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Need help with what GPS/Chartploter to buy

Old 01-15-2014, 10:20 AM
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Default Need help with what GPS/Chartploter to buy

I am wanting to install a GPS/Chartploter in my boat and I live in Iowa so they dont realy cary this type of stuff in the stores. I have been looking at the Lowrence Elite 5m and Elite 4M but am just not sure. I have some space to install one on the lower right side of my dash but dont want to go to big. i have no use for fish finder just want the maps with depth conturer and the ability to mark points and to follow my track back when it gets dark. let me know all the help would be great and if there is somone that has a used item I would be interested.
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Old 01-17-2014, 10:51 PM
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Hi I've been using a Garmin 3205 for 2 years now and although a great unit, I was looking for something with a much bigger bang with respect to simplicity of use, larger screen more features etc. A few weeks back I discovered the Garnin 741xi with the Blue chart G2 vision capability. This unit is sooooo impressive, well I can't say Ive seen or used a nicer unit. I went to the store today to have a look and walked out with the unit.....its a must have set up with the Blue chart G2 Vision. I like you couldn't care less for depth and fish finders but without going into great details......take a look at this unit!!! Its beautiful! I live in canada so the 741 comes loaded with US maps and I had to purchase Canadian maps plus the Blue chart G2 upgrade, It came to $2222.73 canadian dollars. Ive been playing with it set up in my kitchen ans extremely impressed with this unit and can't wait to swap out the 3205 in the spring. This unit can be mounted in dash or on a bracket....really....take a look at this unit! The 7 inch screen and resolution is a perfect fit for my 38 Fountain however I have zero room to mount it in my dash.....but would love to.

Ive looked at so many units and this is the one that prevailed over about 12 I short listed and it came in by much more thane just a nose lol
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Old 01-21-2014, 04:23 PM
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Funny you mension this unit. This is the one I would realy like to have. Play with it for a few weeks and give me an update on what you think.
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Old 01-21-2014, 04:28 PM
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I'll sell you mine....no problem but you'll have to wait until I have access to my boat early springing you're willing to wait.....
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Old 03-05-2014, 03:24 PM
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I have the lowrance HDS7 that I am installing in my boat, but having to take dash out and get a new one cut to fit everything in place. I have seen this on another boat similar to mine and made it look a lot better. I am also getting my motor to interface with the HDS7 so I can pull engine performance into the chartplotter. should be a fun project, cant wait for the results
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Old 03-05-2014, 08:39 PM
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Look at the Garmin 70dv that's what I's installing on my boat with the Side View. Good looks and touchscreen, don't like all the buttons.
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Old 03-06-2014, 07:48 AM
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Hi, I may have misunderstood your reply and apologize for that.... As for the 741, I've really played around with it, not on the water of course however in my home taking a deep dive into every menu there is. I've also done extensive research on hooking this up to display the dat afrom my tein 525's. My mechanic said it's a nice to have but really, with all the gages on the dash, why incure the expense to purchase and install the Merc gateway....He has a pretty good point....very cool to have but is it necessary....not really. The unit as you are aware has many capabilities that will never be used on a performance boat like radar, chirp, weather etc. After all, why spend $600 on the accessory to display Sirius/XM weather in the 741 plus installation not to mention although the antenna is the size of a toilet paper roll, its not ecstatically pleasing to mount to a performance boat plus......id you an ipad/tablet/smartphone, there are tons of sites that display the same information in real time so why spend the money when it could be allocated to say fuel lol

I chose to replace the unit primarily because of everything it's capable of doing however realized quickly that I'll be using it primarily for its beautiful hi res touch screen, simplicity of use and all the bells and whistles that come with charting your day knowing everything in your path to make it more enjoyable. Maybe a little over kill for a performance boat but my 3205 is a pain in the butt to use.....I hate toggles and buttons.....unit is a joy to navigate through and when cruising along at 50 mph, a simple glance at the screen even in direct sun light tells you everything you need to know without straining your eyes. I only wish I could mount this "in dash" that would be beautiful
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Old 03-06-2014, 07:56 AM
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lol I wish I had the room on my dash to do the same but sadly, I can't even move gages around to accommodate a dash mount....post a pic of your unit once you have it installed! As for engine data, yes a nice to have and Merc sells a unit that hooks up to both engines however like my Mechanic said, why spend all that money when the information is already displayed on your gages. The fuel flow option was pretty cool and confirmed by Merc that this should display but really what do I need that for. Another option I thought would be great is having fuel levels displayed on the GPS unit. Merc said this can be done with some mods to your tank pick ups and since no fuel gage is accurate on Fountains, this intrigued me but like my mechanic said, how accurate is it, how long will it last and is it worth the spend to try....all good points. My problem is that I'm a gadget junkie....love it but at one point ya need to ask if its really worth the spend to get results that may or may not be accurate. I'm still on the fence with the whole smart data displayed on my GPS......it's a nice to have but how often am I going to change screens to view data thats already in front of me at a glance
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