First Boat do i buy a new combo or hand held gps

[S1piller]

Hi i just brought my first boat a 475 Quintrex Coastrunner it has a lowrance x51 Fishfinder in it i am wondering if i am better off getting a new gps/fishfinder combo or just get a hand held gps.
If the a combo is the go what kind would i get my budget is $900.

Thanks

[braders83]

If you're going to use the fish finder for anything other than depth (I.e you're using it to catch fish other than bream, flathead and whiting) put in a lowrance hds5 combo. I just recently bought a boat (it had a x25 in it), I turfed that and am really happy with the new unit. It makes a difference having a good sounder!

[S1piller]

ok thanks i think i might go the Lowrance Elite-5 Colour Fish Finder/GPS Combo

[Lucky_Phill]

FYI.

I would never get a combo. the unit dies, you have no eyes in the water or sky.

If you are buying a combo as a secondary unit, that's fine.

IMO....... the bare minimum is separate GPS and Sounders.

I have 2 x GPS's and 1 x sounder. even in my 4.2mtr tinnie... 1 x gps and 1 x sounder.

cheers

[gruntahunta]

Hi S1Piller.... Congrats on ur first boat....I too have a 4.75 Coast runner with 85 Yamaha, great boat for many applications mate. What motor do you have and where are u located?

I have a Hummingbird Matrix 97 Gps- Fishfinding system and it is excellent. Think it is a bit more than u want to spend tho.

http://mediacdn.shopatron.com/media/...jpg?1354459388

[S1piller]

hi i have got a 60hp 4 stroke and live in Maitland

[finga]

The first question I would ask is why do you need a GPS.
Where do you intend to use your boat (beauty huh ) and what do you intend to use your boat for??
The answer to this question will narrow the responses.

In my little boat there is a GPS. The only reason it's there is so I can radio co-ordinates of people broken down to the various rescue mobs.

[Crunchy]

I used a hand-held successfully for many years, it gets you to the marks and sounds like it may suit your needs. However as a soft plastic fisherman I found it very difficult to set up drift patterns with the handheld (They don't update regulalry enough IMO) so I got a mapping fixed mount and never looked back. I agree about separate GPS / sounder but that's just personal opinion. I now use my handheld as back up kept in the safety bag.

[Giffo65]

I had a handheld Garmin GPS 72 as my first one and I found the mounting bracket that I sat it in did not hold up to the task very well.I now have a Garmin GPS 152 and its good and basic.I also have a plotter I got second hand, as I liked to have 2 when 30 ks off Bundy,not much good if GPS dies, you can't find the spot.I've got a compass as well to get home if all else fails.My sounder is a Garmin 500 C and does the job in the shallow waters up here.