Inexpensive - RELIABLE- handheld GPS suitable for marine use?

[Cap'n Chaos]

My buddy had a neat little unit made by Garmin... it was waterproof, it floated, it had a lanyard on it so you didn't lose it in the water. It was back-lit so you could see it at night. Additionally it was BRIGHT YELLOW....I remember he was able to set "way-points" to help find his way back to ramps (or good fishing spots) in unfamiliar waters.

This was a few years back (he found it at WallyWorld) and I don't see anything like it there now...

Can anyone here recommend an inexpensive unit that works well? (I have $100 - $120 budget...or more since this is "safety gear" that could save my butt out on the water / in the woods, etc.)

 

[Davem3]

Re: Inexpensive - RELIABLE- handheld GPS suitable for marine use?

they have probably dropped big time in price now, but i have a Delorme Earthmate PN-40 originally used ( and still is ) for geocaching.

massive plus signs, waterproof ( ask me how I KNOW this), ALL lakes rivers, trail hikes, mountains, blah, blah blah , BUILT IN

you can probably get one for a good deal on CL, the price really dropped when the PN-60 came out

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Inexpensive - RELIABLE- handheld GPS suitable for marine use?

Garmin still makes a lot of handheld units for marine use (which is different than land based units). Theu should have the basic waterway program installed, giving depths, channels, bouys, etc. Also available are Lowrance, Magellan, ....

All should be able to input waypoints, which is better for heading out to certain areas, meeting up with people, etc. Get the one that leaves a "track". This is a dotted line that indicates where you were. It's a nice feature that allows you to come back in on the identical course that you left on. Good for retuning at night when you can't see some obstacles.

How's $116?

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&cp=11&gs_id=1c&xhr=t&q=handheld+marine+gps&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1536&bih=792&wrapid=tljp1336314265223023&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=4709063119747546519&sa=X&ei=nommT7yhOMmgtwfF8ryDBQ&sqi=2&ved=0COEBEPMCMAE#

 

[lmuss53]

Re: Inexpensive - RELIABLE- handheld GPS suitable for marine use?

The Garmin in the link is a very basic no frills GPS, you can enter waypoints but there is no mapping. I'm not dissing Garmin or Fireman's recommendation, but I would spend a little more and look for one with at least basic background maps built in.

I am a fan of Lowrance products, but it's been a while since I upgraded, so I have no current recommendation. I am a Lowrance fan because I am familiar with their products, but all of the GPS brands make good products, and you can get good performance from any of them. I used an iFinder pro from Lowrance for years. It had mapping capabilities that were surprisingly accurate for my local 10,000 COE Lake, and you could plug the Navionics chip into it for lake specific mapping with bottom contours and structure shown. I've gone to a FF/GPS Combo now and don't have a portable.

With your budget you may have to go with basic/new or capable/used (ebay).

 

[ssobol]

Re: Inexpensive - RELIABLE- handheld GPS suitable for marine use?

I have used the Magellan eXplorist units (the older ones). They are water proof and pretty rugged. The 100-200-300 series are B&W, while the 400-500-600 have color screens. The color screens eat the batteries so I would use an external power connection. The B&W will last about 14 hours on 2AA batteries.

The higher end models allow you to load custom maps into them and can use SD cards. The others do not, but have a built in map. These are sufficient to mark spots and follow tracks.

These units are out of production but you can find them on eBay fairly cheap.

There is also the Lowrance iFinder series. I have the H2O C model. It has a bigger screen than the eXplorist units and can take chart cards or custom maps. The unit is also waterproof. Since it has a color screen, external power is needed for extended use. There are B&W versions too. These are also out of production but can be found on eBay or CL. On eBay they can be had for about $100. I got one with a chart card for $160.

 

[boat23]

Re: Inexpensive - RELIABLE- handheld GPS suitable for marine use?

Hello.... I am in the market for GPS to replace my IPhone that I current use now... the Iphone actually works great with the Navionics app, but I wanted something waterproof and true "GPS".

I saw someone above mention the Magellan Explorist... does anyone have experience with the newer model 510,610 or 710?

To the original post... did your buddy get a handheld GPS... if so what type and how did it work out?

Thanks

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Inexpensive - RELIABLE- handheld GPS suitable for marine use?

I have a GPSMap 76CSx. its color, water proof, floats, hand held, WAAS enabled, and a bunch of features. I paid $400 in 2008, however they are now about $150

I use it for canoeing, boating, biking, hiking, and have used it for road navigation.

its the same unit that the guys from TopGear use in many of their adventures.

 

[boat23]

Re: Inexpensive - RELIABLE- handheld GPS suitable for marine use?

Hey Scott... I was also looking at that Garmin GPSMAP 76CSx, but was worried the screen was to small since I was never able to see one in person.

You see to be happy with it... do you find the screen size to be fine for normal boating use?

Thanks again

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Inexpensive - RELIABLE- handheld GPS suitable for marine use?

I have had it mounted in both the SeaRay and the Rogue. it works for my needs. although at 50mph, the buttons and screen could be bigger

 

[minuteman62-64]

Re: Inexpensive - RELIABLE- handheld GPS suitable for marine use?

I have a GPSMap 76CSx. its color, water proof, floats, hand held, WAAS enabled, and a bunch of features. I paid $400 in 2008, however they are now about $150

I use it for canoeing, boating, biking, hiking, and have used it for road navigation.

its the same unit that the guys from TopGear use in many of their adventures.

I also have this unit. It is usually on sale at West in the $130-$150 range. However, be aware that for any functionallity you will need the marine chart (Blue Chart or something like that) at about $140 and if you want street maps another $70 or so.

That said, I purchased a marine mount through Amazon and mounted it on the console of my 16' aluminum skiff. It worked great w/no problems w/visibality/vibration/etc. I run it off a 12V accessory plug in my boat and in my car.

 

[ssobol]

Re: Inexpensive - RELIABLE- handheld GPS suitable for marine use?

Hello.... I am in the market for GPS to replace my IPhone that I current use now... the Iphone actually works great with the Navionics app, but I wanted something waterproof and true "GPS".

I saw someone above mention the Magellan Explorist... does anyone have experience with the newer model 510,610 or 710?

To the original post... did your buddy get a handheld GPS... if so what type and how did it work out?

Thanks

I used this unit in my boat

http://www.gpsinformation.org/larry/exploristse/ex500le.html

The earlier ones are supposed to be better than the newer ones (510, 610, etc.). I also used a 200 unit.

With the 500LE you can use an SD card to store information, hold maps, transfer between PC and the GPS unit. The color screen eats the battery so for long periods of use you should have it plugged in (or bring extra batteries). The unit is waterproof, but I don't know if it floats. I had a Ram mount that held the unit on my boat console.

The 200 has a monochrome screen and does not accept SD cards, so you have to use what maps are loaded. It will work fine for basic tracking and spot marking. With the B/W screen the batteries will last about 14 hours.

The explorist series is meant for land use. You can load detailed maps which improve the rendering of shorelines (from the basemap), but you can't load navigation charts.

The Lowrance iFinder H2O series is also handheld. It is a bit bigger than the explorist, but still fits in your hand. The H2O C has a color screen. These units also have SD cards which you can load maps onto. You can also buy the Navionics chart cards for them. I have a H2O C unit with the coastal US card in it that works well. You can also download detail charts for certain lakes that integrate into the maps loaded on the unit. Because the unit has a color screen it is best to have it plugged in for long periods of use.

The iFinder series has more features than the explorist so there is more to learn. The explorist is more intuitive, but lacks some features. For general use both units will work fine. Both units do WAAS.

You can download the iFinder H2O emulator from here:

http://www.lowrance.com/en/Downloads/Product-Emulators/

I don't think there is an emulator for the explorist series, but you can download the manual.

I have an H2O C (and all the bits) that I might decide to sell soon (getting a Garmin 4xx series).

 

[boat23]

Re: Inexpensive - RELIABLE- handheld GPS suitable for marine use?

Thanks for the info...

I think I will try and find a West Marine to visit and get my hands on a Garmin so I know for sure.

The Lowrance iFinder H2O does look nice, but seems hard to find now.

Thanks again

 

[tx1961whaler]

Re: Inexpensive - RELIABLE- handheld GPS suitable for marine use?

I have both a Garmin eTrex20 and Delorme PN-60. The Garmin is less capable, but very easy to use and is much cheaper than the Delorme.
The Delorme has a fairly steep learning curve, but is more rugged and has more features than the Garmin. I also have a Navionics card for the Delorme. The Delorme is for the boat and backwoods. The Garmin is for geocaching and light hiking.