Lowrance Endura Safari GPS Receiver

Purchased this item in December 2009 and the first one I opened did nothing but display the opening page. I returned it and the second one has worked flawlessly ever since. This was my first handheld GPS unit and I specifically bought it for the available maps for fishing in NC & VA. The detailed lake map of Lake Wylie/Gaston and Fishing Hot Spots option makes this one sweet handheld for the fisherman. I found some hot spots on Wylie and Gaston that I never knew existed. It serves also as a secondary backup to my Hummingbird 385 CI when I go fishing on the yak but it's primary when I fly fish on foot. For someone looking for a decent portable from a reputable name - I suggest the Lowrance Endura Series.

At first, I purchased the Out & Back but upgraded to the Safari which has the compass, altimeter, MP3 Player, Video Player, Picture Viewer and most importantly the topographical map capability.

The cons for this are the MP3, Video & Picture Viewer - they are completely useless. Sound quality is average. The MP3 player is sluggish. The picture viewer is slow. If you are looking to invest in the Safari because of these useless features - don't waste your time. Your better off buying an iPod. Lowrance should have stayed away from such features and stuck with what they know. Using all other features besides GPS functionality will truly frustrate you due to the lack of performance.

Overall on a scale of 1-10 the Safari's GPS & Navigational functions get a 10+. All other features (MP3, Picture & Video Player) get a generous 5. I gave this unit an excellent rating because as a GPS unit it's hands down awesome.

It has the following features:

DISPLAY

Display Size 2.7 in \ 68 mm
Display Resolution 320 x 240 (H x W)
Display Type QVGA Touchscreen

GPS / NAVIGATION
GPS Antenna Type Internal GPS+WAAS
GPS Receiver Channels 42 channels
Background Map Preloaded mapping content with detailed hill shading, topographic contours, primary and secondary roads and key POIs
Custom Mapping Optional full-featured turn-by-turn navigation
Waypoint Storage 2000
Routes 60
Plot Trails 30
Graphic Marker Icons 194

TECHNICAL / ENVIRONMENTAL
Built-in Backup Memory Yes
Sealing Waterproof to IPX7 standard
Waterproof Standard IPX7
Width 2.4 in \ 60 mm
Height 5.1 in \ 130 mm
Depth 1.2 in \ 31 mm
Weight 0.36 lbs \ 0.165 kg
POWER
Battery Lifetime 10 - 15 hrs
Battery Type 2 AA (not included)

OTHER
Memory Card Capable Micro SD card slot for up to 32 GB cards
Other Features
Directly accepts GPS trails and geocaches, as well as POIs from web communities or other sources - store up to 3000 geocaches; Trip computer records trails, altitudes, trip times, speed and distance travelled; Multimedia MP3/voice notes, picture, and video players - for entertainment or viewing trail camera photos; Power standby mode saves battery life while allowing ultra fast startup; Speaker, headphone jack and microphone; Mini USB port for power and data cables

this receiver has the capabilities that other higher models have but it still at a lower price. The touch screen and buttons combination are perfect for when riding MTB and have gloves on , if i dont want to stop and take it off because it would be kind a hard to press desired commands, i can just simple scroll using the buttons, and access any desired command. As far for the screen is large and bright on direct sun light. this gps is super easy to use and you dont have to be converting gpx files. you simply drag them to it respective folder and you are set to go. i use this gps for mountain biking , hiking, off-road racing and it works fine. It has a rugged construction that gives you the confidence that if accidentally is drop it wont get damage easily as some garmins do.
barometer allows gps to give a precise reading of elevation on your position.
the only down side is that is not as popular as the garmin, and finding upgrades is hard.

great little unit, auto routing with optional turn by turn micro sd is wonderful. just as good as garmin nobody else has so many features packed into 1 small unit! even has audio out for turn by turn nav. great for a off road/adventure motorcycle! i wish the screen was a little brighter for daytime viewing, but that is the only thing i would change. i have several garmin gps's and i find now that this lowrance safari is the gps i want to use all the time!

initially disappointed. The display is good and the features are ok but the gps is useless without the optional map cards. Without the cards the gps is a little betterthan an old Garmin 12 with no map at all. Buy the Sierra with the mapping installed or buy a Garmin.

Overall the hardware is decent, but the base map is useless that comes with it, 500ft topo lines are worthless. Most secondary roads are missing in PA, waterways are just blobs with no shape evening remotely match the true shape of even 1000 plus acre lakes.

The map scrolling is terrible, very slow and skips often.

It is loaded features that are frustrating to use because of the base map display.