forerunner Article

Garmin products are recognized and known as the best consumer products on the market. Although other companies such as Magellan, Lowrance, TomTom, Mio, and others manufacture high quality receivers, Garmin seems to be the name that people turn to first. These units can be accurate to a distance of 3 meters.

Founded in 1989, Garmin manufactures devices that utilize the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites to help people navigate anywhere on earth. The products range from handheld receivers used by hikers, and soldiers stationed in other countries to units for airplanes, motorcycles, cars, and boats. And don’t forget units in laptops, PDA’s, and cell phones. The company manufactures 3 to 4 million units per year covering all their product categories.

Garmin units are sold pre-installed as factory equipment in many vehicles as navigation systems. Chrysler and BMW vehicles, and Honda and Harley Davidson motorcycles are some of their partners. These automotive units are the fastest growing category for Garmin. Detachable, or portable units can provide the same accurate detailed information but can easily be removed from the vehicle or motorcycle.

Features of their products can include pre-loaded maps, turn-by-turn directions, voice guidance, color touch screens, and automatic route calculation abilities. A cradle on your dash is all you need if you choose a portable unit. You can view your directions, or have the text to speech capability guide you without taking your eyes off of the road. When you are done driving you can stuff it in your backpack for the hiking adventure that you have been planning. Recent models contain a gyroscope to aid navigation in areas where signals may be obscured.

The recreational market is an ever-expanding area for Garmin products. Hiking, fishing, hunting, and geocaching are more fun and more precise with an efficient handheld receiver. The broad range of outdoor products also includes a family radio service, along with a two-way radio line of products embedded with technology. With a 12-mile communication range, a large color display and an auto-routing basemap, the sender and receiver of a message can see where the other is located, and the distance they are from each other.

Boaters

can also augment their navigation charts to ensure accurate travel with the assistance of a receiver. These units can even provide weather updates so you know if and when a storm is brewing. This can alert you to wind warnings and weather forecasts for specific areas. They also come loaded with maps outlining tidal information and US coastline charts. In addition, some of the newest equipment can be tailored to receive radar and sonar data.

If you are a practicing or budding athlete a device of less than 3 ounces, strapped onto your wrist, can provide you with you heart rate, speed, distance and pace information. This unit can be used to prepare workouts in advance so you push yourself with the built in coach, and you can analyze your performance after your exhilarating workout.

Garmin products for the aviation industry are available in portable and permanent panel-mount varieties. They are also offered as standard equipment or an option on general aviation aircraft like Diamond, Cessna, Mooney, and Raytheon. One of the more recent aviation products will display flight restrictions, weather reports, and wind and lightning information. What more can you want?

What is your need? What functions are necessary? Where will you use it? Ask yourself these questions before you get yours. That will ensure that you make the right choice.