GPS / Radar Question

G

Gumak

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Joined
Nov 16, 2002
RO Number
10753
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39
Hi !
We just got bigger boat ( 288 Four Winns Vista ) last summer .Now I'm looking for nice GPS unit . We'll try to venture bit further into Long Island Sound and maybe even to Block Island .So far we went to Orient Point and Greenport .Boat will be in Clinton CT next season. My boat dealer sells Lowrance .They said they will take care of installation .I would also like to add radar in future , can't afford both at the same time .The question is : will this unit or any other brand ( 6-7"screen )work later with radar ? My budget is about $800 for GPS .As always thanks for your help !
Rich
 
radar will be very valuable in your area. A cheap held GPS with a chart can serve well for navigation but when the fog happens only radar works.
 
800.00 won't be enough to buy anything upgradeable. If your budget won't allow for more now, buy a Garmin 498 and use it for backup later. The Raymarine C or E series will allow you to buy just the GPS now and add radar later but you'd have to spend 2000.00 just to get started.
Rob
 
You might consider self-install, and getting it from Boatfix ( nice prices ). In my experience, self install is do-able and very cost effective.

I personally would want both. GPS shows the way things -should- be, radar shows what -is-.
 
I have a Garmin 178C...connected to a NMEA backbone cable that goes to the engine compartment to the fuel flow sensor which allows for mpg readings on the in dash fuel flow guage. pretty easy install. I'll never have radar on my boat, but is NMEA compatible a benefit to consider? Are they all that way now?
 
quote:
Originally posted by pdecat

radar will be very valuable in your area. A cheap held GPS with a chart can serve well for navigation but when the fog happens only radar works.

Click to expand...

I agree with Bruce
We run that area often and the Radar is more than a nice to have unless you watch the weather and leave no room for a change of weather - which you really can't do well.

The hand held GPS's today are great

I'd go to boatFix and use ask them whats available within your budget
 
I would if possible try and save a few more bucks and purchase the Garmin 3000 series GPS plotters. They will work on a network and at a later date you can add one of Garmin's Radar units. This will allow you to use the same display. There are also other units that can be connected to the network if needed as you get more money. The display works extremely well in direct sunlight.
 
The Lowrance chart plotters/fishfinders are definately upgradable to Radar. (Parent company also owns Simrad). The beauty of the Lowrance is that they are both NMEA 2000 (the new standard) and NMEA 0183. The Lowarance have been on sale, with new models comming out--and are excellent buys. The hard drive models have all of the NOAA charts and US topo road map POI charts on the hard drive, along with being able to use Navionics charts--have tide and currents built in etc.

I personally have used separate Radar 7", Chart plotter 7", Fishfinder 7"--with redundancy with a second 7" chart plotter (on a 27 foot cat). These also interface with NMEA 0183. Excellent daylight visability. However I recently was aboard a boat with the Raymarine 12" C series displays--and they were impressive.

Anyway, for the $ Lowarance offers a lot of chartplotter!. Self installation is easy--but put the GPS antennas away from the VHF antennas, put ferrite beads on the power and input leads, run leads separately. I also recommend that the electronics be on a separate battery from the engine start--to avoid surges and spikes.
 
Wow !
That was fast ! Thanks a lot ! Lots of good info .
Rich
 
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