North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

Hi everyone
I am quite new to fishing and have just got a new boat with a Lowrance sounder.
However, it doesn't have a GPS.
So I am just chasing some advice on which brand of GPS to buy or avoid.
What features do you think are essential
I have heard that it is better to just get a combo and get rid of my sounder. is this true, what are the cons of having individual units
I guess i would mostly be using the gps to store points and also to track and follow paths to avoid rocks etc
Any advice you have would be much appreciated as I really dont have much idea.
Cheers

Laursy
advantages of having two units is that one can fail and you may not have a crappy day - get a combo unit, it fails and you loose both sounder and GPS - other advantage is that you can watch both at the same, granted you can do that on a combo too. garmin are world leaders in GPS - thats where I would have a look but these days most are on par with each other. Once you buy the unit you will need a card to show you the rocks etc - navionics are the best - not cheap but - another option is to get a hand held an mount it on a RAM mount in your boat - that way you can use it outside the boat as well.
Ask the sales reps in the stores up here and they can point you in the right direction - once you have it you may also consider the gps card with the FF book marks in it as starting points - then get out therer and have a go.

Good luck

Shane

gday and welcome
the best advice i can give is to buy the best you can afford at the time.
I had small garmin unit in the past and now have a hds7 lowrance . they all have just about the same bells and whistles for the same $
holden v ford really

once you get it,sit down and really learn how to drive it - get someone to show you. it willmake fishing so much better
try to not go for a cheapy because you will regret it later.
go and see Michael at in & outboard marine. he'll soon part you and your money .
nah, he is pretty good. i was tempted to buy online but when my transducer 5hit itself, he just swapped it over no questions. if i got it onine, it would have been weeks

gday laursy
All good advise above mate ,I run a hds7 but also have a garmin72 hand held as a back up,,both great units

cheers

Thanks heaps for the advice. Will let you know how i go.

Laursy, Lowrance sounders come with a transducer that has only 20 degree coverage, Humminbird has up to 60 degrees coverage. Structure scan and sideimaging is invaluable in rivers and creeks and once you get it wired you will wonder how you got by without it. Humminbird have combo units which include side imaging and only one transducer is needed. Lowrance structure scan is an added option and requires two transducers. Keep your lowrance and buy a humminbird combo unit(798,898,998,1198). Get a model with the external gps antenna, far better performance than internal gps antenna. You don't need to buy two units, you can buy a Garmin etrex for about $100 as a back up if you want. Get an international model from Australia, two year warranty and servicing.