Garmin Foretrex 201 Hands-Free GPS Navigation with Rechargable Lithium Ion Battery

by Garmin

Product Details

Product Manual [556kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 0.1 x 3.3 x 1.7 inches ; 3.2 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0001K2JD0
• Item model number: 010-00361-01
• Batteries: 1 Lithium ion batteries required.
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Foretrex 201 is a wearable Personal Navigator, perfect for outdoor and marine enthusiasts who desire hands-free GPS navigation in a lightweight, affordable package. At a mere 2.75 ounces, this waterproof wonder is lighter than most watches, and its wrist-top mount frees up hands for outdoor activities and sports an ergonomic wristband. The 201 model comes with a recharging unit so you never have to stock up on batteries for all your daily adventures, but consider the Foretrex 101 that runs on 2 AAA batteries if you're wandering away from the power outlet for a while.

With a user-friendly interface, the rugged Foretrex 201 simplifies navigation, making it ideal for the backcountry or water. Its six dedicated buttons (GoTo, Page, Enter/Mark, Up, Down and Power) make it easy to operate. It offers the most essential navigation data -- enhanced GPS accuracy, extensive storage for waypoints, and reversible routes and tracks -- on an easy-to-read display. Don't worry about packing extra batteries, because the Foretrex 201 runs on an internal lithium battery for 15 hours (typical use). Simply recharge and go.

The Foretrex 201 also comes equipped with special features sure to please mariners and hikers alike. It includes a unique application for sailing and paragliding racers that allows them to configure the start sequence of a race. The countdown is displayed in a large-number format that audibly alerts the user at each phase of the start sequence. With the help of Garmin's exclusive TracBack® technology, hikers can mark a campsite, go trekking all day, and follow the electronic "breadcrumb trail" back to camp in time for dinner.

The WAAS difference

100 meters: Accuracy of the original GPS system, which was subject to accuracy degradation under the government-imposed Selective Availability (SA) program. 15 meters: Typical GPS position accuracy without SA. 3-5 meters: Typical differential GPS (DGPS) position accuracy. Less than 3 meters: Typical WAAS position accuracy.

WAAS is a system of satellites and ground stations that provide GPS signal corrections, giving you even better position accuracy. How much better? Try an average of up to five times better. A WAAS-capable receiver can give you a position accuracy of better than three meters 95 percent of the time. And you don't have to purchase additional receiving equipment or pay service fees to utilize WAAS.

How it Works
WAAS consists of approximately 25 ground reference stations positioned across the United States that monitor GPS satellite data. Two master stations, located on either coast, collect data from the reference stations and create a GPS correction message. This correction accounts for GPS satellite orbit and clock drift plus signal delays caused by the atmosphere and ionosphere. The corrected differential message is then broadcast through one of two geostationary satellites, or satellites with a fixed position over the equator. The information is compatible with the basic GPS signal structure, which means any WAAS-enabled GPS receiver can read the signal.

Who benefits from WAAS?
Currently, WAAS satellite coverage is only available in North America. There are no ground reference stations in South America, so even though GPS users there can receive WAAS, the signal has not been corrected and thus would not improve the accuracy of their unit. For some users in the U.S., the position of the satellites over the equator makes it difficult to receive the signals when trees or mountains obstruct the view of the horizon. WAAS signal reception is ideal for open land and marine applications. WAAS provides extended coverage both inland and offshore compared to the land-based DGPS (differential GPS) system. Another benefit of WAAS is that it does not require additional receiving equipment, while DGPS does.

Product Description

The Foretrex 201 is a wearable Personal Navigator for the outdoor enthusiast. Built rugged for adventure, this wrist-top device is perfect for hikers, campers, climbers, and mariners who want a useful GPS in a lightweight, waterproof, and affordable package. The Foretrex 201 combines the form factor of our new personal training system, the Forerunner 201, with the GPS navigation features of our popular Geko 201. The Foretrex 201 offers hands-free GPS navigation information, allowing you to concentrate on your outdoor activities. The Foretrex 201 features six dedicated buttons (GoTo, Page, Enter/Mark, Up, Down and Power), making it one of the easiest GPS units on the market to operate. It offers the most essential navigation data, enhanced GPS accuracy, and extensive storage for waypoints, reversible routes, and track information. It includes Garmin’s exclusive TracBack technology which allows you to mark your campsite, go trekking all day, and then follow the electronic “breadcrumb trail” back to camp in time for dinner. You don’t even need to worry about packing extra batteries, because the Foretrex 201 runs on an internal lithium battery for 15 hours.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

116 of 117 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My Foretrex review after a few days with it, May 6, 2004

By 

Gavin Scott (Sunnyvale, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Garmin Foretrex 201 Hands-Free GPS Navigation with Rechargable Lithium Ion Battery (Electronics)

The Foretrex 201 is a general purpose version of the Forerunner personal training device. It lacks the personal training features (and PC software) of the Forerunner and replaces them with a general purpose GPS feature set derived from Garmins successful "Geko" models.

Note that Garmin describes the Foretrex as being similar to a Geko 201, but the Foretrex is missing a few features (no games) and the user interface is substantially different in a few areas.

There are two Foretrex models currently. This model, the 201, has an internal rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery which means the unit is .3 inches thinner than the model 101 which takes two AAA batteries. Currently the 201 can only be recharged using the (included) AC adapter and "cradle" bracket, so the advantage of the 201 is its smaller size, and the disadvantage is that you need to be near AC power and have the charger and cable along if you run low on power. This could be an issue for backcountry use. The other difference between the 101 and 201 is that the 201 is dark green (it's more green than is obvious in the pictures) and the 101 appears (I haven't seen one) to be silver. Each will appear equally dorky on your wrist if you wear it as a watch.

The 201 is very light, actually weighing .1 ounces *less* than the watch I usually wear. The strap is comfortable but wide. It adjusts to a surpisingly large range of wrist sizes (even fairly skinny ones). There's an extension strap provided if you want to wear it around your forearm.

The screen is very high contrast (more so than other Garmin GPSs I've seen) and easy to see.

The 201 has four gold contacts on the back at one end and it comes with a charging and data "cradle" (basically a clip that attaches to the back from end to end (works with the strap attached) and provides two small connectors for power and serial data.

It comes with a serial cable but no software. It will work with Garmin's Mapsource products (though without downloadable maps) and there's lots of shareware/freeware out there for managing waypoints, track logs, geocaching, etc. Note that the serial cable is only about three feet long, which can be somewhat inconvenient.

Battery life appears good. Garmin claim 15 hours, but I haven't run it down far enough to know what's realistic. After five hours of constant use in "normal" mode, the battery gague was still at 3 out of 4 dots. Charging takes a couple hours and displays "Battery Charging in Progress" bouncing around the display while it's going on.

Software updates can be downloaded from Garmin's web site (there's a minor update already available) and installed using the included cable.

Performance is about what I expected from a wrist-mounted GPS. The receiver performance appears to be identical to the other current Garmin models even at this small size. When walking around outdoors with my arm at my side, it does a good job of tracking the satellites that aren't obscured by my body and track logs downloaded from the unit are usually very good. There certainly are times when it can't see enough sats or just barely gets three of them or gets some ugly multipath reflection from somewhere and as a result you can get some track points that are really out in left-field. Overall it does better than I expected it to and you can just hold it up like you're looking at your watch to give it a better sky view if you want to take a more accurate fix.

The navigation data display page consists of a number of user-selectable fields in various (fixed) sizes from one to four per screen. These are arranged in a sort of virtual strip that you scroll up and down through. It appears to me that none of the time displays will show better than minute resolution. The "digital" style font used is pretty ugly.

There's a "timer" page which only supports count-down timing.

It has the Hunt/Fish and Sun/Moon data pages from the Geko and most of its other features except for the games as mentioned. Most of what you can do with a Geko you can do with this model, so check out the Geko 201 reviews as well.

It would be nice if it had a "watch" mode which would allow it to display the time and date with the GPS off and get a few days of battery life in this mode, but no such luck.

It's very well made and feels very solid as do most Garmin products. It should be very reliable as long as you don't prang the screen on something while wearing it as a watch. It's easy to operate the buttons with your other hand.

So, I could certainly recommend this model for someone who needs a basic (non-mapping) GPS and for whom the wrist/arm mounting option is desirable. It's probably the most functional way of carrying an active GPS on your person without resorting to a separate antenna or some similar complexity.

G.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Design Racing GPS, May 17, 2004

By 

K. Martin (Westport, CT United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Garmin Foretrex 201 Hands-Free GPS Navigation with Rechargable Lithium Ion Battery (Electronics)

From a sailor's perspective ... this thing rocks.

My class does not permit electronic aids for racing, so I cannot mount a GPS on the boat or put a speedo through the hull. I needed a way to get knots feedback during training. I gave this a try. I am happy. The unit provides just what I wanted: quick feedback on trim / crew position when there are no other boats to race.

Features that work for me -- waterproof, WAAS accurate to 17feet, knot meter only lags about 2-3 seconds on actual, adjustable countdown for starts, manual magnetic/true heading adjustment, manual tacking angle input (really cool - it beeps on VMG layline), adjustable display screens, easy to read.

If your hands are busy and the cockpit is wet - consider this model over handheld or mounted alternatives. Did I mention the BIG NUMBER 5 minute countdown feature with easy reset/adjustment to cmte-boat sequence? Good engineering on this one. My strongest recommendation.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Toys for the Mountain/Road Bike, April 20, 2004

By 

"abefromanii" (Monterey, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Garmin Foretrex 201 Hands-Free GPS Navigation with Rechargable Lithium Ion Battery (Electronics)

The Foretrex 201 should receive many of the same kudos that the Forerunner 201 received even though it is a slightly different model. The track log of the Foretrex 201 will allow you to record horizontal and vertical track profile information to be downloaded and viewed on MapSource software. I recommend the Foretrex for cycling since it can interact with MapSource Trip and Waypoint Manager. The map page works great...never to be lost again and the track log drops breadcrumbs as you travel. This track can be based on `DISTANCE', `TIME', or `AUTO'; which allows you to drop a track point based on feet, seconds, or automatically (up to 10,000 trackpoints)-Absolutely Awesome! I purchased the Foretrex 201 in April 2004 and have been extremely happy with its operational capability. I have noticed that the unit is difficult to recharge; however, Garmin agreed to replace my AC Charger. Additionally, the cradle has a slot cutout for the wrist strap to stay on the unit while charging; however, a better connection seems to be attained when you slip the cradle beneath the strap (there is enough room). I hope that one of the two solutions above will solve any future recharging problems. Occasionally, the unit will turn on while plugging the AC cable into the cradle. Again, other than the minor hassle mentioned earlier-the unit operates as advertised. Unfortunately, no software is included with the Foretrex even though they provide a serial connector with each unit. This caught me by surprise since I now have to purchase software such as Garmin's MapSource Trip & Waypoint Manager, which Garmin sells on-line (but can be found cheaper through other vendors). In my opinion, this software should come standard with each unit. I was also hoping that Garmin would include something similar to the Forerunner 201 Logbook software, but it is not compatible. It would be nice if the "unit" could display the total vertical climb and descent without downloading it via the software. For those that want the luxury of changing batteries-get the Foretrex 101, otherwise the rechargeable lithium battery comes standard in the Foretrex 201. Positional and altitude readings have been well within acceptable tolerances! Still learning, but seems to be everything I wanted plus more!