Garmin 300C Any Opinions?

[Longjohn119]

Anyone have any experience with this unit? I was just wondering if anyone had any tips or idiosyncrasies (OK, that was a big word, I'm not really that smart but I have a real good spellchecker :wink:)

Anyways, I had an Eagle Cuda 240S/GPS which was OK but last year I upgraded my little boat and rigged an old laptop with GPS and wireless internet (Live weather radar, Yee Haw!!!) so I didn't need a GPS fish finder but I really wanted one with a NMEA 0183 output so I could use it to log depths in OziExplorer (I already convert and use USACE provided Hydrologic Surveys that I get from the Rock Island District website. If anyone is interested in how I do this drop me an email) So the choice came down between an Eagle Cuda 350S/MAP and the Garmin 300C for a reasonbly priced unit with NMEA output and since I didn't really need the GPS and wanted a better fish finder for identifying differing structure so I went with the color Garmin after reading a few customer reviews (I was especially concerned about sunlight viewabilty, anyone who has used a laptop in the sun knows what I mean) which were mostly very positive

I'd sure like to hear about others' first hand experience with them. Sorry about the story but I AM a Fisherman and that's what we do, tell stories ....

[1sporticus]

Hi John, I'm getting a new fishfinder also, and have been looking at the same one as you. I'm hoping someone will chime in also. Later Andy

[mmarcum6]

I have the Garmin 160C and my main complaint is the water temp is wrong and even in the hottest part of the summer last year the highest it read was about 78 deg when the water temp was actually in the upper 80's. I'm also not confident with what it is showing me on the screen and would like to put it beside another finder to see if it is being accurate and if I am just not setting it up correctly. It came with the boat so I can't complain to much, but when the bottom structure changes by 10 feet when you are at anchor in calm water something just ain't right.

[chrome-187]

have you looked at the 300c portable?

[Little Mac]

John, you seem to be very versed in all the gadgetry. I have a garmin 250 and it has the nmea0183 output, I am trying to find the right gps antenna for it but all the ones i see have a connector on the end, whereas mine has wires coming out. Do you or anyone else on here know if that connector can be cut off and wired direct to my unit. Also, is there anyone that knows the correct antenna to buy? I see alot on ebay that look the same the white puck or dome that mounts to the console. I was looking at buying a new finder until I looked at the specs on this unit and decided it has everything i want except for a way to update maps, no SD card. My last fishfinder was a eagle cuda with about 800 watts ptp. this one has 4000 ptp duel freq. 3200 ptp single freq. so it has plenty of seein power. I appreciate any information you fellas can pass on. I have been using a handheld GPS unit for location, I dont suppose they make a connector to use this as the antenna ? its a triton 2000.