# Handheld GPS/Chartplotter



## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

My little garmin etrex has been rock solid for years and accurate to within a few feet. I'll keep it for a back up on my next skiff.


----------



## GG34 (May 2, 2014)

firecat1981 said:


> My little garmin etrex has been rock solid for years and accurate to within a few feet. I'll keep it for a back up on my next skiff.


Is it a chartplotter as well?


----------



## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

If by that you mean it has uploadable marine maps that you can set way points and navigate towards, then yes. To me a gps and plotter are nearly one in the same these days.


----------



## GG34 (May 2, 2014)

Yes that's what I mean. Do the charts have depths?


----------



## firecat1981 (Nov 27, 2007)

Yes, some maps are better then others, here is what I use cause they were free. The detail increases as you zoom in of coarse.

https://www.microskiff.com/threads/getting-maps-for-my-gps-how-i-did-it.2327/


----------



## krash (Jan 9, 2007)

I have an Lowrance H2Oc, used to have the B&W but it lost its brains and BPS replaced it with a color version for me... Its a few years old and running strong. I upgraded to a Nautical Path chip and it doe have does shw depths and bottom structure or contours as well as wrecks and stuff that were known at the time the map chip was made. 
Take it with us on a buddys offshore boat for that reason, depths, as his FF/GPS combo looses its response when we get out around 600'.. so for a general idea if we are in 750' or at the drop off its good for that.
Inshore in the flats and bays where its say less than 12' the detail and contours are not that great though.

Its older, not sure if they still make it but it works great. The one thing I don't like about it is in the sun the B&W unit was much easier to read. You can set way points, create routes, and check distane form point a to b just like most hadr mount units, you just have to deal with a much smaller screen.

Just recently downloaded the Navionics app to my phone and compared to the handheld, the Navionics maos are considerably better and up to date. I checked with Navionics to see of they have a chip with will work, wanted newer bottom contours, and unfortunately they do not.. the newer chips are larger than the 2gb size of the older ones. 
The Navionics phone app is nice, equivalent to the Navionics+ chip, but the phone screen is not easy to read in the sun either.. besides phone's cost to much when dropped over the side and I generally do not take my phone out when in the boat.

I mainly use the handheld when paddling as a trail marker to find my way back to the launch when paddling in mangrove creeks and tunnels... its amazing how quick you can get lost after a few turns and the tide come back in or goes out.


----------

