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Sonocaddie V300 Color GPS Unit
Equipment DetailsManufacturer: Sonocaddie Brand: Sonocaddie Release Date: 2008-05-01 Model: V300 Color: Black Product features: - User-friendly golf GPS device provides precise distance information and shows your position on the fairway
- Personalized course information for each hole and green to match the exact course layout
- Digital scorecard and game analysis available at your fingertips
- Built-in antenna with 14 channel GPS receiver; 2.2-inch high-resolution LCD screen with backlight
- Includes Sonocaddie V300, mini USB Cable, rechargeable battery, user's guide, belt clip, AC charger adaptor, and carry pouch
Accessories:
Sports reviews of Sonocaddie V300 Color GPS UnitCustomer Review: Great GPS Unit Sport shop rating: 5 Stars
When I finally decided to purchase a GPS unit to help me save a few extra strokes, I researched many other products such as the Callaway uPro, OnPar Touch Screen, Sky Caddie SG5, and the Golf Buddy. They all had great features, but only one had every feature that I was looking for: Sonocaddie V300.
The features and key decision areas for me are as follows: Accurate Yardage to Front/Center/Back of Green, Accurate Yardage to Hazards, Membership price, Number of Courses, Club Distance Tracking, Round Tracking, Scorekeeping, Statistics, and finally, a solid feel to Unit itself.
Of those, Sonocaddie gets high-marks in all areas. I took it out on a local course for my initial test run, knowing the course has a GPS unit on the cart. Using their GPS unit and the Sonocaddie, I verified the yardage was accurate - within 1-2 yards of the cart GPS all of the time (accurate enough for most amateurs). The 3-D representation of the hole was accurate on all of the holes played, and it was definitely helpful on identifying problem areas such as bunkers and water. The tracking feature was pretty cool, although, it tracks everywhere you drive on the course (not just where you hit your shots from). The scorekeeping was easy, and the professional scorecard allowed me to analyze my round at the end to see where I need to improve (looks like I need to work on my driver and putter). Lastly, the distance marking feature made me realize that I do hit my 5-Iron 190-200 yards, and my 6-iron 180-190, etc... This is a very helpful feature if you're trying to understand your club distance and trying to manage your game effectively.
The Customer Service was very helpful, and in fact, took care of loading all of my courses on their website before I purchased the product (there were only 2 on my list of 30 that didn't have all of the information on their website - missing scorecard information).
The only negatives I could come up with:
- The User Manual is not a well written document (grammar errors all over the place), but it does point you through the features you need most.
- There is no Auto-Advance feature to take you to the next hole (although it's simple to switch over to the next hole).
Overall, the Sonocaddie is a great GPS Unit with a lot of useable features. For the price I paid (310.00 + 29.95 membership), I think it's well worth the money compared to the other GPS units out there that could possibly add a hundred dollars more with the additional price on their units and membership fees. The yardage is accurate, I'm keeping track of statistics, and I'm able to start managing my game like I've always wanted. I even shaved 4 strokes off my last round just as their advertisement states!
Description of Sonocaddie V300 Color GPS UnitSonocaddie V300 Golf GPS. A keen - eyed "caddie" to help you find your range! Find the pitch-perfect distance to the green, bunkers, water hazards, lay-up areas and more... all in FULL COLOR 3-D! An indispensable companion on your next round, the V300 not only gives you the range in real time, it tells you your drive distance, tracks your shots, and keeps score. Easy to get started, too! Simply download course info from Sonocaddie's database of more than 18,000 courses, and you're set. You even get the first 5 course downloads FREE! A great deal on range-finding success: Rugged plastic housing is stylish and weather-resistant; Full color 3-D display shows distance to critical targets; Walking golfer icon shows your position in realtime; Personalized course mapping lets you add or edit landmarks of your own; Precise drive measurement for feedback out of the teebox; Touch-button digital scorekeeping; Shot tracking and game analysis let you review your round; Includes belt clip, USB cable, charger, case, 2 screen protectors, and battery. Measures 4 1/2 x 2 1/2 x 1".; Course downloads: Access Sonocaddie's website for access to over 18,000 golf courses nationwide; First FIVE downloads are FREE... $29.95 lifetime membership fee thereafter for unlimited downloads; System requirements for downloads: Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP, 512 MB ram (XP) or 1 GB ram (Vista), 12 MB hard disk space, CD-ROM drive. Order yours today! WARNING: This item cannot be shipped to Canada. Please check your State, County and City laws for restrictions before ordering this product. Sonocaddie V300 Golf GPS Utilizing advanced and sophisticated GPS satellite technology, the easy-to-use Sonocaddie V300 calculates the distance from any point on the course to the green or any other target, even without a clear line of sight. Players need to download the particular course--domestic or international--that they will be playing to their V300 via a PC and detailed course information covering every curve, contour, slope, and sandtrap will be at the placed at the golfer's fingertips.  Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, but powerful enough to take strokes off your game. | Other features built into the Sonocaddie V300 include shot distance measuring and tracking, digital scorecard and game analysis functionality, and personalized course editing and mapping. Shot measuring allows players to leave the driving range behind as you accurately measure the length of individual shots, while the tracking system strings each shot in a round together cumulatively for later review. The unit's digital scorecard and game analysis functionality allows players to toss out their paper scorecard and tiny pencils for good as they keep track of their game digitally and perform an analysis based on pre-determined data points at the end of each round. And although the V300 is designed to download every known aspect of the courses of the world, no course's links are static. This is where its editing and mapping functionality comes in. Whether it's the filling of a bunker, the lengthening of a tee or a removal of a tree, with the V300 players can map, edit and save changes noticed on their favorite fairways right on the spot. Finally, the unit's memory and optional Sonostar membership club perks allow for all the flexibility that even the most avid of golfers could need. The V300 ships with enough built-in storage space to simultaneously accomadate data on up to 30 courses as well as track 100 rounds and record 100 scorecards. Course data can always be recorded manually, but the V300 also includes 5 free course downloads, with each additional download purchased at either a nominal ala carte rate or with unlimited downloads available when registering your V300 and paying a one-time lifetime Sonostar GPS membership fee*. Specifications:  The V300's distance calculator. | - Size: 4.3 by 2.3 by 1.1 inches (108 by 58.3 by 28.4 mm)
- Weight: 140g (4.95 ounces)
- Storage: Stores up to 30 golf courses, 100 scorecard
- Power: Rechargeable battery, Up to 15 hours
- Display: 2.2" High-Resolution Color LCD with backlight
- Language support: English
- Waterproof: Yes, IPX6
- Regulation: CE, FCC, WEEE, RoHS Compliance
- Antenna: Built in
- Internet connection: Required
- Membership: Required*
What's in the Box? Sonocaddie V300, mini USB Cable, rechargeable battery, user?s guide, belt clip, AC charger adaptor, carry pouch System Requirements for Course Download - Windows 2000/XP/Vista 32-bit
- CD-ROM
- Minimum of 512 MB RAM (XP) / 1 GB RAM (Vista)
- Minimum of 12 MB of hard disk space
Manufacturer's Warranty Three months to a one-year extended warranty depending on which Sonostar membership plan chosen. See your user's guide for details. About Sonostar Sonostar strives to be leaders in high-quality creation and development of new products. Breakthrough ideas and innovations are what give the company their competitive edge while also being a great developer of technology. Sonostar employs the very best people in research and development engineering; mainly in GPS technology and other related microprocessor products. Sonostar was founded with the vision of creating affordable microprocessor solutions designed to merge advanced technology into sports activities in order to provide players a higher level of performance. * A Sonostar GPS membership is not required to obtain GPS signals and to manually map locations on courses on your Sonocaddie V300, but to utilize the system's 3D graphics, its more advanced functionality and to download course data you must choose from one of the three optional plans. See your user's guide for details and rates.
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