Boating GPS

[Bugzilla46310]

What boating/marine GPS apps are you using? Being in the Midwest, more interested in inland lakes and rivers. Do they accurately identify hazards, etc.? What do you like/dislike?

 

[redneck joe]

I got a cheap tablet and bought an app but really haven't used it. Can't get screen bright enough in the sun and I rarely run with my top up. Over winter i want to try and biu.d some sort of shade cover.

I'm sad, need new gps

I saved my old garmin (about 12 years old) from my last boat. The transducer was shot in the head by a submerged 2x8. I only saved the unit, no power and transducer. Found a transducer on ebay no prob but no power so looks like I'm in for a new one. If anyone has a single pin cord for...

forums.iboats.com

 

[DeepCMark58A]

No map or app will identify all the hazard you will find on a river, it changes with the weather. My depth finder is a humminbird, have the map card for it has all the lake maps of Minnesota in it, major rivers too.

 

[alldodge]

An App doesn't use GPS it uses cell towers, so not much accuracy

 

[Horigan]

Depends on the app. If the phone or tablet has GPS, the app will use that.

I use Navionics, in conjunction with our Garmin plotter. I've had Navionics show shallow water hazards that the Garmin didn't show. Weird since Garmin owns Navionics.

Another option is Aqua Map.

 

[redneck joe]

An App doesn't use GPS it uses cell towers, so not much accuracy

Read thru my thread if you're bored, we talked about that. Very little cell coverage on my lake.

 

[airshot]

I have an older Lawrance unit that the previous owner added a card for the States and southern Canada. Only used it here on Lake Erie, but it works great. In the lake, it shows every marker, bouy, off limit areas etc. When running down the Maumee river it shows all the street names, bridge names that cross or runs along the river. It also identifies the coal docks, ship yards and other major operations. Last Sumner was caught in a monsoon rain storm coming in off the lake. Was raining so hard that visibility was less than 100 feet at best. Could not see the lights marking the channel nor the rock piles along the edges. Used that unit to come in and it was super accurate. The channel is quite narrow but the unit guided me right to the center when I could not see the sides. Only unit I have ever had like it so I can't compare it to others.

 

[Chris1956]

The Marine GPS units are priced by screen size and visual acuity. The reason is that a larger, more high def unit is easier to see the features of the waterway, making them better. Some units have world-wide built in maps, and others use downloads or plug-ins to provide the updated date to the GPS unit.

I would recommend the largest, highest def display that you can afford and fit in the boat. Using a smaller screen, like a phone, will leave something to be desired, IMO.

GPS units come and go, so there are usually some discontinued units on sale.

BTW- the GPS info is provided by a cheap, single integrated circuit chip. The rest of the cost drivers are the map data and screen.

 

[arks]

What boating/marine GPS apps are you using? Being in the Midwest, more interested in inland lakes and rivers. Do they accurately identify hazards, etc.? What do you like/dislike?

My boat has older, installed navigation electronics. They still work ok but are 20+ years old and can’t be updated. Last summer I tried something different- downloaded 2 apps (free versions) to use with my smartphone- Savvy Navvy and Argo Nav.
Both worked as advertised but they had the same problems- they were VERY hard to read in sunlight, didn’t show enough depth soundings when zoomed way in, and burned thru my phone battery quickly. Only got 2- 3 hours before it died. I also tried them on an iPad. With that it was better, but not much- maybe 4 hours use. Both apps utilize the GPS position from the smart device, so they were as accurate as the built-in Garmin GPS unit I have. Oh, In addition, my device would overheat if left in the sun too long! Really frustrating….
Ultimately, I wasn't satisfied with either app. Brand new electronics is out of the question ($$$), might try to find something used but that has its own issues.