gps and fishfinder ...should i update..any advise?

[milligan]

Hi. We just bought a 1999 Mako 191.
It came with a Simrad CE32 DGPS chart sounder.

Im thinking there must be huge changes made in the last 11 years, so
wondered if you reckoned it worth changing it out. If so do you recommend
anything specific, or anything specific to look for. Mainly we want to put in fishing spots as easy as possible, and of course find our way home !
Needs to be under $500 or there abouts. We will be in California and Baja

The fish finder is Furuno FCV-600L (1999) I guess.

Are the more modern ones way better?

Thanks in advance for any info

 

[NYBo]

Re: gps and fishfinder ...should i update..any advise?

Being somewhat, er, frugal, I would see how they work for the intended purpose before replacing them.

 

[milligan]

Re: gps and fishfinder ...should i update..any advise?

yes, thanks, that seems to be the key! The general feed back im getting is that
the good old ones are better than the average new ones. I'm used to working with computers and an 11 year old computer is pretty useless these days.
Sounds like if I can get it working properly im better off with what I've got.

 

[NYBo]

Re: gps and fishfinder ...should i update..any advise?

Don't get me wrong. The displays alone are a quantum leap better now than they were in 1999 (as long as you don't buy a bargain-basement unit). All I'm saying is that you may well be satisfied with what you have now.

 

[milligan]

Re: gps and fishfinder ...should i update..any advise?

Don't get me wrong. The displays alone are a quantum leap better now than they were in 1999 (as long as you don't buy a bargain-basement unit). All I'm saying is that you may well be satisfied with what you have now.

Yes I get what you are saying. I need to master what I have before I can answer my own question. It seems that the more modern ones might be easier to get the hang of. I'm just ploughing through trying to learn how to operate the stuff for now. Also fear putting $$ into getting older stuff to work
only to find its no good. For example I expected the Simrad CE32 to give me correct time and date because its info from the satalite ..... but it was years off!
But its early days and I maybe doing something really stupid

 

[NYBo]

Re: gps and fishfinder ...should i update..any advise?

For example I expected the Simrad CE32 to give me correct time and date because its info from the satalite ..... but it was years off!

Sounds like it hasn't locked onto the satellites. Unless <gulp> it's not YSK compliant!

 

[milligan]

Re: gps and fishfinder ...should i update..any advise?

Yikes!

Maybe I didn't have it turned on long enough to find a satellite.
I think I read somewhere that first time around it can take up to 15 mins.

Maybe after all this time of not being used it is like first time around again.
I'll try tomorrow and see

 

[dingbat]

Re: gps and fishfinder ...should i update..any advise?

Problems with older, quality GPS units, is usually a bad antenna or the CMOS battery dies on you.

First off, make sure the time on the unit is correct. The unit will never find itself if the clock is off. If the unit doesn't hold time when powered off, your CMOS battery is dead. Pretty easy to change. Uses a small, watch type battery.

Somewhere in the menu you should find where you can enter your current location into the GPS via lat and long or by region. This shortens the time necessary for the unit to pinpoints its location considerably. If it?s still having a hard time finding its location chances are you have a bad GPS antenna.

Performance wise, the only thing that has really changed are the processor speeds. If you can live with the speed which the unit redraws the screens your good to go

That Furuno FCV-600L, when new, was almost $1.5K by the time you bought a transducer to go with it. It's still light years better than anything you?re going to buy for under $500

My concern on a unit that old is how well the transducer is holding up. If you?re still using the original, consider a new transducer as part of your overall upgrade.

http://www.furunousa.com/ProductDocuments/FCV600L Brochure.pdf