GPS Recommendations

[sixgun95]

Want to purchase a chartplotter. I have it narrowed down to the Garmin units, 3 specifically.
Garmin 430/430s 240x320 pixels, 4" diagonal screen
Garmin 530/530s 240x320 pixels, 5" diagonal screen
Garmin 535/535s 480x640 pixels, 5" diagonal screen

Question
1. Is a 4" screen too small?
2. Is it worth the extra money for the 480x640 pixel?
3. Is it worth getting the sonar function? I don't fish, getting unit merely to navigate the lakes. I do have a depth finder.

Unit will be mounted on top of the console.

If you have any experience with any of these units, I would greatly appreciate your input.

07' Chaparral Sunesta 214, deckboat.

 

[dingbat]

Re: GPS Recommendations

1. Is a 4" screen too small?

Go as big as you can afford. I just got rid of a perfectly good 4" B&W machine becouse I couldn't read the text on the screen. Installed a 8" 4208 Garmin as a replacment and could not be happier. Kind of like going from a 12" B&W TV to a 42" LCD flat screen

2. Is it worth the extra money for the 480x640 pixel?

On a GPS you're generally looking at text. The text is hard enough to see as it is so why go with a higher resolution background if you'll have to use a larger font, which will only take up more area on the charts, to read it?

3. Is it worth getting the sonar function? I don't fish, getting unit merely to navigate the lakes. I do have a depth finder.

If you don't fish and already ready have a depth finder sonar buys you nothing.