Radar and GPS Upgrade Advice Needed

[rsn48]

If you watched the above video I linked then you learned that Garmin is considered one of the easier systems to use.

I will now link you to a Garmin presentation Jeff did not too long ago. There are three companies with radar target acquisition and prediction, setting the target in a red colour if there is a possible collision course. Garmin is one of those companies, Furuno is another and don't hold me to this, but I think Raymarine is the other.

I wanted a radar that was easy to understand for a boat virgin. So with my Garmin I can sit a newbie down and tell them to look ahead for boats and things floating in the water while on AP and with the radar tracking targets, tell them to let me know when they see a red target. I use this radar more to let me know what is behind me rather than what is in front of me.

 

[rgano]

You just can't go wrong with a Coastal Explorer installation to complement whatever you get. Just make sure that whatever you get has the capability to upload routes from CE. Right now I am planning a 1500-mile delivery using my CE laptop here at home inputting a lot of extra nav data from other sources into my CE route file from other sources. When I get to the vessel in a week, I will upload the CE routes I have generated into the plotter on board. I am also playing around with the new beta CE app on an iPad just to see how that goes. I am NOT a fan of touch screen aboard and especially something as iffy as this iPad, but I am gonna do it for the sake of finding out if there is any value added to my operation. The iPad and laptop and its GPS puck will sit next to the installed plotter during the run allowing me to have a double check or to just display different info on them.

 

[BrianSmith]

Lots of great info in the posts above, so I'll add only this: don't worry about getting a really big MFD. We have two 7" MFD's on our flybridge, and between them and a 10" ipad running Navionics, we really don't need anything more. And we've been from Florida to Grenada and are now back in the Virgins, over the last two years, with that setup. We can see the chart, radar, the FLIR, and a "data" page (about the route we're following) all at once, and have never needed any more than that.

www.thegpsstore.com is a good place to compare prices.

 

[pkirkll]

We may consider the low orbit satellite system going up... im not sure how they will be applicable, but i can foresee the future would be bright with global broadband from Alaska to the deserts of west Australia. I can see clear help for SAR personnel and victims..
may be able to do it all on at couple of tablets

 

[IntoTheBlue]

Upgraded Electronics - Easy to Install

I just went through upgrading my electronics and found the installation easier than years ago. Especially when networking the system. Whether you go with Garmin or Raymarine, setting up a MSD with a radar is really simple. The new MSD's all have built-in GPS, so there is no need for an external antenna. Options for radar include wireless installation utilizing the MSD's wifi (no need to create one). All plug and play, and in most cases no calibration is required.

Another great update with today's electronic's is the price. My original package (dual MSD, auto pilot, radar, transducer, network) cost over $14,000 in 2007. My replacement of all units with updated units and additional displays, cost just over $5,000. All self installed.

You'll probably hear plenty about brands on this thread. I have Raymarine, but really like Garmin or Furuno as well.

 

[Jmreim]

just put Raymarine Axiom MFDs, Quantum Radar and a Raymarine backup camera on our boat - so far, it seems wonderful but I guess I won't know for sure until we're out cruising.

 

[Nopistn]

Just my opinion here... the most accurate navigation equipment I've used if navionics on a phone/tablet. The device must have GPS or you need an external gps such as the bad elf.
You can also get a wifi depth sounder that works flawlessly with it.
The only complaint I have about that setup is my largo Samsung tablet does not have good viewing in direct sunlight, it's better to keep it in the shade, on the flip side it's an old tablet, a newer Ipad/Samsung tablet is brighter. My note10 phone is as bright as a garmin in the sunlight for instance.
My best advice is to stick with EITHER android OR apple, you can use the same navionics subscription on various devices of the same OS, but you'll have to pay again if you want to use it on both.
And obviously the positive here is the price. You probably already have a tablet that will work, and the subscription is like $35/year and updates continuously!

 

[Beaverlake]

“ You can also get a wifi depth sounder that works flawlessly with it. “ Nopistn

Nopistn - can you provide the brand(s) and model(s) of the WiFi depth sounders? Any other info?

 

[Nopistn]

“ You can also get a wifi depth sounder that works flawlessly with it. “ Nopistn

Nopistn - can you provide the brand(s) and model(s) of the WiFi depth sounders? Any other info?

https://www.vexilar.com/pages/navionics
I have the SP 200 T-box installed on the inside of the hull, as long as you don't have a cored hull this will work... or if you have outboards you can transom mount it.
I wanted mine to be near the front of the boat either way.

 

[Olebird]

Jim, Another vote for Garmin.
I'm in the process of upgrading Starlite's nav/com systems. I have flown and cruised behind Garmin hardware for more than 40 years and never had a problem. I purchased the boat with almost no electronics installed and wanted to bring her up to snuff for cruising the TTWW, Inland rivers, and the Gulf ICW.

Hub of Starlite's new system is a 942xs Mfd. GMR HD 18+, GT23M transducer, SteadyCast Heading sensor, a Standard Horizon Gx2200 VHF/AIS/DSC/GPS com radio.

Also installed a NMEA 2k bus to make it easy to install and add on as future requirements may demand. I want to add some engine and genset monitoring down the road.

I have had the radio and GPSmap working now for a couple of weeks. Radar is next and will post a review when I complete the install and get a few hours of operating time on her.

Good luck with your project.

Larry

 

[Jon H]

I have the Garmin 1222 xsv plotter, 24xHD radar, AIS B (receive & send)
and GT 51m transducer on my 28' Crozier which was built in 2018.

Overall I'm very happy with the system.

One thing that I would do differently now that I've used the system -

The AIS has it's own GPS (heading) antenna which works well,
however it won't input the heading into the plotter since it's
dedicated to the AIS only - I wrongly assumed that it would
input to the plotter also.

Once underway the plotter generates course and speed but to
get independent heading input the plotter needs its own GPS
(or other source) for heading that's not derived from vessel
movement.

 

[Olebird]

Jon, I included a Garmin Steady Cast heading sensor ($120 compass) as part of my N2K network to provide the system with a stand alone heading (not derived from GPS motion). Primary use is to sync the radar display (boats heading) with GPSmap heading when not underway. Radar is hard enough to interpret without trying to figure out which way is up.