Gps??????

[herman]

I have been using a handheld Garmin GPS-45 (about 10 yrs old) on my 24 ft boat for years. I have it mounted in the over head UNDER a fiberglass top. It works fine through the top and no external antenna has been necessary. I have also tried a GPS-12 under the top and it works OK as well. I would suggest that you get a GPS that has a mount and DC power cord available, it's a real bummer to have your batteries dies off shore.

 

[The Kraken]

Good catch on the plug, Herman.
I had a 45 before I got my 12XL. Swapped the GPS-45 for a Luminox watch.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

You can even use your gps to find scuba caches

Scuba Geocaches

 

[Narked_at_60]

I have a small private boat that I am going to be using off of the coast of Southern California. I'm looking for any help in purchasing a GPS that will do the job without spending a fortune! Any advice?
Thanks

Hi, Garmin GPS is a very useful system and affordable, you can get it in different sizes, from handeld too mounted units near the steering. You can get gps sounders, fishfinders and gps plotters. try http://www.garmin.com/marine.

Farid.

 

[Skip Parker]

I have a small private boat that I am going to be using off of the coast of Southern California. I'm looking for any help in purchasing a GPS that will do the job without spending a fortune! Any advice?
Thanks

If you're going handheld I'd go with the Garmin. There are some neat tricks you can do with Garmins if you ever want to do DM and need to do a map project.

I also added a cable to mine that will power and link both my GPS and my IPaq turning into a fully functional car navigation system.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

http://www.thegpsstore.com/detail_GA00270.asp

This is the one I"m thinking of getting soon

 

[nwdiver2]

Get a small inexpensive GPS. Over time use it to build and store a data base of your dive sites, with their guide points out and back. Then use it to run to the sites, this system doesn’t replace proper navigation with maps and compass it adds to it.

I saw a very bad accident where a boat hit a reef returning to port in the fog running on a GPS alone. They didn’t understand they would have to run point to point and to enter the bay from seaward and headed straight along the guide line on the GPS onto the reef at speed with 8 people aboard.

The price of the system is irrelevant, understand how to use it. GPS is the best navigation tools since the astrolabe.

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

Is there some particular reason you want the FRS radio?
It won't be useful as primary comms on your boat. For
that you want a marine band VHF radio, preferably a
25 console-mounted until with an 8' 6dB gain antenna
mounted as high as possible.

You don't need "guide points" to each dive site. You need a very limited number of routes that will get you
to the general vicinity of the dive site, then go direct
to the waypoint for the dive site. In Monterey, I have
about 50+ divesites in my GPS, but only two routes
(well, four actually, because I have each route in in both
direction. Yes, I know the GPS will flip them around for
me on request, but that's a pain because it's not obvious
which way it's flipped.)

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Is there some particular reason you want the FRS radio?
It won't be useful as primary comms on your boat. For
that you want a marine band VHF radio, preferably a
25 console-mounted until with an 8' 6dB gain antenna
mounted as high as possible.

I'm assuming you're talking about my choice in the Garmin 120. My dive boat consists of a 10'2" Zodiac that I deflate, fold, and store in my room when I'm not using it I don't have a console - lol. We'll be using the FRS radio in the woods, or atleast thats the plan. It looks to be a pretty nifty little device - anyone know if anything is wrong with it?

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

The Rino's a good little device, especially for walking
around in the woods and gathering your buddies to help
you tote the deer out. I was just making sure that you
didn't think the FRS would be useful in a marine
environment. About the only case where it's useful
is for what I call "ship to spouse" comms because you
can legally operate it on shore, which you can't do with
marine VHF without a hard-to-get shore station license.
Adm. Linda and I used FRS when I was first teaching
her to drive the boat onto the trailer. It saved a lot
of yelling.