GPS questions

[alecs123]

I'm trying to figure out how to get a GPS (used or new) for a budget that can be used on my boat. I've been browsing the net and found some car specific GPS that can be uploaded with maps, the question is, will this devices will operate at sea, even better, will they plot charts?
The prices amog all is wide, but almost all carry usb interface to link to a computer, upload maps, and of course they will tell you your position, speed, etc...
any ideas-comments?

[Hyperion]

I got a combination depth sounder/GPS plotter for a few hundred bucks. I'd go with something marine specific (just because the features are going to be geared towards boat use), even though the technology behind your in-car unit is the same as one for your boat.

[Cruisingdad]

Why not just get a regular old GPS and interface it to a lap top?

[sailingdog]

You also might want to consider that none of the car-specific units will be water resistant, and as such, will probably have a much shorter lifespan on a small sailboat. They will not have marine charts available for them either.

There are a few, like the Garmin GPSMap 276, which are dual purpose units, and come with both terrestrial and marine navigation capabilities. However, these units are generally more expensive than the larger, marine specific units.

[alecs123]

Originally Posted by Cruisingdad

Why not just get a regular old GPS and interface it to a lap top?

That's a choice I'm thinking of, but as I know almos nothing about this, I wonder how easy is to set this system up? What kind of software is needed and what GPS would fit into this arrangement?
Thanks a lot

[Cruisingdad]

The are a lot of different opinions on this, so I will just give you mine. Here is a pretty cheap version: http://shop.sailnet.com/product_info...ds=garmin%2076

$165 at sailnet. I checked West and they want a lot more for it. It will interface to your pc. I keep these as backups.

You should be able to use the coordinates out of this to feed any proprietary software. Or, you may find you like it fine the way it is as a handheld. If you really want more function, a free standing unit may be a better fit. Those will run under 1,000. Many people like using their PC as their CP. That is fine, but I do not like it for a sailboat because it always ends up banging all over the place. I do keep a lap top on board but it is down below during sailing.

More info than you wanted, just trying to help. Take a look at that unit. Not bad for the price, in my opinion.

- CD

[BlueWaterMD]

I used to have a Garmin E-trex. Got it new on sale for $76. It didn;t have ay mapping, but as long as you had a map to correlete it with, it all worked pretty well for me. You can get some mapping units relatively cheap. Go with black and white and you can save a lot of money.

[sailingdog]

However, the color odels are usually easier to read in sunlight.

Originally Posted by BlueWaterMD

I used to have a Garmin E-trex. Got it new on sale for $76. It didn;t have ay mapping, but as long as you had a map to correlete it with, it all worked pretty well for me. You can get some mapping units relatively cheap. Go with black and white and you can save a lot of money.

[SEMIJim]

Originally Posted by alecs123

I'm trying to figure out how to get a GPS (used or new) for a budget that can be used on my boat.

Perhaps if you'd give us an idea of what your budget is, we could more productively comment?

Jim

[BarryL]

Originally Posted by SEMIJim

Perhaps if you'd give us an idea of what your budget is, we could more productively comment?

Jim

Excellent question. You can get a decent marine GPS for $100. You can get a high quality color chartplotter for $500. You can get a large screen unit with all sorts of bells and whistles for $1000.

What are you looking for? Portable? Fixed mount?

Barry