Color vs black and white GPS/FF

Mac_Attack · #1 05-25-2005, 01:57 PM

Is color that desirable to make it worth the extra bucks in a GPS/FF? Opinions on Lowrance LMS 332c vs Garmin GPS map 178c? Thanks Bill Mc ;D

macojoe · #2 05-25-2005, 04:11 PM

I have black and white and love it!! I am not sure what you gain in color?? And the money can be alot more!

So IMO Go black and white!

I have been loking for a deal on Ebay for a friend of mine who doesn't have to much money and woukld like to get a chart plotter. He would like a 162 Garmin like mine.
FYI, I called Garmin today and asked what the life of the internal battery is? They said 7 to 10 years and you will get a low memory battery warning when the time comes.
Also said you will lose all your info when it dies so you better have it backed up when the time is near! They can change the battery for you and you have to send it to Garmin if you want the new battery.

Vic · #3 05-25-2005, 09:55 PM

Hey MC, I got the garmin 182 black and white last year and love it. It is bluechart compatable, and the charts are cool. I couldnt see spending the money for the color. We navagated the Florida Keys backcountry with it last year. I had a buddy following me because of the chart plotter. Hope this helps.

Mac_Attack · #4 05-25-2005, 11:45 PM

I know that there is a high regard for the Garmin line, I have a low price source for the Lowrance products any experince with these. Bill Mc ;D

#5 06-01-2005, 05:31 PM

I unfortunately spend 30-40 hours a week selling these units to people. *Right now, today, the Lowrance 337 is far and above the best unit on the market. It's base map has twice the detail as Garmins, It's sounder/fishfinder has way better display and detail, the screen resolution is much higher and it's daytime viewing is superior. The 332 is also a very very good unit. I get any of the at a nice discount from Lowrane or Garmin and I would not consider anything but a 332 or 337...... LOL,,,and no I do not work for Lowrance..But,I sell them at a West Marine store.

stripminer · #6 06-01-2005, 05:42 PM

I have both a color fishfinder ( raymarine ds400x ) and a Garmin 172c chartplotter. I like them both a great deal,

I hate to disagree with my astute friends from the site but I would go color for a chartplotter. The Garmin is real easy to see even in bright sunlight and having color makes diferentiating different depths and structure so easy on the eyes. Red cans are red, green ones green, rock and grass are green, deep water white and shallow water is blue. The numbers are black against a color background. Your eye just picks things up that much faster.

The best example is running along in deep water, the chart plotter shows white,,, as you keep your eye on it if the chart shows blue ahead of you, you need to pay attention to the depths more.

The fishfinder is real nice, I have only had it this year and am still learning it but some people tell me they can tell a striper from a blue with their color units.

Obviously money is an issue for most of us, I spent 299 for the fishfinder and around 650 for the chartplotter ( with nav card ) . Make sure you find an internet price and bring it to West marine, they will match the price.

Whatever you do, buy the blue chart or whatever card comes with your chartplotter, they are fairly useless without them.

- Tom

Mac_Attack · #7 06-02-2005, 10:53 PM

byownerelectronics.com have good prices and I'm tending toward the color units. Now a question regarding internal or external antennas? Does anyone have experience with Lowrance products? Bill Mc ;D

#8 06-04-2005, 01:11 PM

as to the Lowrance products I don't have any experience owning one, (it's on the list) but I have sold a lot and installed quite a few I can say that every single person who has bought one loves it. *The internal antenna is fine in most cases on an open boat. *If you have a fabric T-top you will get slightly less coverage if you have it under a hard top you will even less, I have installed both kinds on most boats, some take a little longer than others to aquire enough birds to do any good. I highly reccomend NOT buying online...print the web page, take it to West Marine, they will price match and give you very good follow on customer support (returns and such)

stripminer · #9 06-05-2005, 08:52 PM

I originally bought an internal antenna with my Garmin GPS, it pulled in an accuracy of 15 feet and did not pick up the WAAS satellite. I returned it to West Marine ( after using an internet price ) and got the External. Six foot accuracy and WAAS connection within seconds from the same position the internal was tested at. No brainer, go external. I believe the windshield frame was blocking the signal.

- Tom

#10 06-06-2005, 07:32 PM

I have a 330 C Lowrance unit on my 84 V-20. Combination GPS and Sonar. Bought combo with external unit, and mounted sat receiver on my rail with a clamp like used for antenna.

Best graphics at the time I bought it, and looked at Garmin for comparison. Has a variety of settings for day and night.

Lowrance has a site for demos of their systems so you can also test drive before you buy.

Install was simple to do, when I read the instructions. I pulled two sets of marine wire from the battery directly to each unit to power. This supposedly eliminates noise on the system, and protects your unit from drawing battery power by installing throw switch circuit breakers inside the cuddy for positive disconnect. This season had to change from the inline fuse parts included with system to waterproof yellow plastic fuses, and souldered them to be sure of good contact.

Bought the RAM ball mount instead of permanent install in the dash, this way, I can change the angle of unit to view sonar for depth and fishes while anywhere in the boat.

I disconnect my unit when not in use.....unfortunate that it would dissappear if I didn't do it.

Unit came with surface of the water information, meaning bouys, day markers, etc.,. however no depth contours. If you want depths, you have to use Navonics $199 extra (sp) or buy the Lowrance product $99 when it becomes available. BUT I fish Indian River and Delaware Bay and Ocean City MD, Susquehanna Flats, and these areas, except for Delaware Bay are not charted anyway!!!

I really considered the new hand held model H20 I think is the name....for the expense.... thought it was also a great tool and excellent graphics

Only my opinion....