GME quality & Value..?

[Mindi]

This is my opinion only...

I recently bought a new GME GPS 450...a new release basic chartplotter against the recommendation of the retailer who said it was way overpriced for its features. Bought it anyway...then discovered the front cover was too big and wouldnt stay on under any circumstances...appeared to be from a larger screen and an insert had been fabricated in an attempt to make it fit this unit....this was really cheapo so I took it back...and swapped to the unit the retailer had recommended at the same price.
Then I needed a VHF...looked at GME GX600 flush mount....$269 without DSC and $380 with DSC.........so I checked out Cobra and got a fully featured DSC flush mount model for $199 plus $6 postage....(online from Brisbane) Just installed it and it works just fine...applying for my MMSI, hadnt intended to go DSC but getting it for free might as well check it out. Cobra looks well made...all made in Asia anyway. I have had poor experience with a GME product before so I guess I am no longer much of a fan after this.
Needed the radio because the three year old GME GX600 in the boat was mounted somewhat exposed (under the shelf of the centre console) and the display had failed and gone black, the side knobs were so badly corroded that they had to be broken off...final solution proved to be angle grinder........ as a comparison the Cobra is waterproof to IPX7 (submersible for 30 secs)

[PADDLES]

i've had pretty good service from gme products myself and have no complaints (i've only ever bought their radios and epirbs). i do however acknowledge that there's probably better products out there and the price reflects that i reckon. a boat is a pretty harsh environment and anything that is installed and not maintained will die. ie. if you'd have removed the radio and chucked a bit of grease on the threads of the side knobs it may have helped with corrosion. nothing will help exposed electronics on a centre console though, they are simply expendable unless they are put into the console and protected. the cobra stuff looks the goods and is definitely priced right, time will tell if it's ok, chuck another post back up here in a few years time to let us know.

[finding_time]

I would never own another GME radio!! Your far better of buying an ICOM the first time rather than a new GME every year or so. Can gme actually make a squelch dial that works for more than a year!!!!

[GBC]

ditto FT

gme is the woolies homebrand version of the real thing.

[John Buoy]

I would never own another GME radio!! Your far better of buying an ICOM the first time rather than a new GME every year or so. Can gme actually make a squelch dial that works for more than a year!!!!

X 2

Regards Frank

[Mindi]

I know centre console mounting is very severe...but it was actually 2 years old not 3...and mounted under the shelf...and I just dont reckon something sold specifically for marine use should corrode to unuseable in that time...it obviously had no maintenance like other things on the boat. Maybe I'm wrong but I reckon decent marine stuff should least better than 2 years even poorly maintained.

[Crunchy]

......waterproof to IPX7 (submersible for 30 secs)

I have become a bit suspect of products claiming this standard of waterproofness...my supposed IPX7 GPS went to the pack from just a light sprinkling of fresh water....anyone else?

I have a GME VHF which works fine so far, its about 3 years old, but will look at the other brands when the time comes.

[PADDLES]

fair call mindi, i would have expected a little better than that myself.