[Rhodes22-list] GPS

[Vic Huebner]

I'm getting a refurbished '87 from Stan next month. Since I've never been sailing I'm a little concerned about getting lost while I'm trying to navigate the Chesapeake Bay. In researching chart plotters, the only low cost one I've found is the Garmin 176C color plotter. This is the older version of their 276C and I think Garmin is trying to get rid of them. They're bundled with the Metro-Guide for streets, the BlueChart for marine use, a blank card, a programmer, etc. The internal antenna version is being sold for $445 after rebate. Just the list price total of the accessories is more than this. They got mostly good reviews except for being hard to read in bright sunlight. Also, they use a lot of power so it's impractical to use batteries - a cigar lighter connection is needed. I'd appreciate any comments you might have on whether or not I should buy this system.
Vic Huebner