Garmin 198C

Bearbait · Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2005 5:25 pm Post subject: Garmin 198C

I was looking at West Marine's site and found a the Garmin 198C, it's a new model and should be available 26 Apr. It looks like a 188C with an improved screen and comes with gps antenna, transducer (not sure which one) and has built-in bluecharts for all the US, cost is $1050. I was considering buying the 188C for $850, the cheapest transducer is $50, and 1 bluechart is $150 for a total of $1050. I'll need a second blue chart for a real total of $1200. Has anyone looked at this? I don't see any downside to getting the 198C but am far from an expert on these critters. Is there something I'm missing?

El and Bill · Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2005 7:36 pm Post subject:

All the Blue Charts of the US?? Really?? Wow!! If this is so, that's cheaper than just the Blue Charts for the Great Loop here in the eastern US. Wow!!

Bearbait · Posted: Tue Apr 19, 2005 7:51 pm Post subject:

Here's a correction, it says all of the coastal US, not all the US. I called West Marine to see if 26 Apr was still a good date and the rep said that they hadn't placed an order yet so they probably weren't real confident that Garmin would meet the date. He said that Garmin never has their new products out on the advertised date

Guest · Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 6:54 pm Post subject:

I have the 188 and I am having trouble loading blue chart by way of 128 mg card. Did you go through with the purchase?

Bearbait · Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 7:55 pm Post subject:

I bought one awhile back from BOE and have used it one 3 trips. I'm really impressed with what it can do, but this is the first chartplotter I've had so I'm easy to impress. I was recently in Haines and it accurately showed the the exact slip I was tied up in.

Pat Anderson · Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 8:25 pm Post subject:

My 188C went with my 22 when I sold the boat, but I still have the thing you need to connect to your computer to the chartplotter. It has a serial connector for the computer, a power/data connector for the chartplotter, and an AC adapter. When connected up, it was a snap to download BlueChart maps, waypoints and routes from the computer to the 188C data chip using the Garmin MapSource software. Do you have this device? If you do, what kind of problem are you having?

Valkyrie · Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 9:10 pm Post subject:

I bought a 198C in May from Boater's World and had Cutter install it on our new 22. It worked great in the Chesapeake during our sea trial and I intend to buy a chip for Lake Erie.

It's also great fun to show off the unit in our driveway, by "taking friends" from Norton, OH to Marcia's folks' house in SC, via the 198c

A big thumbs-up, along with a bug saving by not having to buy a bunch of chips.

Nick
"Valkyrie"

teflonmom · Posted: Mon Aug 01, 2005 9:16 pm Post subject:

We got ours in April from Boaters World. We did not get the one with a sounder because we wanted a free standing sounder with speed and temp.

We just returned from our Erie Canal trip and I was happy to find that a lot of the Erie Canal was charted including the finger lakes. We trailer to a lot of different spots so this unit will be a real savings for us.

See the Eric Canal thread for a report of our Erie trip and our thoughts about the Sept gathering.

Fred and Pat

Guest · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 1:10 am Post subject:

I bought the card programmer and am trying to download the Blue Chart data to the card, and then plug the card into the 188. The 188 isn't reading the card data.

C-Sick · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 2:44 am Post subject: Is It A Two Way Street

Can you also take map info off the GPS and transfer it to your computer? Do you need special software on the computer?

Pat Anderson · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 9:06 am Post subject: Re: Is It A Two Way Street

Yes, you need special software, it is called MapSource, and comes with the CD version of the Blue Map charts (but not the pre-programmed chips). You can move routes and waypoints either way, but I don't think you can move the maps themselves from chartplotter back to computer. BTW, I just downloaded version 6.7 of MapSource from the Garmin site, I think I had been stuck back at version 5 or so...I still use it with the GPSMAP76 handheld, I have the "Seattle" CD I think it is called, and it has all of Puget Sound up through the northern end of the Gulf Islands, pretty good charts actually. It is a free download but you have to have MapSource installed, it is an updater only.

Pat Anderson · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 9:14 am Post subject:

Hmmm...sounds like you need to contact Garmin. My thing required me to either bring the chartplotter to the computer or the computer to the computer rather than just haul the data card around, but at least it worked.

C-Sick · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 12:32 pm Post subject: Preprogram Chips Not An Option?

Can you get the Mapsource software if you only have a preprogrammed chip?

I bought my boat used and I don't believe it came with the CD ROM option.

Or do you have to purchase CD ROM in order to get Mapsource software?

Guest · Posted: Tue Aug 02, 2005 12:35 pm Post subject:

My understanding was that Mapsource was already loaded on my 188. I purchased the Blue Chart on CD-Rom for the Great Lakes and Gulf of Mexico, and then installed those programs on my pc. BlueChart looks great on my pc, i then used the card programmer to load it onto a 128 mg card, but i can't get the 188 to read the card????I can never seem to get through to customer service, I will probably have to devote an hour this afternoon, i really want to see those depths/wrecks and other details on my GPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sad

Pat Anderson

Kirby - the MapSource / Blue Chart CD and the pre-programmed chip (like your Inside Passage chip) are sort of mutually exclusive alternatives to get chart data in a 188C. You can either stick a pre-programmed chip in the 188C or stick in a data card (same physical chip) that you have programmed in a card reader/writer that attaches to your computer, or that you program by connecting up a cable dealie that connects computer, chartplotter and power supply. Also the MapSource / Blue Chart CD only works with a specific chartplotter unit (you have to enter the chartplotter serial number when you set the sucker up, it is an anti-piracy scheme, annoying but effective I guess). I therefore never tried to use the Inside Passage chip with the MapSource software - you could not upload the Inside Passage maps to the computer, and you might be able to download routes and waypoints, which I think live in chartplotter RAM, not on the chip, but then again, you might ruin your expensive pre-programmed chip...I did not want to take that chance.