Garmin 172C Detail

[Smelly]

Hi Team!

I have questions about the Garmin 172C GPS unit:

1) Best (cheapest and most reliable) place to import unit?

2) Is interaction with a PC easy with bluechart?

3) Process of interacting unit with PC?

4) Best to view speed on GPS or Sounder? Why?

5) Viewing size and resolution comapred to Lowrance 3500

6) Can the Garmin 172C measure fuel with a fuel transducer (like the 3500C?)


Many thanks

Smelly

[Smelly]

Thanks Guys.

Any users with the Garmin 172C are welcome to reply..

[gavsgonefishing]

Smelly, With all these Q's about sounders and GPS's you'll be the most clued up bloke in Aus

I can ans 2 & 3. I bought garmin mapsource for $90 locally. you are provided with a disc, cable and 16mb data card.. Real easy to use. you can transfer from garmin gps to garmin gps, or pc to gps and visa versa.

On your pc you get a map of the world which can be magnified to your particular area ( in my case the sunshine coast). The detail is good. Unfortunately the only way to push the points in to the mapsource on the pc in one by one, but it doesnt take that long. You can see the points on your pc, you can measure distances between gps points, you can group them, say Noosa North or moreton south, Mooloolaba, ETC. Once there in there, you plug the USB cable provided into the pc, export onto the 16mb data card, plug the card into the gps, import and all your points will then be on the gps.

After you have got a few new points on the gps, its download to the card, plug the card into the usb cable and upload back into the mapsource program.

I will be soon buying a electronic map of my area and overlayin the map onto the mapsource program. Dont know the ins and outs yet, the advantage is I can look at likely areas and place gps marks on those areas, upload to the gps for xploring next time Im out.

I leave the speed of the gps and sounder ( furuno 582) on the standard setting, why because it works well that way

Hope that has answered your Q

[davo]

I've had one for 6 months now and have all Garmin stuff on both of my boats. The 172C is an excellent unit. I wouldn't own a Lowrance because of reliablity issues and a mate recently bought a similar Lowrance unit and has had it back twice in the first year!

Also Navionic don't have the detail that Blue Chart have.
GPSdiscount in the states was the way I went. I got the unit, a full East coast chart preprogramed, USB card reader, 16M blank, Garmin mapsource waypoint and trip manager for $1050 Aus delivered. Th way to go is get the "data manager" kit and it has all the software and card reader, and blank card in one pack. They packed it in two tee shirts which is great because you can actually use the packing.

I had it in 9 days.

[Smelly]

Thanks guys,

I am about to choose a sounder transducer without speed and fuel measure..

Speed:
Wondered what advantages (if any) I may loose out by not viewing speed on the sounder....

Fuel:
Can the Garmin 172C measure fuel with a fuel transducer?

THoughts?

[SundownMarine]

Smelly,

Just to clarify the difference in the charts.
We use/sell both Navionics and Blue charts and the units they are used in.We have found both charts to very accurate and safe as a navigation aid however there are a few small differences in the two.

In our local area here in Nthn Moreton Bay in open water there is no doubt both are exactly the same however in enclosed waters such as Mooroochy river and Jumpinpin the Navionics has a greater level of detail.The Blue Chart is accurrate and safe but any non-threatening underwater structure that does not pose a danger to safe boating is not on the Blue Chart.
This same structure that may be interesting to fisherman and others who like to know these things is only available on Navionics Gold charts.


Sundown Marine.

[vermin]

1) Best (cheapest and most reliable) place to import unit?
NO IDEA, GOT MINE FROM CH SMITH FOR $1030 WITH BLUE CHART.

2) Is interaction with a PC easy with bluechart?
I HAVE THE GARMIN MARINE DATA MANAGEMENT KIT WHICH PUTS INFO ON ANOTHER BLANK CARD (ON PC) AND TRANSFERS TO THE UNIT. ALSO UPDATES THE FLASH ETC.

3) Process of interacting unit with PC?
AS ABOVE

4) Best to view speed on GPS or Sounder? Why?
BOTH, WATER SPEED (SOUNDER), BOAT SPEED (GPS)

5) Viewing size and resolution comapred to Lowrance 3500.
NO IDEA.

6) Can the Garmin 172C measure fuel with a fuel transducer (like the 3500C?).
DON'T THINK SO. LET ME KNOW IF YOU CAN. I'M WAITING FOR THE LOWRANCE EP-10 UNIT TO FIT TO MY X107CDF.

Hope this helps.
Vermin.

[gavsgonefishing]

Just checked the book, no option for fuel. Why do you what to see the speed on the sounder, the gps does this for you.

[Smelly]

Great feedback guys - thanks muchly.

Re: speed on sounder - I was not sure wht the better option was for measuring speed. GPS it is then..
Re: Fuel - Any ideas on good ducer to measure fuel management?

Smelly

[Fishinmishin]

GPS is actual speed in relation to distance where wheel speed transducers take water flow into consideration.

Navman 2100

[Smelly]

Thanks -

So when trolling or judging approach distance to shallow legges (or other fishing specific activities), is it best to rely upon wheel speed or GPS speed?

Smelly

[Sportfish_5]

Smelly - I think you are confusing yourself with all these questions

The GPS will give you speed over ground. If you have a high end sounder it will allow you to hook up the GPS to the sounder via NMEA connection. If you sounder allows both SOG and speed through water on screen you can tell when trolling if you are going with or against current.

Lowrance 107C DF does not allow NMEA 0183 connections from GPS but they are/will be NMEA 2000 compliant.

I dont know what you mean about approaching shallow ledges and relying on speed why ? use your zoom in on the GPS and eyes on the water

Hurry up and buy cause you are killing us all


Cheers

Greg