View Full Version : Standard Horizon GPS Units
I was curious in anyone has tried one of these. Seems you get a lot of features for the buck compared to competing products.
SeaCat
01-09-2002, 09:59 PM
I bought and installed the color model (170C I think) last July/August. Worked very well. Had a Magellan NAV6000 before that. Both use C-Map NT cartridges but I really like the bigger screen of the SH and that I can keep both my Lk Mich and Lk Erie charts in the unit all of the time.
Accuracy seemed better with the SH -- maybe the WAAS actually does work. Often before the NAV6000 would show me motoring through land when I was squarely in the middle of the river or channel.
The screen on the SH is very easy to read too -- even in direct sunlight.
Ryan
Checked that model out myself and had some questions. How is the contour detail? When do you lose it as you zoom in? Is it user friendly? The one I looked at dissappointed me but I don't think the gentleman showing it to me really knew what he was doing or it wasn't working properly.
thanks for any help
SeaCat
01-10-2002, 08:56 PM
Both cartridges I have are for Great Lakes -- Erie and Michigan. Didn't get a chance to use the Horizon unit on Erie, but on Michigan the contours show well out to about 50' if I remember correctly. Since Erie is much shallower, they should show up very well.
Zoom level is really cartridge specific and even location on the chart specific. My home port is St. Joseph Michigan. When going out the river to the big lake, it gets down to a quarter mile before going out of chart mode. Can even see some of the boat docks on the screen. Out on the lake you loose charting at about 1/2 mile radius -- not really a big deal since it is all open water and over 70 deep. Not too many contour lines to follow that can't be better found/followed with the graph.
As for ease of use, I think it is better than the Magellan NAV6000 I used previously. It did take a couple trips to get used to it, but that is pretty good to me. I like it now.
Ryan