Whats the best /cheapest GPS for Lake maps in Tennessee?

[jones56]

Whats the best all round GPS?

 

[southkogs]

Re: Whats the best /cheapest GPS for Lake maps in Tennessee?

I've got a Garmin Nuvi 265. I bought it a little over a year ago after watching prices for a bit. It normally sold for about $250 and I caught it on sale for $165. I've been using the "off-road" feature on the lakes 'round here - mostly Normandy and Center Hill. The pre-loaded maps don't give you any lake information (like where Percy Priest's bottom will jump up and bite your hull), but it'll point you back to the same ramp you started from.

Garmin does have an inland lake map set available for the Nuvi, but it's another $99 that I haven't bothered to pay for yet.

I use this Nuvi for driving, on the boat and even use it for some things in light aircraft with Civil Air Patrol. I'd say it's pretty capable all around.

Which part of TN are you boating in?

 

[jones56]

Re: Whats the best /cheapest GPS for Lake maps in Tennessee?

I live in Sparta, I go to center hill mostly . We plan on going to dale hollow this weekend...

 

[southkogs]

Re: Whats the best /cheapest GPS for Lake maps in Tennessee?

Both of those lakes are pretty deep so bottom details are probably not that important. The only down side of the road maps with the auto style GPS units is that with all of the tributaries you can explore on a lake like Center Hill, the GPS is not going to help you remember which route to take back to your main channels. My Nuvi will allow me to zoom the map in and out which helps if I'm trying to find my way back to certain channel. I guess that's the only consideration that I would have. For what it's worth the 265 works fine for me on these lakes - Garmin's site has it listed at $219, but it also has the 255 listed for $139 which should be pretty close.

Dale Hollow is nice. I get out on it once a year at a retreat I go to - put in at Eagle Cove and run the main channels out there. I live in Murfreesboro so Priest is the most convenient lake, but I like the lower traffic of Normandy better. Center Hill is my favorite, but it takes a little extra time to get out there. We chugged back to Fanchers water fall for the first time a couple of years ago and loved it.

 

[jhebert]

Re: Whats the best /cheapest GPS for Lake maps in Tennessee?

Whats the best all round GPS?

I recommend you use the U.S. Air Force NAVSTAR GPS. It is free.

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Whats the best /cheapest GPS for Lake maps in Tennessee?

Did the Corp of Engineers ever get the dam repairs done at Center Hill? Last year, they had drawn the water level way down to do repairs. I guess that's the penalty for building dams on top of caves.

I don't see where you'd need a GPS for many reasons at Center Hill.

Dale Hollow may be a different animal with so many coves and creeks feeding into it--easy to get lost. The maps of Bull Shoals (AR) and Lake of the Ozarks (MO) look more like Dale Hollow--huge impoundments that a GPS is needed to find your car.

 

[jones56]

Re: Whats the best /cheapest GPS for Lake maps in Tennessee?

What is "U.S. Air Force NAVSTAR GPS" how do i use it? free??

 

[sschefer]

Re: Whats the best /cheapest GPS for Lake maps in Tennessee?

What is "U.S. Air Force NAVSTAR GPS" how do i use it? free??

What you need is a GPS receiver with charting. I have a Lowrance HDS-8 with all the bells and whistles. That'll run you about 3000.00 and that's just a single head unit. Before that I had a Lowrance 525 CDF, that was around 600.00 and the detailed mapping software was another 200.00.

I suppose you could get away with a basic automotive navigation system. I've used my iPhone on the lake just to see what it would show and it actually wasn't too bad. I wouldn't circumnavigate the globe with it but it worked. With the marine navigation systems you usually get a pretty decent sonar system for depth and/or fishfinding. Garmin and Lowrance are good Hummin Bird has some decent low cost stuff and so does Eagle.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Whats the best /cheapest GPS for Lake maps in Tennessee?

On most of the Tennessee lakes and impounds, depth isn't much of an issue (most of the time) and you're generally pretty close to an access point (marina/ramp/what-have-you). What GPS helps with most is pointing you back to the access point you WANT, and not getting yourself lost in all of the channels, branches and coves. The automotive types will show you the shoreline enough to keep you moving - you just need the actual map display. Something like a Trex that just points you at the waypoint doesn't always help account for the 2 miles of peninsula sticking out into the lake.

Lowrance units usually look a little overdone on a bass boat

Bamaman: I don't think they are ever really done repairing Center Hill Dam, but I was able to boat on the lake and canoe the Caney Fork River last year with no problem. Water levels seemed to be up and down a lot last year due to low rain fall too.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Whats the best /cheapest GPS for Lake maps in Tennessee?

I have a Lowrance HDS-8 with all the bells and whistles. That'll run you about 3000.00 and that's just a single head unit.

Look around. You can buy HDS-8 head unit for less than $1,500.

 

[AguaSki]

Re: Whats the best /cheapest GPS for Lake maps in Tennessee?

I've used my iPhone on the lake just to see what it would show and it actually wasn't too bad. I wouldn't circumnavigate the globe with it but it worked.

Yes, both iOS and Android have an app by Navionics. This app does a great job. I also would not want to use a smartphone app to circumnavigate the globe, but is just about perfect for inland lake navigation.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Whats the best /cheapest GPS for Lake maps in Tennessee?

I recommend you use the U.S. Air Force NAVSTAR GPS. It is free.

That is pretty funny!