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Low Cost GPS Receiver and Moving Map PC Software Reviewsby Joe Mehaffey and Jack YeazelRevised: 20 June, 2000 (Corrected for SA elimination and other details) Quoted prices are US$ LOWRANCE RECEIVERS Lowrance Eagle Explorer: "EE" ($150) and GN 200 ($245) GPS receivers: This EE review applies ONLY to those with firmware revision 1.4 or later (1.8 is current). This firmware revision has substantial improvements over prior versions particularly in the area of working with moving map software packages. The EE is a parallel 12 channel receiver which acquires lock faster and is more reliable at tracking in difficult conditions as compared with single and dual channel scanning receivers. The EE does not have an external antenna connector. The receiver sensitivity on the EE (and the G 12) is so good that most will not require an external antenna. The EE operates for about 6.5 hours on 4 AA alkaline cells and can also be operated on an external power source of 9 to 16 volts. A useful feature of the EE is that it can accept a rechargeable NiMH battery which can be automatically recharged when the unit is connected to external power. The receiver provides NMEA 0183 protocol versions 1.5 and 2.0 which (in firmware version 1. 4) is able to work with most moving map software. (Note: The EE's simulator mode works only with Precision Mapping 3 and Ozi Explorer map software which ignore the 'invalid' flag.) The EE has a complete feature set including a plotting capability. Of special interest is an array of fifteen user selectable screens which provide various combinations of BRG, DIS, TRK, GS, ALT, TRK, ETE, VMG, ETA, or CDI. See: Eagle Explorer 1.4 -Review GlobalNav Sport and AccuNav Sport (Comments by Ron Wilson): Both were good 5-channel parallel receivers, but the newer 12-channel units like the EE, Eagle Expedition II, and GlobalNav 200 & 212 are smaller, have more features, longer battery life, work better under tree cover, and cost much less. The GlobalNav 212 is comparable in features, performance, and price to the Garmin 12XL. The Eagle Expedition II is a little cheaper, but does not come with the capability of an external antenna. Eagle Expedition II - A review by Andrew Kalinowski. Basic features of the Eagle Expedition II and Explorer are the same. Major improvements in the EEx2 are in the memory and software. The EEx2 can store 750 waypoints + 1000 events with 28 icons to choose from. Also display of three plot trails of 3000 points each can be selectively turned ON/OFF, so they are useful for storing crude base maps. Plot 0, the active plot, can be saved into Plot 1 or 2 which then can be down/uploaded to/from the EEx2s individually. Major software improvements over Explorer are: Position averaging, Sunset/sunrise, and moonset/moonrise calculations. Silent alarms (flashing backlight) work great at night, when driving. Improved screen organization includes the battery indicator on the satellite-status screen. That screen is now accessible directly from "pages" menu, without going into "groups" menu. Three (instead of 2) plotter screens. The new screen has a window in the bottom with a neat bearing arrow and shows the Icon and name of the GoTo waypoint. Estimated position error is shown as a distance and replaces the ambiguous "quality of position" indicator. A Power-saving mode allows the unit to run for over 20 hrs on one set of batteries. Sensitivity is somewhat lower and errors much higher when in this mode. Tests have shown that the EEx2 does not have as good sensitivity as the Garmin 12XL 4.00 and later models. With power save OFF, batteries last 10-14 Hrs. depending on the brand. The unit is easy to handle and operate. Accuracy is not specified. See: Eagle Expedition II Compared to the Garmin 12XL -Review Software compatibility: Without any problems the unit worked with: Microsoft Trip Planner 98, DeLorme AAA Map-n-Go, Chicago Mapping Compass, GPSS, Fugawi, and OziExplorer (which was designed specifically to work with Eagle/Lowrance units) deserves special attention of Eagle/Lowrance users. It allows to effortlessly create, edit, download and uploads waypoints, events, plots and routes using scanned or a blank map. Eagle AccuNav Sport, $299 (thanks to Glenn S. Wiltse): AccuNav Sport has an LCD screen that is about twice the size of the one on the 12XL. It has a numeric keypad that makes many functions such as entering waypoints much easier than on units without a keypad. The Keypad on the EAS is also lighted when the screen backlight is on. The EAS will run 4 to 5 hours on a set of 6 AA batteries. The EAS supports only one coordinate system. The unit is about twice the size and twice the weight of the GPS 12XL. The EAS can be connected to your cigar lighter with an inexpensive cable available at Radio Shack. The EAS Ver. 1.4 is compatible with the FUGAWI scanned map program for up/downloading waypoints and routes Global Map 100 v. 1.1 (Thanks to Ira Wilner) $400, (plus $50 for the CityStreets map CD), data cable, and cigarette-lighter power, is the size and basic function of the Eagle series receivers which won't be repeated here. A trend-setting feature is that maps stored on CD-ROM can be uploaded into the receiver by the USER. All the IMS Smartmaps originally available on single cartridges are now available on one CD-ROM. The basic built-in worldwide and North America background maps are quite detailed having all major Interstate Highways and many numbered state roads and the smallest rivers. The mapping data seems to be waterway heavy. The IMS Smartmaps on CD-ROM add additional county roads and just about every brook and stream. Street level details are omitted. The maps are no substitute for SA-7 or paper street maps. However, highway intersections including the on and off ramps are all there as are the names of virtually all the towns. Lowrance has announced an upgraded CD-ROM package with much more rural road detail and the ability to create custom map files for upload. (See the screen shots of the new MapCreate CD ROM system HERE.) In order to display the new map data, the screen resolution has been increased to 104x160. Unlike the Eagles, an un-powered MCX antenna jack is provided for a remote antenna, and the distance-to-go box reads in miles and then switches to feet as you approach your target waypoint. Now most screens can be customized. The GM-100 has a fairly detailed background map of the entire US mainland major highways and rivers. When you download an IMS map segment, the display will use the higher detail when the magnification range is appropriate. The receiver has memory for two IMS map segments. Below 15 mile magnification range the display will favor the IMS detailed map section even if your current position cursor is in the background map section. Zoom out beyond 15 miles and you will force the display to choose the background map instead and you regain details around your cursor position and beyond. The background map will drop all details when you zoom in below 3 miles. The IMS map segments allow zooming down to .1 mile. The partitioning of the US mainland into IMS maps appears to have been done in a manner that attempted to fill each segment with all the data it could hold. Remember that this data was originally written to ROM cartridges. Thus the segments often traverse awkward political boundaries not conforming to one State. But the solution is on the way. Lowrance has announced a new CD-ROM with enhanced software that will allow you to create map upload files with whatever boundaries and details you wish as long as the file size does not exceed the memory limit of the receiver. See: Lowrance GlobalMap 100 1.2 Receiver Review Contents
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