Cobra GPS
A Cobra GPS system is geared towards someone who likes to drive. While Cobra products have been around for quite some time, the brand is really quite new to marketing GPS navigational systems. The company first started with CB radios, radar detectors and other electronic devices for both professional and recreational drivers. GPS systems are the newest move for the company as they head into more GPS product development.
This makes it natural for the company to market the first GPS-equipped radar detector in the United States. The XRS R9G radar detector works with GPS to locate speed zones. With the advent of fixed-location speed and red-light cameras, the data base for this radar detector/GPS system ingeniously holds these speed cameras as points of interest in the data base. There is an automatic signal that warns of upcoming cameras so the driver can adjust their speed accordingly. In the future, Cobra also plans to add further points of interest which would include alerts for high accident zones, schools, and major highway construction. The XRS R9G retails for $449.95 and may well be worth it if you encounter multiple speed zones when driving across the country.
Cobra also offers a basic handheld that may need a little work to compete with models from Garmin and Magellan. The GPS 100 and 500 models come at a lower price, but during testing proved to have a receiver with little sensitivity. Getting a cold fix seems to be a problem, and even though these models are WAAS (Wide Area Augmentation System), they only seem to be able to lock on two satellites at a time. The screen also lacks the resolution of similar models.
However, both the Cobra 100 and 500 have the features you’d expect in a nonmapping handheld GPS geared toward outdoor enthusiasts. Both models feature a built-in compass, clock, and altimeter. They can both store up to 500 waypoints and create a route using as many as 50 of them. Capabilities also include automatic bidirectional tracking and the intuitive menus let you view average, maximum, and current speed along with elevation, trip mileage and the ETA to your destination. The device also sounds an alarm when the receiver loses satellite reception and when the battery is low. Two AA batteries last about twelve hours.
Both models are made to be water-resistant for outdoor use and are pocket-sized at 4.7” by 2.3” by 1.5” and weigh in at 5.3 oz. The screens are a little small at 2.1” by 1.1”, but overall, both models are the least expensive for their class and are good for occasional outdoor excursions.
Cobra scores much higher with its NavOne 4500 and 5000 portable GPS navigational systems. The first thing you notice about these two GPS devices is the screen. This 5 inch, 320–by-240 ultra bright pixel touch screen makes it easy to check out your entire route in one glance. The preprogrammed maps include all fifty states and Canada and over 7 million points of interest. Of course, Cobra puts in speed and red light camera alerts, and the 4500 and 5000 also feature hands-free calls from Bluetooth enabled cellular phones, turn-by-turn voice navigation, and a rechargeable Li-lon battery. For about $150.00 more, you can outfit either model with the Cobra MNA-4000CCFM Traffic Receiver which provides real-time traffic for 49 major metropolitan areas, shows traffic congestion on major roads and freeways on-screen, and allows for re-routing around congestion if there are traffic delays ahead.
Cobra may have some work to do on different GPS products that they are developing, but the good news for GPS enthusiasts is that this company seems to have different ideas and uses for GPS devices. Hopefully, this will prompt other manufacturers to keep exploring other possibilities as well.
Posted in General GPS Information
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