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Posts: 284
| I'm going to Cabella's saturday to buy a GPS what should I get? I like to hunt as well as fish so a portable unit would help me find my treestand better at night, but I have heard that the permanent units work better. Also I am considering replacing my locator. Are combo units as good as seperate units? I have an Eagle on my bow if that matters for interferance matters.
Suggestions for both handheld and Dash mount would be great. Or a link that reviews GPS's |
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Posts: 2384
Location: On the X that marks the mucky spot | Get a combo unit for your boat and a hand-held for your hunting. Hand helds are pretty hard to read well while your fishing IMOP. I've been running Lowrance X-15's and I think they're min size display you'd want for a split screen. If you have it up front it's nice to be able to glance down and see your position without working too hard. On the counsel it's nice to be able to see where you're going while running.
I don't know if I'd go with a unit that's too much smaller IMOP. |
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Posts: 2112
Location: The Sportsman, home, or out on the water | Yes, if you can swing one of each, of the same brand. The hand held can be taken in your buddy's boat, and you could put a mount for your hand held up on the front casting deck as well. If you do get one of each, make sure that you can network them together. |
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Posts: 1460
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | Guy---
Listen--if you have a locater in your boat already, keep using it. Then ADD another unit that is a gps. That way you WILL NOT HAVE TO RUN SPLIT SCREEN. I had the combo unit on my console and just a locator on the bow.
I just added a GPS to the bow so now I have a FULL SCREEN locator on the bow and a FULL SCREEN gps on the bow. Two advantages:
1. I do not have to run split screen---that can be a pain especially when you are approaching a waypoint where you raised a fish earlier that day and want to be very accurate on your approach.
2. You can pick up a gps for less money than a combo unit. (I picked up my garmin 172 for under $200)
So...get more, pay less and add a full screen gps to your boat. |
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| I would tend to agree with cowboy here.
If you have a locator already, keep it and get a good GPS. To piggy-back off what cowboy said, if one unit goes down, you are not out both features. If your sonar goes out, your GPS can still be used to get you back if needed...if your GPs goes out, you still have your sonar to be on the spot correctly deptwise and know what is below you for the most part.
If you had the money (and this could be down the road too) is getting a combo unit for your fishing station. That is my plan sometime..a GPS at the console (or tiller if that is the type of rig you prefer) and one combo unit front (if that is your preferred fishing spot)
Steve |
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Posts: 284
| All reply's to this message have said to get a permanent mount but this doesn't help me when I go hunting or ice fishing. Is the permanent that much better than a hand held if it's the small size that makes it worse that doesn't bother me. Also I may by a portable now and later a permanent, who makes networkable devises.
Or what are the models you recomend otherwise.
I have heard....
Lowrance makes good permanent mount but their hand held suck
Garmin makes good hand held but their permanent suck
and to definetly not buy a garmin combo unit as their sonars are not very good at all.
Any truth to these acusations |
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Posts: 3507
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | If you need it for hunting as well as fishing, then your option is a hand-held. I have no experience with those since I do not use one for hunting.
I prefer a permanent in the boat due to screen size. When the boat is moving at speed, the larger screen is easier to see as you are bouncing along.
Steve |
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Posts: 97
Location: Grand Rapids, Michigan | i have the Garmin eTrex Legend Cx and i love it. It is a protable, but can still be used very easily. It also is in color which i think helps a lot. I like it because i can take it in the car on long drives, take it hiking or camping and take it fishing. What i have started to do is use it to get up to the spot, but then become comfortable enough with the spot that i dont have to keep looking at the screen to see where the weedline in or other structure is. If i get a follow or catch a fish i quickly put a waypoint there so i know exactly where that happened. I would say go with the portable because it can be used anyway especially if youre a hunter, and then later you can get one for the boat.
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Posts: 443
Location: Indiana | I use a handheld because I hunt and fish. I started with a Garmin gps V. I loved it. I recently bought a garmin gps60csx as an upgrade. It made the gps V look like junk. I couldn't be happier. It has a barometer, color screen, loadable maps for navigating on the road, etc. I have had no problems reafing it in the boat. |
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Posts: 1023
Location: Lafayette, IN | I use a handheld with DC power at front and rear in the holders. I take it with me in other peep's boats too. I like it fine. Have gobs of waypoints stored in it. Here's a pic. |
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Posts: 2894
Location: Yahara River Chain | I purchased an Lowrance iFinder H2OC last September. I like it a lot!!! Have several chips for it already and am good for Canada, N and NE. I run mine a lot with DC power. Will set up a DC power to use in my boat when it gets warmer (like next week). I also take it with me on trips, in the vehicles and use it in other folks boats as well.
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Posts: 317
Location: Grafton, WI | You can also look at getting a handheld with a link (via cable) into a GPS/Sonar unit. There are models that don't have the GPS built-in, but function very similar when connected together. Here is a setup I have looked at recently to function with my Garmin eTrex Legend.....
Humminbird Sonar with optional GPS ability
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_1...
Data cable to connect eTrex with Sonar unit
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.j...
And another cable is required for input to the Humminbird unit (not sure if included or not) |
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Posts: 284
| Esoxmd I like the idea of buying a handheld that can plug into my sonar. Do you know where else you can get info about what devices are compatible |
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Posts: 317
Location: Grafton, WI | You can either browse the manufacturers websites (of the GPS unit) and try to determine which one's have that capability... or, take a look at Cabelas, Basspro, etc. and just look at the lower GPS priced models, and those will likely be the ones without GPS built-in.
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