GPS'es

[shemandr]

I have been doing some RC work here in Florida recently. My Garmin GPS176c has evidently given up the ghost. What I need is a GPS that can ping the starting boat/signal boat and then give me a heading and distance to it to set up weather mark or starting line. I do not need a chartplotter and I have less than no interest in buying an expensive chart card. My question: Will a Garmin III or even II provide this functionality? I can buy one of those units on ebay or amazon for less than $50. If not what other cheap choices are there?

 

[jssailem]

It is not the GPS you need. You need a way of marking the location of the starting boat. You could use your phone.
You want a way of identifying your bearing and distance from the first mark so you can locate the second mark. Again an app on your phone could work.

Or you can buy a Garmin or Multi Functional Display. The GPS in the unit will help you locate the two marks.

The relationship (bearing and distance ) is a action you will need to identify.

 

[dlochner]

Any GPS with a MOB function should do that.

Treat the Committee boat as the MOB and then motor away from it until you reach the distance you want. The bearing will be the reciprocal bearing to the MOB, thus if the bearing to the weather mark should be 180, at the weather mark the bearing to the MOB/Committtee boat should be 000°

 

[WayneH]

I've got the android app "The Fast Track" that I use for the course. Free. YMMV

 

[Davidasailor26]

Any GPS with a MOB function should do that.

Treat the Committee boat as the MOB and then motor away from it until you reach the distance you want. The bearing will be the reciprocal bearing to the MOB, thus if the bearing to the weather mark should be 180, at the weather mark the bearing to the MOB/Committtee boat should be 000°

Or any way to save a waypoint, even if it’s not a MOB. Even a chart plotter without any charts installed should be able to do that, or an old style GPS without mapping capabilities.

You could also use Navionics or other smartphone apps on you phone. Just need a way to save the waypoint, not any kind of charts under it.

 

[jssailem]

Just need a way to save the waypoint, not any kind of charts under it.

It strikes me if Shemander is looking for an inexpensive method.
Old school, Paper chart and a compass would work just fine to mark the course for a youth race training race.

 

[Joe]

You can simply use the "waypoint" or "create route" feature on your phone's navigation app. I like Navionics.... but there may be another that's just as good. You can set waypoints a number of ways... planning a route for instance... or just mark them according to your boat's location... like fishermen do.

 

[Hunter216]

I have been doing some RC work here in Florida recently. My Garmin GPS176c has evidently given up the ghost. What I need is a GPS that can ping the starting boat/signal boat and then give me a heading and distance to it to set up weather mark or starting line. I do not need a chartplotter and I have less than no interest in buying an expensive chart card. My question: Will a Garmin III or even II provide this functionality? I can buy one of those units on ebay or amazon for less than $50. If not what other cheap choices are there?

If you need the ability to measure the distance without first approaching the start boat (MOB point) could you use a golf range finder?

 

[dlochner]

The MOB feature is slightly easier to use because it sets a waypoint and then gives the course and distance to that waypoint with 1 button push.

 

[shemandr]

Thanks for the responses. Here is an update: I don't want to use my iphone because I have a lot of trouble seeing the screen with polarized sunglasses on and even without if in direct sunlight. I can get a used GPS176c on ebay for around $50. But the card for here in Florida is $349! That's not going to happen. I bid on a Garmin GPS III but I think the price will end up too high. And anyway a comment on the eBay page warned that the GPS III loses memory if the batteries are left in. I don't understand that but it's a question. I went to West Marine and the reasonably knowledgable clerk there directed me to a new Garmin GPS unit for $149. So I'm thinking if I'm going to spend money at all I might as well get the faster acquisition and accuracy of new - if that is what I''l get. I just don't really what all the features to wade through.
Paper would be fine but these support boats don't have a surface for that and are too wet. Rangefinders are used by other RC members and I'll probably look into getting one.
Maybe I can sell my existing card on eBay.

 

[dlochner]

This one from TheGPSStore.com would work. I don't think it has a MOB function though. Setting race courses can be a challenge, driving the boat, getting the ground tackle and mark ready, avoiding boats around the starting line. Using a MOB instead setting a waypoint is much easier and quicker.

The GPS Store, Inc. GPS Systems, Marine Electronics

The GPS Store, Inc. Official Site - The Worlds Favorite Source for Marine Electronics, Garmin GPS units, Furuno, Lowrance, Raymarine & Accessories.

www.thegpsstore.com

A couple of hints. Set the waypoint for the start line in the middle of the start line. Setting it at the committee boat will always make the committee boat favored. Using the middle of the line spreads the fleet out over the line making for a cleaner faster start. Be aware of drift. especially in windy conditions. It is possible to drift hundreds of feet pretty quickly while trying to drop the mark. Been there done that, have many t-shirts.

 

[shemandr]

Thanks for the tips.
The West Marine kid directed me to a unit that looks like this:

GPSMAP® 78sc Marine Handheld GPS Receiver with Compass, Barometer and BlueChart g2 Coastal Charts | West Marine

Check out our GPSMAP® 78sc Marine Handheld GPS Receiver with Compass, Barometer and BlueChart g2 Coastal Charts and more from West Marine!

www.westmarine.com

It may not have some of the features but it also isn't $ 249. Is the enter button with
"Mark" under equivalent to MOB?
I'll poke around on the GPS Store site some.

 

[Hunter216]

Is the enter button with
"Mark" under equivalent to MOB?

Looks like it has a dedicated MOB button, the MARK button would also save a location so that’s the same but using it instead might be more complicated to navigate back to that point.

 

[shemandr]

Jeez, I didn't even see that next to the "Find' button! Thanks!

 

[Hunter216]

Jeez, I didn't even see that next to the "Find' button! Thanks!

No problem
It nice that it floats! I would take your polarized sunglasses to the store and try it outside on a sunny day before purchase however. Likely better than the Iphone screen but worth checking out.

PS You could also try to use your phone in a different orientation, landscape vs portrait. The polarization of the sunglasses and phone screen sometimes conflict, rotating the phone helps.