Need electronics recomendation help

[m4a1sof]

I'm pretty much a newbie to the boating world. I just bought a 2000 Key West 1900 center console with 130 Honda and it doesn't have any electronics installed. I fish and dive in about a 100 to 200 feet of water in the Gulf of Mexico. I have a budget of around $1,000 for a GPS and bottom machine. What would be my best choice in this price range? Should I get a GPS/bottom machine combo unit or separate standalone units? Should I use a thru hull transducer or a transom mount? And what brand/type would you recommend. Thanks in advance.

[sandyda]

Nice rig. Do you have two batteries yet? Recommended. For your budget, you won't want to waste money or amps running two screens, so a combo unit is it. The best user interface, and the easiest to learn is Garmin. If you shop around (call Jim at BOE) you can find a Garmin 545 S with an inexpensive transducer that will fit your pocket book. It will already have all the charts for the Coastal US in it, nothing else to buy. Don't forget you need a fixed-mount VHF and 8' antenna, and that it should be wired to the GPS for full DSC (one button tells the Coast Guard where you are.)

If your budget won't cover the above plus professional installation, consider the 400 series Garmin. The screen is smaller, the price is lower, and you'll have money left for luxuries like gas.

With both of these units you will be able to add XM stereo and LIVE WEATHER charts for those days when you swim back to the boat and discover its getting stinko.