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November 1, 2002
Garmin
Debuts a Low-Cost Sonar — the Fishfinder 80
OLATHE, Kan. — Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin
Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN), announced today the company will enter the
low-cost freshwater fishfinder market with the Fishfinder 80 —
an affordable, entry-level sonar for recreational boaters and
anglers. The Fishfinder 80 joins the Fishfinder 160 and Fishfinder
240 in Garmin’s family of dedicated freshwater sonar products.
"The Fishfinder 80 is for the cost-conscious weekend angler
who has dreamed of graduating up to Garmin," said Gary Kelley,
Garmin’s director of marketing. "With this product,
we are bringing our proven record of quality design, intuitive
software and reliable manufacturing to a broader audience in the
freshwater market."
The Fishfinder 80 has Garmin's patented Depth Control Gain (DCG)
feature and See-Thru technology to help users get an accurate
picture of bottom hardness, while locating fish in difficult hiding
spots — like thermoclines or underwater structure. And it's
easy to learn and operate. At the touch of one button (Menu),
the Fishfinder 80 gives the angler access to the most vital information
he or she needs — Range, Gain and Zoom — to find fish
fast. The unit shows fish symbols and depth on a large, four-inch
(diagonal) monochrome display, which also boasts the robust screen
resolution of 64x128 pixels. And Garmin adds its unique 360-degree
swivel mount and quick-release mechanism to increase utility and
portability of the Fishfinder 80.
Another feature of the Fishfinder 80 almost goes unnoticed:
Garmin’s inaugural line of patented single-frequency 200-kHz
transducers, which transmit at 100 watts (RMS) and 800 watts (peak-to-peak)
for a maximum depth of up to 600 feet, including temperature.
Garmin’s unique design also accommodates mounting on either
the transom or trolling motor.
Other specifications for the Fishfinder 80:
- Display Type: FSTN, black and white monochrome
- Backlighting for display and keypad: adjustable incandescent
- Viewing Area: 2.0"W x 3.3"H
- Unit Dimensions (WxHxD): 4.72" x 4.94" x 2.43"
- Internal memory backup for user settings with power disconnected
- Graphic whiteline provides clear image of bottom hardness
and structure
- Alarms: shallow water and fish by size
- Adjustable range, gain and zoom
- Waterproof design to IPX-7 standards: Submersible in three
feet of water for up to 30 minutes
The Fishfinder 80 is expected to be available in January 2003
at a suggested retail price of $101.99. It will ship standard
with a transducer, power cable, mounting bracket and owner’s
manual.
Garmin International Inc. is a member of the Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq:
GRMN) group of companies, which designs and manufactures navigation,
communication and information devices -- most of which are enabled
by GPS technology. Garmin is the leader in the general aviation
and consumer markets and its products serve aviation, marine,
outdoor recreation, automotive, wireless and OEM applications.
Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and its principal
subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and United
Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin's virtual pressroom
at www.garmin.com/pressroom, or contact the Media Relations department
at 913-397-8200. GARMIN and GPSMAP are registered trademarks,
and eTrex Vista, MapSource and BlueChart are trademarks of Garmin
Ltd. or its subsidiaries.
Notice on forward-looking statements:
This press release contains forward-looking statements respecting
Garmin Ltd. and its business. Any statements regarding the companys
future financial position, revenues, earnings, product introductions,
plans and objectives are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking
statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results
may differ materially. There could be a number of factors affecting
future results, including those factors identified in Garmin's
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 30, 2000 filed
by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission
file number 0-31983). Garmin will not update any forward-looking
statements in this press release to reflect future events or developments.
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