GPS Dead... What to replace it with?

Hi all

My magellan meridian has died and I need to get get another GPS and was looking at up grading to a 5" chart plotter. Prefer a stand alone unit and need NMEA 0183 so I can connect to my DCS VHF & furuno 620.

Went to the boat show (sydney) and got totally confussed. Really liked the Raymarine Dragonfly but it doesnt have any outputs for either 0183 or 2000.

So that leaves me with the following:


1. Lowrance Elite-5m Colour GPS Chartplotter Includes Navionics XL9 Gold Australia-Wide Chart $678 (Bias)

2. GME GPLOT Chartplotter with Internal GPS antenna & Free CMAP MAX Australia Wide $699 (whitworths) or

3. Garmin GPSMAP 556 Colour Chartplotter has BlueChart preloaded with ALL Australia & New Zealand coastal waters $699

Has anyone got one of these? likes/dislikes and would you buy the same again. Or is there something else on the market I should be looking at in this price range?

thanks
Bob


Posts: 315

Date Joined: 07/05/11

Simrad nSs 7

Thu, 2013-08-08 10:02

Highly underrated unit and the 7 has the same processor as the 8 and 12

Bcf did them for 999 and u will find them on line for about that too. The 50/200 ducer is cheap oonline or u can goes as speckie as u like

 

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 Baron Sportsman

Just the depth that Varies

bobakers's picture

Posts: 23

Date Joined: 05/06/11

Hi turboz Yeh the NSS7 is a

Thu, 2013-08-08 11:04

Hi turboz

 

Yeh the NSS7 is a nice unit but is over what I need (and over the cost I want to spend)

regards

 

Bob

tombstone's picture

Posts: 169

Date Joined: 14/10/10

I run the Lowrance unit and

Thu, 2013-08-08 11:33

I run the Lowrance unit and find it very easy to use, value for money in my opinion, can pretty much put me on top of my mark by about a meter or so.

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 to fish or not to fish...as if there was an option.

Mike17's picture

Posts: 323

Date Joined: 30/06/13

Elite 5

Thu, 2013-08-08 14:13

I run it as well really good as well. 

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 Use The Force

crasny1's picture

Posts: 7003

Date Joined: 16/10/08

Mate after reading the title just cant help myself

Thu, 2013-08-08 16:18

Another One!!!!

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"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk

Posts: 2946

Date Joined: 03/03/10

lowrance

Thu, 2013-08-08 16:36

I am running a huminbird combo but for ease of use and company back up I would go lowrance

dan1's picture

Posts: 379

Date Joined: 11/07/07

furuno

Mon, 2013-08-12 10:02

Why not furuno gp1670

http://www.chsmith.com.au/Products/Furuno-GP1670-Colour-GPS-Plotter.html

No prob with nmea and easy to hook up to fcv620

better quality unit

bobakers's picture

Posts: 23

Date Joined: 05/06/11

Solved

Tue, 2013-08-13 15:44

Hi all

Ended up getting the Lowrance Elite 5 M with navionics Gold for $629 and a Simrad RS25 VHF (DSC) for $199 + free postage from CH Smith in Melbourne.

Hopefully have them fitted by the weekend

Thanks for your help.

 

Bob

bobakers's picture

Posts: 23

Date Joined: 05/06/11

Hi all Have got most of it

Sun, 2013-08-18 10:15

Hi all

 
Have got most of it mounted up yesterday (also fitted a new switch panel and pos & neg bus bars) just have the antena to do today a finish tidying up the wireing.

one thing with the lowrance is that the pins in the back do not seam very robust. With my furuno 620 I remove it when the boat is parked as it would be too easy for some low life to relieve it from me.

How do you all secure your electronics???

Regards

 

Bob