Garmin Foretrex 101 Wearable Personal Navigator

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Editorial reviews

Product Description
The economical ForetrexTM 101 is the wrist-mount GPS that frees up your hands so you can focus on your outdoor activities. Includes PC interface capabilities for downloading waypoints, tracks and routes, and operates on two AAA batteries. Its easy-to-use interface and basic GPS capabilities are perfect for outdoor enthusiasts who would rather replace the batteries than recharge the unit in the field. This unit features Garmins intuitive operating logic, utilizing six dedicated buttons to simplify navigation. Whether its a campsite, deer stand, or other place of interest, users can mark its location, identify the waypoint, and navigate to it later using the GoTo function. Also, with the help of Garmins exclusive TracBack® technology, users can retrace their steps by following an electronic breadcrumb trail back to their original starting point. Because the unit is waterproof, the Foretrex 101 is a natural companion on watersport adventures like kayaking, canoeing, boating and sailing. In fact, this device incorporates a sailboat-racing timer. Competitors can configure the countdown sequence prior to the start of the race and utilize their GPS location to be in the best possible tacking position when the race begins. - ForetrexTM 101 - Wrist strap - Expandable strap - Quick start guide - Owner's manual

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Manufacturer's Description
The Garmin Foretrex 101 is a wrist-mounted GPS that frees up your hands so you can focus on your outdoor activities. This product joins a growing line of wearable wrist navigation devices. The Foretrex 101 is loaded with features and functionality, including PC interface capabilities for downloading waypoints, tracks, and routes, and it operates on two AAA batteries.

Map page. View larger.

Navigation page. View larger.

Timer page. View larger.

The Foretrex 101 packs outdoor navigation into a wrist-mounted GPS receiver. View larger.

The 101 is the perfect navigational tool for a wide variety of outdoor enthusiasts, such as mountain bikers, hikers, and kayakers. This unit features Garmin's intuitive operating logic, using six dedicated buttons (GoTo, Page, Enter/Mark, Up, Down, and Power) to simplify navigation. Whether it's a campsite, deer stand, or other place of interest, users can mark its location, identify the waypoint, and navigate to it later using the GoTo function. It offers all the most essential navigation data--enhanced accuracy, extensive storage for waypoints, and reversible routes and tracks--on an easy-to-read display. Also, with the help of Garmin's exclusive TracBack technology, users can retrace their steps by following an electronic "breadcrumb" trail back to their original starting point.

Because the unit is waterproof, the Foretrex 101 is a natural companion on any water sport adventure, like kayaking, canoeing, boating, and sailing. In fact, this device even incorporates a sailboat-racing timer. Competitors can configure the countdown sequence prior to the start of the race and utilize their GPS location to be in the best possible tacking position when the race begins.

The Foretrex 101 delivers GPS accuracy of 15 meters or less in normal GPS mode and three meters or less when WAAS-enabled. The trip computer tracks and maintains important data, such as trip distance, trip timer, and other non-mapping navigation data. And the device can store up to 500 waypoints with graphic icon identification, 20 reversible routes, and 10,000 trackpoints. The device is waterproof to IEC 60529 IPX7 standards and can be submersed in one meter of water for up to 30 minutes without damaging the components. The 100 x 64 pixel monochrome display with backlighting is compact but easy to read in almost any light condition.

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Box Contents

Foretrex" 101

Wrist strap

Expandable strap

Quick start guide

Owner's manual

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-07-02 rating:
Brilliant kit with one flaw
This bit of kit is brilliant, I need to be able to look down and get a grid for my current location instantly and this does that for me. Unfortunately I have now lost 2 units because the bloody pins that retain it to the strap are far too weak.

I'm buying a third but make sure you use duct tape or something!

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review by: outerspaceliason date: 2008-01-02 rating:
Awesome
I use this unit as a back up when flying about and it works brilliantly. It is almost identical to an Etrex in terms of functions (totally identical I think), but is so so much more useable becuase it is permanently "out" in view of the satellites, so hardly loses lock. It also leaves your hands free for other stuff. The expandable strap provided lets you put it of the outside of jackets for walking.

I use rechargeable AAA batteries and they last ages (it has a different power drain for these batteries). I didn't get the 201 version because I sometimes travel away from mains power and need to replace the batteries. I used one pretty much solid for 18 months (everyday, no joke) and it survived very well. The screen eventually went (but the GPS element still works (great as a position tracker). Garmin will fix your unit if it breaks for a fixed fee of £30, which in my case got me a new unit...bargain!

I also have bought a second (or is it now third?) unit for my motorcycle to give me a digital speedo and trip meter. The mount is not particularly easy to get hold of but is very very good. The main downside of this device is if you want to hook it up to computer. You need to get a PC link cable and a serial-to-usb adapter, which can cost a total of £30 or so. But well worth it. I download all my flying data to Garmin Worldmap, which converts it to Google Earth.

There is no other GPS that does what this unit does. Great

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review by: date: 2007-12-04 rating:
Great for Peace of Mind
I bought this to go in a safety bag for my guides taking visitors to offshore towers(towers that get cut off from the land by the tide when it comes in)around Jersey. It is not used for navigation as such but as a back up if the fog comes in and people get seriously disorientated (the whole point being that it can point you in the direction you should be travelling if you dont know where your starting from)It is waterproof in shallow water - even in salt water - but do make sure you rinse it thoroughly afterwards.It is simple and easy to read - even in the dark with backlight.A solid piece of kit. The reason for giving it a 5 rating is that in its class of GPS you wont find much better, so although it does not have a multitude of features for its class it is the best I have found.

The only negative, but not one to drop a star for, is that it does not have an electronic compass, however if you are serious about navigation you should have two magnetic compasses anyway!

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review by: date: 2007-11-25 rating:
So good I bought a second one
Unfortunately I lost my first Fortrex 101 photographing somewhere near Thetford, but I couldn't find anything better at the price to replace it with, so I immediately bought another one. The new one booted up first time straight out of the box within a couple of minutes.
I haven't noticed any trouble with waterproofing as reported in other reviews, but I have noticed that it is important when closing the battery compartment to press the cover quite firmly until you hear it click shut, as there is a rubber seal that makes it quite stiff to close the battery compartment completely.


review by: date: 2007-05-18 rating:
Garmin Foretrex 101 Review
It is simple to use - the only thing you need to learn is how to change units and reset your maximum speeds and trip distance. It has good battery life.
I bought it for windsurfing to see how fast I was going. It makes a sail more interesting, and you can enter your times on the Boards magazine speed ladder. I also use it for running, to check how far I have run, and at what speed. (So I have to change the units from knots to mph)
Only gripe: the battery compartment is not waterproof. Apparently this is normal, but you have to remove the batteries and dry them each time, OR buy an Aquapac bag to keep it in. I have done this, and it does not affect performance or access to the buttons.

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