Lowrance iFinder Go GPS Receiver - First Impressions

[+jjmcwill]

I purchased an iFinder Go off of EBay this week. I plan to use is as a backup to my Lowrance iFinder H2O, and as a loaner when I invite friends and family to join me.

 

First, a little about me: I've only been geocaching for 2 months. In that time I've logged 21 finds and 2 DNF's. I prefer caches that take me hiking through parks, forests, or other heavily wooded areas. Urban caches and lamppost caches don't really interest me.

 

I have a degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering. I work as a Senior Software Engineer for a company that develops and sells software used by Automotive, Mechanical, and Aeronautical engineers. I have a lot of geek toys and computer hardware. When I'm not working or geocaching, I'm hiking, mountain biking, canoeing, or working in my garden.

 

Here is a link to a photo of the iFinder Go next to my Handspring Visor PDA with Magellan GPS Companion GPSr, and my iFinder H2O.

Photo

 

The iFinder Go is quite a bit smaller than the iFinder H2O. The screen on the Go seems tiny in comparison to my iFinder H2O. However, I find that the Go fits more readily in a jacket pocket. That may make it more suitable as a grab-and-go GPS, and I may stuff it into my Camelbak when mountain biking instead of taking the larger, heaver H2O.

 

Startup time on the Go is pretty good. It obtained a fix within 12 to 15 seconds, which was comparable to the H2O.

 

The Go comes programmed with base maps showing major roads & highways throughout the US. The maps cannot be updated or replaced. Unfortunately, the Go can take a long time to render the base maps, especially if land detail is set to Medium or High. Zooming between 5mi and 6mi levels, for instance, took 6 to 8 seconds until the screen had fully updated.

 

By comparison, I have the entire State of Michigan loaded onto my iFinder H2O via MapCreate 6 and a 1GB SD card. Zooming between 5mi and 6mi zoom levels takes 3 to 3.5 seconds.

 

I turned off the base maps on the Go so that only my waypoints were drawn. This improved zoom update speed dramatically.

 

Speaking of waypoints, you CAN upload waypoints to this GPS! Get a serial data cable sold separately, or build one. There's a thread here on Groundspeak with all the details. Use gpsbabel to convert your .loc or .gpx files to NMEA format. Connect to the GPS on Windows using Hyperterm. Select the NMEA sentences generated by gpsbabel and copy them (CTRL-C). Switch to Hyperterm and paste them (CTRL-V). You'll get no verification from the iFinder Go, but if you list the waypoints using the Find button you'll see that, indeed, they have been transferred.

 

Once waypoints are entered or uploaded, selecting one as the destination is fairly straightforward: push the find button and select a waypoint either by name, or ordered by nearest first to farthest.

 

I spent several hours in the field today geocaching with this device.

 

I noticed that the GPSr occasionally experiences what I can only explain as "jitter". These are moments when the GPS gets momentarily confused about what direction I am facing relative to the waypoint I'm seeking. On the screen, the waypoint icon will dance around. If I stop moving for a few seconds, the jitter will go away.

 

I also had one instance where the iFinder Go's location was more than 200 feet off course. At the time, I had both the Go and my iFinder H2O turned on. I was navigating primarily with the H2O because I didn't know where the waypoint was relative to a river and I wanted to consult the topo maps. The Go was tucked into a front pocket of my jacket while I navigated with the H2O. When I found the waypoint, I pulled out the Go to compare coordinates. The Go said I was still 200 feet away from the waypoint. I walked around in a 10 foot circle, but the discrepancy remained. Standing still for 5 or 10 seconds didn't help, either. Finally, I powered off the iFinder Go and then powered it back on. After reacquiring a GPS lock, the iFinder Go agreed with the iFinder H2O's position to within about 20 ft.

 

I can't explain that behavior, but I have to admit it's a bit disconcerting. Has anyone experienced similar behavior with this same GPS or any other make/model?

 

Summary: This unit sells new for $70.00 - $80.00, but without the cable. The waypoint upload data cable costs around $28.00, but if you're not afraid of a soldering iron, you can hack one together using about $5.00 in parts, or by pillaging the cable from an old serial mouse. The GPS draws base maps slowly, but they are usable. Turning off the base map rendering improves performance once you're close to your destination and don't care about them anyway. Finally, the (unofficial) ability to upload waypoints to this GPSr has to make this one of the best deals on the market an entry level GPS receiver.

[phillipderstein]

Hello,

I am in the market for a new GPS and have really been leaning toward the iFinder H2O.

I like the big screen and features for the price.

Not sure if you can tell me but other than not being able to do autorouting is there anything else that this unit is lacking from one of the more "popular" Garmans?

Any dislikes that you can share about your iFinder H2O?

Much appreciated,

Phil