BigBendFishing.Net

What brand is the best.I will be fishing out of carrabelle in the bay as well as offshore.My boat is a 25 ft. center console.

Can I ask why you want a combo? The reason most choose a combo unit is space limitations. Doesn't sound like you have that problem.

I would reccomend you go with separate units. Then the question becomes how many features do you want for both functions. IE- color or grayscale bottom reader, chartplotter, software driven or chip driven. The bottom line is- How much do you want to spend? Not trying to be a smartazz, but there are hundreds of choices out there.

Well I guess I was trying to kill two birds at one time. I,m useing a hand held GPS now, I am looking at garmin 168 witch is a combo.Space is not an issue. Price is an issue. I want to get the best system I can for under 600.00. What do you use color or grey?.

Go with separate units.

You will be hard pressed to get a Color anything for under 600. If I only had $600 to spend I would get a Garmin GPS 162 with bluecharts, and get a Garmin 240 FF. With rebates and such you should be able to come in right around $600.

Thanks for all the good advise. I can see the advantage of two full screens and if one unit fails I wont lose both. GOOD FISHING

I suggest the same units Tom suggested. As for a combo, when you split the screen to see your GPS and bottom reader, you're limited on what you can see on either, unless you go to something like the 2010 with bottom reader module. That's about $3000. The 162 is a fine machine with plenty of definition. I have a 240 bottom reader. In 30 years of fishing this unit has the best display I've ever seen for the money.

I run a 19-ft Cape Horn and opted for a Furuno 600L depth finder and a separate Furuno GP31, all-in-one systems had too many what ifs. I'm planning to supplement the GP31 with a Navman 5100 chartploter this season for three reasons: it uses C-MAP NT, w/fuel transducer it keeps track of fuel use, and its WAAS enabled.

But don't leave the handheld GPS at home, redundant systems are always nice to have offshore.

TC,

I am glad you said something good about the 2006C or 2010C since I have a 2006C. I love it. I went combo because I want room for a radar and I would not of had it with the 2006C , Furuno 600 and radar.

If I could not convince my wife that we needed to spend this much I was looking at the same units you and TK suggested.

Jumper, I've seen the 2010C in action. It's like having the chart with you. BIG. I can't afford to won one, and even if I could, it would be the "$100 saddle on a $10 horse" story. I only have $3800 in the entire rig!

I had 23 Key West WA, but my wife insisted on a bigger boat. How often does that happen? So I ended up with a Wellcraft 270 Coastal. Told her that if we were going to spend that much on a boat it was only as good as the electronics. She said bull, but she loves to fish as much as me so she was willing to ante up the X-mas bonuses for a joint gift. A litte (lot) more than the bonuses, but man I do like the 2006C. Got it at Shields and they installed it with thru hull transducer. They were great to work with and did a great job.

When I come down in Feb. maybe you can go out with us. There is lots of room on the boat.

Jumper,
What's the benefits of a radar on a CC? I keep looking at them - mainly because I like gadgets - but I can never convince myself that I have $1,200 - $2,300 worth of need for one.

I'd love to, Jumper. Keep me in mind.

My boat is a WA not CC, but radar makes sense if you are going to be some distance offshore. We are (me with two other boats) are planning a middle grounds trip for June . When you are 100 miles offshore it is nice to know what is going on. Gonna have to wait awhile on the radar since he 2006C was so much.