General GPS question

[tmitchell5188]

I have a pretty basic question on GPS. Let me give you some background info. I have a 25' Trophy with a hard top and an electronics storage locker. I had a Lowrance Mapping GPS that takes the Navionics cards. It is mounted in my locker, along with my Humminbird Sonar, radar unit, and Fish hawk speed unit.

My problem is, my Lowrance unit has shown intermittent problems. I replaced the GPS module, and it seems to work better, but at times, the unit will still not turn on. Contacting Lowrance got me no where. Even though they had some remanufactured units for sale at a reduced price, they would not sell me one. Needless to say, I'm not real happy with Lowrance.

So now that the 2012 models are coming out, and the 2011's are marked down, I'm out looking to see which model would work best for me. My old unit was 7", and as much as I'd like another large unit, I'm not sure it's in the family budget. I've seen some 5" units, but they all seem to have internal antennas. I really don't want to mount a unit on my dash, left exposed to the elements and thieves.

Any thoughts? I'd really like to upgrade to a Raymarine, but I already have the map cards in SD format, and again, the family budget gets in the way.

Hey Lowrance, are you listening? Poor customer service!

So my question is, who makes a GPS mapping unit that has an external antenna, takes SD cards, and is at a decent price ($500-$600)?

 

[O-fishal]

Re: General GPS question

How close are the radar and gps antenna?, wires all good?

 

[tmitchell5188]

Re: General GPS question

The antenna and wires are a couple of feet apart, can't get much further. That's not the issue, the GPS doesn't work even with the radar and everything else on the boat off. What really got me was, a couple of years ago I was fishing on Lake Michigan, 5 miles from port, on a night with no moon, heading in, and it went out on me! Good thing I had another buddy near by so I could follow him in to port. Talk about being dark....

 

[O-fishal]

Re: General GPS question

I just ask because my radar fried my gps antenna on my lowrance unit and I had similar symptoms Mounted the gps ant. in line and too close to the radar ant

 

[Fireman431]

Re: General GPS question

Garmin makes a nice 5-6" color unit (look at the 2006 and up series) and has an external antenna. It is in the same price range.

However, have you tried running new power & ground wires first? That may be your problem over the unit itself.

 

[tmitchell5188]

Re: General GPS question

Well, I have not tried that. The plus side, with the hard top, everything is up top. The downside is it's a pain to run new wires to anything. I do have heavy wires running from the battery to a junction block, with fuses. The connections are clean (another plus of the hard top). My issue is the screen goes into a weird mode where all of the pixels light up, every other one red/white.... If I get past that, it would fail the GPS module self test. After I replaced that module, then I was down to the weird start up screen. That would come about once every 10-15times starting, with the occasional weird more every time.

I'll check out the Garmin's too. I'd rather keep what I have if it works. It would be a step backwards to go to a 5" screen from a 7" screen (old eyes) plus with everything up in the electronics locker, it's a lot further away from the driver when seated, thus hard to see. But I may not have a choice on this ne.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: General GPS question

Well, I have not tried that. The plus side, with the hard top, everything is up top. The downside is it's a pain to run new wires to anything. I do have heavy wires running from the battery to a junction block, with fuses. The connections are clean (another plus of the hard top). My issue is the screen goes into a weird mode where all of the pixels light up, every other one red/white.... If I get past that, it would fail the GPS module self test. After I replaced that module, then I was down to the weird start up screen. That would come about once every 10-15times starting, with the occasional weird more every time.

I'll check out the Garmin's too. I'd rather keep what I have if it works. It would be a step backwards to go to a 5" screen from a 7" screen (old eyes) plus with everything up in the electronics locker, it's a lot further away from the driver when seated, thus hard to see. But I may not have a choice on this ne.

That does sound like the unit.

I was incorrect about the Garmin screen. It is a 7.2" color digital screen with multi layer contrast and custom tuning. I look at the stupid thing everytime I'm on my boat,,,you think I'd remember..:facepalm:

It is a great unit tho.

 

[CaptainKickback]

Re: General GPS question

That does sound like the unit.

I was incorrect about the Garmin screen. It is a 7.2" color digital screen with multi layer contrast and custom tuning. I look at the stupid thing everytime I'm on my boat,,,you think I'd remember..:facepalm:

It is a great unit tho.

Just so you don't get put off if you look at that Garmin unit, most of them have an internal antenae, but they wjll accept an external one.

If you use the existing antenae wire as a pull wire, you should be able to wire a new antenae fairly easily. If you do, pull a string with the new wire and leave it for future use.

Don't know if the Garmin uses the SD card format.

One other option. Sounds like you have to turn it off and back on (maybe several times) to get it working. If that's the case, by a cheapie handheld for use in emergencues (when your unit fails 5 miles out).

Good luck...

 

[Fireman431]

Re: General GPS question

Just so you don't get put off if you look at that Garmin unit, most of them have an internal antenae, but they wjll accept an external one.

Don't know if the Garmin uses the SD card format.

The unit I mentioned uses an external antenna solely. It also uses the SD cards and has dual slots for overlapping areas or transversing the end of a charted/mapped area.

 

[tmitchell5188]

Re: General GPS question

Do you have a specific model number?

 

[azboater2]

Re: General GPS question

Humminbird makes several with a very good external GPS, 50 channel device, 3 meter precision, 640x604 dpi screen.

 

[dingbat]

Re: General GPS question

What's your budget?

Garmin by far makes the best GPS out there. The 2006 mentioned above has been discontinued and unsupported for some time now. It was replaced by the 4XXX and 5XXX series multi-function displays back in 2005.

The 4XXX and 5XXX series MFDs come are scheduled to be phased out over the next several years so you can find some pretty good prices on them if you look around. If the MFD are a bit pricey for your blood take a look at the 740 series.

The good thing about the Garmin plotters is that you don?t need to buy separate maps packages or mess around with SD cards. Most units come with Bluechart g2 maps already loaded on the unit. The units support NMEA 2000 so you can add fuel flow, tank level, etc. to the unit.

I?ve been running a 4208 (8? screen) for 6 years now and I can?t say enough about the unit. Its fast and it does everything I need plus give me options for the future. The optional remote control for the unit comes in handy when fishing off the back of the boat
　

 

[CaptainKickback]

Re: General GPS question

dingbat, glad to hear you praise the 4208. That is the one I have been planning on getting for my project boat. I've had several Garmin's on different boats and have loved them all.