Would be interesting if you were in USA on a sailing voyage, bought a GPS and begun your journey home to Aussie land and the GPS wouldn't work as you got out of the USA.

Interesting thought but this is what the retailers of Australia are telling peolple that are considering buying off the Global sites.

I personally have bought from over there, reason, half price.

If you are still worried, email them and ask.

Hey mate, don't know a out gps but I just recently bought a furuno 620 with transducer from the states for $980 to my door step and it works great. From what I've seen, you can't even get one of these for under $1000 without the transducer here.

Have heard the new lawrance gps units dont run if you exceed the latitude/longitude boundaries of the us. All gps units will tell you the latitude / longitude, even without a chart. All the chart does is tell you where the contours of the land are in relation to where you are.

Yer I guess all I am trying to find out is if I buy a combo unit from the US, then buy a mapping card from here, will the mapping card work in a US unit showing all the card features  ( contour lines, depths etc )

Yes providing its not locked. You will hafta ask the supplier. Pretty much the lawrances wont work.

Many electronics companies have to built to a CE standard for Aus. Most units sold in the USA aren't to a CE standard and i have heard of a lady in the East who was bringing them in and selling and she was charged and the locally sold units were repossessed. That was a extreme case though.

Yes the unit should work with the Aussie card. Better still buy the card overseas as well  

The units do however have no warranty and won't even be repaired in Aus..

Hi Roganjosh

Be very wary about Lowrance from O/seas - particularly US of A. They have developed a technology called "Geo Fencing" that stops the gps unit from being able to read a map and overlay your position on it - pretty much rendering the unit useless - this was in response to dealers in various countries complaining about not being able to trade against to import prices people could bring them in at. Be very aware if you go Lowrance that you know what your getting yourself in for! To my knowledge Furuno do not use this tech yet. A guy exports from the US to Oz under the trading name Bonzer Imports

Heres the link

http://www.bonzerimports.com/general/fish_finders.html

Check it out - he's def reputable. I purchased a Furuno GP1650D Colour unit off a trader on ebay - shop demo - paid $820 delivered to my door worth a couple of grand over here - got a chart card and its been plain sailing ever since - not always the case though so do your homework not only on the product you want but also who you gonna get it from.

Cheers

Pez

bonzer he is good just look at prices sometimes not much cheaper but some times really good i bought my volvo ql trim tabbs off him great service covers all duties in his web price

I have three imported raymarine e seires units in my game boat and two lowrance HDS units in a centre console, all imported from the US with no problems. Simply install local chart card and don't purchase units with "US insight map" spec's, just a waste of money. Also purchase from mainstream retailers, Myself and all my mates buy through Jim at, http://www.boemarine.com/. His prices are the best in the USA and he also has Australian charts available. Just a pointer if you are going to purchase a new combo unit be aware that Garmin and Simrad have released thier new "CHIRP" technology sounder interface units with raymarine and furuno soon to follow. If you are going to buy a new unit ensure you purchase one that is compatible. You will be blown away by the quantum leap CHIRP is making to sounders!

I beleive canada isnt affected by geo fencing and are just as cheap as the US of A

Do you think that this CHIRP technology will just be getting wheeled out in the very high end sounders?

I was looking at buying a Furuno 620 in the next month or so but now im not sure whether to hold out