finder/gps combo please help

[crappie52]

ok guys and gals, i need to get a gps to fing the cover i am going to put out, i have a old finder at the helm that i need to replace aswell, can i get a good combo for a reasonable price? is a cheap one good enough? let me know what to look for or just get a handheld and a good depthfinder or a combo. i would like to stay in the 4 to 6 hundred range for both. is that possible. thanks

[TampaJim]

Eagle CUDA 250 S/Map. It is a Black and White combo unit with an internal WAAS antenna and preprogrammed mapping - all for $199. The unit is easy to use and the display can be seen perfectly even in this intense Florida sun. Eagle is owned by Lowrance, so you know it is good stuff. It even has an controllable cone angle 20-60 degrees - depth to 600 feet. It has GRAYLINE technology to differentiate the bottom - hard, soft, grass, etc. I like the unit I have (older 240). It comes with a one-year warranty, but I purchased an extra two years for $39.99 from LEI - cheap insurance in my mind.

I think you would be very happy with this unit - save the rest of that hard earned money for other toys!

[KrappieKid]

I just purchased a Lowrance LMS 334c which is a color fishfinder/gps unit. It has an internal antennae. It cost about $650.00. I havn't used any others but I am very happy with this one. I also just purchased a navionics hotmaps premium card for this unit. It is amazing the detail that it shows for so many lakes. Good Luck.

KrappieKid

[crappiencali]

Lowrance makes a lot of great Graph/GPS combos. If you want to go color the 332C and the 334C are excellent graphs I had the 332C on my Triton. Definitely will have another one on my next boat. If you don't want to spend that much the 480LMS is pretty much the gray scale version of the 332C.

[basscatman]

Garmin 178c is what I use. I had a 332c Lowranc but prefer the ease of the Garmin. You can pick one up for around 475 @ GPS City

[tarheel]

I just purchased a Lowrance LMS 334c which is a color fishfinder/gps unit. It has an internal antennae. It cost about $650.00. I havn't used any others but I am very happy with this one. I also just purchased a navionics hotmaps premium card for this unit. It is amazing the detail that it shows for so many lakes. Good Luck.

KrappieKid

I'll second the 334c. Just got this model this year and I love it! Very easy to use and crystal clear from all angles.

[crome]

i have the 332c on mine and love it

[Greenwing]

I prefer the handheld/ depthfinder method myself mainly for 3 reasons. The first is I always put my stuff out with a jon boat and fish from a different one so the handheld is always portable. The second reason is I have a Lowrance LCX-20 and dont care for the gps functions compared to my garmin handhelds the zoom is not close enough on the Lowrance. The third reason is when you use the depthfinder with the navigation combo screen I feel like it takes to much screen away and mine is a 6" screen. I would buy a good handheld with a good depthfinder I dont know about the other brands but the Garmin is available with a power cord you can hook to 12 volt supply and never have to worry about batteries on them all day fishing trips.

[driven2fish]

I second Greenwing's motion. There are other reasons as well. I have a Garmin Legend Handheld and an Eagle Sonar. What's really nice is that with the right mapping software, you can scope out possible productive areas on a lake before you even get there, "mark" them, and then load the marks up to the GPS. Then you can go straight to them when you get on the lake. Or you can do the reverse. Mark productive spots you've found while fishing with the GPS and then upload them from the GPS to your mapping software. You can also map trips out in the GPS through the routes function (again with the use of software) to get you where you're going without missing a single turn. I just prop ours up in the windshield and off we go. The bottom line is that because the handheld is portable, it opens up a lot of options. For most people, it's a hassle to remove a Combo unit from the boat so that you can do other stuff with the GPS.

One of our favorite things we use our GPS for is a past-time called GeoCaching. You can see what that's all about at http://www.geocaching.com. It's great when the fish aren't biting! It's kind of a high tech treasure hunt.

There's so much more you can do with a handheld. I'd definately go that route.

[skiptomylu]

Heck I would sell you my LMS 480 and then I could buy the 332c, LOL! BTW, Lowrance has a really nice help department and all you have to do is call them for any help you may need.

I am sure there are units from other companies that are excellent too and maybe you should make a trip to the local tackle store to see them in person so you can choose what fits you best.

Oh, one more really cool thing is you can go to Lowrance and download a Demo for the unit you are interested in to help you learn the menu before you get it.