Best GPS Under $1k

[captsam54]

I vote for the Furuno plotters...And I also have my Panasonic Toughbook CF-52 running MaxSea Timezero.. Which will communicate w/ the Furuno system..

[Matt Johnson]

Defender.com has the B&G Zeus T7 for $550.

Matt

[DefinitelyMe]

Originally Posted by River Cruiser

My Standard Horizon cp300i 7" does everything you want, I bought it used on eBay for $350.00 3 years ago, it uses C-Map NT, NT+ and Max. With a Si-Tex MDS scanner and junction box you can add radar.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

I haven't got my head round the various chart formats yet. Is that good in terms of compatibility? I like their website - very straight forward. But what's the quality of their units like?

[bvimatelot]

Originally Posted by Celestialsailor

This is what I just did. Refurbished Toshiba Click2 Pro ($628.), Garmin 18X puck ($65). Now if I could just figure out where Windows 8.1 hid my GPS drivers...

Ha!! That resonates with me!! I had to talk to Garmin who eventually took remote control of my computer and managed to install them. All now works as before! Tony (I do not like 8.1!!!)

[DefinitelyMe]

Originally Posted by MarkSF

I've had my Garmin 78SC marine handheld for 5 years now, and it works like new. Build quality seems to be way above the typical handheld device. If the plotters are equally as well made, I'd definitely buy one.

My first, a GPSmap72, failed due to corrosion from salt spray. The second, a GPSmap76, failed for no apparent reason despite me being really careful not to get it wet. Both within a year. If you put new batteries in it it turns on and works for about an hour, then it's done. It also turns itself off frequently. Probably a short somewhere but i'm no electronics engineer and circuit boards just look scary so i don't like to mess with them!

[DefinitelyMe]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

Defender.com has the B&G Zeus T7 for $550.

Matt

Wow! I just checked though and it looks like it's back up to $1200. The next model up however is on sale for $750 which is bloody good i think! It would be so easy to click the little 'add to cart' button............... but that's how they catch you!

[David M]

We buy nothing but Garmin electronic charts for our trailer boats used by scientists for field work. They get their fair share of abuse from the grad students. In our experience they are the most reliable. Sure, they are not perfect but then no brand of chart plotters are perfect.

Furuno is an excellent brand with high quality hardware and excellent customer support, Furuno's are on the pricey side though.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by RaymondR

I thought I had the answer with a A$300 GME 450X which has a download/upload facility via RS232 (no problem with a USB to RS232 converter) but it turned out that the file format is not .gpx but .txt so I cannot download waypoints and routes from OpenCPN. I am looking for a converter program but no luck yet.

Have you tried Babel? Don't know if it will convert .txt files, though.

[Stu Jackson]

There's a forum here: Panbo: The Marine Electronics Hub

Perhaps more elektro geeks there, too, in addition to the great advice here.

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by DefinitelyMe

Wow! I just checked though and it looks like it's back up to $1200. The next model up however is on sale for $750 which is bloody good i think! It would be so easy to click the little 'add to cart' button............... but that's how they catch you!

Still showing $550 for me. Here is the link:

B & G Zeus Touch T7 Touchscreen, Multifunction Display

Matt

[DefinitelyMe]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

Still showing $550 for me. Here is the link:

B & G Zeus Touch T7 Touchscreen, Multifunction Display

Matt

Ah yes! I was getting confused between the 'Zeus Touch T7' and the 'Zeus^2 7'. The T7 doesn't appear on the US B&G website..... unless this is another example of my ineptitude with modern gadgetry. My finger is itching to buy something....... and that is never a good sign!

[Yeti]

There's a Zeus T7 on eBay for like $400. It's not mine but I think about making it my second one sometimes.


Sent from my iPad using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[David M]

Be very cautions about buying marine electronics on EBAY...Caveat emptor.

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by DefinitelyMe

My first, a GPSmap72, failed due to corrosion from salt spray. The second, a GPSmap76, failed for no apparent reason despite me being really careful not to get it wet. Both within a year. If you put new batteries in it it turns on and works for about an hour, then it's done. It also turns itself off frequently. Probably a short somewhere but i'm no electronics engineer and circuit boards just look scary so i don't like to mess with them!

If they both failed with a year, which is within the warranty period, why didn't you return them to Garmin for repair or replacement?

Both units you mentioned are waterproof to IPX7, which is 1m immersion, so shouldn't be failing due to salt spray, as you put it. They also float for 30 minutes.

In fact, since they discontinued the 72, it is highly desirable and frequently bought and sold on Ebay, due to its ruggedness and simplicity. Sold my 72 when I bought the 78, and got almost my purchase price back.

[Chuck Hawley]

I currently have a Zeus 7 by B&G and I am very happy with it. It uses a combination of touch screen and finger controls which I find logical. It's the central device in a NMEA 2000 network, so I can see all of the information from the B&G instruments and sensors, plus operate the autopilot, plus get AIS from the radio, etc.

The only negatives are that the screen is a little small for my increasingly older eyes, and I think the number of features makes it a little hard to explain to less experienced sailors.

I also really like the Garmin 7" touchscreen series (720, 740, 741, etc). I used to work for a major marine supplier and those Garmin units were incredible popular. They just hit a sweet spot for thousands of boats. I would always recommend getting the fishfinder combo since a good sonar is helpful even if you don't fish.

Both of these are "on special" from time to time for $999, especially at the end of their model year "life". Can't beat them.

Chuck