GPS Reviews

[Karl Olney]

My club Alfreton BSAC are looking to install a new GPS and sounder on the club RIB.

Has anyone any advice on which system to recommend or which to stay away from.

We are currently looking at the Garmin GPS 168 combined sounder and GPS chart plotter.

[Andy Nye]

Why not look into the FURUNO GP37

Has built in Dgps does all the same as the Garmin 168 and more .

why the chart plotter ?

Andy

[Karl Olney]

Thanks for the reply Andy

I'll look into that one.

The only reason I mention the chart plotter is that the 168 comes with one. We have not set our minds on that as a requirement.

Karl

[Matt]

My club Alfreton BSAC are looking to install a new GPS and sounder on the club RIB.

Has anyone any advice on which system to recommend or which to stay away from.

We are currently looking at the Garmin GPS 168 combined sounder and GPS chart plotter.

We went through this last year.

First off get separate GPS and sounder if at all possible.

The lessons we learnt from our previous combined unit;
+ If you break it you lose both functions
+ You need to see both at the same time
+ The combined window modes are too small to be any use
+ Two sets of complicated instuments on one control panel makes for a very complicated user interface

We bought a GPSMap 162
+ Garmin still have the easiest user interface (IMVHO)
+ The built in ariel is ideal for a RIB. You specify internal or external when buying. It can be changed later with a special bracket
+ The chart plotter is ssllooww with anything more than minimum detail
+ You have to buy the charts and they are expensive (we were donated a set for our locale)
+ The charts are nice but the wreck positions are not accurate enough for diving use

If we had not been donated the charts I would have bought a GPS152 which also has an integrated ariel. The 152 is basically a GPS12 with a big screen. The 12 and derivatives is still one of the best and easiest GPSs available. It is also pretty cheap for a fixed mount but do not let that put you off. The build quality is similar to the other Garmins and it is just as accurate.

Can't really comment on sounders. We were donated a Ratheon unit so we looked no further.

HTH
Matt