Gps

[Yarraone]

I am interested in a GPS unit for when I go outside..

Has anyone used the hand held type? As I dont do alot outside I have been thinking of using the hand held type..

Can anyone suggest a resonable type and price to get me started..i have no idea how to use one at the moment , so a model that is easy for dummies would be a plus.. Would you trust a cheap one off ebay, if bought from Australia?

Thanks for any help at all

Edited March 3, 2009 by yarraone

[BFB]

Yarraone,

I have a hand held Garmin type. I find it good and easy to use. Only problem is that I can not download maps onto it. Sometimes it would be handy to have the maps and that is the main change I would make if purchasing again but I can live without them.

I purchased it on ebay from an Australian supplier and did not have any issues.

[Yarraone]

Yarraone,

I have a hand held Garmin type. I find it good and easy to use. Only problem is that I can not download maps onto it. Sometimes it would be handy to have the maps and that is the main change I would make if purchasing again but I can live without them.

I purchased it on ebay from an Australian supplier and did not have any issues.

Thanks for your help....i am watching this model..If anyone could comment ???

I mainly want it to find the FAD's and other hot spots...

[GregL]

Really depends on what fishing you do.....

I love my snapper on plastics and I feel the GPS is just as important as the sounder to locate the type of grounds I like to fish. With out the mapping, contours, wrecks and reefs the machine shows I'd have no idea where to even start looking for fish. After 10 days of fishing in a new area it only took 15mins on the GPS on the first morning to suss out and hook our first for the trip. They make it just so much easier and I would recomend to look for a cheaper mapping unit instead.

Greg

[tuffy]

Yarraone, Garmin 72. Very easy to use, handheld but you can buy a dash mount kit for it, currently on special pricing from the 2 main boat supply shops for about $190.

Cheers,

Tuffy

[jimnicdusty]

hi Yarrone

if you can afford it buy one you can put marine charts in. i have a garmin

gps 60csx i put a blue chart in it and it covers the whole east coast of australia. it gives

you all depths ,navigation markers etc its got every thing you want in the way of

information when you are on the water.

Jim

[roosterman]

cannot agree more with you greg..

using the mapping gps is great for fishing the dropoffs and contours as has been said and is just as valuable on my rig as sounder esp when im downrigging....

check out the dtails in this pic for some seriously good fishing

yarrone i would try to stretch the budget for a mapping plotter...

i went with the navman6500 combo unit but this was because of a deal i got that was sooo good i shoulda wore a balaclava for

hope this helps...

cheers....steve....

[mr magoo]

i also agree with greg that mapping is important when it comes to a new area that you havent sussed out

but in saying that a gps without mapping is better then no gps

and if your bugdet can stretch a fixed unit in the boat is better then fumbling around looking at a tiny screen that always slides off the dash when you least expect it

cheers arman

[Yarraone]

Thanks for all your help guy's..i didnt get the one off ebay.. So I will keep looking and shop around..

Tight lines to everyone

[pelican]

Not how often you are going to use it or sure what phone you have but the Nokia with GPS are getting better and are a basic unit and there is now a chartplotter program for the Iphone but not sure what maps it has yet.

Not as good as other units as not specific for marine but as far as getting and tracking to a position they work.

I think some charter operators will ban carrying phones soon.

Edited March 12, 2009 by pelican

[pauljm]

i got a garmin gps 72 (hand held) off an ebay store in melbourne... no dramas and it works well...had to buy mounting bracket separately which was a bit of a rip off but it is easy to use and gets you where you need to go! Be sure to use quality batteries as they chew the cheap ones quickly.... i bought a cigarette lighter power adaptor to avoid battery issues...all good