Cobra GPS 100 1.1-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First let me say that I'm not one of those GPS users who expects to have a signal everywhere I go. After all, these satellites are miles above the earth floating in space! So while I expect to lose signals every now and then I don't expect to never receive them.
My unit had some trouble picking up a satellite for the first time. The manual said 50 seconds but I waited a good 5 minutes. The manual also says something like it shouldn't take more than 35 seconds to receive a signal if it's cold, or 20 seconds if it's warm. I waited minutes everytime I turned it on.
When I did get a signal, the data seemed to be very skewed. I walked 30 feet across my flat backyard and it said I dropped 20+ feet in elevation. It lost it's signal pretty often. Then, about 5 minutes later, the unit crashed. Like a computer. The whole unit was frozen, backlight on, and a huge line across the screen. No matter what button I pushed the screen wouldn't change. So I tried to turn it off, but even the power button wouldn't turn it off. I had to take out the batteries.
Ok, beginner's bad luck. I reinstalled the batteries (which were new at the time!) and tried again. After 5 minutes of waiting for reception, the unit crashed once more in the exact same manner it had 20 minutes before that. I decided then and there to return it. If this thing has trouble finding a signal, let alone keep from crashing, then I can't trust it to get me where I need to go in the backcountry.
To be fair, I tested the unit on a calm, slightly overcast night with the temperature in the mid 40's F. I think they would be nice test conditions for any unit.
I returned it for a Garmin eTrex Venture for a few dollars more and am much happier with it. It even held a signal in the same conditions that I tested the Cobra GPS 100 in.
My advice: go with a brand you trust like Garmin or Magellan.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Cobra GPS 100 1.1-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

Offering incredible value and advanced technology, the Cobra GPS 100 features an 18-channel parallel receiver for faster satellite acquisition and WAAS for improved accuracy. It's ready for your adventures in the great outdoors with a built-in compass, altimeter, and clock. It's also waterproof to a 1 meter depth for 30 minutes.
Other features include:
Waypoints: Store up to 500 waypoints with names and symbols
Route: Create 1 route with up to 50 waypoints
Track Log: Automatically tracks your travel with up to 2,000 log points
Tracks: Save up to 10 tracks from the track log with the ability to navigate the track path in both forward and reverse
Language support: Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish

What is WAAS? GPS receivers have an accuracy of about 15 meters, but you can get to as close as 3 meters with a WAAS-enabled receiver. WAAS stands for Wide Area Augmentation System, which is a network of satellites and ground stations (in North America) that were designed to improve the accuracy and ensure the integrity of information coming from GPS satellites. Originally implemented by the FAA for aviation use, WAAS is particularly useful for serious outdoors enthusiasts as well as for precise in-city navigation.
Power and Size The GPS 100 is powered by two AA batteries (not included). It measures 4.7 x 2.3 x 1.5 inches and weighs 5.3 ounces without batteries.
What's In The Box This package includes the Cobra GPS 100 unit, User Guide and Quick Reference Guide in 8 languages, and lanyard cord.

Click here for more information about Cobra GPS 100 1.1-Inch Portable GPS Navigator