posted 03-16-2007 03:59 PM ET (US)            

I checked out Boaters World and they've got a package for the Lowrance 337 CDF for $849.00, but it also includes the chart card, a fuel flow sensor, and 1 year extended warranty. The 337 CDF unit by itself is priced at $699.00. However, it looks like a real nice unit, with everything and more than I need.

Although, I wonder if this unit is any better than the LMS 522 IGPS or the Eagle equivalent? I noticed it has more pixels at 640 x 480, but is not dual frequency. Does dual frequency help any if I'm never going to be in any water over say 250' deep?

Thanks for your help,

KW

posted 03-16-2007 05:27 PM ET (US)            

I have the Profish II and I'm looking forward you using it extensively. Love the plotter with highway function. Also the STRIKE function. Differential GPS seems to be very accurate. The ablilty to see the screen better the brighter the sun shines on it is really neat. Did not get the Chartplotter because I live in the Rock Mountain Area. Had a SITEX Recorder in 1980 in South Florida and was very happy with it. Those needing an inexpensive combo unit should check this out. I don't think you can beat this deal with a stick.

posted 03-17-2007 08:07 AM ET (US)            

--B&G
--Eagle
--Lowrance
--Simrad
--Navman
--Northstar
--MX Marine

posted 03-19-2007 06:53 AM ET (US)            

Looks like I have a little more investigating to do before I make a decision about what to buy. I'm interesting about the ProFish II refurbished units and 2 year warranty.

Also interesting about NAVICO. I had no idea they made all these brands. I've really only been looking at Lowrance and Eagle from this group, but will now dig a little deeper. Looks like the Eagle gives a tad more bang for the buck in similar models, but I just can't get by the grey casing (silly cosmetic hang-up I have, since all my other electronics are black.)

Thanks Again,

posted 03-20-2007 07:52 AM ET (US)            

I do not think there is any one device that is a clear leader in the market in term of best performance for under $750. If there were, the other five or six brands would suddenly be out of business. It is a very crowded field and no matter how often I look at the choices, there does not seem to be any one device that stands out as the really best deal.

One aspect of the price you will pay for a unit is the amount of digital chart cartography that it will include. It has become fairly common that when you buy a GPS and Chart Plotter that it comes with a lot of cartography included. You have to evaluate the unit and the cartography as a package. One unit may come with the equivalent of hundreds of dollars of chart data. You have to consider that when you make a judgement about the price and value.

Another factor is the type of cartography, and by that I mean what brand of digital chart data does a particular device use. Some brands of GPS and Chart Plotter use their own brand of cartography, and you are more or less captive to that brand. WIth other devices the electronics manufacturer uses a third party vendor for the chart cartography. An example of this might be C-Map. C-Map make digital cartography which can be used in many brands of chart plotter devices.

Another important consideration is the region in which you boat and if the device has good chart cartography for that area. If you happen to be in Miami, you can be sure there is good chart data for your water, but if you live in Utah, it may be harder to find good digital charts for a local lake. This varies with brand.

This topic--what is the best unit at a certain price point--is frequently discussed and comes up over and over. What usually happens is that people recommend the unit they have purchased. That is natural. It is a way to affirm their own choice as the correct choice. But I do not think that I have ever seen a really systematic analysis of the choices. It would be good to have a careful study of what each device offers.

If making a study, I would want to compare the following parameters:

DISPLAY: physical size, number of pixels, color or monochrome, visibility in sunlight

CHART DATA: format of data, amount of data included, quality of data, price of additional data, availability of additional data

OPERATING SYSTEM: layout of physical controls, organization of menus and their logic, speed of screen redraws, ability to plot or overlay other information such as Digital Selective Calling position polling from another vessel, data from other sources such as NMEA-2000 engine data, weather radio data, and even RADAR overlays.

GPS: this is funny but the GPS is more or less a commodity now and there is very little to differentiate one device from another. We just assume the GPS is fast, reliable, and accurate, and it has data outputs to connect with other devices.

SONAR: again, this is a completely separate topic, and there could be a world of difference in the performance of the SONAR portion of a combination GPS, Chart Plotter, and SONAR device, yet very little commentary is given to this by most anecdotal reviewers. It seems that the SONAR is more or less thrown into the deal and accepted as a commodity, not a decision-making criterion.

In my view, no one ever really provides substantive data about all of these possibilities. What typically happens is people recommend their favorite brands or a brand they have bought in the past. There are so many factors which affect the total package value it has become very difficult to sort them all out and determine a "best value" winner.

posted 03-20-2007 08:18 AM ET (US)            

On the other hand, if you have two separate devices, you can get more screen display area for your money, I think. At the moment I have separate GPS and SONAR devices, and each has their own display. The effective display of these two devices when added together is quite large. It is the equivalent of perhaps an 8-inch display. I have been thinking about getting something new, and of course I was considering a combination unit, just like everyone else. Then it occurred to me that in order to really get more screen display area, I would have to get at least an 8-inch display. Anything smaller would be, in effect, a step backwards for me in terms of how much data I could display at one time in a split screen navigation and depth display.

posted 03-20-2007 11:18 AM ET (US)            

What attracted me most to the 498c was my experience with a long line of Garmin GPS units over the years and almost immediate familiarity with this unit's operating system because the operating system of the 498c is almost identical to the operating system of the Garmin 182c. Thus, I did not need to learn yet another new operating system. I realize that Garmin is not known to have the best SONAR specifications but for my needs the familiarity with and ease of use of the Garmin operating system trumped any weakness on the SONAR specification side of the combination. Also, never having been a very lucky fisherman, I attached more value to the GPS function than the SONAR function of the combination. The decision to go with a combo unit rather than separate devices was driven by the desire to conserve console space.

The advantage with the new Garmin units, versus the older units, is that one does not have to buy a separate chip for the charts as I had to do with the Garmin 182c. Now they are built-in. A Garmin chip can still be purchased to provide more detail such as aerial photos of coastal features, etc. I doubt that I will buy such a thing as I've managed to get along all of these years without.

I think the 49Xc series of Garmin products, which are being phased out for a new product line, should be considered by those interested in a good quality combo GPS/SONAR at a reasonable price. With the intense competition in the marine electronics field these days, its quite likely that there are several other brands that will do just as good a job.

posted 03-20-2007 03:31 PM ET (US)            

Sorry about the radio thing. I just wanted the guy inquiring to know that the Sitex unit would hook up for the
CH 70 emerg. function. Told you before that I was big on that brand of radio because I believe it's bullet proof and it's one of the big three for ham radio. In fairness, Kenwood and Yaesu being the other two.

Yep, I'm pretty happy with the Sitex unit and don't mind saying so. My thinking is that if KDW can get a combo unit he likes, as much as I like mine for $299 bucks, then my post might be of assistance to him.

I've noticed that Sitex is rarely reviewed on this site and although I have no financial interest in the company, an older company this industry mainstream, with marine products such as Sonar, Radar, etc. deserves a look see.

Not really interested in going against the grain but I know good stuff when I see it and I'd like to point it out to others.

posted 03-20-2007 04:23 PM ET (US)            

As I said, VHF Marine Band radios are an entirely different topic. Wax prolix on them in a new discussion.

posted 03-20-2007 05:19 PM ET (US)            

Great points about the complexity of deciding any one unit is best given all the various mfrs and options offered.I guess it's almost like buying a new car, computer, or almost any other piece of high-tech equipment. Each individual has a planned use and preference to best fit their application and needs. Everyone holds different priorities and opinions about functionality, speed, styling, efficiency, and the like.

Looks like we need Consumer Reports to evaluate these GPS/Sounder combo units and rank like all their other stuff? The catagories Jim described would be nice. I think the individual GPS and FishFinder idea also has a lot of merit.

Anyhow, just reading everyone's comments has been well worth asking the question, even if it is probably too vague to specifically answer. I'm a real novice in the area of GPS and fishfinders. It's always interesting to learn from the experience and knowledge of others who know more about a subject than me. It can only help me make the best purchasing decision about my specific application.

Thanks again,