Author Topic: Gps unit?  (Read 2410 times)

Offline CoachWalleye74

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Gps unit?
« on: Sep 01, 2021, 11:26 AM »
Recommendations on a GPS unit to use while ice fishing? I mainly use my phone but it drains the battery in the cold. Would use it to mark spots but mostly navigation while on the atv. 

Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: Gps unit?
« Reply #1 on: Sep 01, 2021, 12:48 PM »
Going to recommend Garmin ..lots of makes and model of handhelds to choose from ..if you fish a known lake that has been mapped you may want to get a unit that has or can add a map SD card . Another route you could take is buy a smaller Garmin fishing unit that has or can add an SD card ..couple ram mounts on your ATV add a good power supply and your Golden .

https://lakes.garmin.com/

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Offline meandcuznalfy

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Re: Gps unit?
« Reply #2 on: Sep 01, 2021, 04:06 PM »
I bought a Garmin 64 st, nice unit and can add the SD cards for hunting or fishing. I got my boy the Garmin striker 4 fish finder that has gps great little unit.

Offline filetandrelease

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Re: Gps unit?
« Reply #3 on: Sep 01, 2021, 04:37 PM »
 When my lowrance H2O crapped I bought a garmin montana 680t , has more functions than I really need , works well for where i fish , plus I have nav on my phone with Canada and US as I’m close sometimes
   garmin had a great sale
 Just checked it has ended bummer
 

Offline badger132

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Re: Gps unit?
« Reply #4 on: Sep 01, 2021, 05:51 PM »
I used my phone, and had the same problem. Batteries lose juice as they age, and lose more when they are cold. The combination made my phone almost unusable. I used a battery pack to keep it topped off until I went in and got a new battery in the phone. What a difference! Works great even in the cold now.
I never want to be reliant on 1 piece of technology for safety, and since we get for and blizzards on a 33,000 acre lake, I now use the GPS on my 73SV as the primary, and the phone as backup.

Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: Gps unit?
« Reply #5 on: Sep 02, 2021, 11:18 AM »
CoachWalleye74 ...Did you receive my PM ?

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Offline CoachWalleye74

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Re: Gps unit?
« Reply #6 on: Sep 02, 2021, 04:38 PM »
Yes, I did receive the DM. Going to research that tonight. Thank you.

Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: Gps unit?
« Reply #7 on: Sep 02, 2021, 05:21 PM »
Yes, I did receive the DM. Going to research that tonight. Thank you.

The Etrex series is nice ..from the 20s on up ..there may be a deal to be had on them with a Topo Map card as its hunting season and sales pop up around then ..the Topo SD card will show the surrounding lakes shapes w/o depth contours ..but if your looking to get on a lake and mark spots to/from/back it may be all you need . I have an Etrex 20 good all around unit.

https://www.cabelas.com/shop/en/garmin-etrex-22x-handheld-gps-unit

This guys YouTube channel help me when I first got my Etrex unit



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Offline badger132

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Re: Gps unit?
« Reply #8 on: Sep 03, 2021, 11:16 AM »
My friend had several GPS units from before Delorme Inreach and phone GPS became popular- he could not give them away. I would bet EBAY has old Garmin GPSs for cheap.

Offline CoachWalleye74

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Re: Gps unit?
« Reply #9 on: Sep 03, 2021, 11:41 AM »
Found a new Etrex 30x for $110, and a used like new 64st for $150.  I need to research and make sure I can get contours and depths. 

Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: Gps unit?
« Reply #10 on: Sep 03, 2021, 12:00 PM »
Found a new Etrex 30x for $110, and a used like new 64st for $150.  I need to research and make sure I can get contours and depths.

Gonna have to buy a Lake Vu SD card ...but if you lake isnt included in the lake Vu it might not be a good option ..if either of those units has a TOPO map that will do just fine ..as it will give an out line of the lake from that adding a detailed waypoints ( depth and stucture to the description in the waypont) should do just fine . You can also make custom maps ..its a lil complicated ..did mine from a detail recently made depth/contour paper map ..snapshot ..then onto my computer ..then onto my Garmin  Etrex 20 via Garmin create a map feature and Google Earth. I printed out the instructions and was able to do it fairly EZPZ. I also screen shot some NYSDEC contour map (although limited information ) using the same method. Note I only have TOPO  maps on my Etrex 20 ..when I head to an unfamiliar lake ..I do my research online and then I can use the surrounding TOPO map on my Etrex to get a basic contour into the lake ...not perfect but can work most of the time.

https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=cVuMqGHWaM7**censored**WMkPNLN9
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Offline jbird68

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Re: Gps unit?
« Reply #11 on: Sep 03, 2021, 12:09 PM »
jbird68





Offline badger132

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Re: Gps unit?
« Reply #12 on: Sep 03, 2021, 12:12 PM »
I used a simple Garmin before phones- from your post it is not clear if you new looking for lake maps or not- if so, you are probably looking at a new ice fishing sonar/mapping GPS, which cost a few hundred. If you just need to find a spot back, find the car back in a storm, you should not need to spend more than $30 for a simple one.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_nkw=etrex&_sacat=0&_sop=15


Offline Skywagon

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Re: Gps unit?
« Reply #14 on: Sep 04, 2021, 06:48 AM »
Found a new Etrex 30x for $110, and a used like new 64st for $150.  I need to research and make sure I can get contours and depths.

The 64 series have are a little better GPS receiver than some of the other models.  This may not be real critical for your area, but up here where we operate in the bush in dense trees all the time, it is an important factor.  Something else to consider when researching GPS's is if you want touch screen or not, they can be a problem with cold fingers.

Offline hardwater diehard

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Re: Gps unit?
« Reply #15 on: Sep 04, 2021, 08:42 AM »
To go along with filetandrelease point...


https://www.comparaboo.com/best-handheld-gps-for-fishing
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Offline CoachWalleye74

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Re: Gps unit?
« Reply #16 on: Sep 05, 2021, 02:58 PM »
I would like to have depth maps. Think i’m just going to keep using my phone (navionics). I have a windshield to help it from getting cold, will have it out while traveling then in my warm pocket, and can plug it into my 12v outlet to charge.

Offline filetandrelease

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Re: Gps unit?
« Reply #17 on: Sep 05, 2021, 03:13 PM »
 Caught a great sale on my garmin came with a chip and can be up graded , has  most all the waters I fish with  1’ contours
 And the lithium battery runs for days and days
 And I have my phone for back up just in case
 

Offline bart

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Re: Gps unit?
« Reply #18 on: Sep 06, 2021, 08:59 AM »
I use my Lowrance Mark 4 on my snowmobile. I bought a single cable to use it for only GPS. I added a Navonics chip, it works well and something like this can be adapted to an ATV.
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