Fish-Hawk.Net

Just want to get a feel for this. I have been thinking about getting a Handheld GPS for my small boat for a while now and they are finally coming down in price.

What does everyone like/use.

I dont want to spend too much but i want something with MOST canadian waters and color preferably.

I see a lot of guys (and gals) talk about them on here. Can you guys help me out? What should I buy. Sportsman show is 3 weeks away in Toronto and I will be shoppin'.

Thanks guys

Mike

You get a lot of different opinions on a question like this. I have a Lowrance ifinder H2OC. Is it the best, I don't know its my first GPS and I don't really have a lot to compare it to. I bought it and the mapping software(Canada Map Create) from GPS central in Calgary over the internet. They are worth checking out simply because they have a large range of products and information so it's easy to compare.

I do find that the external power cord on the H2Oc was not designed for the pounding of the waves. It works fine in the car but tends to disconnect on the water so I keep a supply of batteries handy.

Other then that it works pretty well. Just remember you have the price of the unit, the map software which can be close to the price you paid for the GPS and then the mount which was another $75 in my case.

You might also want to search the site as there have been other GPS discussions.

Good luck.

I have a Garmin 60CSx and could not be happier. I can get a position in my basement (2 story house), I have a 2G SD card installed with Metroguide maps for turn by turn navigation in my car, Canada Topo maps for most of Southern Ontario, Blue Charts for the major navigable waterways, and Trakmaps bathymetric lake maps for many smaller lakes in Ontario and Quebec.

http://www8.garmin.com/cartography/mapS ... Canada.jsp
http://www8.garmin.com/cartography/mapS ... Canada.jsp
http://www8.garmin.com/cartography/mapS ... ericas.jsp
http://www.trakmaps.com/produits.php?no=515

Have a look at this forum for more information:
http://forums.groundspeak.com/gc/

I bought mine here while it was on sale at the Toronto Sportsman Show a couple of years ago.
http://radioworld.ca/product_info.php?c ... cts_id=802

One more thing, here are free Topo maps for most of Canada for Garmin units.

http://www.ibycus.com/ibycustopo/

Another option in the GPS crossover market...
If you are looking for a GPS to place in your boat - I feel the best bang for your buck right now on the market is the Lowrance XOG. This little touch screen unit is weather proof and can go from your car/truck into your boat. In your vehicle it will give you street by street voice commands with the built-in mapping and in your boat you can use it with Navionics fishing map charts via the SD slot on the side.



-s

do lots of reading ... I prefer Magellan reasoning their software and accuracy. ..... do some reading though... GPS's are a personal thing when it comes to "best for you" ... whats best for me may not be best for you.

I have the Lowrance ifinder H20c as well. It's worked really well for me and it's good in heavy cover...I can get a signal sitting in the middle of a room...I find it intersting though that one guy said the external power cord fails easily...the same thing has happened to me. I've purchased 2 cords now from LeBaron and both have failed intermittently. I was starting to think it was something in the unit itself that was the problem but since hearing the same thing from someone else, it sounds like bad cord production...too bad too becasue they're so hard on batteries, especially when you need the light on or you use the crosshairs a lot.

That's good to know about the cord issue....I was thinking about that unit and i was planning on using the 12V supply on my ATV....if the cord is that sensitive, i'm sure that I will have issues with it driving on rough terrain in the bush!!

Sheldon,

How rugged is the XOG???....would it be suitable to mount to an ATV?....is it waterproof and do you know of any mounts that could be used to attach it to my quad??

Thanks,
Steve

I have an H2OC and haven't had any problems with the power cord but it's nice to know about the potential for problems. Before plugging it in, I always give the the end that goes into the lighter a check to make sure it's tight. This end holds the fuse and can screw apart if bounced around a lot.

Steve,
The XOG is a small solid state unit with no HD so it should be very rugged. It is extremely light so it will not bounce around very much and RAM is releasing the RAM-B-138-LO8 Lowrance XOG Series RAM Mount which you can attach to an ATV, boat etc.

Also to fix any power cord in a boat or atv when bouncing is a problem on units like your ipod, cell phone or hand held GPS use a small 1" square of Velcro on the back of the unit and a piece of Velcro cable wrap around the power cable - loop the cord and stick to the back so when the weight of the cord bounces it will not come out of the electronic unit.

-sheldon

Thanks guys,

I will absorb this all and have a good look at the Sportsman Show. See what the shops have to say.

I will definitely do my research first though. I will have a good hard look and see what will suit me best.

I have a Nuvi 250 but i dont think there are map chips for Canadian Waters....am i wrong?

Thanks

Mike