GPS...What to buy?

[Barry Eller]

I've never had a GPS. What is easy to use, inexpensive?

[vonkamp]

Handheld?
I own a Garmin 60csx (http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-GPSMap-2-6-Inch-Mapping-Handheld/dp/B000CSOXTO/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1211491512&sr=8-1). works great.

[mjw930]

I've never had a GPS. What is easy to use, inexpensive?

I picked up the Lowrance H2O (http://www.lowrance.com/en/Products/Outdoors/iFINDER-H2O/) (monochrome) and it's a pretty good package for right around $150 street price. If you just want waypoints, speed and direction the Lowrance GO2 (http://www.lowrance.com/en/Products/Outdoors/iFINDER-GO2/) is great for under $100.

[Barry Eller]

I'm thinking of something I can use in the car and boat for directions, speed, way-points,etc. I guess I want it all. I always do...:smash:

[yeller]

I bought the Garmin 650 and really like it. Nice and easy to use. The Nuvi models are capable of accepting the water maps, but for the price of the maps, you'd be better off getting a secondary low cost marine unit.

As much as I like the Garmin, if I did it again, I'd get a Tomtom. I do a lot of multiple destinations in a day and the 650 isn't capable of plotting more than 2. If you don't care about that feature then go with the Garmin.

This is a great Tomtom for the price (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?ec=BC-EC22848-ProdID11277587&pos=3&whse=BC&topnav=&prodid=11266614&lang=en-US)

[Carl C]

Garmin C550 is on sale @ Costco for 199.95 (http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11277587).. I use one in the MH/Truck?Mustang, it works real well for me.. Havent tried it in the boat yet.. Have an Ifinder handheld thats pretty good also... I googled the C550 and it seems to be just for land use. Can water charts be loaded? Why are land GPS units under $200 and an equivalant Chartplotter at least twice that?? Do they just assume that boaters are rich and $ is no factor??? I'm still looking for an affordable, small chartplotter for the boat.

[Donziweasel]

Barry,
I have a Garmin Etrex Vista C. Great handheld. You can also download maps, uploaded tracks and waypoints, and it has a removable card to change maps that have been downloaded if you have a bunch of them. Nice little unit, plus has a holster clip to put on your belt.

[Carl C]

I just got back from Bass Pro Shops where they have a bunch of chartplotters and fishfinders on display that you can play with. One that I had been considering turned out to have a dim display. Others eliminated Canadian waters when you zoom in. For instance, zoom in on the Detroit River and the Canadian side disappears. That's pretty screwed up and I'm glad I found out about that. I found one really impressive fixed mount gps chartplotter. It is bright, not too big, programmed with inland lakes and oceans and includes Canadian waters:yippie: It is the Lowrance 5300C. It's $500 everywhere. Problem is it's also back ordered everywhere which tells me that a lot of people are buying them. I'm trying to find one now. A lesson I learned today though is to play with the unit you choose first or it may have some of the problems I mentioned.

edit: I just ordered a 5300C from thegpsstore.com. $494.90 incl. shipping. They said it was in stock.

[VetteLT193]

I really would like to get the Garmin Colorado 400C. It is waterproof and looks like it can do it all.

Magellan has some 'crossover' systems but they look junky.

I can't tell if the 400C includes road maps or if it is a separate purchase...

edit...
i just looked it up, and the 400c looks like it does everything out of the box. coastal waters plus roads.

[Barry Eller]

I really would like to get the Garmin Colorado 400C. It is waterproof and looks like it can do it all.

Magellan has some 'crossover' systems but they look junky.

I can't tell if the 400C includes road maps or if it is a separate purchase...

edit...
i just looked it up, and the 400c looks like it does everything out of the box. coastal waters plus roads.



I like this one. Good find VetteLT193. Garmin Colorado 400C.

Not inexpen$ive, but does it all.

Thanks
BSE

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=11024

[zelatore]

There have been a few gripes about the Colorados. I've played with one a little and found you had to run the backlight even in sunlight. I hear that leads to realy short battery life.

Still, I'm thinking I'll probably get one for backpacking and hiking, and just plug a marine chart in it to use as a back-up for when we charter in the San Juans. I understand it runs on Windows CS, so it's likely that there will be a lot of 'stuff' written for it over the next year or so. Things like the National Geographic topo maps, etc.

You can get the Colorado in different formats: no preloaded software, loaded with topo for hiking, loaded with coastal waters, or loaded with inland lakes. The hardware is all the same, and you can then upload additional software/maps for whatever else you want to use it for.

FWIW, on a boat I don't like hand helds except as back up units. The screens are too hard to read and too small for much chartplotting. But it's not like you're going to install an E120 on a Donzi, so there you are...:hangum: I run a Raymarine E120 on my Carver and a Garmin 545 on the 22. I don't love the Garmin, but it does pretty well.

[DonziJon]

I like to look at GPSs every now and then. It's an amazing instrument. The problem as I see it is this: They are OBSOLETE by the time you get it out of the box. I quit buying them a few years ago. It's always $500, $500, if you want one that's any good. :doh: John