Hand held GPS

[captainwireman]

What should I be looking for? What would you recommend? Is the most expensive worth it? Are there already posts on this subject?

[Cruiser2B]

I use a very basic Garmin 72 and have seen others with the same. Basic, reliable and fairly inexpensive.

[barnakiel]

We use the most basic Garmin 72 and 76. Now 72 became a 72H. I love all of them. I would buy again.

Simple, reliable, sturdy toys.

Some newer units can see GLONASS sats. Our smarphone (Samsung) can. I know newer Garmins do too.

b.

[Cruiser2B]

I use a very basic Garmin 72 and have seen others with the same. Basic, reliable and fairly inexpensive.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by captainwireman

Are there already posts on this subject?

Yes. Have you tried the search engine?

Features: built-in charts so you don't need to buy them or decide to go #s only and use a paper chart. $$ doesn't always mean quality (not all sales are bargains and not all bargains are sales).

Good luck.

[onestepcsy37]

i've been using bottom of the line garmins, like the 72, for many years. i actually have three right now - people sell them cheap when they upgrade to something fancier.

that and paper charts take me everywhere i want to go.

[Lake-Effect]

We have a used Garmin etrex Vista (small monochrome GPS with very basic chart) as our "get us home!" GPS, and an older Lowrance handheld ($15 at a flea market) that's mounted on the boat as a 'speedometer' and waypoint pointer thing.

If we were in the market, i think I would look for a used Garmin GPS 72 or 76. As mentioned - alot of bang for the buck.

[S/V Alchemy]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

We use the most basic Garmin 72 and 76. Now 72 became a 72H. I love all of them. I would buy again.

Simple, reliable, sturdy toys.

Some newer units can see GLONASS sats. Our smarphone (Samsung) can. I know newer Garmins do too.

b.

Interesting. I wanted the most capable, fastest-acquiring, USB-connectable, non-charting handheld GPS I could find. The Garmin 72H fit that bill admirably. I don't think it's a popular model, but I wanted something I could link to a laptop AND mount at a helm as a standalone. I tend to create waypoints (with proper distance off) on paper charts and then plonk them into the GPS...no plotter needed when I'm not actually near land.

I like the 72H for this quite a bit.

[scoobert]

i love my Garmin Colorado 400c,


here it is at work.
Sailing a ketch - YouTube

[captainwireman]

Oh, the search engine on the top of this page? Duhh!
I always used the cheapest Gecko. It found the entrance to my marina in the thick fog and my hotel in Chiang Mai. Always better pretending you are dialing a number on what looks like a cell phone than fumbling with a map when the local thugs are eying you.
I have no experience with a chart plotter. Just what are the advantages/disadvantages? I plan a coastal up from Guatemala to Texas. I plan on single-handling and anchoring as many nights as is possible and I have as much experience in these waters as I have finding search engines!
I am considering the extra for a Garmin 78. Watcha thinkin' 'bout that one?

Thanks to all.

[Geoff54]

Originally Posted by S/V Alchemy

Interesting. I wanted the most capable, fastest-acquiring, USB-connectable, non-charting handheld GPS I could find. The Garmin 72H fit that bill admirably. I don't think it's a popular model, but I wanted something I could link to a laptop AND mount at a helm as a standalone. I tend to create waypoints (with proper distance off) on paper charts and then plonk them into the GPS...no plotter needed when I'm not actually near land.

I like the 72H for this quite a bit.

I do exactly the same. I use a laptop with EasyGPS to type the waypoints and then load them to the 72H in one go - much quicker than entering them directly. Some functions on the 72 aren't that intuitive - I liked my old 12 better in that respect but it died.

[onestepcsy37]

Originally Posted by Geoff54

Some functions on the 72 aren't that intuitive - I liked my old 12 better in that respect but it died.

i agree with that! the old garmin 12 (i still have two of them) was completely intuitive - must have been designed by some engineers from Apple. my newer 72 may have a few advantages over the 12, but entering waypoints is not one of them...

[bfloyd4445]

Originally Posted by onestepcsy37

i agree with that! the old garmin 12 (i still have two of them) was completely intuitive - must have been designed by some engineers from Apple. my newer 72 may have a few advantages over the 12, but entering waypoints is not one of them...

I can't get my garmin gps 12 to work on any of my computers with opencpn whats the secret?
thanks

[Sailmonkey]

Originally Posted by bfloyd4445

I can't get my garmin gps 12 to work on any of my computers with opencpn whats the secret? thanks

Do you have the output set to NEMA or Garmin?

[nautical62]

I used a Garmin Montana as my primary in the cockpit GPS from the Turks and Caicos, up through the Bahamas and back to Florida. Screen size, weatherproofness, available maps, and a mount are some of the features I'd consider. The Garmin maps are much more reliable in the Bahamas for example.

I owned a Garmin 76 for a while which was cheaper, functions similarly but had a smaller screen.

For $30, the same gamin maps for Ipad and Iphone along with the free garmin app were a nice back up, and a few times I used my Ipad in the cockpit due to it's much larger screen size.

I should add, I've never owned a handheld GPS in which the connection to plug in directly didn't eventually corrode. My Montana had two charging systems, so once the mount to cigarette lighter corroded, I resorted to charging it inside with the mini usb port option so it would be fully charged for the next day, keeping the rubber seal over the port when outside.