GonzoF1 wrote:
My question is: How do you even START deciding what chartplotter to buy?
We buy our all our electronics from a local marine electronics dealer in Bellingham.* Yes, you can get better prices on the internet but this dealer (and most others I expect) get very close to the internet prices.*
So when we have needed a new piece of electronics*we have gone to him for his recommendation.* He carries a variety of brands, not just Furuno and Icom, and is very familiar with most of what's on the market.** So he tells us what he thinks would meet our requirements and then we go and read descriptions, reviews, and comparisons on the internet.* So far, he's not steered us wrong.
We like supporting our local suppliers, plus you get something you don't get off the internet--- personal service when you want or need it.**To us, this is worth the little extra we pay above an internet "best price."* For exmple when we bought and installed our Furuno NavNet the owner of the electronics store came to our boat and spent well*over an hour showing me how to properly align the radar display*and so on.* He also showed me the various "hidden" key combinations that get you into various setup modes that are not included in the user operations manual.* Almost all of our electronics--- Icom radios, Furuno radar/plotter, Echotec plotter--- have these "secret" setup modes meant for the dealers and repair shops and it's very handy to have someone tell you what they are and how to use*them because they are sometimes the answer to what seem like problems that crop up.
In addition to the dealer(s) you can talk to people in your area to see what kind of plotters*they use and why they like them.
For us our search for various components has also been narrowed down by how big*or small* it has to*be to fit in the space, what we want the display to look like, and what we want to be able to do with it.* Once those things have been determined we then go to the dealer and say, these are our parameters, and he comes up with a list of recommendations.* He's a long-time boater, former commercial operator, and so has a great working understanding of the realities of running a boat.* So he has a lot of credibility in his customers' eyes.* I would probably*not feel the same about a salesman in a*West Marine store.