hand held GPS with rechargeable battery

Zippy · 29 April 2010, 16:14

Is there such a thing??

Looking for a hand held GPS with rechargeable battery as a backup to the plotter on the boat....

any ideas? dont want to spend a fortune as hopefully it wont be used that much but cant be doing with finding aa batteries all the time!!!

Cheers

chewy · 29 April 2010, 16:18

Why don't you just buy rechargable batteries?

Nos4r2 · 29 April 2010, 16:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zippy

Is there such a thing??

Looking for a hand held GPS with rechargeable battery as a backup to the plotter on the boat....

any ideas? dont want to spend a fortune as hopefully it wont be used that much but cant be doing with finding aa batteries all the time!!!

Cheers

Rechargeable AA batteries are probably a better bet.

How about (for a real cheapy) an old Garmin Forerunner 101 or 201? The 101 is ridiculously cheap now. W've got one as an emergency backup. Just make sure you've got a home waypoint stored to show where you're going as there's no maps.
Wearing it on the wrist definitely beats trying to hang on to one while moving.

Zippy · 29 April 2010, 16:23

cos i know what im like!!

"oh. the batteries in the Wii controller are flat. will just borrow them......."

come to use the GPS and im missing some!!!

Avocet · 29 April 2010, 20:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zippy

cos i know what im like!!

"oh. the batteries in the Wii controller are flat. will just borrow them......."

come to use the GPS and im missing some!!!

..... then take the ones from the Wii controller!

willk · 29 April 2010, 20:12

I offer this compromise:

Put Lithium AAs in the GPS. They hold 5-6 times the charge of Alkalines and have a shelf live of about 10 years.

And they're so expensive that you'll never happily fart about on the Wii with them

Nos4r2 · 29 April 2010, 20:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

I offer this compromise:

Put Lithium AAs in the GPS. They hold 5-6 times the charge of Alkalines and have a shelf live of about 10 years.

And they're so expensive that you'll never happily fart about on the Wii with them

Or buy a forerunner 201 that has an inbuilt battery.

willk · 29 April 2010, 20:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nos4r2

Wearing it on the wrist definitely beats trying to hang on to one while moving.

Even a big lad like you would be limp wristed by the time you get home. I keep a big strip of Sticky Velcro (both sides) on my backup GPS - it's gonna get stuck to the console come the day. And yes, I have a wee dry rag-in-a-bag (á la Codders) just in case it's raining

GaryC · 30 April 2010, 07:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

I offer this compromise:

Put Lithium AAs in the GPS. They hold 5-6 times the charge of Alkalines and have a shelf live of about 10 years.

And they're so expensive that you'll never happily fart about on the Wii with them

Can you do this? I thought Lithium AA batteries were 3.6v rather than 1.5v.

Personally I have a Garmin Etrex as back up and alway re-charge 2 (spare) sets of 2500ma/h batteries before going out on the RIB.

9D280 · 30 April 2010, 08:18

Or, use something like a Garmin 12/72/76 - with the "boat cradle" you can plumb it into the boat's battery, and fill it with AAs. The boat's battery will keep it alive, and it will instantly swap to the internal battery , giving you 8 hrs to get home should the boat power die.

If it's left switched on, you have a "snail trail" to follow home, or upload a selection of emergency waypoints just in case. (I think the 76 wil ltake a basic map?)

This selection also has the advantage that with a patch inside the console, (I use 2 phono plugs) you can also swap the NMEA into the radio to the Wee Garmin, thus keeping your DSC alive. (granted useless if your main battery has died, but Ok if it's a dead plotter you are trying to circumvent).

BogMonster · 30 April 2010, 10:29

Another vote for GPS72 with external power and cradle - when you switched the isolator off on my boat it would beep and announce automatic shutdown in 30 seconds, to keep it on you just needed to press a button and it would stay on running on the internal batteries. Not sure how long the batteries last, but never changed mine in 4 years.

jwalker · 30 April 2010, 10:55

Yes, Garmin make, or used to make, the Quest and later the Quest 2. They were primarily sold as a vehicle navigator but my manual says they will accept mapsource marine cartography too. They come as standard with all the bracketry and cables necessary. Yel find em on eBay I'm sure.

Here ya go.

Here ya go 2.

willk · 30 April 2010, 11:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaryC

Can you do this? I thought Lithium AA batteries were 3.6v rather than 1.5v

Yes and I'm afraid you were mistaken, you may be thinking of more exotic camera batteries

cjr1971 · 05 May 2010, 06:14

What I use is a Dell Axim x5 I picked up off Ebay for £30
I then installed garmin bluechart. Works like a charm
I also get 8-10 hours battery life and my kids cant steal my batteries for the wii

BrAinZ · 05 May 2010, 21:07

I've got a Garmin GMAP 76CSx Handheld with the Bluechart data. Excellent bit of kit.

Fits into a special space on my Seadoo jetski as well as being handy as a backup on the Rib.
(Also great for Geocaching!)