Need some advice on picking a GPS

[Harry]

My brother-in-law mentioned last night at a BBQ that he wanted to get a GPS for his boat.
His wife whispered to me if I knew of one he would like, to let her know so she could get it for his Birthday.

He has a Fishfinder already and doesn't want a combo. Also his boat is a 21'Cuddy and it would need the external antenna.

He said he was gonna buy one himself next spring and wanted to spend between 400-500 bucks.

Any suggestions ?? I have the Garmin 498c combo and like it, but like I said he just needs a GPS plotter, no FF.

Thanks

[o2bfishn]

Harry,


I also have the Garmin 498c, great GPS, an OK fish finder. You can use this unit with out the tranducer hooked up, it will work fine or I think Garmin builds the same uint with out the FF. Anyway the 400 series have been discontinued and deals can be had. What ever she gets, the Garmin are hard to beat for GPS units. My $.02

o2bfishn

[Harry]

Thanks,
Like I said he doesn't want or need the FF end of the Plotter and I assume would just jack up the price. I will check into the 400 models.

Thanks

Anyone else ???

[Familymanof5]

The new garmins are sweeeeeeet.

[Randell]

Here's the way I see it. Garmin has been in the GPS business forever. Lowrance has
been in the chart/fish finder business forever. I optid for a Lowrance combo unit.
To me finding fish was more important than finding me. If I were purchasing a
GPS only for boat or truck it would be Garmin.

my 2/100
~ Randell

[otter]

I strongly agree with Randall I have a Lowrance FF and a Garmin Gps. The 400 series is good without the FF. bob

[Slim to None]

Garmin is the only way to go! Whatever model Garmin he chooses he will be happy.

[Harry]

Thanks guys.
I will check them out tonight after football practice....No I don't play, too old...I coach... ;D

[gb1075]

hey, I will throw my 2 cents in too. I just got the garmin 440 s fish finder and the gps plotter is loaded with extras. If you look at the 400 series, know this. The 430s is preloaded with maps of inland lakes and rivers and the 440s is preloaded with the coastline info of the us. You can get a 400 series with out ff (which does jack up the price) and a good place to look is on ebay. I bought mine ( brand new) from jmn auction on ebay and saved nearly 200$ over what the price in cabelas and bass pro said. Amazon.com is also another good place to look for deals on gps. there you have it.
GB

[obxdlv]

hey gb1075, How do you like the garmin 440s?

[gb1075]

I really do like it! I decided that I wanted to get a gps and fish finder all in one and did a lot of research. I just kept coming back to the garmin and narrowed it down to the 440s. It has all of the coastal creeks, rivers, shoreline, etc. preloaded as well as the nearshore and offshore reefs. I was going to get a gps 498 until I found out that they had disc that line and basically replaced it with these models. I don't have anything negative to say about it yet, and hope I never do.
GB

[Flipper]

Hi, I work at a West Marine and deal with all makes and models. I think Garmins are the best just like the other postings have said. The 440 is a nice unit with all the software (charts) included. They have the best customer assistance by far. 1800 800 1020 you will get a tech at the other end of the line that will give you an answer and the right answer the first time. They are very easy to use. The 500 series are the 400's big brother with a larger screen and higher resolution. Im not crazy about their finders but for $100 more for a COLOR finder is a deal the 440s is a good value. There are better machines like the Furuno and some of the Raymarines but 3x the price and w/o the software. Any questions just email me. Flipperfla@earhtlink.net

[Flipper]

one more thing the 440 has an internal antenna, you are not going to need an external unless you are going to install it in a metal electronics box Flipper

[Harry]

Thanks for that info Flipper, and welcome to the site !!! 012

As for the phone number you provided thanks for that too, but 1800 800 1020 you will get a tech at the other end of the line that will give you an answer and the right answer the first time.

Doesn't sound like a valid #, you got the right one handy in case anyone needs it?

Thanks again

[Flipper]

1 800 800 1020 is correct, I use it every day. Flipper

[fission]

Flipper - would one of those internal antennas work if you flush-mounted into your console...and put on a t-top?

I'm only asking because my dealer is telling me that it will work...but I've just got a bad feeling about it.

[Harry]

1 800 800 1020 is correct, I use it every day. Flipper


LOL,
Sorry, it looked like a type-o.

Thanks again for the info !! 013

[Shakespeare]

Flipper,

I was up on the Garmin site looking at the 440sx and with an XM subscription can display satellite weather and NEXRAD radar. Have you seen one and is it worth the $$$ ?

[saltyballs]

Last week I would have been preaching Lowrance to you beacause the charts kick but; however, My 2 year old $800 unit just decided to not turn on anymore. It may be something minor but I have not had time to look into it yet. It has been a great unit but evidently it is not as durable as I thought.

[Shakespeare]

That pretty much sucks. I never buy extended warranties but ya just never know. I hope it turns out to be something simple and not cost an arm and a leg to fix.

I had to make a move so I ordered a GPSMAP 440S. It comes in tomorrow.

[SEARAY215]

I also vote for Garmin. The 420 or 440 models. You can compare some prices at Bethel-Marine.com. They have some good prices and will ship anywhere.

[Flipper]

Fission, sorry I didnt back to you I just got back from vacation, the 440 should work w/ a flush mount install, the the T top wont matter.
The Garmin tech line is 1800 800 1020 Flipper

[bobreeves]

Can't give any 1st hand reports yet, but after looking online and speaking with Garmin, I've decided on the GPSMAP 430 for my particular application - navigation in an inland lake (Lake Livingston, Texas) loaded with stumps and other obstructions. The 430 comes preloaded with the Inland Waterways maps, and the salesman I spoke with indicated that Lake Livingston was very well covered.

Hard to recommend as so much depends on where you are and what your intended use is.

Good luck,

Bob Reeves
2003 J16, CMC Tilt Trim, 4-stroke Yammy 25 (pull start, remote control) with Doel-Fin tail

[Unusual Attitude]

I am looking at getting a Garmin 440s or a 540s. I have found good prices at an online warehouse called star marine depot. Has anyone ordered from here? Also, does anyone have their unit flush mounted without the external antenna? I was told by west marine that you would need the external antenna with flush mount. I was also thinking of adding the XM sat. weather. Any thoughts on that>\?

[Shakespeare]

I Have a 440S and just love it. The 440SX with XM... I'm told that the subscription rate is between $29 - $49 a month, depending on the features you want. I can't help you with your other questions. Sorry :(

[Unusual Attitude]

Well I found a 440sx at overstock.com and got it for 650 or so. It will arrive this week. The subsription service for basic weather radar costs 9.95 a month and to add the music is 6.95 more. You can check out the service options is you go to xm and look at the diff. rates. They have a fishermans pack that is 29.95 and gives the sea temps and the advanced doppler radar but I am gonna start with the basic. The 440sx comes with the gxm 31 unit and the transducer included. overstock had a few left as of the weekend.

[Shakespeare]

Sounds like you got a good deal on that SX. Yeah, I was refering to the fisherman's package and the NEXRAD radar. I wanted one (SX w/ radar) but I've been nickeled and dimed to death on getting the boat outfitted with everything else, so compromises were made.

Congrats on your new toys!

Mike C.

[Unusual Attitude]

Today I found out that the 440x and sx series can not process the music part of the xm stuff. Only the 500 series with the gxm 31 can do both.

[bobreeves]

I bought the Garmin 430. I also already had a fish finder so didn't need the combo. I chose the 430 as it comes preloaded with inland lakes, which is the only place I fish. I fish Lake Livingston in Texas - a large man made lake loaded with stumps. I wouldn't take a power boat out in this lake without a GPS - many have torn off lower units in this lake. The Garmin has performed flawlessly. I keep the boat in a barn on my property, and when I first installed it it pinpointed me exactly!

I checked their site and there was a newer version of the software available, so I grabbed it. The upgrade went smoothly and was very simple.

As someone else mentioned, you can't go wrong with any Garmin.

[bone]

Flipper - would one of those internal antennas work if you flush-mounted into your console...and put on a t-top?

I'm only asking because my dealer is telling me that it will work...but I've just got a bad feeling about it.


from what i heard flush mounting is not a good option on internal gps antennas. i bought the lowrance with an internal antenna and mounted it on top of the console. i hope to add a T-Top later and if the GPS doesnt like it, i can still add an external antenna. i'm happy with the 5300 iGPS, especially since i got the "Map Create 7" software. i've programmed so many numbers so far and have more to go. mostly offshore. very nice though.

bone

[Shakespeare]

Bone, I mounted the Garmin 440S on top of the console, shrouded in the corner of the windshield, and with a t-top, and I've had absolutely no problems with reception except for the day it was pouring down rain and my butt was parked UNDER the Beaufort bridge. ;D

FWIW, see http://carolinaskiffowner.com/index.php?topic=865.0 Unusual Attitude didn't mention any problems with reception but he can comment on that himself.

Mike C.

[Dave]

Well, probably should have bought a Garmin – everywhere I go ‘round here, that’s what’s being sold, used, and serviced. I wanted a plotter/sounder combo and bought the Hummingbird 787c2i, based on price coupled with user satisfaction. If the console top was larger than it is, I likely would have bought separate plotter and sounder but I want to keep ample room for a writing tablet and a few other small items I like to keep at hand. The “i” model has an internal antenna, unfortunately, with no option to add one externally, which may be a problem if I ever add a T-top. That said, I’m extremely happy with the functions and performance so far. The functions are about as intuitive as I expect can be, considering all the features. One feature that I thought I would miss is a display telling me Time To Destination (TTD), but I’ve found I don’t really need it since it’s no big deal to crunch the numbers based on surface speed and distance to destination to get good approximate TTD. Naturally the views are smaller when running in duel mode, but again, I’ve found it quite convenient to glance at the single screen to easily view all the data and images I need. There are enough views available in either the plotter only, sounder only, or duel screen modes to satisfy all the situations I expect to encounter. Also, in the duel modes, I can increase/decrease either the plotter or the sounder screen widths to further tweak the overall view, as desired. I’ve still got to work on the transducer location if I want to get a sounder reading at anything over about 8 MPH, but then again, I’ve never had one work at anything faster than that on any of my previous boats. Really don’t need it to read at WOT, but would be nice to read at 12 to 15 MPH, which I hope to be able to accomplish with a little tweaking.

Sure wish it had the ability to read/translate LORAN-C numbers to GPS numbers though – I have a few (old) LORAN numbers I need converted to GPS and I’m not satisfied the conversions I’m getting from LORAN/GPS programs are accurate enough to get me within quarter mile of my target. Anyone have a unit that reads both, I sure could use some help with about 3 LORAN waypoints I’d like to get back on.

Dave

[o2bfishn]

Dave,

Try it here. I get readings all the way up to WOT, only lose it in a tight turn.

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/o2bfishnobx/PapasBoat065.jpg

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee166/o2bfishnobx/PapasBoat005.jpg


o2bfishn

[Shakespeare]

1st Sarge... try going up to the NCWaterman site. I think they got a section on nothing but GPS "numbers". Chances are someone's posted something about a conversion.

http://www.ncwaterman.com/default.asp

[Dave]

o2, I think my transducer is in about the same place as yours. Might have to drop it down some though, or shift it an inch this way or that. Thanks for the images, make it clear how you've mounted yours. I like the idea of mounting a plate to the boat before mounting the transducer to it- I'm learnin' ;D

Mike, I think I've read all the stuff on Waterman and a few other places about converting the numbers. I've also posted a few places to tell about the free conversion program (POSAID2) provide at the USCG web site, which I think is the best thing most readily available for converting LORAN to GPS. It does a pretty good job of getting us in the area but my results with the program are iffy at best. When I use the program I'm not getting exact conversion results when I test it with known LORAN/GPS numbers. From what I've read, the very best way to get good conversion numbers is to use a plotter that has the capability of reading both GPS and LORAN. I think when GPS came out, many of the better plotters were able to read both but now, several years after GPS became the preferred navigational system, I guess few plotters have the duel function. Hoping someone here might have one that reads both. If not, I may take some numbers to West Marine or Boater's World and try one of their more expensive display model plotters to try and get the converted numbers. It's just way too expensive and time consuming for me to take a 25-30 mile boat ride in the open ocean, to a general area hoping to find my rock or wreck back again, with numbers that I don't have much confidence in.

Dave