Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Garmin Foretrex 201 Hands-Free GPS Navigation with Rechargable Lithium Ion Batterybest


Customer Rating :
Rating: 4.1

List Price : $181.99 Price :
Garmin Foretrex 201 Hands-Free GPS Navigation with Rechargable Lithium Ion Battery

Product Description

The Foretrex 201 is a wearable Personal Navigator for the outdoor enthusiast. Built rugged for adventure, this wrist-top device is perfect for hikers, campers, climbers, and mariners who want a useful GPS in a lightweight, waterproof, and affordable package. The Foretrex 201 combines the form factor of our new personal training system, the Forerunner 201, with the GPS navigation features of our popular Geko 201. The Foretrex 201 offers hands-free GPS navigation information, allowing you to concentrate on your outdoor activities. The Foretrex 201 features six dedicated buttons (GoTo, Page, Enter/Mark, Up, Down and Power), making it one of the easiest GPS units on the market to operate. It offers the most essential navigation data, enhanced GPS accuracy, and extensive storage for waypoints, reversible routes, and track information. It includes Garmin’s exclusive TracBack technology which allows you to mark your campsite, go trekking all day, and then follow the electronic “breadcrumb trail” back to camp in time for dinner. You don’t even need to worry about packing extra batteries, because the Foretrex 201 runs on an internal lithium battery for 15 hours.

Amazon.com Product Description

The Foretrex 201 is a wearable Personal Navigator, perfect for outdoor and marine enthusiasts who desire hands-free GPS navigation in a lightweight, affordable package. At a mere 2.75 ounces, this waterproof wonder is lighter than most watches, and its wrist-top mount frees up hands for outdoor activities and sports an ergonomic wristband. The 201 model comes with a recharging unit so you never have to stock up on batteries for all your daily adventures, but consider the Foretrex 101 that runs on 2 AAA batteries if you're wandering away from the power outlet for a while.

With a user-friendly interface, the rugged Foretrex 201 simplifies navigation, making it ideal for the backcountry or water. Its six dedicated buttons (GoTo, Page, Enter/Mark, Up, Down and Power) make it easy to operate. It offers the most essential navigation data -- enhanced GPS accuracy, extensive storage for waypoints, and reversible routes and tracks -- on an easy-to-read display. Don't worry about packing extra batteries, because the Foretrex 201 runs on an internal lithium battery for 15 hours (typical use). Simply recharge and go.

The Foretrex 201 also comes equipped with special features sure to please mariners and hikers alike. It includes a unique application for sailing and paragliding racers that allows them to configure the start sequence of a race. The countdown is displayed in a large-number format that audibly alerts the user at each phase of the start sequence. With the help of Garmin's exclusive TracBack® technology, hikers can mark a campsite, go trekking all day, and follow the electronic "breadcrumb trail" back to camp in time for dinner.

The WAAS difference

  • 100 meters: Accuracy of the original GPS system, which was subject to accuracy degradation under the government-imposed Selective Availability (SA) program.
  • 15 meters: Typical GPS position accuracy without SA.
  • 3-5 meters: Typical differential GPS (DGPS) position accuracy.
  • Less than 3 meters: Typical WAAS position accuracy.
WAAS is a system of satellites and ground stations that provide GPS signal corrections, giving you even better position accuracy. How much better? Try an average of up to five times better. A WAAS-capable receiver can give you a position accuracy of better than three meters 95 percent of the time. And you don't have to purchase additional receiving equipment or pay service fees to utilize WAAS.

How it Works
WAAS consists of approximately 25 ground reference stations positioned across the United States that monitor GPS satellite data. Two master stations, located on either coast, collect data from the reference stations and create a GPS correction message. This correction accounts for GPS satellite orbit and clock drift plus signal delays caused by the atmosphere and ionosphere. The corrected differential message is then broadcast through one of two geostationary satellites, or satellites with a fixed position over the equator. The information is compatible with the basic GPS signal structure, which means any WAAS-enabled GPS receiver can read the signal.

Who benefits from WAAS?
Currently, WAAS satellite coverage is only available in North America. There are no ground reference stations in South America, so even though GPS users there can receive WAAS, the signal has not been corrected and thus would not improve the accuracy of their unit. For some users in the U.S., the position of the satellites over the equator makes it difficult to receive the signals when trees or mountains obstruct the view of the horizon. WAAS signal reception is ideal for open land and marine applications. WAAS provides extended coverage both inland and offshore compared to the land-based DGPS (differential GPS) system. Another benefit of WAAS is that it does not require additional receiving equipment, while DGPS does.


  • WAAS-Enabled, 12 Parallel-Channel GPS Receiver
  • 500 Waypoints With 20 Reversible Routes
  • 10 Saved Tracks & 10,000 Saved Track Points
  • Water-Resistant To Iec 60529 Ipx7 Standards
  • Rechargeable Li-Ion Battery Offers 5-15 Hours Of Use (Depending On Backlight Settings)


Garmin Foretrex 201 Hands-Free GPS Navigation with Rechargable Lithium Ion Battery Reviews


Garmin Foretrex 201 Hands-Free GPS Navigation with Rechargable Lithium Ion Battery Reviews


Amazon.com
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
23 Reviews
5 star:
 (12)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (3)
2 star:    (0)
1 star:
 (2)
 
 
 

117 of 118 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars My Foretrex review after a few days with it, May 6, 2004
By 
Gavin Scott (Sunnyvale, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Amazon Verified Purchase( What's this?)
This review is from: Garmin Foretrex 201 Hands-Free GPS Navigation with Rechargable Lithium Ion Battery (Electronics)
The Foretrex 201 is a general purpose version of the Forerunner personal training device. It lacks the personal training features (and PC software) of the Forerunner and replaces them with a general purpose GPS feature set derived from Garmins successful "Geko" models.

Note that Garmin describes the Foretrex as being similar to a Geko 201, but the Foretrex is missing a few features (no games) and the user interface is substantially different in a few areas.

There are two Foretrex models currently. This model, the 201, has an internal rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery which means the unit is .3 inches thinner than the model 101 which takes two AAA batteries. Currently the 201 can only be recharged using the (included) AC adapter and "cradle" bracket, so the advantage of the 201 is its smaller size, and the disadvantage is that you need to be near AC power and have the charger and cable along if you run low on power. This could be an issue for backcountry... Read more

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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars One Design Racing GPS, May 17, 2004
By 
K. Martin (Westport, CT United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Garmin Foretrex 201 Hands-Free GPS Navigation with Rechargable Lithium Ion Battery (Electronics)
From a sailor's perspective ... this thing rocks.

My class does not permit electronic aids for racing, so I cannot mount a GPS on the boat or put a speedo through the hull. I needed a way to get knots feedback during training. I gave this a try. I am happy. The unit provides just what I wanted: quick feedback on trim / crew position when there are no other boats to race.

Features that work for me -- waterproof, WAAS accurate to 17feet, knot meter only lags about 2-3 seconds on actual, adjustable countdown for starts, manual magnetic/true heading adjustment, manual tacking angle input (really cool - it beeps on VMG layline), adjustable display screens, easy to read.

If your hands are busy and the cockpit is wet - consider this model over handheld or mounted alternatives. Did I mention the BIG NUMBER 5 minute countdown feature with easy reset/adjustment to cmte-boat sequence? Good engineering on this one. My strongest recommendation.

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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Toys for the Mountain/Road Bike, April 20, 2004
By 
"abefromanii" (Monterey, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Garmin Foretrex 201 Hands-Free GPS Navigation with Rechargable Lithium Ion Battery (Electronics)
The Foretrex 201 should receive many of the same kudos that the Forerunner 201 received even though it is a slightly different model. The track log of the Foretrex 201 will allow you to record horizontal and vertical track profile information to be downloaded and viewed on MapSource software. I recommend the Foretrex for cycling since it can interact with MapSource Trip and Waypoint Manager. The map page works great...never to be lost again and the track log drops breadcrumbs as you travel. This track can be based on `DISTANCE', `TIME', or `AUTO'; which allows you to drop a track point based on feet, seconds, or automatically (up to 10,000 trackpoints)-Absolutely Awesome! I purchased the Foretrex 201 in April 2004 and have been extremely happy with its operational capability. I have noticed that the unit is difficult to recharge; however, Garmin agreed to replace my AC Charger. Additionally, the cradle has a slot cutout for the wrist strap to stay on the unit while charging; however,... Read more
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