Garmin 178S

[Gigem]

I'm thinking of getting one of these. It's the black and white fishfinder/GPS. Does anybody have one and if so how do you like it? My understanding is that this one and the color are the same (except for the color, of course!)

[Hog]

Hello Gigem,

Heres my 2cents.

You didnt mention if you are wanting this for inshore or offshore. Or what type and size of boat it will be going on. In my opinion, theres a big difference in needs for a unit between inshore use and offshore use.

I looked up a website of choices of accessories in the 178 BW you will need to go thru (im sure you already know this tho)
http://www.gps4fun.com/gar_gpsmap178.php

Picking a Plotter/fish finder is kinda like buying a car. All brands will start, stop, get you where you want to go, some will drive easier, some smoother, some are delicate, some are tough as nails, some are inexpensive and some are expensive. Bottom line is, which ever one you decide to pay your hard earned money for better do what you want it to do. :-)

I have a cheap Garmin 128 GPS that I sent in to have upgraded. As far as a GPS unit, Its good as gold. It probably only cost a couple of hundred dollars when it was new, but its as accurate as any unit Ive ever seen. Im sure their fish finders are good ones too. Garmin makes a good product. Thats been my experience with a garmin.

If going to use it for offshore, and your pocket book will handle it, I would receomend paying a little extra and getting the color machine. They are so sophisticated now that the larger air bladder fish show up as a certain color where as the small fish show up as another.

Some people swear by Garmin, Lowrance, Raymarine, furuno, humminbird plus a dozen others.

heres a website where you can have a electronics catalog sent to you if your interested http://www.consumersmarine.com/catalog2.cfm

I have a couple of suggestions if your buying this for predominately offshore fishing. If your wanting this unit for inshore, you wont need to worry about the following suggestions.

1. get a dual power machine and transducer usually 200hz and 50hz. The 200hz is the one that it usually used to show detail. at 100 feet of water, its reading a circle on the sea floor of about 9', depending on your cone angle. The 50 hz, is what is usually used for 300'+ of water for reading the bottom, but the detail is basically for the bottom and not the fish. BUT, at 100' of water with a 45 degree cone angle, its usually reading about a 90' circle on the sea floor. There for, if your searching for a spot, you can put your machine on 50hz or dual screen mode and it helps in locating the spot a little easier, then once you find the spot, you put your machine back on 200hz for exactness and detail.

2. make sure it has a good size screen, not a small one
3. make sure it will show dual screen --GPS on one side--Fishfinder on the other

4. Make sure it has a zoom split screen mode
5. Make sure you can manually set the gain and speed of the fishfinder chart rather than only being able to run automatic.
6. MAKE SURE IT IS DAYLIGHT READABLE!!!!!!!
7. Decide wither you need an internal antenna or a external antenna. you dont want anything between the antenna and the satelites. The more satelites it can hone in on and draw information from, the more accurate it will be.
8. check how many waypoints it will store. My little garmin wont hold but 400. That sounds like a bunch, but its not for me

For me, I have my stand alone Garmin 128 that is good as gold for simplicity and accruacy. But I also have a much more modern plotter/fishfinder from another manufacture. The down side to having a all-in-1 unit is when it goes out, theres no back up gps to get home on and most folks dont even know what degrees they left port on, they just follow the arrow. But they need to know the degrees to be able to read a compass backwards to get home if the GPS goes out.

Hope somehow this helps. I just know garmin makes a good product and have a great service dept.

In marchs sport fishing magazine, its their electronics issue. Might be worth looking at. http://www.sportfishingmag.com/

Good luck in what ever you choose

[willie]

also look at thegpsstore.com they have real good prices. i've been looking myself

[Gigem]

The unit will be exclusively for inshore fishing, mainly for the bays and etc. I want to get a depth finder so I can see a profile of the bottom, and I figure I might as well get a GPS/Depth combo while I'm at it.

I have a 17' mv alumacraft, so it is a smaller rig. I agree about the B/W and color, but I'm not using it to "find Fish", rather see the profile, depth, etc.

Thanks for your well written response, are you a writer?!!

[Hog]

Thanks for your well written response, are you a writer?!!

Hello Gigem,
That unit should do you great for inshore. I have a friend who predominately fishes Port Oconnor, that got the exact same unit so he could make tracks and then turn them into routes for the "before daylight or afterdark" runs.

Thanks for your response. Writer? well, it didnt start out that way. English was my absolute worst subject in school, and the only reason I took typing was so I would be in a class with all the good lookin girls in HS. :-) But now I type almost every day in my work. I cant spell worth a hoot (thank goodness for spell check) But since you asked, about 15 yrs, I started writing for 1 and ended up writing for 3 dog hunting magazines about training dogs to hunt a certain game.

There was no pay, its just a hobby when I get in the mood.

Good luck with your plotter/fishfinder. I think you'll like its simplicity compared to other brands.

[Gigem]

Let me guess: Coon hunting?

1 and ended up writing for 3 dog hunting magazines about training dogs to hunt a certain game.

[KILO]

Hogg, keep in mind I am always looking for somone to volunteer to write a nice article to be put on the front page. We are going to try and keep things fresh on that page. Let me know if you have an interest.

[Hog]

Let me guess: Coon hunting?

Coon dog hunting? ----- nope, not exciting enough for me, but I do love seeing/hearing a good coondog work. Their amazing animals :smile:

My handel gives my dog sport away, :nod:

[Hog]

Hogg, keep in mind I am always looking for somone to volunteer to write a nice article to be put on the front page. We are going to try and keep things fresh on that page. Let me know if you have an interest.

I will keep that in mind. When ever the water smooths out where my wife and I can get out and drop a line, I will see what I can come up with.

[Gigem]

Duh!! Should've guessed by the name!!

[Gigem]

Got the unit, still haven't got a chance to test it out.

[Hog]

Got the unit, still haven't got a chance to test it out.

I looked and fiddled with a 178 a week or so ago when I went over to BoatersWorld. Its got a few more bells and wistles than my old gray haired 128 that I still like.

I especially like the 178's 1000 waypoint storage compared to my 500 max and I like the driving directional choices.

I think once you get it and the tracking turned into routes features and your fishfinder adjusted and figured out, your gonna be pleased.

[Gigem]

what i really like is the tide charts displayed in a graph. You can select multiple tide stations, and once you have you can see the "graph" and where you're at as far as fast or slow tide. It's really cool. I don't know if you got a chance to check that out. Getting giddy to check it out.

[Hog]

what i really like is the tide charts displayed in a graph.

yep, kinda of a neat feature indeed