looking to buy........

I'm looking to buy a GPS. I dont know if I need to get a GPS?fishfinder or a good hand held. I've been looking at the 520c GPS and the Garmin Map 60cxs. I need to be able to run the boat in fog or night, fishin, duckhuntin or whatever the case may be. I've got a buddy of mines lil Garmin Vista and dont really rthink I coulod run at all with it (plained out). Ya im sure it would get there, I just wanna be able to run 20-25mph with it. I would also be getting the mapping for it, to were the Vista doesnt do that. I dont know a darn thing about any of this GPS stuff, just learning.

Any info would be greatly appreciated. Jon

It's none of my business, but there is no way I would run 20 to 25 mph on any body of water in fogg using ANY kind of gps.
I read a terrible story not long ago about somepeople doing that same thing, and someone got killed when they run ashore using the gps, I think the gps map was not correct.
Use caution and common sense my friend.

crappie cowboy

CC is prooly right---who,s to know if theres not someone else doing the same thing ?
BUT I have done that at a slower speed --using a 5300c chart plotter and following a trail I had already put on the unit---any system that you can save a trail on would work

I use a Eagle 480 and a Garmin GPSMap 76Cx, some like combo units but not me, I like having a full screen on my DF. With a handheld you can move from boat to boat with no trouble like when you go with someone else plus during deep drawdowns you can walk the dry lake bed and mark spots. Just my way to do it.

I'd watch them maps for sure.Someone was just on here other day saying there map had there honeyhole way in the woods.

Now just think if you was them traveling 20-25 mph & used that,you would end up dry docked or dead.

Theres nothn ever or will ever be made to make it safe to travel that fast in the fog & dark.GPS doesnt know the waters depth nor does it know whats floating in the water :eek:

Good luck on whatever you decide to use.

Sorry, thought thats what these bad a$$ GPS's were for. Geuss I wont be runnin in the dark or fog with one of dem, a loss of life is not worth fish or waterfowl of any kind. I really thank those whove replied. Jon

glad it didn't take a wreck to explain that. I use both. 997 to motor to waypoint and hand held to pinpoint it with troll motor.

the maps can be off some, but if you plot a trail and navigate by it you'll be ok, just don't run too fast for conditions

I started out using a Garmin 76S and recently got a Lowrance LMS-522c iGPS and continue to use both to mark and find waypoints.
Its my understanding that if I would ever do a reset on the Lowrance I will be loosing my waypoints. I use the Garmin to get the waypoints onto my computer saved into EasyGPS so that if need be I could get the waypoints back onto a handheld if I ever loose the points on both the Lowrance and Garmin.
The other day on the water I really noticed a difference in the refresh rate between the Lowrance and the Garmin 76S. I have been mainly using the Garmin to work the brush piles since I was more familiar with that unit. The Lowrance seems to have a much faster refresh rate and after noticing that fact I realized why at times in the past I would have problems finding and staying on a brush pile with just the Garmin.
I have been using the Garmin zoomed in the max and left the Lowrance zoomed further out while locating and fishing brush piles.
The next time I'm fishing brush piles I plan on zooming the Lowrance into the max and letting the Garmin stay zoomed out further and see if it is easier to stay on the brush mainly using the Lowrance.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LBM

I started out using a Garmin 76S and recently got a Lowrance LMS-522c iGPS and continue to use both to mark and find waypoints.
Its my understanding that if I would ever do a reset on the Lowrance I will be loosing my waypoints. I use the Garmin to get the waypoints onto my computer saved into EasyGPS so that if need be I could get the waypoints back onto a handheld if I ever loose the points on both the Lowrance and Garmin.
The other day on the water I really noticed a difference in the refresh rate between the Lowrance and the Garmin 76S. I have been mainly using the Garmin to work the brush piles since I was more familiar with that unit. The Lowrance seems to have a much faster refresh rate and after noticing that fact I realized why at times in the past I would have problems finding and staying on a brush pile with just the Garmin.
I have been using the Garmin zoomed in the max and left the Lowrance zoomed further out while locating and fishing brush piles.
The next time I'm fishing brush piles I plan on zooming the Lowrance into the max and letting the Garmin stay zoomed out further and see if it is easier to stay on the brush mainly using the Lowrance.

---

LBM, please keep us posted on what you find...I have had the opposite results..While at Kerr Res. my Garmin 76s has time and again proved to be a "lot" more accurate than my brother in law's Lowrance..I really like the Lowrance DFs but unless I see a big improvement with their GPSs I will stick with Garmin...I wish there was some way to use my 76s with the Lowrance 522c..That would be a good setup for me..Maybe Tom will figure out how to do that...:)

I'm sure there have been improvements in the handhelds since I bought mine(magellan sportrak). Mine is not very reliable in accuracy at times. For example, I marked a timber hole and came back the next year to find it. My unit indicated that the hole was 120'+ away. My dog had been placed on the crooked stump of a tree on the edge of an old slough, so I was sure of what I was looking for, and so was my dog. The unit, not so much. My unit is Waas, 3 meter accuracy, supposedly. I wouldn't run to the outhouse in the dark using it, be careful.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by talltimber

I'm sure there have been improvements in the handhelds since I bought mine(magellan sportrak). Mine is not very reliable in accuracy at times. For example, I marked a timber hole and came back the next year to find it. My unit indicated that the hole was 120'+ away. My dog had been placed on the crooked stump of a tree on the edge of an old slough, so I was sure of what I was looking for, and so was my dog. The unit, not so much. My unit is Waas, 3 meter accuracy, supposedly. I wouldn't run to the outhouse in the dark using it, be careful.

---

Never hear of a timber hole before. What you use it for?:p

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MOJON

Sorry, thought thats what these bad a$$ GPS's were for. Geuss I wont be runnin in the dark or fog with one of dem, a loss of life is not worth fish or waterfowl of any kind. I really thank those whove replied. Jon

---

You may not want to run planed out in the fog, but I'd still DEFINITELY recommend a good quality GPS especially when fog rolls in on the water at night. Without it you may spend the night on the water just trying to find the bank!!!:eek:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cane Pole

Never hear of a timber hole before. What you use it for?:p

---

:D It's where I go to get my gun off. :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bluegilll

I'd watch them maps for sure.Someone was just on here other day saying there map had there honeyhole way in the woods.

Now just think if you was them traveling 20-25 mph & used that,you would end up dry docked or dead.

Theres nothn ever or will ever be made to make it safe to travel that fast in the fog & dark.GPS doesnt know the waters depth nor does it know whats floating in the water :eek:

Good luck on whatever you decide to use.

---

Radar will do the trick.;)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Cane Pole

Radar will do the trick.;)

---

Beat me to it :D I looked at them, but whole lotta moolah, and the only
one I ever saw mounted in a boat like mine, he had the radome thing up
on about a 6 foot tall mast on the front deck... be kinda aggravating.

But on running in zero vis with gps - I've done it, slow, on foggy mornings, and it makes
me nervous - not that I'm gonna hit something, but all the big two strokes (bassers)
you hear going by you in the fog running fast - not cool!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LBM

I started out using a Garmin 76S and recently got a Lowrance LMS-522c iGPS and continue to use both to mark and find waypoints.
Its my understanding that if I would ever do a reset on the Lowrance I will be loosing my waypoints. I use the Garmin to get the waypoints onto my computer saved into EasyGPS so that if need be I could get the waypoints back onto a handheld if I ever loose the points on both the Lowrance and Garmin.
The other day on the water I really noticed a difference in the refresh rate between the Lowrance and the Garmin 76S. I have been mainly using the Garmin to work the brush piles since I was more familiar with that unit. The Lowrance seems to have a much faster refresh rate and after noticing that fact I realized why at times in the past I would have problems finding and staying on a brush pile with just the Garmin.
I have been using the Garmin zoomed in the max and left the Lowrance zoomed further out while locating and fishing brush piles.
The next time I'm fishing brush piles I plan on zooming the Lowrance into the max and letting the Garmin stay zoomed out further and see if it is easier to stay on the brush mainly using the Lowrance.

---

zoom them both in and find out the most accurate. Try them both with North Up and zoomed in. This configuration will give the processor more real time to move the boat icon, which equates to more accuracy MOAO.

My Garmin 76csx refreshes much faster than my HB 997 & takes me right to my waypoint, no monkeying around like the 997 which corrects itself then on next correction it over corrects in the opposite direction-it kinda leaves the footprint of a snake right, left, right, left. All this when moving 1 to 3 mph looking for waypoint-brushpile. You know when I stop & think about it the Garmin's hand held were designed to be used while walking(slow) thru the forest & for geocaching so I can understand why they work so much better.I guess all the big $$$$ that the 997 cost was either put just into the Si part or is the for big profit that HB gets cause my MOB button sure couldn't find you at nite in the water. Its a shame too.............

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by J White

Beat me to it :D I looked at them, but whole lotta moolah, and the only
one I ever saw mounted in a boat like mine, he had the radome thing up
on about a 6 foot tall mast on the front deck... be kinda aggravating.

But on running in zero vis with gps - I've done it, slow, on foggy mornings, and it makes
me nervous - not that I'm gonna hit something, but all the big two strokes (bassers)
you hear going by you in the fog running fast - not cool!

---

Could try a couple of those 50 foot bank fishing poles Disco uses. Make a good "feeler" out front.

Haul butt plus no vision plus floating obstructions equals bad results. Especially if that obstruction is occupied.

I know someone that as killed by someone doing just what you are wanting to do. He was night fishing with his father and a boat came along and ran into them. The driver in the other boat was driving by the gps more than he was with his eyes and ran into these 2 fellers and killed them both. Sad but true story...
I know I’m new here and I don’t want to sound like a jerk but this was senseless deaths to those men and it was all because of a stupid idea. I mean do people not think before they act? My first thought would have been hey stupid what are you doing you are not the only fisherman on this lake.

You are wanting to travel 20-25mph in fog or night using a screen that can’t see what’s in front of you... No disrespect to you Sir but that’s by far the dumbest thing I have read in my life. The next time you have a idea like that think to yourself... would I do this with the possibility of my son,daughter,father,mother,wife,etc fishing in the path of my gps navigated boat going 20-25 mph?

Sorry if I offended you in any way but your idea is no different than the man driving the big truck that set the cruise control and got up and walked to the back to fix a cup of coffee.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by J White

Beat me to it :D I looked at them, but whole lotta moolah, and the only
one I ever saw mounted in a boat like mine, he had the radome thing up
on about a 6 foot tall mast on the front deck... be kinda aggravating.

But on running in zero vis with gps - I've done it, slow, on foggy mornings, and it makes
me nervous - not that I'm gonna hit something, but all the big two strokes (bassers)
you hear going by you in the fog running fast - not cool!

---

I believe the new Navico HDS has radar capabilities. Looks like you can hook all kinds of things to the NMEA 2000 buss. You need to get one of these rigs and tell me how it does.:)

Funny, I was looking for a gps unit to put on front of my boat just prior to pulling up crappie.com. The units can be linked together for your info. Here is an article about WAAS which says that WAAS will get you within 3 meters where regular GPS will get you within 15 meters. For the gentleman who stated that his spot was on land this may explain why!
Garmin: What is WAAS?