Lowrance Endura Sierra GPS Review

Lowrance adds touchscreen functionality with its top of the line Sierra GPS. With a plethora of multimedia options, it comes across as more entertainment device than a dedicated navigational aid. How does it work for backpacking?

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The Lowrance Sierra is the top of the line of the company's Endura series of touchscreen GPS units. It comes with 4 GB of built-in memory and has Intermap's Accuterra high-resolution topographic maps and the NAVTEQ road network for the contiguous forty-eight states preloaded.

Working with the Sierra was a mix of highs and lows for me. It kind of made me think of one of my favorite Clint Eastwood westerns, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

Cue the music.

ARTICLE OUTLINE

Overview
The Good
The Bad
The Ugly
What's Good
What's Not So Good
Specifications (as stated by Manufacturer)

# WORDS: 1750
# PHOTOS: 4

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Viewing 11 posts - 1 through 11 (of 11 total)

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Posts
Dec 22, 2009 at 10:56 am #1253406

Addie Bedford
BPL Member

@addiebedford
Locale: Montana

Companion forum thread to:

Lowrance Endura Sierra GPS Review

Dec 22, 2009 at 1:16 pm #1556208

Roger Caffin
BPL Member

@rcaffin
Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

Hi ray

Valuable review. What NOT to buy.

{rant}
That's what happens when the marketing department works by committee – you get every conceivable bit of useless electronic junk jammed into the box. When will these guys realise that when someone wants a GPS, that's what they want – not a complete circus tent?
{/rant}

Cheers

Dec 22, 2009 at 2:19 pm #1556224

EndoftheTrail
BPL Member

@ben2world-2

"That's what happens when the marketing department works by committee… When will these guys realise that when someone wants a GPS, that's what they want – not a complete circus tent?"

Methinks you've got Sales and Marketing confused. Sales wants to put a GPS into the hands of everyone who wants one and can pay for it.

In the interest of ever-increasing earnings growth which stockholders demand, Marketing's job is to "increase the pie" by convincing people that they need a circus tent and not just a GPS.

By and large, Marketing usually succeeds. :)

Dec 22, 2009 at 4:12 pm #1556249

Mark McLauchlin
BPL Member

@markmclauchlin
Locale: Western Australia

Great review Ray,

Think I will stick with my old trusty 60CSX

Cheers

Dec 22, 2009 at 5:36 pm #1556275

Erick Panger
BPL Member

@eggs
Locale: Mid Life

I bring an iPod/MP3 player on some trips as well as a GPS. Combining these would be nice but inevitably when these combination take place compromises have to happen and each feature suffers somewhat. I suspect this unit is suffering from many compromises.

Dec 22, 2009 at 5:38 pm #1556276

Roger Caffin
BPL Member

@rcaffin
Locale: Wollemi & Kosciusko NPs, Europe

Hi Ben

> Methinks you've got Sales and Marketing confused.
Yeah, you might be right. Sigh.

Cheers
(the circus jester)

Dec 23, 2009 at 4:23 pm #1556500

Sam Farrington
BPL Member

@scfhome
Locale: Chocorua NH, USA

Ray,
Thank you for the valuable work on this review. Is there any chance of your reviewing the Garmin Foretrex 301 or 401?
Sam Farrington, Chocorua NH

Dec 23, 2009 at 4:55 pm #1556506

George Matthews
BPL Member

@gmatthews

Ray – good review.

Rog/Ben –

electronic business: add features -> marketing -> sales -> repeat

targeted customer: grab new -> toss old -> repeat

All –

For me, electronic gadgets can create unpleasant 'noise' and therefore lessen the benefits of some backpacking activities. I'm not a Luddite, but am actually working on texting and drawing with a pencil to record some hikes. I've found this low-tech product to be refreshing. Try it sometime.

Dec 23, 2009 at 5:14 pm #1556508

Keith Selbo
Spectator

@herman666
Locale: Northern Virginia

I'm not sure I get this. Isn't there free software that generates route files? Is it that you can't load a gpx file into the GPS from a computer?

Dec 23, 2009 at 7:15 pm #1556530

Raymond Estrella
Member

@rayestrella
Locale: Northern Minnesota

Thanks guys,

Hey Keith,

It takes downloaded GPX files with no problem. Drag-and-drop simple. Works for routes and geo-caches quite well. I was talking about making my own routes. I have not seen any "free" GPX topo programs out there. There are some free front ends, or transfer programs, but they all want you to buy the mapping software.

Which is fine, Lowrance sells it too. I reviewed what they sent me.

I spend a lot of time in Minnesota and they are big there with the fishing folks. I hope they continue to refine their GPS units towards our use. Competition is good…

Dec 24, 2009 at 2:53 pm #1556748

Patricia Combee
Member

@trailfrog
Locale: Northeast/Southeast your call

Very nice review. Makes my Cheapie $100, 5 year old Magellan look pretty good. I was actually wanting to check this GPS out, I think perhaps I will skip it.
Again, nice very informative review.
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