Hi Chris, I had a lot of success with Garmin in other applications, so I stayed with that company and selected a GPSMAP 421s (no available anymore). But generally, if you want a low cost chartplotter, you should be fine with any of the low end GPSMAP or Striker models (a Striker 5 DV could be had for $250).
If you, however, have the Raymarine instruments already, you would be much better off staying with that company for the ease of connecting all your systems together. Btw. my experience with iPads is not that great – in the sun you have to be at an exact spot in order to see the screen (and I won’t even mention their resistance to elements). On top of that, if you sail in any real weather, you would probably prefer a unit with discrete controls (not touch screen) – wet hands and gloves don’t work so well on a touch screen. Btw 2. the cost of an iPad is much higher than almost any reasonable chartplotter (unless you consider the iPad cost as “sunk costs” already). Marek From: Chris Graham via CnC-List Sent: Friday, October 19, 2018 08:14 To: cnc-list@cnc-list.com Cc: Chris Graham Subject: Stus-List inexpensive chartplotter So I'm a bit torn over what to do here, the boat has a mount for an iPad and the past owner use the iPad with Navigation apps and I am tempted to go that route, but I know that iPads have their drawbacks with visibility due to glare, limited functions and are not designed to withstand the harsh elements of the marine environment. I really don't need much so I am probably leaning toward the ipad due to cost, but if I were to consider a small dependable unit what suggestions might you have for me? There are too many choices to scroll through on the internet and it leaves me more confused than when I first started the search. What models have you had success with? Chris
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