GPS/Chart Plotter

[74Formula233]

Thanks for all of the info, I have spent some time reading up on the Garmin's. Does anybody use the "blue chart" chips for there garmin? How does that stack up against a normal chart?

Mist-Rest, thinks for the heads up, I will keep you in mind. Just want to do a little more hunting!!

The Bluechart is awesome, and is just like looking at a quality paper chart, but in more detail/clarity/etc...same notations, no "learning curves", etc.

[74Formula233]

Eric,

Do you like your SITEX CVS-106L?

I have the 106 CRT model and I wish I had bought a Furuno.

Power sucks and its noisy as a bugger unlees you're idling along.

Tony, overall I like the unit for what I am doing. I chose this over the Furuno 600L (comparable unit) for a few reasons.....more user-friendly menu system, screen clarity was better, price was better. This was 2 years ago.

I have a transom mount ducer, and yes, it gets noisy at high speeds, and in real rough water I lose bottom. But that doesn't bother me so much. To get a much better read, I'd probably have to go to a thru-hull anyway.

When I upgrade at some point, I will be looking at the Furuno 582L and the Si-Tex 832L (again, comparable units). probably will consider a quality thru-hull at that point as well.

[White Whale]

Thanks for all of the info. The raymarine c series does look good. I will keep doing my homework.

[JD5652]

Tony-

I purchased the Garmin 3010 last year and absolutely LOVE IT!......I also have the WX package which is as accurate as Al Roker... ....much better than NOAA .

[matey1]

i have the navman 5500 color. it is easy to operate and uses c-map chips. you can also get the fuel meter and get fuel usuage right off the same screen w/o the added cost of the read out gauge.

[KCArbor]

Raymarine is good enough for the US Navy......

[Graceland]

Really? I've never seen anything other than Furuno on one, but they have all been aircraft carriers.

[MakoMike]

I've had a garmin 2010C for the past four years and its the cat's meow. The bluecharts are fantastic!

[Lil' Tunny]

I have a garmin 182 on my 23'. It's not color and takes the bluechips. Color is nice, but I don't think it really has any advantages in a chartplotter. On the other hand, a color sounder is a must.
If I had to do it all over again, I'd still buy the 182. Not expensive, good detail, really liked it the past 2 years.

[MakoMike]

Guys,
Color plotters are much, much better than their BW cousins. Just as big a difference as between color and B&W depthsounders. It is much esier to read a color machine than a B&W machine.