Garmin GPSMAP 520 Q

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vas

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hello,

I admit I'm a bit confused with the issue so bear with me plz.

Right, colleague from work send me a link for a special clearance offer of an e-shop here selling said chartplotter for 99euro. That's definitely a good price if one needs such a thing.
Now, since I'll be mainly using my Vaio (GPS receiver builtin) with OpenCPN on the lower helm and only planning to have the A/P controls on the f/b I wouldn't really mind a smallish device that would solve the various "and what's that over there dady?" Qs I'm getting...
However being a practical person, I'd ideally like to link that to a sounder/fishfinder function that unless I'm horribly wrong is NOT supported on the non-S models. Correct?

Assuming that it's indeed NOT supported comes my Q:
Is it viable to use some other transducer (a NMEA 0183 for example as the 520 doesn't support NMEA2000) to do that?
Is it worth it? I mean if the necessary transducer is 300quid, then no I wont bother...

cheers

V.
 
You are correct, the non "s" version will not work as a fishfinder and you cannot connect a transducer to it. You can connect a "NMEA 0183 smart sensor" to it for a digital depth reading, but not the fishfinder display.

That will cost you around £250 and, IMO, is daft. A better solution (assuming you have no other depth instrument onboard) would be to fit a cheap Garmin fishfinder and connect that to the plotter via NMEA 0183. You could, for instance, fit the fishfinder at the lower helm and connect to the plotter on the flybridge, so the plotter displays digital depth. You obviously need to make sure the fishfinder has NMEA out.

If you wanted, you could take things a stage further and fit a multiplexor with Bluetooth or wifi (whichever is compatible with the Vaio). You could feed the multiplexor with depth and AIS, hard wire it to the plotter and connect the Vaio wirelessly and have digital depth and AIS on the flybridge plotter and on OpenCPN.
 
PaulGooch said:
You are correct, the non "s" version will not work as a fishfinder and you cannot connect a transducer to it. You can connect a "NMEA 0183 smart sensor" to it for a digital depth reading, but not the fishfinder display.

That will cost you around £250 and, IMO, is daft. A better solution (assuming you have no other depth instrument onboard) would be to fit a cheap Garmin fishfinder and connect that to the plotter via NMEA 0183. You could, for instance, fit the fishfinder at the lower helm and connect to the plotter on the flybridge, so the plotter displays digital depth. You obviously need to make sure the fishfinder has NMEA out.
Click to expand...


ah, that's the man I wanted :D

thanks Paul, I found in the meantime that I can use:
Intelliducer™ Thru-hull Mount Sensor with Depth & Temperature (0-12°, NMEA 0183)

(around 200usd)
But I hadn't realised that only the depth info would present themselves in the plotter and NOT the fishfinder screen, so daft it is indeed :(


PaulGooch said:
If you wanted, you could take things a stage further and fit a multiplexor with Bluetooth or wifi (whichever is compatible with the Vaio). You could feed the multiplexor with depth and AIS, hard wire it to the plotter and connect the Vaio wirelessly and have digital depth and AIS on the flybridge plotter and on OpenCPN.
Click to expand...

Now I know many wont agree, but although I'm a techie at heart, I don't like screens scattered all over the place. Even the a/p control is nicely tucked away at the side... Not tidal, clear waters here, so tbh cannot be that bothered with the sounder. Have been using android anchor check apps on two mobiles for drifting at night and can continue doing so as I'm a heavy sleeper and I doubt i'll hear the vaio ringing at the lower helm chart table.
Mind I do have the original (?) Seafarer 2 (or 3) thingy on board (currently stored in the garage) but havent found any transducer in the hull. Once I lift all the cabin floors next month I'll know for sure if there is one, else I have to buy a transducer, install it and connect the seafarer if I decide to use it. In other words nothing to built up to atm. Not being aesthetically pleasing and missing a bit of trim, I may not bother installing it at all.

So the idea of the cheap fishfinder (which will cost me MORE than the plotter!) is not particularly appealing :(

I may just get this 520, afterall 99euro is nothing! and think about integration at a later point. Then I can get a handheld fishfinder thingy wotsit for the tender and use it when I go fishing with the son ;)

cheers
 
Vas the Gpsmap 520 is the basic model and does NOT include any preloaded marine charts. So you will have the added cost of a chart card on SD. Alternatively a Gpsmap 551s or 550s will have preloaded marine charts of the entire UK/IRL and can connect direct to a £60 Garmin depth transducer.

Best buy is a Gpsmap 451s which is 4" screen but has UK marine charts and socket for inexpensive Garmin depth transducer. I use same on our tender.
 
oceanfroggie said:
Vas the Gpsmap 520 is the basic model and does NOT include any preloaded marine charts. So you will have the added cost of a chart card on SD. Alternatively a Gpsmap 551s or 550s will have preloaded marine charts of the entire UK/IRL and can connect direct to a £60 Garmin depth transducer.

Best buy is a Gpsmap 451s which is 4" screen but has UK marine charts and socket for inexpensive Garmin depth transducer. I use same on our tender.
Click to expand...

OF, not sure if preloaded map of UK is particularly helpful to Vas. I have invited him to meet up on the R Severn, but a bit of a trek from Greece:)
 
rafiki_ said:
OF, not sure if preloaded map of UK is particularly helpful to Vas. I have invited him to meet up on the R Severn, but a bit of a trek from Greece:)
Click to expand...

Ah :) Comprendee. On cost though he'll need to factor in the additional cost of chart cards for the med.
 
thank you guys :D

I'll be visiting again the UK within the next 6months on a research project trek around interactive exhibits on museums, hardly qualifies for a 3m trek on MiToS though...

520 ordered and arrived yesterday, ex-demo, but in a multistore demo sense, so never connected to power, just standing on a kiosk. Spotless, well pleased with the 99 vs 720euro price (that was on the sticker, can be found around 500 on eshops)

The maps, I knew about but a friend got two cards with his Princess when bought last year, so I get the 2008-09 one, he keeps the newer, not complaining ;)

Only issue is that I want to flush mount it and I need to source a flush mounting kit (thought it was included in the box :( ) Anyway, hope I'll get something at a decent price as the fitting method is fugly.

more on that on the main rebuilt thread on Monday

cheers

V.
 
jrudge said:
Could you post the link to the offer please. thanks. Jeremy
Click to expand...

I'm afraid I got the last one and they had to courier it to me from Thessaloniki. Their website is okayish for normal stuff but that was limited availability so useless. Had to call them twice, after getting no reply from emailing them and obviously the whole site and talking was in Greek :)

fwiw, site was this

I'll be checking regularly for any other offers, but I doubt. If you want I can give them a call and ask for 420 as they did say when I finally ordered that there was only one available in 20shops.

cheers

V.
 
PaulGooch said:
Any good ? :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p3984.m570.l1313&_nkw=garmin+520+flush&_sacat=0&_from=R40
Click to expand...

sure Paul,

although ideally I'd like an EU seller as the idiots at the customs may charge me another 20euro for this :(
Unfortunately all are US sellers.
Further, I don't get the idea of the flush mount as it seems that you cannot remove/store the GPS for safety reasons during the winter as you end up with a nice hole to get all the water in :eek:
Am I missing something and the GPS cover snaps on the flush mount frame once the device is removed or what?
I mean securitywise, it's not particularly clever is it?
I am talking about f/b mounting the thing, so not in the security of the lower helm

cheers

V.
 
jrudge said:
Thank you. I will keep an eye on it. They wouldrobably not be keen on shipping over seas but it was cheap!
Click to expand...
dunno, but if you do find something I'd not mind picking it up for you and sending it over, courier office is a short walk down the road from home ;)

V.
 
vas said:
sure Paul,

although ideally I'd like an EU seller as the idiots at the customs may charge me another 20euro for this :(
Unfortunately all are US sellers.
Further, I don't get the idea of the flush mount as it seems that you cannot remove/store the GPS for safety reasons during the winter as you end up with a nice hole to get all the water in :eek:
Am I missing something and the GPS cover snaps on the flush mount frame once the device is removed or what?
I mean securitywise, it's not particularly clever is it?
I am talking about f/b mounting the thing, so not in the security of the lower helm

cheers

V.
Click to expand...

You fit the plotter into the flush mount, then cut a hole in the dash and drop the whole assembly through. No more or less secure than most other flush mount plotters. The Garmin 620 has a removable flush mount system, but i don't know of another.
 
PaulGooch said:
... A better solution (assuming you have no other depth instrument onboard) would be to fit a cheap Garmin fishfinder and connect that to the plotter via NMEA 0183. You could, for instance, fit the fishfinder at the lower helm and connect to the plotter on the flybridge, so the plotter displays digital depth. You obviously need to make sure the fishfinder has NMEA out.
Click to expand...

Paul,

if you don't mind, since I'm building my watch list for items coming up on ebay and some local fora, care to suggest decent (as in cheap and cheerful) NMEA0183 compatible fishfinders/transducers/etc?
Having problems finding one, seems that the plain cheap fishfinders from garmin are not NMEA(whatever) compatible, a Lowrance or two are available but not cheap and I'm a bit lost.
Also looking at transducer only solutions for NMEA0183 and turned to airmar for some ideas but not that cheap either.

only good find has been this

not in any hurry whatsoever :D

I guess a 12deg deadrise would be ok to sort out a mounting position.
I also guess that a plastic through hull would be better than a bronze one for my ply hull.

cheers

V.
 
vas said:
Paul,

if you don't mind, since I'm building my watch list for items coming up on ebay and some local fora, care to suggest decent (as in cheap and cheerful) NMEA0183 compatible fishfinders/transducers/etc?
Having problems finding one, seems that the plain cheap fishfinders from garmin are not NMEA(whatever) compatible, a Lowrance or two are available but not cheap and I'm a bit lost.
Also looking at transducer only solutions for NMEA0183 and turned to airmar for some ideas but not that cheap either.

only good find has been this

not in any hurry whatsoever :D

I guess a 12deg deadrise would be ok to sort out a mounting position.
I also guess that a plastic through hull would be better than a bronze one for my ply hull.

cheers

V.
Click to expand...

The NMEA transducers to supply depth to the chart plotter are relatively new products and seem a bit expensive for what they are. Garmin call them "Smart Sensors", will still be made by Airmar, so won't make any different who's box they come in.

You could keep an eye out for a Garmin fishfinder with NMEA out, maybe a used one. It seems the new Garmin Echo series has no NMEA output, which is a bit silly. Previous models like the 160c, 300c, 320c and 400c did have NMEA outputs, which would allow depth to be output to the plotter.

Not a fan of Lowrance stuff. Some of the earlier Raymarine fishfinders were good quality and should have NMEA outputs too.

I think the general recommendation for wood boats is bronze through hull, these are available with 12 or 20 degree deadrise.
 
Last edited:
vas said:
sure Paul,

although ideally I'd like an EU seller as the idiots at the customs may charge me another 20euro for this :(
Unfortunately all are US sellers.
Further, I don't get the idea of the flush mount as it seems that you cannot remove/store the GPS for safety reasons during the winter as you end up with a nice hole to get all the water in :eek:
Am I missing something and the GPS cover snaps on the flush mount frame once the device is removed or what?
I mean securitywise, it's not particularly clever is it?
I am talking about f/b mounting the thing, so not in the security of the lower helm

cheers

V.
Click to expand...

Vas, my 520 is mounted on the bracket. Flush mtg option just didn't fit Raf without some serious re engineering, and enables quick disconnect for security. I don't recall anything else in the box for the flush, but I will check the box tomorrow if I get time. I think the cover fits nicely when flush mounted.
 
rafiki_ said:
Vas, my 520 is mounted on the bracket. Flush mtg option just didn't fit Raf without some serious re engineering, and enables quick disconnect for security. I don't recall anything else in the box for the flush, but I will check the box tomorrow if I get time. I think the cover fits nicely when flush mounted.
Click to expand...

The flush kit was an extra.
 
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