Ifinder Go

[TCE]

I saw an iFinder Go advertised for 80$. I've read on the forums that those who have iFinders think they're pretty good.

 

Do they really have maps on them?...or is it just the basic base map like all the others with base maps?...and are their maps cheaper than Garmin/Magellen ones? The ad said 32 megs. That's quite a bit of memory.

[+Team Cotati]

• Easy-to-use waterproof bright yellow GPS

• 2.2" diagonal Film SuperTwist display with backlighting

• Built-in 16MB background map

• Coverage of the continental U.S. and Hawaii

 

The Lowrance iFinder GO features big, easy-to-use, 16-channel compact GPS handheld performance - with 32MB of built-in memory with mapping detail - for a compact price. Don't wait to give it a GO!

 

Precision 16-parallel channel GPS+WAAS receiver

Built-in, 32MB of memory preloaded with a background map of the continental U.S. and Hawaii, including coastal nav aids and wrecks and obstructions

1,000 waypoints/1,000 event markers/100 routes

Up to 100 retraceable plot trails, with up to 10,000 points in any trail

40 map zoom ranges, 0.02-4,000 miles

42 graphic icons to mark special spots

Internal back-up memory

 

$68.66@ Tiger GPS but not much of a gpsr IMHO. However probably as accurate as any $400.00 unit out there.

 

No PC cable for downloads but $68.66..........give me a break.

Edited June 8, 2005 by Team cotati697

[TCE]

That's kinda what I thought too, but thought I'd make a post to see if there was stuff others thought too.

 

Thanks Cotati.

[+briansnat]

They have base maps similar to the Garmin/Magellan base maps. Not very useful.

 

See here for my review.

[+Docapi]

Did anybody ever figure out if you could upload waypints to these things?

[tossedsalad]

I looked at this very hard for a couple of weeks. I sent numerous emails, most of which were ignored and two calls. The first call to Lowrance support gave me the info that you *could* upload waypoint information if you used software from easygps.com. But I could not really make a lot of sense from that. Others told me this could not be done and after my emails to support were ignored, I made a second call. This time I was told there was no upload capability of waypoints or maps or anything else. The unit could only send NMEA information to the PC.

 

The really funny thing is that someone from marketing did eventually answer one of my emails. In the conversation I had with him, I was told that this is a low end unit and uploading data would require extra hardware. Once you have a communications capability, it doesn't take any more hardware to upload data. All they have to do is support it in software. I am sure this was a marketing decision so that they could distinguish their more expensive units based on functionality.

 

I am an engineer and I see this all the time in products. There is often very little difference in the hardware between different products, but they charge for added features even if there is no additional fabrication costs. I expect you could get the functions of a $250 GPS in a $100 unit if there were more competition. As GPS units become more mainstream and product volumes go up, this will happen.

Edited June 8, 2005 by tossedsalad

[+briansnat]

Did anybody ever figure out if you could upload waypints to these things?

 

You can't.

 

I was told that this is a low end unit and uploading data would require extra hardware. Once you have a communications capability, it doesn't take any more hardware to upload data. All they have to do is support it in software. I am sure this was a marketing decision so that they could distinguish their more expensive units based on functionality.

 

That's true, but Garmin has PC connectivity in their low end eTrex and also the inexpensive Geko 201. I think it was a lousy marketing decision. If they had put PC connectivity in the Go2 it would have turned the entire GPS market on its head and I bet the Go2 would have become the the top selling GPS by any manufacturer.

[+Tharagleb]

I don't get it, why give the unit 32MB of memory with a built in 16MB base map and then give it absolutely no capability to upload any more data? What did they expect you to use the other 16 meg for, hand-entered waypoints and tracks? I understand the part about keeping the unit cost low. My guess is that the base map required 16 meg and so that you could enter *some* waypoints they bumped up to the next highest memory, 32. So I have answered my own question, thanks.

Edited June 8, 2005 by Tharagleb

[+IVxIV]

They have base maps similar to the Garmin/Magellan base maps. Not very useful.

 

See here for my review.

I don't understand.. IMO having basemaps on the GO is a VERY useful feature, especially comparing it with a GPSr that doesn't have any maps at all, like for example the Etrex yellow, Explorist 100, or the Geko 101.

 

The basemaps aren't highly detailed, but is MUCH better than nothing, and does give good general reference to waterways & major roads.. And it seems the GO's maps are pretty good in comparison to the basemaps available on other models on the market, check it out:

 

 

Yes the base maps are cast in concrete, you can't add more map info (or download waypoints) into the unit, but geezz the thing only cost $68

 

I'd love to read your review of the GO, but that site wants me to pony up $10 before I can see the article

[+briansnat]

Here are the GO2 maps of my area.

 

Zoomed to 4 miles. You see a few lakes. Not my street, which is expected or a major cross street, but a major county road that does show on the Garmin base map is also missing. I'm not sure what info this provides other than the fact that I'm somewheres betwen some lakes.

 

Zoomed to 2 miles:

 

Zoomed to 1 mile:

 

Zoomed .6 mile. This is the last zoom level that shows anything. Anything lower just shows a triangle in a blank field. Not helpful at all. Detailed maps would actually show more detail as you zoom in, not less.

 

I'm not saying the Go and Go2 are bad untis. Just that people shouldn't let the fact that they have "maps" at that price get them too excited.

[tossedsalad]

That's true, but Garmin has PC connectivity in their low end eTrex and also the inexpensive Geko 201.  I think it was a lousy marketing decision. If they had put PC connectivity in  the Go2 it would have turned the entire GPS market on its head and I bet  the Go2 would have become the the top selling GPS by any manufacturer.

The GO is certainly an interesting unit and having maps at an entry price is clearly significant, but it is still an entry unit and as such is limited in ways that can't be programmed around. It has one of the smallest screens you will ever find in a GPSr. I believe every review of it comments on how hard it is to read the text on the screen.

 

I was going to buy one of these, but the lack of download (or is it upload?) capability combined with the tiny screen turned me off. Either one separately might not have been a stopper, but I decided to get something that did both. I bought a used Merigold and am pretty happy with that. Being an older guy that has had to wear glasses for the last 5+ years, I would not mind an even larger screen, like on a PDA perhaps. There is no way I would have been happy looking at the tiny GO screen.

 

Another really nice thing about the GO is the very long battery life. I believe it was 48 hours if the Lowrance web site is accurate. WOW!

[+IVxIV]

Zoomed to 4 miles. You see a few lakes. Not my street, which is expected or a major cross street, but a major county road that does show on the Garmin base map is also missing. I'm not sure what info this provides other than the fact that I'm somewheres betwen some lakes.

 

Yes granted the basemap detail is basic, and definitely will not show any streets and detail smaller than major highways. But, compared to a GPSr that has no map at all, like the Geko 101...

 

 

At least you can see that you ARE between a couple lakes etc,, a GPS that has no maps at all would only show you the waypoints that you have stored that happen to be within the view range you selected as well as saved trails. Personally I'll take "something/anything" over "nothing" anyday

[tossedsalad]

Although the GO falls short of what some would like to see in an entry unit, adding mapping capability is a significant advance. I think this will spur the introduction of new units by the other companies that will likely have similar features, but will include download capability for waypoints if not map info. But that won't happen until the sales of the GO takes off big time. The GPS market is not huge and the makers won't want to lose market share on an entry level product.

 

I expect that this time next year you will see new low end units from Garmin and Magellan with map capability and support for downloading geocache waypoint info. If they find a way to provide a larger than minimum LCD, then these low end units will really take off!

[TCE]

Thanks for the detailed info. guys!