Lowrance Ifinder Compass!

[Budbrew]

Does anyone know how well the electronic compass on the Lowrance Ifinders work? I am looking a buying a new PHD Color unit as soon as they hit shelves, but I want to know from owners of the current Ifinder units opinions on this feature.

[PACDADDY]

I have a ifinder go and the compus is ok as long as your moving

[+swampgas]

I have an iFinder H2O, and just as the other guy said, the compass is fine as long as you are moving.

[+miles58]

If you need a compass spend $10 and you can buy a much better real compass than what comes with the unit.

[+gelfling6]

I imagine, Lowrance is discontinuing the iFinder series, finding a Hunt C & a PhD in the bargain cave of the closest Cabela's. (and, dumb me, I bought the PhD, hey, it said Electronic Compass, MP3, Sounded like the one I concepted last year, as a Wish GPS.) (w/o the color screen, of course.)

 

it's definitely pre-owned.. found one waypoint already saved, a good 40 miles west of home (but, the store is 30 miles east.. Hmmm????

 

No cable, No Software.. (and needing more $$ for the cable & Software, tells me I got ripped by Cabelas .)

 

1st off, at least the manual was available online.. It's somewhat klugey trying to navigate the functions...

 

As for the remark, the compass only works when you moving, Not entirely true.. place the unit down on the table.. turn it in place, the compass works just fine. Even inside, when the GPSr itself is not able to receive.

(Even did a Q&D calibration while typing this.)

 

I've gotten most of the basic info on the device from Lowrance's website, but it still difficult to navigate the device itself, but rather fast in pick-up of satelites.

 

Any tips, would be greatly appreciated.

 

Stephen (gelfling6)

[+hogrod]

As for the remarks the compass only works when you moving, Not entirely true.. place the unit down on the table.. turn it in place, the compass works just fine.

 

The two people who posted above you have units without an electronic compass, so when using their GPS compass navigation screen they need to be moving for it to work properly.

[+DonB]

Does anyone know how well the electronic compass on the Lowrance Ifinders work? I am looking a buying a new PHD Color unit as soon as they hit shelves, but I want to know from owners of the current Ifinder units opinions on this feature.

I have an iFinder Hunt and the electronic compass works like a charm, that's the page I always use while caching. I just make sure I recalibrate it once in a while, which is a very simple procedure. I think the guys that say you have to be moving are confusing the electronic compass page with another page the iFinder has or they are referring to one of the models that doesn't have the electronic compass.

[+gelfling6]

I think the guys that say you have to be moving are confusing the electronic compass page with another page the iFinder has or they are referring to one of the models that doesn't have the electronic compass.

 

Yep.. same as just about any GPSr without the electronic compass. (and even then, it's a 50/50 shot.) (either it's right, or it's wrong. Uh-oh.. drop-off.. AHHHHH!!!! )

 

the electronic compass doesn't rely on the GPS fix to tell which way is north. (well, Okay, as someone else said, as long as you keep it calibrated.)

 

I'm still getting used to the PhD's menus.. But, quickly picking up.. It still has its quirks.. Slowly learning how to use a memory card for a 'Filing System" to the internal memory.. (pull/store the memory contents from a filing cabinet.) (wish it had direct access to the card, instead of loading/unloading.)

 

Stephen (gelfling6)

[+DonB]

I think the guys that say you have to be moving are confusing the electronic compass page with another page the iFinder has or they are referring to one of the models that doesn't have the electronic compass.

 

I'm still getting used to the PhD's menus.. But, quickly picking up.. It still has its quirks.. Slowly learning how to use a memory card for a 'Filing System" to the internal memory.. (pull/store the memory contents from a filing cabinet.) (wish it had direct access to the card, instead of loading/unloading.)

 

Stephen (gelfling6)

I find that system to be a plus, I keep the caches for the different areas that I cache in as separate files and that way I can load just the waypoints for the place I'm going that day, I don't have to keep a couple of hundred caches in memory all of the time. When I'm done in that area I can delete all of the caches from memory and load another area, but I still have them all on the card.

[+Airmapper]

Here is a link to the Lowrance Users Geocaching Guide. Hope it helps.