Which Garmin plotter

[Spankerwrap]

I am currently looking for a Garmin chart plotter and, with the budget I have, it seems to be coming down to either.
A; a colour plotter with a small screen or
B: a black and white one with a bigger screen or
C: A basic GPS (126/128) attached to a Yeoman paper chart based plotter

I would welcome any comments/preferences please.

 

[hillyarder]

i have a garmin 12xl linked to a yeoman sport and i find this a good combination of paper and electronics. i quite like the lok of the garmin 76 h/h with the chart plotter software. about 350 quid over here, 290 in USA. so i might have a christmas pressie when i'm there. (see post on YM).

 

[tome]

I've used the Garmin 128 and Yeoman plotter for the past couple of seasons. I've found it to be a really good combination (there was a thread here recently on the subject):

1 The 128 is a superb and intuitive GPS receiver
2 Using the Yeoman means that you're updating a paper chart (in case all else fails) so you can always fall back to manual plotting
3 It's easy to send waypoints from the Yeoman to the GPS and then to edit details within the GPS receiver

I now have a dedicated socket both on deck and by the nav table so I can use the Yeoman in either position (mine's a Sport which has the waterproof cover). One simple trick - mark the chart reference positions on the cover so that you can realign the chart when it moves - it will.

Also, take care to set the GPS datum to agree with the chart and verify this by checking your position in a known location, eg pontoon before departure.

 

[Guest]

I almost bought the small Garmin GPS-Yeoman combination, but eventually bought garmin' large B/W dedicated plotter. I sail almost exclusively single-handed and generally in the Solent, Ch. Isles and NW France. It is simply superb to see the track of the boat.
I bought the cartridge for England S coast + NW France. This gives you, in effect, a massive portfolio of charts of all scales from harbour to cross channel.
If you are familiar with the Garmin procedures this is the way to go. My only regret is that I could not quite afford a colour plotter. The B/W screen is great at night with the back lighting. During the day the contrast can be adjusted, but in bright daylight it can be difficult to make out chart detail.

 

[vyv_cox]

I have a monochrome plotter GPSMAP 128(?) which is now the spare, and a colour GPSMAP220. Both have performed superbly and we rely heavily on their assistance. We still use paper charts for intricate navigation but mainly use lots of waypoints, set up prior to the voyage. Both units take the G-chart chips.

The major problem is that this system is now obsolete. G-charts are still available but Garmin will not tell me how long they propose to support this equipment. I note that several mail order chandlers still sell the older type and don't mention the obsolescence. Old designs have been superseded by the 2010 plotter and Bluecharts. Both seem to be a big step forward but the plotter, at least, costs an arm and a leg.

 

[byron]

I too use the garmin/yeoman combo which is great. What I would like however is the Garmin 2010.

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