GPS Systems and Reviews

Hummingbird MATRIX 97 with GPS

Hummingbird is a company that I personally have heard a lot about and when I seen the Matrix 97 with GPS it peeked my interest. I have a couple of friends who use their products only and have given me rave reviews about them, but I wanted to find out about the product myself. Read on and you will be able to discover what I learned about the Hummingbird Matrix 97 with GPS.

The Hummingbird Matrix 97 is a GPS combo that has an all-in-one fish finder for the angler and offers incredible ease in the use of GPS chart plotting. More Americans are taking to the water than ever before so more of these types of models are being issued these days. These units are perfect for those fishing outings that many people seem to be doing more often anymore. The Matrix 97 is a full featured combo unit that has an internal 16-channel WAAS GPS receiver with an Omni directional antenna for great performance. It also has built in maps of USA inland lakes and coastal areas to make fishing much easier as well. The Matrix 97 uses Dual Beam Sonar to give you more coverage to greater depths, which in turn means more fish coming home with you. A 5.6-inch LCD screen lets you see everything and the bright vivid colors are a thing of beauty. This model also has full GPS track plotting to show you position, mark hotspots and easily find your way home. The PC-connection capability is also a big plus in my book with this model as well.

One of the things you will notice about this model is it is very well constructed. In fact, it will even float in the water. Now I do not know if I would want to try that all the time, but it does actually float. This is because of the waterproof construction that has gone into this model. One thing you will never have to worry about is durability issues as this is one tough model that is made extremely well and should last you for many years. Power supply for this model is 10-20 volts of DC power so it is not a portable unit that you can use for other applications like most. Still this is a powerful performer that does many great things.

On the GPS side of it, you will be able to hold 750 waypoints, 20 routes and 10 tracks with 2 points each. The one thing I really like also about this unit is many upgrades are available if you want to take this unit even further to see what it can do. An SD or MMC card is also available to use on this model as well giving you even more options than you probably will ever use.

Overall, the performance of this model is what really sets it apart from others in the field. Many times, it is hard to find fishing and GPS element combined that do a very good job. The Hummingbird Matrix 97 is very different though. It has been able to combine both and still keep the performance right at the highest level that consumers and anglers expect.  With fishing becoming more popular, the Matrix 97 will be a unit many people gravitate for a number of reasons. One of my favorite features is the ability to mark places you have been before on it. Anglers know that certain areas on a lake of large river can yield more than other places. Given the ability to mark these spots and the ability to go back to them without having to guess anymore is a big plus. 

The Matrix 97 has many things going for it and that is why it is one of the more popular models on the market right now. Anglers like it for the ease of operation and all the extras that come with it. Many others like the option of being able to upgrade it as the need arises to. You will be hard pressed to find a better unit that combines the fishing aspect with GPS at the same time. It also comes with a very favorable price as well so you really cannot go wrong with this model. If you do a lot of fishing throughout the country than this is a model, you should really considering picking up. It has all the extras you expect and the performance is very good.  Grab it today and start catching more fish tomorrow.

Tags: Angler, Bright Vivid Colors, Coastal Areas, Coming Home, Couple Of Friends, Dc Power, Dual Beam, Durability, Fish Finder, gps navigation systems, gps systems, Hotspots, Hummingbird, hummingbird gps, Inch Lcd Screen, Inland Lakes, Maps Of Usa, Matrix 97, Omni Directional Antenna, Pc Connection, Thing Of Beauty, Volts, Waterproof Construction

Choosing personal gps systems for your all your needs

Choosing personal gps systems
You should take care in choosing personal gps systems for all your needs and wants, just as you would any other purchase.  Where do you start?

Most people will tell you to start at the basic factor, the price.  In fact, most people would be right in thinking this is a basic factor to consider.   If you don’t consider the price, you may be considering a purchase you can’t afford.  Sure you could say I could put that purchase on my credit card and I will be all right.  Maybe you can. Maybe you shouldn’t.  That question is up to you.   But do at least be aware of the price of every gps system you consider purchasing.

Next consider how you want to use a gps system.   Do you want a gps system that will work outside, in any climate, in any light and one that has a lot of battery life?

If these things are important, they need to be on your list of needs and wants.   Plus, you may want to add the fact that a portable unit may also be the perfect type of gps system for you.

Maybe you answered that you want a gps system that will work in my car.  One that will easily show me the way to my next destination.  Maybe you also said that you wanted one that could speak not only turn by turn directions to you, but could give them in speak to text language, as well.  If this is the case you may prefer a dash mountable system instead of a portable one.

Yet, you may have answered that you want a gps system that you can take out on your boat.  You might have added that you would love one that also had a built in fish finder, a tide indicator as well as the estimate time of sun rise and sun set.  If these needs are important to you, then you may want a marine gps system.

Once you decide on your basic needs and the basic concept of the type of gps system you need, then you can go on and decide other things such as:

Ease of use:

How important is this to you?  Do you need a system that basically anyone can use? 

The display function and size of the gps system

Do you care about the size?  Do you want one that is extra light weight?  Do you want one that will fit easily in your pocket or purse.

What about the display features?  Do you have to have a display unit that is colorized? 
Do you need certain sized buttons or ones that are placed in certain places?  Do you like touch screens?

Are there certain features you just have to have?

For instance, if you are purchasing a navigational system does it have to have a certain number of maps all ready downloaded or maps of a certain region?   What about preloaded points of interests?  Do you have to have one that will allow you to add customized ones, too?  Do you also need or want to be able to save the history for so many days or be able to save a certain number of addresses?

If you are purchasing a gps system that you will be using to help course your way for jogging, hiking, biking, etc reasons, do you insist on having a track back feature, a feature that will save a certain number of previous courses used for recording purposes, a feature that will allow you to track not only your speed but your distances?

What about extra features?

Are there any that you must have such as:

Audio players
Audio readers
JPEG picture readers
Compasses
Audible alarms

Finally, you need to choose on how you would like to purchase your gps system.   Do you want to purchase it at a local store (where sales people can bug you) or online (where you have to pay shipping costs and wait for your purchase to arrive).   Of course, this choice will also depend on where you live and the amount of time you have to spend either shopping locally or online.

If you decide to shop locally, remember your ideal gps system may be found at your local

Major department store
Sporting Goods store
Pet store
Electronics Store
Auto parts store
Flea markets
Trade shows

If you decide to shop online, be sure to check out:

All major department store sites
All major sporting good sites
The actual brand name sites of the gps systems you like the best (Example Garmin gps systems)
Online auction sites (Ebay)
Small online sites that sells gps tracking systems (you may find a better bargain than at the bigger sites, just type in gps systems for sale and see what appears)

Remember when it comes time for you to buy your next personal gps system the key word to remember is the word personal.  Personal means something for you.  This should also mean choosing only something you can really afford, something you really want and need, plus something you really like.   Don’t forget the like part in your choosing decision.

Tags: Battery Life, Car One, Climate, Credit Card, Estimate Time, Fish Finder, gps navigation systems, Gps System, gps systems, gps units, marine gps, Personal Gps, Sun Rise, Text Language, Tide