The iFinder H20 is a mid-priced, handheld GPS unit with a 16 channel, WAAS-enabled receiver and mapping. It’s the waterproof version of the iFinder Pro. The H20 holds 10,000 trackpoints and a generous 1,000 waypoints in its onboard memory and thousands more in the optional memory card. The memory card slot accommodates MMC and SD cards up to 512 megabytes. The test unit came with a 256 megabyte card.

As far as first impressions, the unit itself is on the large side. It’s not quite as big as a Magellan Meridian or the Garmin 76 series, but bigger than most other handheld units on the market. The H20 has a somewhat unattractive, boxy shape that doesn’t provide a particularly good “hand feel.” The display is not recessed, which exposes it to scratching and the battery door lock is flimsy and a candidate for early breakage. In fact the latch on the test unit already has a crack. There is a rubber gasket around the outside, similar to the one on Garmin eTrex units. This was already coming loose on the slightly used test unit, which makes me think that it could be an issue with this model. The display is larger than most and the resolution is excellent. This combination makes for superior readability. The button layout is well thought out and allows for easy, one-handed use.

The first time I turned the unit on, it received a 3D lock in a lightning fast 26 seconds. It rarely took more than 50 seconds to get a lock, even under a heavy leaf canopy. I tested the unit by marking a waypoint under clear skies, walking 100 yards away, then using it to navigate back. Several tries netted a best of eight feet and a worst of 14. Quite impressive. Then I took the unit under heavy tree cover and the same test had a best of 17 feet and a worst of 28. Still very good.

Taking the unit geocaching, along with a Meridian Gold, Garmin 60CS and a Geko 201, was an eye opener. Most of the hunt took place under very heavy tree cover and the H20 performed superbly. The EPE shown on the unit was somewhat disconcerting as the Garmins and MeriGold were showing an EPE of 20-40 feet and the H20 was often showing over 100 ft and rarely went below 50ft. Yet a check of the satellite screen usually showed a better lock than any of the other three units. I’m guessing that Lowrance uses a much more conservative algorithm when calculating the EPE than Magellan and Garmin, which may account for the much higher EPE on the H20. At one point the H20 had seven solid sats while the Magellan was showing four and Garmins were only showing three. On another day, while standing under a roofed, open-sided pavilion, the H20 had nine solid sat locks, while a GPS V had only one and a 60CS had four.

The H20 allows you to create waypoints in several ways including a “fast create” mode, user-provided coordinates, projected coordinates, or averaged coordinates. If you choose averaged coordinates, a screen pops up that plots all the averaged waypoints on the screen, which is helpful.

One feature of the H20 that just misses the mark is the dual operation mode. For novice GPS users there is a basic mode that allows you to find your home waypoint and waypoints from the database. It will not, however, allow you to mark your own waypoints, nor will it allow you to find user-created waypoints. I don’t understand why marking and navigating to user-created waypoints is not included in the basic mode. This limits its usability for geocachers when in this mode. For those who are a bit more GPS savvy, there is an advanced mode that allows you to access all the features of the H20.

Computer connectivity is accomplished via a card reader, rather than the cable supplied with most GPS units. This is an unwieldy process that requires you to remove the battery cover and the batteries to get at the card. The Lowrance also doesn’t accept LOC or GPX files, so you have to run the files through a conversion utility to use them in the iFinder. Though any card reader can be used to download waypoints, you will need a proprietary Lowrance card reader to download maps.

The unit came with MapCreate Topo installed, which is an excellent topographical program. Map detail was outstanding and it was easy to differentiate the contour lines from roads and streams. Unlike the Garmin and Magellan topo programs, MapCreate Topo also has a database of businesses, services and points of interest. While its 2,000,000 listings are not as comprehensive as Garmin’s 5,000,000 entries in their City Select/Mapsource software, it is convenient to be able have both topo and businesses and points of interest in one software package.

Another feature that I like is that a small navigation arrow appears in the lower right corner of the map screen if you have an active Go To. This eliminates the need to switch between the map and navigation screens.

The iFinder does have some annoying features. Warning messages and arrival alerts pop up on the screen, partially obscuring it until you hit the exit button. The arrival alarm can be set by the user, but the lowest setting is .1 mile. Most geocachers hardly consider .1 mile to be “arriving” at the cache. It would be nice if it could be set as low as 50 feet, or if it used time to destination, rather than distance, to signal arrival.

The user interface is not as intuitive and easy to use as Garmin’s or Magellan’s and takes some getting used to. The software also seems to have more bugs than I’ve seen with the Magellan and Garmin units. One particularly annoying bug appears when you list the nearest waypoints. There is a field that is supposed to show the distance of each waypoint from your location, but each waypoint shows zero.

Pros: Memory card; outstanding reception; accuracy; high resolution screen; good value.

Cons: PC connectivity only via card reader; user interface.

Geocaching applications: The H20 is an excellent choice for geocaching. The memory card allows you to hold virtually an unlimited number of waypoints. They can be grouped in files using whatever criteria the user wants, and the individual files can be loaded into the onboard memory as required. Reception is rock solid under tree cover.

Bottom line: This is a serious GPS with outstanding reception, for serious geocachers and GPS users. Geocachers who are looking for an excellent GPS at a good price and aren’t interested in auto-routing should consider the iFinder H20.