Garmin 498 - Moderated Discussion Areas

  ContinuousWave
  Whaler
  Moderated Discussion Areas
  ContinuousWave: Small Boat Electrical
  Garmin 498

search | FAQ | profile | register | author help

Author Topic:   Garmin 498

Andrewdavis34 posted 02-17-2008 07:09 PM ET (US)
Hi,
I am getting ready to [purchase] a chartplotter and can't decide if I should wait until the prices on the 540's drop, or go ahead and buy a 498 and bait tank with the funds that I currently have and be done with my boat rigging for the time being.
My primary objective at this point is to install a unit that has a basemap installed so I can chart a course back home if need be, in the fog. My other requirement is to be able to get an accurate recording of the water depth, as the area that I frequently boat in is very shallow outside the navigational channel at low tide.( This channel is extremely difficult to navigate in the fog, hence the basemap requirement)
One other feature that I would like, is to able to connect my Standard Horizon Quest Plus VHF radio so DSC can be utilized.
I understand that the Bluecharts that come with the 498 have photos of harbors installed is this correct?
Also wanted to get a sense of overall satifaction with this unit.
Thanks,
Andrew
BellBoyBob posted 02-17-2008 08:57 PM ET (US)
Andrew, the 540s price has dropped a good deal since I purchased mine in October of 07. Check this site out
http://www.bluewaterdeals.com/product_info.php?products_id=20608207
For $577, you are paying less that $100 more for the 540s over the 498, same screen size and you can add G2 Vision charts when you are ready. The sonar is very good and the screen is very clear. The 540s also has night auto adjusting back lighting which is really nice because it reduces glare from the screen precipitously.
Good luck,
Bob
Andrewdavis34 posted 02-17-2008 09:46 PM ET (US)
Bob,
I just checked on the web site that you mentioned and the 540S with DF transducer and internal antenna is $729.95 new and $577.00 remanufactured. At this point I am only considering new. At $729.95 I am looking at spending around $300.00 more for the 540s.
Thanks,
Andrew
BellBoyBob posted 02-17-2008 11:40 PM ET (US)
Andrew, you can certainly do well with the 498C. The base maps are identical to the 540s and the screen size is the same as well. A Garmin refurbished 540s would not concern me at all. The warranty is the same as the new ones (I believe) and their techs have gone over and replaced any faulty parts. With the 540s you are getting the current technology as well.
Hope this helps,
Bob
floatinghat posted 02-19-2008 04:04 PM ET (US)
I like the 498 how significant is the resolution difference moving up to the 540?
swist posted 02-20-2008 08:52 AM ET (US)
I bought a 492 (498 minus depth, I believe) on the cheap when the new Garmin units were announced. Looked at both and decided there wasn't a enough difference in image quality or visibility night/day to warrant paying the increase. The 49x are still outstanding units.
The use of G2 charts are the major part of this decision. If pictures of ports and marinas and other such goodies are important to how you use your boat, then that's certainly a factor. I'm in the middle of nowhere and that stuff is of limited utility to me.
Note the economics here might me a bit counterintuitive. Yes the 49x series can be had for less money, but at some point, inventory will start to approach zero and that could cause what units remain to price-stabilize, or even increase on places like eBay where you many have many buyers chasing a few units. And eBay is indeed likely the place that the last remaining units will be found.
BellBoyBob posted 02-20-2008 04:58 PM ET (US)
What Swist is saying re: the 490 series is quite true. I bought a discontinued Garmin 178 plotter / sonar combo on E-bay, used it for a few months and then listed it on E-bay for auction. It sold for $100 more than what I paid for it 7 months before only because there were fewer of them available. The same scenario might well apply to the 498C as time goes by. There is no question that it is a superlative unit and, at the moment, you will be getting REAL value if you buy one either on E-bay or some other online merchant. Hard to decide, I know. I don't think there will be any issue of buyer's remorse for either of the choices.
Bob
fleedermouse posted 03-17-2008 10:10 AM ET (US)
I pulled up the 498c on a couple of websites and it looks like to me that they are advertising them as containing the same or similar maps as the 540 and 545s (g2 mapchip).
Does anyone know if this is the case? I would ask my local sales rep but they don't seem to have very condfident-sounding answers most of the time.
bluewaterpirate posted 03-17-2008 10:21 AM ET (US)
The 492/498 series come preloaded with G2 Charts.
AtoZ posted 03-17-2008 01:31 PM ET (US)
I just bought a 498 w/transducer Refurb from getfeetwet.com for $399. Too good a deal to pass up.
Riverwhaler posted 03-17-2008 04:36 PM ET (US)
check this out with all charts included
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&sspagename=STRK%3AMESEX%3AIT&viewitem=&item=120234892045&_trksid=p3984.cSELL.m315.lVI

Hop to:

Contact Us | RETURN to ContinuousWave Top Page

Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Freeware Version 2000
Purchase our Licensed Version- which adds many more features!
© Infopop Corporation (formerly Madrona Park, Inc.), 1998 - 2000.

Author	Topic: Garmin 498
Andrewdavis34	posted 02-17-2008 07:09 PM ET (US) Hi, I am getting ready to [purchase] a chartplotter and can't decide if I should wait until the prices on the 540's drop, or go ahead and buy a 498 and bait tank with the funds that I currently have and be done with my boat rigging for the time being. My primary objective at this point is to install a unit that has a basemap installed so I can chart a course back home if need be, in the fog. My other requirement is to be able to get an accurate recording of the water depth, as the area that I frequently boat in is very shallow outside the navigational channel at low tide.( This channel is extremely difficult to navigate in the fog, hence the basemap requirement) One other feature that I would like, is to able to connect my Standard Horizon Quest Plus VHF radio so DSC can be utilized. I understand that the Bluecharts that come with the 498 have photos of harbors installed is this correct? Also wanted to get a sense of overall satifaction with this unit. Thanks, Andrew
BellBoyBob	posted 02-17-2008 08:57 PM ET (US) Andrew, the 540s price has dropped a good deal since I purchased mine in October of 07. Check this site out http://www.bluewaterdeals.com/product_info.php?products_id=20608207 For $577, you are paying less that $100 more for the 540s over the 498, same screen size and you can add G2 Vision charts when you are ready. The sonar is very good and the screen is very clear. The 540s also has night auto adjusting back lighting which is really nice because it reduces glare from the screen precipitously. Good luck, Bob
Andrewdavis34	posted 02-17-2008 09:46 PM ET (US) Bob, I just checked on the web site that you mentioned and the 540S with DF transducer and internal antenna is $729.95 new and $577.00 remanufactured. At this point I am only considering new. At $729.95 I am looking at spending around $300.00 more for the 540s. Thanks, Andrew
BellBoyBob	posted 02-17-2008 11:40 PM ET (US) Andrew, you can certainly do well with the 498C. The base maps are identical to the 540s and the screen size is the same as well. A Garmin refurbished 540s would not concern me at all. The warranty is the same as the new ones (I believe) and their techs have gone over and replaced any faulty parts. With the 540s you are getting the current technology as well. Hope this helps, Bob
floatinghat	posted 02-19-2008 04:04 PM ET (US) I like the 498 how significant is the resolution difference moving up to the 540?
swist	posted 02-20-2008 08:52 AM ET (US) I bought a 492 (498 minus depth, I believe) on the cheap when the new Garmin units were announced. Looked at both and decided there wasn't a enough difference in image quality or visibility night/day to warrant paying the increase. The 49x are still outstanding units. The use of G2 charts are the major part of this decision. If pictures of ports and marinas and other such goodies are important to how you use your boat, then that's certainly a factor. I'm in the middle of nowhere and that stuff is of limited utility to me. Note the economics here might me a bit counterintuitive. Yes the 49x series can be had for less money, but at some point, inventory will start to approach zero and that could cause what units remain to price-stabilize, or even increase on places like eBay where you many have many buyers chasing a few units. And eBay is indeed likely the place that the last remaining units will be found.
BellBoyBob	posted 02-20-2008 04:58 PM ET (US) What Swist is saying re: the 490 series is quite true. I bought a discontinued Garmin 178 plotter / sonar combo on E-bay, used it for a few months and then listed it on E-bay for auction. It sold for $100 more than what I paid for it 7 months before only because there were fewer of them available. The same scenario might well apply to the 498C as time goes by. There is no question that it is a superlative unit and, at the moment, you will be getting REAL value if you buy one either on E-bay or some other online merchant. Hard to decide, I know. I don't think there will be any issue of buyer's remorse for either of the choices. Bob
fleedermouse	posted 03-17-2008 10:10 AM ET (US) I pulled up the 498c on a couple of websites and it looks like to me that they are advertising them as containing the same or similar maps as the 540 and 545s (g2 mapchip). Does anyone know if this is the case? I would ask my local sales rep but they don't seem to have very condfident-sounding answers most of the time.
bluewaterpirate	posted 03-17-2008 10:21 AM ET (US) The 492/498 series come preloaded with G2 Charts.
AtoZ	posted 03-17-2008 01:31 PM ET (US) I just bought a 498 w/transducer Refurb from getfeetwet.com for $399. Too good a deal to pass up.
Riverwhaler	posted 03-17-2008 04:36 PM ET (US) check this out with all charts included http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&sspagename=STRK%3AMESEX%3AIT&viewitem=&item=120234892045&_trksid=p3984.cSELL.m315.lVI