Cheap 5 inch color GPS plotter

[TampaMac]

Well this one seems to be a full function GPS plotter for 399$ at West Marine/ boat us.

I think we are seeing the beginning of a huge decrease in price combined with an increase in performance for color plotters over the next year.

If you need a plotter check it out - I bought it.

http://www.magellangps.com/en/products/ ... RODID=1009

Here is where you can buy it

http://www.boatus-store.com/webapp/wcs/ ... storeNum=3

[Duane Dunn, Allegro]

It is certainly a good price and much lower than it started off at West which was $699. I assume with the price drop they are closing it out to make way for newer product.

Beware that you cannot use the BlueNav CD-ROM with this unit. It looks like you have to buy the pre-programmed XL data cartridges at the inflated Magellan price. For instance the Puget Sound chart is $199 as is the Florida chart card. The Local charts cover smaller area's and cost $149. It takes 3 of these $149 charts to cover Puget Sound and the San Juans. The Tampa area alone is also $149. There also is no British Columbia coverage in either offering.

[Eugene]

Hey guys,

check this new model of Chartplotter & Sounder GPS-Map178I, Fixed mount sounder, 320x320 display, internal antenna, built in worldwide marine basemap
(will be availbale in Dec. 2004 in Toronto) , price $469 CAN dollars.

http://www.radioworld.ca/gps/gps_garmin.php#marine

What you opinion ?

[Moe]

These are the greyscale versions of the color 178C.

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Moe

[Eugene]

Is it really big differents in picture quality ?
or gray scale is OK too for navigation ?
I do not wont to pay nearly double just for color.

[Moe]

You can certainly navigate with a greyscale chart. Take one of your color paper charts to a copier and make a greyscale copy. Compare them. Both are usable.

However, I find it's a lot easier for me to quickly interpret data off the color. Whether that's worth hundreds of dollars is up to you. It is to me.

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Moe