wahoowad

Hello! New user! I am hoping to learn more, contribute, laugh and enjoy this site. I am familiar with consumer GPS operation in general although just got a new eTrex Venture HC and learning about managing waypoints via PC software.

Also anxiously waiting for Lowrance to finally make their Endura Sierra available!

Andy

Hi wahoowad! Welcome!

HumVee

Hello, wahoowad. The Lowrance Endura Sierra handheld GPS looks like an interesting product. The inclusion of so many dedicated buttons plus a touch-screen seems a little schizophrenic to me...like they couldn't decide what the best interface method should be. For instance, you can clearly see zoom touch-screen icons...but at the same time there's dedicated zoom buttons on the bottom of the device face! I'm really not trying to knock the product - I'm just curious about some of the design decisions. In practice, the controls may turn out to be just perfect....

There's no reviews yet that I could find for the Endura Sierra. At an MSRP of $550, it looks like it's meant to compete the the new Garmin Oregon 550t (which is also too new for decent in-depth reviews) which has an MSRP of $600. I would love to see a head-to-head review of those two products! Out of curiousity, what are the reasons for your excitement for the Endura Sierra?

wahoowad

• I have had 2 prior Lowrance GPS products so am more familiar with their mapping products. Also familiar with menu options/navigation although not sure if they retained any of the prior menu options ith this new design
• I do have some extra mapping chips I purchased (Navionics) or they sent me and I am hoping they will include backward compatibility support for those. I have to say I prefer (or am either just more used to) Lowrance mapping to what I have been seeing with my Garmin mapping. Just a preference thing.
• I prefer buttons, but will be able to use both buttons and touchscreen with this unit. I like buttons as I will use this often while fishing and I don't want to be smearing my dirty fish fingers all over the touchscreen
• I was gonna get a Garmin GPSMAP 76CSx but the electronics are several years old and this Lowrance should represent the latest in technology.

So those are some of my reasons!

HumVee

Personal preference is definitely key! No matter how well rated a GPS unit is - if it doesn't fit you and your lifestyle, you're not likely to want to use it.
I like buttons for many applications - but touch screen is very nice for being able to drag the view of your map around, etc. I chose the 76CSx because it's a known, solid unit, and I can get it for $239 on Amazon. I just dropped a ton of money on a zūmo 660, so I couldn't afford to do the same for a handheld. There's no rumors of a replacement for the 76CSx in the works as far as I can find (unless you count the Garmin Dakota 20 coming out this fall), and it appears that "latest technology" for GPS makers appears to be a move to touch screen rather than a more accurate GPS receiver or other significant tech improvements - with the exception of the inclusion of 3D digital compass on new models that have digital compasses. Not being required to hold your GPS perfectly horizontal to get a good bearing is a nice feature (but not worth an additional $300 to me)! No doubt if I wait a year or two, 3D digital compass will be in everything, but paying so relatively little for my handheld now makes me more comfortable with getting something nicer in a couple of years - and I can hand down my 76CSx to my kids.

Thanks for sharing your reasons, wahoowad! I hope you will write a review on your Sierra after you've had it a bit!