Garmin 158i - Couple of Questions

[lpdsn]

My old Garmin fixed GPS is getting less and less reliable. I'm tempted just to replace it. The 158i seems to be the only basic fixed GPS Garmin sell these days. It's the closest direct replacement.

However, I've a couple of questions of anyone who has one fitted:

1) how well does it pick up GPS signals down below with its internal aerial (fibre-glass boat)?

2) Heard a story that the 0183 output has difficulty driving more than one reader. My current GPS feeds NMEA0183 into three other boxes, so it would take a fair bit of re-organisation if it's only capable of feeding one. Anyone got experiences to indicate whether there's any truth or not in the story?

Thanks in advance.

 

[lpdsn]

Not a popular model of GPS amongst forumites then.

 

[ex-Gladys]

Don't worry too much about NMEA listeners, I have 3;VHF, Tacktick instruments, Yeoman plotter

 

[NickRobinson]

Have you tried replacing the CMOS(?) internal button battery?

 

[lpdsn]

Don't worry too much about NMEA listeners, I have 3;VHF, Tacktick instruments, Yeoman plotter

Thanks

 

[lpdsn]

Have you tried replacing the CMOS(?) internal button battery?

No. The problem with the 128 is it finding its position on start up. Gradual deterioration over the last two months. Took it two hours the last time it suceeded. I suspect the antenna, which is really showing its age. I'm currently focusing on tracing the antenna cable just to check that.

Much as it goes against the grain, I suspect buying a new one is a better investment than trying to get spares to sort out the old one and missing a couple of weekends sailing to work on it.

 

[NickRobinson]

No. The problem with the 128 is it finding its position on start up. Gradual deterioration over the last two months. Took it two hours the last time it suceeded. I suspect the antenna, which is really showing its age. I'm currently focusing on tracing the antenna cable just to check that.

Much as it goes against the grain, I suspect buying a new one is a better investment than trying to get spares to sort out the old one and missing a couple of weekends sailing to work on it.

My 128 was losing tracks and it was fixed by doing the battery. two years on I started to get the 'EPE position lost' msg, had to use the autolocate function then it would work OK all day. fortuitously, I bought a job lot of two button cells so fitted the second one and all good and routes retained

 

[bitbaltic]

The 128 is bombproof, an issue is either a flat battery or a tired antenna, both easily and cheaply sorted. Much easier than breaking into the cruising fund for a new unit.

 

[lpdsn]

My 128 was losing tracks and it was fixed by doing the battery. two years on I started to get the 'EPE position lost' msg, had to use the autolocate function then it would work OK all day. fortuitously, I bought a job lot of two button cells so fitted the second one and all good and routes retained

Thanks. You don't happen to know the button cell size do you?

 

[NickRobinson]

Thanks. You don't happen to know the button cell size do you?

CR2032 with tags.(just looked through an external HDD and found the pic from 2014... You owe me! )

 

[lpdsn]

CR2032 with tags.(just looked through an external HDD and found the pic from 2014... You owe me! )

Thanks. If I'm ever sailing near Burton on Trent I'll buy you a pint

Seriously, if you're sailing around NI or the E coast of Ireland, get in touch to claim a beer.

 

[NickRobinson]

Thanks. If I'm ever sailing near Burton on Trent I'll buy you a pint

Seriously, if you're sailing around NI or the E coast of Ireland, get in touch to claim a beer.

i might take you up on that, my summer plans start with those waters- Holyhead/Dublin then North.

In the meantime get that battery in or you'll never find Burton!

 

[lpdsn]

i might take you up on that, my summer plans start with those waters- Holyhead/Dublin then North.

Definitely do. I'm planning to be based in Belfast Lough for the summer - probably Belfast itself if they've got space.

I bought a 158i in the end. I'm 95% sure the only problem with the 128 is the antenna (it really is old and decayed and may not even have been a Garmin one in the first place) but when I sat down and thought about it, it would cost more taking time off work to fettle it than it would to buy a new GPS. Even if I could get time off.

Maybe a 128 on the For Sale forum in a few weeks.

 

[lpdsn]

I bought a 158i in the end. I'm 95% sure the only problem with the 128 is the antenna (it really is old and decayed and may not even have been a Garmin one in the first place) ...

The problem with the 128 was definitely the aerial. I bought the 158i with the inclusive GA38 aerial (the price difference was less than the cost of postage). Anyway, first test was to try the 128 with the new aerial. It found its position straight away.

 

[RobF]

I had a Garmin 158i and was pleased with it. It worked well in the cabin and was capable of displaying depth and SOW from an AirMar NMEA 0183 transducer. I didn't use it to output to any NMEA instruments, thought.

Personally, I'm not sure why they aren't more popular. They can be flush mounted and display a number of useful items from the GPS (SOG, COG, DTW etc) to displaying output from the NMEA transducers. Whilst most will go for the Chart Plotter which is only a couple of hundred more, I quite liked the simplicity of a std GPS. Power draw was v low and when you're out at sea, a chart plotter isn't much good (although I accept that most have a 'Numbers' display option.

The only thing I didn't really like about it was the viewing angle, It was about 30degrees.

 

[lpdsn]

I had a Garmin 158i and was pleased with it. It worked well in the cabin and was capable of displaying depth and SOW from an AirMar NMEA 0183 transducer. I didn't use it to output to any NMEA instruments, thought.

Personally, I'm not sure why they aren't more popular. They can be flush mounted and display a number of useful items from the GPS (SOG, COG, DTW etc) to displaying output from the NMEA transducers. Whilst most will go for the Chart Plotter which is only a couple of hundred more, I quite liked the simplicity of a std GPS. Power draw was v low and when you're out at sea, a chart plotter isn't much good (although I accept that most have a 'Numbers' display option.

The only thing I didn't really like about it was the viewing angle, It was about 30degrees.

Thanks. I'm going to use the 128 with new aerial this weekend then replace it with the 158i next weekend. I noticed it will display additional information, so I can take that off the N2K bus and supply it to the 158i.

I'm going to assume it can drive up to three NMEA0183 readers from its output like the old one. If it can't, then I'll just feed it to the Actisense gateway then convert it back from NMEA2000 to 0183 for the VHF etc.

Viweing angle shouldn't be a problem as I can see the chart table from the cockpit and have repeaters in the cockpit for the main info anyway.

Thanks everyone for your help.

 

[lpdsn]

Just an update in case anyone is looking at the 158i in the future and comes across this thread in a search.

I managed to fit it last weekend. Cut out to flush mount it slightly larger, but otherwise not problematic.

I found that although it picks up some satellites at the chart table with the internal aerial, it is not very good and never actually came back with a position, so I'm glad I bought the pack with the GA38. Works very well with that.