Garmin 500 series owners - The Hull Truth

Striper4 · 04-06-2009, 07:24 AM

I will be upgrading my Garmin Gps (Blk/wht) to one of the 500 series. I like the idea of the added XM weather feature and wondering if you owners of this series Gps use and really like the feature. I already have a depth sounder from Raymarine that is fairly new so I do not want to add this feature now however, have any of you folks used this and had dual sounders ? Any interference or bad readings from pinging off both units ? It will be installed on my 21 CC and I'm sure it will be like night and day considering I have a blk/wht Gps without the chart-plotter.

Thanks for any info;
Joe

john3976 · 04-06-2009, 07:30 AM

I have a 4212 and a 440s. I have weather hooked up to the 4212, it is a great feature, a little to expensive in my opinion but you can track rain and avoid storms.

I also run both sounders for each unit at the same time, both work great. I have a transducer on each side of the transom.

bluewaterpirate · 04-06-2009, 07:46 AM

I've been using one for the past 3 season ... the XM Weather functionalites and displays are great!

Striper4 · 04-06-2009, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by john3976

I have a 4212 and a 440s. I have weather hooked up to the 4212, it is a great feature, a little to expensive in my opinion but you can track rain and avoid storms.

I also run both sounders for each unit at the same time, both work great. I have a transducer on each side of the transom.

Thanks for this info !! I had planned on mounting both as you did (each side of transom) and was wondering if both worked well. You answered my question ! Thanks !!

Any one of the 500 series I should look at more than the other ? I believe I was told that the more expensive one has more of a clear view especially at an angle ?

Thanks again ! Joe

Striper4 · 04-06-2009, 07:50 AM

John & Bluewater,

Thanks a bunch I'm convinced !!

...more new toys for the upcoming Kingfishing,,,

jvtuna · 04-06-2009, 01:43 PM

No one has mentioned it, but you can also get music from the same antenna.If you look at the back shot of Bluewaterpirates 545 you'll see two RCA jacks. All you need is a radio that has those inputs and you can have XM/WX at same time. Cable # is Garmin P/N 010-10919-00 SKU-XM Cable. If you don't have radio go to www.buy.com and get you a PLMR-A120 2 channel 400w (PLMRA120) for about $40.00 bucks and a set of speakers and ROCK ON

sandyda · 04-06-2009, 01:58 PM

There are quite a selection amont the 500 series; High res, normal res screens, coastal, inland or no charts, with or without sounder circuit, and with an XM antenna in the box. I recommend the 545Sx, hig res screen, sounder, coastal charts and XM

I can't tell you how often XM weather has saved the day for me, either telling me to go somewhere else, go home, or even go ahead it'll be OK! If they doubled the price of the best package I'd pitch a massive fit, but I'd pay for it. Twice I've seen it coming in time to get back, put the boat to bed, and get in the car just before the bottom fell out. Before XM, I would have just set my soaking wet butt in the car when the rain stopped!

bluewaterpirate · 04-06-2009, 02:01 PM

Here you go ..........

http://albums.phanfare.com/4892322/2...ageID=35008693

By the way when you purchase the GXM31 antenna all the cables are included.

Glen E · 04-06-2009, 03:09 PM

Garmin offering new bucks back on 400/500 series:

Click here

nat · 04-06-2009, 03:16 PM

Bluewater Pirate

do you have a video on how to program loran coordinates into the 545 ?

I'm going to compare some known loran and GPS #'s in my area and see how far off they are

But I don't know how to input the loran #'s

Birdman · 04-06-2009, 03:35 PM

Nat,
I'm sure Bluewater will help you out... but in meantime, put the 545's postion data box into TD format. Then enter in you points (in TD / loran) format. Now simply change the data box position format back to a GPS lat/long format, and it converted them for you.

bluewaterpirate · 04-06-2009, 06:01 PM

Here you go ... make sure you get the correct map datum fand GRI chain information from your GPS/Loran Chart.

http://albums.phanfare.com/4892322/2...ageID=31019483

Striper4 · 04-07-2009, 09:26 AM

Thanks again for all the great info !! Looks like I will be getting the 545.

nat · 04-08-2009, 05:22 PM

Tom

while we are dicussing the 545

If I could ask one more question

I switched the unit to Loran TD and to NAD83 and entered the map chain 7980 as shown in your video (thank you, that fantastic stuff )

then entered a public reef Loran # 13049.3-47063.6

then I switched the unit back to GPS

then located the reef on the screen with the cursor and selected it
30 08 248
87 33 833

the published public reef # is
30 08 760
87 33 852

How do I determine how many feet or yards off the conversion is ?

maybe I should just troll all the time ?

and relax

If the conversion is close enough..I have dozens and dozens of numbers in loran I want to try to locate

bluewaterpirate · 04-08-2009, 06:32 PM

of your area and check the Loran Datum and GRI Chain.

nat · 04-08-2009, 06:54 PM

I got the loran datum off a chart and the chain #

Ken T · 04-08-2009, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glen E

Garmin offering new bucks back on 400/500 series:

Click here

Story of my life..Got the 545s and G2 from BOE 3/24/09, offer good 4/3/09-5/31/09.

Ken

bluewaterpirate · 04-09-2009, 07:42 AM

did you enter your offsets?

nat · 04-09-2009, 10:03 AM

Oh Boy

I didn't know there where offsets

I'm a little green on all this stuff

pugnacious3333 · 04-09-2009, 03:18 PM

Good thread. I've spent a couple hours looking through all the combo units, trying to decide what will give me the most bang for my buck. There is no way you can beat the 500series Garmins with preloaded maps. I'll be ordering one in the next few days.