| |  Gps Watches, Which one? #138349
03/30/08 06:22 PM 03/30/08 06:22 PM |
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 3,224
Roanoke Island ,N.C. Team_Cat_Fever  OP
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Roanoke Island ,N.C. | Anybody have a GPS watch they like or one they hate? Which ones work best for sailing? Real world experience comments only please.
Thanks
"I said, now, I said ,pay attention boy!"
The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea
Isak Dinesen
If a man is to be obsessed by something.... I suppose a boat is as good as anything... perhaps a bit better than most.
E. B. White
| | | Re: Gps Watches, Which one?
[Re: Team_Cat_Fever]
#138350
03/30/08 07:02 PM 03/30/08 07:02 PM |
Anonymous
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| Anonymous
Unregistered
| Sorry I can't offer personal experience, but after recently losing my eTrex Legend I've just ordered a refurbished Foretrex 201 for $65+shipping off eBay - http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130209014113Several people in CRAW have bought these from the same place and seem happy with them. | | | Re: Gps Watches, Which one?
[Re: Team_Cat_Fever]
#138351
03/30/08 07:26 PM 03/30/08 07:26 PM |
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,921
Michigan PTP
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Michigan | I had a Sunto M5 (I think) from a few years ago. My wife got it for me in 2005.
It sucks compared to the foretrex. Hard to program, slow, not even close to real time. I am sure it has been redesigned, but go with the foretrex. I hope they have redesigned the strap though so it doesn't fall off so easily.
I like the fortrex because on one screen you can have your speed, VMG, Heading and Bearing. The heading and bearing doesn't come into play for bouy racing though.
Last edited by PTP; 03/30/08 07:28 PM.
| | | Re: Gps Watches, Which one?
[Re: ]
#138352
03/30/08 07:48 PM 03/30/08 07:48 PM |
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310
South Carolina Jake
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South Carolina | The Foretrex is one of the greatest innovations and most spectacular devices for long distance racing and buoy racing (great start timer) I've ever seen....that is....until the stupid-butt, under-designed, pins that hold it to the wrist band pop off and you lose it after the first 20 minutes.
I've lost three and broke one of the pins on my fourth unit the first day I had it out at Spring Fever.
The problem is that the band is in the center of the unit and there is nowhere to attach a lanyard. If the band were offset to one side or the other, it wouldn't extend out over the back of your hand (lean down on the trampoline and bend your wrist back...poop! it's gone.)
I'm desinging a carbon fiber sheath for it now though that will be handed and have a MUCH more secure mounting method than those overextend watch pins. Other than that, if you can keep the standard strap high on your forearm (and don't snag anything) you're OK (until you capsize and snag it on something).
Jake Kohl
| | | Re: Gps Watches, Which one?
[Re: PTP]
#138353
03/30/08 07:51 PM 03/30/08 07:51 PM |
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 3,224
Roanoke Island ,N.C. Team_Cat_Fever OP
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Roanoke Island ,N.C. | Hey Mark,
I just saw that deal myself. Makes it hard to pass up.
Thanks for the info. I have a 76s w/ all the charts for everywhere I race. I'm just looking for something that is quick and easy to view for helm info(VMG, bearing track, etc.)and will use the 76s for the nav. work.
"I said, now, I said ,pay attention boy!"
The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea
Isak Dinesen
If a man is to be obsessed by something.... I suppose a boat is as good as anything... perhaps a bit better than most.
E. B. White
| | | Re: Gps Watches, Which one?
[Re: Antilag]
#138357
03/30/08 09:25 PM 03/30/08 09:25 PM |
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,049
Sebring, Florida. Timbo
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Sebring, Florida. | You may not be able to read the numbers from the boom when you are out on the wire. I would love to have something I can read while I'm out on the wire! I do leave my Etrex Legend on the tramp but I have to stop sailing to read it...
Blade F16
#777
| | | Re: Gps Watches, Which one?
[Re: Jake]
#138358
03/30/08 10:17 PM 03/30/08 10:17 PM |
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 606
League City, TX flumpmaster
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League City, TX | The Foretrex is one of the greatest innovations and most spectacular devices for long distance racing and buoy racing (great start timer) I've ever seen....that is....until the stupid-butt, under-designed, pins that hold it to the wrist band pop off and you lose it after the first 20 minutes.
I've lost three and broke one of the pins on my fourth unit the first day I had it out at Spring Fever.
The problem is that the band is in the center of the unit and there is nowhere to attach a lanyard. If the band were offset to one side or the other, it wouldn't extend out over the back of your hand (lean down on the trampoline and bend your wrist back...poop! it's gone.)
I'm desinging a carbon fiber sheath for it now though that will be handed and have a MUCH more secure mounting method than those overextend watch pins. Other than that, if you can keep the standard strap high on your forearm (and don't snag anything) you're OK (until you capsize and snag it on something). Ditto that Jake. The pins on mine broke very quickly so the Foretrex has been relegated to backup GPS to be stuffed in the lifejacket in case our other one dies. I'd be interested to see how your sheath design works. The unit still needs to be demountable to down load data. Chris. | | | Re: Gps Watches, Which one?
[Re: Antilag]
#138359
03/30/08 11:19 PM 03/30/08 11:19 PM |
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,921
Michigan PTP
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Michigan | I got one for christmas and was thinking of strapping it to my boom. Would'nt that be safer? you can read it from the wire if you make the speed (or whatever) large on the screen. Problem is you have to unstrap it and restrap it when you tack. Or just push it over but then you are reading upside down. | | | Re: Gps Watches, Which one?
[Re: Timbo]
#138360
03/31/08 01:06 AM 03/31/08 01:06 AM |
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 502
Port Noarlunga, SA, Australia Darryn
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Port Noarlunga, SA, Australia | I can read my foretrex from out on the wire, even in split screen mode with Max speed and current speed showing its legible, only just.
I have drowned a foretrex, was replaced under warranty, no problems, there not as waterproof as garmin claim. Additional mounting straps may block the antenna which is under the Garmin label.
Darryn
Mozzy
1782 | | | Re: Gps Watches, Which one?
[Re: igorn]
#138362
03/31/08 05:59 AM 03/31/08 05:59 AM |
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 207
couldn't resist it Codblow
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couldn't resist it | I had a foretrex 201 when they first came out , they are reliable well made (in most respects ) and easily read .
soon discovered the pin problem and nearly lost it , many friends have lost theirs despite my warnings not to trust pins .
NEVER rely on the pins you WILL lose the unit , I bought a neoprene i pod nano arm strap with mylar window , which totally encloses unit and even if it falls off will float , when I strapped to boom I would wrap with tape to be sure , moved onto velocitek mounted on spi pole now much better , Fortrex is now on my mountain bike .
ps i reported pin prob to garmin years ago , they didn't and haven't recognised it as a problem , however I have known folks get replacement units when the do lose them under warranty and they even replaced mine as gesture of goodwill . | | | Re: Gps Watches, Which one?
[Re: Jake]
#138363
03/31/08 06:02 AM 03/31/08 06:02 AM |
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 3,224
Roanoke Island ,N.C. Team_Cat_Fever OP
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OP
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Roanoke Island ,N.C. | Hey Jake,
Make one for me and I'll teach you how to do a "Jumping Pile Driver". I just ordered one of the refurbs.
I'll put my hillbilly engineering experience to work on it too, and see what I can come up with.I'm sure it won't be as cool as yours, as mine will probably involve duct tape instead of carbon.
Codblow,
Good idea on the nano case. You wouldn't happen to have a link to the one that floats would you?
Todd
Last edited by Team_Cat_Fever; 03/31/08 06:04 AM.
"I said, now, I said ,pay attention boy!"
The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea
Isak Dinesen
If a man is to be obsessed by something.... I suppose a boat is as good as anything... perhaps a bit better than most.
E. B. White
| | | Re: Gps Watches, Which one?
[Re: Codblow]
#138365
03/31/08 07:18 AM 03/31/08 07:18 AM |
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,226
Atlanta bvining
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veteran
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Posts: 1,226
Atlanta | I had the Suunto GPS sailing wrist computer. It sucked. the battery life with the GPS was terrible, the GPS took forever to connect, impossible to program, it was hard to read, the buttons were too small to operate while sailing.
It might work for a mono slugger, who can sit and fool with the button, but not for cat or dighy sailors.
Its cool looking, but dont get fooled into spending the $400 buck on it.
Bill | | | Re: Gps Watches, Which one?
[Re: igorn]
#138366
03/31/08 07:43 AM 03/31/08 07:43 AM |
Anonymous
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| Anonymous
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| The $65 units are factory refurbished, rather than brand new - hence the low price. I don't how/know where they source the units they refurbish.
I see in the small print on the eBay ad that they are only authorized by the factory to sell them within North America. | | | Re: Gps Watches, Which one?
[Re: ]
#138367
03/31/08 08:17 AM 03/31/08 08:17 AM |
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 207
couldn't resist it Codblow
enthusiast
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couldn't resist it | [quote]The $65 units are factory refurbished, rather than brand new - hence the low price. I don't how/know where they source the units they refurbish. Sea Bed ???? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> | | | Re: Gps Watches, Which one?
[Re: Codblow]
#138368
03/31/08 09:27 AM 03/31/08 09:27 AM |
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 12,310
South Carolina Jake
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South Carolina | [quote]The $65 units are factory refurbished, rather than brand new - hence the low price. I don't how/know where they source the units they refurbish. Sea Bed ???? <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" /> The beaches of Charleston and Myrtle Beach?
Jake Kohl
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