So my Garmin Pilot III is complaining to me that the internal battery
has stopped functioning (hats off to it) and it's time to look for
another portable.

Man was I surprised to see that there is essentially nothing
comparable to the Pilot III in its price range anymore! Was I ever
even more surprised to see just how pricey all the Garmin offerings
seem to be anymore!

The search, then, is on. Garmin appears to be off my list unless
someone can give me a compelling reason to change my mind. XM weather
is of almost zero interest to me (another subscription service is not
something I want or need). I do have a need to plot a flight plan
directly into the device from its own control panel. So far, it looks
like I can get a better GPS by looking at the EKP IV or the Lowrance
2000c. And on a price comparison alone, the Lowrance is the decided
winner.

Does anyone here see something I'm missing? Is the Lowrance the way to
go? Does Garmin really deliver something unique to justify their
pricing? And the EKP?

Thanks in advance!

Greg Chapman
http://www.mousetrax.com