Handheld GPS & Cabelas

Saltwater Inshore Discussion
1

I’m looking for a basic hand held GPS for inshore/ near shore.
As always, I just hung up with Cabelas more impressed than last time I spoke with them. I can’t think of another company who’s customer service impresses me more. Why can’t all the bs “customer no service” companies… cell phone, cable, etc. imulate this type of business?..they could care less one way or another about us.
Back to the topic. Any suggestions on a marine handheld w/ good tracking, durable, long battery life, good built-in maps, updatable, compass, etc. in the $250 or less range? Looking at a few different Garmin and Lowrance, but they all seem to have low tracking in that price range.

2

I am happy if the customer service rep. speaks English. Being helpful and knowledgeable is a bonus.

3

I have a garmin handheld that I use as a secondary unit on my boat. Only paid $100.00 for it off of amazon.com. The batteries last for around 24 hours of continuous use.

4

The key point there being less than $250. Everything decent is set-up for land topo so you have to spend another $100 - $150 on the coastal maps. My dream has been a hybrid in that $200 price range - something portable (but with a decent size screen) I can use in the car and then use on the boat. There’s just a few of those but last I looked, they’re all $500+. After seeing it on here, I did download the Navionics app ($14) onto my Droid phone for a “back-up”. Works well but has the to-be-expected limitations of small screen and eats up battery.

5

Cabelas has an app that works well for me. Uses sat maps so it will work anywhere. Only issue I have is it eats the battery pretty bad on my android phone.

6

One way to get around the battery issue on any mobile phone is to get a converter(dc to ac)(at Sams pretty cheap), plug it into the cigarette lighter outlet, then plug your phone charger into it…walllla…problem solved!

Ice Blue Pathfinder 2200
“Kemosabe”
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7
quote:
Originally posted by Limitout

One way to get around the battery issue on any mobile phone is to get a converter(dc to ac)(at Sams pretty cheap), plug it into the cigarette lighter outlet, then plug your phone charger into it…walllla…problem solved!

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Or use the mobile phone’s car charger and plug IT into the cigarette lighter…problem solved! :imp:

Tidewater 196DC
Yamaha F115

Pungo 120
8

I was in West Marine last week and they had a Garmin GPSMAP 76 (older model) for around $199. That’s a good unit. You’d have to buy maps for it…

I recently bought a GPSMAP 78s - it’s a good unit, more expensive though. You can get a GPSMAP78 unit (the cs I THINK) with the Garmin BlueChart g2 maps on it. Again, more $$$. Shop online and see what you can get.

Bonus - the GPSMAP 76 and 78 series units float. :smiley:

2004 Sea Pro SV1900 / 2003 Johnson 140 4 stroke

2002 Duracraft 1548 - Mercury 25 2-stroke -

9

If your interested I have a garmin Oregon 400c for sale. Pm if your interested.