GPS Systems and Reviews

Navigate the Waters with a Handheld Marine GPS System

Do you love to get out on the water and have been looking for a handheld marine GPS system that will help you navigate more efficiently? There are a number of units on the market today that can help you accomplish this goal, so in this article we will look at what you can expect from one of these units, as well as which are more popular among consumers and reviewers.

Under the Sea

Ever wonder what’s going on under the sea? Well you can finally find out when you get your hands on a handheld marine GPS system. It is for this reason that so many professional boaters, hunters and fishers are thrilled to get their hands on one. You can do much more with one of these devices than you could with your own eyes.

Like what, you ask?

Well first, many of these devices can tell you information about what’s going on weather-wise. And while many (hopefully most) professional boaters are going to have some type of NMEA communication already in place, it doesn’t hurt to have more information available to you, especially if you travel to another location and dock the boat for a while.

Another great function that people love about these devices is that some can predict where fish and game are located, and in what quantities. If you are a professional or amateur fisherman this can benefit you greatly because you don’t have to spend time looking in areas that are irrelevant to your purpose.

A final function that people love about handheld marine GPS units is that most offer turn-by-turn navigation on and off of the water. This means that not only can you find your way to place on the sea in no time with one of these devices; you can also find your way home in your vehicle once you dock your boat.

These are just a few of the features you can look forward to if you purchase one of these units, so not let’s take some time to look at some available products on the market today.

Available Units

There are several handheld marine GPS receiver on the market to choose from; however those listed below have better reputations on the market according to top expert reviewers in the technology industry.

Garmin GPSMAP 76CX with Color Display – This unit can be used on the land or sea and is perfect for those who love to explore the outodoors and want the assurance that they’ll never get lost while out there. It is rugged and waterproof (it can even float on the water), and comes with tons of features. For example, it is WAAS-enabled, comes with integrated auto route basemaps of North and South America and a 128 MB microSD card that allows you to load additional maps if you need to. Some other features you can look forward to from this device include turn-by-turn routing while on the water or on land, a built-in quad-helix receiving antenna, and the ability to store 1,000 user waypoints and 50 reversible rotes with up to 250 points each. It also has a backlite keypad with large number displays to let you easily view it at night, and a battery life of 18 hours so that you can function for long periods of time before recharging.

Lowrance XOG – This handheld marine GPS system is advertised as being pocket-sized, portable, sensitive and accurate. It comes with a bright 3.5-inch color touchscreen display and 2GB of built-in memory for adding maps to the already existent NAVTEQ turn-by-turn precision data. It comes with over 3.5 million points of interest already stored on the system, an out-of-vehicle navigation function, and retraceable trails and waypoint features so that you can go back to a location you’ve visited without getting lost. A few other features you’ll love from this device include a JPEG picture viewer, 1-watt loudspeaker for audio directions, an MP3 player, and SD memory card. It comes with a rechargeable Li-Ion battery and is moisture resistant, but not water proof like the Garmin unit. However, it does accept the largest choice of detailed mapping available for marine travel, so if you love options, you’ll love this device.

A handheld marine GPS system is definitely a great choice for those who spend a great deal of time in the water and need help with navigation. So make sure that before you take your next trip you find the right device for you. Then you’ll be able to surprise your friends, family or crew with a handheld marine GPS system that will provide the best navigation experience they’ve ever had.

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Can Delphi’s NAV200 GPS System Make a Big Splash in the Market?

It has been around a year since Delphi released the moderately successful NAV200, which was meeting with lukewarm response. Now do not get me wrong it was a nice model with some very good features, but it did not do as well as the company had hoped for. Out comes the Delphi NAV300 GPS system to hopefully put this company on the map as one of the major players in the GPS market.  Now this is very similar to its predecessor the NAV200, but also has some added features that people should find very interesting. Let us look and see if the improvements have helped make Delphi a major player yet.

One of the first things that I look for and most every consumer looks for is a device that is easy to operate. The ease of operation also means the consumer is more likely to recommend the product to a friend as well. Well if that is true than the Delphi NAV300 should be a big hit. Now the NAV200 was a good product but this new addition is so much better. First, it is easy to operate and comes with many great features that will only enhance the use of it. Some of these features include Bluetooth capabilities, text-to-speech functions; both of these were not available on the NAV200 so that is a marked improvement for Delphi. Magellan and Garmin has dominated the market with higher end products but entries like this are challenging them as with a lower price and good features they are cutting into the market share these two giant GPS companies held. One of the add-ons that are offered is the Radio Data Systems-Traffic Message Channel, which lets you direct your route around congested traffic and weather which is a big deal for travelers. It costs around 100 dollars to add, but it worth considering if you travel a lot.

Design wise it really is simple and it has minimal buttons and controls on the body. With the NAV300 simple works well and they have designed it with the consumer in mind, which is a very good idea. Most all the controls are accessed by touch control screen, which is a nice feature.  Menu button is on the left side of the face and the Bluetooth button is just below that. On the sides you will find the volume and power button controls as well. Other than that, all access is done through the touch screen with either a finger or the included stylus. Size is about the same as most portable units, but this one is a bit thinner and a tad bit longer, but nothing drastic. It is portable enough that you can use it in multiple cars or even on foot if need be.

Let’s look at some of the features which make the NAV300 stand out from the NAV200. One of the first would be the Bluetooth option, but the biggest drawback is not very many phones are compatible with it. I’m sure that time goes by though more will be added. The text-to-speech function is something that I really like and this model has that. This model also has the multimedia function, which means it is capable of playing music, videos, and displaying pictures. Of course watching movies on such a small screen is tough and would advise against it. It has a preloaded game on it, which you will also be able to play and a calculator is included, which are some nice added touches from Delphi.

Looking at how it performs I was pleasantly surprised at its performance. It has an SD memory card, which holds up to 2GB. The processor was of decent speed and it performs very well under driving conditions. Battery life is around five hours, which really is about standard before needed a recharge. Ease of operation and the new features do make this a model that you will want to consider on the entry level. It has a low entry price and has many features to compete with the big players in the game. This small and compact GPS system works very well and should do well in the marketplace. It is a nice upgrade from the NAV200 that is for sure. If your entry the GPS fray for the first time you may want to consider this one has, it is easy to operate and comes with a low cost, which makes it a winner in most people’s minds.

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