Lowrance iFinder Expedition C Waterproof Hiking GPS by Lowrance
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List Price: Category: GPS or Navigation System See more digital camera details and other models |
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Digital camera reviews of Lowrance iFinder Expedition C Waterproof Hiking GPS
Digital camera Review: Better than Garmin eTrex Legend Cx
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought the Garmin eTrex Legend Cx - about 250. I then bought a 1gb microSD card for 60. At this point the base maps are still useless. I wanted to use for driving to the lakes in MN and then use ON the lakes in MN. Garmin makes you buy Navigator NA and MN Lakemaster for about 100 each. HOWEVER, they can not be practically overlaid and necessitate use of either one or the other. That would have put my tab at 510 plus. Something else I learned - When you buy City Navigator North America - you don't get ALL of NA - you pick a state and marry it to your Garmin unit. If you want another state you need to call Garmin and pay them to unlock another state. What a racket. All learned after my eTrex purchase. I feel a bit dumb in not researching more. Fortunately, all was returnable. ENTER: the Lowrance Expedition c. 269 on sale elsewhere plus 69 for the Lakemaster Pro Maps MN, which include all the major lakes AND the road structure - exactly what I wanted. Total of 340 AND the display is larger, it's easier to use (wonderfully written manual), it has greater battery life, it floats with most lithium batteries, it has a compass... I could go on and on.
I'm not a GPS fanatic and I'm sure the eTrex Legend Cx has it's advantages - but none that have surafaced or are likely to have much significance to me. The Garmin syncs through a USB cable and has some techno-geek features that I'd hasten to say few people actually utilize. The Lowrance also comes with a 12v power adaptor - very nice for car or boat. And with the 170 I saved I can get my Uniden Atlantis 250 Two-Way radio!
Digital camera Review: Decent product for the price.
Summary: 3 Stars
Nice color display and functionality. Had a hard time with acquiring signal while in central/southern Alaska if not outdoors with fairly decent clear path to sky. Was better in the Skagway and Ketchikan area. Probably could expect this from most devices... In the lower 48, was very good indoors and in the car. Device is pretty decent to use. I hate an annoying popup on powerup that warns not to use for navigation ?! Maybe someone tried to sue them ? Maybe there is a way to turn off, but have not found it yet.
Unfortunately you have to buy the software to build the maps. You have to pick areas, such as US or Canada, etc. SO picked up the US one. Unfortunately, they do not even overlap any into Canada. Would be nice if there was some overlap for those short excursions across the border (when we were in Skagway, AK we went up to Carcross, Yukon, CA).
Software is not that great. Had to install an upgrade just to get it to work w/o crashing/hanging up (on Win XP). Even then, it cannot do large maps at one time. thus you have to make several smaller ones which just takes more time. Will occasionallly lock up anyway. Also, appears to require a special card reader to limit # of MMC/SD cards used. Pretty lame attempt to limit people copying maps for others.
The website is not great either for updates, etc. My device has a newer version than available upgrade on the website !
Overall, maybe worth it considering the price and features compared to others, even with the added cost of software.
Digital camera Review: GPS
Summary: 5 Stars
Item was os discribed and shipped fast. Well packaged. A good sale I would order from this source again. Thank You.Digital camera Review: Great new color GPS receiver
Summary: 4 Stars
See my review for this receiver under Lowrance ifinder Expedition C Plus, which is the same receiver with the 6 MapCreate CDs and card reader included. The Plus package is a very good deal if you're interested in having detailed topographic map information on your receiver. The non-Plus unit just comes with basic low detail built-in map that's not too useful.
The Lowrance ifinder Expedition C has a built-in compass, color screen, an easy and advanced mode, many user adjusted options, and uses small SD memory cards.
GPS satellite is fast and strong; it even works inside my house! Battery life seems somewhat short, but overall I'm impressed.
Digital camera Review: Lowrance iFinder Expedition C - Awesome Unit
Summary: 4 Stars
The Lowrance iFinder Expedition C is an awesome unit, I am glad I bought it last year. However, it does have some minor issues that have downgraded it from five stars to four. Minor Issues are as follows:
1) Get a Bundle that includes the software, the card reader, and at least one card, or buy the Software and card reader and cards. It comes with maps pre-installed, but they lack detail that makes it useful for everyday use.
2) Battery life - about three hours or four hours tops with lithium cells, make sure if you do use it, bring extra batteries or use the car cigarette lighter adaptor or hahave access to it.
3) On the large side, but the largish screen makes it convenient.
4) It would be nice if the firmware allowed one to put google maps or other internet based maps on the unit. It also would be nuce if you could have standard earphone hack or usb connections with ones computer. Headphone adaptors and computer connections are an additional purchase.
5) Volume of alarms could be louder.
6) Ease of use is okay, but could be better (example would be deleting individual waypoints could be much easier)...
Sound like some major issues, not really, the unit makes up for it in many ways. Benefits of ownership are as follows:
1) Rugged - it is somewhat waterproof, ie, if you drop it in a puddle or shallow stream you will not kill it. Scuba diving, forget it...
2) Display is bright and large for a handheld unit. You can see it in bright sunlight with the light off, It has daylight and nighttime viewing modes.
3) Rich Color - is very bright and vivid.
4) Is very good for hiking and hunting, marine use, possibly even avaition, however if you want turn by turn directions, alternate routes, etc, it is not a dedicated automotive style unit. The Lowrance iFinder Expedition c is a great unit that excels for hiking and hunting, however I would say it may not be a great job for an in car use. It is lightyears ahead of a map, compass and watch, and makes getting to a destination easier but is not a great in car unit.
5) Has many advanced features, there is a lot to learn, but the features are worth the effort. ie, stopwatch, clock, barometer (also somewhat predicts the weather), trip calculator, scouting mode, etc.
6) If you are looking for a do all GPS, Buy It! It is the swiss army knife of GPS units.
7) With the Maps it is extremely useful in almost any situation requiring a map or directions.
8) Perfect for the Gadget Freak.
I have used this unit on average once or twice a weak for the past year, even without the detailed maps it is quite handy. The pre loaded maps have major expressways, and mark lakes and towns fairly well, you can set a latitude and longitude point and get to it, but get the MapCreate software, you will get much more out of it. Lowrance Electronics is an awesome company. They make great products, even used by the U.S. Navy. However, if you ask questions via the internet they do take a couple of days to respond. That is also the case of LEI, their partner company that makes the Maps and Accessories.
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