Pharos 150 3.5-Inch Widescreen Portable Drive GPS Navigator with Text-To-Speech (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)PROS:
- Destinator v7
- clean interface
- good options
- quick to pick up GPS on cold start (took ~15 seconds while sitting indoors about 8 feet from window)
- works as expected
- Text to Speech
- HACKABLE!
CONS:
- no battery meter in Destinator v7
- not sure if I'll get the advertised 5-6 hours batteryPrice paid:
$83, after coupons/discounts/rebates/taxes/shipping
MSRP:
$200
Included in box:
- GPS unit, 3.5" screen (with 1GB unlabelled SD card)
- carrying case (pretty good quality)
- home/wall charger
- car charger
- USB cable (charge with computer)
- window mount (_much_ better than the pdr135 mount I have)
- cd manual
- warranty card
- quick start poster
Software:
- Windows CE .NET 4.2 Core
- Destinator v7
Processor:
- Motorola i.MX21 @ 266Mhz
Memory:
- 64MB, about 45MB usable (guessed)
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My current/previous GPS devices:
- Belkin Bluetooth (rebadged Fortuna) with Belkin Navigator (forget which maps) + Compaq iPaq h1940 (or laptop with bluetooth) = I love this unit, still use it but it's not as convenient as a standalone unit
- Mio C220 - basic unit - does what it needs to do but sometimes not accurate
- Pharos PDR135 - Ostia software not great, but loaded with Tom Tom Navigator or other software this unit works well (hackable)
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The Pharos PDR150 does what it's supposed to do. I've only been using this for a day so far but it seems fine. The Destinator v7 softare seems fine, the GPS processor works just like the other SiRFstarIII chipsets
The great thing is that this unit is _hackable_ - I've loaded Tom Tom Navigator v6 and it works fine - I'm switching between Destinator v7 and Tom Tom Navigator v6 to test out and play.
(perhaps I'll write more if pricegrabber starts offering a rebate for this review ;))
OVERALL:
5-stars as one of the best in this price range, since it does what it's supposed to do, has TTS, is hackable, and has an SD-card slot. For $80, how can I complain? This is the best bang-for-the-buck and beats out all the other BF2007 GPS deals (FYI I purchased this on "Cyber Monday 2007") --- Would I purchase this for $150-200 (current price after rebates), would I purchase it again? Compared to the other units I've used in this price range, yes, I would purchase this again. However, keep in mind that the "hackability" factor plays a big role in my decision. Out of the box, this thing still works well but may not be the best fit for everyone.


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The Pharos Drive GPS 150 makes it easy to keep your eyes on the road when looking for a specific address with voice prompts and turn-by-turn spoken instructions that include the name of the street or highway (text-to-speech technology). The large 3.5" color touch screen LCD clearly displays the preloaded U.S. street level maps and navigation routing. Tech Support Hotline: 1-888-PHAROS-8

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