GPS / Sounder Deal

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

Well after many years of making due with my old B/W Lowrance that came with the boat (only overpriced, very poor charts were available) I've found a deal too good to pass up. While the old GPS served well at reading the depth (as long as it was shallower than 200') and feeding location info to my charts on my Pocket PC I've never been fully satisfied with all the moving parts in my system. The PPC VGA readout is very sharp and nice but still small. My PPC/laptop charting program is great, but couldn't talk to the GPS without going through too many files conversions. Routes for the autopilot had to be loaded in the GPS as the PPC software doesn't spit out the correct NMEA sentances.

I've always drooled over the big screen color units but their prices were too high, and the ones I could afford all only had low resolution small screens, small like the the Pocket PC and even lower resolution (the under $800 Garmins are completely stuck in the low res world)

Enter a great closeout deal at Boaters World for $599 ($700 off list).

The Eagle SeaChamp 2000 DF (Made by Lowrance)

http://www.boatersworld.com/product/319392650.htm

It's a 256 color 7" VGA(640x480) resolution screen, big, bright and sharp. It's sounder is dual frequency with depth capability to 1500', no more lost bottoms. The GPS is WAAS enabled for improved accuracy. Their charts are Navionics Gold+, great vector based detail (everything is always right side up no matter which way you are headed and the text is always readable unlike the raster charts on my PPC). Built in tides, currents, port info, and even Bathyosphere bottom detail all on layers that can be turned on or off as needed. The XL3 region covers not only Puget Sound but the entire inside and outside of Vancouver Island all on one chip in seamless detail. It even has a speed transducer in addition to the depth/temp one. Now I can compare speed over ground to speed through water to get a measure of the currents we are in. It's NMEA ready unlike it's Lowrance cousins so my AP will hook up no problem. These new Lorance/Eagle units even store all their waypoints and routes in a .USR file on the SD card and my raster based laptop software can export/import directly in this format. No new planning software required.

Why a closeout, no doubt they are making way for the units that support the Navionics platinum charts with their 3d databases, as well as the external radar units Lowrance/Eagle is now making. Neither are features I'm willing to pay the price for.

My unit arrives Wednesday. The old Lowrance will move inside as a backup and the new unit will land on the pedestal.

Note if you order, Boaters World only seems to carry the Navionics charts on Compact Flash cards and the Lowrance/Eagle units need the chart on MMC/SD card. West marine has the SD cards in stock.

[Trav White]

Duane,

Can you post pictures of your unit on the pedestal?

I just bought an '02X and the owner gave me a Magellan chartplotter that hasn't been installed yet. So its NIB, as they say on Ebay. I was thinking about installing it on the pedestal, but wonder if it will get in the way of the mainsheet. Does anyone elses?

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

There is actually quite a bit of room at the pedestal. Mine was mounted there and worked just fine with the mainsheet at the loop on top. Moving the mainsheet up to pedestal guard even gets you more room. My first pedestal guard was a small one that bolted to the front of the pedestal. Now I have the full length one that bolts to he pedestal and the floor.

This was version 1 with the small pedestal guard.



This is version 2 with the larger pedestal guard.



The mainsheet goes on the loop at the top above the binocular box / cup holder.



I've now moved the compass to behind the binocular box in the center.

I'll post pictures of the new unit after I get it installed in a few days.

[Bobby T.-26X #4767]

wow...what a great deal for something that does all the things that i need.
like you, i currently have two items on top of my pedestal.
for $599 (no tax or shipping), i could have one unit on my pedestal.
a HUGE COLOR screen that has GPS, Depth, Speed & Temp.

i gotta talk to the general (aka CEO). however, knowing her like i know her, she'll be luke warm.

Bob T.
"DaBob"
'02X w/ '04 90-TLDI & '06 2.5-Suzuki

[Frank C]

That is a great deal, DD. A couple months back I bought the Lowrance LMS 332, which has the five-inch screen. It was $589 on eBay, tax & shipping free. She also tossed in the NauticPath chip for $75 extra.

Instead of the pedestal, I mounted mine at the companionway. THis mounting spot permits me to see the speed & depth display when sitting ahead of pedestal and trimming the jib sheets. It's installed but not fully wired yet. They're now using the NMEA-2000 network bus - very cool, but I think you might need a special terminator to link to any other gear.

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

Bobby,

My wife feels that upgrading the navigation equipment is a very important safety item. She had no problem with the cost. Our cruising area is a target rich environment so she understands how important it is to know where you are and what you are going to hit. It was an easy sale.

Frank,

I'd have gone with the nautipath chip if my cruising area was all in the US. Unfortunately I have to have Canada as well so Navionics was the way to go.

The companionway is an interesting option. I may hold it up there to evaluate it's useablity there. The big display would probably be OK, but I don't think I'd like having to go forward from the wheel to change settings. I tend to stay at the helm seat except when the AP is driving. I'll be mounting it on the RAM mounts I have so it can swivel to face either side. I don't know that I could live with not having it at my fingertips for zooming, route selection, etc. I also worry that while I could see the major readouts like current depth, speed etc, I would have trouble seeing the chart depths in the path ahead. I guess I could just drive by color. Set the shallow areas to my min acceptable depth and make sure we're not going to cross the colored areas. I'll check it out.

I also have a helm pedestal cover (the blue in the last picture above). It not only covers the wheel but also encloses the nav instruments making them less of a theft target at the dock.

[argonaut]

The Navionics chip is excellent, but if your budget's blown Lowrance's NauticPath chip is an incredible deal. The whole detailed coastal US comes on one chip. I got one for my handheld iFinder H2O. Has nav aids, depths, depth contours, bridge heights, service facilities, tides, etc. The cartography seems more reasonably priced. Still need chart chips for inland lakes though.

With Garmin's similarly priced newer 4 series (498C, 492...) they've thrown in built-in Bluechart G2 vector maps for the coastal US, probably to compete. Ditto adding charts for inland lakes. The one I eyeballed had the dock I was standing on in vector map form.

One nuisance with my H2O is that I can only see detailed water or detailed land. With the marine chart chip in you lose the ability to see and identify roads, the land becomes a grey blob with no road lines. Makes finding fast food along the way that much harder. Maybe I just need a second GPS for my Arby's waypoints...

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

Not a single Garmin unit under $1000 has anything better than a 320x240 screen (1/4 the resolution of the VGA display on mine), even their newest GPS/Sounders are stuck in the old days. Their current offerings really pale compared to Lowrance/Eagle or Humminbird. You have to step up to their 2106 to get a larger screen (still only 6.4" compared to the Eagle 7") and it lists for $1599. Adding depth adds even more for the depth repeater unit and transducer. They just seem like one of those stuck up companies living in lala land really not caring about the value end of the market. They want to sell high end stuff for the mega yachts.

You can get the same 7" unit I'm getting from Lowrance with an internal hard drive and full US cartography pre-loaded. It has full nautical charts, inland lake charts, and complete topo charts for the entire US. It is the LCX26C-HD, identical except they leave off the std NMEA interface cable for some reason.

The Navionics Gold+ charts have some of the best shoreside detail I've seen in vector charts which have always been pretty blank on land. Navionics is now offering their 'Land&Sea' series in Europe. Both complete road and nautical vector charts on one chip. Perhaps they'll have that product for the US soon. My Gold+ chart came with a coupon for a free FishNChip which adds enhanced sea floor bathymetry. For inland lakes you still need the hot map region of choice.

I got the chart chip yesterday, and my GPS/Sounder arrives tomorrow.

I also just picked up my two new Trojan GC2-105 6v batteries. 225 Amp hours at 12v when connected in series. They will replace my small G-24 dual purpose batteries which were connected in parallel as a puney 120 Ah bank.

[Bobby T.-26X #4767]

I also just picked up my two new Trojan GC2-105 6v batteries. 225 Amp hours at 12v when connected in series. They will replace my small G-24 dual purpose batteries which were connected in parallel as a puney 120 Ah bank.

wow!
with all your gear, how much does your X weigh? i'm worried about your single axel trailer.
two 6 volt Trojans?
now you need an arch and a couple of solar panels...

[Captain Steve]

The link to Boatersworld shows a card for 99 bucks...it is a SD card

[Captain Steve]

Forgot to ask...where are you placing the antenna puck?

[Captain Steve]

just ordered mine....check out with the Google checkout option and save 10 bucks!!!!

[Tahoe Jack]

Soooo Duane...what are your impressions of your new toy, now that you have it installed. How about visibility in sunlight exposure? Would this unit read the 'freebie' online federal map stuff? Thanks in advance. Jack

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

I'm installing it today. I finally finished getting power back in the boat on Thursday. The two new GC2 batteries are now installed up in their new box forward under the vee berth next to the water. There was quite a bit of work cleaning up the wiring in the old battery compartment by the galley. Now it's all neat and I have a nice new empty compartment to store stuff in.

I've had the unit at the pedestal on it's mount, but have not powered it up yet. The size is perfect. Big enough to see easily but not over powering like a 10" or 12" display would be.

I'm going to mount my GPS antenna on my poor man's 'antenna tower' also know as the mast crutch at the transom. The old boats has a transom mount mast crutch instead of a pedestal mount one. Once the mast is off it it can be swiveled 180 degrees outboard and makes a nice little tower on the starboard side. You can see it in this picture.



I already have my VHF antenna there, and I'm going to put the GPS there as well. My old GPS puck is located just forward of the mast step on the deck. It's been fine there, but occasionally my wife or kids will sit leaning up against the mast and it will lose reception. I'm just going to leave it there. It would be a lot more wiring work to run the new one to the same place. The transom location will be better.

I also like the transom antenna tower because it is always on board, even when we go out without the mast. I moved the VHF there from the mast top just for this reason.

These units cannot use the either flavor of the free charts available from NOAA. Both the raster (bitmap) charts and the S-57 vector charts are great for a PC, but cannot be loaded into any of the dedicated chartplotter units like this. Depending on the brand of plotter you have to buy either the C-Map, Navionics, Garmin, Lowrance, or Magellan charts. This particular unit can use either the Navionics Silver or Gold series charts or the Lowrance Nautipath charts. For the US only the Nautipath are great at only $99 for the entire country. The Navionics Silver regional charts are also $99 but I went with the Navionics Gold+ charts in the XL3 size that cover even larger areas with better detail than the Silver or the Nautipath. This is one of the few chips out there with both US and Canadian charts on one chip. Chip 913 covers all of Puget Sound and goes north covering the entire waters surounding Vancouver Island. It's not just the inside passage that others offer, but is the entire island both inside and the outer coast along with the adjacent mainland. I can go completely around the huge island and it reaches almost up to the Queen Charlottes in the north. It's the red outlined area in the Northwest on this picture.



I should have the Eagle installed and working by this afternoon, it's the #1 project for the day.

[Captain Steve]

DD, you get your chip at WM????? west coast coverage from your graphic will do for me.