Electronics Recommendations

I have $4-5K to spend on a new radar, chart plotter(s), and AIS. Looking for recommendations on how to spend it. Thanks!


Mike Metts
KK 42-165
Virginia Beach, VA

Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

I've been pleased with my Furuno radar and plotter also just got a sounder. It's pretty good so far too.

MikeM said:

I have $4-5K to spend on a new radar, chart plotter(s), and AIS. Looking for recommendations on how to spend it. Thanks!

Click to expand...

$4-5K might be a little light but you could probably get a Garmin package consisting of a GPSMap 7608, GPS 19x antenna, GMR 18 xHD radome, and the VHF 300 AIS. This is more or less what we have been looking at.

My Shopping Cart


Item SKUPriceQuantityTotal Raymarine a125 GPS with WiFi and US Coastal Charts
Item Added on 6/10/2015
Move to wishlist Delete
RAE70235LNC $2,369.00 $2,369.00 Raymarine RD418D 4KW Digital Radar
Item Added on 6/10/2015
Move to wishlist Delete
RAT70166 $1,029.00 $1,029.00 Raymarine AIS650 Class B AIS Transceiver
Item Added on 6/10/2015
Move to wishlist Delete
RA32158 $799.95 $799.95 Raymarine B744V Bronze Thru-Hull Transducer with Fairing Block for DSM Series
Item Added on 6/10/2015
Move to wishlist Delete
RAX66091 $379.95 $379.95 Shakespeare 5396 AIS 4' Galaxy AIS Antenna
Item Added on 6/10/2015
Move to wishlist Delete
SS5396AIS $119.95 $119.95 Raymarine Raystar 130 GPS Sensor
Item Added on 6/10/2015
Move to wishlist Delete
RA32153 $249.95 $249.95 Subtotal: $4,947.80

Cables not included.

The anti- Raymarine probably will disagree

I would be remiss in my civic duties if I didn't warn you away from Simrad/Navico. Train wreck comes to mind.

MikeM said:

I have $4-5K to spend on a new radar, chart plotter(s), and AIS. Looking for recommendations on how to spend it. Thanks!


Mike Metts
KK 42-165
Virginia Beach, VA

Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

Click to expand...

Look at the Standard Horizon stuff. A lot of bang for your bucks.

http://www.defender.com/product.jsp?path=-1|344|2028688|2028738&id=1604528

Otherwise, Ive have good luck with all the major brands. But lean towards Furuno.

Have had great luck with my Furuno Navnet systems on my charter boat, 12+ years old. Have been very happy so far with my Garmin systems on the trawler. Would suggest going to a boat show and playing before making decisions. Each excels at certain parts and maybe not so much at others. Nothing like hands on experience with controls and menu surfing to decide how user friendly a system is.

Ted

I've had a full complement of Raymarine gear since new from 2007. Except for the radar which went TU and was replaced last year, everything else has worked well. - SteveH

Donsan said:

$4-5K might be a little light but you could probably get a Garmin package consisting of a GPSMap 7608, GPS 19x antenna, GMR 18 xHD radome, and the VHF 300 AIS. This is more or less what we have been looking at.

Click to expand...

I spent some time with a Gramin rep at WM the other day. He suggested something like this (of course) and said I could use their chart plotter on the flybridge and a tablet running the Garmin app in the pilothouse. That sounded good to me...more bang for the buck. But I want to see if any other brands have a similar set-up.

Thanks for the input.


Mike Metts
KK 42-165
Virginia Beach, VA

Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

MikeM said:

I spent some time with a Gramin rep at WM the other day. He suggested something like this (of course) and said I could use their chart plotter on the flybridge and a tablet running the Garmin app in the pilothouse. That sounded good to me...more bang for the buck. But I want to see if any other brands have a similar set-up.

Thanks for the input.


Mike Metts
KK 42-165
Virginia Beach, VA

Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

Click to expand...

The Furuno TZ-Touch units can also do that. Connect to them over wifi then use they're app to repeat the display.

MikeM said:

I spent some time with a Gramin rep at WM the other day. He suggested something like this (of course) and said I could use their chart plotter on the flybridge and a tablet running the Garmin app in the pilothouse.

Click to expand...

We have a Garmin system with the iPad app as backup. It's a very good app.

Just goes to so you how they are all vying for interconnectability....


You can buy the smallest screen MFD and connect to a boat full of large screen displays, tablets, laptops...etc..etc...


For a fraction of the price...


Not the best system necessarily for oceangoing or high motion vessels....but for slow moving, coastal cruisers....lotsa options for cheap now a days....

I have a Garmin 740 plotter and Ray E90W plotter and Ray 18" closed array HD radar. I like the Garmin plotter better because the software is more intuitive and the course line is much easier to see. I can't compare the radar but am happy with the Ray unit.

The Garmin PC software "homeport", that interfaces with the plotter is far superior to the Ray product.

I am a big fan of Garmin for everything, I do think Furuno high-end radars are better but the ones I have in mind will eat up your whole budget. I like Icom radios as well.

Garmin will get you there with a Icom radio.

is Garmin cartography still proprietary?


I enjoyed loading up the charts for the whole Eastern half of the US plus the Bahamas for free with my inexpensive but great chartplotter, fishfinder and radar for cheaper than any other system.


True Garmin has great menus and intuitive use...but the new hybrid system from Raymarine is pretty slick too.

psneeld said:

is Garmin cartography still proprietary?


I enjoyed loading up the charts for the whole Eastern half of the US plus the Bahamas for free with my inexpensive but great chartplotter, fishfinder and radar for cheaper than any other system.


True Garmin has great menus and intuitive use...but the new hybrid system from Raymarine is pretty slick too.

Click to expand...

Yes. But every Garmin plotter I've bought has came with free charts, even for the Bahamas.

N4712 said:

Yes. But every Garmin plotter I've bought has came with free charts, even for the Bahamas.

Click to expand...

updates free?


Don't get me wrong...I don't love or hate any of them...every company has had some real dogs and some real winners through the years...


Just pray you don't wind up with one of the dogs through the years....


Not too many any more...but there have been a few.

psneeld said:

updates free?


Don't get me wrong...I don't love or hate any of them...every company has had some real dogs and some real winners through the years...


Just pray you don't wind up with one of the dogs through the years....


Not too many any more...but there have been a few.

Click to expand...

Not really sure. Yeah, I try my best keep the dogs at bay.

fryedaze said:

My Shopping Cart


Item SKUPriceQuantityTotal Raymarine a125 GPS with WiFi and US Coastal Charts
Item Added on 6/10/2015
Move to wishlist Delete
RAE70235LNC $2,369.00 $2,369.00 Raymarine RD418D 4KW Digital Radar
Item Added on 6/10/2015
Move to wishlist Delete
RAT70166 $1,029.00 $1,029.00 Raymarine AIS650 Class B AIS Transceiver
Item Added on 6/10/2015
Move to wishlist Delete
RA32158 $799.95 $799.95 Raymarine B744V Bronze Thru-Hull Transducer with Fairing Block for DSM Series
Item Added on 6/10/2015
Move to wishlist Delete
RAX66091 $379.95 $379.95 Shakespeare 5396 AIS 4' Galaxy AIS Antenna
Item Added on 6/10/2015
Move to wishlist Delete
SS5396AIS $119.95 $119.95 Raymarine Raystar 130 GPS Sensor
Item Added on 6/10/2015
Move to wishlist Delete
RA32153 $249.95 $249.95 Subtotal: $4,947.80

Cables not included.

The anti- Raymarine probably will disagree

Click to expand...

Thanks for the input. From the description, it sounds like Raymarine has an app like Garmin's that allows you to view the chart plotter remotely. Does anyone have experience with it? How does it compare to the Garmin app?


Mike Metts
KK 42-165
Virginia Beach, VA

Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

psneeld said:

Just goes to so you how they are all vying for interconnectability....


You can buy the smallest screen MFD and connect to a boat full of large screen displays, tablets, laptops...etc..etc...


For a fraction of the price...


Not the best system necessarily for oceangoing or high motion vessels....but for slow moving, coastal cruisers....lotsa options for cheap now a days....

Click to expand...

That is the idea I have. Put a small wifi chart plotter on the flybridge and buy the largest tablet I can find with decent resolution and make it a dedicated chart plotter in the pilothouse. So far, it sounds like Garmin may be the best for that sort of set up, although I'm still open to other ideas. I'm not in a rush to do this.


Mike Metts
KK 42-165
Virginia Beach, VA

Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

My Raymaine e7D with Radaome on sale was the cheapest, best solution I could find at the time.


Snap to install and setup.


Wifi to my Samsung 10 inch pad was easy and has pretty much complete control of the MFD from anywhere on the boat. The MFD is at the lower control station (where I drive from most of the time).


Not sure what Garmin will or wont do over Raymarine, just saying what I did...and in my experience, I am partial to Raymarine RADAR.

N4712 said:

Yes. But every Garmin plotter I've bought has came with free charts, even for the Bahamas.

Click to expand...

They come loaded with free charts. But for the most detailed view you need to buy the chips.

I am leaning towards the Raymarine a98 right now. For just under $1300 with C-map charts, it seems like the better value. I'll put it on the flybridge and use an iPad with the helm app in the pilothouse.

I'm going to pass on the radar for now since my old Raytheon is working just fine. But I want to add an AIS transceiver. Should I stick with the Raytheon class B transceiver or does someone have an idea for a cheaper/comparable alternative?

Thanks!


Mike Metts
KK 42-165
Virginia Beach, VA

Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

As mentioned earlier I have a Garmin and Ray plotter, both are 1 gen old. In my experience both are good reliable units but the Garmin unit in my opinion is slightly more user friendly and Garmin PC interface is far more user friendly. The course line or route line is much easier to see on my Garmin unit. I've widen the course line on my Ray unit to the widest setting and imho it's still hard to see.

Since I do all my plotting on a PC the Garmin unit has become my primary nav device but it is possible to convert the routes to the Ray file protocol, so Ray can read them. The Ray software does do this but there is a bit of a learning curve. Also you will pay for the Ray software, Garmin's PC interface, Homeport is now free.

I got a good deal on the Ray unit because they were discontinuing the E90W series which doesn't have the lighthouse capability. I'm not unsatisfied with the Ray unit but everything being equal I would probably opt for the Garmin unit.

If radar is in your future, I have the Ray 18" closed array and am happy with it.