Lowrance Ifinder H20

[Jonser99]

Hi Guys,

 

I'm just starting geocaching, so I need to purchase an affordable GPS that will last, be easy to use and have some useful features.

 

I've looked at alot of sales based websites plus have read alot of comments here regarding mostly Garmin or Magellan. So much to take in.

 

One of the things I found was in "Geocaching for Dummies", it was a list of what to look for when purchasing a GPS.

 

So I'll post the list and see what people have to say.. remember I'm a newbie.. so lingo friendly please.

 

-should have a Basemap feature

-should have an external antenna Jack

-should have a USB Port in/out and NMEA compatible

-Internal Memory of at least 8MBs and can accept a memory card

-Battery and alternate power source as a Cig. plug adaptor

-Rocker Keypad

-Waterproof

 

So I searched for these feature plus my price range.. and all that came up was the Lowrance iFinder H2O.

For $179 it seems to have all the features I want. BUT... in this case will I end up with a confusing piece of crap? Can anyone let me know if they've used this GPS or if you have any suggestions as to which others may be suitable.

 

I'm itching to get out there but want to make a wise purchase as well...

[+miles58]

I have four Lowrances, one of which is the H2O. It's every bit as good as anything on the market. You will want the MapCreate software, but it's not necessary to start' I bought the H2O in December for $141 delivered from ComputerHQ.

 

The maps are more current and detailed in my experience than the Garmin's maps.

[budule]

i have researched this to death, (im gettin ready to buy my first gps) i cant find a reason not to buy the lowrance,

im lookin at the expedition..325.00 WITH topo map, everybody tells me "no ,you want a garmin" but they cant tell me why...i know they have most of the units out there but i have read lots of posts about problems,

[+G & E]

I was in the same position as you (no pun intended) a few weeks ago. The place I went to really wanted to sell me the H20. I might have bought it except that he wasn't as knowledgeable as he at first appeared and provided some wrong answers to my questions. My brief handling of the unit suggested that it is very easy to use and very good value. The first salesman said that if I wanted a topo map I had to buy this kit which gave you the chip and one Province (or probably one or two states). It was very expensive and that was discouraging. The second salesman said that you can buy the chips and maps separately. He said that they sell those other kits primarily to fishermen etc who don't have computers or are not very good with computers. That is why they are pre-loaded. That made a lot more sense.

 

In the end, although the Lowrence was indeed impressive, I bought the Garmin MAP60C. It doesn't have the ability to add the memory chip but it comes with 56 megs of memory and that should be plenty. The spec's of both units suggest that the Garmin is much better on batteries. I believe that the Lowrence comes with a 12 volt adapter. The case on the Garmin seemed stronger, especially when opening up the battery lid.

 

It was my impression, right or wrong, that the Lowrence was designed with the ATV, boat or snowmobile user in mind. That is why it is larger, and comes with the 12 volt adapter (it would otherwise go through a lot of batteries). Also, the kit with the topo and chip in one box seems to be oriented to that clientele. The Garmin seemed to be designed for more hand held use. I could have saved some money and bought the Lowrence, but, being new to the whole GPS thing, I decided to stick with the bigger brand. I think that they are both good products so in the end, go with the one that you enjoy trying out the most.

[+dinotodd]

I have the iFinder Pro, which is very similar, and it is great. I download the waypoints, convert them to .usr lowrance files with free software "gps babel" then Copy them right over to the iFinder card & instantly have every thing I need to go geocaching.

 

I just spent $500 on a new Lowrance iway 350c that goes in and out of the car. It tells you when to turn & all that. It does not work very well for geocaching though. Looks like Old faithful ifinder was a better investment.

[+Airmapper]

i have researched this to death, (im gettin ready to buy my first gps) i cant find a reason not to buy the lowrance,

...<snip>... everybody tells me "no ,you want a garmin" but they cant tell me why...

 

Because there is no good reason not to get a Lowrance, they are excellent units. I've even had a surveyor comment on my Lowrance being a good unit. Lowrance's are known for "bang for the buck," as in you get a lot of features and performance for less money.

 

I have the iFinder Pro, which is very similar, and it is great. I download the waypoints, convert them to .usr lowrance files with free software "gps babel" then Copy them right over to the iFinder card & instantly have every thing I need to go geocaching.

 

I own an AirMap 500, basically the Aviation brother of the i-Finder Pro, I use the same method as dinotodd and find it works extremely well.

 

Good luck on choosing your unit.

[+synergicity]

I will have an Expedition C tomorrow if the UPS truck gets here. I will report in as soon as I have a chance to play with it. Already have a 1 gb SD card ready for duty and mappage (I ordered the Plus pack from LakePowellMarineElectronics.com for around $320 plus shipping). I will be comparing it to my old trustworthy Sportrak Map.

 

i have researched this to death, (im gettin ready to buy my first gps) i cant find a reason not to buy the lowrance,

im lookin at the expedition..325.00 WITH topo map, everybody tells me "no ,you want a garmin" but they cant tell me why...i know they have most of the units out there but i have read lots of posts about problems,

[+Indotguy]

I began caching with a Gamin Etrex, graduated to a Magellan Meridian Gold and then moved on to a Lowrance H20 about a year ago. I have been well satisfied with the H20 and would buy Lowrance again were I shopping for a new GPS. I would suggest you continue reading and researching the topic before you buy. The Lowrance web site has a neat product emulator which you can download. The emulator will let you to play with a virtual version of the H20 before you buy it.

Edited February 7, 2006 by Indotguy

[Jonser99]

Thanks everyone for your help! I think I am going to check out the Lowrance website and get a good look at it. I was trying to find one in-store here in Halifax but I did get a good look at some garmins and magellans. I do find... for now... that the H20 does in fact have more bang for the buck.

 

A surfing I will go!