i might get one for my console. anyone have any experience with this type? my requirements are.... waterproof, not horribly expensive, and easy to use.

Are you looking for just a gps or a combo unit w/ depth sounder? and what is horribly expensive over 500? I myself will only by Garmin, if you can work there hand held you can work any of there other models. imo

I also would look into one with sat/aerial photos/imagery makes a world of difference on the bayou!

I have a garmin 172c for 5 years and have never had a problem with it.
It has seen rain and lots of vibration on the mud boat without a problem.
My father in law has a lowrance that has been in the shop 5 times in 2 years.
Having a big screen is nice when trying to see the screen when running, expecially at night.

I definitely don't need the fishfinder crap. just gps. it would be nice to just leave one in the boat, just one less thing to keep up with.

Why do you want a fixed mount? I just set mine on the boat and put it in the boat box. When I need it its there... Floats, Waterproof etc seeing as you don't need the fish finder and depth stuff....

handheld on a RAM mount....

I have a handheld Garmin with a Ram mount,The only way to go

ya'll act like I've never seen a fukkin handheld gps. I asked about FIXED gps units and who had any experience with them. got dayum... if you don't know anything about them, keep your opinions to yourself.

just offering an opinion man.... don't have to go that far to start the language. Fixed points are a nice addition if you need the detail that the newer ones offer which some handhelds are getting to the point of offering. a fixed point will give you more options as far as graphics display and aerial display due to the larger processors that can be put into them since they are power by the boats 12v system.

if you get a fixed point you have the option of adding depth and fish finders later. it is getting to the point that handhelds offer the same options but the fixed points will always be faster.

as far as suggesting one i cannot since i enjoyed my 76CSX for years and just upgraded to a Oregon 450... always been a handheld person

I did suggest fixed.
The features that I like on mine over others that I have used is that I can pull tide info for different tide stations, as well as lunar phases.

If your set on fixed. I'd go Garmin GPS 178C I've had good success with that on my bay boat. How are you planning on mounting the sounder? Aluminum or Fiberglass?

I've had 2 5 inch fixed GPS units on my boat. Both were Lowrance. I did have a problem with the first unit i had. Sent it back to Lowrance, and they replaced the screen. Customer service was horrible, but they did make it right. I recently switched to the new Lowrance HDS5m. It is a freat unit. I got it from Bass Pro Shops. Total cost was $700 with a 3 year replacement policy. I will never have another boat without one.

What about a Radar?

I been looking for one myself. But until I can find somthing with the simplicity of my IPhone I'll wait. With my IPhone, just touch the screen and I get instant map or sat screen showing where I'm at. Would love a 6" screen. I want a sat gps and not worried about topos. Just don't want to pay a grand plus for one.

you can take sat maps and convert them to vector maps and put them in a garmin gps... is use mapwel.

i used to do it with my 76csx but it was kinda slow so i had to reduce the resolution of the image... with my oregon 450 i can just about get full quality with about a 5 sec delay to update the image as i move around.

ronnie what app do u need for that?

The GPS Kit app for the iPhone is awesome. Uses the same maps that Poker is talking about but also allows for tracking and setting waypoints. Not bad for the price. $10.

get a ram mount for your iphone....

Crews if you go handheld get a Garmin. If you go fixed, get a Lowrance. Don't get the internal Lowrance GPS unit. They seem to not lock on as fast and break more often. Although, that was when lowrance first came out with them. I'm sure they have all the software fixed now. I don't know that Lowrance makes just a stand alone GPS fixed unit that doesn't have sonar. Either way, just leave the sonar off. I was going to tell you to check out yentzen's center consol, but I can't seem to find that user name over at the fuge any more.

I researched that a while back and I think Lowrance makes one...they just dont sell it in the US.

he vanished (Yentzen) from there and here

Seems he changed his username. But, all his pics on photobucket aren't showing up. The thread does say Lowrance though.

http://www.refugeforums.com/refuge/show ... p?t=617959

Here you go. Think it's pricey, but at least you can add Sirus weather to it if you want.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... id=0065522

I'd probably just go with the Eagle unit.......Eagle/Lowrance are one in the same and leave off the sonar unless you just want color.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... id=0023563

What I knows 'bout the full time units is that most folks run the Lowrance
everone that I have seen have depth and fishfindin' capabilities. I have seen 'em
just turn the depth and fish off and have full screen GPS. You can git all types
of maps with 'em and thay are very useful infin' you are scoutin' various lakes
fo different strutures and such.

IMsO ~ Thay are alot of money fo the novice and the novice can git by just fine
on a hand-held that can be used not only in the boat .... but also goin' thru the
woods while you be Skwerrll, Hog, and Deer huntin'.

I tried real hard too make MMT proud and stay on thread topic .... but .. dang it !!
I could have really took off on this one !!!!!

I've got bigger Lowrance units on 2 of my Duck Boats. My Lund has a 9 inch screen and my mud boat has the new HDS-7 unit. The 7 is a lot friendlier to use than the other one but both do the same job equally well. Being older, I like a bigger screen so I can read it easier.

year before last a buddy and I mapped a route into the Dead River up in Maine on afternoon as we scouted our way in to hunt. It was a horrible stump and sandbar and boulder strewn twisted path up Flagstaff lake. We came out just fine as the day was losing light.
The real proof was the next morning when we had a pea soup fog and it was darker than a whore's heart.
We followed the track in at 4 mph which allowed the unit to update fast enough to keep from outrunning our data and getting off track. We came right in on the money, 3 miles up the lake at exactly the spot we set up on the day before.

I'm a believer. I've got several chips and they really add good data for a lot of bigger water. Not so much for swamps and such. Saving your tracks is vital if tthe base map is off a little

I have an Eagle fish elite 500c. It has the external GPS. I have the whole unit on a RAM mount. More than once it has hit a limb and thanks to being on the ram mount it moved and nothing broke. I definitely like the large color screen. I drove my buddy's boat with a hand-held and don't know how so many guys run around with those tiny screens. I guess you get used to it. The chip was $100 and well worth it imo since I can now see all the creek channels etc. The unit was around $500 I think. I've had it 3 or 4 years and run it year round. It has seen lots of vibration, weather, and abuse in general and I've never had a problem with it. I take it off the boat when it's home and the only thing I ever had to do was clean the contacts in the plug.