for years; I've been a garmin fan -- I've liked their UI and generally; I've
been really pleased with their products. I sitll have a working 12xl...

2 years ago I bought, what I thought was, a nice system (Garmin 498 sounder) --
however, I soon found out it was discontinued.

I began to have problems with it. So I hauled and replaced the tranducer as
that's what their tech support said it was... Same issues remained.

I have been told "no more software updates for it" -- but they'll take $175 from
me to "look at it and fix it if they can"

I thought I'd update to a non-discontinued model so I can get software updates
as they come out -- however, I need to use an external antenna.
I wanted their G2 Vision cards --- but the jump from 498 cost to a 4xxxx series
is 3x the cost ($2000 for a cheap 4xxxx series) . Apparently that's the
cheapest unit that uses an external atenna according to their tech support; the
rest are internal antennas.

Is it time to move on to something different? I've been responsible for close
to $10,000 in garmin purchases and feel like they've always been helpful; but
now that it's just little old me, "thanks for your money send us more" is their
attitude....
They won't say if the issues I'm having are 'fixable' -- so Im stuck with
sending my unit for a month or more + 175 or putting that 175 towards towards a
new (non-garmin) unit.

Anyone have any helpful thoughts?

Thanks
-josh

Don't you just hate that? Happened to me with my JRC 1800 radar, a
Lincoln Tig welder; the list goes on and on...

JR

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:18:39 -0700, Josh Assing
wrote:


however, I soon found out it was discontinued.

I

Thanks
-josh
HOME PAGE:
http://www.seanet.com/~jasonrnorth
--------------------------------------------------

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:18:39 -0700, Josh Assing
wrote:

Anyone have any helpful thoughts?

I've been saying this about Garmin for years - their attitude changed
when they started to takeup market share and apparently it's gotten
even worse.

I switched to Raymarine years ago and haven't looked back since. Their
new A-65 is a great unit and the RayChart 435 has an internal antenna.

Good luck.

On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:18:39 -0700, Josh Assing
wrote:

Is it time to move on to something different? I've been responsible for close
to $10,000 in garmin purchases and feel like they've always been helpful; but
now that it's just little old me, "thanks for your money send us more" is their
attitude....

You could have had a very nice, professional quality Furuno system for
less than that - typically with no service required.

Gene Kearns wrote:
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:18:39 -0700, Josh Assing penned the following
well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

|for years; I've been a garmin fan -- I've liked their UI and generally; I've
|been really pleased with their products. I sitll have a working 12xl...
|
|2 years ago I bought, what I thought was, a nice system (Garmin 498 sounder) --
|however, I soon found out it was discontinued.
|
|I began to have problems with it. So I hauled and replaced the tranducer as
|that's what their tech support said it was... Same issues remained.
|
|I have been told "no more software updates for it" -- but they'll take $175 from
|me to "look at it and fix it if they can"
|
|I thought I'd update to a non-discontinued model so I can get software updates
|as they come out -- however, I need to use an external antenna.
|I wanted their G2 Vision cards --- but the jump from 498 cost to a 4xxxx series
|is 3x the cost ($2000 for a cheap 4xxxx series) . Apparently that's the
|cheapest unit that uses an external atenna according to their tech support; the
|rest are internal antennas.
|
|Is it time to move on to something different? I've been responsible for close
|to $10,000 in garmin purchases and feel like they've always been helpful; but
|now that it's just little old me, "thanks for your money send us more" is their
|attitude....
|They won't say if the issues I'm having are 'fixable' -- so Im stuck with
|sending my unit for a month or more + 175 or putting that 175 towards towards a
|new (non-garmin) unit.
|
|Anyone have any helpful thoughts?
|
|Thanks
|-josh

I presently have a Garmin 225 GPS. When it dies, it will NOT be
replaced by another Garmin unit. I'll probably go Raymarine, like
SWS...



Hmmm. I have an almost new Garmin 4000 series chart plotter that works
well for me. I "borrowed" a G2 Vision card for it, and decided it wasn't
worth the effort it takes to use it. Over the years, I've had a number
of Garmin products, starting with a Model 75 GPS many years ago. On the
few occasions I've had to interact with Garmin tech support, I found the
company's people to be competent.

I do own a bit of Garmin stock. Not much.

On Apr 17, 7:28*am, Wayne.B wrote:
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:18:39 -0700, Josh Assing
wrote:

Is it time to move on to something different? *I've been responsible for close
to $10,000 in garmin purchases and feel like they've always been helpful; but
now that it's just little old me, "thanks for your money send us more" is their
attitude....

You could have had a very nice, professional quality Furuno system for
less than that - typically with no service required.

Or you could do like I and not worry about having such frills.

"Save yer' money and vote for Truman!"

Tim wrote:
On Apr 17, 7:28 am, Wayne.B wrote:
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:18:39 -0700, Josh Assing
wrote:

Is it time to move on to something different? I've been responsible for close
to $10,000 in garmin purchases and feel like they've always been helpful; but
now that it's just little old me, "thanks for your money send us more" is their
attitude....
You could have had a very nice, professional quality Furuno system for
less than that - typically with no service required.

Or you could do like I and not worry about having such frills.

"Save yer' money and vote for Truman!"


The worst fishfinder/depthfinder I ever owned was one of Furuno's. It
went back to Furuno three times. Fortunately, I had an old Lowrance
backup unit at the cockpit steering station.

"HK" wrote in message
. ..
Gene Kearns wrote:
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:18:39 -0700, Josh Assing penned the following
well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

|for years; I've been a garmin fan -- I've liked their UI and generally;
I've
|been really pleased with their products. I sitll have a working 12xl...
|
|2 years ago I bought, what I thought was, a nice system (Garmin 498
sounder) --
|however, I soon found out it was discontinued.
|
|I began to have problems with it. So I hauled and replaced the
tranducer as
|that's what their tech support said it was... Same issues remained.
|
|I have been told "no more software updates for it" -- but they'll take
$175 from
|me to "look at it and fix it if they can"
|
|I thought I'd update to a non-discontinued model so I can get software
updates
|as they come out -- however, I need to use an external antenna. |I
wanted their G2 Vision cards --- but the jump from 498 cost to a 4xxxx
series
|is 3x the cost ($2000 for a cheap 4xxxx series) . Apparently that's the
|cheapest unit that uses an external atenna according to their tech
support; the
|rest are internal antennas.
|
|Is it time to move on to something different? I've been responsible for
close
|to $10,000 in garmin purchases and feel like they've always been
helpful; but
|now that it's just little old me, "thanks for your money send us more"
is their
|attitude.... |They won't say if the issues I'm having are 'fixable' --
so Im stuck with
|sending my unit for a month or more + 175 or putting that 175 towards
towards a
|new (non-garmin) unit.
|
|Anyone have any helpful thoughts?
|
|Thanks
|-josh

I presently have a Garmin 225 GPS. When it dies, it will NOT be
replaced by another Garmin unit. I'll probably go Raymarine, like
SWS...



Hmmm. I have an almost new Garmin 4000 series chart plotter that works
well for me. I "borrowed" a G2 Vision card for it, and decided it wasn't
worth the effort it takes to use it. Over the years, I've had a number of
Garmin products, starting with a Model 75 GPS many years ago. On the few
occasions I've had to interact with Garmin tech support, I found the
company's people to be competent.

I do own a bit of Garmin stock. Not much.

I thought you said you own no stock these days.

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:18:39 -0700, Josh Assing
wrote:

Anyone have any helpful thoughts?

I've been saying this about Garmin for years - their attitude changed
when they started to takeup market share and apparently it's gotten
even worse.

I switched to Raymarine years ago and haven't looked back since. Their
new A-65 is a great unit and the RayChart 435 has an internal antenna.

Good luck.

I have Furuno sounder, and a Garmin GPS160. The 160 is old, but still works
fine. I have a Garmin 45 my gave me for Christmas in about 1991, other than
a couple of lines of pixels missing, still worked a year or so ago when I
last turned in on. For a handheld and hte ditch bag, I have Garmin 76Csx.
Other than it needs to go to Garmin for a new screen cover as it cracked in
a drop test, still works great.

Calif Bill wrote:
"HK" wrote in message
. ..
Gene Kearns wrote:
On Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:18:39 -0700, Josh Assing penned the following
well considered thoughts to the readers of rec.boats:

|for years; I've been a garmin fan -- I've liked their UI and generally;
I've
|been really pleased with their products. I sitll have a working 12xl...
|
|2 years ago I bought, what I thought was, a nice system (Garmin 498
sounder) --
|however, I soon found out it was discontinued.
|
|I began to have problems with it. So I hauled and replaced the
tranducer as
|that's what their tech support said it was... Same issues remained.
|
|I have been told "no more software updates for it" -- but they'll take
$175 from
|me to "look at it and fix it if they can"
|
|I thought I'd update to a non-discontinued model so I can get software
updates
|as they come out -- however, I need to use an external antenna. |I
wanted their G2 Vision cards --- but the jump from 498 cost to a 4xxxx
series
|is 3x the cost ($2000 for a cheap 4xxxx series) . Apparently that's the
|cheapest unit that uses an external atenna according to their tech
support; the
|rest are internal antennas.
|
|Is it time to move on to something different? I've been responsible for
close
|to $10,000 in garmin purchases and feel like they've always been
helpful; but
|now that it's just little old me, "thanks for your money send us more"
is their
|attitude.... |They won't say if the issues I'm having are 'fixable' --
so Im stuck with
|sending my unit for a month or more + 175 or putting that 175 towards
towards a
|new (non-garmin) unit.
|
|Anyone have any helpful thoughts?
|
|Thanks
|-josh

I presently have a Garmin 225 GPS. When it dies, it will NOT be
replaced by another Garmin unit. I'll probably go Raymarine, like
SWS...


Hmmm. I have an almost new Garmin 4000 series chart plotter that works
well for me. I "borrowed" a G2 Vision card for it, and decided it wasn't
worth the effort it takes to use it. Over the years, I've had a number of
Garmin products, starting with a Model 75 GPS many years ago. On the few
occasions I've had to interact with Garmin tech support, I found the
company's people to be competent.

I do own a bit of Garmin stock. Not much.

I thought you said you own no stock these days.



Just a bit, for "sentimental reasons." Has very little to do with Garmin
as a corporation or how the company is doing, but with a Jesuit
educational institution.