wrote in news:1164658100.317480.213150
@j72g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Thanks for the input. I am thinking that the VHF and separate GPS is
the way to go.



Garmin 76CSx full-featured chartplotter handheld GPS with the chart for
your cruising area. It has an electronic compass and altimeter in it.
The altimeter is useful as your cruising barometer because it has a chart
plotting altimeter you can see trends on to bad weather. The electronic
compass reads correctly, even in the waves that drive the old card
compass crazy.

The chart plotter has software for your computer. You can plan your
cruises at home, in the comfort of your computer room, load the waypoints
and routes into the Garmin's HUGE memory that can store a lifetime of
routes and waypoints, all neatly PREplotted before you have to deal with
boat/sail handling. What a great way to put a full powered nav system on
even the smallest pocket cruiser. Doesn't need an external antenna, just
the mounting bracket to hold it at the helm and the power/data cable to
connect it to the battery and VHF DSC-enabled emergency radio.

http://www.garmin.com/products/gpsmap76csx/

Get this power/data cable for it so you can power it from the boat
battery and get data out of it to the Icom-M302 DSC VHF radio:
http://shop.garmin.com/accessory.jsp...0%2D10082%2D00
Whenever you unplug it from the Garmin, carefully wrap it in a plastic
baggie to keep it DRY and CLEAN. Be sure to cut the 12VDC power to it
because the plastic connectors get eaten by electrolysis caused by the
moist air and DC power people leave on them all the time.....grrr...nuts.

Get the marine mount, too:
http://shop.garmin.com/accessory.jsp...0%2D10300%2D00
Easy to dismount and store away from thieves and harm.

Send the GPS data to the Icom M302 25W subminiature VHF marine radio:
http://www.icomamerica.com/products/marine/m302/
It's not waterproof or water resistant...IT'S SUBMERSIBLE!
It also does DSC with the data from the Garmin to set off alarms on the
ships and CG if you get in serious trouble. Press the EMERGENCY button
under the protective cover and they know exactly where you are and who
you are from your preprogrammed MMSI you get from Boat/US and enter into
its memory. No half-assed emergency comms on a walkie talkie noone can
hear over 3 miles away. It's also your weather radio with FULL ALERTING
when NOAA sends out an emergency message. And it's LOUD!

Only a tiny bit bigger than its microphone (see picture) it panel mounts
almost anywhere...high up in the boat in case of flooding, please!

Get the MB69 flush mount kit if you have a place to panel mount it and
MB92 dust cover to seal it up when you're not using it to keep the sun
and weather from attacking it. Icom's last a long time.

Hmm...You'll need the same antenna USCG uses, the Metz Manta 6 VHF
antenna my jetboat couldn't destroy:
http://www.metzcommunication.com/manta6.htm
It's guaranteed, no questions asked, FOREVER. Unlike the crap fiberglass
antennas with the coax cable PERMANENTLY epoxied into the base you can't
replace, it has a proper CONNECTOR on its bottom. Replacing the
defective cable is so easy. Seal the cable with shrink tubing around the
connector underneath it filled with latex bathtub caulk and it will be as
shiny new 20 years from today as it was the day you installed it.

Be SURE the nut holding the whip into it is TIGHT so the whip doesn't get
lost. This antenna is a 1/2 wave, end-fed and requires no ground plane,
whatsoever. Mount it as high as you can for maximum range. The
combination of the Metz Manta 6 and 25 watts will make enough noise to be
heard over the damned marinas selling gas and dock space on Ch 16. Of
course, you'll be declaring the emergency on Channel 70 DSC, first, so
CG's radioman will run 'em off 16 for the distress...or else...(c;

There, now we're ready to put this little cruiser to sea.

After the VISA recovers, order the mobile mount and City Navigator street
map SD card with another 12V cable so you can use it for car navigation
when it's not on the boat....(c; The new Garmins have SD cards preloaded
with Mapsource, Blue Chart and City Navigator cartography compatibility,
something I think will be around for years to come.

Larry

Come by Charleston. I'll bring my tools and help you put it all in...(c;