Any info on lowrance Expedition?

[oldcj5guy]

I am looking for a decent GPS that I can use for vehicle nav and handheld use. I have pretty much decided on the Lowrance Expedition model. It seemed like it had good on road use as well as good maps for in the field. I like th esoftware available. I am partial to the quality of the graphics as well.

So I am looking for anyone with firsthand knowledge with this particular unit or at least the brand. I have had a Magellan up to now. As a matter of fact it was a 300 if any of you can remember that far back. So after using that unit for so long a compass looks high tech. I just want to make sure i am going to like it after I buy it. I have spent the last couple of weeks researching and playing with friends GPS's, and this one has really stood out.

 

[bigreen505]

Search around in the Nav section as there is a lot of good info in a couple of older threads. Overall it is a very good unit and people who have them love them. I think either Ric or Berger (or both) have them, you might see if you could meet with one of them and check it out first hand.

I wound up with a Garmin mostly because it was cheaper and it was good enough for now. If you can spring for the color version they are nicer. The closest I have to actual experience (beyond drooling over them) was playing with the Lowrance, Garmin and Magellan at REI and the Lowrance was the only one that could hold a signal in the store. It also had the most intuitive (for me) user interface of the three.

I'm not sure that the Lowrance can interface with an external computer in real time which may or may not be a problem for you. It was for me.

 

[oldcj5guy]

I notice you are local, so I can go into detail on this one.

The guys at sportsmans warehouse off of 84th and I25 took me outside toplay with comparable versions of all the brands they carry. The Lowrance unit really stood out. Friend of mine that is an avid gold hunter swears by his. I am looking here for input from people that would have used it in the same conditions and same uses as i will be buying it for. It is a little pricier, but with the larger screen I think it will be easier to use in the vehicle.

I will have to check out the real time computer interface. That is an option I hadn't really planned on, but now that it's been mentioned, I need it...

Are there a lot of members in the Denver area?

 

[bigreen505]

Okay, nevermind. I guess I just spent so much time researching them I thought there was some discussion here, but it must have been somewhere else as this was the only thread I could find:

http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2238

 

[bigreen505]

Are there a lot of members in the Denver area?

Depends on your definition of "Denver." Actual city and county, probably about five or so. Greater metro area, say Highlands Ranch to Longmont, several.

I found a basically new Garmin GPS V on Craigslist for $100 and decided it had most of the features I actually needed and I could afford it now. Otherwise I would have gone with the Lowrance. Big screen, easy to use worked well in my hand. I liked the ability to use SD cards to transfer data as there are not words to express how slow my Garmin is, but after seeing Graham's setup in the Rover I'm glad I can have the real time interface.

 

[oldcj5guy]

From what i read in the owners manual on th eLowrance it has the real time interface. My buddy will be back in town next week, so i'll grab his and take it on a run down to the Dunes and check it out.


I drifted over here from the colorado offroad forums. I just couldn't get into the whole rock crawling scene. This crowd leans more the way I do for building a vehicle and using it. Glad i'm not the only one in the area that thinks a vehicle should be able to drive itself 500 miles to the trail and back home again.

 

[Bergger]

I've got the Expedition C plus model and so far really like it. It was my first gps so I have nothing to compare it to. It's got a ton of features and I'm still learning how to use it. The reason I got it was I felt it was a good combination between a car mounted gps and portable. I use it for driving and hiking. It doesn't have the turn by turn stuff that others have for driving but it does the job well enough for me. The screen is fairly large and easy to read. I bought a $20 amplified antenna and mounted it on my truck. If you get the "plus" model it comes with the topo software and I've been very impressed with the detail it has. The ability to put in SD cards is also very nice. I've got just about the whole state of Colorado in mine now. Eventually I'll get a larger card and put most of the Western States in it. I got mine on Tigergps.com for $330. They have it now for $323, thats for the plus model with the topo sofware.

 

[HenryJ]

Lowrance iFinder Expedition c(+) GPS Unit, Review

 

[oldcj5guy]

thanks for the input berger. That is exactly what I was looking for. I want a good handheld that I can also hang from the dash. I'll probably order it online in the next couple of days.

 

[Bergger]

thanks for the input berger. That is exactly what I was looking for. I want a good handheld that I can also hang from the dash. I'll probably order it online in the next couple of days.

I think you'll be very happy with it. It does get a signal in the car with the internal antenna but it's much better with the amplified external one. I got two from the link below. They are made by Gilsson and are very good. $20 a pop is much cheaper than the ones sold by Lowrance or Garmin. I got a 16ft one for the truck and a 3 ft one that I have rigged up to my backpack. This way I can put the gps in the side pocket of the backpack and still get great reception under the trees ect. If you get the external antenna get the ones with the 90 degree connector. I also have a RAM mount on the dash of the truck to hold it. When I got my RAM mount it was for the Ifinder H2O, Expedition mount was not out yet, so I had to slightly modify it to fit. A little velcro helped out nicely too. I would spend the extra cash up front for the "plus" model. It's only $90 more. That way you get the entire CONUS in the included topo software. Other wise you can buy specific regions of the country but they are about $99 each. The "plus" also gives you the SD card reader for the software. The topo software is very good. I have only been on a few roads that were not on it. Usually I'm surprised to find the road I'm on is on the gps. In the metro area its not bad either. However, my neighborhood is growing so fast a lot of the new residential roads don't show up. If you do get it let me know how you like it. I don't know anyone else who has one.

http://www.gpsgeek.com/products/amp...vi350-c330-icn720-icn750-ifnderh2o-ifinderpro