gps chartplotter

[gtflash]

Im thinking about buying a gps chartplotter. Not sure if a handheld is functional and if colour is a requirement or not. Obviously cost is an issue. What about the compaq ipaq route. Any advise greatly recieved

Thanks

[houser]

Garmin
are terrific value IMHO.
I am shopping for a new one too...

The 182-188c probably has all you want and has a fast enough screen update even for speedy ribbing, even with course up displayed.
That's what I am looking at..
This was discussed
here
The 2006 and 2010 have both been cut in price to compete with the 182/188 and are great value if you have room for them.
It may also mean that Garmin are bringing out new hi-end plotters but that is pure FUD...
The really cheap handhelds do a great job too as long as you do all your plotting at home on the PC and then stick to the planned route and the "motorway" display..;-)
but IMHO, they are too slow for everything other than reality checks of positioning in slow speeds or still in combination with real paper charts.

GPS City
may be a good place for specific questions, as they even have a BBS like this one.
the marine section appears pretty silent though..
Hope this helps

[timw]

Although not a chart plotter, I had a new Garmin fishfinder installed last week which had a nice big screen.
Worked well for 20 minutes and then the screen died. Dealer concluded faulty screen, and it's been returned for replacement.
This is my first experience of Garmin, so not impreesed so far

[gingercoastie]

I have a Ipaq with GPS for the car, it works fine but would not want to use on an open rib.

I have the Navman 5500 ith colour display, excellent piece of kit, highly recomended.

With regads to colour, I felt it made more sense as the rest of my family / crew would find it easier to understand, especially when comparing to paper charts.

Alex

[geoff]

I use an IPAQ 3970 in an Otter box (big chuncky water proof box) with a blue tooth GPS unit and Memory Map charts. The set-up is quite expensive;
Ipaq £400
GPS £200
Otter box £50
Charts portfolio £100
and it takes a bit of setting up. However you get everything you need including charts and of course the Ipaq is an incredably useful tool for organising your life. I keep a log of all our trips as well as diary and address book.
There are two big advantages with a hand held unit. The first is that you take it away with you so it cant get nicked off the boat and you can prepare voyages at home. The second it that when is it even slightly rough it is much easier to read a screen that you are holding steady in your hand than one that it bolted to the consol.
Also if you buy the Memory Map PC based system you can have all the slipway and marina info loaded onto your palm top and that must be worth having. There is a review of this set up in the September issue of Practical Boat Owner, Page 94.

[Bilge Rat]

Hi gtflash

I've just installed a Hummingbird on the my rib and have to say the thing does an excellent job indeed, all the information i'll ever need or want is in the C-Map cards, but before i even considered which type or make of plotter to go for i made a list of my requirements and what i really wanted the kit to do like:

Is it really waterproof (i have an open consoul on a relatively small rib that does get wet will the GPS still work when i'm taking waves or spray over the bow ?

Does it really have to be colour ?

How much and how accurate are the cards the GPS uses to plott with

Most importantly how much money do i want to pay for this bit of kit considering they go up and up and up.

and the list went on and on like this........... Eventually i worked out i needed a plotter thats completely waterproof not just splash or spray proof like Garmin are, and i wanted a plotter that wont break the bank either, the Hummingbird NS25 i sourced new for £400 the C-Map cards i bought second hand from the Techno 40 crew and cover me for the entire eastern channel and central channel down to the channel islands.

Hummingbird are in the process of changing their current models for the new Matrix system, the Matrix 55 is the equivalent to my NS25 and has exactly the same functionality apart for the water temperature sensor in the transducer and of course the new models are black rather than grey and the extra price Hummingbird have added too, the new models also take a different map card too which i'm informed are cheaper than C-Map cards.

Hope this all helps

Richard

[gtflash]

yes thankyou all, someone has suggested navman, i think the key thing is chart costs. Gonna have a good nose at the boatshow

[The Jackeens]

On the NS 25

I have the same one. Can you get it to log the "distance travelled" on a route. I can't - so I don't know how far I've gone so can't work out fuel consumption etc.#


Maybe you Can.#


Good price - where from - mine £499


cheers

Paul

[gingercoastie]

Hi,

I got charts for my navman covering the whole of the southwest, in amazing detail for under £100, which sounds alot but comparing it to the paper equivelant is cheap. Also it costs £18.00 to get a new update anually.

I also have the fuel monitor system built in, so I have range and economy info built in.

The system is very easy to use, I hardly needed to look at the instructions, in fact I haven't yet.

[Bilge Rat]

Hi jackeen


I've only had the set installed and working now for about a week so i've not explored all the functionality yet myself, eventually i'll sus the whole thing out completely and get back to you with the answers, so far it all looks like its working well and i've had accurate reading from the transducer.

Richard