gps/fishfinder question

[rob711]

i'm going to purchase a depth finder/gps unit for my self for christmas...cause i deserve it !! i've been told that garmin is the way to go..i'm looking at the 398or maybe the520..those could be the wrong numbers any way does anyone have any insight as to if it would be cheaper to wait untill march or so..also whats the difference between a chart plotter and gps..this is only a recreational boat no major off shore use..mostly the long island sound..any suggestions

 

[JB]

Re: gps/fishfinder question

A chart plotter is a GPS that displays a map with an icon to show your position, Rob. Other GPS only display lat/lon.

I would not get a combo unit unless it has a BIG screen and can display both at once in a large enough format to be useful. Also, if a combo unit fails you have neither.

I suggest that you look at a reasonable Garmin GPS plus a reasonable Lowrance/Eagle SONAR. I use a Garmin 276c and an Eagle Cuda 168.

 

[Boatist]

Re: gps/fishfinder question

First the price is pretty much the same. When new units come out then you can get better deals on the old units.
I agree with JB better to have seperate units. A 5 inch unit I think is too small to display both your GPS and Sonar at the same time. Things to think about if you have a combow unit and you want to change something on the depthfinder first you have to put in in depthfinder mode then you can use the controls to make any adjustment you want then if you want to change something on the GPS Chartploter your have to change to GPS mode then your can make your changes.

I think you need to ask yourself a lot of questions first before you even consider buying a unit. I think it is a very diffcult choice to get the right unit.
For the depth finder first need to ask youself what type of water you will be fishing. A good unit for bass fishing in zero to 40 feet of water will not work very well in salt water 200 to 500 feet. If you troll with a down rigger your need a depth finder with a wide cone angle but for deep water and salt water you need a narow cone angle and lots of power and resoultion.

Garmin makes very good GPS/Chartplotter units but most units are not as bright as Lowrance units so hard to see in sunlight.

If your are going to use the GPS both on land and water then your need a lot of waypoints and routes, also good maps for land and Sea. I think Lowrance has much better base maps than garmin. Most garmin users will need to buy more detailed maps. I have both Old Garmin GPSMAP 76 and a new Lowrance Ifinder H2O C. The lowrance map has twice the details of the Garmin. Also my old garmin has much more detail than the same model new garmins today. I feel they downgraded the map to get more people to purchase the detailed map.

Bottom line for me at least is first I would decide which unit you need most and reserch the features you need. Then I would do the research on the other unit sonar or Gps. The if you can find what you need in a single unit buy it but remember combow unit take extra steps to do anything you need bucause it uses the same buttons to control both units.

I think it is the hardest purchase you will ever make for your boat. Make sure before you buy you go and see the unit in a store and compare to other units.
They all look great on the web sites, bright and easy to see with great detail on the screen but most are not that way when you see it in the store.

One last point, if you take good care of your unit it will last 25 years or more. What I mean is you do not leave it out in a covered boat in the sun where the inside temperature is 145 degrees or in a open boat in the rain and fog.

All the units are great but finding the right one is not easy. Ask your boating friends for help and suggestions after you know where and how you will use the unit most of the time.

 

[dingbat]

Re: gps/fishfinder question

If your fishing LI Sound go for the 540. The 540 comes pre-loaded with the G2 Blue charts so your good to go.

I have to agree with the others. Either unit is too small to be used effectively as a dual unit. Either go up in size to something like a 3206 or a 4208 or go with seperate units.

 

[SFT2]

Re: gps/fishfinder question

Here's some neat info that Garmin doesn't tell anyone: Most of their automotive and handheld units can use Recreational Lakes (which is much better than it's replacement, Inland Lakes). I have Rec Lakes on an eMap and a C330 and it works fine. A bit hard to see on the small eMap screen, but usable.

Now if they'd just release the aviation maps on DVD so I could do land, sea, and air in one unit I'd do a happy dance on the driveway, dock, or ramp (airport ramp, not boat, wouldn't want to hold up traffic), as appropriate

 

[rob711]

Re: gps/fishfinder question

hmm...some good points...i really only want the fishfinder option for depth, as i'm not really a avid fisherman...but thats a good point about getting two seperate units...thanks for the input
rob

 

[flabum]

Re: gps/fishfinder question

If your'e not really interested in a fish finder, but more of a depth finder.... you can get a depth finder that is the same size as a small gauge and just get a good GPS/Chartplotter.

 

[SFT2]

Re: gps/fishfinder question

hmm...some good points...i really only want the fishfinder option for depth, as i'm not really a avid fisherman...but thats a good point about getting two seperate units...thanks for the input
rob

That's exactly what I need. I don't fish, but I like to know what I'm about to destroy my prop on. Since my Maxum came with an Eagle fishfinder, however, I'm going to leave it there and turn off the fishfinding parts. That means the GPS only has to show me a map so I can see exactly how lost I really am. The handheld units have gotten dirt cheap, but unless you want to lick it and stick it on your eyeball it's a bit tough to see what's going on. A Garmin Streetpilot III might be a good choice since it has a decent sized display and can be had cheap on Ebay. Not 100% sure that it'll take the marine maps, but if the eMap and newer Streetpilots do, it's a reasonable assumption that it will. Only drawback is that it uses proprietary memory cards.

 

[Bry21317]

Re: gps/fishfinder question

I have a Digital Depth finder in my boat, and I did destroy my prop with just that.

I had already purchased the Garmin GPSMap 378c, this thing is awesome. It will do the GPS in the car and boat. It also has the lake maps, that I boat on and I am able to follow all of the channells, and it works great. I have not yet used the Sonar, but I did purchase the Sonar module and transducer, and have it hooked up, just have not yet taken the boat out since Installing that part, as our lakes are empty.

I love this unit, I got it for a great price on Ebay, so thats where I would look.

I was going to spend the money on one for the boat only, but decided to go with this Garmin that I can use anywhere. It runs off battery or 12v, it also can have the XM Weather and music on it. I love it, and would recommend it to anyone.

Bryan

 

[Pursuit2150]

Re: gps/fishfinder question

Another item to keep in mind!
A sonar/Fishfinder also has a DEPTH alarm, so you know you are getting into shallow water.