Buying a GPS for my boat

I am going to buy my first GPS for my boat. Any ideas?
I am thinking about a color LCR/GPS vs. a handheald. Got any input as to what works best?

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I am thinking about a color LCR/GPS vs. a handheald. Got any input as to what works best?

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How much money do you want to spend?
That will help us with our helping you

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I am going to buy my first GPS for my boat. Any ideas?
I am thinking about a color LCR/GPS vs. a handheald. Got any input as to what works best?

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They don’t make a lot of GPS-only options any more. A guy is almost better off to look at combo units and get a nice Sonar/GPS combo in most cases. The prices are not all that much more versus a GPS-only unit. But if you are certain you want to go the GPS-only route, something like the new Lowrance Elite-5M would be a good choice.

I see that you are in Omaha. One of my favorite towns. Met my wife there. Can you tell us, where do you do most of your fishing? And what price range are you considering? That will really help us narrow down the choices. Also, do you want to be able to use electronic maps, or do you only plan to use the base map on the unit? The more you can tell us about your needs and your fishing habits, the more we can help you select the right unit.

A color GPS/Sonar is my first choice. Do I need Side view? High Def?

Price Range – As little as I can get away with – $400-$700.

I don’t know squat about maps. I just wan to mark rockpiles and set waypoints when I get bit. Also just to convey coordinates to friends when on a bite.

If there is something else I need, please enlighten me.

I am going to buy an I-Pilot for my Terrova and use it’s GPS for trolling patterns, but I THINK I need a GPS too. Right?

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I am going to buy an I-Pilot for my Terrova and use it’s GPS for trolling patterns, but I THINK I need a GPS too. Right?

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The iPilot has its own built in GPS if I’m not mistaken, so not having a console mounted unit would not stop you there.

However, as you mentioned, a GPS can be a very valuable asset for many different reasons

As Pete mentioned, the i-Pilot has its own integrated GPS system to control the motor.

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A color GPS/Sonar is my first choice. Do I need Side view? High Def?
Price Range – As little as I can get away with – $400-$700.
I don’t know squat about maps. I just wan to mark rockpiles and set waypoints when I get bit. Also just to convey coordinates to friends when on a bite.
If there is something else I need, please enlighten me.
I am going to buy an I-Pilot for my Terrova and use it’s GPS for trolling patterns, but I THINK I need a GPS too. Right?

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The I-pilot has a built-in GPS for the motor but I would suggest a separate unit on the console or bow. The I-Pilot is not setup to function as a primary GPS.

With your price range and what you say you want to do, I would suggest one of the following four options:

Lowrance HDS-5

Lowrance Elite-5

Humminbird 788C

Humminbird 597c

Given that you primarily want to mark your spots, use waypoints and trails, and be able to communicate locations to your buddies, you could get away with either of the less expensive models (The Elite-5 or the 597C). Either of those would be a good choice but the dual beam sonar ability of the Humminbird might come in handy if you are fishing close to other boaters and you find you are getting sonar interference. It’s also nice to be able to use the wider beam of the dual beam unit so you can cover a little more area under the boat. I think I have talked myself into the 597C as your best option, but you’ll have to make your own choice.

If you’re interested in using a Lakemaster chip in your Humminbird unit, and cashing in on all of the Humminbird-exclusive features, then you’ll want the 788. The 597 is not Lakemaster compatible:

http://store.humminbird.com/products/338862/Lakemaster_Minnesota

If you want GPS only. The Garmin Nuvi 500 is waterproof and you can get a lakemaster map for it.

Nuvi 500