Good basic handheld GPS

jimmynoboat

jimmynoboat

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I want my own handheld GPS so that when I'm sailing OPBs and charters I have a familure device as well as the, probably more sophisticated, one onboard. Money is tight but I don't need all the bells and whistles just the basics. but it's got to be reliable, fast to find the sats, robust and waterproof. Maybe the kind of thing some of you would chose to keep in your grab bag.

What is best?

P.s. Not really interested in second hand - been there done that ... waste of money
 
Have a good look on Ebay . I bought a Garmin 76 - brand new for £85! The 76 is a great bit of kit and does everything I need of it. Ideal as a second unit or back up, for that matter pretty good for a main unit as well. No bells and whistles, just a good old reliable GPS

Just read your bit about second hand. Mine was brand new off Ebay so they are there!
 
Re: Good basic handheld GPS .... basic ? and inexpensive ?

Then its the eTrex .....

Nothing simpler, nothing smaller in its class ... and easy to use. Lasts reasonably on a set of aa's ....

Slips in pocket .....
 
If sailing on my boat you use the boat's nav systems, NOTyour own toy! Insurance requirements and all that. If you do not trust the vessel's nav systems then perhaps you should stay on dry land.
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"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
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Bit OTT ???

I have my plotter on board ... and that is waht I nav with ...

Others come on my boat and they often bring their own hand-held gps .... as I do when I go on others. In fact I have had one guy bring his full Garmin Plotter ...

So what ? I'm happy enough to let 'em plug into my 12v .... they can play to their hearts content - and I am yet to see any clause or effect that Insurance requires use of own gear ...... only time I would be worried about insurance - would be if anything could be construed as putting undue risk to the vessel - such that any investigation later causes the Ins. co to void insurance. I cannot see another having his HH GPS on board being such a case !!

I in fact applaud the guy for wanting to carry one ... and hope he finds a good machine that he is happy with.
 
Re: Bit OTT ???

[ QUOTE ]
I in fact applaud the guy for wanting to carry one ... and hope he finds a good machine that he is happy with.

[/ QUOTE ]Not on my boat he won't - If he navigates he uses the vessels own gear - not his own toy.

Sorry, but that is my position - if I run aground or worse it is my fault and my responsibility. I can just see me going cap in hand to my insurance co saying "well this little hand held gps (belonging to a memeber of the crew) said it was clear water" - yea - right.
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hammer.thumb.gif
"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
sailroom <span style="color:red">The place to auction your previously loved boatie bits</span>
 
Re: Bit OTT ??? Quite agree!!

Quite agree.

The problem that people have, is that there is no standard agreed for this equipment. Each type is different. All manufacturers seem to make up their own, which can make it difficult to move from one to another, without recourse to the sometimes mystifying manual. So why not allow people to use their own GPS, if they know how to.

A similar problem can exist with VHF. Some DSC units are straight forward, with others requiring a degree in computing, even to switch channels.

This makes it essential to give an in-depth teach-in as a safety brief. Few do the same with their GPS/Chartplotter gear, which could also be essential, with some (particularly those with multifunctions) even making a simple Lat/Long difficult to find.

Best to check nav/vhf gear out before the proverbial hits the fan IMHO.
 
Re: Bit OTT ??? Quite agree!!

[ QUOTE ]
Each type is different. All manufacturers seem to make up their own, which can make it difficult to move from one to another, without recourse to the sometimes mystifying manual. So why not allow people to use their own GPS, if they know how to.

[/ QUOTE ]If they want to sail on my boat they use the vessel's gear other wise they don't sail with me. I will not trust my vessel to some toy brought on board by well meaning crew.

Once agin, sorry, but that is my position. i have invested a lot od money in my boat and the ancillary nav aids to trust its safety to some £200 toy not to mention the safety of the crew.

I have no problems with someone playing with a toy on board and I will happily supply 12v power for them to amuse themselves when off-watch but it shall not be used for navigation unless they can prove to me that all 3 of my vessels independent nav systems are wrong.

One must remember on thing, onboard there is only one skipper and one set of rules. Capt. Blyth strikes again.
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hammer.thumb.gif
"Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity"
sailroom <span style="color:red">The place to auction your previously loved boatie bits</span>
 
Cliff .... I don\'t disagree .... but original post ...

The guy's looking for a basic HH GPS .. which I bet even you have ?

He is not saying he's going to navigate another's boat with it in defiance of what is fitted. OK - you can assume from his post that he will use it alongside or if that boat has no GPS - he will use it as guide / addition.

My OTT post was primarily regarding your Insurance Co. bit .... which I thought was an unnecessary statement to make ... and IMHO OTT.

As to the statement - "£200 toy" - that is in reality absurd ..... considering that many GPS sets run from similar receiver set-ups - its the add-on stuff that bumps up set prices ... A basic eTrex / 76 etc. can in fact be more reliable / useful in real need than the most fancy bolted in / mounted plotter ... at least you could abandon ship with it and have reasonable service - not exactly like a mounted plotter !!

The guy asked a simple sensible question .... and appears to want to do as many others already do ...
 
Re: Cliff .... I don\'t disagree .... but original post ...

Before I bought my first yacht, I used to be a regular charterer. The charter boat only had usual compass and hand held gps. I bought my own HH and used it when chartering. I felt that I couldnt trust the on-board one because of the entered waypoints not being verified.

I have also used it when skippering a friends yacht and he has full chart plotting facilities, wherby I would predominantely sail by the fixed equipment I have some very useful waypoints which are a handy visual aid. You cant be to careful can you!
 
Re: Cliff .... I don\'t disagree .... but original post ...

Thanks Nigel, I'm pretty used to Clive's sore head now. At least he has a very honest avatar! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif Nice pier / pontoon BTW.
Clive, it's a bit different for those of us who do not have our own boats and I just want to have a GPS with which I am fully conversant.
The Garmin 76 looks great but, I could only consider buying a second hand one. Last time I did that I ended up with a piece of junk from Ebay. Maybe I'll try them again.
 
Re: Bit OTT ??? Quite agree!!

Agree with you Cliff when sailing on a boat as a guest then getting out your own kit is a bit OTT.
Saying that I still carry in my kit a HH VHF and GPS and my own life jacket this coupled with a mobile phone is my "Plan B" for when it all goes tits up.
 
Re: Bit OTT ??? Quite agree!!

We're just about to go off to the West Country for a couple of weeks sailing, and after checking my back-up handheld GPS (Magellan 310) I find it's not working! I've fiddled about with it, re-set it, etc. but it won't lock onto satellites, time for a new one. Having looked into it I have decided on the Garmin GPS72, available for £120 as a base unit or £135 as a marine kit with case, cradle and 12v cable from a chandler in Port Solent. Getting mine tomorrow. But it is only as a back up should the boats main GPS system fail!
 
I use a Garmin eTrex Legend occasionally because my boat currently has no instrumentation other than a depth sounder (don't need much on Windermere). As well as position on all the usual datums It gives me speed in Knots when I want to know, has a reasonable compass function, stores loads of waypoints, usually takes about a minute to find satellites from cold. I'm sure it could be better but for a general purpose hh GPS to use while sailing, walking etc. it seems fine.

Steve
 
After the usual diversions from the question asked /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I use a Garmin GPS60 which does everything I need and is reasonably economical on batteries.......... last time I looked you could pick these up for about £120.

A better bet might be the Lowrance Ifinder Go which is, I believe, the most economical of all on batteries and can be had for approx £70. A friend of mine has one and thinks it is brilliant.

I wouldn't recommend the Etrex anymore (I've had two) as they are heavy on batteries compared with the above and are basically yesterday's technology.


Hope this helps,
Paul.
 
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