Hand held gps?

:hi: I've just had a look in the 'Compass' catalogue at the hand held gps. They range from Under £100.00 to £several hundred. Any one have any comments about such devices or any websites where I can get some information. How good are they?

Sorry to be asking so many questions but as I am new to boating I haven't yet got the experience to offer advice to anyone. Still give it a few years and I might be the one answering someone else's questions!

Keith Hart

Try the http://www.garmin.com and you 'll find some interesting and not expensive models. Personally I currently use the Garmin GPS III, which among other features has got a plotter too. A world map is included as well as a civil map of Europe too (that is if you buy it in Europe). You can use it on batteries or on 12V supply (in your car or boat). The only disadvantage I have found so far (after 3 years of use) is the small size of the screen. But you can't have it all, can you ?
Michael

I had some useful advice if you look up "Hand Held GPS" posted April this year.

I now have a Garmin 12 backup that I find fully meets my needs, was reasonably priced and easy to use.

You can see the earlier thread here (http://ribworld.jhost.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=140&highlight=Hand+Held+GPS)

I still reckon the Garmin 12 is the best low cost GPS. Have a look at www.on-line-marine.com -- their prices and service are pretty good (they even have real people you can talk too as well!)

John

Well, you've come up trumps again! Thanks.

I've checked out the earlier thread and the websites. A GARMIN 12 it is for me. It will basically be used as a standby but it sounds fun anyway!

Rannsachair: I'm right with you on your profile except I'd go for SIBs not RIBS.

Keith Hart

I have a Garmin 12 XL and I have nothing but good to say about it. I have used it in the boat, car and even in the helicopter. Works very well and gives all the info I need.

Jari

I have just started using one of the Garmin GPSMAP 176's

Its small enough to be hand held with internal batteries but will run full Bluechart mapping (when it arrives).

I am currently using it in its road map mode, which upto date is very good and have a blue chart on order. Will keep you advised on the outcome but upto now it is looking very good being small enough for rib consoles (Ribcraft 4.8) but big enough to read and use.

Cost around £600.

Well Kieth, I'm not sure if you've splashed (:D) out on the 12 yet but here I my thoughts!

I wanted a GPS that could obviosly give a LAT and LONG if I got into trouble and had to report my location, however like you I stick close to the coast and don't need it for course planning in the middle of the open sea!

So I thought I would plump for a Garmin Map III +. I think this is esentialy a 12, but with a slightly better screen - and the real benifit is the built in Maps - and they are amazing (for land use)

Basicly if you by a Europe model it has basic road maps for the whole of Europe. When I say basic they are still very good with Motorways, A roads and lots of smaller roads. It also has railways, services etc stored too.

I find these maps good enough to navigate by (I've used it in France, Ireland and Gran Caneria!). I'm currently in Cork on Buisness. I have hired a car so once I found the office I added a "waypoint" and again added another "waypoint" at the hotel. These are then clearly marked on the map.

As you drive arround the map moves with your position being a triangle in the center of the map. The clever bit is the triangle points the direction that you are going, so if you are going north it points up, south - down etc. So its easy to see where you are and which way you need to turn to find your way back to the hotel.

You can also by a CD which contains A-Z level detail of every road and road name (yes, every road) You can then connect your GPS to your laptop and download detailed area maps of particular areas. Again I used to use this when I was visiting Customers and funnily enough I never got lost!

Anyway the GPS III is a couple of years old and the latest Garmin Handheld edition is the GPS 76 and GPSMAP76. One of my friends has recently bought a MAP76 - one of the benifits over the III+ is that it comes preloaded with navigation aids (bouys, lights etc.)

I know people with a "standard" GPS and when they see my "MAP" version they wish they had one because it is much more useful off the water as well as on!

Have a look at www.garmin.com

It also works well on a plane - if your sat next to the window - to see where your flying over - not much use without the map function.

Loads of information on GPS on the web - just stick GPS in any search engine

www.trimble.com/gps/index.html gives a very good explination of how it all works!

Enjoy!:D

:eek: Wow, thanks Jools. The tutorial is really interesting and it explains everything very simply (even for me).

Is the unit you are speaking about the same as this one?:

http://www.gpsinformation.net/waas/g76/g-76-map.html

It looks very good but it is 3x the cost of the Garmin12. Do you think it is worth the price difference? Remember I have to persuade the Boss that we have do go without food for 3 weeks so I can buy this (just 1 week with no food if I have the Garmin 12). Of course a couple of weeks without food might reduce my bulk a little and she has been trying to get me to do that for a while!

Regards

Keith Hart

Yes that looks like the one.

The screens look very simular to the 3+ but with a bit more detail (and the nav points)

How much is it? (In real money) - I've just found these prices

Garmin 12 - approx £119
Garmin 3+ - approx £299
Garmin Map76 ???


The air was a bit blue when I brought mine home!! but I think the map feature is definately worth it! especialy if you will use it travelling on land as well. It makes it a truley "usefull gadget"!

How far away is Christmas!!

ps...

Make sure you get a European model - as you don't want it full of US maps.

Maybe there will be some good deals at the boatshow if you can make it!

Okay, okay. What I need to do is persuade The Boss that this GPS Map thingy would be useful to her. Do they have a database with shops on it?

Keith Hart

Disappear for a couple of days . Pretend you could not find your
way back home. Explain why a gps whould be helpful.

Dimitris

I have a GPS Map 76 by Garmin and think it is a highly evolved unit. Very high resolution screen display, many new features, complete tide information for example, it floats, totally waterproof, etc. I haven't used the download feature yet to add charts from CD's. Batterys (2 AA) last about 18 hours. In the states it costs $300 usd. or $229. without the CD download feature (called the GPS 76).

Can you post a picture of this unit ? It sounds interesting.

Michael

Well not quite "locations of all M&S stores in the UK", but its a start - especialy if your after a bigmac in London!

http://www.itatwork.freeserve.co.uk/waypoints.htm

(Some people obviously have nothing better to do!)

:rolleyes:

Having let my last GPS ( Magellan) go with the rib I just sold, I am in the market for a new one. I would use it on the rib, ocasionally in the car and as a backup for sailing so I prefer buttons below the screen. The Garmin Emap looks good but doesnt get mentioned much for marine use. Does anyone have any experience of this model?

:hi:
Well, what a week! Choppy in the Moray, Cruisin' in the Cromarty and seal spottin' in Kylesku. Big grin from ear to ear, that's what inflatable things do for you - boats that is.

Having arrived back in Birmingham I am having to make do with looking at boating websites for the next 3 months 'till I am back up in Scotland again. Anyway, I was looking at GPS sites again and I came across the Garmin GPSMAP 176 @ £450.00 (4 and a half weeks without food). It looks good and seems to have good specifications. I think it could be mounted on the for'ad seat in my boat (we don't use it as the front passenger sits in the bow - note my use of nautical terms, I just hope they are right!).

Anyone out there used one of these? Are they waterproof? Well it's only another £100.00 more than the Garmin Map hand held and I do need to loose weight!!!

Cheers

Keith Hart

Hi Keith!

I tried the GPSMAP 176C at the same time as the rest of the new Garmin models. The 176 uses the same Transas charts as the bigger units and the chart quality is great. The menus are easy to understand and quite logical.

However, the 176 has noticeably smaller display than other units, so I would recommend you to ask your dealer if you can try one in your boat. Trying it in a shop is usually somewhat misleading.

All Garmin receivers are waterproof and can be submerged 1 m for 30 min. I never heard of a Garmin receiver that was water-damaged (unless you managed to crack the display or housing!). So no worries there.

I own two Garmins and never had any technical problem with either.

Having said all that, £450.00 sounds very much for the 176. Have you checked the prices in the U.S.? Don't forget that you'll need to buy charts in order to get the maximum out of the receiver. If you don't plan spending any extra money on charts than go for a model without chart plotting capabilities. Much cheaper.

Sasa

Go for a cheaper model. The ones with the "Blue chart" cards have much more details, BUT they also show restaurants, taverns and other "forbidden" places.=)

I,ve just got a Garmin Etrex (around 100 quid) and it seems to be a good job, it floats & can be dunked no problems. But putting in waypoints is a bit slow and I dont fancy shelling out on the GArmin PC software. Does anybody know an basic PC software that could just upload waypoints?

Have a go with this.
http://www.easygps.com
Its got a programme you can download that should suit your needs.

I' ve just downloaded the easygps.exe from the site you mentioned above. For the moment I haven't got the connection cable for my Garmin GPS III, (I have it installed on the rib), so I can't test try it. Is it possible to "update" (make corrections) to the map as well , or you can only transfer routes and waypoints?

:hi: (after a quiet period from me)

Global Positioning by satelite, accurate to a couple of meters - great. Simple, cheap, perfect for a duffer like me. BUT, notice on chart tells me...Satelite-Derived Positions are normally referred to WGS Datum. such positions should be moved 0.02 minutes Northward and 0.09 minutes Eastwards to agree with this chart.

Why are they trying to confuse me? And just who are THEY anyway?

Does this mean that if I am stuck out at sea and am calling for help that I have to read my gps (which SANTA has promised me for Christmas) and then SUBTRACT the above to give my correct position?:( Help!

Keith (this may be harder than I thought) Hart

Hi Keith, forget all the rubbish about accuracies to a couple of metres! Just stop and think what you actually want the GPS for. The way I see it is that you want to able to find your way to (and back from) places. Previously it was just a matter of getting the chart out, drawing a line or two and using your compass to go along that line (maybe with a few clever bits like allowing for tides and checking your position every half hour or so). Once you got within seeing distance of where you were going you steered by eye. With the GPS you do the same thing electronically with the added benefit of not being dependent on visibility for your regular checks on position. BUT you will still drive into a place once you see it!
Most charts are based on info collected by the Navy, hydrographers etc. up to a hundred years ago and it is quite likely that parts of the chart will be much less accurate than modern GPSs claim to be. They have just been corrected and made prettier over the years. Accuracy to better than 50 metres was never intended or expected in those days. If you reckon on a BELIEVABLE accuracy of 50 to 100 metres then you wont go far wrong ( ubless you are spending loads more monet and effort on DGPS but thats another story).
You are right about the different chart datums, but it wont make a difference unless you are thinking of better accuracies than 100 metres. Anyway most very new charts are now coming out with the GPS standard datum. If you are really fussy you can switch your GPS on to the same standard as virtually any chart you may have, no matter how old!!

Hi Alan

Thanks for the reassurance. Yes, you're quite right. I want the gps to get me back if there is poor visibility or to help report my position if in trouble. I suppose that in the latter case the lifeboat can zoom in on my marine radio signal for the last bit anyway.

I did not know that you could adjust the gps to the chart settings. This forum should carry an Open University Degree qualification.

Cheers

Keith (now reassured on gps) Hart