These days the improvements in electronic charting are just outstanding, especially when you’re talking about the new BlueChart g2 Vision system from Garmin.
There is no doubt we now live in an electronic age as we go to work each day using a mobile phone to communicate with our friends, family and work.
Many of us now are so used to
in-car GPS navigators we’ve forgotten where we last left the old street directory. We’re so used to having the dulcet tones of the voice-activated car GPS we’ve probably lost the skills of using a paper map.
The same goes for boating and fishing. In all areas of boating and sailing for that matter you'll find the electronic chartplotter has taken over and is widely used.
Given the above situation, many of us are looking for improved and more sophisticated cartography. I’m already looking to update my in-car GPS navigator simply because the new models available now give you much more route options than the standard track model. That’s vitally important because quite often the ‘most direct’ route is not the best due to peak hour traffic, or it takes you through the city, rather than a less crowded ring road.
Likewise, many of us are now moving to second-generation marine GPS chartplotter to enjoy better technology. You only have to look at the new BlueChart g2 Vision from Garmin to see there certainly have been a lot of improvements!
Garmin has been a leader in GPS systems virtually from the word go and its new BlueChart system certainly is very impressive.
Why so good? Well, simply by plugging an optional g2 Vision SD card into your new Garmin chartplotter you can tremendously expand its full graphical capabilities. In addition to detailed marine charting, you can have access to premium mapping features like high-resolution satellite imagery as well an amazing 3D perspective above and below the waterline.
This brilliant new system also provides auto guidance technology, fishing charts, tides and coastal roads with points of interest. The latter is obviously a very handy feature for the trailer-boater coming to a new waterway by road.
BlueChart g2 Vision SD cards enhance the preloaded maps on your chartplotter and add a new dimension of exceptional features such as:
Satellite Imagery (pictured below): You can overlay high-resolution satellite imagery on land, sea or both portions of the navigation chart, providing the mariner with unparalleled situational awareness.
It’s the most realistic map display you’ve ever seen on a graphical chartplotter. And you can “navigate on the picture” with a clear dynamic presentation of your boat’s current position.
Mariner’s Eye 3D (pictured top right): Mariner’s Eye 3D provides a bird’s eye view from above and behind the boat showing the chart information for a quick, reliable and easy position fix. A great feature to have when navigating or trying to identify entry and exit routes in unfamiliar harbours or anchorages.
Fish Eye 3D (pictured right): Navigating around tricky shoals, reefs and channels or searching for new fishing grounds has never been so easy, Fish Eye 3D provides a realistic underwater view that visually represents the sea floor according to the chart’s information.
Auto Guidance (pictured below): Like having a guide to local
hazards and waterways always on deck, Auto Guidance technology searches chart contents to suggest the best route for a safe passage to your next destination.
Fishing Charts (pictured right): The Fishing Chart feature provides bathymetric data to emphasise bottom contours and depth soundings. Other navigation information is removed to reduce clutter and help give clearer definition to the sea floor.
im in the market for a gps/fishfinder in the $600-800 range. i do a lot of fishing on the nc inshores. i just dont know which one to buy. i currently have the lowrance 104c and the lowrance x47. these are just lowerend sonars. i dont need to spend a grand just to fish in 2-20 ft water. but i do want a the best reliable unit with the most features for the money. such as do any units come with charts are which charts are more econimical for the money. anything you can add would be very helpful.
thanks
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