For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of dash mounted GPS do ya'll use? Any pics? I'm ready to finally take the plunge. I'm thinking Garmin something or other. I was hoping to find one that goes nicely between the top of the dash and the windshield on my '90 292 SR 1.

Thanks! :drink:

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

Small and simple Magellion hand held with mount , '89 , 272

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

Ive got the magellen marine (it is the blue one) mounted the same place MOPOWER'S is

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

I detest a dash mounted GPS almost as much as a bimini top! I think it's hideous to put that big ugly square monstrosity in the middle of beautiful round guages. I keep a handheld.

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

Yeah, that was the other option was to get a portable unit. :rolleyes:

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

Handheld Garmin. Keep the dash as clean as possible.

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

Gotta agree.....my 353 has a beautiful dash, except for the Garmin 172 (works great, looks gay) Somebody should make a nice fiberglass pod to mount stuff in... :drink: E Happy B'day. :drink:

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

I have a Garmin GPS III. Not fancy, but functional. Notice the custom power cord installation.

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

I have 176c(?) Garmin that is mounted to the right of the compass on the top of my dash 311-SR1. Have to be careful that you don't get too far back (toward the bow) because of the slope of the windshield. Works like a champ.

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

I removed the compass, made a plate out of starboard and mounted the GPS bracket to that. figured I can go back to the factory compass if I want and not put new holes in the dash.

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

Didn't think my dash re-design looked too bad ...

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

RedDog, that is a very nice setup! :drink:

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

It looks beautiful...........other than that big square monstosity. They always remind me of a big hairy mole on an otherwise beautiful woman.

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

Your right cuda. I think the small screen handheld that's next to impossible to actually read and use while under way in rough water look better and mounted on some hideous bracket that required screw holes in the dash or deck look much better than this. :D

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

I have to agree....size does matter! I can see all my gauges just fine!

Dave

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

How often do you need to read a gps in rough water? It ain't like we're running miles offshore. As long as it has a speed recall, I'm good to go. Sometime I have Debbie read me the speeds at different rpm.

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

But if you like to explore different places you cannot go wrong with the in dash Garmin! :cool:

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

Actually use GPS frequently up in the Great Lakes. Know my usual waters, but it is nice to have particularly at night to stay in the channels and avoid channel markers/other hazards. Also very nice to have in unfamiliar waters.

Storms will also roll in quickly and visibility can drop to 100-200 feet in a matter of minutes.

The water in the Western Basin of Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair is very shallow. There are several places where the water is 2 ft deep 6 miles out. Water is murky from run-off from farm fields, so we can never judge the water depth. All available with GPS technology.

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

The Thousand Islands can be dangerous as well. MANY unmarked shoals and shallow spots. We have our regular running area too, but we do travel a lot on the St. Lawrence River and head out to Lake Ontario occasionally. There are parts of the lake that get real shallow without any markers. Beats pulling out a chart on the lake in 3-6 footers and try to read. The Raymarine unit works well.

Last year we went on a week long 600+ mile trip, and it was great to have this navigational aid!

Dave

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

Yeah, the Gulf of Mexico and it's tributaries are the same way! :mad: You gotta know the markers and where you are going with a GPS. I was halfway across the Caloosahatchee River and the depth meter is reading 2.5'! Insane!

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

Damn, I don't understand why I never ran up on rocks or a shoal all the years I've boated before gps was even in place. I remember when they very first came out. The cheapest you could buy was $15,000, and they didn't have nearly as many sattelites up back then.

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

I did have Loran C afer a few years, but I only used it to find a fishing hole way offshore. I would not rely on one completely for navigation. Gps units are an electronic device, that can, and do break down. I never had a compass or a chart break down on me.

I'm not trying to discredit use of a gps, as I said, I carry a handheld, I'm just saying in MY opinion, they are butt ugly mounted in a dash. It's just a matter of opinion. Your mileage may vary. :)

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

Oh, I forgot.....A little dash clutter (GPS/ Chartplotter) can save a $2500 set of props or a $$$$$ drive....Not a bad thing either!

Dave

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

Now cuda...and anybody else

I navigated all over the rock-laden St. Lawrence River and explored Eastern Lake Ontario for more than a decade and went alot of places/distance with nothing more that paper charts, a depthfinder, a compass, and the sense it takes to correlate the 3. BTW I am regularly many miles from shore out in the Lake.

The River is flat out treacherous in alot of places, the eastern end of Lake Ontario is one nasty place to be when the wind is blowing, and the water here is COLD and not survivable for long 8-9 months a year.

with that said, if I'm gonna get spoiled/lazy (as we all are) by electronic navigation means, I wanna be able to read it easily WHEN I NEED IT which is usually under duress/nasty conditions, as I know the area pretty well.

Now not having to use it YOURSELF while OPERATING THE BOAT in bad conditions is a great thing and allows you to get away with a handheld.
you gotta have confidence that your "navigator" sees things on that little screen for what they really are. Deb's got it down... :cool: .

I often have "novices" (in regards to navigating anyway :D) as first mates, or am alone, which I take 200 mile weekend trips alone when I want to "get away from it all" ;)

so if I'm going to have one, a GPS plotter that is :drink: , It's only worth having one I can read and use while running the boat in ANY conditions. That's a larger fixed screen, right in my line-of-sight.

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

Is it me or is Cuda taking this one on the chin? No one has sided with him yet.

Hmmm...

I especially like to use my plotter WITH my Bimni up! :eek: :evilb:

Just pickin on ya Cuda...We all know of your opinions! :drink: And most of them ain't half bad! :D :D :D

Dave

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

don't panic Joe, livin' aboard a SeaRay while his 353 was out for more surgery f'ed with his mind. :evilb:

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

Nah, it doesn't bother me at all. Some people like red, others blue. I've always thought they looked bad, I just never said anything.

In nasty conditions, I'm not running very fast anyway. Now that we moved her, I'm either running up the St John's River, or the ICW, both of which have maintained channel markers. I do have to use Debbie's eyes to spot channel markers far away. I'm damn near blind as a bat. :(

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

Cuda.....you have to leave the friggin harbor! No wonder you dont' use it! Speed? Who cares! It's a NAVIGATION device! :D :D :D :drink: :drink:

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

What are you crazy? Do you boat in the ocean? :eek: :eek: :eek:

Re: For you SR1 guys & gals, what kind of GPS...
 

I like a clean dash myself. Handheld Garmin that the first mate monitors all the time. Left the compass in also. Works well for me. :D