Handheld GPS Suggestions for Ice?

[aaron otto]

Looking for suggestions on a GPS unit to run with this winter. Specifically to be used for marking spots on the ice. Anyone have any thoughts on this/suggestions?

[Jim Hudson]

Aaron,

Am sure you will get some good info on handheld units from others here. For me personally, I have gone away from the handheld to the 5 or 7 inch Lowrance HDS screens. Allowing them to be moved from a Genz Box (to carry around as a handheld), to my wheeler or snowmobiles and into my truck. Larger screens are a must for driving in the truck or on the machines, and with great internal GPS, they work excellent for a handheld as well.

Plus, then you can move it back to your boat in the soft water.

[vman11]

I have gone away from the handheld to the 5 or 7 inch Lowrance HDS screens. Allowing them to be moved from a Genz Box (to carry around as a handheld), to my wheeler or snowmobiles and into my truck. Larger screens are a must for driving in the truck or on the machines, and with great internal GPS, they work excellent for a handheld as well.

Plus, then you can move it back to your boat in the soft water.

I'm with Jim - I've recently rigged my SxS and sled with Ram mounts for my HDS5. Used it on the ice this weekend and it was slick.

I've always been a Lowrance guy and really liked my older H20 handheld but when I went to the Endura and was pretty disappointed. If I ever bought another handheld I think I'd look hard at Garmin, but for fishing I think my handheld days are over.

[Matt Breuer]

Same here... finally made the move and rigged everything with mounts and power for my HDS-5.

If you are dead-set on a handheld, I'm still a BIG fan of the H2o's.

[aaron otto]

Thanks Guys. Guessing your using the Chart plotting versions of the 5 and not the sonar when on hard water. Is that an accurate assumption?

Appreciate the input.

ao

[Bernie Keefe]

I am a big fan of the H2O's also. Having never used anything else, these have been awesome for me.

[leech~~]

Their all old but I have a H20 and a few XOG cross overs I like to use since they still use the Lakemaster chips. The battery life on the XOG's is not the greatest but I hook it up to another battery and have it mounted on the dash of my sled. They seem to work very well in cold weather and it's nice to see it right as you drive along to your spot without having to stop and pull it out all the time!

[MN Mike]

If you're looking for Handhelds, Garmins are tough to beat, look at the GPSMap62 series, Oregon series or the revamped Etrex series. If you want to get the best one, then the Montana is the one to look at.

You're looking at anywhere from $150 - $600 on those handhelds depending on screen size and options.

Team one of them up with the Upper Midwest Fishing Guide lake mapping card from Garmin and you have a powerful combo.

Very basic models can go for under $100 new but they won't give you any mapping capabilities.

If you are a hunter, there are lots of free topo maps available and you can download satellite imagery into these Garmins.

MNTrax is a handy card also.

Mike

[Crappyfisherman]

I loved my XOG. It stopped working last year.

[leech~~]

I loved my XOG. It stopped working last year.

Does it work when you plug it into the car 12V? The other thing you can try on these. Get a very small philips screw driver and unscrew the 4 very little screws on the back which are hiding under the 4 little black dots on each end. Slowly pry it open going around the edges a little at a time until it opens. When you get it open you will see a little battery on one side of it. Unplug the wire connector and plug it back in, and then try hooking it back up to your car 12V plug. I have a few XOG's and all of them at one time had an issue and the only way to fix it was to unplug the battery which kind of reboots it. Let me know if this works?

[Crappyfisherman]

Thanks Leech, It worked.I already had it apart. Maybe its the battery. It sat for about 6 months and I didn't think to charge it.Might go to Batteries Plus and see if they have a battery for it.Did the reset a couple of times but never disconnected the battery. Must be the battery.I plugged it back in and it shut down.As soon as I unplugged it it came back on.

Thanks again Dan

[Scott M]

Good tip on that XOG. Mine only works on AC now. I will be going to boat mount unit next year when I upgrade the boat. Baby steps.

[leech~~]

Thanks Leech, It worked.I already had it apart. Maybe its the battery. It sat for about 6 months and I didn't think to charge it.Might go to Batteries Plus and see if they have a battery for it.Did the reset a couple of times but never disconnected the battery. Must be the battery.I plugged it back in and it shut down.As soon as I unplugged it it came back on.

Thanks again Dan

Good to hear. Last summer I was riding my Dual Sport up the North shore for a ride. I filled up with gas in Two Harbors and when I went to turn on the XOG it would not come back up. I had no small little screw drivers so I pulled into a little repair shop right on the north end of town and got one from them to use. I pulled the back off, unplugged the battery, plugged it back in and away I went. One thing to look for when this happens. If you look at your screen real close in a dark area, you will see the screen lightly glowing blue and it will not turn on. Thats when you have to take the back off, unplug the battery and reboot it! This has happend to all 3 XOG's I have had so I bet there are 100's of them out there that just needs this done to get them working again.

[Crappyfisherman]

Thanks again Leech.I think its the battery.Tried plugging it in several

times and it shuts down right away.It works with the battery pack or cig. plug.Wish Lowrance had kept making them,they are nice little units for ice fishing. Bet a guy could pick up a few for next to nothing.

[Matt Breuer]

I LOVE my XOG in the truck. I don't take it out though...

Yes, I use the plotting version of the HDS. I actually don't even have a 'ducer... I use my Vexilar Edge for open water sonar...

[bobbymalone]

XOGs and H2Os... Yeah, they haven't made either of those for years. And they are fine instruments, right up until they just stop working one day and Lowrance basically says tough carp.

I'll second MN Mike up there. Get a Garmin 62 and an UMFG chip.

[leech~~]

Thanks again Leech.I think its the battery.Tried plugging it in several

times and it shuts down right away.It works with the battery pack or cig. plug.Wish Lowrance had kept making them,they are nice little units for ice fishing. Bet a guy could pick up a few for next to nothing.

Crappy, don't count out the battery yet. Plug it in to the car on the way back and forth to work for a few days and see if it comes back. One thing I did was go get a cheap usb wall plug in to charge it up at home the night before I go up fishing. If its not been used for 6 months it may take a good long charge to come back. Good luck.

[Crappyfisherman]

Still not working right. Charged it for 8 hours and it shut down by its self and can't get it to reboot.DED dead.Thanks for the help Leech but I think its a gonner.

[leech~~]

But it will work when plugged into the 12V cig plug in your car? If so let me know maybe I take it off your hands and play with it if your just going to Si%$ can it? Where do you live abouts? PM me if you don't want to say.

[Crappyfisherman]

It will only stay on for a few minutes.Then it shuts down and nothing. Must be in the power button or who knows what.Now it won't even come on with the 12 volt cig. plug.

[leech~~]

I'll give you $10 bucks for it! Where are you at?

[aaron otto]

Really great info here. Thanks for all the responses. During Soft water I fish out of a drift boat so I don't have the eye-boat or the cool tech-toys that go with it. I'm leaning on the Garmin MT right now based upon portability, it is the same brand as my car's dash so I can interchange the chips, and waypoints, as well as after measuring the MT it fits right in the Vexilar's slot for the lure box in. thinking a strip of Velcro on the back and one on the vex and I should be set. Downsides so far - takes batteries not plug in. Also, it's not nearly as feature rich as the Humingbird and you don't have the ducer-option.

Thanks again for all the advice. Really glad I found this place.

[Crappyfisherman]

St.Paul

[leech~~]

Pm me. maybe I can play with it?

[MN Mike]

Downsides so far - takes batteries not plug in. Also, it's not nearly as feature rich as the Humingbird and you don't have the ducer-option.

Thanks again for all the advice. Really glad I found this place.

You should be able to power that Garmin Montana 2 different ways via an external power source. I know they make a proprietary cradle that supply's power to it AND there should be a Mini USB port on the Montana, that can power it via a cig adapter cord.

Montana's look like a GREAT GPS, wish I had one, when it comes down to it, you'll have MANY more features on this GPS than what you will find on one dedicated to a open water depth finder.

Mike