2jigs
Well-known member
Guy I'm putting GPS on the old Bullet & was wondering what everyone had & liked. What do you think?</p>
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What GPS Is best for you & why?
- Thread starter 2jigs
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Help Support Chattanooga Fishing Forum:
nwright
Well-known member
I have used all brands and currently own four handheld, plus two GPS/Sonar units mounted in my boat. They all work well. Keep in mind that you are not utilizing the GPS to its full capability unless you also purchase mapping software, preferably underwater contour maps. Also, I would not buy another GPS unless it was color. They are much easier to see than the monochrome units.
A handheld is a good compromise if you often times find yourself fishing in other peoples boat. You can always go back to fishing locations, on familiar or strange lakes, without having to make notes or rely on memory. The only drawback to handhelds is the small screens.
GPS/Sonar units are good and you can navigate to a waypoint and keep an eye on the depth at the same time by looking at one device, versus a sonar and a GPS.
I have found the Lowrance units to be more user friendly, but they are all basically the same. No matter what brand you purchase you will still need to change some of the factory default options to make the unit perform best. Also, don’t get caught up in all the features a unit has, which can be confusing. Start out by learning how to save a waypoint and go to a waypoint. The other features will fall in line after that.
“Stevie”, since I knew you as a little boy, that lived in the same neighborhood and played with my sons, I would be willing to loan you a handheld to try. This may give you some idea as to what direction you may want to go.
A handheld is a good compromise if you often times find yourself fishing in other peoples boat. You can always go back to fishing locations, on familiar or strange lakes, without having to make notes or rely on memory. The only drawback to handhelds is the small screens.
GPS/Sonar units are good and you can navigate to a waypoint and keep an eye on the depth at the same time by looking at one device, versus a sonar and a GPS.
I have found the Lowrance units to be more user friendly, but they are all basically the same. No matter what brand you purchase you will still need to change some of the factory default options to make the unit perform best. Also, don’t get caught up in all the features a unit has, which can be confusing. Start out by learning how to save a waypoint and go to a waypoint. The other features will fall in line after that.
“Stevie”, since I knew you as a little boy, that lived in the same neighborhood and played with my sons, I would be willing to loan you a handheld to try. This may give you some idea as to what direction you may want to go.
Liveliner
Well-known member
Great stuff NWright. You covered it very well. A handheld is a great tool due to it's multi-use. However as you say, a boat mounted unit gives you all you need at a glance.
Something that I do is to load a location onto my handheld by co-ordinates sitting in front of my PC. I then go to the spot in my boat. When I find what I was looking for I save it into my boat mounted unit for keeps.
Steve, If I were you I would ask as you have here on the forum first. Then go to Boaters World and SW and play with their demo units. You can get a good unit for $400 and a great unit for $700.
Think about it very hard. When it comes to electronics, don't buy what you can afford, buy what you want.
Something that I do is to load a location onto my handheld by co-ordinates sitting in front of my PC. I then go to the spot in my boat. When I find what I was looking for I save it into my boat mounted unit for keeps.
Steve, If I were you I would ask as you have here on the forum first. Then go to Boaters World and SW and play with their demo units. You can get a good unit for $400 and a great unit for $700.
Think about it very hard. When it comes to electronics, don't buy what you can afford, buy what you want.
HangnMoss
Well-known member
You can use a handheld in conjunction with GPS-ready fishfinders. Any handheld GPS unit that is capable of NEMA 0183 output will work as the 'antenna' for a GPS-ready fishfinder, you'll just need to order the right cables. That may be an option to consider if you'd like to be able to take your GPS with you when you're not in your boat.
As for the GPS, the features you'll want to pay attention to are the number of channels, WAAS capabilities, the antenna, and the mapping capabilities.
Generally speaking, the more parallel channels the unit is capable of receiving, the more accurate of a position fix the unit can give you. A 12-channel unit is capable of receiving a signal from up to 12 satellties at a time to calculate your 3D position on the globe. The more satellites a GPS unit can use to triangulate your 3D position on the globe, the more accurate your position will be. I would recommend purchasing a unit with no less than 12 parallel-channel capabilities.
The WAAS satellites provide GPS correction data that can be used to further improve your 3D position. A GPS unit calculates its 3D position by estimating the distance to each satellite based on how long it takes the satellite signal to reach it. Atmospheric changes, among other things, can affect satellite signals and how long they take to reach earth. WAAS towers positioned around the US 'know' their true global position, and use GPS signals they receive to calculate the 'error' in 3D positioning due to signal interference. This 'error' information is then relayed to your GPS via WAAS satellites. Unfortunately, WAAS satellites only orbit the earth at the equator, so WAAS signals are easily lost due to terrain obstruction. Without a doubt, though, WAAS capabilities are a must.
The antenna is probably the most overlooked feature of GPS receivers. There are basically two types of antennas. Patch antennas are the cheapest and most durable antennas, and are therefore found in most handheld receivers. Unfortunately, patch antennas require that their receiving face be oriented parallel to the ground for best results (facing the sky). More expensive GPS units, and external antennas, use helical or quad-helical designs. These antennas are far more sensitive than patch antennas and work best when oriented perpendicular to the ground, though helical antennas will work well at any angle. The downside to helical antennas is that they're generally less durable, larger, and more expensive than patch antennas. The type of antenna will influence your mounting options, and could possibly affect the accuracy of your GPS unit. I would recommend going with a helical antenna, if at all possible.
Once you've gotten all the accuracy details out of the way, the mapping capabilities are the feature that will most likely affect you day-to-day. Most modern GPS units come preloaded with a basemap, and that's it. A basemap is nothing more than an outline of prominent geographical features. Your options for upgrading those maps vary by manufacturer, but I'll only mention the more popular options. Navionics HotMaps are an excellent product with great detail in the Premium package. HotMaps are only available on SD/MMC cards, so an SD/MMC slot is a feature you'll need to consider in your GPS receiver. The downside to Navionics HotSpot maps is that Tennessee and Alabama are split onto two separate regional cards, so to get a map of both Chickamauga and Guntersville you'll have to buy two cards. The other option from Navionics is the HotSpot Elite map package, which includes the more popular lakes from the continental US, but you'll find that many lakes are missing. Lowrance currently offers decent lake data in their MapCreate software package, but the detail on many lakes is somewhat limited and outdated. Lowrance's new Hot Spot Pro maps package looks very promising, but the number of newly detailed lakes is still limited. Garmin's Mapsource and Magellan's MapSend software both offer good topographical and street maps, but both rely on Navionics HotMaps to cover their lack of lake maps.
If you're considering a handheld that'll double as an antenna for a GPS-ready fishfinder, I'd recommend the Garmin GPSMap 60csx or better. They're one of the few handhelds that offer a helical antenna, and the new Sirf III chip is extremely fast.
I'd also agree that color is a must. Monochrome is fine for finding fish, but color will make interpreting lake maps much easier and quicker.
I use Humminbird on the boat, Magellan handhelds, and HotMaps for lake detail.
As for the GPS, the features you'll want to pay attention to are the number of channels, WAAS capabilities, the antenna, and the mapping capabilities.
Generally speaking, the more parallel channels the unit is capable of receiving, the more accurate of a position fix the unit can give you. A 12-channel unit is capable of receiving a signal from up to 12 satellties at a time to calculate your 3D position on the globe. The more satellites a GPS unit can use to triangulate your 3D position on the globe, the more accurate your position will be. I would recommend purchasing a unit with no less than 12 parallel-channel capabilities.
The WAAS satellites provide GPS correction data that can be used to further improve your 3D position. A GPS unit calculates its 3D position by estimating the distance to each satellite based on how long it takes the satellite signal to reach it. Atmospheric changes, among other things, can affect satellite signals and how long they take to reach earth. WAAS towers positioned around the US 'know' their true global position, and use GPS signals they receive to calculate the 'error' in 3D positioning due to signal interference. This 'error' information is then relayed to your GPS via WAAS satellites. Unfortunately, WAAS satellites only orbit the earth at the equator, so WAAS signals are easily lost due to terrain obstruction. Without a doubt, though, WAAS capabilities are a must.
The antenna is probably the most overlooked feature of GPS receivers. There are basically two types of antennas. Patch antennas are the cheapest and most durable antennas, and are therefore found in most handheld receivers. Unfortunately, patch antennas require that their receiving face be oriented parallel to the ground for best results (facing the sky). More expensive GPS units, and external antennas, use helical or quad-helical designs. These antennas are far more sensitive than patch antennas and work best when oriented perpendicular to the ground, though helical antennas will work well at any angle. The downside to helical antennas is that they're generally less durable, larger, and more expensive than patch antennas. The type of antenna will influence your mounting options, and could possibly affect the accuracy of your GPS unit. I would recommend going with a helical antenna, if at all possible.
Once you've gotten all the accuracy details out of the way, the mapping capabilities are the feature that will most likely affect you day-to-day. Most modern GPS units come preloaded with a basemap, and that's it. A basemap is nothing more than an outline of prominent geographical features. Your options for upgrading those maps vary by manufacturer, but I'll only mention the more popular options. Navionics HotMaps are an excellent product with great detail in the Premium package. HotMaps are only available on SD/MMC cards, so an SD/MMC slot is a feature you'll need to consider in your GPS receiver. The downside to Navionics HotSpot maps is that Tennessee and Alabama are split onto two separate regional cards, so to get a map of both Chickamauga and Guntersville you'll have to buy two cards. The other option from Navionics is the HotSpot Elite map package, which includes the more popular lakes from the continental US, but you'll find that many lakes are missing. Lowrance currently offers decent lake data in their MapCreate software package, but the detail on many lakes is somewhat limited and outdated. Lowrance's new Hot Spot Pro maps package looks very promising, but the number of newly detailed lakes is still limited. Garmin's Mapsource and Magellan's MapSend software both offer good topographical and street maps, but both rely on Navionics HotMaps to cover their lack of lake maps.
If you're considering a handheld that'll double as an antenna for a GPS-ready fishfinder, I'd recommend the Garmin GPSMap 60csx or better. They're one of the few handhelds that offer a helical antenna, and the new Sirf III chip is extremely fast.
I'd also agree that color is a must. Monochrome is fine for finding fish, but color will make interpreting lake maps much easier and quicker.
I use Humminbird on the boat, Magellan handhelds, and HotMaps for lake detail.
nwright
Well-known member
Steve, I tried to avoid inundating you with technical data concerning GPS technology so you wouldn’t be confused while trying to make a decision. All units work well and it doesn’t matter what GPS you have. Tracking satellites on water will not be a problem. Using one under heavy foliage is a different story. All new units are WAAS capable and have multiple channels (more than 6) for tracking. I have an older model Lowrance GlobalMap 100, which is not WASS capable, and is just as accurate as any new unit. I have the latest Garmin handheld, 70CSX, which has the new SIRF III receiver and it will lock on in places no other unit will. This is good if you use one on land. However it is NOT anymore accurate than my GlobalMap 100, IfinderPro or Ifinder HuntC.
As for mapping, my advice is to stay away from Navionics because they, by design, limit your zoom range to 1/8 mile. The new Lowrance Hot Maps Pro is nothing more than the HotSpots Elite, with street map detail added.
If you buy a GPS and mapping software, shop online. You can save a bundle. As example, I can get the HotSpots elite for almost half price via the internet. I just purchased the Garmin 70CSX for $330, including shipping, online.
If you would like we can go out in my boat sometime so you can evaluate GPS/Sonar units as well as handhelds along with MapCreate 6.3 software and preloaded HotSpots Elite contour maps. I have worked with three FLW pros, Andy Morgan, Luke Clausen and Tee Watkins in a similar manner. I’m not an expert but I have plenty of experience using GPS units, mapping software and differential corrections receivers.
As for mapping, my advice is to stay away from Navionics because they, by design, limit your zoom range to 1/8 mile. The new Lowrance Hot Maps Pro is nothing more than the HotSpots Elite, with street map detail added.
If you buy a GPS and mapping software, shop online. You can save a bundle. As example, I can get the HotSpots elite for almost half price via the internet. I just purchased the Garmin 70CSX for $330, including shipping, online.
If you would like we can go out in my boat sometime so you can evaluate GPS/Sonar units as well as handhelds along with MapCreate 6.3 software and preloaded HotSpots Elite contour maps. I have worked with three FLW pros, Andy Morgan, Luke Clausen and Tee Watkins in a similar manner. I’m not an expert but I have plenty of experience using GPS units, mapping software and differential corrections receivers.
Liveliner
Well-known member
That is for sure the thing to do. Buy your unit and software online.
When I said to go to Boaters World and Sportsman's Warehouse, That was so you could play with the different units that they have set up as demo units. When you get serious about the unit you want, go on line to buy it. I have several sites that I use whereas I save Hundreds.
As I said earlier. "Get what you want, Not what you can afford'........ It is easier to recover from being broke for a few days than to deal with an electronic that will not perform to meet your needs for years to come.
When I said to go to Boaters World and Sportsman's Warehouse, That was so you could play with the different units that they have set up as demo units. When you get serious about the unit you want, go on line to buy it. I have several sites that I use whereas I save Hundreds.
As I said earlier. "Get what you want, Not what you can afford'........ It is easier to recover from being broke for a few days than to deal with an electronic that will not perform to meet your needs for years to come.
Check out the new advertiser, Dr. Depth. It's a step ahead of what you're trying to do, in that it uses BOTH your sounder and gps to create colored maps. You can see your boat moving around on the maps you make.
Right now, it's not user friendly. The results are incredible, though, and well worth the effort to put a system together.
-Steve
Right now, it's not user friendly. The results are incredible, though, and well worth the effort to put a system together.
-Steve
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