GPS - which basic Garmin handheld for under £150 please?

[Max...]

Been searching around the forum but new to this and a bit confused. I need a basic GPS, mainly for speed - would like something that has a marine mount, can be wired into 12v and has large figures for easy readout.

Looking back at topics something like the GPS 72 but this is obviously quite an old model now (with maybe slower/outdated performance?)...

Any ideas welcome please.

[BruceB]

Why don't you look at this which seems beter suited that a "marine mount" for a handheld.

http://www.electronics-marine.co.uk/...productid=1289

[Rick Coles]

Hi, good choice staying away from the "handhelds". I bought a Garmin 76CX for hiking and caving before we even thought of the boat. I picked up the marine mount and the G2 charts for our area for our 4.85 Bombard. The marine mount sucks. The boat tosses around so much, you have to constantly adjust the tension and re-align it for viewing. Also, it's not really bright enough to view in direct sunlight. I have Hummingbird sounder right beside the Garmin and it's mount is designed for marine apps and doesn't move at all.

I would look at chartplotter/sounder if I had to do it again. having a sounder is really handing when getting in close to shore or shoals..

I just spent a year in Australia where electronics are prohibited expensive; but on the plus side you could import 1000 Aus$ per year. Not sure what the UK is like but have look at either www.gpscentral.ca or www.gpscity.ca for electronics. You might be able to do pretty good.

Rick

[BogMonster]

I had a GPS72 on the Humber which worked well and the numbers were clear and easy to read, especially liked the display page where you can show speed in large digits, a lat/long and an electronic heading as per the attached pic. The display was a bit scratched but had been out in the elements for years.

I've been toying with the idea of getting another one (or a 76 which seems to be the current equivalent) for the Vipermax just so I can have speed, lat/long etc on a separate display without cluttering up the relatively small chartplotter display, it seems an economic way to do this, Garmin do a nice display-only thing called the GMI 10 which can display NMEA sensor outputs and I thought 'ooh quite like that' till I found out it was £400

As already said, the 72/76 marine mount is a bit poo, mine broke (admittedly it was a few years old) and I fixed it up with most of a tube of Araldite, didn't adjust any more but it wasn't really a problem as I glued it solid in the right position.

[Max...]

Thanks guys - all advice welcome as I am new to boat electronics. We really don't need a plotter as far as I can imagine as the intended use is really only very coastal and mainly in the nearby launch areas for skiing etc. I liked the idea of a handheld for use in other ways.

I also planned to fit a fishfinder for depth guaging and liked the spec of the Eagle Cuda models for the price, something like the:

http://www.marinetechnet.com/product...ishfinder.html

But would it be better going for a combined unit like this:

http://www.marinetechnet.com/product...pping-GPS.html

[9D280]

If you think the 72 is old, I've got it's predecessor, the GPS12, and can't fault it for that sort of thing. I also have it filled with a load of useful waypoints- means that if the fog comes dowwn I still have a "map" to get back. Not maybe the most direct route, but if I stick to the lay lines, I know I wonlt hit anything land shaped.

I also took one look at the marine mount & walked away - My mounting consists of a couple of bits of strip wood as sides, a further lump to stop it sliding down the console, a further couple of "L/R" battens (to support the back near the plug as it pokes out a bit, but is a 90 degree thing) The cable is suitably led inside the console to fuse / switch & the NMEA out to the radio.

A couple of thin bits of shock cord looped through the side battens hold it down. Whole thing painted orange to match the fibreglass. It's not adjustable, but stops the unit going walkabout round the boat.

No pics to hand, but if you want I can sketch & scan what I've done.

[BogMonster]

Once you have used it for a while there is also an extensive track log in the GPS, so if the fog comes down you can flip to the 'map' page and follow the biggest lot of squiggles. Not very scientific, but having used it once in very thick fog, it works

The other thing I liked about the 72 is that when it loses power it automatically switches to battery so if you lose all power on the boat for some reason you still have a position which you wouldn't have from a chartplotter that was off

[treerat]

I use an eTrec - set to lat and long and hold it in a mobile phone holder wihth a bungie securing it, works great

[Seabay]

Originally Posted by Max...

Been searching around the forum but new to this and a bit confused. I need a basic GPS, mainly for speed - would like something that has a marine mount, can be wired into 12v and has large figures for easy readout.

Looking back at topics something like the GPS 72 but this is obviously quite an old model now (with maybe slower/outdated performance?)...

Any ideas welcome please.

I use a Garmin Quest.
Basic. Large figures. Portable. 12v wireable. £50 ebay

[Simon B]

I've got an old Garmin GPS72 lying around at home, not used now I have my Lowrance iFinder with chart.
The 72 is an excellent unit, also floats! Just depends how much function you need out of it.
Make me an offer!

[Max...]

Thanks all - Simon, PM sent.

[willybendit]

Hi All i have a garmin 76s for sale compleat with marine mount and power lead all boxed £100 inc P+P