Garmin steps up GMR underwater mapping units

Garmin is finishing 2007 on Friday by turning its attention to boating radar used for navigating around sea surface and underwater terrain or while hunting for diving spots. The GMR 18 HD and its larger GMR 24 HD cousin have been upgraded to provide much better accuracy: each supplies as much as eight times more information than earlier models, Garmin estimates. Both still pair up with a Garmin multi-role display to plot routes either with or without charts as a visual guide.

Differences between the models are primarily dictated by size, with the smaller 18 HD finding details up to 36 nautical miles away and the 24 HD providing a range of 48 nautical miles. The 24 HD can also switch between 24RPM and 30RPM scans when speed is the priority. Either comes with support for a 100-megabit networking system among other Garmin components and should be available in early 2008 at prices of $1,200 for the GMR 18 HD and $2,000 for the premium GMR 24 HD.