Garmin 2010C Review
A big 10″ full-featured color chartplotter that is sonar capable and has exceptional resolution.
The response time is good and has an extremely fast chart redraw rate.
It’s very easy to use and an excellent choice for above deck or nav station installation.
• Garmin 2010C Review •
Garmin 2010C – Pod
Introduced 6/2001… The GPSMAP 2010C is the first large chartplotter released by Garmin which is BlueChart™ & WAAS compatible.
Want a big 10.4′ standalone color display with 2 expandable BlueChart™/data card slots and exceptional resolution, then this is your chartplotter.

2010C | Features
2010C Screen Display – The 640 x 480 / 256 color LCD display shows bright color and detail, even in direct sunlight. It has a great picture with a wide viewable angle and the screen resolution is very sharp.
High-speed microprocessors and graphics controller make for extremely fast redraw response rates for charts.
*** The 2010C and the 2210 are the same unit, the only difference is that the 2210 has a preloaded base chart.
Usability – Garmin GPSMAP 2010C has 3 default display pages: Map, Compass & Highway. Each page can be customized with digital info to suit your own needs. Pressing the Page button moves from one main page to the next.
Each main page can be modified to include the display of other information in a split screen.

2010c | Screen Functions
Connections – The 2010C has 2 rear connections – 3 data ports allow for NMEA 0183 and a proprietary GARMIN connection

Garmin 2010c | Rear Connections
Waypoints / Routing / Tracks –
- 3000 waypoints with name, symbol and comment with support for proximity waypoints.
- 50 reversible routes with up to 50 points each, plus MOB and TracBack® modes.
- 5,000 point automatic track log, with 20 saved tracks and 1000 points per saved track.
Waypoints can be created 3 basic ways with comments and a user-defined icon.
- Using – ENTER/MARK key – Mark present position. The ENTER/MARK key also provides options that allow you to select a map position or map item from the map display.
- Graphically – Define a new waypoint position from the map display using the ARROW/KEYPAD
- Text Entry- Enter new waypoint coordinates manually, like from your chart.
Cartography – The 2010C features 2 built-in Micro card expansion slots for using Garmin’s BlueChart™ cartography. These charts provide integrated maps for a much smoother presentation.
Note: The 2010C uses BlueChart™ no base map. The 2210 uses BlueChart® g2 and comes preloaded with a basemap.
Sonar – The 2010C is Garmin Sonar compatible with a GSD 20 or GSD 21 Black box and is Dual-frequency (50/200 kHz) / Dual-beam (77/200 kHz) capable.
Garmin 2010C vs 2210 vs 3210
2010C | 2210 | 3210 |
|
---|---|---|---|
Specs |
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Physical dimensions | 13.1" x 8.8" x 3.25" | 13.1" x 8.8" x 3.0" | 13.1" x 8.8" x 3.25" |
Display type | 256-color LCD | 256-color LCD | 256-color TFT |
SiriusXM Weather & Radio compatible | No | No | Yes |
Power | 24 W max at 8 vDC | 25 W max at 10 vDC | 25 W max at 10 vDC |
Garmin Network ports | None | None | 1 |
Maps & Memory |
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Preloaded maps | None | Yes (BlueChart g2) | Yes (BlueChart g2) |
Waypoints | 3,000 | 3,000 | 4,000 |
Track log | 5,000 points | 5,000 points | 10,000 points |
Chartplotter Features |
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Garmin Radar compatible | No | No | Yes |
Garmin Sonar compatible | Yes (with GSD 20 or GSD 21) | Yes (with GSD 20, GSD 21, or GSD 22) | Yes (with GSD 20, GSD 21, or GSD 22) |
Supports AIS (tracks target ships position) | No | Yes | Yes |
Sonar Features & Specs |
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Bottom lock (shows return from the bottom up) | No | Yes | Yes |
Water temperature log and graph | No | Yes | Yes |
Connections |
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Video input ports | None | None | 2 |
Video output ports | None | None | 1 |
» TIP LINK #1: Garmin Support Forum – Search FAQs – 2010C.
Garmin 2010C / Compatible Modules
Depth Sounder Modules ›
- GSD 20 – 500 watts at 50/200kHz
- GSD 21 – can connect to dual-frequency transducer (50/200 kHz) for deep-water performance with 500 watts of transmit power, or a dual-beamwidth transducer (narrow/wide) for operation in shallow freshwater as well as deep water and a transmit power of 400 watts.
GPS Antennas ›
- GPS 17 N / GPS 17 HVS / GPS 17x HVS – External receiver antenna.
- GPS 19x HVS – Newer alternative to the GPS 17 but requires some additional wiring.
Garmin 2010C Wrap Up…
The Garmin 2010C is a nice BIG standalone chartplotter. It has a sharp screen, a fast redraw rate and excellent visibility is direct sunlight.
If networking is not necessary but a BIG solid sonar capable color screen chartplotter is, then the 2010C is an excellent choice.
Quick Facts » Garmin 2010C
- Screen Size – 10.4″
- Networkability – No
- Ease Of Use
- Base Chart – Yes
- Plug-and-play installation
- Power Use – 24 watts