No-frills GPS100, cheap and effective
Pros:
Small, lightweight, functions well
Cons:
CONSUMES batteries, sometimes has a hard time finding satellites (maybe all GPS units do this)
The Bottom Line:
For a first-time user into the world of GPS, I'm quite happy with it. Just need to get the adapter and external antenna...
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
Lots of pros and cons to this unit-- I got mine for $50 on ubid, so I didn't pay much for it at all.
CONS:I've discovered that this thing EATS batteries! It is constantly accessing or trying to find satellites, which consumes the batteries... you can watch the battery meter slowly going down while it tries to find satellites! It has a difficult time acquiring a lock on the minimum number of signals if you are in any sort of vehicle or in an urban setting-- but I don't know if this is common to all GPS devices. The software was a PAIN in the butt to use, and was not thought out very well (first you have to "pick" counties, then go to another screen and "pick" all over again to download maps into the thing). I am going to try to purchase a DC adapter and antenna, but they are hard to find on the internet. The tiny "joystick" used for many tasks is overly sensitive and takes alot of getting used to operate. I'm afraid I might break it or the connections beneath it some time soon! You cannot search by address, but you can search by street (though it's a pain if you find more than one street with the same name listed on the selection menu). The rubber protectors over the antenna and data jacks are flimsy and seem like they'll fall out and get lost easily. The unit needs alot of play time from you before you get comfortable with it. No way of updating the map software or the maps from whistler.
PROS: Very reasonable price. Small and lightweight. Once you figure out the software and how to download it to the unit, the maps come up automatically. Names of cross-streets and Points of interest come up automatically as you near them. Different menus track all kinds of positional data. Breadcrumb feature is awesome. The screen size is good and fits well into your hand. Support from whistler is great-- they emailed me back an answer to a question within 30 minutes! It's also warranted to the original purchaser for a period of one year from the date of original purchase. If you have any questions, feel free to ask them directly, I was impressed with their prompt response time! Toll Free: 800-531-0004, http://www.whistlergroup.com
E-Mail: info@whistlergroup.com
