Garmin 3205

[jdevoid]

Garmin 3205  Anyone have any experience or opinion on this unit?  Seems as though you can get this  $1200 unit for $550 now

[RickK]

You have to have a separate depth sounder though - depending on the console you're going to put it on, that could eat up valuable real estate.

[jdevoid]

RickK,

 Although I worked in a boat yard years ago as a grunt and grew up 1 mile from the Great South Bay, my experience is limited.
I currently have a FF with a depth finder. Does that make the 3205 more attractice in regards to your point?  

One more Q- Can the higher quality depth finders measure depth when the boat is going say 20mph?

[Capt. Bob]

 Can the higher quality depth finders measure depth when the boat is going say 20mph?

Major builders of depth sounders often advertise soundings as readable to speeds of 70mph. Sounds good but for that to work, the transducer has to reside in undisturbed water. Kinda hard to do on an outboard/ stern drive external mounted transducer but I would think a thru-hull type , properly mounted would work fine.

So the answer is yes.

[RickK]

RickK,
Although I worked in a boat yard years ago as a grunt and grew up 1 mile from the Great South Bay, my experience is limited.
I currently have a FF with a depth finder. Does that make the 3205 more attractice in regards to your point?

As long as you have room for both on the console or dash, you're fine.  On my 170 my combo ff/chartplotter takes about a third of the top of my console,  It also takes about a third of the horizontal dash area in the helm of my 230 (I have a station in each boat that I plug the unit into - both have a gps antenna and the transom mount transducer)

[Double Trouble]

I have the 3206 same unit bigger screen great unit.The bigger screen on the 3206 really makes a viewing difference if you have the room look at them side by side BOE Marine has them for $ 699 I really prefer seperate units if one goes out the other still functions. As far as the FF I can read depth doing 32 knots with the thru hull ducer.Hope this helps.

[jdevoid]

Silly question.

What other accessories will I need to purchase with the 3206? I plan on using it as  gps only and maybe down the road add radar if i can find a used cheap one around?

[Double Trouble]

Everything you need is in the box except the mount for the antenna and the shrink connectors for the wires.