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boatbum

boatbum

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So yesterday the thoughts about which charts to purchase came to an end. I have Nobeltec, and that version allows the use of NOAA S-57 vector charts, raster charts, and the World Portfolio charts we bought with the software. The explorer charts are not yet updated for the Bahamas, so I was thinking Garmin merely for the option to view a different rendition.
I ordered a Garmin 78sc hand held along with the Homeport Software yesterday at 11:34 A.M..

It's supposed to arrive by the end of day today based on the tracking information that UPS displayed this morning and that was with 3 day shipping!!!

Shipped/Billed On:10/04/2011Type:PackageWeight:1.20 lbs
Shipment ProgressWhat's This? Location Date Local Time Activity
Kingston, NY, United States 10/05/2011 5:45 A.M. Out For Delivery
10/05/2011 2:02 A.M. Arrival Scan
Secaucus, NJ, United States 10/05/2011 12:02 A.M. Departure Scan
Secaucus, NJ, United States 10/04/2011 9:47 P.M. Arrival Scan
Lakewood, NJ, United States 10/04/2011 8:29 P.M. Departure Scan
10/04/2011 6:57 P.M. Origin Scan
United States 10/04/2011 5:38 P.M. Order Processed: Ready for UPS

I'll let you know how I feel about the Garmin rig and PC software when I've had a chance to mess with it a bit.
 
I find that is the norm for most internet sites today. The only difference is that most sites have great search features. Isn't that is what you would expect? It is 2011. Will they have an app for iPhone or Android soon? Don't think so.
 
quote:
Originally posted by jimraab

Will they have an app for iPhone or Android soon? Don't think so.

Click to expand...


I'm not aware of any marine parts store with a app, at least one for parts ordering.
 
I looked at it this way. They took the order out and got it to a distributor quickly thus enabling a very fast delivery. I think the last order I did was back in 2008 when I was upgrading Freedom with a 3KW inverter. I needed all sorts of hardware and was able to source quite a bit of it through BF at a good price and great shipping.

As far as the Garmin GPSMAP 78SC is concerned, it's a great value. For a hand held it has all the U.S. charts as well as the Bahamas! If I plug it into the laptop with the "Home Port" software installed I can see all of the chart data within the plotter and it's in great detail! "Home Port" installed easily and is simple to use. I haven't been out of the condo yet and I'm already liking this hand held quite a bit!
 
quote:
Originally posted by boatbum

I looked at it this way. They took the order out and got it to a distributor quickly thus enabling a very fast delivery. I think the last order I did was back in 2008 when I was upgrading Freedom with a 3KW inverter. I needed all sorts of hardware and was able to source quite a bit of it through BF at a good price and great shipping.

As far as the Garmin GPSMAP 78SC is concerned, it's a great value. For a hand held it has all the U.S. charts as well as the Bahamas! If I plug it into the laptop with the "Home Port" software installed I can see all of the chart data within the plotter and it's in great detail! "Home Port" installed easily and is simple to use. I haven't been out of the condo yet and I'm already liking this hand held quite a bit!
Click to expand...


Dan, I'm having a look at that one now as well. Thanks for the info. let me know if you run into any bugbears.

Question: If you have it connected to a lap top can you view the GPS/chart plotter function (charts, tracking, etc) on the lap top as well as the hand held?

Bob
 
Bob so far, there is no way to use Home Port as nav softwae other than to generate routes and way points. This was expected based on discussions with Garmin. And Mapsource will not read the 78SC. So you need to buy Home Port to read the 78SC chart data. I was on the phone with Garmin today for an hour reporting bugs to them. I like the rendition of the charts on the laptop. Home Port reads them via USB and displays them well. I'll work up a screen shot or two when I can get around to it. Ugly around here right now. Moving into a POD starting tomorrow!
Anyway, the unit does not send/receive to Nobeltec which is a big let down. I was hoping to maintain routes in one spot. So any existing routes I have will not go directly onto the 78SC. HOWEVER, I just found out they will all go onto my old 76C, and I can then load them into Home Port and upload them into the 78SC allbeit the route names get truncated on the 76C along the way.
But it has all the chart data through the Bahamas! So now I can plot our dink routes and load them into the handheld and have the data. You have to squint a bit but it's all there! I'll add a couple screen shots of that.
Other good news is that all of the serial cables for the 76C work for with the 78SC so far. So I can use it as a source for location data input to Nobeltec. I just cannot xfer the routes etc..
There are bugs loading routes into the 78SC from Home Port directly. One has to create a waypoint and route on the 78SC (easy) prior to loading anything from Home Port. They have a banged up directory structure that the 78SC will not recognize or Home Port loads incorrectly.
The GPS receiver seems to be more sensitive than the 76C since it hooked up at the dining room table where the 76C would not.

I'm not sure, and I don't want to find out, but I think one could realy bang this unit up in a big way with Windows. When you plug it in and power it up to a USB port, W7 will let you open it up as mass storage, and peek at the files. Looks like a hacker's dream to me. Boating hackers can probably call this a wet dream.

Anyway, my initial impressions are good, but they whacked the transfer interface to Nobeltec and that sucks.

BTW if you have a 76C it will not mount into the dash stands that work for it. More new plastic is required. But I was thinking of this going into the D-bag with all the data loaded I think we will need.
 
quote:
Originally posted by timmotel

quote:
Originally posted by jimraab

Will they have an app for iPhone or Android soon? Don't think so.

Click to expand...


I'm not aware of any marine parts store with a app, at least one for parts ordering.

Click to expand...

Overton's and Cabela's both have a nice smart phone interface.
 
quote:
Originally posted by frayedknot1955

quote:
Originally posted by timmotel

quote:
Originally posted by jimraab

Will they have an app for iPhone or Android soon? Don't think so.

Click to expand...


I'm not aware of any marine parts store with a app, at least one for parts ordering.

Click to expand...

Overton's and Cabela's both have a nice smart phone interface.

Click to expand...


You know the rules Bob. Please delete or modify your post accordingly.
 
quote:
Originally posted by frayedknot1955

Overton's and Cabela's both have a nice smart phone interface.

Click to expand...


IMO, they are not marine parts stores, you can't get much in engine parts from either of them. I don't think either company knows that Volvo makes more then cars.
 
I gave up on Overton's back in the late 80's.
 
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