Review of the Lowrance XOG Crossover GPS Navigator

The Lowrance XOG Crossover is a ruggedly constructed GPS unit that is weatherproof and waterproof for the true outdoorsman. It is a twelve channel GPS unit. It does street navigation and outdoor maps. You can also buy additional software to aid in outdoor sports such as fishing hot spots, It is designed to be used in the vehicle, outside on the most rugged of trails, and in the boat during lake and river fishing.

The unit will easily download from U.S. satellite and aerial imagery, enhanced USGS topographic data, and BLM mapping. It offers straight line navigation for off road and on water travel. Also turn by turn audio directions that are clear and loud while you can follow visually.

It also comes with an MP3 Player and a JPEG viewer for a different twist on things.

It operates on a rechargeable lithium battery and charger which is included with purchase. Plus a suction cup mount that works well in vehicles. Unfortunately, the battery will only last for approximately 2-3 hours before it will need recharged which can pose a problem for strong outdoor usage where there is no way to charge.

This unit retails for $229.00.

When it comes to a GPS this is probably not the best on the market, in my opinion. Some of the problems that are being experienced by this model seem extreme for the price range. It tends to loose its position and take awhile to locate itself again. It also seems to often get lost and confused. Its solution to the problem is to advice you to make one U turn after another.

It also seems to loose satellite signal often even in the heart of a city where large buildings are or extreme tree cover exists. This is a problem especially if you are out in the woods. Tree's should not cause you to loose your satellite signal when similar models do not seem to suffer from this situation. This is probably the biggest disappointment of the whole unit. It can become quite frustrating. Yes, eventually it will relocate the satellite but nobody likes to wait.

The screen is acceptable but in bright sunlight it is a bit hard to read.

The extra maps that you can purchase tend to be quite expensive. They break the United States down into regions so you are looking at $109.95 times four if you want to do all the states. This seems a bit expensive, if you ask me.

One of the more exciting accessories that you can buy for this unit is the handlebar mount for a bicycle. This was an added bonus for the mountain biker.

A few users have complained that this GPS locks up and does not unlock when turned on and off. I have not personally experienced this problem so I wonder if it is a defect that is only being seen in a few units. Either way, one would expect all to work the same and it must be extremely frustrating to have a GPS completely lock up and require rebooting.

I have also heard that the charging unit goes out and this renders the GPS unable to go solo with just battery power. When this happens you must constantly have it plugged in which makes it useless for boating, bike riding, or hiking. Again, I have not personally experienced this problem but I have heard many people who have had this difficulty.

I don't feel that I can strongly recommend this GPS. I feel that there are a lot of other brands available that are currently much better and offer more reliability for the money.

However, if you are dead set on buying this GPS then you can log onto Lowrance website and purchase it directly plus the accessories that you might need.

http://www.lowrance.com/en/