Which GPS?

[chaskins]

Hi,

I looking to buy a cheap, but useful handheld GPS for use in my SIB. I have been looking at the Garmin etrax;
http://www.globalpositioningsystems....efa56007974b71

and the Garmin GPS72;
http://www.globalpositioningsystems...._id=11&pp_id=0

There is about £35 differnence between the two, but would anyone know if it's worth paying the extra for thr GPS72?

Has anyone used either of these, or are they just no good for what I want to use them for and can recommend another, similar price, alternative?

Thanks

Chris

[swginn]

Why not pay a small bit more and get a Lowrance I-Finder H2O. The main difference between this and the Garmin is that it can display Navionics Charts (Gold, Classic & Hotmaps) whereas the Garmin will only display position, and a navigate to waypoint arrow. IMHO the Lowrance will be a lot more useful as it will also have buoys, rocks, port/harbour details marked on the map.

http://www.lowrance.com/Outdoor/Products/iFINDERH2O.asp

[chaskins]

That looks very nice and I admit I like it, very useful with the mapping etc, but it's double the etrax ... the cheapest I have found it is £209. I guess worth considering though, if I'm feeling flush

Thanks for the suggestion.

Chris

[Bill S]

I have one of these toys.
Good bits - it works!
Bad bits - in a RIB it will get wet - in a SIB it will get wetter! Really has to be used in a waterproof case. How are you gonna view it? - On a RIB it can be clip mounted on console - leaves one hand for steering, and one for throttle. On a SIB I presume you will be holding it in the non-tiller hand? So what hand do you use to hold on to the boat? All handhelds have very small screens, so a direction arrow is the most useful, easy to read at a glance, item. Anything more may not be easily read or understood - remember we live in the UK, and the sea is not always flat calm. So I don't see any point in paying more money for features you may not be able to use.

Don't get me wrong - any GPS is better than none, just don't expect too much from a handheld. I thought that mine would give me all sorts of info, including speed, but when I actually come to use it, I find that the direction arrow is the only item easily visible. If I look long enough and close enough at it, I can read other info, but I find I am not looking where I am going for too long.

Hope this helps,

Bill

[Jono]

I bought an Etrex (sp?) as a back up and find it very useful. In fact it travels with me everywhere....... Not sure that I'd use it as primary unit, but it does provide very useful redundancy. Cheers, Jono

[chaskins]

Bill, thanks for that. A lot to think about and a good point about how much info you can actually read while bouncing around

I'm just starting out at the moment, which one reason for getting a cheap GPS for now, there are so many other things I need/like to buy to make my boating safer and easier. Main one after GPS is a 12v electic pump ... my arms kill after pumping up my SIB

Keep the advise coming.

Chris

[pmorgan]

I have a garmin gps map 76, which I have had for a number of years and found to be excellent. I use it as back up on the RIB and have taken it on several sailing (sorry should not use foul language !) holidays. They don’t make this model any more as the new one is colour so you might be able to pick one up on ebay.

Do be warned most handhelds get through batteries quickly (8-10hrs), I use rechargeable mainly with normal ones as reserve. I also have one of these ram mounts http://www.ram-mount.com/ramgps.htm with a suction attachment which seems to stick to smooth surfaces pretty well, although I do have a lanyard attached just in case it should decide to jump overboard !

[Jono]

Sorry.. didn't notice you were a SIBber... try askin' Mr Hart what he uses..

[swginn]

Originally Posted by chaskins

That looks very nice and I admit I like it, very useful with the mapping etc, but it's double the etrax ... the cheapest I have found it is £209.

£137 from www.onlinemarine.com and that includes shipping. Whether you get caught for import tax is a flip up!! Ask them to package the invoice inside the box haven't been caught for it yet!! You will lose the warranty though unless you are willing to send it back to the US. Lowrance kit is so good , you won't really need it anyway. 4yrs with one and 2yrs on another with no probs and they live on moorings(Irish weather!!)

[chaskins]

Great, I may just give that a try

Thanks again for the advise guys.

[Simon B]

I'm looking for a similar unit, the Garmin 76 appears bigger (floats too) is the Lowrance more up to date/advanced or, are they about equal?

I'd be using it for diving so a facility to zoom big style on the chart may be an advantage.