GPSMAP 78s

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Bonzai

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Jun 23, 2009
250
Chris-Craft SailYacht 35 St. Simon's Island, Ga.
The Admiral gave me early Christmas present. It is my first handheld GPS and I was wondering if anyone has any tips or tattles for this unit. Thanks guys!
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Congratulations. Tips: 1) don't make waypoints out of known bouys, it just takes up waypoint space and you can place the cursor over them and Go To anytime you want; 2) don't get too hung up on making Routes, I find it better to "keep my head out of the boat" and enter the next waypoint manually; 3) when navigating in bad visibility, don't go to the next buoy but rather aim away from it - the reason is mobos like to use routes from waypoint to waypoint and they keep coming out of the fog right at you close to buoys!!!

Have fun, great little gadget. RTFM. :)
 
Oct 28, 2008
24
Catalina 320 Lake Texoma
The Admiral gave me early Christmas present. It is my first handheld GPS and I was wondering if anyone has any tips or tattles for this unit. Thanks guys![/quote

Bonzai
Purchase the database for your geographical area and then read the book and upload the database. Then read the book some more. I am not being sarcastic about read the book, there is a considerable amount of setup stuff that applies to you and your location and preferences. After you achieve some level of mastery of this unit, if you race, it is the best thing since sliced bread for determining time and distance to the start mark. But you have to create that mark as an MOB and the rename it. I create a mark at the start line, next to the committee boat ( windward end of the start line) I then use the mark as my reference in time and distance to the mark relative to my fleet start time. If you don't race, the the plotter is great to keep from getting lost!
 
Aug 25, 2010
62
Catalina 30 Seabrook, TX
Hay Bentwing60

I noticed you are located on Lake Texcoma. I was looking at purchasing a boat on that lake but I need to motor down to the Gulf. Is there a way to get on the Red River from there?
 
Oct 28, 2008
24
Catalina 320 Lake Texoma
Re: Hay Bentwing60

No, the Red is non-navigable below Texoma. Gotta use a hauler.
 
Jan 22, 2008
1,483
Hunter 37 C sloop Punta Gorda FL
Good stuff from both Stu and Bentwing. Enjoy, Remember it is only a tool. Watch where you are going at all times.
 
Jul 28, 2010
914
Boston Whaler Montauk New Orleans
Bonzai, I have the 76 version, and I love it. I use it for fishing in the marshes and bayous around here. Given the shifting land, I use it with a satellite chart. One feature you have that I don't is the ability to integrate other charts into your unit. I think that will be a huge help to you.
 
May 24, 2004
7,129
CC 30 South Florida
See if the unit has an anchor alarm. If it does lay it by your head at night so if the anchor drags the alarm can wake you up.
 
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