Garmin 440s GPS?

[harpguitar]

Anybody have this unit? Comments? I am looking for a good, reasonably priced GPS with depth finder integrated. Other recommendations welcome.

Rick

[norsearayder]

just got one ,iam very pleased with it,i have not hooked up the sounder that does not come with pakage also antenna does not come with unit. but good readable display and for the money best deal out there in my research

[Birdface]

I have the 440 but opted for a separate fishfinder/depth unit.

The 440 is a great chart plotter/GPS unit. I've been very happy.

I used Google's "Froogle" to find it for $150 less than West Marine.

There are pictures of how I mounted the fishfinder at the site link below, I used the same method for the 440 but on the opposite side of the companion-way.

[BarryL]

Hello,

Garmin units are all very nice. However, they are expensive. IMHO, Lowrance units are very good, and much cheaper. The LMS525C comes with everything, including sonar transducer, antenna, etc., and costs less than $700. You can use Navioncs charts, or Lowrance charts (the chart for the entire US is about $50).

Good luck,
Barry

[Birdface]

Hmmm I paid $450 for the Garmin unit.

[rhaley]

I have the 430S, which is the same unit but loaded with inland lakes maps. It works very well, and I would buy the same unit again. The only gripe I have had is the included transom mount transducer (which I have mounted as a shoot thru in the hull) is the loudest sonar transducer I have ever heard. No problem for day sails, but I would have to turn it off for sleeping. That anomaly may well be a product of my install, but this is the only transducer out of many I have installed like this that was easily audible. FWIW.

[harpguitar]

To RHaley,

You mounted the transducer as a shoot thru? Does that mean you are using the transom mount transducer affixed to the inside of your hull? That works? How do you do it?

Rick

[knothead]

Originally Posted by harpguitar

To RHaley,

You mounted the transducer as a shoot thru? Does that mean you are using the transom mount transducer affixed to the inside of your hull? That works? How do you do it?

Rick

Rick, If I'm not mistaken, you would want to bed the transducer in epoxy. What I did for the little cheapo unit that I am currently using was make a miniature levee with beads of silicone. Then I made a little lake of epoxy and set the transducer in it.
It has worked better than I expected and I was glad I didn't have to bore a hole through the hull until I get the unit I want.

[sailingdog]

Knothead-

Don't ever use epoxy to bed a transducer in the hull. You won't ever be able to remove it for repair or replacement. You're much better off either epoxying a short section of PVC pipe to the hull and mounting the transducer to a pipe cap that is threaded into the part mounted to the hull and filling the pipe with Mineral Oil... or using a polyurethane sealant, like 4200. This makes the transducer removable, but leaves it sturdily mounted.

[Birdface]

And yes the transom mount without the transom mount bracket can be mounted shoot through.

I used a lighter weight caulk (that SD has warned against in previous threads) but it worked for me. (I just need depth from the fish-finder.)