ONIX 400 Makes Small Boats Safer From Storms

With its ability to access live weather information via satellite, the new ONIX 400 from Bushnell makes a perfect addition to smaller fishing boats. Sudden storms often catch smaller vessels off guard, and many smaller consoles won’t allow for weather radar equipment.

The new handheld ONIX 400 makes a perfect addition to onboard gear by utilizing XM Satellite broadcasts to access live weather feeds to monitor weather developments, including animated Doppler radar to track severe storms in real time.

Weather information is provided in clear detail on a large 3.5-inch, daylight viewable color screen. This information can be crucial to hikers, boaters, and other outdoor enthusiasts. To access the live weather feeds, users have to subscribe to a special XM Satellite Radio NavWeather package.

The ONIX 400 is the first handheld GPS to offer the XM NavWeather that integrates real time weather information with GPS maps and navigation data. In addition to live weather feeds, subscribers will have exclusive access to the Bushnell Scoreboard with XM Sports and the Bushnell Channel Monitor for XM entertainment.

The unit is capable of accessing over 170 channels of music, sports, and entertainment programming on XM Satellite Radio.

By visiting the company’s Web site (http://www.bushnellgps.com), users can download photos of their favorite outdoor recreation area or their own backyard. The extensive database of satellite images, aerial photographs, and topographic maps shows users the “lay of the land” in different seasons for more accurate navigation.

A limited number of aerial and satellite photos or topo map downloads are included with each ONIX400. Owners can then download additional maps and photos online.

There is an option to purchase an annual membership for unlimited access to the most up-to-date satellite imagery available in the industry.  This model also comes with a built-in base map with Points of Interests for both the United States and Canada.

The patented SafeTrack™ operating mode helps to extend battery life — up to 32 hours with the rechargeable Li-Ion battery.  This exclusive SafeTrack feature lets the ONIX 400 receiver continue to monitor your travels while operating in a sleep mode — to conserve battery life.

 In the SafeTrack sleep mode, power is conserved in several ways. First, by slowing the frequency of satellite signal acquisition, the ONIX GPS receivers maintain active tracking with minimal power.

SafeTrack also puts the LCD screen to sleep. However, users can check the status of the unit by referring to an LED light on top of the unit.

A green light indicates that the unit has a satellite lock and that the user is on track to a destination or waypoint. A red light alerts the user to loss of satellite signal or the need to check course direction.

The User Profile feature makes it easy to set navigation defaults to specific outdoor activities. If the primary activity is hunting, the navigation screens, icons and information are customized for land-based navigation.

If the activity is fishing or boating, the User Profile can be set to display navigation information in marine units (knots, nautical miles vs. statute miles and nautical icons for saving position/location data).

The ONIX 400 is WAAS-capable for optimum accuracy and features a SiRF Star III chipset from SiRF Technology Holdings1.  Internal memory will store up to 1,000 waypoints, 20 trails and 20 routes.

In addition to Latitude/Longitude and UTM, other internal map datums and grid systems can be selected. Models come ready to use with a USB cable for connecting to a PC, a CD with the GPS PC Companion software, and a printed Quick Start Guide.  Suggested retail is $499.99. 

For more information, visit http://www.bushnellgps.com