Garmin Foretrex 401 – Exclusive Gear Recon
June 9th, 2009 | Product Announcement Review | Posted by Rob Curtis
The first-generation wrist-mounted GPS were all about recreation, and if you used one in the field or on missions, you noticed they came up a bit short. But now Garmin has taken the original and slimmed it down into sleeker, more powerful tool. GearScout got a final prototype to play with weeks before its release.
Geared specifically for the military, the new Foretrex 401 is about 20 percent smaller than the 101 and comes with the same size backlit display. New to the Foretrex line, though, is the 401’s ability to clone itself wirelessly with another 401, handy for quickly sharing mission waypoints and routes among team members. It also sports a 2-axis digital compass, a barometric altimeter and a USB jack to swap data to and from a PC or Mac.
There’s even a “Jumpmaster” function for static, HAHO and HALO jumping that will let you set data points for under-canopy guidance to an LZ. It’s got options for forward throw, windspeeds at altitude and HARP to get you to the right place. Garmin also improved the GPS sensitivity so it will pick up a signal faster once out of the aircraft, but it’s still best as a backup to your backup altimeter.
It still runs on two AAAs, but the more efficient receiver will run strong for up to 24 hours. Keeping the unit on your wrist is easier with a beefy new strap, and if you want to have it anywhere else, there will be an optional pouch designed with the help of Navy SEALs that will mount the unit to your gear or rifle.
Weighing in at just under 3 ounces, it’s lighter than a stainless-steel Rolex and, while it?s not as blingy, it will get you home safe. The Foretrex 401 retails for $250. Visit www.garmin.com for more info after it’s released June 16, 2009.
Tags: gadgets, GPS, Technology
Comments
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Garmin Foretrex 401 | GadgetsArea.com Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 04:57[...] and even Forerunner 310XT, but they must have seen the market for it. Specially the DoD market: Militarytimes got their hands on a final prototype and the specs for the new Garmin Foretrex 401 looks quite [...]
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GPS Navigation » Garmin Foretrex 401 Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 05:55[...] and even Forerunner 310XT, but they must have seen the market for it. Specially the DoD market: Militarytimes got their hands on a final prototype and the specs for the new Garmin Foretrex 401 looks quite [...]
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Garmin Foretrex 401 | Gadget Users Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 14:49[...] and even Forerunner 310XT, but they must have seen the market for it. Specially the DoD market: Militarytimes got their hands on a final prototype and the specs for the new Garmin Foretrex 401 looks quite [...]
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New Garmin Foretrex 401: get ready to jump! | ZiZoT.com - Technology l News l Cell Phones l Games l Nokia Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 18:57[...] Military Times via GPS News Tags: Hot Stuff, technews, technology This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 10th, 2009 at 3:55 pm and is filed under General, Hot Stuff, Latest Technology, Tech News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. [...]
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New Garmin Foretrex 401: get ready to jump! | Keyless Doorlocks Says:
June 10th, 2009 at 21:03[...] Military Times via GPS News [...]
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New Garmin Foretrex 401: get ready to jump! | DoozyDaily Says:
June 11th, 2009 at 05:47[...] Military Times via GPS News Share and Enjoy: [...]
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Garmin Foretrex 401 GPS Navigation Gadget | TECHNOLOGY BLOGGER FACEBOOK LOWONGAN KERJA MP3 Says:
June 11th, 2009 at 06:40[...] Garmin has updated its GPS navigation gadget series by releasing the new Foretrex 401. The gadget has a 1.4-inch x 0.9-inch display screen with a 2-axis digital compass, a barometric altimeter, and a USB port to connect to a computer. The Foretrex 401 is about 20% smaller than its predecessor (Foretex 201 and 101). This navigation device requires two AAA batteries that can last up to 24 hours. The Garmin Foretrex 401 will retail for just $250 when it is released later this June 16th. [Navigadget via Gearscout] [...]