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Which GPS?
Being a psuedo-Luddite who still has a slide rule (and knows how to
use it), I still use paper charts and think that navigation and position plotting is aesthetically pretty, but I also admit to being a geometry/trig geek. For the last 13 yrs, I have had a Loran that I sometimes trust when it agrees with my plotting. I used to rely on a "knotstik" to get my speed and then when I got the loran started using its stated speed. Far from any recognizable markers or shore features, I reluctantly rely on a Loran position but check it with dead reckoning. I spose I just have a fetish about my hand compass. I am planning to go to he Bahamas where Loran supposedly dont work so am considering GPS but will still use my beloved paper charts so dont need a chart plotter. All I really want is position and speed. Waypoints just get me screwed up because I can never remember if I really entered the correct coords last night or if those coords for WP5 is for my last trip. Considering that my wants are few, which GPS would be best? Do I get one that works off of the boat 12V? Do the hand helds have that option as well as batteries? Most of the hand helds look too much like my cell phone that I purposefully leave at home. I have even been tempted to forego GPS completely but I spose it is a safety thing. Any ideas? |
Which GPS?
Considering that my wants are few, which GPS
would be best? Do I get one that works off of the boat 12V? Do the hand helds have that option as well as batteries? Most of the hand Get the Garmin 76 Mapping unit. You'll know where you are and have fun with the world base map. Should you want it to do more, it can and it's cheap at just 299.00 most stores. RB |
Which GPS?
The Magellan 315 should do the trick and are fairly cheap if still
available. Parallax wrote in message om... snip... All I really want is position and speed. Waypoints just get me screwed up because I can never remember if I really entered the correct coords last night or if those coords for WP5 is for my last trip. Considering that my wants are few, which GPS would be best? Do I get one that works off of the boat 12V? Do the hand helds have that option as well as batteries? Most of the hand helds look too much like my cell phone that I purposefully leave at home. I have even been tempted to forego GPS completely but I spose it is a safety thing. Any ideas? |
Which GPS?
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Which GPS?
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Which GPS?
On Mon, 27 Oct 2003 23:49:22 -0500, Ryk wrote:
On 27 Oct 2003 18:49:55 -0800, in message m (Parallax) wrote: I am planning to go to he Bahamas where Loran supposedly dont work so am considering GPS but will still use my beloved paper charts so dont need a chart plotter. All I really want is position and speed.=20 Waypoints just get me screwed up because I can never remember if I really entered the correct coords last night or if those coords for WP5 is for my last trip. Considering that my wants are few, which GPS would be best? I'm very pleased with my Garmin GPS 76. At about US$200 there's not much point in going cheaper. An optional power cable and cradle makes it into a console model. There are enough characters in each waypoint label to use meaningful names. I found the graphical display adequate to drive into a narrow harbour blind. Now that it's set, the anchor watch alarm will wake me anytime the boat moves more than X after sitting still for a while. Go for a little more than the minimum -- you may find you like some of the added features once you have them. Ryk Ah well, there's nearly always a different point of view and here's mine. We've had the GPSMap76 for over two years and think it is ok but would = not want to depend on it for charting. The display is way too poor for that. We use a notebook pc for charting with an old Garmin GPS II connected. = And yes, still keep the paper charts handy and double check. We use the 76 = as a backup and for waypoint direction reference at the helm. I think the original poster only needs the cheapest possible GPS, like a Garmin eTrex (less than $100?) or other cheapie. If one wants to get into charting, the Garmin GPSmap 176 might do the trick. |
Which GPS?
Parallax wrote:
Being a psuedo-Luddite who still has a slide rule (and knows how to use it),.... Ahhhh! Such memories. For the last 13 yrs, I have had a Loran snip I am planning to go to he Bahamas where Loran supposedly dont work so am considering GPS but will still use my beloved paper charts so dont need a chart plotter. All I really want is position and speed. snip Considering that my wants are few, which GPS would be best? Do I get one that works off of the boat 12V? Do the hand helds have that option as well as batteries? I have and love the Garmin 48. (may no longer be made.) Main reason was that it was the easiest to work one-handed. I primarily use it similarly to you, but the included light list turned out to be much more useful than I expected. VERY handy in strange places. I have a 12v & data connection to hook up to the autopilot. Except for that, I'd go with NiMH. Be careful of the cheapest ones as they can take forever to lock and lose signal more easily. -- Jere Lull Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD) Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/ |
Which GPS?
Jere Lull wrote in message . ..
Parallax wrote: Being a psuedo-Luddite who still has a slide rule (and knows how to use it),.... Ahhhh! Such memories. For the last 13 yrs, I have had a Loran snip I am planning to go to he Bahamas where Loran supposedly dont work so am considering GPS but will still use my beloved paper charts so dont need a chart plotter. All I really want is position and speed. snip Considering that my wants are few, which GPS would be best? Do I get one that works off of the boat 12V? Do the hand helds have that option as well as batteries? I have and love the Garmin 48. (may no longer be made.) Main reason was that it was the easiest to work one-handed. I primarily use it similarly to you, but the included light list turned out to be much more useful than I expected. VERY handy in strange places. I have a 12v & data connection to hook up to the autopilot. Except for that, I'd go with NiMH. Be careful of the cheapest ones as they can take forever to lock and lose signal more easily. Thanks Y'all. |
Which GPS?
I'd also reccomend the Garmin GPS-76. The screen is a lot nicer than the
little E-Trex, and it floats. It locks up very quickly and includes a WAAS system for even more accuracy. Easy on batteries, you can use it with a DC power cord if you'd like. Dave "Parallax" wrote in message om... Being a psuedo-Luddite who still has a slide rule (and knows how to use it), I still use paper charts and think that navigation and position plotting is aesthetically pretty, but I also admit to being a geometry/trig geek. For the last 13 yrs, I have had a Loran that I sometimes trust when it agrees with my plotting. I used to rely on a "knotstik" to get my speed and then when I got the loran started using its stated speed. Far from any recognizable markers or shore features, I reluctantly rely on a Loran position but check it with dead reckoning. I spose I just have a fetish about my hand compass. I am planning to go to he Bahamas where Loran supposedly dont work so am considering GPS but will still use my beloved paper charts so dont need a chart plotter. All I really want is position and speed. Waypoints just get me screwed up because I can never remember if I really entered the correct coords last night or if those coords for WP5 is for my last trip. Considering that my wants are few, which GPS would be best? Do I get one that works off of the boat 12V? Do the hand helds have that option as well as batteries? Most of the hand helds look too much like my cell phone that I purposefully leave at home. I have even been tempted to forego GPS completely but I spose it is a safety thing. Any ideas? |
Which GPS?
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Which GPS?
On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 07:04:36 GMT, Jere Lull wrote:
Parallax wrote: Being a psuedo-Luddite who still has a slide rule (and knows how to use it),.... Ahhhh! Such memories. For the last 13 yrs, I have had a Loran snip I am planning to go to he Bahamas where Loran supposedly dont work so am considering GPS but will still use my beloved paper charts so dont need a chart plotter. All I really want is position and speed. snip Considering that my wants are few, which GPS would be best? Do I get one that works off of the boat 12V? Do the hand helds have that option as well as batteries? I have and love the Garmin 48. (may no longer be made.) Main reason was that it was the easiest to work one-handed. I primarily use it similarly to you, but the included light list turned out to be much more useful than I expected. VERY handy in strange places. I have a 12v & data connection to hook up to the autopilot. Except for that, I'd go with NiMH. Be careful of the cheapest ones as they can take forever to lock and lose signal more easily. My favorite was my old GPS-45XL. It was a single channel and also took "forever" to lock, which is about a minute or two. For what he wants to use it though, even 3 minutes to lock (which is forever these days of 12 channel receivers) is more than good enough. Also, while the cheap units lose signal more easily under adverse conditions, they have no problem keeping the signal under the easiest conditions possible, on a boat away from any obstructions. Even my old Magellan GPS-2000 that I bought back in 1995 has no problems whatsoever fulfilling his wants and needs. Yes, it takes a lot longer to lock than my 12 channel eTrex Legend. But it gives good position and velocity information. The Legend, BTW, is horrible at keeping the signal under any sort of tree cover. Even driving down a tree-lined road it looses lock sometimes. However, I haven't lost it once on the boat ... where tree cover usually isn't a problem. Steve |
Which GPS?
I own 600 paper charts and several sextants; I learned to navigate
racing in the dense fog in Maine with compass and stopwatch. I wouldn't be without a GPS (actually, two different ones, for redundancy). We took two Garmin 45s (and an older Trimble) around the world. The 45 was a small handheld that had connections for external power, data, and antenna and it sat on the chart table, connected by its cord (actually two cords, antenna and power/data, in a common sheath) ready to use. I still prefer a handheld to a fixed unit. This is probably the bifocal effect -- I find it easier to use a unit that I don't have to peer carefully at it across the chart table. I use a Garmin 12 now and like it, but it's no longer available. It looks like the Garmin etrex will do the job. At the low end, look at two things -- will it take an external power supply (I've never gotten the battery life claimed by Garmin for AAs) and, if you race, will it allow you to set a waypoint as a range and bearing from another waypoint (weather mark is 2.0 miles at 350 degrees from the start)? The very cheapest may not have either of these -- I once bought a cheap Magellen for racing and found that it wouldn't do the job. The modern antennas will mostly work down below, but you'll want to try that. I don't think you'll be happy with any of the mapping or other higher functions you can spend money on -- I would never trust myself with such a data base -- far safer to actually lay off the course, including range and bearings, on the chart and then enter the waypoints -- if the range and bearing you've done on the chart don't match the ones calculated in the GPS, you've made a mistake. And, perhaps more important, this forces you to actually look at the chart, and, when you draw the course lines, actually consider the possible dangers along the way. Jim Woodward www.mvFintry.com (Parallax) wrote in message . com... Being a psuedo-Luddite who still has a slide rule (and knows how to use it), I still use paper charts and think that navigation and position plotting is aesthetically pretty, but I also admit to being a geometry/trig geek. For the last 13 yrs, I have had a Loran that I sometimes trust when it agrees with my plotting. I used to rely on a "knotstik" to get my speed and then when I got the loran started using its stated speed. Far from any recognizable markers or shore features, I reluctantly rely on a Loran position but check it with dead reckoning. I spose I just have a fetish about my hand compass. I am planning to go to he Bahamas where Loran supposedly dont work so am considering GPS but will still use my beloved paper charts so dont need a chart plotter. All I really want is position and speed. Waypoints just get me screwed up because I can never remember if I really entered the correct coords last night or if those coords for WP5 is for my last trip. Considering that my wants are few, which GPS would be best? Do I get one that works off of the boat 12V? Do the hand helds have that option as well as batteries? Most of the hand helds look too much like my cell phone that I purposefully leave at home. I have even been tempted to forego GPS completely but I spose it is a safety thing. Any ideas? |
Which GPS?
On Mon, 27 Oct 2003 18:49:55 +0000, Parallax wrote:
Being a psuedo-Luddite who still has a slide rule (and knows how to use it), I still use paper charts and think that navigation and position plotting is aesthetically pretty, but I also admit to being a geometry/trig geek. SNIP I still use paper charts and have (count 'em!) three compasses on Far Cove. I looked at a charting GPS: I'm sure they're fine for the US, but the chart put the port marker of Welcome Passage about exactly where the stbd marker is, and the entrance marker for Secret Cove in the middle of Turnagain Island. I promptly bought a GOOD, but non-charting GPS: A Furuno GPS32. It tells me my course (so I know what tidal currents are doing to me), speed, bearing/dist to waypoints, and of course Lat/Long, so I can check on my paper chart where I am. What more do you need? It's on www.furuno.com - just drill down through Products-Navigation-GPS Receivers-4.5" Mono Display And is has one display that displays a single reading (I usually display speed) in HUGE letters so even a near-sighted old fart like me can read it from anywhere in the cockpit. Lloyd |
Which GPS?
x-no-archive:yes
Jere Lull wrote: Parallax wrote: Being a psuedo-Luddite who still has a slide rule (and knows how to use it),.... Ahhhh! Such memories. I never got comfortable with a slide rule - I had a boyfriend who was really into math and gave me a circular one which didn't make things any easier. :-{ For the last 13 yrs, I have had a Loran snip I am planning to go to he Bahamas where Loran supposedly dont work so am considering GPS but will still use my beloved paper charts so dont Please be aware that some of the Bahamas charts are not very accurate. The Maptech chart we have a Bimini has the island displaced to the SE about a mile. So get the better paper charts to use, otherwise what you see won't match up with the chart. We have both the Explorer charts and the Maptech charts, and we also use the various Bahamas guide books. We don't have and have never considered a chart plotter. need a chart plotter. All I really want is position and speed. snip Considering that my wants are few, which GPS would be best? Do I get one that works off of the boat 12V? Do the hand helds have that option as well as batteries? Yes I have and love the Garmin 48. (may no longer be made.) Main reason was that it was the easiest to work one-handed. I primarily use it similarly to you, but the included light list turned out to be much more useful than I expected. VERY handy in strange places. We also have two Garmin handhelds - one is the 12 and I think the other is the 48 - I also like having the light list. Both of these handhelds have the option of plugging into the boat or working on their batteries. However, they both have internal batteries which keep track of your waypoints etc, and if you don't plug them in occasionally to recharge the internal batteries those batteries will have to be replaced. In order to replace them, you may have to send them back to the factory. Therefore I'd really emphasize that you need to have a unit that plugs in. I have a 12v & data connection to hook up to the autopilot. Except for that, I'd go with NiMH. Bob made a connection so that he can hook up the 48 to the computer charts and also to the 12V battery source at the same time. That GPS which is hooked to the computer is also hooked to an external masthead antenna. The 12 is clamped onto the binnacle and plugged into the binnacle 12V plug and uses it's own internal antenna. This GPS is also the one I use to do an anchor watch so that I can tell if the boat's anchor is dragging. It is much easier to do this with the GPS than with a paper chart. And it will need to be plugged in because otherwise the batteries won't last very long. Although the screen will go off and need to be lighted up again to see it that still doesn't save enough battery power. I CAN if I'm not too worried, do this without my bifocals. The LCD screens cannot be readily seen with polarized sun glasses, and you ought to have polarized glasses in the Bahamas - very useful for seeing coral heads. I think maybe you just tilt your head to see the LCD screen. I do not hook the GPS up to the autopilot, but I do put waypoints into it, and use the autopilot to get to them manually. Be careful of the cheapest ones as they can take forever to lock and lose signal more easily. I'm pretty sure that both of ours are among the cheaper units. Waterproof and floating would be good things to have I would think. The 48 has been discontinued, but the 12 is still available. From the Garmin website:http://www.garmin.com/marine/compare.jsp comparing the specs of 5 GPSs including the discontinued 48 - it looks like the 72 is about the cheapest 48 replacement. But I do recommend the 12. Product Comparison (look at this in a fixed font) GPS II Plus GPS 12 GPS 48 GPS 72 GPS 76 MSRP $309.07 $231.80 $182.86 $170.65 $228.56 Receiver 12 channel 12 channel 12 channel 12 channel 12 channel Number of Waypoints 500 500 500 500 500 Built in Memory N/A N/A N/A 1 MB 1 MB # of Routes / # of waypoints per route 20/30 20/30 20/30 50/50 50/50 Database or Basemap City Pt N/A GPS 48 Marine Marine Pt Marine Pt Additional map options N/A N/A N/A Pts of Interest CD Pts InterestCD Battery Life 24 HR 24 HR 24 HR 16 HR (2 AA) 16 HR (2 AA) Display Size 2.2 x 1.5 2.2 x 1.5 2.2 x 1.5 2.2 x 1.6 2.2 x 1.6 Display type B&W LCD B&W LCD B&W LCD 4 level Gray LCD 4 level Gray LCD Area Calculation No Yes No Yes Yes Pixels (H x W) 100 x 64 100 x 64 100 x 64 160 x 120 240 x 180 Standard GPS Antenna Detachable Built in Detachable Built in quad helix Built in quad helix TracBack Mode Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes # of Tracklog Points 1024 1024 1024 2048 2048 Unit Weight 9 oz. 9.5 oz. 9.5 oz. 7.7 oz. 7.7oz. Audible Alarms No No Anchor: No No Yes Yes Yes Arrival: No No Yes Yes Yes Clock: No No No No No Off Course: No No Yes Yes Yes Waterproof Standard IPX7 IPX7 IPX4 IPX7 IPX7 Unit Size (H x W x D) 5 x 2.32 x 1.62 5.8 x 2.1 x 1.2 6.1 x 2.0 x 1.23 6.2 x 2.7 x 1.4 6.2 x 2.7 x 1.4 Screen Orientation V& H Vertical Vertical N/A N/A Map Storage N/A N/A N/A Internal Memory (Points of Interest only) Internal Memory (Points of Interest only) Backlit Display 3 level 3 level 3 level Single level Single level Ext. Ant. Hookup Yes No Yes No Yes Internal Differential N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A WAAS capability N/A N/A N/A Yes Yes Loran TD position format Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes MGRS position format N/A Yes Yes Yes Yes Hunting/Fishing calculator N/A N/A N/A Yes Yes Celestial Information Page N/A N/A N/A Yes Yes Proximity Waypoints N/A Yes Yes Yes Yes Tide Prediction N/A N/A N/A Yes Yes Voltage Range 10-32 5-8 10-32 8-35 10-40 Waypoint Icons Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes grandma Rosalie S/V RosalieAnn, Leonardtown, MD CSY 44 WO #156 http://home.mindspring.com/~gmbeasley/id2.html |
Which GPS?
On 27 Oct 2003 18:49:55 -0800, (Parallax)
tempted fate with: Being a psuedo-Luddite who still has a slide rule (and knows how to use it), I still use paper charts and think that navigation and position plotting is aesthetically pretty, but I also admit to being a geometry/trig geek. In one of his books written in the 50's Robert Heinlein said that anyone who couldn't use a sliderule was a cultural illiterate. I guess the equivalent nowadays would be the PC. Interesting thought, that. The one was mostly used to solve amazingly complex mathematical problems with just a couple of sticks. The other is mostly used to download porn. I have even been tempted to forego GPS completely but I spose it is a safety thing. Any ideas? I've always been something of a luddite, myself. I love plotting. I find it scary how quickly you can become dependent on electronics if you let yourself. That said, your primary navigation tool is always your brain. As long as you don't let it get rusty, using the best secondary tools available is only common sense. These things are insidious, though. It's very easy to find yourself navigating by looking at the screen, instead of looking around you. Not trying to lecture here, this is just a subject I'm interested in. I use a Garmin GPS 48, for my money the best handheld ever made for marine use. It has an excellent antenna, so it even works down below on rainy days. They aren't made anymore, but you often see them pop up on Ebay, as well as cables for attaching to 12v and computers. I don't have much use for mapping handhelds, the screens are just too small. I get frustrated trying to keep the big picture in focus even on fullsize chartplotters. __________________________________________________ __________ Glen "Wiley" Wilson usenet1 SPAMNIX at worldwidewiley dot com To reply, lose the capitals and do the obvious. Take a look at cpRepeater, my NMEA data integrator, repeater, and logger at http://www.worldwidewiley.com/ |
Which GPS?
Parallax,
One more to wade in here with nothing new.... A Garmin 48 can be had on E-bay for about 100$us. It is a very good unit and (IMHO) easier to use than a 76. You can load it with waypoints or just use the information, but it is faster at start-up and more capable in bad conditions than most others. If your slide rule siezes up, call me, I have a spare. If you want to hook it to a computer - you can - either just to load waypoints or use it with ploting software (the waypoint software is free - go find Peter Bennette's site). I was once a coastal pilot, and when I think about how hard I used to work just to know where I was..... I still keep track on paper because that will work when the lights go out. If you do go so far as to hook it to an autopilot (I did, I love it.) DO NOT use aids to navigation as waypoints. You will "Hit The Mark" with out considering tide, drift or windage. Well, that is my .02$us. I set these things up for owners all the time. Matt Colie A.Sloop "Bonne Ide'e" S2-7.9 #1 Lifelong Waterman, Licensed Mariner and Congenital Sailor Parallax wrote: Being a psuedo-Luddite who still has a slide rule (and knows how to use it), I still use paper charts and think that navigation and position plotting is aesthetically pretty, but I also admit to being a geometry/trig geek. For the last 13 yrs, I have had a Loran that I sometimes trust when it agrees with my plotting. I used to rely on a "knotstik" to get my speed and then when I got the loran started using its stated speed. Far from any recognizable markers or shore features, I reluctantly rely on a Loran position but check it with dead reckoning. I spose I just have a fetish about my hand compass. I am planning to go to he Bahamas where Loran supposedly dont work so am considering GPS but will still use my beloved paper charts so dont need a chart plotter. All I really want is position and speed. Waypoints just get me screwed up because I can never remember if I really entered the correct coords last night or if those coords for WP5 is for my last trip. Considering that my wants are few, which GPS would be best? Do I get one that works off of the boat 12V? Do the hand helds have that option as well as batteries? Most of the hand helds look too much like my cell phone that I purposefully leave at home. I have even been tempted to forego GPS completely but I spose it is a safety thing. Any ideas? |
Which GPS?
On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 15:20:03 GMT, Rosalie B. wrote:
x-no-archive:yes Jere Lull wrote: Parallax wrote: Being a psuedo-Luddite who still has a slide rule (and knows how to use it),.... Ahhhh! Such memories. I never got comfortable with a slide rule - I had a boyfriend who was really into math and gave me a circular one which didn't make things any easier. :-{ For the last 13 yrs, I have had a Loran snip I am planning to go to he Bahamas where Loran supposedly dont work so am considering GPS but will still use my beloved paper charts so dont Please be aware that some of the Bahamas charts are not very accurate. The Maptech chart we have a Bimini has the island displaced to the SE about a mile. So get the better paper charts to use, otherwise what you see won't match up with the chart. We have both the Explorer charts and the Maptech charts, and we also use the various Bahamas guide books. We don't have and have never considered a chart plotter. need a chart plotter. All I really want is position and speed. snip Considering that my wants are few, which GPS would be best? Do I get one that works off of the boat 12V? Do the hand helds have that option as well as batteries? Yes I have and love the Garmin 48. (may no longer be made.) Main reason was that it was the easiest to work one-handed. I primarily use it similarly to you, but the included light list turned out to be much more useful than I expected. VERY handy in strange places. We also have two Garmin handhelds - one is the 12 and I think the other is the 48 - I also like having the light list. The Garmin 48 has its memory cell recharged by the penlight batteries that it uses. If you get a low memory battery message put a fresh set of penlights in and it will recharge itself in 2-3 days. It is on Garmin's website somewhere. So the 48 I think is one of the few that doesn't need the system memory battery replaced every 5 years. JJ Both of these handhelds have the option of plugging into the boat or working on their batteries. However, they both have internal batteries which keep track of your waypoints etc, and if you don't plug them in occasionally to recharge the internal batteries those batteries will have to be replaced. In order to replace them, you may have to send them back to the factory. Therefore I'd really emphasize that you need to have a unit that plugs in. I have a 12v & data connection to hook up to the autopilot. Except for that, I'd go with NiMH. Bob made a connection so that he can hook up the 48 to the computer charts and also to the 12V battery source at the same time. That GPS which is hooked to the computer is also hooked to an external masthead antenna. The 12 is clamped onto the binnacle and plugged into the binnacle 12V plug and uses it's own internal antenna. This GPS is also the one I use to do an anchor watch so that I can tell if the boat's anchor is dragging. It is much easier to do this with the GPS than with a paper chart. And it will need to be plugged in because otherwise the batteries won't last very long. Although the screen will go off and need to be lighted up again to see it that still doesn't save enough battery power. I CAN if I'm not too worried, do this without my bifocals. The LCD screens cannot be readily seen with polarized sun glasses, and you ought to have polarized glasses in the Bahamas - very useful for seeing coral heads. I think maybe you just tilt your head to see the LCD screen. I do not hook the GPS up to the autopilot, but I do put waypoints into it, and use the autopilot to get to them manually. Be careful of the cheapest ones as they can take forever to lock and lose signal more easily. I'm pretty sure that both of ours are among the cheaper units. Waterproof and floating would be good things to have I would think. The 48 has been discontinued, but the 12 is still available. From the Garmin website:http://www.garmin.com/marine/compare.jsp comparing the specs of 5 GPSs including the discontinued 48 - it looks like the 72 is about the cheapest 48 replacement. But I do recommend the 12. Product Comparison (look at this in a fixed font) GPS II Plus GPS 12 GPS 48 GPS 72 GPS 76 MSRP $309.07 $231.80 $182.86 $170.65 $228.56 Receiver 12 channel 12 channel 12 channel 12 channel 12 channel Number of Waypoints 500 500 500 500 500 Built in Memory N/A N/A N/A 1 MB 1 MB # of Routes / # of waypoints per route 20/30 20/30 20/30 50/50 50/50 Database or Basemap City Pt N/A GPS 48 Marine Marine Pt Marine Pt Additional map options N/A N/A N/A Pts of Interest CD Pts InterestCD Battery Life 24 HR 24 HR 24 HR 16 HR (2 AA) 16 HR (2 AA) Display Size 2.2 x 1.5 2.2 x 1.5 2.2 x 1.5 2.2 x 1.6 2.2 x 1.6 Display type B&W LCD B&W LCD B&W LCD 4 level Gray LCD 4 level Gray LCD Area Calculation No Yes No Yes Yes Pixels (H x W) 100 x 64 100 x 64 100 x 64 160 x 120 240 x 180 Standard GPS Antenna Detachable Built in Detachable Built in quad helix Built in quad helix TracBack Mode Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes # of Tracklog Points 1024 1024 1024 2048 2048 Unit Weight 9 oz. 9.5 oz. 9.5 oz. 7.7 oz. 7.7oz. Audible Alarms No No Anchor: No No Yes Yes Yes Arrival: No No Yes Yes Yes Clock: No No No No No Off Course: No No Yes Yes Yes Waterproof Standard IPX7 IPX7 IPX4 IPX7 IPX7 Unit Size (H x W x D) 5 x 2.32 x 1.62 5.8 x 2.1 x 1.2 6.1 x 2.0 x 1.23 6.2 x 2.7 x 1.4 6.2 x 2.7 x 1.4 Screen Orientation V& H Vertical Vertical N/A N/A Map Storage N/A N/A N/A Internal Memory (Points of Interest only) Internal Memory (Points of Interest only) Backlit Display 3 level 3 level 3 level Single level Single level Ext. Ant. Hookup Yes No Yes No Yes Internal Differential N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A WAAS capability N/A N/A N/A Yes Yes Loran TD position format Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes MGRS position format N/A Yes Yes Yes Yes Hunting/Fishing calculator N/A N/A N/A Yes Yes Celestial Information Page N/A N/A N/A Yes Yes Proximity Waypoints N/A Yes Yes Yes Yes Tide Prediction N/A N/A N/A Yes Yes Voltage Range 10-32 5-8 10-32 8-35 10-40 Waypoint Icons Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes grandma Rosalie S/V RosalieAnn, Leonardtown, MD CSY 44 WO #156 http://home.mindspring.com/~gmbeasley/id2.html James Johnson remove the "dot" from after sail in email address to reply |
Which GPS?
On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 15:20:03 GMT, Rosalie B. wrote:
x-no-archive:yes Jere Lull wrote: Parallax wrote: Being a psuedo-Luddite who still has a slide rule (and knows how to use it),.... Ahhhh! Such memories. I never got comfortable with a slide rule - I had a boyfriend who was really into math and gave me a circular one which didn't make things any easier. :-{ For the last 13 yrs, I have had a Loran snip I am planning to go to he Bahamas where Loran supposedly dont work so am considering GPS but will still use my beloved paper charts so dont Please be aware that some of the Bahamas charts are not very accurate. The Maptech chart we have a Bimini has the island displaced to the SE about a mile. So get the better paper charts to use, otherwise what you see won't match up with the chart. We have both the Explorer charts and the Maptech charts, and we also use the various Bahamas guide books. We don't have and have never considered a chart plotter. need a chart plotter. All I really want is position and speed. snip Considering that my wants are few, which GPS would be best? Do I get one that works off of the boat 12V? Do the hand helds have that option as well as batteries? Yes I have and love the Garmin 48. (may no longer be made.) Main reason was that it was the easiest to work one-handed. I primarily use it similarly to you, but the included light list turned out to be much more useful than I expected. VERY handy in strange places. We also have two Garmin handhelds - one is the 12 and I think the other is the 48 - I also like having the light list. The Garmin 48 has its memory cell recharged by the penlight batteries that it uses. If you get a low memory battery message put a fresh set of penlights in and it will recharge itself in 2-3 days. It is on Garmin's website somewhere. So the 48 I think is one of the few that doesn't need the system memory battery replaced every 5 years. JJ Both of these handhelds have the option of plugging into the boat or working on their batteries. However, they both have internal batteries which keep track of your waypoints etc, and if you don't plug them in occasionally to recharge the internal batteries those batteries will have to be replaced. In order to replace them, you may have to send them back to the factory. Therefore I'd really emphasize that you need to have a unit that plugs in. I have a 12v & data connection to hook up to the autopilot. Except for that, I'd go with NiMH. Bob made a connection so that he can hook up the 48 to the computer charts and also to the 12V battery source at the same time. That GPS which is hooked to the computer is also hooked to an external masthead antenna. The 12 is clamped onto the binnacle and plugged into the binnacle 12V plug and uses it's own internal antenna. This GPS is also the one I use to do an anchor watch so that I can tell if the boat's anchor is dragging. It is much easier to do this with the GPS than with a paper chart. And it will need to be plugged in because otherwise the batteries won't last very long. Although the screen will go off and need to be lighted up again to see it that still doesn't save enough battery power. I CAN if I'm not too worried, do this without my bifocals. The LCD screens cannot be readily seen with polarized sun glasses, and you ought to have polarized glasses in the Bahamas - very useful for seeing coral heads. I think maybe you just tilt your head to see the LCD screen. I do not hook the GPS up to the autopilot, but I do put waypoints into it, and use the autopilot to get to them manually. Be careful of the cheapest ones as they can take forever to lock and lose signal more easily. I'm pretty sure that both of ours are among the cheaper units. Waterproof and floating would be good things to have I would think. The 48 has been discontinued, but the 12 is still available. From the Garmin website:http://www.garmin.com/marine/compare.jsp comparing the specs of 5 GPSs including the discontinued 48 - it looks like the 72 is about the cheapest 48 replacement. But I do recommend the 12. Product Comparison (look at this in a fixed font) GPS II Plus GPS 12 GPS 48 GPS 72 GPS 76 MSRP $309.07 $231.80 $182.86 $170.65 $228.56 Receiver 12 channel 12 channel 12 channel 12 channel 12 channel Number of Waypoints 500 500 500 500 500 Built in Memory N/A N/A N/A 1 MB 1 MB # of Routes / # of waypoints per route 20/30 20/30 20/30 50/50 50/50 Database or Basemap City Pt N/A GPS 48 Marine Marine Pt Marine Pt Additional map options N/A N/A N/A Pts of Interest CD Pts InterestCD Battery Life 24 HR 24 HR 24 HR 16 HR (2 AA) 16 HR (2 AA) Display Size 2.2 x 1.5 2.2 x 1.5 2.2 x 1.5 2.2 x 1.6 2.2 x 1.6 Display type B&W LCD B&W LCD B&W LCD 4 level Gray LCD 4 level Gray LCD Area Calculation No Yes No Yes Yes Pixels (H x W) 100 x 64 100 x 64 100 x 64 160 x 120 240 x 180 Standard GPS Antenna Detachable Built in Detachable Built in quad helix Built in quad helix TracBack Mode Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes # of Tracklog Points 1024 1024 1024 2048 2048 Unit Weight 9 oz. 9.5 oz. 9.5 oz. 7.7 oz. 7.7oz. Audible Alarms No No Anchor: No No Yes Yes Yes Arrival: No No Yes Yes Yes Clock: No No No No No Off Course: No No Yes Yes Yes Waterproof Standard IPX7 IPX7 IPX4 IPX7 IPX7 Unit Size (H x W x D) 5 x 2.32 x 1.62 5.8 x 2.1 x 1.2 6.1 x 2.0 x 1.23 6.2 x 2.7 x 1.4 6.2 x 2.7 x 1.4 Screen Orientation V& H Vertical Vertical N/A N/A Map Storage N/A N/A N/A Internal Memory (Points of Interest only) Internal Memory (Points of Interest only) Backlit Display 3 level 3 level 3 level Single level Single level Ext. Ant. Hookup Yes No Yes No Yes Internal Differential N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A WAAS capability N/A N/A N/A Yes Yes Loran TD position format Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes MGRS position format N/A Yes Yes Yes Yes Hunting/Fishing calculator N/A N/A N/A Yes Yes Celestial Information Page N/A N/A N/A Yes Yes Proximity Waypoints N/A Yes Yes Yes Yes Tide Prediction N/A N/A N/A Yes Yes Voltage Range 10-32 5-8 10-32 8-35 10-40 Waypoint Icons Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes grandma Rosalie S/V RosalieAnn, Leonardtown, MD CSY 44 WO #156 http://home.mindspring.com/~gmbeasley/id2.html James Johnson remove the "dot" from after sail in email address to reply |
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