PORTABLE AUTO/MARINE GPS???

H

hank schneider

New member
Hi Folks
Just bought a new (used) car and the only lacking feature was navigation. I'm going to buy a 5" portable for driving but want something that would also be a back-up GPS for the boat. Any local knowledge, comments, suggestions welcome. I assume you would need a marine chip or something like that.
Thanks
Hank
 
Hi Hank,

I will be selling my Garmin 182c soon. I have used it exactly how you're describing. It will include - the external antenna for the boat (never used), an antenna for the car (goes on the dash) and software, card reader for car navigation, power cord for cig. lighter and power cord for boat. My new car has a built in GPS. My new (2008) Venture has the Garmin 5212. The matching unit with the blue chip for Calif/Mexico went with my old boat. I was going to put it on E-bay. It works perfectly.

Interested?

Kent
MARCIA JANE
 
Hank-
A suggestion - if it is to be used as a back-up - too small for primary - we use our iPhone for a dandy backup - it has built in GPS, for a few bucks we have an app from Navionics that includes all the charts of the east coast (and the internal GPS spots you right on the chart). This is a possibility for you to consider, especially if the other features of the iPhone are useful for you. We leave the laptop home, now, when traveling - have Internet all over much of the US. Email to family is easy, handy camera, news, our own music -

Might not work for many, but for us travelers (on and off water) it has been great - even saved us some money since we have given up the monthly aircard expense for the laptop, have no land line phone or connect to Internet and monthly cost for the iPhone connect is less than combo of former costs.

This is sent 'on the road' with iPhone navigating us on highway, to good restaurants, places to stay and weather watch - just as good while cruising on the boat - even was our primary nav aide on a remote lake in Montana when we could not find a chart this summer.
 
I use a Garman 276C (color) for my backup.... I use it on my motorcycle as it has a really nice road program and the speedometer is way more accurate than the one on the motorcycle... plus I like all the search features (gas, rest stops, hotels and campgrounds) Plus it switches over to marine mode easily and using that feature it shows navigation...really nice. It's been on the market for several years now so they are easy to buy used on EBAY fairly inexpensively.

Joel
SEA3PO
 
The Garmin Nuvi 640 is a combination auto/navigation and marine unit.
Any of the 76 series, the small Colorado, or Oregon series will work, but they are small.

The 376 etc series are a bit bigger but expensive.

Lowrance makes a number of chart plotters which will use both Navionics Marine, and what they call "Create a Map"--where you can download highways to the chart plotter on an SD card. I have used these in up to 7" displays for a number of years in boats and RV's (unfortunately sold them with various boats, but some of the current units will do the same things). If you wish, I'll get the specific model numbers.
 
Thanks Folks
Went to BestBuy to hold the things and liked the Magellan 1470 for screen size & price and will get something like this for the car and use my IPhone for marine backup. The combined units w a 5" screen get expensive. Even the 3.5 gets up to $500 when you add the chip. Going fishing on Thurs and will check out the Iphone on the water.
Hank
 
I've got a 276C I am now using as my primary GPS unit. Once the money tree blooms, I plan on moving up to something larger and keeping it as my backup. That said, it works fine for us at the moment. It's done everything we need, has an external antenae, is compact, simple and can be moved to the truck if need be. I got it on E-Bay.
 
We have an "ancient" (in GPS terms) 176c that is my backup unit on the boat. We used it in our vehicles for years, as well, since it has a very adequate road map built in. It doesn't do all the fancy stuff, like talk to you or tell you where the nearest restaurant or rest area might be. It was pricey in its day, but I'm sure could be had for next to nothing now on eBay. It uses the Garmin BlueChips, which were not inexpensive.

Having said that, when we bought a Garmin Nuvi 750, the 176c now never leaves the boat. The Nuvi is a great tool when on the road. We also take it along in the boat, even though it is not a marine unit (and no way to add marine charts to it)... BUT, when you cruise into an area and want to know where the laundromat or nearest Italian restaurant might be, this unit tells you. It also does tracking/speed/heading/etc while on the water.

Not saying this is how you should go, but for less than the cost of a marine/land unit, you can buy an older generation unit that is marine capable AND a newer land unit that has all the whiz-bang stuff. Put the extra $$ in the cruising kitty and have TWO backup units. :wink:

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
The Magellan 1470 does use the Magellan Blue Nav charts (Navionics Gold)--which are decent. The unit looks like it is a good product. Magellan recently was sold to a new owner, and seems to be in reserection again. The Blue Charts do cost $179 (maybe discounted), but only cover relitatively small areas of coast, rivers etc. If you only boat in one area, that may be a good plan. But a hard drive, or build in charts of the entire US is handy if you are going to boat in multiple areas.

Also look at what chip set the GPS has. Many of the new Chip sets are much faster, with redraw times, and they will work indoors and any place in the car/boat, due to greater sensivity.
 
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