I own a H240 and I would like to get a handheld GPS such as the Magellan 320. I obviously don't need anything fancy but if its worth it I don'nt mind spending a little more. Any input is appreciated!
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Here we go!
Hi Reinhold: This is one of those questions that generates almost as much debate as the question about halyard clang in a marina, do you love it or hate it?! More to the point, I own a Magellan 315 which I got at a really good price two years ago, but I've used both Garmin GPS12 and GPS48 and like them better. I found the displays larger and easier to read, and the buttons were easier to use. The display on my 315 also freezes every so often for no apparent reason. I'm waiting a few more months for the prices on the new WAAS GPS's to start coming down. Peter H23 "Raven" Peter H23 "Raven"
Hi Reinhold: This is one of those questions that generates almost as much debate as the question about halyard clang in a marina, do you love it or hate it?! More to the point, I own a Magellan 315 which I got at a really good price two years ago, but I've used both Garmin GPS12 and GPS48 and like them better. I found the displays larger and easier to read, and the buttons were easier to use. The display on my 315 also freezes every so often for no apparent reason. I'm waiting a few more months for the prices on the new WAAS GPS's to start coming down. Peter H23 "Raven" Peter H23 "Raven"
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T J Furstenau
Garmin eTrex
I got the eTrex Legend last summer and love it. The only complaint is the the attached cord hangs off the bottom instead of the top, so I can't hang it and look at it. (It's then upside down.) Fairly minor complaint though. Could the display be bigger, sure but not at that price. It'll take the Garmin eMaps, has decent memory and battery life, comes with the PC cable for transferring waypoints.
I got the eTrex Legend last summer and love it. The only complaint is the the attached cord hangs off the bottom instead of the top, so I can't hang it and look at it. (It's then upside down.) Fairly minor complaint though. Could the display be bigger, sure but not at that price. It'll take the Garmin eMaps, has decent memory and battery life, comes with the PC cable for transferring waypoints.
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Jon Bastien
I like my Garmin GPS48
I agree with Peter- I like the Garmin handhelds like the GPS12 and GPS48 over the comparable Magellan units- I've played with both, and found the Garmin a little easier to learn and more intuitive to operate. The major consideration when I was hunting for GPS was how I was ACTUALLY going to use it. I figured that I didn't really need accuracy better than, say, 50 feet to a target mark; If I can't see where I want to be by the time it's 50 feet away, I shouldn't be trying to sail my boat! Now that SA has been turned off, my GPS is about as accurate as the DGPS technology... which is still a LOT more accurate than I really need it to be. WAAS would be overkill for my style of sailing. If all you need is a device to show your course, speed over ground, or direction to your next waypoint, you can't beat the value of these (slightly) older units. --Jon Bastien H25 'Adagio'
I agree with Peter- I like the Garmin handhelds like the GPS12 and GPS48 over the comparable Magellan units- I've played with both, and found the Garmin a little easier to learn and more intuitive to operate. The major consideration when I was hunting for GPS was how I was ACTUALLY going to use it. I figured that I didn't really need accuracy better than, say, 50 feet to a target mark; If I can't see where I want to be by the time it's 50 feet away, I shouldn't be trying to sail my boat! Now that SA has been turned off, my GPS is about as accurate as the DGPS technology... which is still a LOT more accurate than I really need it to be. WAAS would be overkill for my style of sailing. If all you need is a device to show your course, speed over ground, or direction to your next waypoint, you can't beat the value of these (slightly) older units. --Jon Bastien H25 'Adagio'
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David
Map 76
Hola! I have a Map 76. Spendy! However, the topo maps and large display make for a great little tool. I am going to purchase the blue chart cd this week and I will let you know. Good Luck and have fun!
Hola! I have a Map 76. Spendy! However, the topo maps and large display make for a great little tool. I am going to purchase the blue chart cd this week and I will let you know. Good Luck and have fun!
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Bill
Garmin 48 also
I find the 48 I got last summer meets all my daysailing needs. I've also hooked it to my laptop and interfaced it to Maptech charting software. Cool. Fun toy. Thinking of doing some coastal cruising next summer, for which I believe the 48 will be all the GPS electronics I need.
I find the 48 I got last summer meets all my daysailing needs. I've also hooked it to my laptop and interfaced it to Maptech charting software. Cool. Fun toy. Thinking of doing some coastal cruising next summer, for which I believe the 48 will be all the GPS electronics I need.
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Colin
GPS 11 cuz!!!
I ove mt Garmin GPS 11 for the following reasons. - It is waterproof. - It has a detachable antenna so you can set it up below and only have the antenna out in the open. - It has a combination jack that permits you to run it off the boat power and also to interface with a laptop and use any one of several brands of navigation software. - It was reasonably piced and has been very reliable.
I ove mt Garmin GPS 11 for the following reasons. - It is waterproof. - It has a detachable antenna so you can set it up below and only have the antenna out in the open. - It has a combination jack that permits you to run it off the boat power and also to interface with a laptop and use any one of several brands of navigation software. - It was reasonably piced and has been very reliable.
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Jim Anzalone
NONE
Get the cheaper chart plotter. Hand helds are too small. The samller they get the harder they are to read!
Get the cheaper chart plotter. Hand helds are too small. The samller they get the harder they are to read!
One more thing...
Although I wasn't very kind to my Magellan 315, I should admit that it was very easy to connect it to both my Autohelm tillerpilot and the boat's 12V supply with the single data cable. It's a great setup for singlehanding. Peter h23 "Raven"
Although I wasn't very kind to my Magellan 315, I should admit that it was very easy to connect it to both my Autohelm tillerpilot and the boat's 12V supply with the single data cable. It's a great setup for singlehanding. Peter h23 "Raven"
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Mark Major
Practical Sailor ratings
Practical Sailor Volume 27 #23/24 December 2001 rated five handhelds in this order, best on down: Garmin GPSmap76; Garmin eTrex Vista; Garmin eTrex Legend; Megellan MAP330M; Lowrance Globalmap 100 (not recommended). The top 4 are WAAS. Reading the article would be helpful. Check out www.practical-sailor.com for subscription information.
Practical Sailor Volume 27 #23/24 December 2001 rated five handhelds in this order, best on down: Garmin GPSmap76; Garmin eTrex Vista; Garmin eTrex Legend; Megellan MAP330M; Lowrance Globalmap 100 (not recommended). The top 4 are WAAS. Reading the article would be helpful. Check out www.practical-sailor.com for subscription information.
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Carl and Juliana Dupre
A Lot Depends...
...on what you are going to be doing. If you are doing mostly fair-weather day-sailing and don't stray too far from home, then either a Magellan 315 or Gamin 48 or E-Trex will nicely do anything and everything that you want, and for only somewhere between $125 and $200. We own a M-315 and a G-48, and they have served us incredibly well for several years. Don't go beyond this unless your sailing habits justify it. Just go to a store, play with each for a while, and pick the one that feels easiest to use. If you venture into broader coastal cruising and have the opportunity to get surprised in unaccustomed locales by fog where you can't see 200 feet off the bow, as we did this past summer, then we heartily support the previous recommendation of a chart plotting capable device. In such a situation the ability to see where you are in real-time at the helm without needing to take the time to plot coordinates on a paper chart can be priceless, and it doesn't take a $$ fortune to get one that will do that. DON'T plan on using a low-end plotter for detailed navigation; they just don't present enough detail information to allow that. But they will show you where you are, and after motoring for 3 hours in pea soup fog, that can an indescribable comfort, believe us! Next week we will be investing $750 in a Garmin 176C chartplotter ($600 for the device, $150 for a chart chip). But then we frequently venture 30 to 100 miles from home mooring. If you are REALLY serious, go spend $2000 or more on the new Garmin 2006 or 2010 chart plotters. Even if you don't want to buy one, just go LOOK at them; they are wonders to behold! Bottom line; you can spend anywhere from $125 to $2500. It all depends on what you plan to do, what you want to be prepared for, and what you are willing to spend. But $150 and a M-315 or G-48 will probably do you well. Carl and Jule s/v 'Syzygy'
...on what you are going to be doing. If you are doing mostly fair-weather day-sailing and don't stray too far from home, then either a Magellan 315 or Gamin 48 or E-Trex will nicely do anything and everything that you want, and for only somewhere between $125 and $200. We own a M-315 and a G-48, and they have served us incredibly well for several years. Don't go beyond this unless your sailing habits justify it. Just go to a store, play with each for a while, and pick the one that feels easiest to use. If you venture into broader coastal cruising and have the opportunity to get surprised in unaccustomed locales by fog where you can't see 200 feet off the bow, as we did this past summer, then we heartily support the previous recommendation of a chart plotting capable device. In such a situation the ability to see where you are in real-time at the helm without needing to take the time to plot coordinates on a paper chart can be priceless, and it doesn't take a $$ fortune to get one that will do that. DON'T plan on using a low-end plotter for detailed navigation; they just don't present enough detail information to allow that. But they will show you where you are, and after motoring for 3 hours in pea soup fog, that can an indescribable comfort, believe us! Next week we will be investing $750 in a Garmin 176C chartplotter ($600 for the device, $150 for a chart chip). But then we frequently venture 30 to 100 miles from home mooring. If you are REALLY serious, go spend $2000 or more on the new Garmin 2006 or 2010 chart plotters. Even if you don't want to buy one, just go LOOK at them; they are wonders to behold! Bottom line; you can spend anywhere from $125 to $2500. It all depends on what you plan to do, what you want to be prepared for, and what you are willing to spend. But $150 and a M-315 or G-48 will probably do you well. Carl and Jule s/v 'Syzygy'
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Dave Johndrow
Garmin Map 76
I really like the handhelds, I have the Garmin Map 76. It does it's job aboard quite well but don't discount it's use on land. I take mine in the car on road trips and the Highway and distance info is nice. If your gonna spend the money...
I really like the handhelds, I have the Garmin Map 76. It does it's job aboard quite well but don't discount it's use on land. I take mine in the car on road trips and the Highway and distance info is nice. If your gonna spend the money...
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Dakota Jim Russell
G 48 no longer in production GMap76 is the choice
You may want to wander over to the Garmin website: http://www.garmin.com/ You will find that the 48 is no longer in production and is being replaced by the Garmin GPSMAP 76, or GPS76. Over the years I've had the 45, 48, and still have the 162, Etrek Summit and the GPSMAP76. For a hand held I've found nothing better than the GPSMAP76 loaded with Topography MapSource data . . . which has the navigational data for most of the main navagatable waters. But do visit the web site, utilize their comparison pages and then make your choice. If you buy the Map76 and don't like it, let me know as I have some friends who may take it off your hands. Jim
You may want to wander over to the Garmin website: http://www.garmin.com/ You will find that the 48 is no longer in production and is being replaced by the Garmin GPSMAP 76, or GPS76. Over the years I've had the 45, 48, and still have the 162, Etrek Summit and the GPSMAP76. For a hand held I've found nothing better than the GPSMAP76 loaded with Topography MapSource data . . . which has the navigational data for most of the main navagatable waters. But do visit the web site, utilize their comparison pages and then make your choice. If you buy the Map76 and don't like it, let me know as I have some friends who may take it off your hands. Jim
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