Very functional GPSJuly 4, 2008 10 out of 10 found this review helpful
I received this GPS yesterday and used it today after quickly reviewing the basic manual. The GPS is relatively small and easy to carry around. The screen is very bright and easy to read in direct sunlight. This GPS is fairly intuitive once you know what each button functionally represents.
My buddies and I have tried various GPSes and laser rangefinders. The newer generation of GPSes such as SonoCaddie and uPro seem to combine the best features of GPSes and laser system.
Pros: 1) Top down graphical view of entire hole not just the green 2) Relative distances to hazards on the hole 3) Ability to add/edit icon waypoints on each the hole 4) GPS tracks quickly and accurately 5) Track and analyze previously played rounds 6) Rugged and weather sealed against the elements 6) Rechargeable system that provides 12+ hours of usage (not verified) 7) Stores 30 courses in memory 8) Free one year membership to download all courses (limited time)
Cons: 1) Manual is pathetic 2) Buttons are stiff and must be pressed very hard 3) GPS reacts sluggishly when browsing through list of courses 4) Some buttons/features are not functional on certain screen views 5) GPS looks cute
In general, I'm very pleased with this product. My friends who own SkyCaddie SG4, Skycaddie SG2 and Bushnell Pinseeker rangefinder really liked the SonoCaddie.
Excellent DeviceJuly 4, 2008 12 out of 12 found this review helpful
I purchased this product after having problems with the UPro GPS device. That device, while the perfect size and extremely accurate, didn't display the ProMode brightly enough to be seen on a sunny day and quit after 3 holes. I spoke to the Denneco office in New Hampshire and they were extremely helpful. They even gave me a 60 day time period to test the product, rather than the 20 days stated on the Sonocaddie website. I have used this device for three rounds and it acquires satellites very quickly and is very accurate. In checking the with course markers, I only found variances of between 1 and 3 yards, but in each round I have played, I was able to access 10 satellites which helped the accuracy. The device is easy to read in bright sunlight, simple to use and has all of the courses that I play available on their course list. I did contact Sonostar and asked them to add Chambers Bay in University, WA. and they did that in one week. I just asked them to add three courses in Whistler and they immediately responded and said they could have that done in two weeks. Everyone I have spoken to at Denneco and Sonostar have been great and they have went the extra mile to service my requests. The SkyCaddie technical and sales personal could take some lessons from these people. SkyCaddie only tops the Sonocaddie in the category of arrogance and who wants to pay $50 per year just for the privledge of using their device? I like the scorecard feature, the fact it can store 30 courses, it is easy to add course obstacles, its simplicity, downloading courses was a no brainder and the accuracy of the device. I would highly recommend this device. It was a good purchase for me.
Lack of courses makes Sonocaddie disappointingJuly 4, 2008 12 out of 20 found this review helpful
Before I ordered the Sonocaddie V300 I checked the list of available courses and was surprised that few courses in Michigan are available. Requests for courses to be mapped by Sonocaddie returned a statement that said satellite information was not available for courses in my area (central Michigan) and therefore Sonocaddie would not be able to provide course mapping for me. I could map the course myself and submit it to Sonocaddie for distribution to others. At the current cost of $399 I find this to be too expensive given that other GPS units have my local courses available. That's too bad because from what I have read the Sonocaddie V300 looks well designed.
Sonocaddie V300 is a Fantastic ProductJune 23, 2008 17 out of 17 found this review helpful
I received my Sonocaddie V300 from Amazon last week. The software installation went well on my laptop but created a minor challenge on my desktop. Registration was trivial, with the "free" Eagle membership being automatically granted without having to request it. I immediately downloaded all the courses I normally play, and the process was quite fast. I have used the Sonocaddie on the course, and it is very effective. I especially like knowing the distances to the green even if you are far off the fairway. It agrees quite well with the markers on my home course. I acquired 11 GPS satellites within 5 minutes the first time I powered up the unit. And, it is refreshing not to have a $50 annual fee as in SkyCaddie or a $25 fee for Golflogix (your unit is useless unless you are current in your membership with those companies). I decided it was much more important to see the relative layout of the entire hole, especially for courses not previously played, so I chose the V300 versus other brands. I could not be more pleased. Move quickly to receive the one-time Eagle membership for free - deal expires June 30.
Love mineJune 17, 2008 7 out of 11 found this review helpful
got mine just hours befor we went to CO. to play a corse. had it set up and downloaded the corse we were going to play, in less then and hour. after figuring things out . Then found out the corse had it`s own gps on the carts. but the sonocadie was within 2-4 yards . dident have much time to check things out . they had someone going around macking sure every one keeps moving. could see the screen clear and was geting 8-10 satlite signals the hole day. the battery barly got off full. the rubber casing stayed in shirt pocket. will recomend to every one i see.
