I have a Donzi 38ZR and I'm looking at replacing my current in dash GPS to a new one. I was all set to get the new touch screen style, but I have that in my pickup truck and I cant stand the fingerprints on it when the sun hits the screen just right. I figured I would check with you guys that have used the touch screens in your boats already. I just surmise with suntan lotion on hands and navigating on the move, it might be better to stay with control buttons? I'd appreciate your experience and thoughts.

I've only got a smallish Raymarine and don't use it much, can use the touchscreen or the buttons for most functions. Like you said, dirty hands and moving around in a boat, buttons are easier. Easy to plant the 'heel' of your hand on the side and use a finger or two for the controller button. It moves like a joystick and push to confirm. Also has the larger collar on the base.

Very basic unit but does everything I need. Some of the bigger Raymarine units don't have buttons which is fine in the cabin of a 50'er but if your out in the fresh air enjoying the waves, I think it would be a lot harder. I'm sure most manufacturers give you the combination of touch screen and a small number of buttons.

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I just installed a raymarine es98 with navionics premium plus maps and absolutely love it. You have both touch and buttons, I had a garmin touch but find this setup much better especially when in rough waters. Use it for everything chartplotter, rear transom camera, engine data ect. I removed all my gauges except for 3.

I find the touchscreens are a giant PITA with all the oils and fingerprints, etc. etc. just like described.
BUT, they are so much more user friendly.

Has anyone tried putting a screen protector on them like 3M Clear-Bra or similar? I think this would be a good compromise.

Also, before you purchase, make sure you see it in person, and determine if you can actually use/read it through your favorite brand of sunglasses. Different screens on units and different polarizing measures on certain sunglass lenses mean you can't see jack on the screen, unless you pull your glass down, and then you are blinded by the sun & reflection.

Touch screen is a nightmare when everything is wet and the boat is getting thrown around. I'd recommend the hybrid (my Simrad is one) with at least a few fixed buttons and the most important control on the whole thing: a zoom DIAL. Dial is THE way to do zoom, and it's what gets used the most by far.

I put a screen protector on and it looked perfect in the garage.. got it out in a 85 degree day and the sun brought up trapped air and looked like crap. peeled it off the next weekend. I'm all for buttons

I think in a set down style boat like a large cat, or cabin cruiser the touch screens provide some nice added ease of use and options. But for everything else, buttons are only way to fly. In rough conditions it's much easier to just tab through the pages quickly holding your finger on one or two buttons. Plus keeps the sunscreen off the screen...

Once ya get your pages setup, how often do ya use any of that other stuff? Personally, would just like to see someone come out with a joystick that mounts on steering wheel..

Good point. My favorite pair of Maui Jim's make some displays appear almost invisible.

Agree....in our cat we have a 12" Gamin which pretty much stays on the map and then 2 smaller VV7's - one of which shows all the settings that I like to see and the other is on the radio. During the entire KWPR the only time I needed to adjust was the occasional volume and zoom in/out.
For fingerprints I keep a microfiber tucked in the seat and with non polarized glasses everything is clearly visible.
Maybe we have eliminated touches by having multiple screens....

I have a Garmin 741xs w/touch screen. I just clean the screen every now and then. Like mentioned, in rough water is when it is sometimes tricky to operate.