Hand Held GPS

[GB]

I have asked about GPS before. Right now I just want to buy a hand held model. What are suggestions for a good value unit? I do not want to spend alot right now, but want something that works good.

Thanks

[Joe CD MS 300]

My personal preference is for Garmin products. I have owned 5 over the last 12-14 years (GPS 12, GPSMAP 12, GPSMAP 76, GPSMAP 478 (a crossover semi-handheld / fixmount) and a GPSMAP 3006 chartplotter. All are still working and only one ever failed, a GPS 12 Map. It was replaced by Garmin even though it was out of warranty, for a minor flat service charge.

For handhelds I don't think that any other manufacturer even comes close in the number and variety of models. You can probably spend between $100 and $750 depending on the features that you want. What capabilities are you looking for? The mapping units are far and above more useful than the non-mapping units and well worth the price differential. They now carry a lot of units with preloaded maps/charts which is an added convience.

[Lew Gresham]

I have the Garmin GPS Map76CS. I purchased it new off a ebay auction site from a GPS dealer for less than $175. This unit sells for over $350.
After I had it for 5 days and studying how to use it, I pressed the power button to make a test run and the color screen would not come on. After several times with the off and on buttons pressed it still would not operate. The unit came with a warranty so, I called the dealer on ebay and they said to contact Garmin direct and they would take care of it. I called and gave them the info they asked for, and within 5 days Fed X delivered a brand new unit with a new warranty. My unit had just been mailed back to Garmin the day before the new one arrived. To me that says a lot about Garmin's product. Garmin did not wait till my unit arrived, that supprised me. It's nice to be able to get that kind of service.
Garmin in my opinion has a great product, and great tech support. All the people I talked with were very nice. You want go wrong with a Garmin.

[Neil Gordon]

I've had good warranty experience with Garmin, too. They replaced a dead unit with a new one, which arrived with my waypoints transferred from the old (dead) one.

This discussion suggests that relying on a single GPS for navigation might not be the best idea. If you don't carry a backup unit, keep a good DR plot and/or right your position down every once in a while. Be prepared to go back to paper charts and piloting methods that don't rely on battery powered devices.

[Joe CD MS 300]

Once you have settled on a particular unit I'd shop around on line for the best price. I have bought from GPSCity.com. TigerGPS.com and Abes of Maine. No problems with any of them.

[Dave Brandt]

Garmin. I have had a Garmin map12 for years and it works great. I also have a Garmin 12 that I bought used as a back up.

Dave

[Mark Yashinsky]

If this is your first time, you have to ask yourself some questions.

Decide where you are going to use the unit. Just marine, or are you going to use elsewhere, like car, bike, hiking, etc. This determines what map(s) you need in it. Some can be loaded, and other come preloaded.

Decide what you are going to use it for. Just a trip odometer, to see how fast and far you went, or track log, so you can remember the route you took, or are you going to set up routes and take you from nav aid to nav aid (see above)?

Decide where you are going to mount the unit and how are you to power it and what is it going to be exposed to. Som ehave higher IPX ratings (water resistance) than others. If mounted far away, a larger screen is better, but more power hungry (hardwired???).

After you have a good feel for your needs, go onto the manufactucers websites and review the products. Remember, the more bells and whistles, the more money they cost. Also look for instruction manuals, usually in downloadable PDF form. Read up on HOWTO's of basic operations, like entering a waypoint, entering a route, MOB function, etc. Should be somewhat intuitive. Some manufacturers seem to make harder than necessary.

[Sea Hunt]

I spend a lot of time on commercial dive boats. In anticipation of someday owning a Cape Dory I have been checking to see what most commercial boats have for GPS systems. From what I can learn, most seem to have a Garmin. Of those operations that have a handheld unit (either as a back up to a large stationary unit or by itself), the Garmin MAP 76 seems to be the most popular. One particular dive operation I use frequently, swears by the Garmin MAP 76. Commercial dive ops are not particularly kind to electronic equipment. They get banged around a lot. The Garmins seem to “take a licking and keep on ticking”. I am told they sell for $150-$200 with possibly cheaper prices on Ebay, Amazon, etc.

Fair winds,

[henry hey]

I have a Garmin 60CSX.

It's a great unit - has a barometer, conventional compass and color display.

I bought bluechip data for it and it has been fantastic.

Whatever you do -- definitely get a Garmin.

-henry

[Paul D.]

I have used a Garmin GPS 76 for six seasons with excellent results. Though it is not a map version it is very accurate. Since I use it only to give position and keep tabs on my actual course over ground, I still get to keep a DR and do proper charting, which I enjoy and feel good if the unit or the GPS system stops functioning.

I have a back up Megellen which I never use. We find the useability - buttons and menus etc - of the Gramin to be easy to learn and get proficient at as well. It is good to hear from the other posts here that their support is excellent as well. Seems like as a company, they are in it for the long haul.

All the best,
Paul

[J D]

I have used both the 76 and the 76 map. both are great. I love the maping, mine is in grey scale and thats fine.Both have great features like the time, tides, speed, compass. and anchor drag. Thay eat batterys and I recomend the adaptor to plug in to the 12V in your car and boat. If you don't have the 12v on ypur boat it's easy to install abd handy as a button an a shirt pocket for the cell phone, spot light and air pump, and such.

[2tocruise]

It seems to be that Garmin is well represented by this group of posts. I would also recommend a Garmin, particularly the 76 model. We used them on the destroyer I served on as a backup to our hardwired GPS system, as well as in the 7m long high speed RHIB's we used. Those boats frequently took a real beating, especially when being used offshore.

I'm also in the market for a new handheld unit, and the 76 map is at the top of my list.

[Joe Myerson]

I've got to agree with previous posters.

I started out with a Garmin GPS76, which performed admirably.

Later I upgraded to the gray-scale mapping version, the GPSMap 76. It performs well, is accurate, and shows me where I am. (I keep a paper chart handy, since the screen is pretty small.)

The nonmapping version now serves as a backup, which is a nice thing to have.

--Joe

[Dick Barthel]

Defenders is having a year end sale and the Garmin GPSMAP 76 can be had for $164. I have used one for the last four seasons and while its no chartplotter, I am confident that I could find my way home in the fog with the map feature. By shifting from the "page" command you can use the arrow page to point to your target and then switch back to the Map which at zoom shows you right where you are relative to your intended marker. You can add markers to the Map feature to enhance what is already loaded.

It can be wired to the boat system or operated with its own batteries. You can acquire a mounting bracket for about $30 and mount it on the lower companionway board. It swivels for the desired angle. If you have a dodger its also then out of the weather.

It's all you really need but when you eventually move up to a Chart Plotter you'll have a nice backup.

Dick

[Joe Myerson]

I was just at opening day in Newport. I stopped by the Defender booth, and they said their boat show sale will apply through Sept. 23, and you don't have to order at the show. Just say you saw the item there.

It's a good time to buy that handheld from them.

--Joe

BTW, to add to what Dick said, if you wire your GPSMap 76 (or any other) to your boat's batteries, you can also wire it into your radio. Just remember to change the output to "NMEA," and you'll be DSC-compliant, which might come in handy some day, if the Coast Guard ever gets its Rescue21 system up and running.