Selecting a $#*& Chartplotter worse than a new laptop

[rikker1]

I've sailed/raced Lake Ontario for 45 years and navigated for lakewide races using charts and dead reckoning, ADF, LORAN and GPS since the Magellan Nav 1000. I currently use a Garmin 741SX in a Navpod on an angleguard and it works great. Could be a little brighter in direct sunlight, but it is 98% better than a useless iPad for sun visibility.
Rick

[Nicholson58]

We have an expensive Simrad NSE8; Laptop with open source; an ancient GPS - came with the boat AND -
Garmin Dakota hand held GPS plotter.
The OP might consider adding a similar device rather than replacing the existing. Our cruising grounds have been the Great Lakes for the last 6 years.

I clip the Dakota at the helm or on my coat. It uses 2 rechargeable AA batteries for 14 hours. It came with all NOAA US charts. I added Canada Great Lakes & east coast micro card.

[Tetepare]

Originally Posted by captmikem

well, West Marine has a GARMIN
echoMAP™ 44dv Chartplotter/Sonar Combo with DownVü Scanning Sonar

on sale for $199. pretty good plotter, but it has a fish finder with it.

it also has a $200 rebate if you buy it and a garmin Blue Chart G2 Vision HD charrt card.

it comes with a Garmin Blue chart but, if you can find a good deal on the HD card, you can get the whole lot for pretty cheap.

Well, I didn't see this until now, but thanks, that's what I bought.

I was researching the Elite 5 and the similar size Raymarine products when this Garmin 44dv popped up under the two-day flash sale on WM website. $200! It's approximately the same size as what I have now. So I drove to WM and looked at it and the "larger" units, and guess what- the Elite 5 and Raymarine screens aren't functionally as big as they look! That would have been a disappointment.

The 44dv comes with a transom mounted transducer, which will go in the trash or sit in a box; I may try it through the hull to see what happens, more likely have to buy a separate transducer.

One of the things that sold me on the 44dv is the number of boaters (mostly fishermen) who were pleased with how well they could see it in bright light.

Thanks everyone!

[Skeezix]

Likely way beyond my depth by asking in a cruiser forum, but I seek the most cost-effective way to put depth and speed instrumentation on my little 17' pocket cruiser. At around $200, I can get a fishfinder with GPS charting, which will be quite handy in bigger island-and-bay-maze lakes in Minnesota and Wisconsin or out in Puget Sound. That beats the prices on any depth/speed/compass combos, right? Slightly disgruntled with WM, where I ordered online an Elite-4 HDI Gold two weeks ago for 80% off, only $75, and now they tell me it cannot be stocked. Maybe I can hit another good deal on a two day sale December 10-11, or at year end clearance. Am I thinking straight? Don't want to wifi anything to a phone that can easily get soaked. That stays double-sealed and stowed.

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[MV Wanderlust]

Considering your criteria, I'm another one voting for a tablet. You can pick up a used iPad for about $100-$150. Put a decent case around it and mount it on a stand screwed onto your helm station for another $50. There are some options for software but Navionics is the most feature-complete of the big hitters we've tested and it's very reasonably priced. You should be able to put it together (drop-dead simple) for around $200, total. It's the solution we're using as our primary right now and it's doing exceptionally well. You can get a 12 volt charger to keep the battery up. Based on your criteria, I don't think you would be disappointed.

[Tetepare]

$154 shipped free if you have Amazon Prime. With transducer. https://www.amazon.com/Lowrance-000-...fishfinder+gps

You might also check craig's list local to you. Watch BassPro, Cabela's and the others for Christmas sales.

[Pizzazz]

Originally Posted by captmikem

Well, West Marine has a GARMIN
echoMAP™ 44dv Chartplotter/Sonar Combo with DownVü Scanning Sonar on sale for $199. pretty good plotter, but it has a fish finder with it.

This is one of the perfect inexpensive chartplotters that I have come across. I have it interfaced with a VHF AIS radio and the autopilot and it is fantastic. Fast, well laid out buttons, lots of options. You can mount the transom sonar in the hull, it will work without any problems and it is a back up to your depth sounder. Strongly recommend it.

My view on the other options: the next level up is a radar capable chartplotter. The HDS 5 (5" display) was a great option but it has been discoontinued. Touch is not absolutely necessary on the boat and you are better off planning routes on an ipad down below. NMEA 2000 is expensive. Connectors, backbones, sensors, everything changes, it is a pain to install and adds no functionality. I also believe that wide screen displays are not so good on a boat as we move forward and typically need vertical displays. Best bet is to decide on your autopilot, then go from there for the MFD and radar. However, you will still end up using the Garmin at the helm more.

[brianlara 3]

Given your hydro skills and predilection & your (natural) distrust of gps, I think that you should consider a Furuno 1623 radar. They never lie & on watchman mode they use little power. When chartplotters & ais can guarantee that you wont collect a mountain or small fishing boat, then you should ignore my radar suggestion.
All of you post reeks of radar need. Fog, mountains etc. Just as important as a depth sounder imo.

[Skeezix]

Originally Posted by Skeezix

Likely way beyond my depth by asking in a cruiser forum, but I seek the most cost-effective way to put depth and speed instrumentation on my little 17' pocket cruiser. At around $200, I can get a fishfinder with GPS charting, which will be quite handy in bigger island-and-bay-maze lakes in Minnesota and Wisconsin or out in Puget Sound. That beats the prices on any depth/speed/compass combos, right? Slightly disgruntled with WM, where I ordered online an Elite-4 HDI Gold two weeks ago for 80% off, only $75, and now they tell me it cannot be stocked. Maybe I can hit another good deal on a two day sale December 10-11, or at year end clearance. Am I thinking straight? Don't want to wifi anything to a phone that can easily get soaked. That stays double-sealed and stowed.

Lowrance Hook 4 with transom transducer and Lake Insight Pro is on its way, $199. Might seem like overkill on a 17' pocket cruiser but it will be a fun toy and can move to other boats later. I like that at this budget I still can tie into cloudbased data. Hoping the occassional reviews that complained of it losing bottom in shallow water were settings or powerboat speed issues, because I hope for it to help my centerboard adjustment on a Mississippi dam lake that is rarely over six feet deep. Maybe there will be HD contours in the lakemap to help. Mainly got it for exploring bigger unfamiliar lakes like Minnetonka or for Mississippi backwater gunkholing.