Cobra GPS 500 1.1-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

by Cobra

Product Details

Product Manual [2.38mb PDF]

• Item Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00009B1VS
• Item model number: GPS 500
• Batteries: 2 AA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 1.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)

Product Description

18 Parallel Channels for Faster acquisition time! Accelerated Satellite Acquisition Protocol Gets you up and running up to twice as fast as any other recreational GPS receiver. 2 MB of built-in memory. Includes continental U.S. state boundaries, Canadian political boundaries, European country boundaries and hundreds of worldwide cities.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A truely terrible GPS unit, November 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Cobra GPS 500 1.1-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

I purchased a Cobra GPS 500 unit to upgrade from my base model Garmin Etrex. I had thought the 18 channels and FAST circuitry would make it operate better then my Etrex. I was sadly disappointed. The Cobra will not hold satellite lock in any kind of cover at all. I am an experienced GPS user and outdoorsman who does a lot of hunting, and I can tell you without any doubt that the Cobra GPS 500 is totally useless for use in the woods. The Cobra GPS 500 loses satellite lock in areas where my Garmin Etrex held it easily. (This situation appears to be common to the entire Cobra GPS line because I have a friend who purchased a GPS 100 and he complains about the same thing.) To top things off, I contacted Cobra Customer Service about these problems and they wouldn't even respond to my email. So what you have here is a truely terrible product backed by terrible customer service. I would recommend that any potential buyers of this product avoid it at all cost, and spend their money on a Garmin or Magellan unit instead.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Nothing comes close to a COBRA! Don't you!, March 9, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Cobra GPS 500 1.1-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

I purchased (through the Air Miles rewards program) the COBRA GPS500, not once, but TWICE. I first purchased the unit and believed it to be faulty it performed so poorly. Signal acquisition time seemed "forever" and it frequently lost satellite lock. On several occasions, between establishing lock, loosing lock and again re-establishing lock, the unit tells me I've moved upwards to one half mile whereas I've remained stationary, only changing the direction the unit was pointing. Simply changing the direction the unit was pointing (like changing direction in your car or boat) was enough to loose satellite lock! Very poor! I was able to exchange the original unit (unfortunately NOT able to return it) and when I received the replacement unit, it, like the first one, performs very, very poorly. The features offered on the unit would led you to believe it would "shine in the dark," whereas in actual fact, it is the poorest of any GPS unit I've ever used. And to add insult to injury, while I was awaiting deliver of this second unit, believing the first one faulty, I wasted an additional $100.00 by purchasing the PC interface cable, power cord and auto mount. What is that COBRA slogan: "Nothing comes close to a COBRA" You better believe it! Not even a satellite signal is able to get close!

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars The worse of all GPS', February 26, 2004

By 

Claudia - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cobra GPS 500 1.1-Inch Portable GPS Navigator (Electronics)

I've just bought this gps , and I'm gonna tell you I'm totally dissapointed with this unit.At the same time my father bought a Garmin eTrex unit and it's much better. I now regret all the fun I've made about his GPS and mine because mine has 18 satellite connection and his just 12. Fisrt of all the Garmin connects in about 45 second while the Cobra in 2 minutes.
Meanwhile the Garmin gets 9 sats the Cobra only gets 5. Now I'm working with UTM coordinates and the Garmin shows me all the info I need while the Cobra doesn't.
The unit handling is friendly user for the Garmin while the Cobra doesn't.
An overall qualification 0 out of 10.