Buying A GPS from USA

[tynesman]

Seeing the post on buying a VHF radio from the US, has anyone bought a GPS/plotter etc?
Is there anything to watch out for!
The prices in gpsstore.com are also very keen,anyone out there purchased anything from them.


Happy sailing

Tynesman

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[dickh]

I read the Which magazine last night and there was an article about the extra charges incurrred when buying from abroad, which you usually can't find out about beforehand. Make sure it is 'door to door', ALL delivery charges etc. are added, oh, and you might get done for VAT on top!
Be careful about some of the 'chart plotters' as they may be loaded with US general chart and not European - which you will have to pay for in the UK...
Have you looked at UK sites? - try http://www.ebay.co.uk for auction bargains.

<hr width=100% size=1>dickh
I'd rather be sailing... /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

 

[gjgm]

got to say i m no expert, but was reading through my garmin instructions other day and I think you have to re-set the machine to where you are in the world, well like continents..! Maybe I ve got it wrong.. ask one of the gps specialists.. say your going to usa etc ....

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[vyv_cox]

I bought both a Garmin 75 and the monochrome plotter version, (180?) in USA. They were roughly the price in dollars that they are in pounds. No problems at all. A non-chart version needs nothing to make it work, a chart version needs the local charts. I had to buy them over here.

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[CPN]

Purchased a Garmin etrex summit from tvnav.com two years ago. Had absolutely no problem with import or with the set-up and operation.

They have a full range of Garmin GPS units - look them up under http://www.tvnav.com - highly recommended.

Pete

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[tome]

There's no problem at all with GPS sets except possibly that the initial position acquisition may take a little longer when it's first fired up in the UK. Having said that, I don't expect that sets sold on the UK market are 'fired-up' on arrival here so there's probably no difference. Once it has found itself it will immediately adapt to our customs, lose it's North Atlantic twang and perform as a native from thereon.

Plotters are a different issue as they tend to be sold with local mapping, as stated elsewhere.



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[duncan]

you may find the manufacturer has a 'local focus' as well - but the US have more resources from all the major manufactures so you are only getting European service anyway.
I have a Lowrance plotter / sonar unit aquired in the US from a trip and it's the same unit I could have bought here end of story - and yes dollars for pounds. You may have warranty issue though as it is 'discouraged' as support for the UK distributor.

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[petery]

I now look at ebay.com before I buy anything in the UK. I've bought a marine SSB radio, Raymarine fish finder package, Guest halogen remote control spotlight etc etc - with no problems. Many vendors will ship to the UK even though they say 'US only' in their ads.

You need to add about 25% +freight to the dollar price to cover tax and duty. Only problem is that if you buy a WAAS enabled GPS for extra accuracy, it will work with EGNOS on this side of the atlantic when it is available. I understand that some US GPS will respond to the current EGNOS trial transmissions.

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[tr7v8]

My Mag 320 was an E Bay purchase with a load of bits thrown in. It'sactually an Aussie one and although prefers to be used upside down /forums/images/icons/smile.gif I can see no difference.

<hr width=100% size=1>Jim

Draco 2500

 

[Guest]

You can expect to pay in $ what we pay in £s. The addition of the shipping charges and duties can outweigh these savings. I usually buy on a visit as there is a duty free allowance that can be used! This then makes the price very attractive. Repair of these units is no problem though I have only experienced Garmin. My advise is go for it!
Neil

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[tynesman]

Thank you gentlemen for all your replies I am a wiser man now.


Happy sailing
Tynesman

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[Chris_Robb]

I tried to buy a hand held Garmin 12 - prices were much better in the states HOWEVER - once postage and vat and duty added - was same price as UK. I supect that the more valuable a thing is the less the postage will impact - but don't forget the VAT/DUTY - you will get charged this even though it may come a month later!

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[ArthurWood]

On Garmin models (12, 126, 176 e.g.) you can either let them find their position from scratch or you have the option of telling them where you are (from a pre-programmed list), thus making acquisition somewhat quicker.

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[BrendanS]

Or simply stick the cursor where you are (or think you are!)

Even when it's finding the position from scratch (done this in Iceland, Alaska, Peru and New Zealand etc, and back in UK) it takes very little time, a matter of a few minutes - you won't have finished packing the boat or car before it's ready to go.

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[Andrew_Bray]

I bought a Garmin 12XL in USA - cost was same in $ as £ in UK. Only problem is that the city database is USA, not Europe, not that it matters much

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