Latest chart plotter

[guidera48]

I am in the market for a new gps/plotter in the 5" or 7" size. Between $400 and $ 800. The problem I am having is that many of the models I find in my price range are discontinued by the manufacturer although many stores still sell them. I don't want to buy yesterday's electronics.

Is there a web site that list's the different units and the date they came into existence? In today's electronic world, I am almost afraid to buy one in October as it may be obsolete by sailing season next March.

Thanks for your insight.

 

[Bill1565]

I have a perfectly funtioning obsolete Garmin, but faced with the need to purchase several hundred dollars worth of obsolete chips for our trip to Chesapeake Bay, I voted for a Raymarine 50D.

All electronics get superceded, doesn't mean they don't work. If I weren't planning a 1500 mile plus trip I would have kept on using my obsolete chart plotter and bought the boat something that it needed.

r

 

[Stu Jackson]

The easiest thing to do is to go to the manufacturers' websites and see what they say. Horse's mouth so to speak.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

While electronics do get antiquated too soon, most of the time they can be used for several years. Cartography now is something you get via the Internet for a lot of models. So, hopefully this will add longevity to your unit. I have an old Garmin 175 that I think is an awesome unit, but you cannot buy map chips for them anymore unless you find them used on eBay or something. But, it is quite old and B&W and a newer Garmin unit that I recently bought gets the maps off the Internet, is in color and has more features and upgraded electronics. The question to ask is if some of the store's inventory will be obsolete because maps for various locations will no longer be supported. That is the biggest problem.

 

[redhead78]

Jose, I am selling a garmin 478, and 182c, both units especially the 478 are great, however I want the sonar and depth feature and need to buy a $ 4-5 hundred sounder box. I am not trying to sell them to you, I agree with talk to manufacture, when I did they asked what I was trying to achieve, and said I could buy a unit with the sounder unit built in the unit. SO for a little more money I get a unit with what I need with a new warranty. I have a crappy depth sounder, inside by nav desk, and when u are dragging a 6' 4" keel around I want it in my face, so its a matter of what u are trying to achieve in your boat...Red

 

[rochesterdriver]

Jose,

Do what I did. Go with your laptop.

I bought a new Gateway for $499 at Best Buy. I also bought a 12v power adaptor (I outfitted my boat with 12v cigarette lighter outlets throughout) so it runs just fine on the boat.

I then shopped for an application that would do what I wanted. I found it in Polar Navy's "Polar View". I love this piece, truly. It uses the free NOAA charts that you can download.

They have GPS pucks available practically everywhere.
I made the choice that's right for me.

hth,

Rich.

 

[drumbeater]

Get the Navionics app for your iPhone or iPad. About $12 and works great in range of a 3G signal.

 

[FourPoints]

Phones and computers are most definitely not weather proof, and in an emergency situation will probably fail as in an emergency on a boat, most often everything gets wet. Not to mention what do you do if you are caught in a squall 4 miles offshore, and have no visibility, and are forced to navigate purely off instruments, but you cannot see your instruments from the helm?

I have a Garmin 540s that while now discontinued, still works great and is still getting software updates and bug fixes from Garmin. I can buy chart updates (bluechart), and in fact should do in the spring as the internal charts are now 3 or more years old. The unit could probably last as long as the boat, regardless of how obsolete it gets...

 

[rochesterdriver]

Yep, you're right Brian. AND, the charts go overboard (everyone DOES have paper charts, right?) and the battery connection fails to the GPS receiver, blah, blah, blah. We're talking options, I thought.

 

[amcmahon]

Searched last couple of years for new chartplotter - best unit for the price I found was Garmin 546 - (I bought 546s since it has sonar included). West Marine (to my surprise) had best price at about $800. I went on line and found 10% coupon which store accepted so I paid $720. Unit is fully loaded with detailed coastal charts of entire US including Caribbean, so no need to buy map/charts. They do sell a chip (sd card) that provided aerial photos of most land areas, but garmin wants $500 - I found Canadian company selling for $150 - works fine. Interestingly I sold my old system (Garmin 182 w/sd20 sonar) for over $800 so new unit cost me 0. Good luck.

 

[inarathree]

Get the Navionics app for your iPhone or iPad. About $12 and works great in range of a 3G signal.

The GPS doesn't need a 3G signal.