I have a 2000 192 Tournament. I'd like to add a gps/depthfinder before the 2008 season gets going - something that won't break my bank, can be read in most degrees of light and will fit neatly somewhere around the helm station. Does anyone out there have the truth? Thanks.
need help selecting gps
- Thread starter caabe
- Start date
Two comparisons I can make are Standard Horizon and Furuno. On the old boad I used a Standard Horizon 150C (color with about a 4 inch screen) and loved the function except for the size. It was very easy to operate and set waypoints and store fish spots. Currently I run a Furuno 1850 (came with the boat) and although it has the larger screen I am not impressed with the overall function. I find it cumbersome to zoom in and out and the colors just are not natural to chart reading. (if you are used to reading paper charts) When zoomed in real far you loose depth detail and can easily "get lost" on the chart. While at the New York boat show I watched a demo of the garmin and was impressed with the plotting functions and color display. In short I would look at the Standard (3 year warranty) and the Garmin. I believe Garmin has the Blue Charts which are very detailed. My Furuno uses Navionics which I find lack some details in open water and I don't like the depth markers.
Garmin gets my vote. I've had quite a few different brands, and imo the Garmins are the most user friendly. Their charts provide excellent detail too. The latest generation has 3d view capability, (Bluechart g2).
I'm not a big fan of dual purpose units. When it's in split screen mode, the image/info is too small, and if the unit fails you lose everything. Of course, I can inderstand having one where there's limited space.
I prefer atleast a 5" screen, but again, for limited space, and $ here's a 4" model;
http://www.starmarinedepot.com/Garmin+430s+GPSMAP.html
I'm not a big fan of dual purpose units. When it's in split screen mode, the image/info is too small, and if the unit fails you lose everything. Of course, I can inderstand having one where there's limited space.
I prefer atleast a 5" screen, but again, for limited space, and $ here's a 4" model;
http://www.starmarinedepot.com/Garmin+430s+GPSMAP.html
Garmin has really nice plotters but unless things changed, their fish finders aren't the best. Get the biggest screen you can fit and afford. Trying to see the plotter and a fish finder on a 5" screen isn't fun. In a store it's not as bad as when you're using it on a boat.
Garmins are well done, my old 2006 is rock steady up in the hardtop box. Doesn't flinch when I crank the twins, unlike the newer Raymarine stuff I have.
Parthery
GreatGrady Captain
If you can track down the Garmin 498c, you can get a decent deal on a great machine. Don't let the fact that its discontinued scare you off...it has built-in Bluechart, a decent FF, and the size will fit your dash.
Should be able to find one for right around $500 or so...maybe even a few bucks less than that.
Should be able to find one for right around $500 or so...maybe even a few bucks less than that.
Let me put my two cents in for Lowrance. I had an LMS 240 (now obsolete) on my previous Whaler and am putting an LCX 38C HD on my new 225 Tournament. I have always had great service and use from Lowrance and their combo units come in bigger screens than Garmin. For the same size screen and features they are also less expensive than Garmin. My advice to you is to go and put your hands on any unit you are considering and play with them for a while. Some units are more intuitive to some people than others. My fire dept has Raymarine on our fire boat and I have never gotten the hang of those units. As far as pricing, let me suggest you go to eMarinesupplies.com. They have some of the best pricing I have been able to find. Good luck with you search!
Garmin has great chartplotters but their FF are not the best. If you are an occasional fishermen they will be good enough, but if you do a bit of fishing, I would opt for another brand FF. I work for a large sportfish company, the majority of our units are furuno, with Northstar and Raymarine in second. There are some Simrad and other brands mixed in but few and far between. A few have opted for big Garmin GPS's, but NO other units from Garmin, have not seen a single Lowrance installed on one of our boats. These guys are spending big bucks for top notch equipment and fish a lot of tournaments. Raymarine has some nice units that can do it all, Furuno does as well, but they will cost a few more bucks then the Garmin. I love the Garmin GPS's, but I also like to keep my electronics the same brand, so until Garmin can build a decent sounder, they will never see my boat. Northstar builds one of the best GPS units and their finders are good, but they are pricey. Decide whats more important to you since you are on a budget, a sounder or a gps. Then buy a unit that satisfies your priority and can also do the other but maybe not as well. Just remember you get what you pay for, in the past I've tried to go for a cheaper unit, it always gets replaced quickly and usually with a higher end unit that stays.
Don't forget the intended usage of your boat, the guys in the big sport fishers proably dump more money on electronics than you did on your boat.
my two cents
Like I said just my two cents...if your going to spend the money on a gps/FF, don't just get one that does ok. For most boat owners, that piece of equipment is what they try to take the short cuts on. That GPS/FF will most likely be on your boat til you sell it, most small boat owners don't change their electronics like large/charter type boats do. Get the best you can afford to purchase, compare models, whatever you need to do...but don't cut yourself short on your electronics, they could be the difference between a successful/safe day on the water vs a day you want to forget about. Suggestion, don't just go to boater's world and look, hit the marine electronic shops around where you fish and look at what the professional crews are using, might be surprised that a smaller screen model compares closely with ones at boater's world. (just example of a store...not picking on them at all)
Most of all, get what makes you happy and fits your needs....remember as is with most things you get what you pay for.
Like I said just my two cents...if your going to spend the money on a gps/FF, don't just get one that does ok. For most boat owners, that piece of equipment is what they try to take the short cuts on. That GPS/FF will most likely be on your boat til you sell it, most small boat owners don't change their electronics like large/charter type boats do. Get the best you can afford to purchase, compare models, whatever you need to do...but don't cut yourself short on your electronics, they could be the difference between a successful/safe day on the water vs a day you want to forget about. Suggestion, don't just go to boater's world and look, hit the marine electronic shops around where you fish and look at what the professional crews are using, might be surprised that a smaller screen model compares closely with ones at boater's world. (just example of a store...not picking on them at all)
Most of all, get what makes you happy and fits your needs....remember as is with most things you get what you pay for.
The Members post reads "does anyone out there have the truth?"
I like that.
What's the member's budget have for this purchase ?
I like that.
What's the member's budget have for this purchase ?
The truth is there, for a all in one system nobody really has it locked up. Foruno has the best FF but the chartplotters are kludgy, Garmin has great plotters but soso fishfinders. Raymarine has decent FF, can't say about their plotters, but have had many failures recently. Lowrance has a decent FF and OK plotter but costs the least.