I didn't want to hijack the other GPS thread so I started this one.  I am in the process of looking for a GPS unit I can use on the water.  I already have 2 graphs on the boat, but neither have GPS capability.  I am wanting to be able to pull up on a spot and if it's productive, mark it on my GPS.  Also wanting to be able to find channels and such.  I don't know much about GPS at all, just wanting to be able to mark spots on the water and find them easily later on.  I doubt I would use this anywhere but on the water.  Any units like this $200 or less?  What are some of the better ones?  How accurate are they when marking spots and trying to find later?  Thanks for the info.

Howdy Javelin,

My disclaimer:  I am not an expert by any means of the word.  I have been shopping electronics for a couple of weeks for my boat.  I am assuming affordable is your key word?  

For 'permanent' full size boat units I would think Eagle may be your best bet.  They offer a close to 5" diag screen, in monochrome for around $299.00.  There is also a 'cuda' sized unit offered by Eagle.  I think its called the Eagle Cuda 250 should be around $250.00, the screen is around 3 1/2" and its also monochrome.  

H-bird has a gps/finder for around $350.00 - the 580.  It's also Black and white screen.  

The only way to go less money IMO is to go with one of the handheld units.  You can basically get as cheap as you want.  Ultra inexpensive would be to buy a hand held on ebay or a discount store that doesn't show any contours.  As stated in other posts you can usually attain these now a days for around $100.00.  Lowrance came out with some real nice hand helds that have base maps factory installed AND can accept the 'plug and play' navionics charts that show channels, contour lines, ramps, structure, etc for around $170.00 new in gray scale and they go up from there.  

Well, that is about all I can tell you.  Good luck!  

If you haven't already, see the "Handheld GPS" thread.

Yeah, I read the hand held thread, but didn't want to start asking questions on his thread.  A hand held would be fine with me as long as I can mark spots on the water to come back to later.  Is this possible with most hand helds.  I'm wanting to be able to see features of the lake, such as channels and stuff and have a map of the lake I'm on, on my GPS...is this something you have to purchase additionally to the GPS or do some of the units come with certain lakes' maps already on them?  How does that usually work?  I am pretty much a complete newby when it comes to GPS and I'm not looking for a fish finder/GPS because I have a new finder on the dash and don't want to replace it.  

Looking at various handheld units, and convincing my buddy and his dad to buy the lowrance ifinder h20and the h20c. One was color, the other was black and white. The one that was black and white he recommends going to the color one. best price I've seen for the color is 235 on amazon. black and white around 170. lakemaster chips or anvionics chips around 100 bucks additional. Wait till later to get the lake map chips. the lake map chips are great if they have the lakes you fish on otherwise any of the new gps units will get you back to the same spot within about 30 feet.

Seriously:

You completely described the new Lowrance GPS units.  Buy a RAM mount for it and put it right next to your dash graph.  You can buy another RAM mount for it up by the TM so you can move it and use it stay on submerged bridges, piles, etc. when you our out of the console and running the TM.  

You can do like you said above - I think they allow you to mark 1,000 spots plus it will allow you to store 100 routes (showing where you started and tracing your every move with a black line).  I Like the route feature so you can run in the dark and feel confident you are not going to bash into a stump because you have already gone that route and didn't have any problems - It doesn't have radar so you will still have to watch out for other vesseles.

To have the contours you will have to buy a card for your region.  The Navionics are good/popular and this unit will allow you to use them.   Typically the base map that it comes with just shows the shore line, no contours.  

Cost of the unit:  

 www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/standard-pod-wrapped.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/pod-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat602025-cat21350&rid=&indexId=cat21350&navAction=push&masterpathid=&navCount=1&parentType=index&parentId=cat21350&id=0028183  

(you may have to copy and paste this into your browser box)

You can black and white and get it fairly resonable plus I think you can use the same unit in your car, hiking, etc.  

Good luck Javelin

The handheld units are a good way to go and the Lowrance H2O units will take the Navionics, Hot Spots or Lakemaster chips. If you want to be able to mark structure based from sonar reading then a combo unit might be the best bet. Almost all of the entry level sonor/gps combo units will not take any map chips except for the Humminbird 580 http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0045502018990a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&QueryText=580&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=580&noImage=0 and the eagle fishelite 480 http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0023563016594a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&QueryText=eagle+fish+elite&N=4887&Ntk=Products&Ntx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&Ntt=eagle+fish+elite&noImage=0 They will accept the Navionics Premium chips. The Humminbird unit has a little better vertical resolution and higher power rating. But both are good units for the money.