I am new owner of O'day 222 and will be doing coastal sailing off Maine. I don't plan on using a GPS for my primary navigation (yes, I took a USCG course), but looking to buy handheld GPS for <$150. Any recommedations? Thanks, Adam.
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Basic GPS
The key is what do you want it to do for you? A basic GPS can be gotten for that price... but do you want it just for location fixes? Do you want load marine charts onto it and use it for navigation? Garmin has a pretty good reputation and there are many entry models out there. Suggest deciding what features you want, do a search, check reviews from buyers, users, etc. There are also some pretty good units for a little more that are older models such as the Garmin 76s. It was a higher end hand held and there are now color versions out there. As such, you can pick up a higher end unit with map loading features but no color. Believe you can even add a transducer and it will give you depth readings.
The key is what do you want it to do for you? A basic GPS can be gotten for that price... but do you want it just for location fixes? Do you want load marine charts onto it and use it for navigation? Garmin has a pretty good reputation and there are many entry models out there. Suggest deciding what features you want, do a search, check reviews from buyers, users, etc. There are also some pretty good units for a little more that are older models such as the Garmin 76s. It was a higher end hand held and there are now color versions out there. As such, you can pick up a higher end unit with map loading features but no color. Believe you can even add a transducer and it will give you depth readings.
Basic One Will be Fine for You for Now
Just make sure it is one that is large enough for you to read. One feature you should seriously consider is the ability to connect to your VHF for the automated distress call. By the time you need a more complex GPS you will also need a back up so do not sweat going cheap on this. A $100 unit reads your position just as well as a $600 one.
Just make sure it is one that is large enough for you to read. One feature you should seriously consider is the ability to connect to your VHF for the automated distress call. By the time you need a more complex GPS you will also need a back up so do not sweat going cheap on this. A $100 unit reads your position just as well as a $600 one.
Little Wiggle Room
Adam- You ask for a unit for less than a Benji and a half. Get a Garmin 72 or a Geko, or buy a used unit on the bay.
Adam- You ask for a unit for less than a Benji and a half. Get a Garmin 72 or a Geko, or buy a used unit on the bay.
Rhino 110
Adam I have a Garmin rhino 110 that I got off ebay for $72.00 w/ Full factory warrenty. Great little GPS and it has and cable to hook it to your laptop if you decide to run some chatting software down the road. It has lots of features that you don't really need but for the price it is a great gps and it is easy to use
Adam I have a Garmin rhino 110 that I got off ebay for $72.00 w/ Full factory warrenty. Great little GPS and it has and cable to hook it to your laptop if you decide to run some chatting software down the road. It has lots of features that you don't really need but for the price it is a great gps and it is easy to use
Harpswell!! ME To
Adam- I too live in Harpswell and have a 222 I purchased a few years ago, perhaps we should get together this summer and take a few sails arround Casco Bay. Where will you be keepieng your boat? We have a mooring in potts harbor off the town dock. Feel free to e-mail me at my personal e-mail address which is friendshipsloopdog@yahoo.com -Jason Morin
Adam- I too live in Harpswell and have a 222 I purchased a few years ago, perhaps we should get together this summer and take a few sails arround Casco Bay. Where will you be keepieng your boat? We have a mooring in potts harbor off the town dock. Feel free to e-mail me at my personal e-mail address which is friendshipsloopdog@yahoo.com -Jason Morin
Etrex X 2
I have had an Etrex Legend for sometime that has served me well and is in your price range. Great for position fixes, will let you set up routes and do tracking, decent memory, and actually does mapping, although the screen is a bit small. That one I use in the cockpit and to verify fixes on the paper chart every hour. Will look to tie it into my autopilot and laptop this spring. Last year, my wife found a basic Etrex on sale at Aldi (a grocery store of all places) for about $70. I had her buy it as a back up. As Rick pointed out, having one hooked to the VHF for DSC distress adds some peace of mind, so that one sits at the nav station. Reception below decks is just fine. T J
I have had an Etrex Legend for sometime that has served me well and is in your price range. Great for position fixes, will let you set up routes and do tracking, decent memory, and actually does mapping, although the screen is a bit small. That one I use in the cockpit and to verify fixes on the paper chart every hour. Will look to tie it into my autopilot and laptop this spring. Last year, my wife found a basic Etrex on sale at Aldi (a grocery store of all places) for about $70. I had her buy it as a back up. As Rick pointed out, having one hooked to the VHF for DSC distress adds some peace of mind, so that one sits at the nav station. Reception below decks is just fine. T J
I got a Gekko 101
refurbished from Fry's on sale for $40 last week. It is about the size of a small cell phone and goes for 8-10 hours on two AAA cells. Great backup unit to leave on the dinghy.
refurbished from Fry's on sale for $40 last week. It is about the size of a small cell phone and goes for 8-10 hours on two AAA cells. Great backup unit to leave on the dinghy.
Garmin without a doubt
As for the old saying "Always have two methods of Navigation" I say that is a minimum. I have used many kinds of GPS and the only ones that have lasted more than a season are Garmin and Furno. The later is more expensive. I have three GPS on my boat when I sail. A Garmin Erek for backup and and 172C and my new 376c. I also use Mapsource CD's with all of them to provide very accurate readings. As for other forms "Dead Reckoning" usually means just that, make or you are dead. Celestial is BS because it only really works on long ocean voyages and only during good weather. Loran is fast dieing or dead. Having charts and knowledge of where you are is your best back up. With the hundreds of Sats going up this will be the overall best. I made it into a fog covered jetty in 96 using a Garmin 45. My Magellan which was my backup missed by 800 feet.
As for the old saying "Always have two methods of Navigation" I say that is a minimum. I have used many kinds of GPS and the only ones that have lasted more than a season are Garmin and Furno. The later is more expensive. I have three GPS on my boat when I sail. A Garmin Erek for backup and and 172C and my new 376c. I also use Mapsource CD's with all of them to provide very accurate readings. As for other forms "Dead Reckoning" usually means just that, make or you are dead. Celestial is BS because it only really works on long ocean voyages and only during good weather. Loran is fast dieing or dead. Having charts and knowledge of where you are is your best back up. With the hundreds of Sats going up this will be the overall best. I made it into a fog covered jetty in 96 using a Garmin 45. My Magellan which was my backup missed by 800 feet.
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