Garmin touch screen plotter

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gjgm

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Anyone got one of these on a fast boat, rather than a flybridge? Does the touch screen work OK, or do you need the tactile buttons when bouncing about?
Also, any thoughts on the G2Vision? Are those 3D charts etc actually useful, or just fun in the shop, and you end up using the convention chart style?
I did try having a discussion at LBS at the Garmin stand, but the guy was so disinterested I wondered if I had accidentally asked him about Raymarine, and I gave up.
 
gjgm said:
Anyone got one of these on a fast boat, rather than a flybridge? Does the touch screen work OK, or do you need the tactile buttons when bouncing about?
Also, any thoughts on the G2Vision? Are those 3D charts etc actually useful, or just fun in the shop, and you end up using the convention chart style?
I did try having a discussion at LBS at the Garmin stand, but the guy was so disinterested I wondered if I had accidentally asked him about Raymarine, and I gave up.
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I don't have touch screen, but i do have a GPSMAP 4010 with G2 Vision.

I find on my 27 footer that if it's a bit choppy, it's nice to be able to rest the heel of my hand beside the plotter and feel the buttons. Not sure how well that would work with touch screen.

I looked at the various alternate views and found i preferred the traditional paper chart style. The 3D underwater (fish eye view ?) is totally pointless, IMO, as it uses the chart data to draw the underwater profile, rather than real sonar data.

I fitted this last April ish, to replace a Raymarine C90W that was 3 or 4 months old and suffering with a temperamental internal GPS sensor (very poor support from Raymarine). I would highly recommend a Garmin system, i've been very, very happy with mine.
 
I have a Garmin 750s and it is good at speed. Going out again on Saturday, to give it and other new things further trials.
Best thing about it is when you are doing 25kts and want to see a long way ahead you don't need to zoom out (and lose detail) you just drag the map along to what you want to see and then back again. That has to be the best feature. I am not too good with touch screen (sat navs and the like) but have had no problems with this.
 
I fitted non-touch screen 4000 series last year lower helm and FB. TBH, I only use the conventional charts when underway. The blue screens look good and do work, but like others I prefer to see a conventional chart. The Garmin kit is great, but I didnt go touch screen as I had the same reservations when bouncing about. Don't know about others, but when traveling at speed the only way to I can get an accurate button push on anything is to anchor my hand next to/or on the side of the instrument and then hit the right button with hand now held steady.
 
Ripster said:
I fitted non-touch screen 4000 series last year lower helm and FB. TBH, I only use the conventional charts when underway. The blue screens look good and do work, but like others I prefer to see a conventional chart. The Garmin kit is great, but I didnt go touch screen as I had the same reservations when bouncing about. Don't know about others, but when traveling at speed the only way to I can get an accurate button push on anything is to anchor my hand next to/or on the side of the instrument and then hit the right button with hand now held steady.
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Thanks. Good point above about the touch and scroll ability, and of course you get more screen if you dont have buttons. I suspect the touch screen works when bouncing about as long, as you say with a conventional set up, you can still anchor your hand. Maybe one reason not to go too large a screen !
 
gjgm said:
Thanks. Good point above about the touch and scroll ability, and of course you get more screen if you dont have buttons. <snip>
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You have that backwards. a 10" "normal" plotter will have 10"'s of screen, with separate button. If it were touch screen, the "buttons" are part of the screen, therefore taking some of it up.

It might be that the Garmin plotter has an option to auto hide the touch screen "buttons". After a given time they disappear from the screen, returning if you touch anywhere on screen. This would still only revert to the same size screen as a conventional plotter.
 
PaulGooch said:
You have that backwards. a 10" "normal" plotter will have 10"'s of screen, with separate button. If it were touch screen, the "buttons" are part of the screen, therefore taking some of it up.

It might be that the Garmin plotter has an option to auto hide the touch screen "buttons". After a given time they disappear from the screen, returning if you touch anywhere on screen. This would still only revert to the same size screen as a conventional plotter.
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If you look at the sizes of the button/touch screens, the button "boxes" are bigger- I think ! So while I might fit a 12" touch screen, I cant fit a 12" button screen.
 
we have 750S units on the rib and so far have been very impressed. easy to see and touch even at speed and bumping around. dont work with gloves on but thats pretty obvious really.

having come from buttons to touch screen, the ability to scroll easily is fantastic!!
 
z1ppy said:
we have 750S units on the rib and so far have been very impressed. easy to see and touch even at speed and bumping around. dont work with gloves on but thats pretty obvious really.

having come from buttons to touch screen, the ability to scroll easily is fantastic!!
Click to expand...
Thanks, this is good feedback.
 
gjgm - 'bouncing about'...
dunno if it helps, but thru experience i have discovered that ultimately,
no matter the size of screen, or input type, simple (pre-planned)route info
in big writing, on paper, tied securely,
avoids the need to slow down.
obviously depends on how adventurous you are being with
the bouncing about thing! (although also good back up)
 
sagiatt said:
gjgm - 'bouncing about'...
dunno if it helps, but thru experience i have discovered that ultimately,
no matter the size of screen, or input type, simple (pre-planned)route info
in big writing, on paper, tied securely,
avoids the need to slow down.
obviously depends on how adventurous you are being with
the bouncing about thing! (although also good back up)
Click to expand...
Actually the boat has a large paper chart area right next to the helm, so we are possibly better covered than most helms. Its more when using the plotter for scrolling/zooming, not for trying to passge plan under way!
 
gjgm said:
Actually the boat has a large paper chart area right next to the helm, so we are possibly better covered than most helms. Its more when using the plotter for scrolling/zooming, not for trying to passge plan under way!
Click to expand...

We use Garmin HomePort for passage planning on laptop, zap route onto SD card and then pop it in the plotter. You can save preloaded charts from units like the 750 onto SD card for use with HomePort, or use your g2 Vision SD card with HomePort. Laptop zooming gives similar benefits to the 'big picture' view offered by paper charts. PC planning tools is another area where Garmin have excelled compared to Navionics/Ray and Cmap et al.
 
oceanfroggie said:
We use Garmin HomePort for passage planning on laptop, zap route onto SD card and then pop it in the plotter. You can save preloaded charts from units like the 750 onto SD card for use with HomePort, or use your g2 Vision SD card with HomePort. Laptop zooming gives similar benefits to the 'big picture' view offered by paper charts. PC planning tools is another area where Garmin have excelled compared to Navionics/Ray and Cmap et al.
Click to expand...

Add Garmin Nroute and a GPS input (handheld etc) and your laptop will make a nice backup plottter.
 
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