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Thinking about getting a gps. Never had one or messed with one. Currently just looking for the basics, being able to find spots. What brand or model? Features? Price? The cheaper I stay the easier to convince the wife! Any help is appreciated.
P.S. I see "IMO" on here alot. What does it stand for?
Quote:
Originally Posted by skunked again
IMO = In my opinion
IMHO = In my humble opinion
About the cheapest you'll want to go is a Garmin handheld GPS .... something in the eTrex series, which range from ~$100 to ~$300 depending on features/capabilities. Other than that ... you're looking at a new depthfinder (w/gps). I also understand that certain cell phones are GPS capable, or an app can be had.
... cp :cool:
I have an older Garmin GPS Map 76 that you can find around for less than 100 bucks. It was a mid-grade marine unit when it came out and has served me well for marking waypoints and speed control. One of these days I will bite the bullet for a combo unit but the 76 has served me fine for years.
You've opened up a can of worms, bud! You have to decide if you just want to save places you find, or do you want to have a full map of certain lakes. You can create "waypoints" on all of them....that is, save spots you want to come back to. But if you want to look at a GPS pic of a map with depth contour lines, you will probably have to get a specific lake map that goes into a GPS/Sonar unit. There is always the Navionics app for smart phones, too. Probably the cheapest way to go, and maybe a good way to get your feet wet learning it all. After you get some exp. with the app, you can decide which direction you want to go from there as far as upgrading to a GPS unit
I was in the same boat earlier this month. need to mark structure i'm sinking and havent ordered my new boat yet. trip to bass pro got me a garmin etrex for $119. Easy to use and cheap.
Get an iPhone. For the $ you'll spend on a basic gps you can buy an iPhone and have gps, a dig camera, Navionics, etc etc
I just got the app waiting to try I out against my garmin rhino which I usually use
a hand held garmin is what i used for years before i got a sonar with gps.i still use ny hand held.i never go fishing without it.(imo) its the best and cheapest way to go.get one that connects to computer use oziexplorer free version.you can scan paper maps then load and calibrate with program free.try it outQuote:
Originally Posted by skunked again
Download OziExplorer GPS Mapping Software heres the link.the free version is all that ive ever used.
I would do the app thing, don't have a smartphone though. Cant bite the bullet for the extra $30 a month for the data plan. Don't even text, we still have texting blocked! The FF i have is a humminbird 525. Thank you all for the input.
I used an Etrex for years until I bought my HB...
Etrex is about as simple as they get ... No maps...
But it worked fine for marking and returning to waypoints....
Rickie
When I returned to crappie fishing 4 years ago, one of the first things I got was a Garmin GPSMap76Cx. At a cost of more than $300, it was a leap of faith! It's "base map" was worthless, so I coughed up another $80 for detailed topo map software. (None of my favorite lakes were included in the marine software available at that time & topo provided the best detail of lake surrounds and the back roads to get there.) I fell in love with this setup on my first fishing trip!
At the end of 2010, I replaced my DF with a HB-1197. This unit gives me redundant waypoint and track capabilities, but I NEVER go anywhere without my old friend, the GPSMap76Cx. It "knows" where I've located structure, navigational hazards, and other points of interest on the water. It also remembers how to get to the out-of-the-way places I visit once in a while. Best of all, it goes where I go--and that's especially helpful when I'm fishing with someone else. We can use my handheld to locate my brushpiles and the GPSMap76Cx records the day's track--including the locations of his BPs! If it's foggy or night, the recorded tracks work like bread crumbs to get me to fishing spots and safely back to the dock.
Everywhere the GPS goes, it records a track. When I get home, I connect a cable between the GPSMap76Cx and a USB port on my PC. Garmin's easy-to-use MapSource software sucks the data out of the GPS and lets me save it for future use. It also layers multiple tracks on the topo map on the PC's screen along with all my waypoints. This is excellent information for planning future trips. When I've preparing for a trip, I start a new file and then add all the waypoints and tracks that outline where in that lake I fished in the past. I can open any of my old files, copy one or more tracks, and then paste them into the new document. Same thing with waypoints. When that's done, MapSource dumps the new file into the GPSMap76Cx and I take the old tracks & waypoints on today's trip!
The GPSMap76Cx isn't as convenient as a GPS designed for highway use, but it will help you get from place to place. Using MapSource, you can locate a destination on the displayed map, create a new waypoint at your destination, and help you use the "Route" feature to lay out the path you will follow.