raystar 390 GPS?

Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
It's a prehistoric GPS receiver. Just shows lat/long; no maps. It pre-dates selective availability (SA) being turned off in 1999, as well as the first GPS year roll-over. If it turns on and locks on to sats ok, it will be ok for basic location generation, but hardly anyone wants just that anymore.
 
Jul 21, 2014
23
hunter 28.5 lake
thanks Jackdaw

so, based on what you said it is pretty much useless if it were on a boat I was looking purchasing? The boat has this gps and a radar. I guess I will be looking at all new electronics if I was considering a chart plotter? Just trying to understand what is already installed and if it is of value.

Thank you
 
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Well, it's usefull if you think knowing your lat/long in degrees.minutes.seconds is helpful. This has to be moved to the correct location on a paper chart. Before this type of GPS came along, people did this from sextant sightings, and when closer to land, converged directional bearing sights. Then loran. This type of device was a god-send until plotters came along.

For most people that use their gps plotters for near-shore piloting, and not blue water navigation, this would get old. Most just want to look down and see where they are on a moving map.

Chart-based navigation and piloting is becoming a lost art.