Marine Gps
 |
 Brand New Garmin GPSMAP 3205 GPS Color Marine Chartplotter 1 Yr Garmin Warranty $579.99 Time Remaining: 3d 20h 41m Buy It Now for only: $579.99 |
 Garmin GPSMAP 441s GPS Receiver $270.00 (21 Bids) Time Remaining: 10h 25m |
 NEW Garmin GPSMAP 441 Marine Navigator 010 00766 00 $405.99 Time Remaining: 6d 18h 31m Buy It Now for only: $405.99 |
 Garmin GPSMAP 76 GPS Receiver $51.00 (17 Bids) Time Remaining: 10h 38m |
 Garmin Gpsmap 421 Gps Chart Plotter 010 00764 00 $348.89 Time Remaining: 16d 11h 42m Buy It Now for only: $348.89 |
 Garmin GPSMAP 76 GPS Receiver $32.51 (5 Bids) Time Remaining: 10h 43m |
 Humminbird As Gr50 Gps Sensor 50 Channel 407480 1 $120.00 Time Remaining: 16d 11h 42m Buy It Now for only: $120.00 |
 Garmin GPSMAP 376C GPS Chartplotter Receiver W New Battery and Accesories $355.00 (27 Bids) Time Remaining: 11h |
 Garmin GPSMAP 172C GPS Receiver $399.50 Time Remaining: 28d 22h 24m Buy It Now for only: $399.50 |
 Lowrance Elite 5 DSI GPS Receiver with Transducer $425.00 (27 Bids) Time Remaining: 17h 26m |
 Garmin GPSMAP 182 GPS Receiver $225.00 Time Remaining: 26d 22h 13m Buy It Now for only: $225.00 |
 Garmin GPS 45 GPS Receiver $69.95 Time Remaining: 18h 29m |
 Garmin GPSMAP 2010C GPS Receiver W Antenna and GSD 20 Sounder $1,195.00 Time Remaining: 28d 22h 19m Buy It Now for only: $1,195.00 |
 Garmin GPSmap 441S Color GPS Fishfinder Display Cover Bundle Guaranteed $285.00 (19 Bids) Time Remaining: 20h 35m |
 GARMIN GPSMAP 421 Marine GPS Chartplotter New 010 00764 00 $349.95 Time Remaining: 2d 13h 37m Buy It Now for only: $349.95 |
 Garmin GPSmap 540 Color Marine GPS Receiver Display Only Guaranteed $300.00 (20 Bids) Time Remaining: 20h 35m |
 GARMIN GPSMAP 421S GPS CHART FISHFINDER COMBO WITH T M $421.99 Time Remaining: 27d 13h 45m Buy It Now for only: $421.99 |
 Raymarine E120 GPS Receiver Excellent Condition $1,000.00 Time Remaining: 20h 49m |
 Garmin Gpsmap 541s GPS Receiver Brand New in the Box with Transducer $680.00 Time Remaining: 26d 12h 4m Buy It Now for only: $680.00 |
 Raymarine E120 GPS Receiver Excellent Condition $1,000.00 Time Remaining: 20h 55m |
 GARMIN GPSMAP 740S MARINE GPS CHARTPLOTTER w US COASTAL CHARTS 010 00835 03 $1,199.00 Time Remaining: 17d 11h 19m Buy It Now for only: $1,199.00 |
 Garmin GPSMAP 3205 GPS Receiver $449.50 Time Remaining: 26d 21h 23m Buy It Now for only: $449.50 |
 Raymarine E120 GPS Receiver Good Condition $900.00 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 21h 2m |
 Lowrance iFinder H2OC H2O C GPS+WAAS Compact handheld GPS color Receiver $109.99 Time Remaining: 1d 3h 53m Buy It Now for only: $109.99 |
 Raymarine E120 GPS Receiver Good Condition $900.00 Time Remaining: 21h 3m |
 GARMIN GPSMAP 421 GPS CHART PLOTTER 010 00764 00 $359.94 Time Remaining: 23h 11m Buy It Now for only: $359.94 |
 Garmin GPSMAP 182C GPS Receiver with internal antenna $203.50 (25 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 10h 32m |
 GARMIN GMI10 Marine GPS Refurbished $269.95 Time Remaining: 10d 20h 3m Buy It Now for only: $269.95 |
 Garmin GDL 30A GPS Receiver $200.00 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1d 13h 39m |
 Standard Horizon CP190I 5 Internal GPS Chartplotter w Built In C Map Technology $523.92 Time Remaining: 9d 23h 6m Buy It Now for only: $523.92 |
 Garmin GPSMAP 178 Sounder GPS Receiver $150.00 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1d 13h 43m |
 GARMIN GPSMAP 76CSx Handheld GPS Navigator 76 CSx Marine Receiver 010 00469 00 $228.95 Time Remaining: 22d 13h 4m Buy It Now for only: $228.95 |
 Marine Navigator Garmin GPSMAP 76 GPS Receiver $41.00 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 15h 7m |
 Lowrance iFinder H2O C GPS+WAAS Compact handheld GPS Receiver $108.99 Time Remaining: 26d 5h 53m Buy It Now for only: $108.99 |
 LOWRANCE HDS10 US BACKGROUND FISHFINDER GPS RECEIVER HDS 10 $899.99 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1d 15h 31m |
 NEW Garmin GPSMAP 431s Marine GPS Navigator $390.47 Time Remaining: 13d 18h 15m Buy It Now for only: $390.47 |
 LOWRANCE HDS8 INSIGHT USA FISHFINDER GPS RECEIVER HDS 8 $710.00 (5 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 15h 40m |
 Garmin GPSMAP 3210 GPS Receiver $1,250.00 Time Remaining: 20d 18h 44m Buy It Now for only: $1,250.00 |
 Garmin GPS 45 GPS Receiver $15.69 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 1d 16h 33m |
 Garmin GPSMAP 441s without Transducer GPS Receiver $349.50 Time Remaining: 26d 22h 59m Buy It Now for only: $349.50 |
 NEW Lowrance iFINDER H2O C GPS Color Receiver $323.00 Time Remaining: 25d 15h 10m Buy It Now for only: $323.00 |
 Garmin GPS 72 GPS Receiver Parts or Repair $5.00 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 1d 18h 49m |
 Lowrance LMS 330C GPS Receiver $250.00 Time Remaining: 27d 22h 23m Buy It Now for only: $250.00 |
 Garmin GPS 48 GPS Receiver $9.99 Time Remaining: 1d 20h 40m |
 Garmin GPSmap 4208 Color GPS Multi Function Display Preloaded G2 Vision $1,249.95 Time Remaining: 29d 19h 48m Buy It Now for only: $1,249.95 |
 Lowrance HDS 5 GPS Receiver $450.00 Time Remaining: 1d 21h 29m |
 GARMIN GPSMAP 521 GPS CHART PLOTTER $503.89 Time Remaining: 3d 16h 37m Buy It Now for only: $503.89 |
 Standard Horizon CP170C GPS Receiver $400.00 Time Remaining: 1d 22h 32m Buy It Now for only: $895.00 |
 GARMIN GPSMAP 740S GPS CHARTPLOTTER BUNDLE W DUAL FREQ TRANSOM MOUNT TRANSDUCER $1,499.99 Time Remaining: 20d 21h 25m Buy It Now for only: $1,499.99 |
 Lowrance HDS 7m GPS Chartplotter $670.00 Time Remaining: 2d 12h 17m Buy It Now for only: $1,100.00 |
 GARMIN GPSMAP 421s GPS Sonar Chartplotter Transducr Fishfinder 010 00764 01 $431.50 Time Remaining: 21d 19h 30m Buy It Now for only: $431.50 |
 Garmin GPS 38 GPS satellite outdoor Receiver biking hiking camping $30.00 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 2d 13h 17m |
 GARMIN GPSMAP 525 GPS Marine Navigation Chartplotter 010 00597 00 $404.95 Time Remaining: 29d 19h 6m Buy It Now for only: $404.95 |
 Garmin GPSMAP 162 GPS Marine $142.50 (16 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 14h 3m |
 BRAND NEW GARMIN GPSMAP 78 HANDHELD GPS RECEIVER $245.00 Time Remaining: 11d 21h 6m Buy It Now for only: $245.00 |
 Brand New Garmin GPSMAP 640 GPS Receiver $599.00 Time Remaining: 2d 15h 5m |
 Garmin GPSMAP 182C GPS Receiver Color Chartplotter $249.50 Time Remaining: 29d 21h 50m Buy It Now for only: $249.50 |
 Garmin GPS 72 GPS Receiver $99.00 (1 Bid) Time Remaining: 2d 15h 8m |
 NEW Raymarine C90W 9in Chartplotter GPS RAY E62111 US $1,222.88 Time Remaining: 21d 19h 11m Buy It Now for only: $1,222.88 |
 Garmin 176C GPS Marine Chart Plotter GPSMAP GPS + Many Accessories $349.99 Time Remaining: 2d 15h 18m Buy It Now for only: $400.00 |
 New Sealed Raymarine C90W GPS Receiver With US Coastal Charts $1,199.99 Time Remaining: 15d 9h 3m Buy It Now for only: $1,199.99 |
 Humminbird 898c SI Combo GPS Marine Fishing Chartplotter Fishfinder 407820 1 NEW $1,329.00 Time Remaining: 29d 12h 41m Buy It Now for only: $1,329.00 |
 Complete Garmin 440S GPSMAP GPS Receiver Sonder Chart Plotter Fish Depth Finder+ $256.51 (14 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 16h 4m |
 Humminbird 365i 4 Inch Waterproof Marine GPS and Chartplotter NEW $264.99 Time Remaining: 8d 22h 30m Buy It Now for only: $264.99 |
 LOWRANCE HDS7 INSIGHT USA FISHFINDER GPS RECEIVER HDS 7 $454.99 (7 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 16h 47m |
 Garmin GPSmap 441S Color GPS Fishfinder Display Cover Bundle Guaranteed $395.00 Time Remaining: 19d 20h Buy It Now for only: $395.00 |
 LOWRANCE HDS5 US BACKGROUND FISHFINDER GPS RECEIVER HDS 5 $299.99 Time Remaining: 2d 16h 54m |
 Lowrance LMS 520C GPS Receiver $399.50 Time Remaining: 19d 23h 41m Buy It Now for only: $399.50 |
 Raymarine Raystar 125 GPS Receiver $250.00 Time Remaining: 2d 17h 19m Buy It Now for only: $300.00 |
 NEW GARMIN GPSMAP 76CSX HANDHELD MARINE GPS 76 CSX 010 00469 00 1 YEAR WARRANTY $299.99 Time Remaining: 22d 12h 11m Buy It Now for only: $299.99 |
 Garmin GPSMAP 498 GPS Receiver $159.01 (27 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 17h 36m |
 Humminbird 898c SI Combo GPS Receiver w Contour Maps $1,329.99 Time Remaining: 25d 10h 26m Buy It Now for only: $1,329.99 |
 Raymarine C80 GPS Receiver $429.00 (9 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 19h 17m |
 GARMIN GPS CHARTPLOTTER MARINE 276C GPSMAP MOTORCYCLE BOAT CAR ATV 376C 478 $694.95 Time Remaining: 29d 8h 31m Buy It Now for only: $694.95 |
 Garmin Guidance GPSMap 162 Chartplotting Receiver Marine Navigation GPS Unit NEW $205.00 (23 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 19h 38m |
 Raymarine C70 Chartplotter Radar sounder GPS Display $599.50 Time Remaining: 22h 41m Buy It Now for only: $599.50 |
 NEW Garmin Gpsmap 541s GPS Receiver $255.00 (12 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 20h 2m |
 Humminbird AS GR50 GPS SENSOR 50 CHANNEL 407480 1 $129.99 Time Remaining: 21d 9h 35m Buy It Now for only: $129.99 |
 Raymarine RC435i GPS Receiver Chartplotter $100.00 (2 Bids) Time Remaining: 2d 20h 20m |
 GARMIN GPS152H GPS TRACK PLOTTER HIGH SENSITIVITY 010 00909 00 $273.55 Time Remaining: 29d 13h 51m Buy It Now for only: $273.55 |
Get To Know Your Marine GPS
To maximize your investment and minimize down time, every boater should take a little time and get to know your marine GPS. GPS (Global Positioning System) has made precise navigation a breeze for everyone from the wilderness hiker to the offshore boater. They're small, relatively inexpensive, and generally easy to operate. However, knowing the basics on just how the system works and a few particulars about the unit you're using is a good idea.
Automation is nice but can lull us into a false sense of security. Granted, today's GPS units and the system itself are very reliable and perform flawlessly most of the time. However, given enough time, things can and will go wrong. That's when just a little knowledge could come in handy and go long way toward helping you understand why your GPS isn't doing its thing.
The first thing you should keep in mind is that your GPS unit receives its information directly from satellites. Therefore, having an unobstructed view of the sky is critical. Not all of the sky, but a significant portion of it. Fortunately there are multiple GPS satellites and it only takes 2 or 3 of them for you to get an accurate and reliable fix.
Almost all GPS units have a way of monitoring the number of satellites it can see and measuring the strength of the signal from each one. You should make sure you know how do find this function in your particular GPS receiver. You shouldn't be concerned about which satellites you're receiving, just how many and their signal strength. That information is normally presented in a standard bar graph display. Some units also show a circular pattern with the position and ID number of the satellites currently in view. The figure below is typical of what you may see.
It's a good idea to know at a glance whether the satellite data display indicates a problem or not. Reading your owners manual is always a good idea but you can also simply establish a benchmark that will tell you at a glance if something is obviously different than it usually is. When things are working normal, check the satellite display and notice what it looks like. Make note of the number of satellites and the average signal strength levels. If you have a portable GPS, move to different locations and watch what happens to the signal strength. Know just how much blockage your unit will tolerate until it looses enough signal to no longer lock on.
Boaters should be aware that external interference can negatively effect the performance of the your GPS. You should set your benchmark with everything else on the boat turned off. Turn things on one at a time while watching the satellite signal strength display. Particularly watch when you start your engines and turn on pumps and motors. Even TV's, especially with amplifiers on the antenna, can cause a reduction or even complete loss of satellite signals. If you find that to be the case, the problem may be cleared up or at least improved by grounding the TV antenna cable. However, simply turning the TV and/or amplifier off usually restores normal operation to your GPS.
Familiarizing yourself with your GPS unit as well as the other marine electronics on your boat will better prepare you to deal with those unexpected malfunctions and glitches that inevitably show up at the worse possible times. For more information on this and other things a boater should know about marine electronics, visit Marine Tools & Info and Technical Articles.
About the Author
Dave has spent almost 40 years in the marine electronics industry as a technician, manager, and business owner. He earned a 1st Class FCC Radiotelephone License with Ship Radar Endorsement in 1972 and has received numerous accreditations from manufacturers, and trade associations.