"Tim" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking on the idea of ditching the harts and going with a
Garmin.

I'm think of going with something like this...

I don't really feel like spending huge dollars and this would be about
my limit, I Don't know anything about them, does this seem like a good
model? and are the charts automatically renewable, or do you have to
buy an update?

BTW, This 2owuld be used for running on the Ohio, Tennessee, and
Cumberland rivers, including lake Barclay and Ky. Lakes.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/200-Rebate-G...item231b9453ab

Thanks!

Tim, I can speak to you with experience regarding this unit. You're on the
right track with this unit, but not quite there. I've had two units of this
series. I had the GPSMAP 430 on my previous boat and have the GPSMAP 431 on
my current boat. Both of these units have similar features and the same
screen as the unit on eBay. Both units have performed flawlessly for me.
In fact, I was so pleased with the 430 unit which I let go with the previous
boat, that I bought the current replacement (431) for the boat I purchased
last year. There are a few problems with the specific unit you're
considering on eBay. First, the "s" at the end of the model indicates that
it is capable of being used with a Garmin transducer to use the display as a
fishfinder/sounder as well as a chartplotter. The problem is that this is
the version of the 421s that doesn't include the transducer. If you want to
use the unit with as a fishfinder/sounder you'll have to shell out
additional bucks for a Garmin transducer. The next problem is with the maps
installed in the 421 units. The basemap on the 421 units is a very crude
set of satellite images. What you really want is the inland waters basemap,
which is included on the 430/431 units. Both the 421 and the 430/431 units
also allow you to purchase upgraded maps on SD cards, but the 430/431 units
have the inland waters basemap already included. Finally, this guy's
pricing is no great deal. He's offering the 421s unit with no transducer
and no inland maps for $416. As a comparison, Amazon has the same unit for
$353. Here are some current prices at Amazon for comparable units:

421s WITHOUT transducer: $353
421s WITH transducer: $443
431s WITH transducer: $443
431 chartplotter only, no fishfinder/sounder function: $401

The real question is whether you want the unit to have fishfinder/sounder
capability. If you currently don't have a depthfinder or fishfinder on your
boat, the 421s/431s would be one way to incorporate this function. If you
already have a depthfinder or fishfinder on your boat, then there's probably
no reason to buy one of the "s" models. The downside of the "s" models is
that it splits the screen between the two functions, and the screen isn't
that large to begin with. Also, you get the fun job of installing a
transducer. In my case, since both of my last boats had a digital
depthfinder already installed, I didn't have a need for the sounder function
in the Garmin unit. So I went with the 430 in 2009 and the 431 in 2011.
The 430 is a discontinued product, replaced by the 431, which has a few
minor enhancements to it. I can tell you that the color display on those
units is very readable in direct sunlight. Also, I can tell you that the
NMEA output works well. I have my 431 reporting position to my RayMarine
DSC VHF radio, and it also reports position, speed and other telemetry to my
Mercury SmartCraft gauges. The 431 series is a very nice compact unit that
allows the updating of maps and unit firmware via its SD card slot. My
personal recommendation is for 431s if you need or want the sounder
function, and the 431 if you don't. I used Amazon as an easy source for
pricing data, but a search of the web might yield better pricing. I find
Amazon is usually very competitive with about everything they offer, and
they are super easy to work with. Garmin's website is a good resource for
comparing their units.

Russ