Garmin internal / external aerial??

[tunaticer]

G'day fellas,

I am about to buy a garmin 172c chartplotter for my tinnie.

My tinnie does not have a whole heap of room spare these days so I am thinking of getting the internal aerial version.

In about 12 months however I am going to have a larger boat for bay work and good weather offshore work and i would like to transplant the gps between the two boats.

My question is if i buy the internal aerial version can i also plug in an external aerial in the second boat??

I will not have spare room for the aerial in my tinnie.

Jack.

[Foxy4]

Sorry to say it but I don't think you can. Best idea is to ask a dealer to show you the model you are looking at and our download the user manual for it from Garmin.

I think you will find that it will be either or and not both?

[tunaticer]

Thanks Foxy,

I have downloaded the manuals before and they do not even touch on the aerial selections.

Will drop into bcf on thursday and ask someone there prolly the wrong place to ask for info but i drive right past thier door every day.

Jack.

[Kerry]

To start with you do realize the 172C is a discontinued product?

[disorderly]

Hi tunaticer,

Does your new boat have a hardtop or something?
I have the same unit(178c)with a transducer to make it a combo and the GPS has no problem reading under my windscreen and a vinyl canopy.

Scott

[disorderly]

To start with you do realize the 172C is a discontinued product?

hi Kerry,

I think the 178 is also but does it really matter?

[FNQCairns]

Not the same unit but my Garmin 12 will read and track perfectly well under the drivers seat in the car, caught my missus visiting Hungry Jacks (thats the fast food place) one day when she ducked out to the shop, she is a good girl but I got in the shit for it, funny.

Will also read in a backpack or in my pocket upside down, amazing little unit, if garmins still work just as well, you may not need an external??

cheers fnq

[Kerry]

hi Kerry,

I think the 178 is also but does it really matter?

Probably not if you get it at the right price in the first place and you are aware of this fact as regardless of what the Australian outlets will try and tell you if it is discontinued then it is discontinued and there will simply be no further work done or updates for this model issued.

There does appear to be this thinking that even though the unit is discontinued then by some strange reasoning it is not a discontinued product here?

That thinking probably has a bit to do with stock still available in this country

By all means buy a discontinued product knowing full well it is discontinued and there is every reason to use the discontinued label to your advantage in getting it "at the right price"

[finding_time]

As disorderly has stated unless you are buying a hard top a internal aerial will be fine, most boaties i know use internal aerials these days, just be careful where you place the unit ,avoid placing the unit under any staino work or windscreen support brackets though!

Ian

[Kerry]

One thing to keep in mind with internal GPS antennas is that for "most of the time" they will generally work satisfactorily but an internal will never be as reliable as an external. There is the compromise decision the user has to make.

There are so many variables which affect this that there is simply no black and white answer to this question of will an internal be totally suitable.

Regards, Kerry.

[disorderly]

Probably not if you get it at the right price in the first place and you are aware of this fact as regardless of what the Australian outlets will try and tell you if it is discontinued then it is discontinued and there will simply be no further work done or updates for this model issued.

There does appear to be this thinking that even though the unit is discontinued then by some strange reasoning it is not a discontinued product here?

That thinking probably has a bit to do with stock still available in this country

By all means buy a discontinued product knowing full well it is discontinued and there is every reason to use the discontinued label to your advantage in getting it "at the right price"

I think you are on the money Kerry.
I would have no problem rebuying this unit with the bluechart for my area,though.
However being a discontinued unit I would expect to receive a substantial discount.

Scott

[tunaticer]

Thanks fellas,

I do know the 172c is no longer produced and Aus as usual is the dump9ing ground for lots of discontinued gear that we always buy in good faith that there will be service for a good while to come. My we are GULLIBLE as a race I think.

Anyways I am not really concerned with the fact that it is discontinued model. As long as it is a good price and serves me well I wont be complaining.

I am not sure if my new boat will be a hardtop model or not as yet so I will have to play it by ear when the time comes for the new boat and see what best suits.

Are there any other chartplotters out there comparable in price and features?

One of the big points on the 172c is the 3000 waypoint storage most opt out at about 500 or maybe 1000 waypoints.

Jack.

[Dan5]

Hey Tuna how's it going? Just thought i'd let you know if you already didn't that the Garmin 298 combo unit is also being discontinued which did not bother me as i just bought one with external arial for $1300.This unit also come's preloaded with the aust chart's,at that price it's a steal and they are selling out fast here in Cairn's there were 8 stockist's of garmin and only one had a couple left.It was only an extra $50 to go the combo so why not at that price.Dan...........

[smaks]

Guys,

A local guy in CQ was doing the GPSMAP 298 combo with the G2 charting for just over $1000 delivered to your door. Don't know the price exact. One of the blokes I fish with grabbed one. I will try and get this blokes contact details if anyone is interested.

s