. The Active 20 comes with a high-quality casing that’s tough and resistant to scratches.

When we say that the Satmap Active 20 is a brick, it’s more than a metaphor. This device is big and quite heavy too; it weighs about 312 grams, whereas older models weigh only 209 grams. Getting it to fit in tight spaces like your jacket pocket, for instance, might prove to be somewhat tricky. We only wish the device wasn’t as big and heavy.

Every choice Satmap made concerning the design and build of the Active 20 was geared toward making a heavy-duty device. As you probably can tell, visual aesthetics often have to be sacrificed in making such design decisions. So, for the fashion-forward hiker, the Active 20 might not be up your alley.

Long Battery Life

We mentioned in the last section that the Satmap Active 20 is quite thick. Well, a substantial contributing factor to this is the battery. 

The Active 20 comes with a super large battery, and as such, the resulting battery life is quite decent. Now, the manufacturers advertise that you’d get 12 to 16 hours after a full charge. However, you’re likely to get around 10 hours in real-life use, which isn’t groundbreaking but would suffice. 

It’s definitely more than a smartphone equipped with GPS can give you but not nearly as much as many other GPS devices offer. To be fair, though, those other GPS devices have smaller screens and slower processors.

Conserving Your Satmap Active 20 Battery

We’ll talk about Satmap Active 20’s processor in another subheading. But for now, let’s talk about how you can conserve your battery life. You have a couple of options. You can reduce your screen’s brightness, turn on the “automatic screen turn off” function, or play with GPS sampling frequency. The settings menu is quite comprehensive, so you’ll be able to do all of this quickly.

The Satmap Active 20 uses a LiPo cell battery that you can recharge using a USB dongle. So, even when in a remote area, as long as you’ve got your power bank, you will be able to recharge your device.

It’s nice that Satmap added the option of using AA batteries with this gadget. So, if you need backup, you can take some AA batteries along with you, or you could get an extra LiPo battery instead if that’s what you prefer. You could even get both and make your charging options more flexible. But keep in mind that LiPo batteries are more expensive.

Now, do well to pay attention to the cover of the USB port as it tends to fall off easily. And if it falls off, then all the water resistance of the casing does you absolutely no good. Water will get into your device through the USB port and ruin the device permanently.

Good thing there are several spare covers, and you could also get some more if you want to. 

Mapping Technology

The Satmap Active 20 uses the UK Ordnance Survey mapping technology, which comes with scales of 1:10,000, 1:25,000, and 1:50,000. Don’t worry; all you need to toggle between these different scales is tap a simple button. 

Also, with a single tap of a button, you’ll be able to zoom in and out of the map. Or if you’d instead tap the screen, then the regular press pinch method you’re used to from your smartphone also works. 

Now, that’s about viewing the map, and it’s simple. Anyone can view the map. Following the map, though, is where things get a little tricky.

The first step is to create a GPX file. You’ll do this using a route planner. The Active 20 comes with an online route planner, but if you have any other planner that’s compatible, you could use that as well. 

Once you’ve created the file, you will convert it to a format compatible with Satmap. Satmap has a free software application for that. Then using the USB cable, you will copy the file onto the GPS. After doing this, your selected route will now be displayed on the screen.

Trip Screen, Triple-Axis Electronic Compass, and Barometric Altimeter

The Trip Screen feature shows you information about your walks, runs, and rides. If you want, you can share the stats, or you can upload them to compatible sites like the Galileo program, for instance. 

The Galileo program is terrific during harsh weather conditions, delivering accurate satellite readings regardless of the weather. It comes with the Active 20, which is a huge plus.

Furthermore, the Active 20 comes with a triple-axis electronic compass to ensure that you never lose your bearing. This feature gives you the freedom to chase your wanderlust as far as it leads you, knowing you will always find your way back.

The Satmap Active 20 also features a barometric altimeter which is excellent for knowing the prevailing atmospheric and how elevated a particular spot is.

Operating System and Processor

We couldn’t possibly continue with our Satmap Active 20 review without commending Satmap for the processor in the Active 20. The device has a super-fast processor that makes it quite a pleasure to use. From redrawing the map to plotting an entirely new route, such tasks can be done in a snap. 

Of course, the generous screen space, the layout, and the choice to work with the clicky buttons or the touchscreen also facilitate things. But they wouldn’t have mattered much if the processor was slow.

As for Satmap’s operating system, it worked without issues, but it isn’t as intuitive as others we’ve seen. This is one area that Garmin one-ups Satmap, and Garmin has a more intuitive operating system. 

Sometimes, it can be difficult finding your way around Satmap’s software. Icons can be somewhat confusing, and then there are a couple of bugs that Satmap is yet to fix.

App & Connectivity

Like most modern devices, the Satmap Active 20 comes equipped with WiFi. This feature makes it easy for the device to check for software upgrades after connecting to a home network. 

Unfortunately, this is where the WiFi benefits stop. You won’t be able to facilitate the wireless upload and transfer of track files to third-party platforms. 

Such tasks take a much longer manual labor process, beginning with copying the files to a computer manually using a USB cable. After that, you’d then have to convert the files to GPX and then upload them to the site in question, again, manually. Like we said, manual labor.

By the way, there is a Bluetooth function that allows you to communicate wirelessly with other Satmap devices. However, you cannot connect your Active 20 to your computer using Bluetooth; it seems like a waste of potential. 

And if you’re just coming from using a Garmin GPS device, it can seem like asking more than you can give to make do with such limited software design. Of course, it’s not the end of the world, but it can be pretty inconvenient.

Another challenge comes with mapping. Satmap Active 20 has its apps pre-loaded onto the SD card, which is, in turn, built into the device. The good thing is that the maps are free of charge and already installed. So, you avoid the inconvenience of spending additional money after buying the device and then having to figure out how to install the map.

But there’s a catch. There will be no buying or downloading maps and software at short notice for you. At first, this wouldn’t be a problem, but over time, it’s only going to make the functionality of this device more and more limited.