Need recommendation on a hand held GPS

I have a Garmin 76CS Plus, a Garmin Colorado, and the Navionics app on my iphone. They do some things better than the other. For $10 the Navionics app is as good or better than the Garmins. If you want waterproof/resistant get an Otterbox for your iphone
 
West Marine, and I am sure others, sell a waterproof bag for iPhone and other smart phones. It allows you to use the full function of the phone through the cover of the bag. Works well for me with iNavx.
 
With the GPSMap 76 C(s)x, do folks feel the need to purchase the bluechart chips, or are the factory installed charts sufficient for navigating coastal (e.g, Puget sound) waters?

jd
 
The additional Garmin G2 bluechart chips are really important if you want to have cartography on the screen. I use a 76cx as a second (always running) on the boat with G2 charts for our area and If it wasn't for Radar and Sounder additions to the big unit, I could run the 76 only and be fine. I also use it on kayak trips and the charts are great for that as well. The factory map built into the unit is useless unless crude shorelines and points for cities is all you need.
 
I have a Garmin GPSmap 60 CSx as well . . . vg

I'm not sure of the map data for Eastern Canada but the Western coast seems good to me . . . it helped me to find a pretty gnarly geocache the "Mouth of Peril" apparently I'm the only one that has ever found it and this was back in 2007 . . .

N 57° 28.853 W 134° 50.076

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GC13Y1T

I love the altimeter and barometer, plays nicely with the PC.

The remote antenna connection is cool because I also have 2 GPS time standards in my house and I can use the HP GPS antennas on my roof for a sweet connection.

I love mine
 
Or a micro-sd card that you can swap between the two which is more common in later units. My 76 and 740 can use the same chart card if needed.
 
On our tomcat we have the raymarine main gps, as well as a standard horizon handheld, an ipad2 with navionics, and an iPhone with navionics. The one we use most is the iPad. Works like a charm and is easy to read. For a smaller boat I would vote for the iPhone if I had one. Obviously it serves multiple purposes and navionics is not to expensive as an app. My only concern would be to provide some type of waterproofing.
 
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