what are you running for electronics?

[bluedog]

Looking to by a basic set up vhf,gps,and depth/fishfinder just wondering what everones using and where are you mounting them. I was thinking about a combo gps/ff but I have yet to hear anyone say anything positive about them. I think a garmin gps and the raymarine L 365 seems good. As for vhf ? I don't need the top end one any thoughts? Money is more than tight now so it's radio 1st and then the fishy stuff. :P

[MikeB]

I've got a Garmin 160 blue FF that works well. Never any problem. Handheld Garmin GPS works fine as well.
Icom 402S VHF.
I'd go with a decent VHF if I were you and pick up a inexpensive Handheld GPS. I'm not a fan of mapping databases in handhelds, screen is just too small. I rarely use my map. I use it for waypoints, speed, etc. The basic functions of any handheld. Garmin makes a "Gecko" model. The cheapest model is $100.00 and it does all the basic stuff. For a tight wallet, I like it. I haven't used it but I've looked at it in stores.

Going with down speed this year but only after a lot of catching fish without it.

Bottom line....... spend you recourses on the safety of a good VHF and Antenna.

Mike

[Seakindly]

If you hurry you can pick up standardhorizon's intrepid + vhf, $139.99 at west with a $40 horizon rebate. This is a DSC radio. Get a good antenna to go with it.

I am about to order the Lowrance X126DF sonar - an incredible unit at less than $350.00. You could get a similar unit from Eagle (a Lowrance company) for about $100 less.

You can't go wrong with the garmin map 76 handheld gps. Later when you upgrade to a fixed mount charter, you will still have an excellent backup gps.

For well under $1000 with any sales tax, that is a package that will give you years of top notch service.

[chumbucket]

I have a Standard Horizon Intrepid+ VHF radio, Garmin 160 Blue FF and a Garmin 162 GPS with Bluechart cartography software loaded onto it. I'm really happy with all of the components and think they are all a good value for the money (about $750-$800 for everything). Go with the essential VHF at first. In a couple of months, I think you'll see the price on current technology GPS's dropping tomake way for newer digital and faster processers. You'd have nothing to loose by waiting a little bit to see what happens.
I know real estate comes at a premium on the cuddy cabin model consoles so the combo unit attracts many. I had no problem with the center console though and feel that if you can come up with a mounting solution, the separate units are a better way to go. If, for any reason, one or the other needed to be serviced, you wouldn't be without both for that period of time.

[bluedog]

CB so you have been happy with the garmin ff, I have been looking at that model as well. What type of transducer are you running, transem or thru-hull?

[chumbucket]

Yes, it's worked out well for me. I like the Garmin units because of the features at a decent price. *These 160 and 240 Blue models are being phased out though and being replaced with the newer 250 and 250C (color). They have a higher screen pixel resolution. If you shop around the 160's and 240's can still be had at a real decent price.
I have a transom mounted Arimar P66. If you're opposed to drilling and mounting a transducer to the transom, these units also work well epoxied to the inside bilge of your hull and read right through the glass with little degradation.
There are lots of good units on the market. The only ones I can say from experience (past, maybe better now.??????) that I never had good luck with are the Humminbirds.
Next time around, I'd probably pry the extra cash out of my wallet for the Furuno FCV600L Color LCD. ;)

[Seakindly]

How much $ are they?

The lowrance x126df has 480 x 480 resolution.
Dual frequency with speed and temp.

IMHO, I would rather have a grayscale with better resolution than a color with lower resolution. Sure the learning curve will be quicker with the color, but the high resolution grayscale will provide the experienced user with more information.

The x126df is gonna do for me, until the high quality color units become realistically priced.

I ordered the x126df today from cabelas. Since I ordered some other stuff and told them they weren't the lowest price and I had their credit card with about a 100 dollar cabelas points deal, they waived all the shipping. :)

PS - I don't work for cabelas or lowrance.

[chumbucket]

That Lowrance unit is very nice. I've looked at that one also. I'm not sure what the resolution is on the Furuno. My buddy has one and the nice thing about them is that with their "A-Scope" feature, and the intensity of the color of return, one can tell what type of fish you are looking at. Different types of fish have different body temperatures and therefore show varying degrees of thermal imaging.
They usually run in the neighborhood of $700 - $800.

[Seakindly]

huh?? ... thermal imaging?? ... different body temperatures??

FCV600L does sound like a nice machine, but I won't pay 700 - 800 bucks for it.

I was intrigued with some of lowrances combo units that have trip recording features. Since I am waiting for the gps market to shake out anyway, I think I might eventually wind up with one for my fixed charter. Even tho I don't like combos, if you are recording - combo is the way to go. I would use it as a gps screen view, alongside my x126df. If it craps out, I'll still have my x126df and handheld map gps for backup.

The other thought is that if I ever got radar, I would want it to display on my gps. We'll see -- no hurry.

[Seakindly]

Oh yeah, and any gps has to be able to "talk" to my DSC VHF.

[bluedog]

700 to 800 is a lot of $ for me only for a ff. With the gps talking to the vhf I don't see the connection other than emergency of course. Is it possable to transmit local to your bud this way over the vhf if it's a diffrent brand of gps recieving the info? I'm more than confused about this option.

[MikeB]

Bluedog.
Your right, the gps sending an output to your VHF is strictly for emergency purposes. Only if your VHF is DSC equipped and your gps has a nmea output. With this connection made, you flip open the red emergency door on the VHF and press. This sends your Lat/Long. coordinates to the Coast Guard ( and other commercially equipped ships). This will not be fully implemented with the CG until '06. You have to register your VHF with the Coast Guard ( this takes about 5 minutes over the internet) It gives them the basic info about you and your boat if you ever use the DSC button.
I don't think you told us where you boat? Is it inland, great lakes, offshore? It makes a difference. If you strictly and inland lake fisherman on a tight budget, you might consider a handheld VHF. It won't perform near as well as a fixed mount but It will serve as a good backup when you decide to go with the fixed mount. No DSC with the handheld. Besides if your inland, DSC would be near useless to you.
I still think, handheld cheap Garmin GPS, VHF as you choose, and a Garmin 160/240 blue (as mentioned, they are discontinuing the unit) The ONLY difference between the 160 and 240 is pixel count. Same exact software and functions.
Hope this clears some things up some.

Mike

[MikeB]

one more quick note. DSC is not exactly for strict emergencies. If you buddies have dsc capable radio's they can call up our radio and get a fix on your lat/long position.

Mike

[chumbucket]

Seakindly, yup on the thermal imaging. Many commercials have been using color CRT's for years. I know one guy that can tell you what type of fish are being shown on the finder just by the color of the return signal. He was right every time.
And, yup on the DSC capability on calling your bud's with it. You just need to know their DSC assigned number to send to them.

[chumbucket]

There is some info on the USCG website regarding the DSC calling. As was explained to me by a friend;

All that's involved in setting up a "group", is for every member of the group to input the GROUP MMSI number into their radio. It is entered on a screen specifically for group numbers. You don't do anthing to your personal MMSI number to do this. I think, actually, that group members could use any number to set up a group, as long as its first digit is a zero. They just all have to use the same group number for the group DSC funtion of our radios to work. The USCG explanation said that to pick a GROUP MMSI number, all you do is take any personal MMSI number in the group and put a zero in front of it and drop its last digit. So, 336234567, would become a group number of 033623456, and all members would enter 033623456 into their respective radio's group MMSI number set-up.

As I understand it, any radio that is turned on and within range, that has that GROUP MMSI number set up, will respond whenever any radio in the group that also has that group number set up, sends a msg using the group DSC function (DSC is Digital Selective Calling). When a group DSC msg is sent, two things happen: 1. All radios with the group MMSI number will first automatically switch to the channel the sender has selected for his group DSC call, and 2. all members (a "member" is defined as anyone with that specific GROUP MMSI number set up on the radio), can then communicate with each other just as if they were making a conference call on telephones.

So, suppose five friends who are using the same Group MMSI number are out one day and one of them gets into fish. If he wants to (A BIGGGG ASSUMPTION!!!), he could make a GROUP DSC call and all the other four would automatically switch to that channel and receive his message. The other four could call back and they would all be on the same channel for a certain amount of time. After some delay, if there is no further calling on that channel, all their radios would automatically jump back to the channels they were on when the group DSC call was first made (although I am a little unsure about this part).

I also THINK the call automatically sends lat-long info to all group members, as long as the sender has a GPS NMEA connection and the GPS is turned on.

The DSC funtion of radios is set up to send at least four types of DSC calls: individual, group, all ships and maritel telephone, in addition to the distress calls. Without getting into all of the options, if you selected "individual" for a DSC call, then only that individual's radio would switch to your selected channel. For a group call, all members of the group would automatically jump to that channel. In both cases, the receiving radios would display the caller's lat-long and some other stuff.

Radios have built-in timing protocals for handling DSC messages. Certain things happen, for example, when you make a DSC call and no one in the group is up and operating. Certain time delays go into effect and certain msgs show up on the sender's radio telling him there's no one around, basically, and the radio jumps back to the previous channel.

BTW, you can get an MMSI number through BoatUS. They send your number to the USCG in the event of a distress signal is sent.

[MikeB]

That's interesting. I've never heard it explained that way for group calling.
I don't know about you guys, but every spring I need to sit and "play" with my VHF because I forget how the thing works. Keeping the book in the boat is crucial for me. How many would use that function I wonder?

Thanks for that explanation. But than again, I've got no friends that I boat with that aren't on MY boat!

Mike

[bluedog]

The garmin 162 looks like all I need for now with a high 300$ price tag. Heres the question It says I can down load software to it I assume if i'm going off Ri coast I can download a chart that will have info just lage a navchart and just superimpose my local on top of it correct? Other ? is I have a starboard t-top does this mean I'll need an external antena? I know my handheld garmin Etrex can't pick up in my car or house.

[Seakindly]

Cmon CB, are you just yankin my chain or what ???

"THERMAL IMAGING" and "DIFFERENT TYPES OF FISH HAVE DIFFERENT BODY TEMPERATURES".

Almost all fish are strictly cold-blooded animals - that means their body temperatures are the same as the water they are in. Some tunas are an exception - they have the ability to raise their body temps slightly above the surrounding waters.

Now if you want to tell me that fish finder does a very good job at discriminating between the different body shapes that different species of fish have, and even that this differing sonar (sound not temperature) reflection can be displayed as a different color -- yeah, that I could believe.

But a fishfinder that uses thermal imaging to identify different species of fish by body temperature ???

No way, CB. I was born at night, but not last night. ;)

[chumbucket]

Ain't trying to slip one by ya. Actually, it's a combination of temperature and body density that comprise the different color images displayed on the screen.
But hey, don't take my word for it. Ask a comm. guy. :-X

[Seakindly]

ok CB, my friend, since you say you are being serious.

Now you are talkin about body density. That is at least believable because different species of fish could have enuff difference in body density to display differently in much the same way as different bottom densities such as sand vs. mud display differently.

But "differences in body temperature" ???

No way.

1) Fishfinders use sonar. They send and receive sound waves at specific frequencies. They don't measure temperatures at depth.

2) Fish are cold-blooded animals. Their body temperature is the same as the water they are swimmin in, regardless of species. Let's say the water is 50 degrees and a bass and a blue are swimmin under your transducer. Both fish are at 50 degrees.

3) Let's say that the fishfinder did measure temperatures at depth with "thermal imaging", and not with sonar. Then those fish would be invisible because they are at the same temperatures as the surrounding water. (When a fishfinder is displaying a thermocline or temperature break, it is able to show water at different temperatures because water at different temperatures has different densities. So does water of different salinities.)

I hope this helps.

[chumbucket]

Oh, it helps. ;)

[Seakindly]

:-*

[Lance Pearson]

I have handheld vhf units and will be mostly on rivers and lakes but decided to add a vhf unit for the 25 watt transmission range as a safety feature in addition to my cell phone. I bought a Cobra unit on Ebay and a 48" antenna and there is a side mount already there without vhf or antenna from original owner. In terms of dashboard for the big outboard I am just going with the Garmin 541s which is a gps for speed, chartplotter for location (minor value to me on this boat) and the S is for sonar with transom mount two frequency selectable sonar 50/200 hz. The 50 reads depth deeper and the 200 reads it in more detail.

The boat has an old hummingbird transducer on the stern so I kept it the same but Garmin.

I also am going to install a new negative or ground buss (black wires) and a new positive fused (red) with spade fuses behind the cuddy bulkhead wall to feed things from the battery to and get rid of inline fuses, if any, glass tube fuses, if any. I have all the parts and it is simple stuff to do. One feed from these busses will be to the new gps and another to the new vhf radio. The antenna side mount can pivot down to lay on the coaming or vertical to use.

Lance

[Lance Pearson]

I had a 35' sailboat for 20 years and raced, cruised, etc. with just a relatively modern vhf and never once used the dsc. Some of what is possible with electronics becomes so complex to operate I think unless you use it all the time you are better to go with the simpler but modern tech and not complex it up with crap you won't use or don't remember or the routines to use and hook it up and keep it working right on a boat .

In my case, I could quite probably make do with the modern hand held vhfs I have but at the prices today it is cheap enough to add just for the odd chance I'd need the safety valve of a 25 watt higher power fixed radio transmitter on board.

[Destroyer]

Totally agree with Lance on the K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple Stupid) principal. Some of today's modern electronics are so complicated to use that you need a BA in computer science just to turn them on.

Your radio is your lifeline. Next to your PFD it's the singular most important piece of safety gear in your boat. (IMHO). So if one method of calling for help is good, more is better. I have a CB radio (Fuzzbuster) my Icom 25w VHF with DSP and a layover whip antenna, and my waterproof Uniden handheld VHF that's always on my person. (And of course my cell phone also).

I know that the VHF is the go to device to call for help, but it's amazing how many boaters out there still use CB radios. And since (if I'm in trouble) I want the greatest number of chances for help I still have one hooked up.

Couple all that with my tach, gas gauge, Raymarine radar/chartplotter/depthfinder/gps, and Lowrance depthfinder/gps, Ritchie compass and I'm good to go...

Oh, one other thing.... as I was taught in the Navy, nothing can replace the good old Mark 1 eyeball... so a good pair of Binoculars is always a good thing to have handy.

[inaforty]

I run a 740 Garmin w/fuel flow sensor. The newer Garmin 741 with side scan fish finder is impressive technology. I still have a Garmin 192c that I really like. I found a smoking deal on a 740 right before Christmas 2 years ago and couldn't resist. I also like the radar option with the 740.

We have a ditch bag that we carry on whatever boat we use. Karen goes a little over board but we're always ready.
In the ditch bag is flares,epirb,2 hand VHF,flash light,floating strobe light, 2 poland spring waters,micro first aid kit and some other junk I can't remember.
Might think we're going to the Flemish Cap.

[phatdaddy]

when this thread was started, this is what i was running

http://i377.photobucket.com/albums/oo214/gls216/IMG_0128_zpsnaqvqbx5.jpg (http://s377.photobucket.com/user/gls216/media/IMG_0128_zpsnaqvqbx5.jpg.html)

D is right about simple is better, i've got a furuno 1870 that is the most complicated thing to operate i have ever seen. i went and bought a lowrance because i can;t use the gps on the furuno

[bradford]

Garmin 546s, easy to use, even for me.