shilo
New Member
I think I'm going to buy this model GPS/Sonar. Has anyone used this model and what is your opinion of it?
Garmin 430s GPS/Sonar - opinions of?
- Thread starter shilo
- Start date
charlg
New Member
- Jan 7, 2007
- 745
- Boat Info
- 2000 280 Sun Sport
/ Raymarine C80 w/ Radar / Sirius weather
/ SH GX5000S VHF
- Engines
- Twin 350 Mags / B1's
/ Corsa exhaust
I originally bought the 440S (coastal version) and thought the screen size was too small. So, I upgraded to the 540S....same functionality and features of the 4xxS series only with a larger screen (1" more).
These units (4xxS or 5xxS) are great. They are easy to use, and the display is visible in ANY lighting. The base maps are more than sufficient, but can also be upgraded with a Vision card.
The new Garmins are very user friendly. I recommend.
You can check out mine, and the mount, in the virtual marina.
These units (4xxS or 5xxS) are great. They are easy to use, and the display is visible in ANY lighting. The base maps are more than sufficient, but can also be upgraded with a Vision card.
The new Garmins are very user friendly. I recommend.
You can check out mine, and the mount, in the virtual marina.
Tallahassee240Sundeck
New Member
I have the 440S and love it. Actually just mounted the through hull (no drilling needed) dual beam transducer. Used the GPS last weekend and found it to be very beneficial. Since we were following a school of dolphins, kinda just wandered about 10 miles off shore. Just hit chart back to waypoint, or in my case the marina where I put in and it directed me back (not that it would have been hard to find, but thought I would use the new toy). Was also out a ways since I was seeking 100 foot of water to test the dual beam transducer - Garmin recommends testing mounting locations in deeper water. Since I am limited on space, I mounted using a Ram mount that allows me to swivel the unit in any direction.
For our boating needs, this is the perfect unit.
For our boating needs, this is the perfect unit.
I have the 545s.
I went with this unit because
(1) I had money burning a hole in my pocket.
(2) The existing boat transducer / finder was dead.
(3) I didn't have a decent chart plotter
(4) This unit had both a bigger screen, and higher resolution than the x40 units.
It works well enough. I *would* recommend it.
I always know where I am. In my area, depth management is important, and I find the chart very reliable (afterall it is the NOAA charts).
I find that the depth finder has problem finding the bottom every once in a while. Seemingly at the worst times, but I do ok.
I like turning the "tracks on" feature. BUT there is no way to prune individual tracks. Also, even though there is a SD card port, there doesn't (as of a month ago) seem to be any way to get chart information (waypoints, tracks) into or out of the unit (ie, the unit can create / read files, but there is no software to create / read files)
Personally, I would prefer keeping the GPS and depth functions seperate -> but this solution appears elegant.
I went with this unit because
(1) I had money burning a hole in my pocket.
(2) The existing boat transducer / finder was dead.
(3) I didn't have a decent chart plotter
(4) This unit had both a bigger screen, and higher resolution than the x40 units.
It works well enough. I *would* recommend it.
I always know where I am. In my area, depth management is important, and I find the chart very reliable (afterall it is the NOAA charts).
I find that the depth finder has problem finding the bottom every once in a while. Seemingly at the worst times, but I do ok.
I like turning the "tracks on" feature. BUT there is no way to prune individual tracks. Also, even though there is a SD card port, there doesn't (as of a month ago) seem to be any way to get chart information (waypoints, tracks) into or out of the unit (ie, the unit can create / read files, but there is no software to create / read files)
Personally, I would prefer keeping the GPS and depth functions seperate -> but this solution appears elegant.
comsnark said:
A year or two ago I experimented with some software that could download and read files from my Magellan SportTrak. It may have been free software, and I remember at that time the interface was clumsy, and some things did not work right. But, I was able to open a track file, find my position vs time, and such. Maybe I will do a bit of poking around and see if I can remember what it was. That was about two or three operating systems ago.
OK, I did a bit of looking in my computer, and I don't see the program anymore. So maybe it was 4 OS's ago. Anyway, the program may have been GPSBabel
shilo
New Member
How well do the units read the boat while underway? How fast can you go and still read the bottom? I would like to be able to use this while running and be able to keep an eye out for sand bars. Plus have the chart in front of me.Transom mount or through hull, which would you recommend?
Well. . . nobody seems to recommend transom mount units. Too much turbulence at the stern. Too easy to get out of alignment.
My unit is a thru-hull. I have a thu-hull because that is what the boat had when I bought it. I personally look to minimize below waterline holes. I think a "shoot-thru" syle should work fine, if mounted per instructions. I would not drill a hole through your hull to install a ducer.
The water where I run is generally under 10 feet. My ducer works at all speeds. (W.O.T is 46mph for me) It tends to lose it's mind when I go off and go onto plane for a few seconds (I suppose due to turbulance under the boat).
Do you have a transducer now? How does it work? You might consider installing a second unit for your Garmin next to it (on other side of keel). Be careful of interference between the units.
My unit is a thru-hull. I have a thu-hull because that is what the boat had when I bought it. I personally look to minimize below waterline holes. I think a "shoot-thru" syle should work fine, if mounted per instructions. I would not drill a hole through your hull to install a ducer.
The water where I run is generally under 10 feet. My ducer works at all speeds. (W.O.T is 46mph for me) It tends to lose it's mind when I go off and go onto plane for a few seconds (I suppose due to turbulance under the boat).
Do you have a transducer now? How does it work? You might consider installing a second unit for your Garmin next to it (on other side of keel). Be careful of interference between the units.
shilo said:
I've got the Garmin 276C with the Black Box and Transom mount transducer. Works fine at all speeds. Plus if you have the transducer in the water you can get water temp from it. (Either thru-hull or transom mount) in hull will not give you temps. I like the idea of having separate maps not preloaded in the GPS unit. I use MapSource to do all my preplanning on the computer (Plus view on Google Earth) then load to my GPS system. Also nice to be able to copy the tracks back to the computer and save them under separate file for later reference.
bucknut
New Member
- Aug 7, 2007
- 23
- Boat Info
- 270 sundeck 2004
2005 denali
- Engines
- 454 Merc w/bravo 3
Tallahassee240Sundeck
do you have pics of where you mounted ducer.I have the garmin 498 but have not mounted ducer yet. thanks
do you have pics of where you mounted ducer.I have the garmin 498 but have not mounted ducer yet. thanks
beerman
Member
I have the Garmin 430 on my 240DA. Love the unit. Still figuring out everything it can do. The four inch screen is adequate. I don't have the s model so no transducer.
Tallahassee240Sundeck
New Member
bucknut said:
Will snap some pics when I get out on the boat today. Still need to fill the mount with mineral oil and screw the ducer to the base. Keep in mind I am on a 1996 Sundeck, so I am unfamiliar with the layout of the newer body style... But, basically it is mounted in the front of the engine compartment with the wire running over the gas tank, following other wires, to the dash.
Tallahassee240Sundeck
New Member
comsnark said:
I heard the transom mount could be impacted by turbulence, but was more concerned about the kids swimming around the boat and knocking it out of alignment. Not that they swim around the drive, but you never know. I also did not want to introduce new holes to the hull.
Will report back after this weekend on the "shoot-thru" performance.
Tallahassee240Sundeck
New Member
- Mar 10, 2004
- 5,113
You can fill it with non-toxic antifreeze too. If it ever leaks it is alot easier to clean up the antifreeze than the mineral oil.
I installed the same transducer in my boat recently as well (but with a RayMarine DSM 300). AirMar is OEM for many if not most transducers for depth and sonar equipment on the market.
I did contact AirMar about why they no longer recommend using 3M 4200 or 5200, but rather GE Silicone I or II.
They indicated that mineral spirits will over time attack 4200 or 5200, but not GE Silicone.
But if you use non-toxic antifreeze, you can use 4200 or 5200.
I used antifreeze.
I did contact AirMar about why they no longer recommend using 3M 4200 or 5200, but rather GE Silicone I or II.
They indicated that mineral spirits will over time attack 4200 or 5200, but not GE Silicone.
But if you use non-toxic antifreeze, you can use 4200 or 5200.
I used antifreeze.
Never had a problem with the transom mount on the 240.
shilo
New Member
Thanks for all the replies. Shoot through or transom mount? I kinda like the idea of shoot through hull mount. How well do these work? Transom mount - the existing fish finder (junk) is transom mount, so I might be able to use some of these screw holes for mounting a transom mount. I think if both work equally well, I'd go with the shoot through just because it seems less likely to be bumped.
Tallahassee240Sundeck
New Member
shilo said:
I will report back after the weekend on the new shoot through...
Tallahassee240Sundeck
New Member
The shoot through worked like a charm. I still have the lowrance depth finder that was factory installed hooked up and the new transducer was reading the same.
shilo
New Member
Tallahassee, thanks for the update and the pictures. Looks good mounted there. How did that RAM mount attach to your dash? I'm going to have to mount mine ontop of the dash; no good spot on the dash to mount it without blocking gauges or switches. That's why I'm thinking of going with this size unit, so I don't have something too large in the way.
