Lowrance i-Way 500C - 4Wheel & Off-Road Magazine

New trucks have an overabundance of electro-gizmos like DVD, CD, MP3, iPod, and GPS that remind us of Star Wars droids and would have confused the new-truck buyer 10 years ago. While most of these devices are solely designed for driver entertainment (and often distraction), we have found when hunting for exciting road-trip adventures, a global positioning system (GPS) can be valuable for finding out-of-the-way destinations and getting home from there.

The cockpit of our life was getting pretty complicated with two cell phones, a satellite radio receiver, a CD player, a thermometer, an inclinometer, an odometer, and a compass all cluttering up our FJ Cruiser. Though we are way over-taxing our single power outlet, the Lowrance iWay 500C GPS has helped us find everything from local taco joints to distant trailheads. When used in our other trail rigs like the Army truck with oversized tires, it helps verify actual ground speed since the truck's speedometer is way off.

The cockpit of our life was getting pretty complicated with two cell phones, a satellite r

Now don't get us wrong, we feel some of the best road trips don't require maps, just some free time, a full tank of fuel, and the bravery to explore back roads and trails.

However, in those situations we've often encountered things that we needed to come back to on our next trip, and that is where the new Lowrance i-Way 500C comes into play. Not only can you type in an address to get directions, but you can also mark your current location in case you need to get back there. Whether it be for that perfect project truck rusting in the field, the best apple pie at a hole-in-the-wall diner, or a giant muddy bog near your favorite trail that you want to come back to and attempt in the future, GPS can truly be useful. Lowrance has taken it to the next level by offering a GPS that can also store MP3s (that's computer talk for music files), so you can put all your music on the GPS unit (up to 5,000 songs) and leave your CDs at home.

Another benefit of the i-Way is that it can show you a ton of local POIs (that's GPS talk for points of interest) such as gas stations, ATMs, and restaurants. There are turn by turn directions available to almost any address you enter into the unit, and if you go to your favorite trail you can set it as a Way Point that you can then return to. Though we're not fond of overgizmoing your life while driving, the iWay can definitely make a great little navigator.

The Lowrance unit is available with different mounting platforms, such as this windshield suction cup unit we used. The first thing that comes on the touch screen when you power up the iWay is a disclaimer that driving while paying attention to your GPS more than the road can cause accidents, death, and the apocalypse. In other words, use it to get there and home, but give the road your attention. Once started, the GPS unit contacts at least three or four of the 24 satellites fixed 11,000 miles above the earth's surface to give a precise location of the unit and you sitting next to it in your truck.
The Lowrance unit is available with different mounting platforms, such as this windshield
If you know the address of your destination you can easily type it in using the touch screen, and the GPS unit will give you turn-by-turn directions from where you are to where you want to be. In addition, it can provide total distance to destination, estimate travel and arrival time to destination, give your current location and distance to and direction of your next turn, as well as your current road speed. Not to mention that the iWay can record your route so you can follow it back to base camp if need be, or get you back to a newly discovered trailhead. It can also suggest ATMs, gas stations, food, and lodging along the way.
If you know the address of your destination you can easily type it in using the touch scre
Of course the global positioning system of the Lowrance iWay is the true crown of this divining rod, but in addition it comes with 10 gigabytes of hard drive space for MP3 music files. This means you can hook it up to your computer, transfer the music from your CD collection, wire it into the stereo in your truck, and never have to worry about scratching your favorite copy of CW McCall's greatest hits album while out wheeling ever again.
Of course the global positioning system of the Lowrance iWay is the true crown of this div