19 replies to this topic

[nec9716]

i project to buy a GPS but with all the model and the price ( $100 to $1000) it's hard to think that i can make the best choice

so i see that you have more experience in boating then me so i'm sure that you can suggest me a model or 2

by the way if it's possible i would like to be able to have marine and street ( by software or direct load on it ) in the same unit

thank to everyone
and again
have a nice day

[thumper]

try a garmin 276c

they are pretty good street and marine - about 600$

[tda3]

Ho - boy.....I could write a book about this subject, but I'll spare you.

After doing quite a bit of research, here's the best advice I can give and what's been said to me by more than one person with extensive GPS experience.

First, save your money and buy exactly what you want and not what you can afford. Actually, this applies to most things. Anyhow....buying an inexpensive unit (which typically does not have full updating capability - i.e. future proofing) will have you buying a unit that does in 2 years. Therefore, you bought your GPS unit twice spending much more than had you bought what you wanted the first time around.

Second, buy a unit that is future proofed by it's ability to not only have it's base map updateable but also allows specific, more detailed maps, to be loaded.

My personal recommendation? Pound-for-pound the Garmin GPS178C or the GPS188C are hard to beat. They are both Blue Chart compatible (an established format that gives better resolution/detail than other formats), are WAAS enabled, have built in sounders (important for coastal boaters like me), feature powerful processors, and can be had with an internal antenna. They're not cheap, but what price would you pay to arrive safely back at the dock when it's nightime, no moon, and raining? Besides, when you buy that bigger hole in the water, you can take it with you!

Shop around and don't be in too big a hurry. Let me know if you need any more help. Good luck!!

Tom

[thumper]

i think those two models are a tad too big for a sportster - if im thinking of the same ones anyways

[tda3]

i think those two models are a tad too big for a sportster - if im thinking of the same ones anyways

I think it'll be a cold day in hell if thumper & I ever agree. Oh well - at least we'll provide some comic relief for those who visit here.

thumper is correct that those two units are bigger than the GPS276C. And you know what? I thought the same thing - i.e. where in the hell will I mount something that big? So I started looking at the Lowrance M68. Nice features, small size, great price. So what's not to like, right? Well how about a history of bad units and all my experienced GPS friends saying, "Lowrance?? Run Tom, run!"

So I looked at the GPS276C. Great features, color, portable, compact. Again, on paper it looked like the cat's testicles. But then I started looking at it from a real world usage perspective. IOW, it's nightime, the boat is bouncing around, rain is smacking me in the face....how in the hell am I ever gonna be able to accurately view and interpret the small screen on the 276 while still piloting the boat? Not very likely. On a clear day and light seas - no problem. But that's not when we NEED GPS.

So, I came to the conclusion (with the prodding of those who've BTDT), that for not much more money, I could have a 172C with much larger screen, much better graphics, a depth sounder, Blue Chart capable, and better accuracy. The only thing required of me is to be creative with where to mount it and I've got that figured out.

Anyhow....like I said, my opinion is that the 172C or the 188C is a better option.

Tom

[thumper]

i am currently looking at buying one myself and i too thought that the screen on the 276 was a little small - but its the where do you put it problem..

that was me agreeing with you

[thumper]

i see your point on the size of the screen and have just had a long look at the 172c - i may even get one on your recommendation - its a good unit - just have to find somewhere for it to go.

[tda3]

i see your point on the size of the screen and have just had a long look at the 172c - i may even get one on your recommendation - its a good unit - just have to find somewhere for it to go.

The places I've identified are:

1. The gunwale just forward of the throttle/shift lever quadrant. This is my preferred position. The upside is that it would place the unit in perfect position for viewing. The downside is that it's then exposed to the elements - namely water. However, I'm not completely convinced this will be a serious issue since the mirror just might act like a shield. Speaking of the mirror, I'm not too concerned about the GPS blocking my view of the mirror since I don't find the mirror that useful.

2. Mounting the unit to one of those Uni-Ball type mounts and then mounting the Uni-Ball to the side of the driver's console. When not in use, GPS could be swung out of the way. Up side is unit is protected from water spray. Downside is unit would be kinda in the way when moving forward to the bow.

3. Custom mounting bracket that would allow mounting of the GPS on the passenger console above the grab handle, yet below the storage compartment hatch. Here the GPS would be very well protected, out of the way, and shielded from direct sunlight. The downside is that it wouldn't be very visible to me. I'd have to rely on the first mate (wife) to navigate. Which, might not be such a bad thing.

If you're listening Bombardier.....how about backing off of the fancy compound-contour, multiple curved surfaces design a bit and give us some practical flat surfaces for mounting electronics.

Tom

[nec9716]

you guys do you know that i have a girlfriend and 2 kids , i have to feed them and buy them what they want before i buy a gps unit do i look rich you're not talking to a Rockingfeller here just a simple dad

you are a bit over my budget ( $500 ) was a fair price but if i have to put $700 i will wait next year .....

i will check slowly your suggestion
by the way i was not thinking to have a big unit like those i was thinking to have a handle unit but on the other way it's make sense like you said it's alway in a bad day that you really need it

[Doooer]

you guys do you know that i have a girlfriend and 2 kids , i have to feed them and buy them what they want before i buy a gps unit do i look rich you're not talking to a Rockingfeller here just a simple dad

you are a bit over my budget ( $500 ) was a fair price but if i have to put $700 i will wait next year .....

i will check slowly your suggestion
by the way i was not thinking to have a big unit like those i was thinking to have a handle unit but on the other way it's make sense like you said it's alway in a bad day that you really need it

I bought a Garmin V about 3 or 4 years ago. It's "hand held" size with a tiny B & W screen. It serves my purposes fine. The screen is easiest to see at night with the backlight on...when you really need it on a boat. It's portable so I can mount it on the boat as well as take it to another city/country and use it in a rental car. The maps are upgradeable and it's WAAS enabled giving you pinpoint accuracy up to 3 feet. I think the list price is down to $350 now, but you can get one on ebay for around $200 to $250. It may not have all the bells an whistles that Tom mentioned, but it is well within your budget. Think of it as a good "entry level" GPS.

[tda3]

Dooer said: "The maps are upgradeable and it's WAAS enabled giving you pinpoint accuracy up to 3 feet."

Not to be aurgumentative, but are you sure about that? From all the product literature I've read (including that from Garmin), WAAS enabled units have a 95% accuracy of 9 meters - i.e. they'll put you within a 9 meter diameter of a waypoint 95% of the time. I've not seen a unit that can basically put you "on the dot". Not saying it can't be done, just have never seen a unit (especially a handheld) with that type of accuracy.

I also want to point out that there's a big difference between a GPS unit's base map being upgradeable and the unit being Blue Chart compatible. A Blue Chart map has much, much, much more detail than what a standard base map will show. AND, it has the latest (as of the burn date of the chip) bottom contours. This might not be a big deal for inland lake boaters, but for us coastal folks it's a very big deal. After a tropical storm or a brush with a hurricane, we'll have lots of sandbars and shoals "move" in my neck of the woods.

The bottom line (no pun intended) is that one needs to do their homework and then decide just exactly what their needs are.

BTW, thanks Dooer for your input. I know the units thumper & I spoke of are a bit upper end. And I'm not necessarily made of money either. That's why I too will be waiting until I can save up. I just know myself well enough to know that if I were to buy only what I could afford now, I'd have buyers remorse and in no time I'd be buying another unit. So instead of spending $1100 ($400 this year and $700 later), I'd rather wait and just spend $700. But hey....that's just me.

Tom

[thumper]

yeh i have to agree

tom - i think the gunwale forward of the shifter is a better option for me - european boats dont have mirrors to obscure and these units are waterproof anyway.

i need a gps for when its flat as and bright and sunny as i often visit the scilly islands in previous boats and want to do it in this one and its 30 miles away so when you leave you cant actually see land fall until your about 6-7 miles away as the islands are very flat - and if you miss the scillys the next stop is the us and i dont think my fuel will get me there

[thumper]

oh yeh and its differntial gps that gives you the most accuracy not waas and even dgps is only good to 5m - i think waas only works in the us also.

cant see the point of dgps on small boats - 10m accuracy is generally ok - if you cant see 10m all around you shouldnt be out there -

we get heavy sea fog on our coasts here and the worst ive ever been out in was about 100yds vis - i woulndt want to be out in anything worse.

[tda3]

At the risk of beating this subject to death (I told you I could write a book )

Yes - DGPS is much more accurate than standard GPS. However, here in the US, WAAS gives you the accuracy of DGPS plus it can also locate you up to 1000' of elevation (I think that figure is correct).

Another feature of the more dedicated marine oriented GPS/Sounder units that I find fascinating and very useful is the celestial tide information. Once again, for someone like me that boats in coastal waters with sometimes big tide swings, this feature is very nice to have. In a nutshell, the unit will tell you, based on your GPS location, what the high/low tide times will be FOR THAT SPOT! That's very handy when you're looking for a tide change for fishing or when the tide data for your area is based on a location that's some 20 miles away.

Tom

[thumper]

absolutely - we have 7-8m tidal range on springs and to have tidal information on a gps is perfect - particularly as most areas we go the charted depth over LAT is often 1m or less and sometimes dry so its good to know the tidal state at all times.

[Doooer]

Dooer said: "The maps are upgradeable and it's WAAS enabled giving you pinpoint accuracy up to 3 feet."

Not to be aurgumentative, but are you sure about that? From all the product literature I've read (including that from Garmin), WAAS enabled units have a 95% accuracy of 9 meters - i.e. they'll put you within a 9 meter diameter of a waypoint 95% of the time. I've not seen a unit that can basically put you "on the dot". Not saying it can't be done, just have never seen a unit (especially a handheld) with that type of accuracy.

I also want to point out that there's a big difference between a GPS unit's base map being upgradeable and the unit being Blue Chart compatible. A Blue Chart map has much, much, much more detail than what a standard base map will show. AND, it has the latest (as of the burn date of the chip) bottom contours. This might not be a big deal for inland lake boaters, but for us coastal folks it's a very big deal. After a tropical storm or a brush with a hurricane, we'll have lots of sandbars and shoals "move" in my neck of the woods.

You're right Tom, my 3 "feet" should have said 3 metres...which is approximately 9 feet. Nine metres would be about 30 feet! You and I are getting our metric mixed...I should know better!

And, yes the Garmin V is BlueChart compatible (http://www.garmin.com/products/gps5/) but it wouldn't help if a sandbar "moved" during a voyage...only a depth sounder would help there. All the units are only as good as the map that's been downloaded, so it sounds like you would have to buy the latest map each year.

WAAS is only available in North America and Garmin's website states "WAAS provides extended coverage both inland and offshore compared to the land-based DGPS (differential GPS) system. Another benefit of WAAS is that it does not require additional receiving equipment, while DGPS does."


When I bought the Garmin V, I would have preferred the one with all the bells and whistles as well, but it wasn't within my budget. It's worked well for me and I may eventually upgrade to one that talks to me...if I could ever get used to her annoying voice.

[jpeezy]

I bought the Garmin GPSMAP 178C. GPSMAP 178C

It has just about eveything including a depth sounder. It is not too wide so it will fit in tighter spaces. I had to sacrifuce a cup holder on my Speedster200 to get the best location. I bought the Lakes and Chesapeake bay cards. It is the bomb!

peace
jpeezy

[thumper]

jpeezy -
can you show a piccy of it in position?

[jpeezy]

jpeezy -
can you show a piccy of it in position?

Sure. I'll take one next time I take the cover off. Should soon.

jpeezy

[thumper]

did you get internal antenna or have you gone for the externally mounted option?