GPS Tide Info

[RJD Wannabe]

Anyone have experience with this, any favorites at reasonable cost?? Hoping for a 5" GPS/ Fishfinder combo, ??for 16 Angler if I can find one in my budget??

Like to "chase the tides" when sturgeon fishing in the Sacramento Delta, looking for a way to have "real time" tide prediction at different locations. Can any of the units do this with built in data, or need fancy chips, or am I just dreaming?? And back to paper charts??

[jstates]

Tides and currents information - free Palm software.
Another economical approach.
Download free Palm software www.toolworks.com/bilofsky/tidetool - if you don't have a Palm you can purchase one used - will likely run on old Palm 3 - I use it all the time on my Palm Treo 700P for tides, currents, dawn and dusk times. - 7000 locations all over the world - just download the section you need. Make sure you carry a back up of the software and some batteries - the graphical interface is very intuitive.

Jim

[Captains Cat]

RJD, most of the GPS chartplotters have built in tide info (I've never had one that didn't), even the hand held ones. They will tell you tide info for any of the "tide stations" that are shown on their charts. We use them all the time on the Right Coast, very handy. You can look at current info and into the future.... Haven't looked very far into the future, I'm old so I'm afraid it'll predict something...

Charlie

[starcrafttom]

Will this progran run on windows mobile? And do I down load to my computer and then transfer to my device or do I just down load to my device?

[jstates]

The Tides and Currents program for Palm runs on the Palm only. You usually download to PC then sync it to get it on PDA. Its quite handy when you are trying to plan a trip in the future and are not near the boat.

That said, there may be a work around to put in on a Nokia or Symbian phone or Windows mobile phone by first installing a Palm emulator software like Style Tap

The Palm OS will be short lived as they have built a new Linux based phone called the Palm Pre - to be sold at Best Buy and Sprint for Sprint in the next 5 months. You could pick up a used Palm Tx or TC for a few bucks on Craig's list -Tides works in real time so calculations are not necessary. It will also show currents graphically.

Jim

[RJD Wannabe]

May have found a different answer.

http://www.tidegraph.com/page-home.php

A tide chart that can be interactive for the iPhone, appears to be a very inexpensive download on iTunes. The area I fish has cell signal, I have the new iPhone that has a GPS, so it may be a very simple answer without cluttering the small GPS/Fishfinder screen. Has quite a number of stations in the SF Bay and Delta, almost no need for extrapolation. May also be my back up GPS answer, next need a waterproof case. I have just started to use the iPhone GPS, seems fine for the car and apparently there are marine downloads

[starcrafttom]

I just spent a hour trying to load ctide. It loaded, it starts to open then nothing? I love when this junk works and hate when it does not.

[RJD Wannabe]

Just loaded Tide Graph on my iPhone, $1.99, seems great, but have to wait to try GPS interface.

So easy and so many stations, almost like cheating

[jstates]

Susan

Not sure which system or software you are using
If you are using Tide Tool

Be sure you are loading software on Palm - not another OS.
Be sure you are loading into RAM or Primary Palm directory - it won't run off a card

You must have three files - loaded
Tide tool 72.5 k
Tide ArgsDB 55k
US West Coast Tides - or equivalent if you live elsewhere. -

www.toolworks.com/bilofsky/tidetool

I have no affiliation with vendor - sometimes the maps and software are out of sync with each others version.

Jim

[starcrafttom]

Jim, I was using ctide, which is used for windows os system.that my pda runs. I reguires two downloads, which i did. It loaded and will start to run but never shows the screen?? and dont call me susan. Ex marines hate to be called by their wife's name.