|
November 1, 2002
Garmin
Introduces a New Color Depth Sounder — the Fishfinder 320C
OLATHE, Kan. — Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin
Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN), today announced its first stand-alone, color
sounder — the Fishfinder 320C — for both the freshwater
and saltwater markets. The Fishfinder 320C extends Garmin's line
of dedicated sonar products and incorporates several of the company's
latest software enhancements to deliver a powerful tool for serious
anglers.
"Color units have revolutionized the way anglers approach
their sport, so we are excited to offer the Fisherfinder 320C
to both the inland and offshore fisherman," said Gary Kelley,
Garmin’s director of marketing. "With its sunlight-readable
color display, fast ping rate, intuitive software and affordable
price, we are giving anglers every reason to go out and buy the
unit."
Night-and-Day Difference:
The Fishfinder 320C has a five-inch (diagonal), 16-color TFT display
that's viewable in direct sunlight. Multi-level color assists
the angler by distinguishing between large, medium and small fish;
between various types of bottom structure; and between underwater
objects and fish. And users can configure the background color
in black, blue or white for easy daytime or nighttime viewing.
One-Touch Operation:
The Fishfinder 320C quite possibly has the easiest sonar interface
on the market. Vital information on depth, zoom, range, frequency
and gain are one touch away. Like all Garmin sounders, the Fishfinder
320C has the company's patented Depth Control Gain feature, which
automatically adjusts the sonar sensitivity by depth and delivers
a highly detailed image of bottom structure. It also has Garmin's
exclusive See-Thru technology, which separates fish returns from
thermoclines and underwater structure to remove the guesswork
in interpreting fish arches. Dedicated buttons and smart software
simplify operations, so anglers aren't fiddling with their electronics
in search of fish, but are actually focusing on the task at hand
— catching fish.
Software Enhancements:
There are also several noteworthy innovations in sounder technology.
For instance, the Fishfinder 320C features bottom lock, giving
anglers a constant view of the bottom within a user-configured
depth parameter (e.g., viewing only activity within 40 feet down
to the bottom). The Fishfinder 320C will also graphically record
temperature data on the temperature log. And its odometer is based
on water speed.
The Fishfinder 320C can also be used as a GPS repeater, since
it has a NMEA 0183 input/output. Anglers will have the ability
to select data on numeric fields and view their track and bearing
graphically and numerically. When linked to a Garmin GPS unit,
anglers can use the remote waypoint-marking feature on the Fishfinder
320C to send a specific location to the GPS.
New Transducers:
The Fishfinder 320C will also utilize Garmin's new patented single-
and dual-frequency transducers for freshwater or saltwater applications.
The new transducers have a mounting bracket for multiple installation
options on a wide array of boats.
Other specifications for the Fishfinder 320C:
- Display Type: 16-color, sunlight readable TFT with adjustable
CCFL backlight
- Display Size: 2.94" W x 4.02" H , 234 x 320 pixels
- Unit Dimensions (W x H x D): 6.3" x 6.2" x 3.25"
- Transducer Power: Single-frequency – 400 Watts (RMS),
3,200 Watts (peak-to-peak); Dual-frequency – 500 Watts
(RMS), 4,000 Watts (peak0to-peak)
- Maximum depth: 1500 feet
- Graphic whiteline provides clear image of bottom hardness
and structure
- Additional numeric features for use as a GPS repeater
- Alarms: shallow water, fish by size, drift, timer, temperature,
and low battery voltage
- Adjustable range, gain and zoom
- Fish ID with depth
The Fishfinder 320C is expected to be available in the first
quarter of 2003 for a suggested retail price of $853.22. It will
ship standard with either a single-frequency, 200-kHz transducer
or dual-frequency, 50/200-kHz transducer, speed sensor, power/data
cable, bail mount, unit cover 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.
|