Re: Looking to buy GPS
I got the Garmin GPSMAP 76 when it first came out and I still use it today just to save new waypoints for fishing or hicking spots. The unit works ok but the screen hard to see in most lighting conditions. Also it did not come with a lighter power cord and to buy is about $30.
When looking to upgrade to a color unit I went and looked at the GPSMAP 76C. I was shocked that they downgraded maps so much that half the buoys no longer showed up and the details were so poor could not even recognize shore lines. After a while ask sale person to help me turn on more details. He said had to buy upgraded maps for more details. I explained the 4 year older model had 4 times the details. He did not belive me so I went out to the car and got my old model. Then he said it better because I installed an upgraded map which I did not. In fact my model does not even have a slot for a chip.
Anyway I think they down graded to try and get you to buy the better map.
I ended up buying a lowrance Ifinder H2O C which was much better. Much more detail base map, all the buoys, and detailed enough you will reccognize shore lines. Screen much brighter and it comes with a free lighter power plug. However they no longer make the H2O C.
Garmin is all about selling units with poor base maps so you will have to buy the upgraded maps.
If you have a battery on board the Eagle 350 is a much better unit. You will find it has all the buoys and know points and land marks along shore lines and rivers. These local names and land marks are not even on the charts. I fished the ocean for over 10 years and would hear people say they at this location or that location but could not find any information on the charts but all that information is on the Lowrance basic maps.
You can go to Lowrances site and download a product emulator and see what I mean.
http://www.lowrance.com/en/Downloads/Product-Emulators/
Try the M68C Emulator, or any unit you are interested in.
You can run the emulator on your computer and you use your mouse to hit the button on the unit just like you had the unit in front of you. You can move the cross points over the icons and get the name of the place and the GPS location. Write that information down and you will known the name and location for most of the near shore fishing spots.
Before you start emulator set screen resoultion on your computer to 1024 by 768 or higher so you can see whole unit. On most units hit the power button to turn ON. Hold power button to turn off.
If you have not used a GPS down load the manual as well for instructions on how to use. This will also help you in stores to know how to look at the units on display.
