Ultra Cool Gadgets » GPS

Garmin GPSMAP 5212 12.1-Inch Waterproof Marine GPS and Chartplotter

ashish — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 10:38:12 +0000

High tech throughout, even down to the touch of a screen, this network charplotter with preloaded maps comes from Garmins flagship lineup the GPSMAP 5000 series. Sleek and visually stunning, the GPSMAP 5212 features an unprecedented touch screen interface that makes navigation and redesigned marine network operation as easy as pointing your finger.
With no buttons to push, you can see and select the data you want on the 8.4″ diagonal VGA touch screen display. Interface is further simplified with fewer operational steps to navigate. The touch screen display complements a new slim-line design that gives all 5000 series units a flat panel look when flush mounted.
The GPSMAP 5212 features worldwide satellite imagery and comes preloaded with BlueChart® g2 maps of the coastal United States including Alaska, Hawaii and the Bahamas.

Technical Details

Customer Feedback

The processor they chose to use for this device is adequate at best. I would not classify it as “terribly slow” but it’s certainly not particularly fast, either. The hardware is put together very very well and is indeed waterproof to IPX7 standards. some issues:
- When a weather alert is received the unit beeps and a dialog box appears but only let’s you cancel the alert – it should also have a shortcut to view the alert.
- No XM control from your main nav screens. You actually have to go back to the home screen and select “configuration” to alter your XM channel.
- Clunky XM interface that doesn’t even allow favorites (ironically the Garmin 3210 I own has a brilliant XM interface with all the trimmings).

STANDARD CP180I CHARTPLOTTER WITH INTERNAL GPS ANTENNA

ashish — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 10:08:41 +0000

CP180 WAAS GPS Chart Plotter External Antenna 5 inch color sunlight viewable C-Map MAX compatible WAAS GPS Chart Plotter with Swivel mount bracket and external antenna Features: 3 Year Warranty – The CP180 was designed from the ground up to take the punishment of the marine environment and is “BACKED BY A 3 YEAR WATERPROOF WARRANTY!” FF520 Optional black box fish finder – The optional FF520 Fish Finder option brings high-end fish finding capability to Standard Horizons CP155C, CP175C, CP180, CP180i, CPV350 and CP1000C WAAS GPS Chart plotters making them the ideal choice for casual or professional anglers alike. The FF520 Dual Frequency (50 and 200kHz) Black Box Fish Finders advanced filtering eliminates unwanted noise and sharpens return echos for enhanced seperation and detection. Transducer ID allows the FF520 to query the transducer (sold separately) to determine its perfromance characteristics. Power output, frequency, beam pattern and other unique transducer characteristics are sent to the fish finder. this data allows the fish finder to fine tune itself to match the transducer which optimizes overall system performance. No matter what the conditions, you will be able to fine tune your fishing rather than the fish finder. Note: Transducer IDand#153; is a registered trademark of AIRMAR Technology Corporation, Milford. Direct Sunlight viewable color display – Nothing beats the detail and impact of a color display.

Customer Feedback

It powers up fast and acquires a position with surprising speed. The base map is very basic at best. The screen was bright and the controls easy to learn. My biggest gripe is the layout of the Owner’s Manual. It was a little confusing and read a bit more like a technical manual than user’s guide. That said, the unit comes with a Quick Start card which helps you through the basic operations.
I would certainly recommend this to small boaters. I notice that the CP180i is compatible with a Black Box fish finder/sounder and a Sitex radar unit. I would definitely go with the larger screened models if I were to have these add ons as I feel the screen might be a bit small for multiple applications.

Lowrance HDS-7 7-Inch Waterproof Marine GPS and Chartplotter with 83/200kHz transducer (Insight USA Maps)

ashish — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 10:27:30 +0000

Continuing in the series of new Lowrance HDS multifunctional technologies is this large-but-compact solution, with 6.4 inches (16.3 cm) full VGA color viewing that renders astounding fishfinder and navigation details. The SolarMAX PLUS screen provides bright-sunlight and wide-angle viewing, and pure-white LED screen/keypad backlighting that fully adjusts to zero-dim for night vision. Built-in Broadband high-definition fishfinder technology and the high-sensitivity 16-channel GPS+WAAS antenna complete the package.
The HDS-7 is fully compatible with all Navionics chartcards–Platinum+, Platinum, Platinum HotMaps–with one high-speed SD card slot. Easily build your complete stand-alone or networked onboard system.

Lowrance HDS-7 Highlights

- Less Noise, More Targets.
- Crystal-Clear Clarity.
- Greater Shallow-Water Coverage.
- Incredible Deep-Water Performance.
- Expandability at No Extra Cost.
- A Charting Revolution in Detail and Resolution.
- Expanded Basemap Marine Detail.
- HDS Charting Options Go All-Platinum.
- Stylish and Retrofit-Ready.

Technical Details

- Bundles Lowrence HDS-7 GPS chartplotter/fishfinder with Insight USA maps and 83/200kHz transducer with temperature sensor and 20-foot cable.
- 6.4-inch SolarMAX Plus display is sunlight viewable, for bright and clear wide-angle viewing.
- Built-in Broadband Sounder for ultra-sensitive, high-definition fish finding in all cover, in thermoclines, and in all water conditions.
- Super sensitive 16-channel internal GPS antenna with faster time-to-signal lock and precision position, for high-definition GPS and mapping.
- Advanced networking and expandability with Ethernetworks and NMEA 2000 performance networking options.

Customer Feedback

I bought this unit and was worried about internal antenna but let me tell you this product is awesome. It’s nice that i didn’t have to drill a hole in my hard top of my boat to get any kind of signal. Nice product.

Humminbird 998c SI Combo 8-Inch Waterproof Marine GPS and Chartplotter with Sounder

ashish — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 10:00:32 +0000

No fish tale here, just the widescreen 8-Inch full-color displays of the Humminbird 998c SI. With the screen’s 6:19 aspect ration, crystal-clear pixel resolution, and Humminbird Side Imaging, Down Imaging and SwitchFire systems, these high-performance units give serious anglers a huge on-the-water advantage. The picture-like images of Humminbird Side-Imaging and Down Imaging look even better on the generous display of the 998c SI. You won’t miss a single detail as you scout in minutes what used to take hours. The widescreen display makes for easy-to-read split screen viewing of sonar displays or the incredibly detailed optional cartography packages. Add on our powerful Humminbird PC Software, and you’ve got an all-in-one tool to dominate the competition. With unbeatable performance and flexibility, the 998c SI from Humminbird is right on the money.

Technical Details

- 8-Inch Diagonal Screen.
- 480V X 800H Pixel Color Screen.
- 16:9 Color TFT Screen.
- 150 ft Depth with SideImaging, 1500ft, 3000ft.
- HD Side Imaging & Down Imaging with DualBeam PLUS Sonar.