Why not just go with the Garmin 17N OEM receiver? You give it 12 volts;
it tells you where you are. You don't need to clutter up your nav
station with another box, if you've already got a laptop there. Just
feed it in directly. Street price about $175.00.

Joe Wood

Steve wrote:
I'm considering a Furuno GP-32 fixed mount GPS for my nav station.. I don't
need a plotter since i use the laptop.. Handhelds have fallen short of my
needs at the nav station because of the deck hardware above.

I figure if I'm going to install an antenna, I might as well go with fixed
mount and retain my handhelds for a back up system..

I have compared features on a number of models (fixed mount, just GPS, no
potter) and come up with the Furuno GP32.

It has external antenna, NMEA and RS232 ports and the ability to upload and
download routes and way points.. (comprehensive configuration menu/options)

Another feature I have found with the Furuno line of equipment, is the
prices of options, spare or replacement items. ($75 for antenna, $5 for pair
of knobs, extra mount, cable assemblies, etc. are all very reasonable and
available.)

I'm looking for any experience or feed back on this model..

Thanks,

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

I already have two handhelds and a 'hockey puck' GPS.. (none are WAAS) but I
have a problem if I don't have an external antenna..

I can hook up one of my handhelds but have a problem finding a location that
gives a clear shot at the birds. I can run the handhelds off 12 volts but
the external antenna is no longer available (Raytheon/Apelco crap).

The 'hookey puck' works fine but happens to be a USB and The Craptian won't
talk to the Autopilot since it can only deal with the USB port while the AP
is on the serial.

I looked at the RayStar 120 but don't want to be totally reliant on the
Laptop..

A fixed mount GPS w/ WAAS with a serial port is kinda my idea of an ideal
arrangement since if I want to turn off the laptop, I can dump the routes
and waypoints back into the GPS and go from there.

I'm sure they are available, but I haven't found anything else I liked that
would let me work out my routes and WP on the laptop nav program and then
upload them to the GPS.. Or, if I prefer, navigate and direct the AP from
the laptop nav program.

I like to do my navigation directly on the laptop while in close quarter
(Puget Sound, Pac.NW.) but once I get offshore a I want to just load the
route and WPs into the GPS and work off paper charts to plot my daily
positions.

BTW. The WAAS isn't all that important to me since I will be doing most of
my cruising in Central America and So Pacific. But since the Furuno GP32 has
it already, I can't complain. It will come in handy when I do the Inside
Passage.

Everyone has a different idea of what they want at the nav station or at
the helm.. All I want, in view at the helm, is a display that tells me the
xte and maybe my spd.

Just my thoughts. FWIW

Steve
s/v Good Intentions

I already have two handhelds and a 'hockey puck' GPS.. (none are WAAS) but I
have a problem if I don't have an external antenna..

I can hook up one of my handhelds but have a problem finding a location that
gives a clear shot at the birds. I can run the handhelds off 12 volts but
the external antenna is no longer available (Raytheon/Apelco crap).

The 'hookey puck' works fine but happens to be a USB and The Craptian won't
talk to the Autopilot since it can only deal with the USB port while the AP
is on the serial.

I looked at the RayStar 120 but don't want to be totally reliant on the
Laptop..

A fixed mount GPS w/ WAAS with a serial port is kinda my idea of an ideal
arrangement since if I want to turn off the laptop, I can dump the routes
and waypoints back into the GPS and go from there.

I'm sure they are available, but I haven't found anything else I liked that
would let me work out my routes and WP on the laptop nav program and then
upload them to the GPS.. Or, if I prefer, navigate and direct the AP from
the laptop nav program.

I like to do my navigation directly on the laptop while in close quarter
(Puget Sound, Pac.NW.) but once I get offshore a I want to just load the
route and WPs into the GPS and work off paper charts to plot my daily
positions.

BTW. The WAAS isn't all that important to me since I will be doing most of
my cruising in Central America and So Pacific. But since the Furuno GP32 has
it already, I can't complain. It will come in handy when I do the Inside
Passage.

Everyone has a different idea of what they want at the nav station or at
the helm.. All I want, in view at the helm, is a display that tells me the
xte and maybe my spd.

Just my thoughts. FWIW

Steve
s/v Good Intentions