GPS Chartplotters knobs or Touchscreen

[mphatc]

Folks,

It's been a while since I've posted here . . . I've been lurking since I sold the Corsican . . :confused:

I'm now running a Magnum 27 and am shopping for a chartplotter. Curious from those of you who have these on smaller boats, how easy is it to use the touchscreen units on a boat that gives you an exciting ride . . are you better able to use a knob controlled unit or a touchscreen?

Thank you,
Mario L.

[Ghost]

Pure touchscreen is a bad idea. I have a SIMRAD that has both touchscreen plus a few buttons and the all-important zoom knob. I would NEVER get one without a zoom knob.

[Carl C]

I have zoom buttons. :)

[Escman]

Folks,

It's been a while since I've posted here . . . I've been lurking since I sold the Corsican . . :confused:

I'm now running a Magnum 27 and am shopping for a chartplotter. Curious from those of you who have these on smaller boats, how easy is it to use the touchscreen units on a boat that gives you an exciting ride . . are you better able to use a knob controlled unit or a touchscreen?

Thank you,
Mario L.

If interested I have a brand new Simrad NSS7EVO2 unused and in the box. I purchased it by accident and could not use it because my depth sender would not connect to the unit. It has never been powered up. I listed it on Ebay a couple of times and all I ended up with was bottom feeders and unsold charges. I paid 1150 for it, first 950 takes it.

[Ghost]

If interested I have a brand new Simrad NSS7EVO2 unused and in the box. I purchased it by accident and could not use it because my depth sender would not connect to the unit. It has never been powered up. I listed it on Ebay a couple of times and all I ended up with was bottom feeders and unsold charges. I paid 1150 for it, first 950 takes it.

If you (or a buyer) buys a an Airmar P79 transducer, you can probably mount it in the hull in 30 minutes. Raymarine, Simrad and Garmin all use the P79. If you call Airmar, you can buy it with a generic fitting, and get the adapter for Simrad. Then you can swap plotter brands down the road and use the same transducer, just with a different adapter.

Worth reading the install guide before buying, to make sure your hull has a proper non-cored spot to mount it. Not sure about coring in the classics. You could always do a hull mod, but that's real work.

[Escman]

If you (or a buyer) buys a an Airmar P79 transducer, you can probably mount it in the hull in 30 minutes. Raymarine, Simrad and Garmin all use the P79. If you call Airmar, you can buy it with a generic fitting, and get the adapter for Simrad. Then you can swap plotter brands down the road and use the same transducer, just with a different adapter.

Worth reading the install guide before buying, to make sure your hull has a proper non-cored spot to mount it. Not sure about coring in the classics. You could always do a hull mod, but that's real work.

I solved the problem by buying the same unit with the port for the for the transducer. It was hardly the most inexpensive way of solving the problem, but thats what happens when you get the wrong advice from a vendor. Compounding the problem is I plan all these things to do/install while in NY, then drive down to Tenn. and then discover whats not compatible. Bottom line is it's done and working beautifully. Now to find a home for the non compatible unit.

[Ghost]

Ahh, gotcha. Should sell quickly--I have a Simrad and love them. Someone here would do well to snatch it up.

[chip w]

So this thread is a couple of years old and this technology moves forward quickly. I’m going to put some kind of plotter in my 18 before I run aground or worse. Any thoughts on current technology? I dont care about fish finders but I want a processor that keeps up with me so that I don’t run out of a channel or into a submerged whatever. Thanks for any input.

[smokediver]

I have a garmin 942 xs and it’s pretty cool. Came pre loaded with charts both coastal and inland lakes. Also mounted a through the hull transducer for depth. If you have a mefi 3 or newer there is also a way to monitor the fuel economy as well as temp pressures etc. the 7 inch model would probably fit well in an 18

[chip w]

Thanks SD. I’ll be checking that out in the next week or so. Hope to compare a few but wanted to see what some of you other folks are using.

[yeller]

Thanks SD. I’ll be checking that out in the next week or so. Hope to compare a few but wanted to see what some of you other folks are using.
I have a Lowrance Elite 5. I bought it about 5yrs ago and only used it a couple times (with the boat being down), but from the limited time I've used it I found it easy to use and easy to see.

[smokediver]

That looks good. And handy ! I need to rely on a navigator

[chip w]

That looks good. And handy ! I need to rely on a navigator

Nicely done! I like that.

[chip w]

I have a Lowrance Elite 5. I bought it about 5yrs ago and only used it a couple times (with the boat being down), but from the limited time I've used it I found it easy to use and easy to see.

Glen, I found an Elite 5 for $190 (asking price). Do I need the SD card for navionics to get the charts or should it come preloaded?

[Ghost]

The ones I’ve seen had something pretty useless preloaded—had to buy a Navionics chip for real utility. Haven’t ever tried a Lowrance though, so maybe.

[chip w]

The ones I’ve seen had something pretty useless preloaded—had to buy a Navionics chip for real utility. Haven’t ever tried a Lowrance though, so maybe.

Thanks. I think it needs a chip. Still looking...

[yeller]

Glen, I found an Elite 5 for $190 (asking price). Do I need the SD card for navionics to get the charts or should it come preloaded?Depends on which Elite 5 it is. When I bought mine, there were 3 or 4 different "levels" of the Elite. All the same unit, just different levels of map coverage; ranging from no maps, up to all of north america. If it doesn't come with the card, then it may have some preloaded maps. I don't think there is anything wrong with using the preloaded maps, it's just that they'll be limited in the areas they cover. If it covers your area of boating, then it might work for you.
Myself, I wanted more than just my area. I wanted all inland lakes as well as the coastal waters from Canada to Mexico. That way, if I take my boat south (which I have done), I'll have navigation when in unknown waters.