Best handheld chartplotter as backup

[livbysea]

Seek suggestions for a reliable and easy to use handheld chartplotter as backup to primary system. Planning cruise from Maine to the Bahamas. Thanks, livbysea

[hobopacket]

I use navonics on the smart phone. Works well as a backup and trip planner in the evening. Get a small car phone holder and wahla.

[livbysea]

hi hobopack,

thanks. how does that work when you are outside the US? do you need a sim card, accrue international charges, figure it's an emergency and the charges don't matter?

cheers,

livbysea

[hobopacket]

No anything with integrated gps works great. Download the necessary charts on wifi. iPad with the gps (cell enabled but don't have to subscribe to cell service. Works great too). And tablet or smart phone works great. I wouldn't use it as primary. But back up and for checking out the next days route is great.

[livbysea]

Thanks hobopacket!

Will definitely check it out!!

[kmacdonald]

I use a tablet with OpenCPN for charts and planning and Easy GPS for creating waypoints and routes to download to a Garmin 78sc and e-trex10. The phone and tablet is only good in the cockpit in nice weather when they won't get wet. I still use paper charts since the screens on handheld chart plotters are very small.

[brianlara 3]

My back -up seems to fit your description.
GARMIN 78 SC. Comes with full set of charts for your country. FLOATS, WATERPROOF IPX 7.
Does this sound right? As some will tell you, Australia is pretty backward but this unit is the best available in Australia no matter how much money you have.
But if you want cheap, for a water drinking cell phone.......good luck.

[barnakiel]

I used some handheld chartplotters (Garmins) and I liked none of them. A good tablet in a waterproof sleeve beats them hands down everytime.

b.

[brianlara 3]

WEST MARINE USD $250. In stock.

[Tkeeth]

I have several, an old laptop with opencpn, a surface pro 3 with opencpn, 2 cellphones with navlight, active captain, etc...pretty much every device i have that is capable is loaded...just in case.

[livbysea]

thanks for the various perspectives - lots of good advice and options to consider!! grateful for the suggestions!! livbysea

[Suijin]

Benefit of a dedicated hand held chart plotter is battery life and the fact you can continue to stuff it with new batteries. I use a Garmin GPSMap 76Cx. Has US charts but still functions as a GPS out of US waters.

[Ziggy]

Originally Posted by brianlara 3

My back -up seems to fit your description.
GARMIN 78 SC. Comes with full set of charts for your country. FLOATS, WATERPROOF IPX 7.
Does this sound right? As some will tell you, Australia is pretty backward but this unit is the best available in Australia no matter how much money you have.
But if you want cheap, for a water drinking cell phone.......good luck.

Another vote for Garmin 78.
Benefits:

• Fairly rugged
• waterproof
• Buttons instead of touchscreen (a personal preference)
• Mostly bug free software
• Global chart coverage on microSD cards (not free, though)
• Uses AA batteries, so no need to plug in to recharge
• Low cost (unless you already have a tablet)

Negatives:

• small screen
• additional cost if you already have a tablet (but a waterproof sleeve is not free either)

For what it's worth, I own both an Android tablet and a Garmin 78. While sailing, I use the Garmin almost exclusively.

[livbysea]

Garmin certainly getting good reviews!

[Juho]

If you have a tablet or a smart phone in any case, use that. The cost might be as low as 0 local currency units, but with a need to charge the device a bit more often.