Recommend hand held GPS?
- Thread starter debcouture56
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On the low-end... I bought a Garmin etrex Vista (monochrome) on ebay for about $100 a few years back. The screen's too small to really use as a 'plotter' but it's still great for position, direction, and speed over ground. It's splashproof. A great backup for charts and dead-reckoning. I imagine both the monochrome and colour Vistas are cheaper now.
Another low-end option is to buy a GPS USB plug-in for your laptop or netbook, and use a free chart app like OpenCPN. I bought one for $30 and it works OK, but it's less robust than the Vista.
Another low-end option is to buy a GPS USB plug-in for your laptop or netbook, and use a free chart app like OpenCPN. I bought one for $30 and it works OK, but it's less robust than the Vista.
I second (or is it third or fourth) the EarthNC app running on your cell phone. Its handy as heck. With it you can download NOAA charts. It shows your position quite accurately. It will save your tracks, as well as average speed, max speed, distance travelled and other stats. You can add notes about your trip. Don't think you can set waypoints, but for seeing where you are at its pretty good. Even at $14.95 its a deal.
Cheers,
Gary
Cheers,
Gary
The best I have found is a Galaxy Tab 10.1 which you can do all manner of things with, and buy the Navionics USA app for 14 bucks. ALL of the charts for the bahamas US and mexico... for 14 bucks! I was using my android phone for this app which worked pretty well but the Galaxy Tab is much brighter and easier to read. I also have a RayMarine chartplotter in the cockpit, a Furuno radar/chart plotter below and Maptech on a dedicated PC at my nav station, but when I am entering a harbor or in a channel in the US I have my Galaxy tab with me as it is easy to use and the charts are up to date. it is the easiest plotter to use. and it has tides and currents at a touch.
Mike
Mike
Wow, you’re going to get a lot of recommendations!
I did very well for years with a Garmin GPSMap76 and paper maps. Black & white screen, pre-loaded with simple basemap and complete database of bouys & markers. Good battery life on a pair of AAs. Even has a NMEA 183 port I used to drive my tillerpilot. Got me in and out of the shallow bays of Jersey shore, FL Keys, and the 70nm from Key West to Dry Tortugas just fine.
I looked at the color GPSMap 76C / 76CX also, looked like decent units, but I did not like the cost of maps or the small screen. Also, the Garmin 640, which someone else here recommended, looked great, but no output port.
Put the Navionics charting app on my iPhone 3G a few years ago -- OK but slow. Upgraded to iPhone 4S and updated app this year. Wow, very fast, and the compass allows heading-up map orientation.
If you want a handheld of course that’s up to you, however I don’t understand your reasoning about the transducer stopping you from installing a GPS. All you need for a chartplotter is a place to set it and 12 volts to power it. I just put a Garmin 541 on my boat, took about 20 minutes.
When you DO get around to a depthfinder transducer installation, you can put it in the front of a boat using only non-permanent fixtures. On my MacGregor 26S, I set the transducer in the very bow of the boat. I took a little bucket, cut out most of the bottom, and attached it with silicone it to the inside of the hull. The transducer just sat in the water, and “shot” right through the hull just fine. I sail in shallow water a lot, and always liked seeing the depth ahead of me instead of behind.
Best of luck,
Ted
I did very well for years with a Garmin GPSMap76 and paper maps. Black & white screen, pre-loaded with simple basemap and complete database of bouys & markers. Good battery life on a pair of AAs. Even has a NMEA 183 port I used to drive my tillerpilot. Got me in and out of the shallow bays of Jersey shore, FL Keys, and the 70nm from Key West to Dry Tortugas just fine.
I looked at the color GPSMap 76C / 76CX also, looked like decent units, but I did not like the cost of maps or the small screen. Also, the Garmin 640, which someone else here recommended, looked great, but no output port.
Put the Navionics charting app on my iPhone 3G a few years ago -- OK but slow. Upgraded to iPhone 4S and updated app this year. Wow, very fast, and the compass allows heading-up map orientation.
If you want a handheld of course that’s up to you, however I don’t understand your reasoning about the transducer stopping you from installing a GPS. All you need for a chartplotter is a place to set it and 12 volts to power it. I just put a Garmin 541 on my boat, took about 20 minutes.
When you DO get around to a depthfinder transducer installation, you can put it in the front of a boat using only non-permanent fixtures. On my MacGregor 26S, I set the transducer in the very bow of the boat. I took a little bucket, cut out most of the bottom, and attached it with silicone it to the inside of the hull. The transducer just sat in the water, and “shot” right through the hull just fine. I sail in shallow water a lot, and always liked seeing the depth ahead of me instead of behind.
Best of luck,
Ted
Unless you are going to be sailing in limited visability a lot I'd recommend you learn to do pioliting (visual navigation) and not get into the habit of relying on GPS to tell you where you are. I've diecovered two things about GPS, if you are in the middle of the ocean you can be off by 10s of miles and it really does not make much differance and if you are in a narrow channel you really can't afford to stare at the GPS and pilot like it was a video game due to traffic and other such "don't show up on my screen" things. so the only time it is really handy is approching a coast under limited visability.
FWIW
the secret to never getting lost is always knowing where you are.
FWIW
the secret to never getting lost is always knowing where you are.
When I was just chartering and sailing on OBP's, I bought a Garmin Legend Cx, picked it up for around $100 (used/recert or something, on eBay). It's tiny, color, uses a microSD chip, and runs wonderfuly with BlueChart. Now I have my own boat, and mount it on a bicycle/tubing clip on the binnacle guard. I thought it would "carry me over" until I bought a nicer permanent unit, but I can't bring myself to make the change. It unclips in seconds so I can hold it while steering from the leward side, it comes inside at the end of the day in seconds, it doesn't clog the view from the helm, and the tiny screen isn't as big an issue as I feared it would be.
The one big problem is that Garmin has abandoned it. The most current chart you can get is 2008, which is getting rather old. It's also why I hate proprietary systems and desperately wish I could find an open source system that uses current NOAA charts (a conventional laptop a the steering station isn't really an option on a 34 foot sailboat, and waterproof solutions are staggeringly expensive).
Harry
The one big problem is that Garmin has abandoned it. The most current chart you can get is 2008, which is getting rather old. It's also why I hate proprietary systems and desperately wish I could find an open source system that uses current NOAA charts (a conventional laptop a the steering station isn't really an option on a 34 foot sailboat, and waterproof solutions are staggeringly expensive).
Harry
Agree with the Garmin and be sure of the features that come with unit... Some 76's are very basic and some you can download courses from your PC with software that comes with unit. It is the letters after the 76 that are important.
Also agree with the Humminbird fish finder idea and fact you can see a bit ahead.. Good if ground is sloping or you are becoming to edge of a channel but not good if there is a big rock dead ahead.. The sensor in the bag of water takes a bit to comprehend but it is a good test as to where to attach. Water takes the place of the epoxy during test of location...
Also agree with the Humminbird fish finder idea and fact you can see a bit ahead.. Good if ground is sloping or you are becoming to edge of a channel but not good if there is a big rock dead ahead.. The sensor in the bag of water takes a bit to comprehend but it is a good test as to where to attach. Water takes the place of the epoxy during test of location...
It takes awhile but I have used all the above like so many I am sure. I currently have a chartplotter and a laptop on my sailboat and have a handheld on my powerboat. It always pays to have backups so I generally have charts for most areas I sail in too
request for hand held help
Deb...without a doubt, the Marine Garmin 76 (any of them), I have had others. I have a CS now and in 5 years haven't been able to drown it or destroy it in the many ways of the Mariner. If it goes away, I will get another one of the newer ones to replace it. The newer ones have more accuracy, but if I get anywhere within 30' of what I am looking for, good enough. My friends even use it for Geocaching with one of the accurate ones and get within 3-10'. If you get one, get a RAM vacumn mount for it, it will stick to any smooth surface and never let go.
Deb...without a doubt, the Marine Garmin 76 (any of them), I have had others. I have a CS now and in 5 years haven't been able to drown it or destroy it in the many ways of the Mariner. If it goes away, I will get another one of the newer ones to replace it. The newer ones have more accuracy, but if I get anywhere within 30' of what I am looking for, good enough. My friends even use it for Geocaching with one of the accurate ones and get within 3-10'. If you get one, get a RAM vacumn mount for it, it will stick to any smooth surface and never let go.
Thanks for your help! After purchasing the boat in November we painted the bottom with a copper based paint before putting back into the water. We are told the copper in the paint will impair the signal so the transducer must be external. What do you think?
For a weather app try weatherunderground. It will have temp wind speed and direction. Along with radar
I don't know. I'm with verizon... I have NO data plan... cause I don't text. On my android phone(HTC Thunderbolt) it works fine.
Here's the link https://market.android.com/details?...50cmFpbGJlaGluZC5hbmRyb2lkLmVhcnRobmMucHJvIl0.
Deb - I use the Garmin 76CS with color screen. I paid too much when it was new and I had to buy the Blue charts on a CD. But it is very nice and after about 7 years I am still learning new features on it. Recently I bought a Standard Horizon VHF radio model GX2150 with AIS. You can connect the GPS to radio and it will display nearby ships, their speed, distance from you etc. BUT - a BIG BUT - it will not interface with Garmin 76CS. An external device is needed. If you get to this trouble let me know - I will help you. baysailor2000@att.net.
This is not true, and it is why you have to shop carefully. The Garmin Map640 includes two mounts - marine and auto. The marine mount is wired with NMEA0183 leads, both TX and RX - for connection to items like auto pilot and DSC radios, and to receive networked information (wind/depth/etc). The MAP640 also includes BlueChart G2 Vision charting software. You can add satellite weather and sea conditions with an options sat. antennae, and service agreement. Like all the Garmin marine hand-helds the Map640 is IPX7 waterproof, with a ruggedized case - read to go to sea. It might be all a small boat sailor needs, and it clips out of its mount for trailering home.
And don't forget that if you have an old laptop computer sitting around, you can download OpenCPN or SeaClear, get all the electronic charts from the NOAA site, and for about $30 to buy a hockey puck USB GPS antenna online, you'll have a fully functioning chartplotter. We have a Garmin Oregon 400C on a RAM mount at the pedestal and love it, but when we're taking longer cruises we keep the laptop running OpenCPN at the chart table, and sometimes even bring it up into the cockpit when we want a larger screen than the little one on the Oregon.
also a garmin 76S chart (but monocrome) owner. (I should have gotten the color).
I can confirm they do float and are waterproof! However the bluechart is stupid expensive.
I might try have to try navanoics app... for my toshiba tab. for 14 bucks!
I can also say the bluechart has been spot on in the keys, miami, and west coast. put me right in the channel even at night.
however at gun cay it had me on land (about 200 yds off).
I can confirm they do float and are waterproof! However the bluechart is stupid expensive.
I might try have to try navanoics app... for my toshiba tab. for 14 bucks!
I can also say the bluechart has been spot on in the keys, miami, and west coast. put me right in the channel even at night.
however at gun cay it had me on land (about 200 yds off).
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