Association Forum

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

GPS

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

Dan86
Navigator

Member Avatar

130 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/04/2003 : 22:24:04

I have been putting together the Christmas list and GPS is an item I need. I have looked at a number of items and noted the Garmin GPS 76 to be a good entry level GPS with some ability to add nav aids on the point of interest disk. I am sailing primarily in a bay area with ICW on both ends. Any input would be great as to the pro's and con's. Of course, if boat units were not a problem, the GPSmap 76s looks like a great unit!

Dan 86 FK/TR

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

3072 Posts

Response Posted - 11/04/2003 : 23:15:31

I've been very pleased with my old Garmin GPS 45 (a real classic) but
before next Summer's (planned) trip to the San Juans,
I'm going to spring (at least) the extra boat unit for one of units with
integrated mapping capabilities. (Am leaning toward the 176)

IMHO When it comes to figuring out where you are,
one picture is worth a thousand words...
especially in 'tough' conditions.

The GPS 45 will be kept as a backup unit.

Edited by - on

lselan
Deckhand

Members Avatar

USA
3 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2003 : 01:24:32

Dan,

When my Garmin 48 died, it was replaced by a 76, good unit. That being said, for the difference, I would go with the GPSMAP 76. Both are excellent units. Thing to watch on all of them is the back-up battery. Mine has died in both the 48 and GPS III.

L.K.Selan '84 SW/SR

Edited by - on

John G-
Admiral

Members Avatar

793 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2003 : 06:34:10

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by lselan
 Thing to watch on all of them is the back-up battery. Mine has died in both the 48 and GPS III.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

 
L.K.
The 48 had a software flaw that caused the back-up battery to die. Garmin will fix it for free. In fact they replaced mine and transferred all the waypoints. It could be the same with the III. Even though you have a new Garmin the 48 could be your back-up.

Edited by - on

deastburn
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
334 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2003 : 10:29:33

If I were about to sail the oceans, I might become more interested in the latest, full color GPS (Standard Horizon and Garmin both have excellent chart plotters). West Marine has a useful brochure with lots of information (mapping GPS v. chartplotters, v. integrated GPS/depthfinder/radar etc.). I recommend it before making a purchase.

I am happy with my five season-old Garmin GPS III. I use mainly the track features, never the map. I have used it to calculate the deviations on my boat's compass for every major compass point. Which is a useful reminder to us all: GPS is a really useful aid to navigation, but when the power goes out, we still need to be able to do dead-reckoning, make fixes and plot bearings, lines of position etc. Four years ago I found myself in a thick fog off the Massachusetts coast with my GPS dead, and no spare batteries (I had wired the 12-volt power take-off backwards!) The old compass is still our most reliable ally, and it is a good thing to know as much as possible about its performance and accuracy on one's own boat...

Edited by - on

RoofRoof
Navigator

Members Avatar

USA
186 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2003 : 11:14:32

You'll have this unit a long time. Do it right and get the Garmin 176C like I did. You'll be glad you did.

Also, you can use it on land too. That made it a business expense for me.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2003 : 11:32:49

I have been considering the 72. I am on a lake and only care about the knot/log feature. Am I on the right track?

Edited by - Frank Hopper on 11/05/2003 18:04:11

Sunshine Daydream
1st Mate

Members Avatar

57 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2003 : 12:07:23

Dan,
Check out the 176c, it is worth the extra $$. By the way, I found that a place called "GPS on Sale" (if you saw my desk, you would understand why I can not find the reciept with the website address on it, it is possible my 2 1/2 year old daughter fed it to the dog or I used it for fire starter) sells them for $499.99. That is the color unit for the price of the grayscale unit. I bought one from them a few weeks ago and it is a new unit, everything on the up and up. Love the Internet

Edited by - on

Stu Jackson C34
Admiral

Members Avatar

844 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2003 : 12:41:58

GPSs

There are basically three types of units available.

1. The basic barebones, with no maps, and just the numerical data. Some of the older ones don't even have alpha numeric inputs, so you list the numbers, put 'em on a spreadsheet and your charts, and look them up when you need them.

2. The newer what I call "partial" map capabilities, where waypoints are already built in, but the mapping functions are either nonexistent or minimal.

3. The all the bells & whistles, with full mapping and waypoints installed.

My experience has been that type 2 are more trouble than they are worth. A friend recently purchased a Garmin 76. It's harder to figure out what the "built-in" points are than it is to input our own. While he has the computer interface that helps him figure them out at home, it's a bear when out on the water.

My old Magellan is a type 1, and I've arranged the waypoints so that on any given daysail I'm usually in only on area so the waypoints would be between 20 and 30, or 50 and 60. With repeated use I can even remember them without using the references! I have a spreadsheet with the numbers, names, lat lons, and remarks, as well as having them all plotted (clearly marked in black in small diamonds) on my paper charts.

Some folks also tend to overdo waypoints. Using larger areas to be able to triangulate and range is just as useful as having eighty zillion step by step waypoints (unless you have a tricky channel).

The type 3, if you can afford it, or even desire it, would be the way to go. My understanding from doing a lot of reading is that the color is far superior to the b&w.

If Santa's a bit tight this year, getting a type 2, but inputting your own waypoints, would be an option.

Of course, they just don't make type 1's anymore, but I'm sure glad mine still works! You can get a type 2 to work like a type 1 if you want, although the use of alpha numeric input labels is very helpful (as long as it doesn't take you years to scroll between Adam's Point and Zebra Shoal, which happen to be right next to each other!).

Also need to consider if you'll be hard wiring or battery powered. The Garmin 176c seems to be on that will perform both ways.

On our C25 I had our old Loran mounted just inside the compainionway to starboard. Sitting at the forward end of the tiller, I never had any problem accessing or viewing the unit, so never needed a swing arm or anything more fancy than the fixed mount. Of course, with smaller screens and more complicated displays on GPSs, you would most likely like to have the unit closer to you.

Good luck.

Stu

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2003 : 13:26:34

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Stu Jackson C34 No. 224 1986
 GPSs

Stu
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Stu, did you see the post on the 250 forum? You have a new Catalina 34 brother.

Edited by - on

Phredde
Navigator

Members Avatar

125 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2003 : 17:33:33

I've got the GPS 76, and would recommend it for the price/value. It's pretty barebones but is fun to have and use. It has all of the marine navaids already built in, gives you a speed reading, tracks your progress, distance, etc. It also has tides, sunset time, etc. that can be pretty handy. I'm a bay sailor like you (SF) so pretty sure I don't need fancy color maps or other features. I got mine for xmas too, and it didn't put my santa way too far out of pocket. Enjoy.

Edited by - on

Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2003 : 18:10:33

I just saw an add for the product I really want. Uniden now has a handheld GPS/VHF. I have seen several of the GPS/2way units but I have no use for that. At our lake VHF is used for club comminications. The MSRP was $399.

Edited by - on

77Gypsy
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
356 Posts

Response Posted - 11/05/2003 : 18:14:07

i have the garmin GPSmap 76s I absolutely love it!!!! i'm not into high tech stuff but it is very easy to use.

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.