View Full Version : GPS'
The Maddie June
06-25-2001, 11:42 AM
Pros and Cons of Garmin 162 and/or Garmin 168? or any other feedback re: purchasing a gps unit that is not handheld?
I just purchased a Garmin gps 128 (external antenna) for my Lund Fisherman 1800. I really like the ease of operation, it has plenty of memory and almost instantly acquires a position fix, usually with at LEAST 9 satelites. I have mine wired into my Raythenon RAY 53 marine VHF and have sent off for my marine DSC number. This allows the radio to broadcast my boat information and position with an auotmatic mayday, unattended, if the need should ever arise. There are much more accurate units available, unfortunately they are much more expensive too. I think that these units provide a lot of powerful features at a bargin price, and I feel confident that that they are well worth the using. eek
I purchased a 162 this spring and have been very impressed with its performance. It supports WAAS and so is a little more accurate than a unit without. The 162 tracks my boat at very slow speeds so I know what areas I've covered trolling. If you're interested in mapping with underwater contours you're limited to Garmin's Fishing Hot Spots CDs. The waters I fish weren't on these CDs so I bought Garmin's US Topo CD and on some maps it does have limited elevations underwater. As far as fixed units vs handheld, the larger dislay on the fixed units is a huge plus. It's a very easy unit to operate and I've zero problems with it.
You can check out Garmin's Mapsource Viewer at http://www.garmin.com/cartography/mapSource/
The Maddie June
06-26-2001, 04:42 AM
Thanks!
David Anderson
06-26-2001, 10:23 AM
I have a 162 on my boat. It's a wonderful unit especially for the tracking abilities. It has some software quirks that I don't like, such as the GOTO functions. Seems it could be faster access to waypoints, but certainly is not bad enough to
be a problem.
Suzuki
06-26-2001, 11:28 AM
If you have any inclinations whatsoever about having the same mapping capabilities on a hand held that also has a dash mount for the boat consider the Garmin Map 76.