NAVMAN vs GARMIN

[LURCHER]

I am thinking of buying a Navman GPS plotter instead of the Garmin 182 any comments welcomed .Thanks in advance .

[Rogue Wave]

Ask me in a months time we have just switched from Garmin's to Navman

[tue]

I have just fitted my Garmin 182C. I have also used it my dive clubs boat and I must say i am very impressed. The re-draw rate on the maps in super fast and it takes no time at all to zoom or run the cursor around and off the page to find other points or marks. Very big display and no problem to view in daylight or direct sunlight. Never used a Navman, but from the ones I've fitted they look good.

[codprawn]

I have also been thinking of a 182c - the only thing that puts me off is it is only 16 colour but does this really make a difference?

I have some Garmin bluecharts and they look great on my PC - will they look the same on the 16 colour unit?

[arn.george]

Have 182c - very pleased with other than cannot get WAAS (see previous thread) Get down to 16ft accuracy.

[Phil Davies]

I fitted a Navman 5500i colour chartplotter to my RIB earlier this year and love it. The C-Map cartography is superb and the unit has performed faultlessly so far despite having had several good soakings. The technical support guys at the importer, Plastimo UK, in Chandlers Ford were also very helpful when I rang them with a few questions about wiring etc.

Navman plotters were recommended to me by a friend in Scotland who's a Fisheries Board manager and they've been using the Navman 5500i on their RIB for three years without a hint of a problem or any sign of water ingress etc. Having said all that, Garmin plotters have an excellent reputation and the Garmin back-up is of course legendary. Some people reckon that C-Map cartography is better than Blue Chart, however, so you pays your money (less in the case of Navman ), and takes your choice.

[BrendanS]

Originally Posted by Phil Davies

and the Garmin back-up is of course legendary.

They deliver over and over again, and this alone would push me in that direction. The number of people who have sent in dead equipment, only to be replaced by a brand new more up to date version is indeed legendary.

They did however drop their last cartography set, which understandably upset a few people.

[eupa]

go for Garmin anyday. I am a newboy to the board.
I have the 2010c by Garmin and there is nothing like it. Incidently this board is a fine intetrface and has a host of info. I think also Garmin is using the WAAS system and I do not think navman has got that far yet( I stand to be corrected. You can pick up the Garmin 2010c for about $1990 in the states - bit its wort it. Maps are epensive though.

[gavin]

Have posted about this before, we have Navman 5600 plotter number 3 now in two and a half years and fishfinder number 2 in the same period, the last warranty replacable from Plastimeo can only be described as farcacle, if you dont believe me dial their number now, you wont get anything more than a recording, never return calls, etc or reply to mails, it took only 14 wks the last time to get our replacement all due to moisture ingress, I have also said this before I like the stuff, but 5 replacements in two and a half years, the only thing that is worse than the failures is the customer service from Plastimo. I was told, lies given excuses , we sent it, we didnt recieve it, its en route, did you send it etc etc decide for yourselves

[Powerboat]

We moved a year or so ago back to Garmin from Simrad CE32s.

We have become major fans of the Garmin 188C as a RIB plotter on our Advanced Training RIBs

Easier to use,
Daylight viewable
Several Screen options
Big Chunky figures
Screens don't fog in January !!!!!!!!!!!
Very helpful support from Garmin Europe ( Really make you feel like their most important customer even with the most trivial email enquiry!!)
One Blue Chart covers 2/3 of Ireland ( South, West and most of the North Coast)
Bloody good cartography including easy to read tidal curves
You can create your own charts ( For the Inland Waterways)

We Like them !!!

Best wishes,

Stuart

[philip]

....Lowrance

Spent quite a long time comparing specs/prices earlier this year and the Lowrance GlobalMap 3300C came out tops for me . I've used it in anger now and have to say I'm delighted with it. And the Navonics Gold XL3 charts are superb one SD card covers UK coastline from Brigton to South West Scotland, Chanel Islands , Some French Coast on the English Channel and all of Ireland.
http://www.navionics.com/Europe/Catalogue/uk_xl3.asp

Got mine from :

http://www.jgtech.co.uk/

[Jelly]

Or of course you could shell out and fit once a raymarine and not have to change it out at all.

Garmin definatly has a good reputation for warrenttee work and returns. but why do they need to do such a service if it didn't fail in the first place.
Though my handheld has done well for 5 years - but don't shake it or it turns off.

Navman nuff said by others

Hummingbird - great in the US where they have a great returns policy at a good price, when they brake they make great fishing weights

And I won't get onto radios

[Cookee]

For what it's worth I think Garmin are the easiest to operate - I have to use other makes on boats I skipper from time to time and some of them are hard work whereas Garmin are like Nokia phones - intuitive and easy to operate - add to that reliabilty and customer service and there is no contest! (All IMHO of course!)

[Biggles]

Originally Posted by LURCHER

I am thinking of buying a Navman GPS plotter instead of the Garmin 182 any comments welcomed .Thanks in advance .

Have a very close look at both units you intend to buy.

I have a Garmin 126 which has been replaced once under warranty. (Took 5 weeks). The screws in the back of it are starting to go rusty now. And the plug which goes in to the back of the unit fits in very flimsily and is starting to show the effects of salt water getting in.

I also have a Lowrance unit and that is much better constructed. Better plugs and plastic screws at the back of the unit which can't rust.

I can't speak for the units you intend to buy but as I say have a really good look at them. It seems to me that a lot of Garmins have to go back, from what you read on this Web Site.

[Biggles]

With regards Navman and thier backup. I found them to be excellent when I wanted to link my DSC VHF to my Garmin GPS. I put a thank you on this web site for all the hard work one of the chaps did for me.

Nothing seemed to be a problem. I wish every company had as good a backup.

[Alex Brown]

Originally Posted by Cookee

For what it's worth I think Garmin are the easiest to operate

I have to concur with Cookee here..... in the last month or so, I've used Garmin, Navman, Furuno, and Lowrance chartplotters and everytime I have looked forward to going back to my Garmin 182.

The Navman is ok, without the manual, I managed to get the information I wanted up on the screen in the end, but it did take a while - this was on a dive charter boat which wasn't moving around as much as the rib does too. The unit itself I found was a little slower to redraw than the Garmin, but the quality of charts etc... seemed to be pretty much the same only diff being I work with B&W Bluecharts and this was colour.

The Furuno, although it's an old(ish) unit, I wonder if they have changed their menu system and means of setting waypoints etc... - it's a nightmare, and extremely slow to redraw. Even when you're motoring along at 10 knots, when it changes screen, you have to wait a good 5 to 10 seconds for things to become readable again - that 5 or 10 seconds while doing 30 knots would be quite a distance.
The Lowrance unit I was playing with on a rib yesterday was great - it seems to be a completely solid bit of kit and in this case has fishfinder on as well as charts which is fine to a point.
The immediate redraw is a bit slow, but when it's drawn, the chart quality seems quite fine, and the fish finder bit is excellent with full colour on it. I haven't asked whether it's steamed up ever, but the unit itself is open to the elements on a daily basis and looks well used, yet still works.
What I didn't like was the menu system though, which was a nightmare to navigate through for a first timer.

Back to the Garmin, my own one, apart from initially setting it up, I've never read the manual for my 182, since everything I find is where I expect it to be, like Cookee says similar to a Nokia mobile phone. The unit is fast, and hasn't steamed up on me yet, despite being open to all weathers, and going out in cold weather at the beginning of the year. Where linking it to the VHF was concerned it was a doddle - the cables that came with it, and the manual were more than sufficient to wire everything up quickly and easily.

Hopefully I will never have to use Garmin tech support for it, but it's good to read on teh forums that if I do, it should be fixed pretty quickly

-Alex

[philip]

Originally Posted by Alex Brown

The Lowrance unit I was playing with on a rib yesterday was great - it seems to be a completely solid bit of kit and in this case has fishfinder on as well as charts which is fine to a point.
The immediate redraw is a bit slow, but when it's drawn, the chart quality seems quite fine, and the fish finder bit is excellent with full colour on it. I haven't asked whether it's steamed up ever, but the unit itself is open to the elements on a daily basis and looks well used, yet still works.
What I didn't like was the menu system though, which was a nightmare to navigate through for a first timer.

You can try the Lowrance menu's before you buy by downloading an emulator from here :

http://www.lowrance.com/Software/PCSoftware/demos.asp

[Erin]

I almost bought a Navman, the 6500 I think it was, but eventually went for the Garmin 2006C instead. The only reason I considered the Navman was that it can be hooked up to a fuel meter which I thought would be a fine idea seeing as I've got an underfloor tank.

Having said all that, I've got no regrets about going Garmin. The menu system and 'soft keys' on the 2006 are first class. Oh and I bought the separate Navman Fuel 3100 as well. It's great to know how many mpg's you're doing and how much range you've got left in your tank.

[TIM]

NAVMAN,

Gavin and I got the stuff from the states, at 50% cheeper than the UK........

I just clamed the vat back as a new computer !!!!

I know we have had problems with the units in the past, and Plastimo in the UK are a Joke... and thats been kind...

If I was buying again, it would probaly Go for the Navman again ... for 2 resions . and if money wasnt an a concern, it would be Lowrance

1. Fuel computer .... when set up it accurate with 5-10%
2. Value for money

[codprawn]

Originally Posted by TIM

NAVMAN,

Gavin and I got the stuff from the states, at 50% cheeper than the UK........

I just clamed the vat back as a new computer !!!!

I know we have had problems with the units in the past, and Plastimo in the UK are a Joke... and thats been kind...

If I was buying again, it would probaly Go for the Navman again ... for 2 resions . and if money wasnt an a concern, it would be Lowrance

1. Fuel computer .... when set up it accurate with 5-10%
2. Value for money

Carefull good old customs monitor the net - remember they are allowed to intercept your emails etc under Tony Blair's RIP act!

Of course most people thought this act was to counter terrorists etc but it actually says

"Permitted reasons for looking at communications data are: interests of national security; the prevention or detection of crime or disorder; the economic well being of the UK; public safety; the protection of public health; and the assessment or collection of any tax, duty, levy or other imposition, or contribution or charge payable to a government department"

They nabbed quite a few people using biodiesel this way.