Portable Navigators - Bushnell ONIX 400 GPS with XM NEXRAD Weather

Online super discounter, Woot.com, recently ran a rather good special on the Bushnell ONIX 400 GPS with XM NEXRAD Weather. Savvy buyers should have bought multiple units as the resale value and profit margin on their offer was very high.

But, alas, the offer, a deal of the day, is gone and passed. But, similar deals are still available and we can expect to see a quick influx of these on eBay as both buyers who purchased with the sole intention of resale and less tech savvy individuals who fail to understand their new product, unload onto eBay. For the next month, the price should drop across the board due to the big influx in cheap GPS systems

For starters let break down this item description:

Bushnell: Bushnell, has been a big name in the Outdoor and sports optic fields for over 50 years, their products include scopes, binoculars and laser range finders.

ONIX 400: The most likely reason, pure conjecture, on my part for the name ONIX 400, is that this GPS Device uses the Onix indexing technology by Lextek in their application, this allows for very speedy integration of large amounts of data like in satmaps and weather data feeds. The product number is 36-4000

GPS Tracking system: Global Positioning systems use a network of satellite to accurately track your location anywhere in the world. The first GPS systems were in use as early as 1960 by the US Navy?

XM NEXRAD Weather:

• Xm refers to the brand name of a satellite radio company now operated under the Sirius name.
• NEXRAD Next Generation Radar - the current Doppler radar system which has been in effect since 1992, with one of these handheld units, you are actually accessing the same information as your local weather station!
  

The Bushnell ONIX uses a proprietary Lithium Ion Battery, considering the true purpose of the item, it should be noted that battery life is significantly impacted by the XM radio features.

It i highly suggested that one invests in a car charger for last minute charging and at least one backup battery unit.

Although the reviews of the Bushnell are mostly positive enough has changed in the last 2 years in portable electronics technology and the GPS industry that one can easily find a better or equivalent model of GPS tracking systems at half the price of the MSRP.

Many of the problems you will find with the Bushnell 400, like:

• Lack of removable memory storage for maps, limited internal memory
• No output for external antenna
• Poor reception indoors and even in tents

are solved by todays new models in handheld GPS technology, a favorite with the geocache community and one which leads in all the industry surveys is the:

 Garmin GPSMap 60CSx