I have some experience with GPS units in auto's. Does the marine units work
the same? Can you put a destination in the unit and it will show you the
way like the one in an auto or do you have to manually put in the waypoints
and then select each as you proceed toward a destination? I just purchased
a boat with a Garman 2006C GPS. (I haven't taken possession of the boat at
this point). Thanks.
Andy

Andy Saunders wrote:

I have some experience with GPS units in auto's. Does the marine units work
the same?

No.

Can you put a destination in the unit and it will show you the
way like the one in an auto or do you have to manually put in the waypoints
and then select each as you proceed toward a destination?

Two part question, the answers are no and yes respectively. Except that
you can create a route (a number of waypoints in a specific sequence)
and the chart plotter will help you proceed to them in that order.

I just purchased
a boat with a Garman 2006C GPS. (I haven't taken possession of the boat at
this point).

That unit "wakes up" with a basemap that will show you about where you
are but it does not have sufficient detail for navigation. That basemap
is described here, note that the description makes no mention of the
basemap having any buoys, lights, or other navaids on it.
http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap2006/#

The detailed charts you need for navigation have to be put on Garmin
Data Cards, those are then read by the 2006 and you get detailed
charting. The Data Cards are a proprietary storage medium, sort of like
a CF or SD memory card.

You can buy preprogrammed Data Cards with charting for a given region
(the expensive way to do it). The more economical (but complex and
technical for some) way to get charting data is to buy a Garmin
BlueChart CD with chart data, blank data cards, a data card programmer,
and load the data cards using a PC.

When you buy the BlueChart CD, data for one region of your choice can be
unlocked and used. If you want to add more regions you pay more to
unlock those.

If your boat was well equipped and being used, it may come with a data
card or two for the region where it was used. Or it may even come with
a BlueChart CD, a data card, and a Garmin Data Card programmer.

This page and the links from it will help you figure it all out, don't
feel bad if it all seems a little complicated.

http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap2006/#

Don't forget, you now own a hole in the water. Your key responsibility
as a boat owner is to keep throwing money into the hole to keep Garmin
and a number of other businesses and industries solvent. :)

Have fun!

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)

Jack Erbes wrote:
Andy Saunders wrote:

I have some experience with GPS units in auto's. Does the marine
units work the same?

No.

Can you put a destination in the unit and it will show you the
way like the one in an auto or do you have to manually put in the
waypoints and then select each as you proceed toward a destination?

Two part question, the answers are no and yes respectively. Except
that you can create a route (a number of waypoints in a specific
sequence) and the chart plotter will help you proceed to them in that
order.

I just purchased
a boat with a Garman 2006C GPS. (I haven't taken possession of the
boat at this point).

That unit "wakes up" with a basemap that will show you about where you
are but it does not have sufficient detail for navigation. That
basemap is described here, note that the description makes no mention
of the basemap having any buoys, lights, or other navaids on it.
http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap2006/#

The detailed charts you need for navigation have to be put on Garmin
Data Cards, those are then read by the 2006 and you get detailed
charting. The Data Cards are a proprietary storage medium, sort of
like a CF or SD memory card.

You can buy preprogrammed Data Cards with charting for a given region
(the expensive way to do it). The more economical (but complex and
technical for some) way to get charting data is to buy a Garmin
BlueChart CD with chart data, blank data cards, a data card
programmer, and load the data cards using a PC.

When you buy the BlueChart CD, data for one region of your choice can
be unlocked and used. If you want to add more regions you pay more to
unlock those.

If your boat was well equipped and being used, it may come with a data
card or two for the region where it was used. Or it may even come
with a BlueChart CD, a data card, and a Garmin Data Card programmer.

This page and the links from it will help you figure it all out, don't
feel bad if it all seems a little complicated.

http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap2006/#

Don't forget, you now own a hole in the water. Your key
responsibility as a boat owner is to keep throwing money into the
hole to keep Garmin and a number of other businesses and industries
solvent. :)

Have fun!

Jack

I think my advice would be to sell the 2006C, and buy an Etrex with the
money, then use Oziexplorer on a laptop. That way, his hole in the water
will get smaller, not bigger, and his navigation setup will be infinitely
easier to use.

Dennis.

Dennis Pogson wrote:

snip
I think my advice would be to sell the 2006C, and buy an Etrex with the
money, then use Oziexplorer on a laptop. That way, his hole in the water
will get smaller, not bigger, and his navigation setup will be infinitely
easier to use.


I'm assuming his 2006C is at the helm. Having good marine grade
electronics in front of you, can add a lot to the safety and quality of
the boating experience. The necessity of buying charting comes with that.

I understand the joys of doing it more cheaply but that are always a lot
of trade offs when you do that. I have never been on a boat where I
thought that eliminating the built in electronics and replacing them
with a laptop and a handheld GPS would be a satisfactory or, in most
cases, even practical alternative.

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)

I strongly agree. The OP didn't say what kind of boat he has, but on a
smaller short handed sail boat, laptops just don't cut it as a primary
navigation device. Unless you go to considerable expense, they just aren't
dependable enough. By the time you get a fully rugged pc with outdoor
display and don't load anything on it but the nave software, your better off
getting a dedicated chart plotter. Especially since he already has a very
good one. Keep the laptop down below for trip planning, web surfing and all
the other things you want a computer for.

"Jack Erbes" wrote in message
...
Dennis Pogson wrote:

snip
I think my advice would be to sell the 2006C, and buy an Etrex with the
money, then use Oziexplorer on a laptop. That way, his hole in the water
will get smaller, not bigger, and his navigation setup will be infinitely
easier to use.


I'm assuming his 2006C is at the helm. Having good marine grade
electronics in front of you, can add a lot to the safety and quality of
the boating experience. The necessity of buying charting comes with that.

I understand the joys of doing it more cheaply but that are always a lot
of trade offs when you do that. I have never been on a boat where I
thought that eliminating the built in electronics and replacing them with
a laptop and a handheld GPS would be a satisfactory or, in most cases,
even practical alternative.

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)

johnhh wrote:
I strongly agree. The OP didn't say what kind of boat he has, but on
a smaller short handed sail boat, laptops just don't cut it as a
primary navigation device. Unless you go to considerable expense,
they just aren't dependable enough. By the time you get a fully
rugged pc with outdoor display and don't load anything on it but the
nave software, your better off getting a dedicated chart plotter.
Especially since he already has a very good one. Keep the laptop
down below for trip planning, web surfing and all the other things
you want a computer for.

"Jack Erbes" wrote in message
...
Dennis Pogson wrote:

snip
I think my advice would be to sell the 2006C, and buy an Etrex with
the money, then use Oziexplorer on a laptop. That way, his hole in
the water will get smaller, not bigger, and his navigation setup
will be infinitely easier to use.


I'm assuming his 2006C is at the helm. Having good marine grade
electronics in front of you, can add a lot to the safety and quality
of the boating experience. The necessity of buying charting comes
with that.

I understand the joys of doing it more cheaply but that are always a
lot of trade offs when you do that. I have never been on a boat
where I thought that eliminating the built in electronics and
replacing them with a laptop and a handheld GPS would be a
satisfactory or, in most cases, even practical alternative.

Jack

--
Jack Erbes in Ellsworth, Maine, USA - jackerbes at adelphia dot net
(also receiving email at jacker at midmaine.com)

A great deal depends what type of boating he intends to do.
Round-the-world-racing would demand a different set-up to coastal pottering.
Quite honestly, for the latter, I think your own eyes and other senses are
the best form of navigation, backed up by an in-depth knowledge of
traditional chartwork.

Dennis.