Lowrance I Finder H2O Handheld GPS

[pmjasper]

Just curious if anyone has ever seen this unit in action or has purchased one. I need to pick up a GPS unit before making the trek to Lake Ontario and have been looking at the Lowrance I Finder H2O. It seems fairly straightforward, showing limited lake detail and having the option of purchasing an additional map card if need be. Since the size of my father-in-laws boat is small, we prefer a handheld unit. Any insight is appreciated. Thanks.

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[ERABBIT]

I freind had one on my boat last year nice unit. Large screen for a hand held it ate batterys up but you can get a add-on so you run it off you boat battery. He had the chip but I not sure he knew how to use it or the detail was poor for Seneca Lake. He also had a CD for making maps and can down load the data stored in his H2O to his PC to make his own map with more detail not sure how that works. When we got done fishing he said he had all my "HOT SPOT" locked in his GPS................

[waterlogged]

pmjasper,

We ownand use exclusively the Ifinder H2O. We are pleased with the unit and would recommend it. We use the recommended RAM mount and have it mounted on the dashboard of our 19' BlueFin. Best advice is get the cigarette lighter power adapter as the 3 AA batteries go pretty fast especially with the use of the light. We use it a lot in the dark early a.m. Also make sure you get an SD memory card (BUY.com sometimes has them for free after rebate - just shipping and some times free shipping too) to save your waypoints. If you ever have a problem and need to send it in for repair Lowrance doesn't transfer waypoints to a replacement unit. We learned this when our earlier hand held fell on the floor (pre-RAM mount days).

Clarke

[jimski2]

I've had a Garmin Handheld for years, along with a plotter/fishfinder permanent on my boat. The handheld, I've used for waypoints, excellent, motorhome trips, good, it doesn't have minor roads, my brothers floatplane in Alaska, it worked well on our return trip, hunting, you must have a hand compass still as its compass reading needs to be moving and searching our properties boundary points. They are good but on your boat get a chart plotter as the humps, contours and harbor mouths are easier to find and if it gets foggy, you'll really like it. You'll save a lot of time and fuel and catch more fish since it'll keep you on fish when you find them.

[Landing Craft]

I have the iFinder H2O. I think its a great unit. With the NMEA output I've connected it to a bundle of things. (DSC radio, Maptech chart program, autopilot possible,...) For the money I don't think you'll beat it. I use the nauticpath chip (approx $99.00) and it has sufficient bottom detail and all the buoys/markers are charted. I've used this in Lake Ont. Barnegat Bay and the Ocean. I'd get about a day and a half on a set of batteries, but I agree the cig.lighter adapter is nice. (get the combo, pwr and data adapter.)

[pmjasper]

Thanks guys. The boat it would be used on is a tiller model 16ft so that is why I'm looking at the handheld. I liked the looks of the screen and thought it would be a good investment for fishing the lakes in NJ as well as Lake Ontario.

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[pmjasper]

Thanks again for the info. How is the detail of the GPS without the additional map cartridges (if anyone uses the unit without them)?

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[Landing Craft]

It did have some of the channel markers and buoys, not all of them, and no contour lines that I remember. I used it for a season w/o the chip, and dropped a waypoint marker with every fish caught. This was a 14' aluminum tiller steered w a 9.9hp. It was interesting when I got the chip to see what was below all those marks I had put down. My FF would give depth, but never really the full picture. With the FF and the charts it's easy to see, "Here comes that little trough in the bottom." And then Bammm, the FF depth drops off.

[pmjasper]

Ordered the I Finder H2O and 2007 HotMaps card today. Can't wait to get it and start learning the in's and out's of the sytem. Thanks again for the insight guys.

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[Jax]

I have the Ifinder H20C and the color screen is large and clear, the unit is easy to use but does use up batteries! Mine came with the a/c adapter and I just use the batteries for a back up now. The maps that come preloaded on it are sufficient enough for me, but they are tons of ad ons. A little late but I would definatly reccomend it!

:)

[big_fishman]

I have the IFinder Hunt Plus....It is awesome. They have a great serve deparment too. Mine only take two batteries and never had a problem with it. If you get the 512MB card you can load a lot of maps, I mean more than you cna use.

We di dnot have a mount for it yet in the boat, My buddy tried to dent tune mine off of the floor. Back light did not work.

I called lowrance and mine was 1 month out of warranty, guy said send it in and we will look at it, I got a new one FREE!!!!!.