Lowrance iFinder Handheld Mapping GPS + WAAS with 1.3″ x 2.2″ Display and Expandable Memory
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Manufacturer: Lowrance
List Price: $149.99
Lowest Price: $99.99
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Buy Now: Lowrance iFinder Handheld Mapping GPS + WAAS with 1.3″ x 2.2″ Display and Expandable Memory
Lowrance iFinder Handheld Mapping GPS + WAAS with 1.3″ x 2.2″ Display and Expandable Memory
Find yourself in the global scheme of things with the iFinder GPS Device. With a 4-level grayscale, the 2-9/10″ backlit LED features 160Vx120H resolution?19,200 total pixels?and is easy to read whether you’re in direct sunlight or there?s none at all. It has 12-parallel channel GPS and a WAAS receiver, and the built-in US/Hawaii maps even note interstate-exit services. With internal backup memory, the device has a slot for a memory card (sold separately) and allows up to 1,000 waypoints/1,000 event markers/100 routes. Runs 12 hrs. On 2 AA batteries (not included). Imported. 5-6/10Lx2-6/10Wx1D”.
An affordable GPS+WAAS navigator that includes all the features you need to get around, the water-resistant Lowrance iFinder is a great choice for hikers, cyclists, and road trippers. Merely plot a route via the easy-to-use keypad, and the iFinder follows the path precisely, with intuitive navigating that keeps you from veering off course. The navigator is so reliable that its 12-parallel-channel GPS and WAAS receiver is accurate to within a few meters, making it appropriate for scavenger hunts as well as hikes and fishing trips. Each trip is completely customizable, with the ability to create new routes, waypoints, trails, and more. You can also easily recalculate your trip route should you get distracted and lose your way, and thanks to the MMC/SD card slot, the device can save and retrace up to 100 of your favorite plot trails, with up to 10,000 points in each path.
The iFinder includes a 2.9-inch high-contrast backlit LED screen that displays map and navigation info. The 160 x 120 pixel resolution isn’t the best in the industry, but it’s more than adequate for most trips. To give users a basis for getting around, Lowrance included a custom built-in map, but the best mapping detail is provided by Lowrance’s optional MapCreate software, which offers a full set of searchable land features, including landmarks, streets, addresses, shopping areas, and other points of interest. Users will need to load the mapping information on a compatible MMC or SD digital memory card (the iFinder works with cards as large as 128 MB). Other compatible mapping programs include FreedomMaps, Fishing Hot Spots Elite, and LakeMaster Pro Maps.
To ensure efficient navigation for beginners–and to simplify operation for everyone else–Lowrance included both easy and advanced navigation modes. The easy mode minimizes the functionality but streamlines the features, and is ideal for situations that require simple, quick directions. Data-wise, the unit supports up to 1,000 waypoints and 1,000 event markers, along with 40 map zoom ranges (from 0.02 to 4,000 miles). Additional features include a port for connecting an optional external GPS+WAAS antenna (the FA-8), internal backup memory for storing your GPS data and settings, and support for FaceOffs face covers, which snap on and off effortlessly to give your iFinder its own unique flair. Lowrance sells FaceOffs in red, blue, yellow, black, and camouflage colors.
The pocket-sized unit measures 2.54 by 5.58 by 0.95 inches (W x H x D) and runs for up to 12 hours on two AA batteries (not included). It also includes a one-year warranty.
What’s in the Box
iFinder, user’s manual.
Lowrance iFinder Handheld Mapping GPS + WAAS with 1.3″ x 2.2″ Display and Expandable Memory Features:
- Handheld GPS+WAAS navigator with built-in custom Lowrance detail map
- 12-parallel-channel GPS and WAAS receiver; 2.9-inch backlit LED screen with 160 x 120 resolution
- 1,000 waypoints and 1,000 event markers; saves up to 100 favorite plot trails with 10,000 points in each
- Single MMC/SD card slot stores map files (card not included); dual easy and advanced navigation modes
- Measures 2.54 by 5.58 by 0.95 inches (W x H x D); 1-year warranty
Lowrance iFinder Handheld Mapping GPS + WAAS with 1.3″ x 2.2″ Display and Expandable Memory Reviews
Clunky as can be
Ever seen a product that could be really neat if it was executed properly, but in the end becomes a disaster? That’s the iFinder!
First, it is not waterproof. Heck, it isn’t even water resistant! Okay, let me explain this to the guys at Lowrance - you make a product that is supposed to be used outdoors (remember - GPS doesn’t work worth a hoot indoors) and you don’t do something as simple as make it so if you get caught in a very light shower you don’t have to worry about that something breaking.
Next is the whole UI. The programmers for this thing should be dope slapped. I have never seen this discombobulated of a user interface in my life. Navigating the menus is haphazard. It’s like they went through and said “Hey! We need function X on the menu,” and someone else said, “Okay, I will just add it here to the end of the list.” And that’s just what they did.
The instruction manual is one of the absolute most poorly written things I have ever encountered. It is nothing more than a folded 8.5×11 book. Bet they spent a few days throwing some instructions together, ran over to the photocopier and printed a bunch off, then stuck a staple in the middle of it. Yes, it is THAT professional! I’m not even going to mention the fact that there are no screen shots of the various screens and what they do, which makes finding information in the manual next to impossible. Yeah, there is an index, but even it is poorly written.
Battery life is non existant. I have been getting a whole 3 hours of use out of a set of Duracel AA alkalines.
Now, when it comes to doing a software update on the thing, that right there takes the cake for me. You must use a WINDOWS machine. No, you can’t use a Mac, or a Linux box. Has to be a good old Microsoft machine. Why? So they can write the firmware to a SD card. Why? You got me. Every Magellan unit I have ever used that has a SD card has a very simple firmware update procedure - copy the .bin file off the Magellan website to the SD card, shove it in the GPS, and update it. Why can’t Lowrance do the same? Beats me!
Save your money and buy a decent GPS.
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