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$500 to $600 chartplotter?

5K views 16 replies 9 participants last post by  rikhall 
#1 ·
I'm looking for a chartplotter up to $600. In the past I've bought a lot of Garmin stuff but this 78SC handheld I bought last year has kind of changed that! It's very powerful but I find the menu structure, navigation, and general ease of use to be very poor. It's as if no-one ever thought about how a GPS is used on a boat. To top it all, the manual is minimal and only covers the most basic features. Anything else, figure it out for yourself.

So is anyone else better? How about Lowrance? They seem to have competing ones at about the same price point.
 
#2 ·
Right now I'm kinda lusting after the new Garmin Montana :D But I'm also in the market for a hand-held that's equally well-suited to road and trail as it is to sea. For straight marine hand-helds, the ones I see most-often recommended are the 78sc (which you have and do not like), the 76csx and the 60csx.

Jim
 
#3 ·
Hello,

I am on my second Lowrance plotter / sounder. I am happy with their stuff and would definitely consider them in the future. What I like about Lowrance is that their screens are high resolution (480 X 480 compared to 320 X 200 for many others), and for only a little more $ you can get a nice depth sounder. They allow you to customize the screens which is a nice feature. Lastly, Lowrance provides a emulator (for some models) that allows you to 'use' the plotter on your PC and see if you like it. For under $600 you can get the Elite 5, or maybe the HDS 5. The Elite series uses NMEA 0183 while the HDS has NMEA2000.

Another model that is affordable is Standard Horizon. They also provide an emulator that allows you to test the plotter.

Barry
 
#4 ·
I have been really happy with my lowrance 3500C which is more or less the old version of the current HDS with NMEA2000.

And the NauthicPath chip is a very good deal

Its just been moved to its second boat and taken a LOT of saltwater without complaint
 
#10 ·
Quite satisfied with my Standard Horizon 180i, good colour screen, reasonable size. I think the latest versions include charts (I need a Cmax card)it was less than $500 but the chip card was $200. The new one is a better deal, I believe.
 
#13 ·
My guess is you aren't looking very closely.

It's not IPX7 waterproof, nor does it float, for starters. I'd almost be willing to bet the value of the thing it won't take the knocks a dedicated hand-held GPS/chartplotter will. i know it won't hold all the charts that some of them will. Does it have an axis-independent compass in it?

I'd hate to lose an expensive, hand-held GPS/chartplotter over the side, but my PHONE?!?!
My phone goes down below when I get on board and never gets outside the cockpit coaming--and usually not even that far when we're under sail.

Plus: Your average dedicated GPS/chartplotter isn't as exploitable as it turns out many of the new "smart" phones are.

No thanks. I'll take the purpose-built device for this job, thankyouverymuch.

Jim
 
#14 · (Edited)
Back in the day,the only way to make a telephone call from your boat was by ship-to-shore radio. it was cumbersome, and inadequate.
if your radio made a lousy phone why do you think your phone will be an adequate nav device.

Can you mount your ipad/phone at the helm?
No.
is it waterproof? no.
Is it daylight readable?
No.

i'm sorry, to all of you who have drunk the apple kool-aid, just because the case is white, doesn't mean it is marine grade.
 
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