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Subject: TWL: RE: Another traditional instrument to bite the dust?
From: Jerome A. Schroeder (jschroeder1@XXX.XXX)
Date: Sat Sep 01 2001 - 14:44:25 EDT
5 years? I've got a Garmin GPS 12 ($149.99) permanently mounted in the
wheelhouse and hard wired into my electrical system. Right next to the
compass. Deviation in Puget Sound is pretty extreme, so the compass is not
used that much for navigation except as a keep on course device. I can't
imagine anyone traveling more than a few miles without a GPS unit, even an
el-cheapo hand-held. After charts, and compass the first navigational
device a new boater should buy is a handheld GPS unit. Even as you upgrade,
it will serve as an emergency backup unit. Much to my amazement, I keep on
running across boaters who don't have any kind of GPS system.
One screen on my GPS 12 gives me bearing, tracking, compass (M or T)
distance traveled (m, or nm), Lat, Long, time, altitude(!) and speed.
Together with good charts, there ain't too much more I can ask for. Indeed,
on a summer cruise late at night it helped me find a hidden and unlit harbor
in the midst of a heavy rain. My only serious gripe is that it has a poor
backlight system, and even that might be cured by a careful perusal of the
manual. A minor gripe is that it takes about 30 to 40 seconds to acquire a
sattellite signal. No outside antenna. But once acquired, it stays
acquired. Good internal circutry.
My first GPS unit was the Garmin eTrex. All I can say about it is that it
worked and taught me what I wanted in a GPS unit. But, time to acquire a
signal, and poor screen menus quickly religated it to backup service. The
Garmin 12 is far superior. But, I'm sure that Lowrance and Magellan supply
similar units.
Now, I'm seriously considering a more expensive GPS unit. Preferrably one
with charting functions. Other features, such as tieing them into an
autopilot would be welcome. The Furno looks like the cat's meow. But, I
also know that I don't really NEED anything more than my $149.99 (USWest)
Garmin GPS 12. Indeed, I could navigate the USS Abraham Lincoln with it.
I'll probably wait until I move up to a slightly bigger boat.
Jerry Schroeder
M/V Surprise
21' Ranger R21
Ballard WA
> To: trawler-world-list@XXX.XXX
> Subject: TWL: Another traditional instrument to bite the dust?
>
> Furuno has a new GPS Compass out in two models - The SC 60 and the SC 120.
> These are pretty high end and include three antennas and solid state
> accelerometers to hold course under bridges and such. Accuracy is 0.8
> degrees on the SC 60 and .5 degrees on the SC 120. The SC 60 is about
> $3500.
>
>
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