Ditto on above comments on Raymarine. I have the latest E80's (2) and radar.... and it is not user friendly, but the real reason I would not buy them again is customer support -they are the worse. I was even in Portsmouth, NH, their HQrs, and still could not get help.
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Electronic Navigation Preferences
- Thread starter LuBell
- Start date
I have the original Garmin handheld with a numerical keyboard as back-up. I just light it up and put it on the dashboard. My current boat and the one before it have Raytheon autopilots and RayMarine RL70 with radar. The old boat Raytheon 4KW - present 2KW. I am on Lake Michigan in Racine. If I were in say, Chesapeake Bay, I might want more bells and whistles. I might also read all the manuals that come with the electronics.
My boating is along the WI/IL/MI shore and doing lake crossings. I want radar above all. You and I know lives are lost on the rocks and breakwalls, so I want to see them. Also, when crossing even with mild haze I want to see the guy coming at me from Frankfort, MI when I'm going to Frankfort. I want radar to pick him up early as we are closing. On a clear day we can be closing at 30+ knots while 20 to 35 miles off shore. I want to have a sharp image on the screen when heading into Burnham Harbor on a foggy Sunday afternoon crowded with sailors and power boats. The 2KW seems to work well but if I were to buy new I'd buy the 4KW - just be cause.
I have an autopilot that keeps me on course (mostly) while I am busy watching out for fishermen who seem always to huddle around the river and harbor entrances (and think they have rights over me) (and shouldn't be on the lake in 16' boats expecting not to get rocked) (while boozed up) So again, I want a good radar image.
Now as to the chart. Almost all of the above is straight line cruising So I don't need anything very sophisticated. I have never completely read the manuals; my autopilot is not wired to my chartplotter. I just put the cursor on the place I want to go and away I go - no waypoints. No, I don't put the cursor on the otherside of a breakwater. Now this does mean that I have work to do. I have to check my bearing every ten minutes or so and adjust the autopilot accordingly. Click, click. Besides keeping a good watch on the lake I don't have anything else to do anyway. So I would buy a basic chartplotter, an autopilot and good radar.
If you're brave check EBay there is used equipment there all the time.
Yes, I recognize my approach is a little primative. I don't have call waiting, either!
My boating is along the WI/IL/MI shore and doing lake crossings. I want radar above all. You and I know lives are lost on the rocks and breakwalls, so I want to see them. Also, when crossing even with mild haze I want to see the guy coming at me from Frankfort, MI when I'm going to Frankfort. I want radar to pick him up early as we are closing. On a clear day we can be closing at 30+ knots while 20 to 35 miles off shore. I want to have a sharp image on the screen when heading into Burnham Harbor on a foggy Sunday afternoon crowded with sailors and power boats. The 2KW seems to work well but if I were to buy new I'd buy the 4KW - just be cause.
I have an autopilot that keeps me on course (mostly) while I am busy watching out for fishermen who seem always to huddle around the river and harbor entrances (and think they have rights over me) (and shouldn't be on the lake in 16' boats expecting not to get rocked) (while boozed up) So again, I want a good radar image.
Now as to the chart. Almost all of the above is straight line cruising So I don't need anything very sophisticated. I have never completely read the manuals; my autopilot is not wired to my chartplotter. I just put the cursor on the place I want to go and away I go - no waypoints. No, I don't put the cursor on the otherside of a breakwater. Now this does mean that I have work to do. I have to check my bearing every ten minutes or so and adjust the autopilot accordingly. Click, click. Besides keeping a good watch on the lake I don't have anything else to do anyway. So I would buy a basic chartplotter, an autopilot and good radar.
If you're brave check EBay there is used equipment there all the time.
Yes, I recognize my approach is a little primative. I don't have call waiting, either!
Concorde27
Member
- Joined
- Jul 13, 2009
- RO Number
- 31518
- Messages
- 63
I have a small Garmin GPS (545). Very easy to read for a 5" screen. Very easy to operate, and I love the realtime tide chart. First unit I bought was crazy. First time I turned it on at my marina in the Niantic River, it thought that my boat was traveling down Main St. in Niantic at 7 knots. It would lose it's mind about every 5 minutes. Garmin's tech support led me through some troubleshooting procedures over a 3 day period. They concluded that the unit was indeed crazy, and they called the place where I bought it (Defender) and authorized an exchange for another unit. I would buy another Garmin just for that level of support.
Larry
Larry
I use a 545 in my small bay boat. Great small product and up to date excellent in direct sunlight. As far as the 5200 series vs the 4200 series the buttons are a good feature over the touch screen in my opinion. That is why I have the 4212 and 4210 over the 5212 or 5210. Combine the charter with the VHF200 and my Navico NL300A AIS Class B transponder NMEA2000 makes for a killer communications system. I can call up AIS vessels by MMSI to a talk channel with this set up.
Bill
Bill
quote:
Originally posted by Billylll
.....As far as the 5200 series vs the 4200 series the buttons are a good feature over the touch screen in my opinion. That is why I have the 4212 and 4210 over the 5212 or 5210......
Bill
When I was looking at Garmins, several sales reps at different stores made the same comment regarding the buttons vs. the touch screen.
Having logged many hours with both, I wholeheartedly disagree, provided it's a large enough screen. I can see where the 8" model could be hard to manipulate.
I've become spoiled. With an iPod touch, touchscreen nav and audio in my car and the 5212, I can't go back. (I have keys on my Blackberry though, because I don't think the BB Storm quite hit the mark)
If fact, I find myself tapping on non-touchscreens because it's become so natural. Also keep in mind that Garmin makes use of nearly all 70 square inches of display for the virtual buttons. So they're not only large, but predictable. Compare that to ever-changing softkeys that have to contend for 2, maybe 3 edges of the screen probably totalling 18 sq inches. Those change all the time, so the user has to study the screens and remember the location of more functions. In reality, "feeling" your way to a rubber softkey does little good if you have study the screen to determine the current contextual function.
I'm not sure if I can even describe it, so maybe it's best to mention that NO-ONE has used my 5212 and walked away any less than amazed. I wouldn't trust the WM salesguy with this much of an investment. Real-world experience is needed on this one.
I don't get the fish guts argument either. I've never hit ANY electronics with guts on my hands, but if I were to do that, I'd much rather touch a big flat screen and wipe it off later with a single swipe than try to extract scales and grime from deep inside the crevices of buttons.
I've become spoiled. With an iPod touch, touchscreen nav and audio in my car and the 5212, I can't go back. (I have keys on my Blackberry though, because I don't think the BB Storm quite hit the mark)
If fact, I find myself tapping on non-touchscreens because it's become so natural. Also keep in mind that Garmin makes use of nearly all 70 square inches of display for the virtual buttons. So they're not only large, but predictable. Compare that to ever-changing softkeys that have to contend for 2, maybe 3 edges of the screen probably totalling 18 sq inches. Those change all the time, so the user has to study the screens and remember the location of more functions. In reality, "feeling" your way to a rubber softkey does little good if you have study the screen to determine the current contextual function.
I'm not sure if I can even describe it, so maybe it's best to mention that NO-ONE has used my 5212 and walked away any less than amazed. I wouldn't trust the WM salesguy with this much of an investment. Real-world experience is needed on this one.
I don't get the fish guts argument either. I've never hit ANY electronics with guts on my hands, but if I were to do that, I'd much rather touch a big flat screen and wipe it off later with a single swipe than try to extract scales and grime from deep inside the crevices of buttons.
I have a Standard Horizon. It is quite satisfactory for my needs in the rivers and near shore. I'd give one of Harlan's testicles if they ever invented a machine that would part crab traps like Moses did the Red Sea....or if that's asking too much, at least blow the effing things up as I approach them.
Dave,
What is you opinion of the Standard Horizon GPS? I am considering purchasing one for my sons 21ft boat and am curious to the pros and cons. I am looking at either the CP300 or CP 500.
How is the re-draw time while zooming as well as visibility in direct sunlight.
Thanks,
Gary
What is you opinion of the Standard Horizon GPS? I am considering purchasing one for my sons 21ft boat and am curious to the pros and cons. I am looking at either the CP300 or CP 500.
How is the re-draw time while zooming as well as visibility in direct sunlight.
Thanks,
Gary
I like the unit. I have an older 150 series model which has been replaced by the 180 series. I can't comment on the redraw time as I have yet to put the card in it. I was on the hard for a great deal of the summer so I am waiting until next spring to buy a card in the event they update them this year.
For now I am using it as a compass and speed log. The screen is great for daylite viewing and have very little problem seeing it in very bright conditions. With the hardtop, I have never had a mid day sun on the unit.
I like the fact you can interface a VHF to the unit to send a distress signal should (God Forbid) that ever become necessary.
Mine moves the cursor via a joystick. I like that feature a lot.
I do NOT like the fact that unlike the Garmin, there is no software that allows you to connect the unit to a PC at home to plot courses in A/C comfort vs. summer heat. SH admits that Garmin has it all over them on this one. While that is a HUGE shortcoming to me, I would not hesitate for a minute to purchase another SH unit.
For now I am using it as a compass and speed log. The screen is great for daylite viewing and have very little problem seeing it in very bright conditions. With the hardtop, I have never had a mid day sun on the unit.
I like the fact you can interface a VHF to the unit to send a distress signal should (God Forbid) that ever become necessary.
Mine moves the cursor via a joystick. I like that feature a lot.
I do NOT like the fact that unlike the Garmin, there is no software that allows you to connect the unit to a PC at home to plot courses in A/C comfort vs. summer heat. SH admits that Garmin has it all over them on this one. While that is a HUGE shortcoming to me, I would not hesitate for a minute to purchase another SH unit.