When It Comes Right Down To It

[+user13371]

I've been trying to choose a new GPS and narrowed it down to either an Explorist 400 or a Lowrance iFinder H2O. Iwas also tempted by a Garmin GPSMAP-60, but ruled it out because it does not have expandable memory.

 

Although I really like the Explorist's small size, built-in rechargable battery, and sensible USB implementation - I think I'm going to go with the Lowrance.

 

The Lowrance is bigger, heavier, I'll have to change batteries frequently, and I'll have to pull the data card out to transfer info to/from my computer

 

But it is really a lot less expensive - I can get the Lowrance GPS and the mapping software for less than what the Explorist costs by itself.

[+Thrak]

I say that if it works for you and you are happy with it then that is exactly what you ought to purchase. There are an awful lot of folks in these forums who are using the first gpsr they bought long ago and still very happy with it. Bells and whistles are way cool but cost a lot more, require a higher learning curve, and many folks say they aren't really necessary.

[Neo_Geo]

I can get the Lowrance GPS and the mapping software for less than what the Explorist costs by itself.

Yeah! And it'll probably work a lot better than an Explorist too!

 

Explorist Bug List (updated), voice your concerns here

Routing On The Explorist, How do you do it?

Explorist Firmware, ... is not the problem

New Explorist Xl Due Out Soon, they should fix the old Explorists first

Explorist Needs A Screen, Anyone know the cost?

Explorist 600 Temperature Reading, Not Even Close....

[robertlipe]

Ahem. If I wasn't too tired, I'd drag up links to

• Broken battery terminals.
  
• Tracks with excessive/missing trackpoints; unhappy users when tracks are compressed.
  
• Firmware crashes when approaching "magic" intersections.
  
• USB connectors ripping out.
  
• Buttons coming detached from the case.
  
• Flagrant violations of the USB specs.
  
• Unhappy barometer uesrs inside pressurized cabins.
  

Im not defending either company - they both screw up.

 

Let him without product defects cast the first stone...

 

 

Lee, didn't you already HAVE one of these ifinders once? Between you and GotGPS, I think you guys have sold one of everything on the market. :-)

[+user13371]

... didn't you already HAVE one of these ifinders once?

Indeed! I was an "early adopter" of the iFinder H2O. Sold it a few months ago on eBay because I thought I wouldn't need or want it anymore. Wrong

 

In retrospect, it really was the best GPS I ever had. I really only had ONE serious gripe with it - it didn't record elevations in stored tracks. It does record them in waypoints though, and I intend to get Lowrance's topo software this time so I can figure out elevation profiles when I need them.

 

Other than marketing, I don't know why Lowrance doesn't sell a lot more GPSRs into the Geocaching community (and the general commuting/hiking/biking public). Feature sets and prices just blow most competing products away.

[+user13371]

I say that if it works for you and you are happy with it then that is exactly what you ought to purchase.

The Explorist really does have some "bells and whistles" I wanted. It might have made me happier - but not enough to spend the extra $$$ for Edited August 27, 2005 by lee_rimar

[robertlipe]

Other than marketing, I don't know why Lowrance doesn't sell a lot more GPSRs into the Geocaching community (and the general

I'll give you at least one reason.

 

/me turns hat around from being a smarta** to being a software developer.

 

As the developer of a program with probably a mere quarter-million-ish users (remember, users of things like GSAK and Google Earth won't show up on my download counts) I approached all three companies for specs, discounts on eval equipment, simulators, etc. You know, the kind of thing that developers want. (The kind of thing that if developers don't get, software doesn't get developed...)

• Garmin responded with a canned 'We don't support developers. Here's a list of authorized dealers and a web site whence you can download some stuff' answer. Since it's rare that any two products in a row supprot the same protocols and the doc ranges from OK to wildly fictional to non-existent, it's hard to see that they're doing developers any favors.
  
• Magellan has consistently responded with specs that actually match the product, provided equipment for development, and keep those protocols and formats rock-solid across product lines. (Ever notice that a 2002-era GPSBabel works with 2004 Topo/3D or DirectRoute and works just as well with a 4000XL as it does a Meridian?)
  
• Lowrance ignored the request totally. I even resent it just to be sure. Yep, no reply at all.
  

Notice which products are best supported by the aftermarket software?

[Neo_Geo]

Ahem.  If I wasn't too tired, I'd drag up links to

• 
   
   
  
• Broken battery terminals.
   
   
  
• Tracks with excessive/missing trackpoints; unhappy users when tracks are compressed.
   
   
  
• Firmware crashes when approaching "magic" intersections.
   
   
  
• USB connectors ripping out.
   
   
  
• Buttons coming detached from the case.
   
   
  
• Flagrant violations of the USB specs.
   
   
  
• Unhappy barometer uesrs inside pressurized cabins.
   
   
  

Im not defending either company - they both screw up.

 

Let him without product defects cast the first stone...

 

 

Lee, didn't you already HAVE one of these ifinders once?  Between you and GotGPS, I think you guys have sold one of everything on the market. :-)

Ahem. If I wasn't too tired, I'd drag up links to

[*]Broken battery terminals.

- Not broken - they just need to be bent out a little bit to make better contact with the batteries.

 

[*]Tracks with excessive/missing trackpoints; unhappy users when tracks are compressed.

- fixed with firmware update

 

[*]Firmware crashes when approaching "magic" intersections.

- fixed with firmware update

 

[*]USB connectors ripping out.

- Careful with that axe, Eugene! Er, um that GPSr. Pull the cable straight out and you won't rip out the port.

 

[*]Buttons coming detached from the case.

This is a button that screws into the case to slip the GPSr into the belt clip. Not a product flaw, but a human one. READ MESSAGE THOROUGHLY.

 

[*]Flagrant violations of the USB specs.

USB works fine for me! Love the speed.

 

[*]Unhappy barometer uesrs inside pressurized cabins.

Yeah - um, I think Magellan makes models with barometric altimeters too. Don't think this is specific to Garmin

 

Be more like Avis: Try harder!

Edited August 27, 2005 by Neo_Geo

[robertlipe]

I could go down the list item by item, too, but that's really not my point at all here.

 

The point really is that all non-trivial products have some users that have problems or disappointments. From the view of many the first owners of a product, there is often a rough ride. Hopefully, the ride gets smoother over time. (If not, the company _deserves_ the beating they'll take in the marketplace.) Yeah, Magellan needs to be held responsible and given a chance to fix some of the referenced items in your list these just like Garmin fixed some of the things in that other list.

 

 

If lee_rimar is happy with his Lowrance by avoiding the early adopter problems of the other unit he was considering, that's great and I'm glad he had options to choose from.

[tttedzeins]

I bought my first GPSr a while ago. I love it.

Gripes

1) Besides robertlipes amazing macgpsbabel there is no support for a Mac

2) Backlight comes on when the unit is turned on

 

The first one is pretty universal, the second one is personal I just wish it didn't.

 

Find the one you like and go with it.

 

Expandable memory is great. I have the whole country on 1 sd card.

[+user13371]

And to get back to the original theme of this thread:

 

I just ordered my iFinder H2O Plus, as well as a RAM mount with hardware to put it on my bike. Page Computers had the best price on the unit, but I got the mount from GPS City.

 

Even paying shipping to two different vendors, the delivered price for everything will be just a few cents over $275. That's for a handheld GPS with a huge screen, unlimited memory expansion through SD card, and combined streets and topo mapping software. And a handle-bar mount, of course!

 

When you compare the feature set and price against any Garmin or Magellan model, I don't think you can beat this package. As someone else mentioned, you should buy whatever you're happy with - but in this case the features I might have liked in the Explorist 400 or Garmin GPSMAP_60 were not worth the extra money.

[+IVxIV]

Add to the fact not only do Lowrance GPSr's offer the best bang for the buck, but their field performance is outstanding as well!

 

I just got back from a vacation in British Colombia Canada & did a bit of caching while there. There were a couple caches placed in parks that were surrounded by absolutely MASSIVE evergreen trees, and the caches themselves claimed the "difficulty level is increased due to the poor signal performance under these trees". Well me & my iFinder Pro still were able to walk right up directly to the caches no problem. In a couple days caching I never lost my GPS signal even ONCE while under tree cover. Gotta love that

 

Yes I would agree to earlier comments, Lowrance does need to improve their public relations efforts, specifically in their e-mail support. I did have to contact them about a year ago with some questions. I e-mailed them a couple times and never received a reply But then I was suggested to CALL them instead, and was received by very helpful & friendly employees there. I've read this pattern is true for others too.. when it comes to Lowrance if you want to contact them you're best off to call them instead of e-mail.