GPS plotter: with depth finder or without...?

[Surfly]

I'm wondering if it's good to have a depth finder in addition to a GPS chartplotter.
Also, do folks have recommendations on GPS plotter for recreational bay and ocean boaters like me?

Thanks,
JT

 

[JB]

Re: GPS plotter: with depth finder or without...?

I guess it depends a lot on how much room you have on your console, Surfly.

I really prefer seperate units, a Garmin GPS and a Lowrance/Eagle SONAR (for fresh water, Furuno for salt).

I use a Garmin 276C GPS for both my vehicle and my boat. For a boat only I think the Garmin 172C is a good value.

My SONAR is an Eagle Cuda 168, but for salt I would want something more powerful. . . probably some model from Furuno.

If you have so little space that two units won't fit, then my choice would be a Garmin 186C or the newer version of that unit.

 

[Surfly]

Re: GPS plotter: with depth finder or without...?

Thanks JB; I'm not a fisherman--at least not yet--but I do want to know where the bottom is. There are shoals and rocks and big tides in this part of Maine. And FOG. These factors call for precise navigation. I think the dual unit that you mention from Garmin is probably best. I'll look into it.

Surfly

 

[tommays]

Re: GPS plotter: with depth finder or without...?

I like the in dash depth finder NO matter how good my chartplotter is the water depths change all the time

Its also a good navagation aid when the GPS has a bad day and you need to pull out a paper chart to get home

Tommays

 

[Surfly]

Re: GPS plotter: with depth finder or without...?

So if your chartplotter has a bad day AND it is also your depth finder, perhaps you'd be wishing you had separate units. Just a thought....

 

[cjames]

Re: GPS plotter: with depth finder or without...?

Im happy with my garmin 3205, chartplotter, with the GSD-21 blackbox sounder connected. The 32 series is networkable, so you can add another display, radar, satalite weather. In addition, I still have and antique strobe sounder that allways works. Base charts were allready loaded for US coastal waters, and you can add more detailed charts that include alot more info.

 

[Surfly]

Re: GPS plotter: with depth finder or without...?

Nice. Price? The low end Garmin chartplotter/sounder is around $500, no?

 

[cjames]

Re: GPS plotter: with depth finder or without...?

this setup cost more than that, not sure you could get the networking capability in the lower end stuff. West maring had the best price when I bought mine.

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc.../213/71/garmin/All_2/mode matchallpartial/0/0

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wc...536/0/0/gsd-21/All_2/mode+matchallpartial/0/0

 

[Surfly]

Re: GPS plotter: with depth finder or without...?

Good stuff, cjames. I suspect my much more reasonable and intelligent wife won't go for that expense. We're new into boating and we're only becoming aware of the "hidden" expenses. All in the name of fun, right? 8)

 

[Boatist]

Re: GPS plotter: with depth finder or without...?

Seperate units if you have the room. One thing many do not think about is if you have a dual unit and you want to change a setting. Example Shallow water alarm depth. If your in the GPS mode first you have to switch controls to the depther finder side then go in an set your depth for the shallow water alarm.

Since you are not a fisherman You may do well to to just get a Depth guage that will show you the depth on you dash. Then get a GPS with the detailed chart that will show your position and water depth in your position.

 

[Morpheus]

Re: GPS plotter: with depth finder or without...?

Im happy with my garmin 3205, chartplotter, with the GSD-21 blackbox sounder connected. The 32 series is networkable, so you can add another display, radar, satalite weather. In addition, I still have and antique strobe sounder that allways works. Base charts were allready loaded for US coastal waters, and you can add more detailed charts that include alot more info.

I know this is an old thread but wanted to comment on the 3205 and ask a question as well.

I to bought a 3205 (not installed yet) I got mine off ebay it was from a dealer who had opened it at a show but lost the bracket, I ended up paying $400 for it then ordered a bracket from Garmin for $25 so I figured I got a awsome deal on it.

I got it for a few reasons, the G2 Maps and Images, I'm great finding my way around visually and I felt being able to view a photo of an area I'm going into for the first time would be great even if it may have changed some from when the photo is taken. Also the 3205 comes with all the maps I need no extra purchase there. Lastly it's network ready meaning I can add as much as little as I want to it as I can afford. My boat a 2006 SeaRay Sundeck 240 already has a depth finder so just the GPS alone is good for me for now but I eventually want to add a fish finder, then if I upgrade my boat (always have to have big dreams) I can take it with me to the next boat and add radar and weather.

My question is how hard is it to install something like this? I was looking at RAM Mounts (http://www.ram-mount.com/) as a better bracket to use since WestMarine said they use a similar bracket and not the stock one.

I've searched all over the internet for "How-To's" on installing something like this. I've read the manual and it appears very simple it's just a matter of how will I run the wiring from where I want the attena to where the GPS will be.

WestMarine said anywhere from $200-$500 depending on how long it takes MarineMax said atleast $500 to do it. If it's something easy and I can do myself then I'd love to save the money and get the experience of doing it myself but I fear daming my boat and then having to pay someone to fix my mistakes.

Thanks for any replies!

 

[craig240DA]

Re: GPS plotter: with depth finder or without...?

I just got the Garmin 498 Chartplotter and Sounder. I have yet to use the sounder except to check it out. I wanted the 520 but it wasn't yet available which had a feature I would have liked, the smart route planner that plots a safe route based on depth and terrain. I am still looking for a computer program that would do this but can't find one. Turns out the 498 was cheaper and has all the detail maps built in. The 520 was a lot more and it would have needed cards to get the detail maps for extra $$ so I am pleased with the 498.

 

[drJ]

Re: GPS plotter: with depth finder or without...?

i would look into the lowrance nema 2000 system and buy the two seperate units and network them together

 

[craig240DA]

Re: GPS plotter: with depth finder or without...?

Labor cost only: For MarineMax to install the Garmin 520 (no depth sonar-internal GPS antenna) they wanted $500, for the Garmin 498 with external GPS antenna and sonar, they charged me $1,000 for the 9 hours they said it took.

 

[POINTER94]

Re: GPS plotter: with depth finder or without...?

I would have to think I would be having a discussion with Marine Max if they charged $1000 to install something as simple as a gps even if it included a transducer for a depth sounder. A job like this, by someone who is suppose to be a professional should not have taken more than 4hrs. And that is generous. I installed both my GPS and a separate depth/fish finder that I bought over the winter last year in my boat which is similar in size to the one in your posts in about that amount of time (5 hrs.). And my Gps has an external antenna. Oh, yea, I did it by myself with no helping hands to help run the wires.

This is a very easy job to do. That price is disgusting. $400 bucks to put in your unit would have been high but I could understand it. $1000 bucks is robbery.