Oldest GPS

sailboy21 · #1 (**permalink**) 12-09-2007

I had to order a new uplink cable for my GPS, which reminded me I have been using this thing for 8 years.

My Garmin 12, has survived being submerged several feet for 3 hours, and a whole host of other tortures.. sub zero temps, drops, 1000's of hours use etc.

I am curious as to what units other members have had success with. Not necessarily units that still work, but that you still use on a regular basis.

Idiens · #2 (**permalink**) 12-09-2007

I still have a 6 channel Phillips 800 driving a Yeoman chart plotter. I call it my anxiety detector, because it always loses track and starts bleating just when it's most needed.

sailortjk1 · #3 (**permalink**) 12-09-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailboy21

I had to order a new uplink cable for my GPS, which reminded me I have been using this thing for 8 years.

My Garmin 12, has survived being submerged several feet for 3 hours, and a whole host of other tortures.. sub zero temps, drops, 1000's of hours use etc.

I am curious as to what units other members have had success with. Not necessarily units that still work, but that you still use on a regular basis.

I have the exact same Garmin 12. I bought mine probably around the same time; 8 years ago, maybe more. I think I paid right around $150, a little less possibly. One of the best buys I have made for the boat.
Still use it as my back up. It has always been very reliable and has some features that I like better than my fix mounted Raymarine GPS/Chartplotter.

AmicaJim · #4 (**permalink**) 12-09-2007

I got the same Garmin 12 with my EPIRB (ACR RapidFix) as a package 5 yrs ago, and I use it all the time now since my Garmin 48 (7 yrs old) external antenna has gotten a little flaky. Both Garmins ahve served great.

JohnRPollard · #5 (**permalink**) 12-09-2007

Man you are using some really state of the art equipment there with that Garmin 12.

Last winter I finally disconnected the Magellen unit that was patched into our first generation Raytheon radar/chartplotter. I don't have a photo, but it was that Magellen unit which was billed as the very first "handheld" GPS. Remember it? It was black and white, about the size of a dozenbox of eggs. My son now uses it to verify the position of our house.

I also still have a Garmin GPS45 (circa 1994) as a back-up.

sailingdog · #6 (**permalink**) 12-09-2007

The oldest one I've got that is still working is a Garmin GPSMap 76CS, which I got for fishing and hiking about four years ago.

JohnRPollard · #7 (**permalink**) 12-09-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailingdog

The oldest one I've got that is still working is a Garmin GPSMap 76CS, which I got for fishing and hiking about four years ago.

Ha! That's exactly the model we have as our newest, primary, "state of the art" unit!! You must have some fancy gadgets if this one is your back-up!

TrueBlue · #8 (**permalink**) 12-09-2007

I bought my first handheld GPS in January of '98 - making it 10 years old next month. Has been faithful and is loaded with hundreds of user waypoints and dozens of saved routes. Still use it as a backup to my fixed Raymarine units.

If it ain't broke . . .

teshannon · #9 (**permalink**) 12-09-2007

To show you how long it's been since I had a boat before this one, I used to navigate with a RDF. Does anyone remember them? Sorry, no photos, it's at the bottom of the ocean somewhere.

sailboy21 · #10 (**permalink**) 12-09-2007

I was wee young, but I was taught to, and did navigate with RDF. I think it is a shame they turned off the maritime beacons. Still can use the aviation beacons if you have the equipment. Our RDF was a portable unit, the size of, and resembled, a large phonograph. The antenna was the dial, you just moved it around until you got the signal. The best thing about it was, by propping it over the companionway it gave you a nice visual reference to the bearing you could steer by. Got us safely home many foggy nights.
Kinda looked like this:

http://www.angelfire.com/space/proto57/rdf.html