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Lowrance iFinder Expedition C
The Lowrance iFINDER Expedition C is a 16 channel, general purpose global positioning device. The screen is a large 2.8in, with loads of space around the screen. As a smart technological toy it provides reliable, accurate position data quickly, it's easy to operate in potentially treacherous conditions.
To suit its remit the iFinder is light and tough. In fact, it's waterproof to a metre's depth (the IPX7 standard). There's a thick rubber strip wrapped around the edges of the iFinder, which makes gripping it with gloves easy, and gives it a modicum of protection in the event of a drop. And, in a nice practical touch, the Expedition c is powered by a pair of AA batteries, which will last for up to 14 hours of continuous operation. As devices such as these are often used in locations far away from civilisation - and power points - it means you can keep it running wherever you find yourself. Sailors will also be pleased to find that the Expedition c also comes with a 12V car adapter.
The screen is another example of thoughtful design. It might not be the most stunning example, offering just 256 colours but it is transflective, which means that it's easily viewable both outside and in without the need for a backlight.
Ease of use is excellent as well. All too often, hiking GPSes such as this have impenetrable menu systems that are impossible to understand. But on the iFinder each of the buttons of the front is clearly labelled and the menus are easy to understand. There may be a bit of a learning curve if you haven't used a hiking GPS before, but it's easier to use than old devices.
Once you've spent a little time with the device, you'll discover all sorts of nice touches: holding the Pages button down while in sleep mode temporarily activates the compass mode - useful if you're trying to eke some more battery life out of the iFinder; while pressing Exit four times in a row launches a speedo mode. The map screen can be tweaked to your heart's content, with all sorts of overlays and information available, from a transparent compass dial to latitude and longitude grid lines, altitude, odometer information and more. There's no mucking about switching from one map datum to another.
Features are right up there with the best recreational GPS devices too. Not only does the device boast GPS, but also a barometric altimeter - which can be used to track your altitude or plot atmospheric pressure history (and even predict the weather) - a digital compass, and extra mapping can be added to the device via MMC/SD card. A quick hunt online revealed most of the products available for the iFinder appear to be US focused.
One of the device's most interesting features is that it's EGNOS (European Geostationary Overlay Service) ready. This is a system, put in place in recent years, aimed at improving the accuracy of GPS. Originally intended to assist pilots and aircraft, the system can be used by anyone with a compatible device.
The Expedition c is incredibly accurate and responsive. Tracks are plotted very finely. GPS performance is exceptional too, with the Expedition c picking up a full lock in ideal conditions in under 30 seconds. Impressively, it maintaines a solid position under light and heavy tree cover, and more importantly with the device warmed up, the iFinder was able to pick up a satellite lock almost instantly on the rare occasion that it lost signal.
All-in-all, the iFinder Expedition c, despite its size and ugly looks, is a highly impressive hiking GPS. It doesn't have the fancy mapping bells and whistles of other devices, but its performance is excellent and that's what you need when you're out on the trail.
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