Best offroad GPS? Lowrance Elite 5M or HDS 7 or other?

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

OP
OP
AZEngineer

AZEngineer

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Posts
589
Reaction score
315
Location
Phoenix AZ Area
That's true, but an Ipad with apple's nav is a great on-road substitute if you don't have factory navigation in your truck to back up the lowrance once you get back on the street.

Lowrance should offer another approach. On a 5 series that sells for 1round $500 retail, they get maybe $300-350. I bet they net less than $100 per unit. Sell a fantastic app for the ipad that utilizes their mapping SW. Dual and others have great external GPS modules for less than $100. They could even sell one of those. I bet at $100 a copy for an app on iPad Lowrance would sell 10X of those compared to the dedicated unit.
 

MagicMtnDan

FRF Addict
Joined
Oct 28, 2011
Posts
7,661
Reaction score
1,795
Location
Magic Mountain
These are the takeaways so far, as I see them:

* Lowrance - very spendy
* Lowrance - one dimensional (off road only)
* Lowrance - great for racing & night use


* Tablet - not nearly as spendy
* Tablet - all purpose (and you can get your emails and check FRF too :pepper: )
* Tablet - great for off roading during day and night time
* Tablet - great for onroading

Did I miss anything so far?
 

Rookie

Supporting Vendor
Supporting Vendor
Joined
Dec 16, 2012
Posts
9,760
Reaction score
3,594
Location
Fort Wayne, IN
How do the tablets work with location tracking without any data transfer? I understand with MotionX you can download the different maps you want to use but after you're in your truck and driving with no internet how does it track your current location on the map? Or are these being utilized with a mobile hotspot or cellular connectivity?
 

Huck

FRF Addict
Joined
Aug 26, 2012
Posts
4,208
Reaction score
1,839
Location
Chicago Sw Burbs
I pre download maps for the areas if I have pre planned routes.

Otherwise mobile hotspot / cell data works well.

My iPad works as good as the Lawrence but with more useable maps.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free
 

Rookie

Supporting Vendor
Supporting Vendor
Joined
Dec 16, 2012
Posts
9,760
Reaction score
3,594
Location
Fort Wayne, IN
I pre download maps for the areas if I have pre planned routes.

Otherwise mobile hotspot / cell data works well.

My iPad works as good as the Lawrence but with more useable maps.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free

How do you track your current location then?
 

Huck

FRF Addict
Joined
Aug 26, 2012
Posts
4,208
Reaction score
1,839
Location
Chicago Sw Burbs
How do you track your current location then?

iPad cellar version with gps, gps is independent of cellular data. So it tracks me no matter where i go. Cellular doesn't have to be on for gps. Another popular one is the google tablets with "back country" maps. Back country maps shows a lot.

The lowrance maps only show elevation, so you don't get trails or dirt roads, forest service roads etc


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free
 

mouldman1

FRF Addict
Joined
Jul 16, 2012
Posts
1,368
Reaction score
540
Location
Long Island, NY
looking to get the 5M the 7 is waaaay cool but super spendy...just curious if anyone knows if they are going to come out with a new unit anytime soon
 
Top