From the September/October 2011 issue of ATV Rider Magazine
Navigating mountainous terrain can be a bit of a difficult task, and trying to find your way back to your camp or hauler in the dark of night only makes it worse. I’ve taken many trips into the wilderness of Coal Creek as well as other remote destinations in the southeast United States without the help of a GPS device, and I can tell you that I’ve had my fair share of times where I’ve felt lost. Trail maps aren’t always as good as you need them to be when you’re lost and have no idea which way to turn.
When we built the Extreme Adventure Machine (see the May/June ’11 issue) its sole purpose was to be tough enough to go anywhere and return safely, knowing the entire time where we were and what direction would get us back to camp. This required just a little research on what type of GPS device I would want, and my first thought was, “What do the guys in Baja trust to get them confidently from point A to point B?” The first and most popular answer was a Lowrance GPS unit. This company has been building GPS equipment for years, and the HDS-10m was the unit that I felt best suited my wants and needs. This model is considered by many to be the cream of the crop, and with its expandability I knew this was what I needed for the machine.
The GPS chart plotter is massive, and once I got it out of the box I was a little concerned that I might not have any room in the side-by-side to mount the monster. After fabricating a crossbar for the front of my cage, we installed a set of Axia Alloys billet GPS mounts, which then allowed me to secure and position the unit at a perfectly accessible and viewable level. The power hookup was super easy, and the twist-lock-style weather-tight plugs ensure that the power doesn’t get interrupted.
The biggest concern I had after I had powered up the unit was whether I’d be able to figure out how to work this awesome piece of engineering. The screen is the size of a small TV and has more options than Direct TV has channels. This particular model is normally used for marine applications, so I couldn’t use every feature it had to offer, but the super-sensitive 16-channel internal GPS antenna provided an accurate location no matter where I was. On some handheld GPS units, seeing the screen can be a chore in certain situations, but that’s definitely not a problem with our 10.4-inch screen. No matter if it was in direct sunlight or pitch-black darkness, the LED backlit screen let us know where we were at all times. The 3D topography was also extremely helpful when navigating unfamiliar territory, since we could see the elevation changes and would be aware of cliffs well before we stumbled upon them at the end of a trail. Other great features of the HDS-10m are the ability to add on Sirius satellite radio and a real-time weather radar that lets you know what that storm on the horizon really has in store for you. If I had to change one thing, it would be the very basic inland maps on the device. The ability to add maps is there and with two SD card slots it’s endless, but that’s another $150 or so.
Overall I’m still amazed at every feature I discover each time I use my new best friend!
| Price $1,999.95 | Lowrance |
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| + | Super-huge 3D colorful screen for easy reading on the trail |
| - | Extra maps needed even after heavy price tag |
| = | The best total package that will take you a few trips to actually get to all the great features! |
| Rating | 4.75/5 |