Third Time's A Charm
Pros:
Cobra Customer Support, Quality Feel, Altimeter, Compass, General Performance
Cons:
2nd Replacement Unit
The Bottom Line:
The fact that it took two replacements to obtain a trustworthy unit isn't comforting, but I'm impressed with it now. Plus, that COBRA Support is great!
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
NOTE: I've revised my review of Cobra 100 GPS because I've better learned its operation over the last three years. I previously did not recommend it, but now I can see that it's capable and reliable...generally above average.
HISTORY: I hike the mountains of Utah, and this is my third GPS 100. The first two were replaced under warranty by Cobra in a very timely manner. In my opinion, Cobra CUSTOMER SUPPORT is EXCELLENT. I bought the GPS 100 because of its low price ($60 on e-Bay, new), its abundance of features, and its association (I've been very pleased with my Cobra RADAR detector).
Why did they replace the units? The first gave grossly inaccurate altimeter readings (thousands of feet low) and had a hard time getting closer than 500 feet to a waypoint; it also did not lock onto satellites well and never locked onto a WAAS satellite. The second simply went haywire and locked up altogether.
FEATURES: Altimeter; dynamic compass; alleged fast-acquisition; alleged WAAS capability; back-lighted display in gradients of time; quality feel.
PERFORMANCE: As long as you turn "Battery Saver" off, satellite locking is solid, but WAAS is still unattainable. The compass works dynamically, i.e., you have to be moving, and it is very handy. The altimeter seems to be relatively accurate, and that means to within 200 feet or so. Battery life seems about normal, so bring extras. The 100 is rubberized enough to take a fair beating.
VERDICT: This GPS 100 works well on fully charged batteries. It feels just right and does its job well most of the time.
