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View Full Version : Moving Map GPS unit... Lowrance or Garmin?



Froggystyle
11-15-2006, 09:27 AM
I have been doing some research into possibly offering one of the very cool moving-map GPS units for OEM installation in the Revolutions. I figure there is multiple great things about it, including but not limited to...
Calculating gallons/hour
"Safe" path down the river
Aforementioned "safe" path while night navigating
Navigation to and from Catalina or anywhere OTH.
Easy to find waypoints and rendezvous areas in new lakes and such (we met with the Las Vegas hot boaters and had no idea where "LasVegas***boatBeach" was...)
Plot and plan paths for vacations to Mead/Powell/LOTO etc...
Additionally, many of the units I am looking at double function as an off-road GPS system, so a mount in a Rhino, Jeep or Rail is easy day. You could remove it from the boat easily, and use it that night in your Rhino. Many of my clients and prospective clients have Rhinos and rails etc...
Lastly, some of the new units (Lowrance 600C for example) also include a turn-by-turn navigation system for driving on the road... meaning you can take it out of the boat or Rhino and install it in your tow vehicle or motorhome easily. I have found that many folks, like me have Nav in the truck, but not in a motorhome. This would solve that...
In any case, I know that the best offroad specific one is the Lowrance 3500C or the 480 Baja units. The best on-road nav systems are the Kenwood (IMHO) in dash units, and I don't know what the best on the water is, but the most expensive and trick chart-plotters are not compatible with the dirt and street use, so would lose viability for me.
So here is my question... does anyone currently do this, what do they use and how do they like it? I am strongly considering the Lowrance 600C which seems to do it all. I just don't like the touch-screen for use in the boat, but it is waterproof, so it is what it is. The screen is easily readable during the daytime.
Any thoughts?

Froggystyle
11-15-2006, 10:10 AM
11 views huh? This is a pretty hot topic so far... ;)

Sleek-Jet
11-15-2006, 10:15 AM
Lowrance... simply because they have been making marine navigation stuff for longer than Garmin has even been around... experience is worth something.
Of course, lots of people have Garmin GPS's in their cars now, so they know how to use that brand.... that is worth something as well.
I don't know about thier new stuff, but the Lowrance user interface was better than the Garmin boxes a few years ago...
Just my .02...

Brewzed
11-15-2006, 11:10 AM
I have the Lowrance on my Rhino and it has save my butt a couple of times.
My buddy had a Garmin in his boat and it worked well. Made a few night trips with it re-tracing our courses.

Froggystyle
11-15-2006, 11:17 AM
I have the Lowrance on my Rhino and it has save my butt a couple of times.
My buddy had a Garmin in his boat and it worked well. Made a few night trips with it re-tracing our courses.
Which Lowrance? I still don't know anyone using the 600 series.

STV_Keith
11-15-2006, 12:02 PM
I've been using the Garmin units for quite a while now. The GPS V (which is int he STV) is now outdated by the Quest, but a nice handheld, mapping, auto-routing unit. I also have the Garmin 276C unit in the truck. Color map, auto-mapping, interchangeable memory cards for loading detail maps (my 128mb map loads all of NV/AZ and some CA).
I think you'll find that Garmin is way more popular in the automotive field than Lowrance, although in the Marine it may be the other way around.

Brewzed
11-15-2006, 12:35 PM
Which Lowrance? I still don't know anyone using the 600 series.
It's a 480c

Froggystyle
11-15-2006, 07:58 PM
It's a 480c
Figured. If I was going to get it for the Rhino alone... that would be the dog.
The 600C seems to be pretty cool on the water though. I am going to get one and try it out I think.
I just used a Garmin handheld today and it just won't navigate like I want to with the moving map, path and large fixed display.

INSman
11-15-2006, 09:12 PM
I use a garmin in my Shockwave and it does very well at night coming back from Havasu Springs at night after a nice dinner :cool:
Wes
I am sure the Lowrance will serve just as well if not better

djunkie
11-15-2006, 09:15 PM
And I thought I was styling with this. :rolleyes: :rollside: :rollside:
http://www.garmin.com/graphics/eTrexBig.jpg

rojo4
11-15-2006, 09:36 PM
I also have the garmin 276c and I am very pleased with it. The software is a bit pricey approximately $100 for the blue charts and Lake programs. However the detail the unit gives is very useful. Good luck.

Richie Rich
11-15-2006, 09:50 PM
For what its worth Lowrance has a "product emulator" which basically allows you to demo the device using a replica or virtual unit which is downloaded from the Lowrance site. It's actually pretty cool. It gives you a chance to "try" the unit out before you buy. I don't know for sure if it is available for all GPS products but its worth a shot.

STV_Keith
11-16-2006, 08:13 AM
Wes, what Garmin unit did you demo?