Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)We installed this unit on our boat and got it working immediately, no problems whatsoever. We bought it for all the inland lakes in Michigan and it has details on all the ones that we boat on. However, we are going to have to pay an additional $130 for Lake St. Clair! Granted it is not an inland lake.
The included lake maps do provide useful outlines of the lakes.
The depth sonar and gps both work well on the lakes and we have had no problems.
However and but... Here are the reasons why I only rated it 3 stars and not higher.
1) Garmin customer support is seriously lacking. It is way too difficult to get a straight answer out of Garmin if you can even get an answer!
2) Garmin's advertising is misleading. We have found this to be true on every Garmin unit we have bought (and returned some for that reason). If you buy a Garmin unit, be absolutely certain what the Return Policy is from where you bought it. One place wanted a 15% restocking fee (which was NOT clearly displayed) but I discussed this with the manager, stating the the salesclerk said it was returnable and did not state that there was a restocking fee and the unit itself did not perform as advertised. In that case the manager acquiesced.
3) The biggest problem with this particular unit is that the detail displayed for the inland lakes is insufficient for navigation! Many of our lakes have very shallow areas (less than 5 feet) and you do not want to be at speed when traversing those areas. This unit will NOT show the lake depths, on the Navigation display screen, to any degree of usefullness even if you zoom in/out! I carry both printed maps and satellite views of any of the lakes we go out on. But with Garmin's statements, descriptions and pictures, I was led to believe that I would not have to refer back to paper maps!
If you want some good printable lake maps, go to Sportsman's Connection https://www.sportsmansconnection.com and they have some very good topo lake maps at a reasonable cost.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Garmin GPSMAP 430S 4-Inch Waterproof Marine GPS and Chartplotter
The Garmin GPSMAP 430s Chartplotter with Dual Beam Transducer provides big capability in a small, sleek package. With plenty of built-in functionality and compatibility for upgrades or expansions, the 430s is the perfect companion for any boater looking to get out on the water and start exploring, or to simply plot a safe course from point A to point B.
The Garmin 430s chartplotter uses a crisp, ultra-bright, full-color 4-inch QVGA display with 320 x 240 pixels of resolution and over 800 nits of brightness that lets you easily distinguish bottom detail and fish from background structure. The 430s lets you view your position with pinpoint accuracy to within less than three meters via its powerful, WAAS-enabled GPS antenna, and comes with a built-in, satellite-enhanced worldwide basemap, as well as detailed maps of inland U.S. lakes. What's more, compatibility with the optional BlueChart g2 Vision card allows you to further enhance this unit's mapping capabilities with features such as high-resolution aerial reference photos for help navigating tricky harbors and channels, or locating spots like area marinas or fuel stops. The g2 Vision card also lets the 430s provide graphical depictions in a true 3D mariner's-eye topside view, or fish-eye underwater perspective.
The Garmin 430s features intuitive navigation with fewer buttons to push and operational steps to traverse, and a simplified menu format that makes it easier for you to see and select the data you want to access on-screen, as well as a tilt and swivel mount bracket that lets you set it for optimum positioning. The 430s also features a backlit keypad for easier operation at night, and a new night mode function that provides optimum readability in low-light conditions. The 430s can also provide auto guidance via the optional g2 Vision card, which searches all your chart features in order to suggest the best known charted route for navigation, so you always have a knowledgeable guide to local hazards and waterways on deck with you.
The 430s is designed to be easily adaptable to various conditions with a choice of dual-beam or dual-frequency sonar to clearly portray depth contours, fish targets, structure and more. This unit comes with dual-beam, transom-mount transducer with a wider coverage especially suited to spotting more fish underneath your boat in fresh water. Made to be upgradeable and expandable, the Garmin 430s includes built-in CANet connectivity that enables its sonar data to be shared with other chartplotter displays on your boat. This unit weighs 1.5 pounds, and measures just 5.7 x 5 x 2.7 inches (W x H x D) allowing it to be placed virtually anywhere.
What's in the Box Garmin 430s chartplotter, dual-beam transducer, tilt/swivel mount bracket, power and data cables, protective cover and owner's manual.
