One of the big names in the GPS market, Lowrance has been making GPS units since 1991 and over the past 20 years has built up a reputation for excellence. If one is in the market for a new GPS unit, the name Lowrance will pop up with some frequency along with some of the other big names such as Garmin and Magellan. While they may not be the largest or most popular brand, Lowrance GPS products deserve a serious examination by anyone looking to buy a GPS unit.
The first thing that a person looking into the Lowrance line needs to do is determine their intended use. The company started back in the 50’s making fish finding equipment and branched out into the GPS market 20 years ago. They now offer a full line of GPS devices that range from small handheld units for hikers to larger dash-mounted units for the person finding their way in a car to aviation GPS units as well as keeping true to their company’s roots and offering a lot of marine-oriented GPS units. So the first step in buying a Lowrance GPS is deciding on the intended use.
Once the general use is decided upon, the next step is to figure out a budget. Even in the Lowrance GPS line divisions there are wide ranges of price. Their outdoor and hiking units start in the 150 dollar range and quickly head north towards 400 dollars while their automotive units can be had for as low as 150 bucks while top level models sell for over 1,000 dollars. Knowing the limits of the budget and not going over it will help to reduce budget creep.
Another consideration when buying a GPS unit is buying new or used. There are lots of places both in one’s local area and on the internet that used Lowrance GPS units can be found for reasonable prices. A good examination and testing of the unit could help determine if it is going to work well or not, however that may not be possible over the internet. If the unit will be used for recreational activities and nothing too serious, then buying used might be a good choice. However, if it will be used for something more serious where the consequences for not finding one’s way are severe, then it would probably be better to pay a little more, buy one new and thoroughly test it before heading out.
Lowrance GPS units are well regarded in the field and come from a company with 20 years of experience under their belt. Whether outdoors, marine, aviation or automotive, Lowrance will provide the user with a quality product backed up by a company who won’t fold tomorrow.
Stomper
