Need Some Help.................................Please

[DFreedom]

I have a Garmin Fishfinder 160 Blue on a 17' skiff. I really want a Chartplotter/GPS. I have toyed with the idea of buying a hand held like a Colorado or an Oregon but, wonder if I would not be better off buying a newer Sounder/Chartplotter instead. My budget is around $500 and for that it would appear a Garmin GPSMAP 440s or 441s would fit that budget. My questions are:

1. Should I just get a hand held, be happy and keep using my old fishfinder?

2. If I buy a combo unit, the existing transducer from my 160 Blue will work (according

to Garmin). Is this a good idea or should I spring for a new transducer?

3. What is the difference between the 440s and 441s?

4. You can get a $200 rebate by buying the Garmin g2 Vision card. Is this a smart buy?

(I fish inshore only so don't know if this is worth it or not)

I am sorry for all of the questions but, I do not know much about these things (trying to learn) and I don't want to buy something and then find out I made a bad purchase. I am taking my boat to the Keys this Summer so I really want a decent chartplotter as the waters are unfamiliar to me.

Thanks for all input.

[CudjoeDon]

I have a Garmin 440S with the G2 card [same rebate deal which is why I did it]. This replaced a Garmin 72 handheld and Garmin 120 fishfinder, then I replaced the 72 with a Lowrance H2Oc color handheld. I found the handheld screens too small and not really bright enough to use on a moving boat in daytime -- plus none really seem to have enough marine chartplotter features. I would not go back to the separate units unless you would use the handheld a lot for other things.

The G2 card covering the Keys seems to be very accurate. Much of the other stuff it has is largely "fluff" [photo's, marina/restaurant/services info, etc.] for most people who are not cruisers. Looks like the only things the 441s has different from the 440s is more waypoints/routes and NMEA 2000 support. For your purposes the transducer change isn't necessary unless you want dual-frequency and temperature [if your current one doesn't have these].

CudjoeDon

[1bandit]

I would not buy a combo unit, especiallly a bottom machine GPS. If you bottom fish you need to use them both at the same time. Watching for spots while you navigate, trying to hold over a spot ect. If you used the split screan you end up with less screen than the handheld. How many TVs with the built in VCR (that worked for 6 months) are still around?

[CudjoeDon]

1bandit, normally I agree with the separate units -- but this is a 17' skiff. Not likely that there will be trolling spreaders over secret waypoints, etc. Even with the split screen, the screen is a little bigger, more importantly, it's brighter and the controls can be used while moving compared to a handheld. I find I rarely need both on screen at the same time -- chartplotter while going to a spot, then sounder when there. No problem if he has the space for a separate chartplotter-only, still better than a handheld unit.

CudjoeDon