The end result, for most users of the early units, was that only part of the GPS possibilities could be utilized. One could mark any spot they had been to and return to it later. But, if you had not been there before, GPS by itself was not going to get you there now.

That limitation led to the next GPS advancement -- user inserted map chips. Purchase the proper map card, insert it into the newer units possessing that capability, and life got easier. In addition to marking where you had been, users could now scroll up the proper map section, move a cursor to their destination point, and be guided to it. The course on the map would be a straight line, but with the on screen map it was easy to navigate around intervening obstacles while receiving constant course updates.

That was a major improvement, but the drawback was that you needed the proper map cards, and they were not cheap -- nor were maps available for all areas. That has changed today.

The latest GPS technology provides a built-in hard drive that is pre-loaded with full map capability. Push a few buttons and up pops any coastal area, lake, inland terrain, and even city streets! Navigation has never been so easy, and it is not limited to the woods and water. More than a few professional tournament anglers have a GPS unit in their tow vehicle to help them find boat ramps, motels, and all the other amenities they require while traveling the fishing circuit. In many cases, it is the same unit they use in the boat. They just slip it into the vehicle, plug it into a dashboard receptacle, and require only a separate vehicle antenna.

Life in the hinterlands does not get much easier than that. Thus noted, let's take a closer look at what else is coming from the manufacturers of these navigational marvels.

EAGLE
www.eaglesonar.com
Eagle's entry into the high-level split screen-color GPS/depth recorder arena is the Sea Champ 2000. This unit features a bright 7-inch color display 480v-by-640h screen pixel display. A dual 50/200 kHz transducer reads at up to 70 mph and provides water temperature/speed/distance displays. Optional transducers are available.

The recorder offers Advanced Signal Processing, Fish track, several zoom options, selective alarms for Shallow, Deep, Fish, and Zone, COLORLINE to separate fish from nearby bottom and help define bottom composition, and it provides precise trolling speed and distance readings.

The GPS side offers 12-parallel channel GPS+WASS reception with position updates every second with the external EGC-12W receiver. A custom, built-in background map covers the continental United States and Hawaii in high detail, with over 60,000 navigation aids and 10,000 wrecks and other structures in coastal and Great Lakes waters. Land-based mapping includes interstate exit services and additional inland navigation features.

Optional software allows the use of MapCreate, to design custom maps, and is compatible with the full spectrum of Lowrance aftermarket maps via MMC/SD cards to locate over 2,000,000 Points Of Interest. This includes a searchable database of streets and addresses, as well as marinas, restaurants, motels, airports, emergency services and more.

The Eagle Fish Elite 480 is a lower-priced version of the Sea Champ that offers a 480-by-480 pixel black-and-white display, a single 200 kHz transducer and a 5-inch viewing screen. Other than those differences, it offers virtually all of the Sea Champs features, including MMC/SD card capability, the same built-in maps, and compatibility with Lowrance custom maps.