Garmin GPS "Blue Charts"

[lucky duck]

I'm in the process of researching GPS units and can't get the charts to come up on Garmins website to review. Is any one currently using them? If so, how do you like the detail?

Duck

[whaler21]

I have the 2010c with the blue chart. I love it. Can't say enough good things about it. Get color, it will be worth the extra bucks.

[Pete]

Get to know the options really well ... good GPS units and GPS Sounders are pricy, but powerful tools. I've been limping along with a Garmin hand held for a couple years. It seems like I'm still learning how to use it. But I keep finding limits with what I have so I spend time in front of the displays in the stores .... the physical experience of examining and using GPSs gives me a lot more to go on than the print literature. My dream machine, at this point, is the Lowrance LCX-16Cl. There is no doubt that color makes a world of difference in being able to see the display. Talk to the salesmen about cartography software ... there's some variation in what you can run in most machines.

[ 07-23-2002, 09:45 PM: Message edited by: Pete ]

[lucky duck]

Thanks for the info.. I am also looking at the color version of both Garmin and Lowrance. I am in a research mode right now and want to make sure the waterways maps are as accurate as possible.

I will be by Fishermans next month so I'll talk it over with them too.

Thanks
Duck

[Pete]

As long as you're at Fisherman's (Delta Park), go across the parking lot to West Marine. I've found them more knowledgeable about the software.

[Wolfguts]

Originally posted by lucky duck:
I'm in the process of researching GPS units and can't get the charts to come up on Garmins website to review. Is any one currently using them? If so, how do you like the detail?

Duck<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">

[Wolfguts]

Originally posted by lucky duck:
I'm in the process of researching GPS units and can't get the charts to come up on Garmins website to review. Is any one currently using them? If so, how do you like the detail?

Duck<font size="2" face="verdana,arial,helv">This Spring we outfitted our boat with the Lowrance LCX-16. We are continually amazed by the detail and accuracy of this unit. We also recommend color for any unit as it really makes a difference. Also suggest a SunShade if one is made for the unit you buy. If we were to do it again we would probably not get the MapCreate Option. About 95% of our fishing is done on the Columbia River between Portland and the mouth. We installed a Navionics (www.navionics.com) chip for this area and find the detail excellent and to be superior to the MapCreate display for this area. We bought our unit from Fisherman's and their help and input has been excellent.

[lucky duck]

Thanks Pete. I'll do that.

Wolfguts .. I was checking out the navionics last night on their web site. It looked pretty nice but couldn't compare to the Garmin Blue charts. I'm really torn at this point. Thanks for the input. I am definetly going to go with color though. Spendy. But, I look at it as an long term investment to keep my family safe and have some fun with it too.

Duck

[pirk fan]

I run a garmin 176map with a blue chart chip. Gotta agree with Ganzerman - it's great. I didn't get the 176map color model, as I heard some issues about the visibility of the map in bright sunlight. Haven't regretted not getting color, and the black and white model performs beautifully.

I've used it for bottomfishing out of Newport, and it makes positioning the boat over structure a snap. With older GPS, you could easily tell where you had been, but not where the structure you were working was at. With the bottom detail on the blue chart , you can just go right back to the top of a drift without any circling to try to pick up structure on the depth sounder. Prior to this I'd even resorted to marker bouys to keep on a particular spot - with limited success because the swells just kept unwinding the line on the bouy.
I have had no issues what so ever about the accuracy of the charts - it's an amazing thing to watch yourself leave the boat basin at South Beach - it even shows the slips

[Rusty]

Wolfguts,

Go see KEVIN at West Marine at Delta Park. He is an EXPERT on Garmin as well as other GPS units. He is very busy because of his knowledge, but stick around and he'll free up to answer your questions. He was most helpful to me when I chose my GARMIN Chartplotter.

Rusty

[lucky duck]

Thanks for the contact name Rusty. I will be in there next month. I am kind of partial to the Garmin because I have a finder in the back of the boat that I really like.

For the price range I'm looking at I'll save a couple hundered on the Garmin too. I just want to really compare software and go from there.

Do any of you have the GPS/Sounder combo? Any complaints? (either Lowrance or Garmin)

The archives mostly said there was some inconvenience going between the two but I'm not sure that's the case if you have a split screen.

Duck

[Rusty]

Lucky Duck:

Yes, I do own the Garmin 168i GPS & Sounder Combination and I couldn't be more pleased with it!! Used it this morning to navigate the Ilwaco Channel. Worked great as usual, and got me to the fuel dock as if I have gone there every day of my life. (I have never been there before!)

The sounder is wonderful! Can use with a split screen or by itself, no problem in either mode. (I prefer NOT to use the split screen, I just "Page" between the options. Takes 1/2 second.)

If you have any questions, email me.

Rusty

[lucky duck]

Thanks Rusty.

lucky duck