Anyone running a GPS Chartplotter?

[BillM]

I've been doing quite a bit of reading over the last few weeks with regards to a GPS chartplotter. It would make a nice edition along with the new sonar I picked up for my dad last year (Humminbird 747c). There are quite a few to pick from.. I have been looking at the Eagle Intellimap 500/502c and now just recently some of the lower price (but still full screen) Garmin units..

 

What is really going to make my decision final is the quality of the map software available for these units. I know the Eagle units take Navionics, but aside from the differences between the Gold and Classic maps, I can't find out any information about the maps themselves. When I look at the maps available for the Garmin units, it looks like they blow the Navionic maps completely out of the water.. They also reference all the government maps used to create their own Garmin ones.

 

So I dunno, if anyone runs these units, or any other units that could give me a recent review I'd appreciate it. It seems all the really detailed maps are only available for US waters.. I'd like to run around Gbay quite a bit this year, perhaps up into the Massassauga for a few days chasing muskie, and besides one of these being an additional safety tool, it will also help me concentrate on ideal fish locations.

[RangerGuy]

I run a Garmin 276c. All I can say is I love it..

 

PROS:

 

- Maps are super accurate (they are reproductions directly from government charts)

- Maps Viewable on my PC ( you can add/edit/delete waypoints,tracks, courses ) much better than lowrance when I was shopping around

- Works with Topo's,Road and hydrographic

- Accuracy (I get less than 8 feet with WAAS consistently)

 

CONS:

- Screen Size could be bigger ( but you pay big for large screens )

Edited March 25, 2008 by RangerGuy

[Golfisher]

What maps are available from Garmin for Ontario?

[muskymike]

Bill,

 

My buddy has 2 Lowrance LCX-113C HD's and they are fabulous. I know you probably dont want to spend the money on one of these things, but if money is no object, look into them.

 

Its like watching TV. They are huge. But far too expensive.

[pooch]

Hey Bill,

I owned a Garmin 520s, just sold it Sunday on eBay. I used it all last year. I still have the BlueChart g2 Vision chip - Lake Ontario to Montreal. Nice unit if you just fish the Trent system and great lakes but outside of those lakes, you are out of luck. The 3D imaging (Mariner's Eye and Fish Eye) is more marketing than useful in my opinion. This unit was not compatible with Navionic's chips and for that reason I am looking at Lowrance or Humminbird. Looking at a Humminbird side imaging unit, just trying to find one for a decent price!

 

Here's a link to the http://www8.garmin.com/cartography/g2visio...?RegionPK=24750 maps available for the the new Garmin units. See if they cover the water you are going to fish.

[Gerritt]

I own a Eagle 500c (btw I bought mine from Angling Outtfitters in Woodstock for 349.00 when BPS was 599.00) and I find the maps very detailed on the Navionics HotMaps Premium C3 Chip... (I just bought mine a couple months ago.. and have been playing with it here @ home)

 

Some areas surveyed are better then others as some are in what Navionics calls "HD".. but here is a list to the list of maps included in the chip..

 

http://www.navionics.com/Premium08LakeList.asp?RegionID=5

 

Hope this helps!

 

 

G

[fishdawg]

i gotta agree with Roy's little rule of thumb:

Garmin for land navigation, Lowrance/Navionics for water

[BillM]

Really appreciate the reply guys!!! I just wish Navionics would give a little more detail into the maps, then just the views you get on their site.

 

I don't think their HotMaps will work for me as they don't have any GBay content.. Which means I'll have to go with their Marine maps. The 500C is compatible with the Marine Gold maps, which covers all of the great lakes, the trent yada yada yada. Now, if you look at the Classic maps, they are sectioned off differently. One map does Gbay, down to severn... another map does Lake Ont, up to the severn.. My only concern is will the smaller maps of the Classic have more detail, then the overall bigger maps of the Gold?

 

Ugh, perhaps I'll just call Navionics on the work phone and ask