Lowrance Gps

[Spiderlegs]

I find on the forums that most topics are about the Garmin GPS models, What about the Lowrance units?

 

What would be a good Lowrance model to own for Geocaching? and for traveling?

Thanks

Dave

[Spiderlegs]

I find on the forums that most topics are about the Garmin GPS models, What about the Lowrance units?

 

What would be a good Lowrance model to own for Geocaching? and for traveling?

Thanks

Dave

 

Please no one reply to this message. I have read some earlier posts and I do not want to start a war.

 

thanks

Dave

[+wesleykey]

A war? Come on....

 

Stuff like GSAK seems more compatible with Magellan and Garmin. If you get an off brand GPS you have a harder time getting software, accesories, etc. for caching in my opinion.

Edited June 28, 2006 by wesleykey

[kb9nvh]

Dont worry about starting a war...lowrance doesn't have the passion surrounding it like magellan.

I think any of the newer gps's will do what your wanting (H2O comes to mind) but generally you get what you pay for. Garmin has the largest following so most third party software works with it. You will get less options if you buy lowrance but the hardware is good.

 

You should make a list of your MUST HAVE features and options and then see what models fit the bill.

 

I find on the forums that most topics are about the Garmin GPS models, What about the Lowrance units?

 

What would be a good Lowrance model to own for Geocaching? and for traveling?

Thanks

Dave

 

Please no one reply to this message. I have read some earlier posts and I do not want to start a war.

 

thanks

Dave

[+Munin]

Please no one reply to this message. I have read some earlier posts and I do not want to start a war.

Hehe - despite the appearance of some threads, it is possible to have a civilized conversation about different brands/models of GPSrs. I know there's more than just one or two cachers who've used Lowrance GPSrs and could give feedback on strengths and weaknesses. If you haven't played with the "Search" link at the top of the page, you might want to take a look at that - a quickie search for "Lowrance" in the title fields will bring up quite a few past topics on that brand, many of which have useful info.

 

If things get outta hand, you can always use the Options menu to close/lock this thread.

[edelsite]

Garmin has the largest following so most third party software works with it. You will get less options if you buy lowrance but the hardware is good.

 

 

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but I was under the assumption that all GPS software was proprietary software. What 3rd party software is available for Magellan or Garmin?

[+Steel City Seekers]

Hmmm . . . I’m really looking forward to some of the discussion on this topic. I just took delivery of my new Lowrance Explorer Plus last night, and am anticipating playing with it quite a bit over the next few days. I, by nature, am the type of person that is an electronics junkie and will try to turn it inside out to find/test all of its features. This appears to be a bit of a daunting task, however, because the Lowrance’s do appear to have quite a number of features available. Hopefully, I’ll be a greater benefit in the near future.

 

An initial impression of my not-yet-used Explorer is that it is a fairly large device. It is quite a bit bigger than the Explorist 100 I’ve been using. However, Garmin’s GPSMaps also appear to be pretty big as well, at least in comparison to the Explorist and Etrex lines. It does feel good in the hand, however.

 

With regard to third party software, such as GSAK, it didn’t appear to me that decreased support would be an issue. Yes, it would be more difficult to obtain information from users because they are more limited, but the software certainly has options for export to Lowrance receivers. Also, AirMapper is building a website (as referenced in his signature) that details what appears to be a pretty straightforward export from GSAK. In my case, the Explorer is nice because it uses full-size SD cards as does my Pocket PC. In the GPXSonar program for the Pocket PC, there are options to export files to Lowrance, Magellan Explorist, and Magellan Meridian. This could be particularly handy for me away from home if I can download a .gpx file, translate it to Lowrance waypoints, and copy it to the SD card from my Pocket PC. We’ll see how that works out soon. Some people do not like the idea of using an SD card and reader for all of the map and waypoint transfers. In my case, this might be an advantage.

 

Now, one of the topics mentioned by the OP is use for travel. Based on the research that I did, it doesn’t appear that the Lowrance will provide driving directions, so that should definitely be a consideration. I have a separate GPS and software for the Pocket PC to serve this purpose, so in this case, the Lowrance was a good solution for me personally because I intend to use it off-road only. A nice feature that I noted in the Lowrance manual is that you can use it in a mode where the receiver is not trying to obtain and update a GPS fix. This would be handy for just looking at maps while sitting in a hotel or the living room. I do this frequently with the Pocket PC to just get a lay of the land and look for nearby restaurants. It’s nice, too, because the Pocket PC software provides telephone numbers for POIs, so I can use it like a phonebook. According to the Explorer manual, it also provides telephone numbers for POIs, which is spectacular I think. I have read, however, that some of the POIs in MapCreate are way off their actual location. But, this is something I’ll have to check out with some experience.

 

I ended up selecting the Lowrance based on an extensive amount of research, which is what I do with these types of decisions. However, I make my decisions based on my criteria alone. The Lowrances appear to have great locks and reception, and it’s rumored that the color models use the same SirfIII chip as the Garmin 60 and 76 Cx and CSx models, but this has yet to be confirmed. The Garmins were way above my price point, however, as I got my Explorer package for just under $250 including shipping. If I didn’t already have the Pocket PC with its GPS receiver and had to rely on only one receiver, I likely would have ponied up for one of the Garmin 60 x-series. Since automatic routing was not in my criteria, I would think this would eliminate the Lowrance for many users.

 

Hopefully, I’ll get to play with it this evening.

[kidnitro]

Just chiming in as a Lowrance owner. Although I'm a newbie to geocaching, my Expedition C has consistently brought me to within 15 feet of the 6 caches I've found (I have 1 DNF)- in 3 of those it put me within arms reach. I've yet to loose satellite lock- even while walking through heavy tree cover. It's very easy to upload waypoints onto a SD card- but you need to download the latest version of GPSBabel to convert between the two file types .loc to .usr (Lowrance). I've never used Garmin or Magellan units for geocaching but I can strongly recommend the Expedition C for geocaching. Plus it has the highest resolution color screen of any handheld gpsr. Just on a side by side comparison of the screens, I find that my Lowrance is much easier to distinguish between displayed features than the Garmin units- the Lowrance fonts are also easier to read. Get the Plus package for the Expedition C, Topo Mapcreate 6.3 software (50'contour intervals, lots of POIs), card reader, charger, SD card etc. $323 at TigerGPS. The only bad thing about the unit is it's easily scratched screen. Make sure you get a screen saver ASAP. I am very happy with my Invisibleshield screen saver -$10 - theinvisibleshield.com.

[+Steel City Seekers]

I am very happy with my Invisibleshield screen saver -$10 - theinvisibleshield.com.

 

Which one did you get? There aren't any for Lowrance, but there is one for the Brunton Atlas and another for the Atlas MNS. They appear to be slightly different.

[kidnitro]

For the Lowrance Expediton C- get the screen saver for the Brunton Atlas MNS - it's the same body as the Expedition C. It fits perfectly- easy to afix. Lowrance manufactures the gps units for Brunton.

[+Airmapper]

Stuff like GSAK seems more compatible with Magellan and Garmin.

 

Lowrance units are just as good at Geocaching as the Gargellans. Lowrance is fully supported by GSAK, look under the GPS tab and you'll find an option labeled "send to Lowrance .usr..."

 

Lowrance units will display cache info quite well, look at my Lowrance Users Geocaching Guide for instructions.

 

I've been using my Lowrance AirMap 500 (equivalent to the i-Finder Pro) ever since I began caching, and I have no problems with it's performance.

[+geobc]

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but I was under the assumption that all GPS software was proprietary software. What 3rd party software is available for Magellan or Garmin?

If we're talking software and not maps, then third party examples include GSAK, OziExplorer, Fugawi, and other waypoint/track managers that communicate with GPS units. The protocol for exchanging data TO and FROM the gps unit is unique to the manufacturer and sometimes to the unit itself. Chances are fairly good that the more popular programs will support Lowrance as well as Magellan and Garmin.

 

Regarding maps, I think there are more third party solutions for UPLOADABLE maps for Garmin GPS units than there are for Magellan or Lowrance. Additionally, I think there are more home-made, uploadable maps freely available on the 'net for Garmins, too.

 

Whether this will influence the buying decision depends on the maps and software that you require.

 

GeoBC

[ElevenBravo]

They all have there own little strengths and weeknesses, but they all are good units. Of course like all things, the more you spend the more you get.

 

From what Ive seen with http://tigergps.com they not only have great prices, but also very good satisfaction rating.

 

HTH,

11B

[+geognerd]

The consensus on this board seems to be that Lowrances have excellent reception and offer good value.

[+GenX]

I had a rough start with mine, but with this forums help and confidence, I came out more than content with my Lowrance choice (H2O Color) .

 

I too was thinking that maybe I should have gone with one of the more popular brands, but after using my Mapcreate 6.3 software and looking at things like price and what you get for it, I'm very happy.

 

And about Customer support:

You might be on hold for 20 minutes in their "busy season", but once you get a human you are set. They were very helpful with a situation that I was afraid was going to cost me some money. No questions, no charge, extremely fast UPS delivery.

 

I should note that this is my first GPS unit and I could have avoided all of my problems if I didn't just jump into this certain situation. But yeah, everything turned out great.

[alizard]

I love my Lowrance iFinder Explorer...very accurate, tough, many features...you will want to get a screen shield, though. I dropped mine in the Arkansas River while fly fishing & it never lost lock!!!

[4ft8paws]

I am very happy with my Invisibleshield screen saver -$10 - theinvisibleshield.com.

 

Which one did you get? There aren't any for Lowrance, but there is one for the Brunton Atlas and another for the Atlas MNS. They appear to be slightly different.

 

The Atlas is a lowrance unit that has been sold to Brunton. They just stick thier logo on it.

[kyleausfeld]

i own a Lowrance Expidition C with both Mapcreate and Fishing Hot Spots Elite. For the money, you cannot get a GPS with the same features. it is not, by any means the best GPS out. i recently took out the GPSMAP 60CSx for three days. i only turned it off when i was asleep. the difference between garmin and lowrance GPS units, in my opinion, is that the garmins are better, but you have to pay for it, i think it is work the extra money to get a garmin, but that is me. i did find the garmins to feel better in my hand, and the buttons were in a more user friendly order. they also light up which is nice but not necessary. the big difference is the screen. although i think the lowrance has more pixles, the screen is extremely hard to see unless the light is on or the sun is at your back. the garmin unit was easy to see, unless you got some glare at a large angle. you also get auto-routing on more of the garmin, which is nice for those of us who dont need to buy a special auto-routing unit for the car only, but would like to have the feature if necessary. i would recomend looking at your budget, and seeing what features are most important to you.

[Greenbastard]

the reasons i bought lowrance h2o, i never seen many complaints about the hardware at all, usually more about the mapping software. The lowrance distributor down here is one of the smartest fishermen i know... and if he can count on lowrance on his boat for winning lots of tournaments, i have more confidence in the product. Mine has taken a beating, and keeps on going, and i am really happy with topo canada. I have no experience with the colour screens, but i amhappy with the monochrome.

 

good luck

[+BFPierce]

I have as IFinder Map&Music that i got a month ago for less then $100, and it is amazing, awesome reception, and it often gets much closer to a cache then my buddies $500 garmin, no knock against his, the mapping on his unit is really nice.. plus the color screen, but again it's a bonus and not a necessity for caching.... There were a few times that I had him give me the coordinates of a cache because he had no coverage, and i was covered...

 

I will say that the buttons do not feel as nice as the garmins, but that is an aesthetic point, but as far as reliability and features it rocks...

 

I use GSAK with the lowrance with absolutely NO PROBLEMS I bought this unit for it's reliability and sturdiness, plus the size of the screen and have not been dissappointed yet.

 

As has been said when I was researchign this same topic.. With Lowrance you just get more bang for your buck..

[kb9nvh]

I never had any problems with the buttons on my airmap 100 from lowrance in the 3 yrs I owned it. (I did have the lithium backup battery go bad after 1.5 yrs and lowrance left me high and dry on that problem)

 

I have as IFinder Map&Music that i got a month ago for less then $100, and it is amazing, awesome reception, and it often gets much closer to a cache then my buddies $500 garmin, no knock against his, the mapping on his unit is really nice.. plus the color screen, but again it's a bonus and not a necessity for caching.... There were a few times that I had him give me the coordinates of a cache because he had no coverage, and i was covered...

 

I will say that the buttons do not feel as nice as the garmins, but that is an aesthetic point, but as far as reliability and features it rocks...

 

I use GSAK with the lowrance with absolutely NO PROBLEMS I bought this unit for it's reliability and sturdiness, plus the size of the screen and have not been dissappointed yet.

 

As has been said when I was researchign this same topic.. With Lowrance you just get more bang for your buck..

[+Bear Paughs]

Let me start by saying that I don't own a Lowrance. But I was planning on buying one when I upgraded from my Garmin Geko 201. At the time I had the H2O in my sights after a lot of research (this was about a year ago.) I won a Garmin Legend C so I no longer had a need to upgrade. But had I made a purchase on my own it would have been a Lowrance at the time. I've only heard good things from the owners who post on these forums, and the more bang for your buck seems to be true -- that's why it was at the top of my list when I was in the market.