Any suggestions on GPS/depth electronics

[troy]

I am looking into getting some electronics- gps and depthmeter. I am totally new to electronics and probably need something simple to use. I was wondering what other sailors were using. Is it beter to get a all-in-one type system? I am also hoping to find something that uses very little energy.Thanks in advance.

 

[Ross]

Consider what you really need and start from

there. The least costly depth/gps will provide far more information than you can use but they are fun to play with.

 

[sailaway78]

GPS and Depth

There are tons of stuff out there. Kind of depends on what you want to budget for it. You can buy one of the little Hawkeye or similar depth finders for about 100 bucks. A 2 inch unit, with digital read out and depth alarm. Uniden sells one that is identical, and I would assume the same mfg. You can find a hand held GPS for about the same price. I had one of the Hawkeye's on a boat I just sold, and it worked well and was very dependable. I am personally partial to the Garmin GPS units. I have had extremely good service with them, and they seem to be more user friendly than some of the others. To move up a couple steps in price, some new Garmin chart plotters now have all the charts built in, and also some have depth as an option. I have one of the 498 models and absolutely love it. As with all other boat stuff, investigate, find what suits your needs at the price you want to pay.

 

[saltygator]

I agree with everthing said so far...

I also have the Garmin 498 with a shoot thru the hull transducer. Built in charts are great for the US coastal waters and there is more info built in than I will ever use. Especially nice are the built in tides, bridge clearances, etc. The nice thing about Garmins, the menus on all models are pretty similar.Figure out what info you want and buy the unit that provides it.Good Luck,John

 

[troy]

Thanks for all the info

I have a small hand held Garmin gps already that I use for hiking and traveling. I just noticed this morning that it has a marine setting with anchor drag alarm. This unit does not rely on 'boat' power so I don't have to worry about drainging the batteries. I never thought about using it on the boat. Are the larger units (like the 498) a serious drain on the bateries? That is what I worry about... dead bateries and no anchor drag alarm and no way to start the motor. If you are able to sail for the day and run the 498, I guess that is pretty good. I guess I could always run the motor to recharge the batteries if needed.I am only planning to sail over to Catalina Island for a few days at a time. Charts to know if the bays are private would be very helpful. Anchor drag, depthmeter, and knotmeter are probably all I need.

 

[saltygator]

I sail all day

and certainly don't worry about the GPS draining the batteries. It draws 14 watts(max) at 13.8 volts. The refrigerator, stereo, fans, and the lights left on by the kids are much more of a drain. I do use the low battery alarm feature and it has saved me more than once. It allows you to set the voltage that sounds the alarm. I also have a separate starting battery from the house batteries.