Gps advise

[YankeeDave]

Im looking for a first GPS unit for my 20ft CC boat. Are there any handheld units that come with pre loaded map of Chesapeake bay? I see alot of cheap units but the map card costs as much as the unit.I already have a good fish finder unit so i dont need one of the combo units i see for sale. Any recomendations?

 

[BoatDrinksQ5]

Re: Gps advise

My Lowrance elite-4 has TONS of lakes on it by default (some almost ponds) - i would be very surprised if it didn't have C.Bay... but then again maybe default maps only have inland waters?

When i was looking at it I couldn't get a good idea of what it had and what it didn't....i suppose i could go and see if it had the Chesapeake today/tonight.

 

[r.j.dawg]

Re: Gps advise

The only hand held unit I have used is my buddy's Garmin. It seems to work good and came preloadied with all the charts, only I found the screen way too small and very hard to read. I do better with the Navionics app on my iphone.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Gps advise

The Garmin charts for the Bay are very good. Using a hand held GPS to navigate on the Bay, not so good becouse of the screen size.
Most Garmin chart plotters come preloaded with detailed maps.

 

[YankeeDave]

Re: Gps advise

Thanks for the help. Im going to make a first time run across the bay to Onancock from the mouth of the Rappahanock river.

 

[Philster]

Re: Gps advise

I almost went the handheld route because of two boats. Didn't find a handheld unit that had acceptable Chessie mapping without shelling out 100+ bucks extra for maps. A handheld of decent screen size and features, combined with the need to download at cost more charts, got more expensive than a chartplotter/fishfinder combo.

I'd ditch the finder you have, sell it on ebay (be gone in 1 day) and get a combo unit that mounts (e.g., Garmin 400 or 500 series). They have acceptable coastal and inland water maps and the upgrade you can download is just to kick it up a notch.

I'd bet after you do the math that this is the best use of time and money.

Lowrance Elite Gold 4 or something like that is a nice option. Has their gold series charts preloaded.

 

[Jlawsen]

Re: Gps advise

You probably already have a handled and don't know it. If you buy the Navionics maps you can install the mobile app on an iPhone and download the maps to it. I have it, have never used it because it's way too small for my eyes but if I ever got into a jamb I have it as a backup.

Your going to have to buy maps from someone if you want any decent detail. The USGS topos can be used but the bathymetric and hydrologic data must be overlayed manually. It's fairly simple for me since I've been in the IT business off and on for most of my life. The USGS provides the apps.

One alternative but not the best for navigation is to get the Garmin GPS usb reciever and use a notebook PC. Contrary to popular belief you don't need a hardened PC. A simple netbook works.

You need to remember that the area you are venturing into is marketed as life and safety so the prices are set accordingly. The more you pay the more life and safety you get.

 

[Ciscovet]

Re: Gps advise

I would go with the elite-4 gold (combo if you want the coastal waterways) or garmin 431 or 441(coastal maps). The biggest issues with the navionics app are they run down your phone battery and they are extremely hard to see during the day. Plus your phone's screen turns off after a whle so you have to keep turning it on.

 

[YankeeDave]

Re: Gps advise

Thanks everone for your help.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Gps advise

I'd ditch the finder you have, sell it on ebay (be gone in 1 day) and get a combo unit that mounts (e.g., Garmin 400 or 500 series). They have acceptable coastal and inland water maps and the upgrade you can download is just to kick it up a notch.

The 400 and 500 series are only 4" and 5" screens. Combo units suck until you get a 10-12" screens. Even then, I don't liek them becouse you loose the unit for some reason you've ldone.

What Garmin chart upgrade are you talking about that kicks it up a notch?