GPS
By Capt. Dan Berg

A GPS or DGPS is an important piece of navigational equipment aboard any modern vessel. These units are more accurate than Loran and the numbers are transportable from vessel to vessel. With the old Loran system if you moved onto another boat the location numbers would be slightly off. This is no longer a problem with GPS. Many GPS systems are also incorporated into chart plotters and can interface with the vessels radar system and chart plotter. These units are easy to use and make navigation simple and easy. I still recommend a back up system. For example I have two GPS units and still operate a Loran. In addition mariners should always have the skills needed to navigate home if and when electronics fail.

GPS units come in different sizes and offer several different options. Mounting the unit on the same level as other key electronics will prevent the operators eye from having to jump around when scanning the depth machine, radar, compass etc.

 

GARMIN GPS MAP 276C This WAAS-enabled, 12 parallel channel GPS receiver provides color chart plotting for both land and sea, making it an excellent addition to any boat or automobile dashboard. Its display-- 3.8-inch, 480 x 320 pixel, 256-color backlit TFT--provides enhanced sunlight-readability, and its adjustable quad helix receiving antenna with remote antenna capability delivers superior data reception. Used with your car, the 276c's auto routing capability lets you select a destination and get turn-by-turn directions. There's even voice prompt guidance; just hook up a 12-volt speaker cable (sold separately) and the GPSMAP 276C will audibly tell you when you need to turn and how much farther you have to go. Data provided with the unit includes 3000 user waypoints with an expanded list of waypoint symbols; 50 reversible routes with 1,200 waypoints per route; 10,000 point automatic track log with 15 saved tracks and 700 saved track points each; position formats including Lat/Lon, UTM, Loran TDs, Maidenhead, MGRS, User, and more; a large numbers option for easy viewing, and much more. In addition to its built-in basemap detail (cities, interstates, coastline detail and US tide stations), the GPSMAP 276C accepts data from MapSource CD-ROMs, including BlueChart for offshore detail, Recreational Lakes with Fishing Hot Spots for detail of selected inland lakes, and City Select for street-level maps. The package includes the GPSMAP 276c, USB interface cable, power/data cable, marine mount, Trip & Waypoint Manager CD, rechargeable lithium-ion battery, AC adapter, owner’s manual, and a quick reference guide. Manufacturer rating of the battery lists it at up to 15 hours of use depending on backlight setting. Product Description: Garmin Expects to ship the GPSMAP 276C Begining 2nd Quarter 2004 By placing your order today, you can firmly establish your place in line for this exciting new product. Our orders are always filled in the order that they are placed, and your credit card will not be charged until your order has shipped. Order today and be the first to get this exciting new item! Click Here For Package Contents: Sunlight Viewable Display with turn by turn routing capability The GPSMAP 276C is an all-in-one, versatile, color chartplotter and automobile navigator - perfect for land or water. This portable GPS navigator features a 256-color TFT display that's easy to read in bright sun along with a built-in basemap and auto routing to provide you with turn-by-turn directions to the marina for a day of boating. On water, the GPSMAP 276C is a dependable, color chartplotter with a built-in Autoroute basemap enhanced by Garmin's marine cartography. It accepts pre-programmed or user programmed data cards with MapSource BlueChart for offshore detail or Recreational Lakes with Fishing Hot Spots for detail of inland lakes.
Garmin's GPSMap 76CS is a state-of-the-art handheld marine GPS unit with a vivid, sunlight-readable color display, sizeable internal memory, and fast USB connectivity. Central to the device is its high-resolution, highly reflective, 256-color TFT display and LED backlight, implemented so you can navigate in either broad daylight or complete darkness, as your schedule dictates. The unit retains the overall sleek and easy-to-use design of earlier generations of the GPSMap 76 family, including its rugged, buoyant, waterproof housing.   Map page. Compass page. Tide prediction page. The GPSMap 76CS packs loads of features into a compact, marine GPS device. The compact unit also boasts a 13 MB Americas marine basemap that includes tide data. In addition, an impressive 115 MB of internal memory lets you load optional MapSource BlueChart or Recreational Lakes with Fishing Hot Spots marine cartography. (The award-winning BlueChart features depth contours, inter-tidal zones, wrecks, and navaids, while Recreational Lakes includes fishing areas, boat ramps, marinas, and hazards for more than 1,000 popular U.S. and Canadian lakes.) You can rely on the 76CS when you're navigating the highways and byways in your rudderless vehicle, too, thanks to a built-in, auto-routing basemap of major interstates and highways. When loaded with optional MapSource City Select detailed street cartography, the GPS provides automatic route calculation to millions of addresses or points of interest, complete with turn-by-turn directions and tone alerts. The unit is also compatible with MapSource U.S. Topo and 24K Topo for off-road excursions. Loading charts or maps is faster than it was with earlier-generation devices, too, thanks to the 76CS's USB interface. Navigation instructions can be shared with repeaters, plotters, and autopilots using NMEA protocols through a dedicated serial port. The 76CS also includes an electronic compass--which displays accurate headings even while standing still--and a barometric altimeter with an elevation computer that provides current elevation, ascent/descent rate, minimum/maximum elevation, total ascent/descent, and average/maximum ascent/descent rate. Other features include a built-in quad helix antenna with remote antenna capability; 1,000 user waypoints with name and graphic symbols; 50 reversible routes; a 10,000-point automatic track log; 20 saved tracks (so you can retrace your path in both directions); audible alarms for anchor drag, arrival, off-course, proximity waypoint, and clock; and a trip computer that provides, among other things, an odometer, stopped time, moving average, overall average, total time, and max speed. Battery life using 2 AA alkaline batteries is rated at 20 hours typical use. The 76CS is waterproof to IEC 60529 IPX-7 standards (submersible to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes). What's in the Box GPSMap 76CS receiver, basemap (Americas Recreational), database (Marine Point), MapSource Trip & Waypoint Manager CD, PC/USB interface cable, lanyard, quick start guide, and owner's manual. Product Description: Garmin Expects to ship the GPSMAP 76CS Begining 2nd Quarter 2004 By placing your order today, you can firmly establish your place in line for this exciting new product. Our orders are always filled in the order that they are placed, and your credit card will not be charged until your order has shipped. Order today and be the first to get this exciting new item! Click Here For Package Contents: All other marine handheld GPS units will pale when compared to the GPSMAP 76CS, literally. The latest color-display technology gives the unit the brightest, sunlight-readable display available. And with a brand-new state-of-the-art receiver and powerful microprocessor, this unit will give you a quick and steady fix. In addition, the GPSMAP 76CS boasts a built-in electronic compass and barometric altimeter. The GPSMAP 76CS features the familiar GPS 76-family keypads and styling, with 115 MB of memory, an Americas Autoroute basemap, and a Marine Point database. Fast USB connectivity makes loading charts and maps quick and easy, while navigation instructions can be shared with repeaters, plotters, and autopilots using NMEA protocols through the dedicated serial port. Finally, the waterproof unit is fully compatible with MapSource products like BlueChart, U.S. Topo 24K, and City Select (which provides detailed streets for turn-by-turn guidance).