I just can't leave well enough alone...

[ak-angler]

I've been running a Garmin 178c chartplotter/sounder for the last 6+ years. It's been reliable, and has done everything I've expected it to in that time. But, for the last year or more, I haven't been able to transfer any data between it and my computer. Because, in their ultimate wisdom, Garmin has yet to (and probably never will) update the drivers for their proprietary data card reader so it will work with 64-bit versions of Windows 7. And since I don't have any more WIN-XP machines that I can run their software on, I'm stuck. No route planning with new waypoints... no saving tracks by area and loading them on the unit as needed... no downloading trip info and emailing it to friends... no more anything that involves transferring data either to, or from, the Garmin. And, since my track log is full, I can't even save any more tracks without deleting other ones.  Shame on you Garmin... Shame on you.

So, I decided enough is enough, and I started looking at new units to replace my trusty and fully functional, but obsolescent, 178c. And of course, I found one. (Why does my wife insist on leaving me alone with a credit card? ).



It was on sale at Cabela's with free shipping, and today is the last day of the factory $200 rebates for the Gen-1 HDS units. Plus, I had a $25 off coupon. So... what the hey... a new Gen-1 HDS-8 is on its way to my house. Now, I just need to find a way to convince the wife that it was necessary so that ... ummm ... well, so that... oh! ... so that I can read engine data over the NMEA2000 network in order to protect the investment we just made in the new Suzuki. (Did that sound convincing? ) And, oh yeah... now I'm going to have to set up a NMEA2000 network ... :whistle:

[croaker stroker]

 Did you look at the digital radar? You know it's not safe to travel in a boat without radar. Oh, and a radar tower is needed.

[Threeweight]

Of course you also really need a nice Airmar transducer to go with your new electronics.  And the latest Navionics marine charts.  And a new marine VHF with AIS, so you can keep track of where the commercial traffic is in the fog.  And the Sirius satellite weather module from Lowrance...

Just let us know if you need any more suggestions on how to spend $$$$  :biggrin:

[ak-angler]

Ooooooohhhh..... This could get bad...






... but bad in a good way!

[Chuck Jones]

AK:   GOOD SHOW....I tried to find the Gen I on sale here locally but they didn't have any in stock or I would have purchased it.  I ended up having them save me a Gen II model at an upcoming sale tomorrow...Out the door for just under $600....but I really wanted a Gen I that would have been substantially less expensive.

Good find....congrats.

chuck

[GoodDays]

dont forget to add the Flir camera to it so you can see in the dark and/or fog !!!

Boy its fun spending other peoples money !!!


GoodDays Greg   

[Vancouvertechie]

Here is the radio to go with your new HDS.  You cannot beat that price.  If I recall correctly the HDS-8 has two NMEA inputs.

http://www.boemarine.com/Standard_Horizon_Matrix_AIS_GX2100W_w-Built-in_AIS_30WPA-Loudhailer-GX2100W/

VT

[GregE]

AK:   GOOD SHOW....I tried to find the Gen I on sale here locally but they didn't have any in stock or I would have purchased it.  I ended up having them save me a Gen II model at an upcoming sale tomorrow...Out the door for just under $600....but I really wanted a Gen I that would have been substantially less expensive.

Good find....congrats.

chuck

On sale where, Chuck?

[Kimbrey]

dont forget to add the Flir camera to it so you can see in the dark and/or fog !!!

Boy its fun spending other peoples money !!!


GoodDays Greg   

We have a FLIR here on the ship. Cool unit when clear. Misty fog, rain, snow it's not worth a hoot. Moisture gets on the lens making worthless.

[ak-angler]

Well, I kinda got my wrist slapped when I informed my wife about the new addition. I guess I should have seen it coming after eye rolling I was subjected to when I told her how much I just paid for the stainless propeller. In all fairness to me, she did say I shouldn't have told her how much it cost. (I think she's giving me mixed signals here.) Anyway, I think she's over it, or will be soon. I guess the old adage is right... It's better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission. :bowdown:

I guess now I'll just have to dig into the couch cushions to scrape up enough loose change to buy the NMEA2000 cables to hook to the motor...  :whistle:






Gawd, I hope she doesn't read this. As much as I enjoy it, I don't really want to have to sleep on the boat.  :hoboy:

[croaker stroker]

Take her out in the boat for wine and cheese. Then she'll see that the money you're spending is going to good use.

Works for me.   

[Salmon King]

AK - I'd have no problem deleting all those tracks you saved and creating some of my own! :biggrin:

[wedocq]

Did you look at the digital radar? You know it's not safe to travel in a boat without radar. Oh, and a radar tower is needed.

When Croaker says tower, what he really means is the Space Needle.  :biggrin:

[croaker stroker]

Ahahahaha. We can't stop laughing.     Too funny.  :applause:

[ak-angler]

So, it looks like I made a pretty convincing argument for the upgrade to the wife. She's been out of town for the past few days, but after some face-to-face explanation, and a description of what the new unit brings to the table, she's definitely on board with the purchase. She was especially impressed with the fact that I got a good deal on it. (I'm pretty sure that was her most important criteria. :hoboy:) But, however it happened, the upgrade has met with her approval. So, I won't have to sleep on the boat in the driveway. 

At this point, the discussion has shifted to whether we sell the Garmin, or keep it as a backup. Her position is that if it was so important to upgrade (which I just convinced her of), why keep the old unit when we can sell it to offset some of the cost of the Lowrance. My position is that the Garmin still works just fine, as long as I have another method to transfer data to/from the computer, and redundant systems are never a bad idea. She has countered that with the fact that I already carry a handheld GPS (Garmin 60CSx), and I also have Navionics charts on my iPhone. So, as much as I hate to admit it, I will probably end up conceding the point and selling it. ... maybe ... :whistle:

[StreamFixer]

Nothing quite like reading a post by someone who has made up their mind..... :whistle: :hoboy:

StreamFixer

[wedocq]

You are gonna have to start running a small "cost sharing" side business, taking all us Arima guys fishing to pay for all this stuff. Of course, all the new toys are included in the "cost sharing". :biggrin:
-Shawn

[Markshoreline]

AK,

As a serious and fair negotiator,  should you accept the wife's position as a compromise?  That way, she gets her way and you get still have the new Lowrance- guilt free.

[ak-angler]

I understand what you're saying, Mark. And, yeah... I'll probably end up selling the Garmin when I get the HDS up and running.

[FISHSTALKER]

Coming home from a fishing trip and finding a new car sitting in the driveway may be a tip that it was there was more meaning to that hand slap.  :biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:

[ak-angler]

As long as that new car didn't belong to her new boyfriend, I wouldn't have any problem with that.

Seriously guys, she's OK with the purchase. And, I won't really have to check the couch cushions for loose change to get the HDS8 hooked to the motor. She was a little irritated when she thought this was an impulse buy. But when I explained that it was, instead, a quick decision based on sales and rebates, and that I had been looking at upgrading for a while, she realized that I hadn't gone off the deep end. It's all good.

[GregE]

Luckily Bandaid has already asked if I need to upgrade the Lowrance X 104 plotter, sonar.  Looking at a muti function display to combine radar, plotter and sonar + engine display in one unit. The Furono does Not plot nor sound  :nono: and getting the radar to the new display could open up the dash-   so looking at Raymarine etc.  Ideas?

That's on the big boat.   Probably going to have to get the 'large print edition'  



I need a plotter/ sonar for the older Garmin Blue on the toy boat too