Hi all, I'm thinking about adding a GPS/chart plotter to my sailboat. Anyone have any recommendations? What do you think about hand-helds vs.larger fixed screen? Grommet
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Wireless instruments?
Anyone have any experience with wireless instruments? I really need to update my old tired instruments. I found a company called Tacktic? Anyone know anything about their products? Thanks! Just Blowin in the Wind
Anyone have any experience with wireless instruments? I really need to update my old tired instruments. I found a company called Tacktic? Anyone know anything about their products? Thanks! Just Blowin in the Wind
I like Garmin products...
Excellent user interface (easy!), daylight viewable color screen, and map detail with the optional Blue Chart data. I mounted my 182C at the helm, and wired it to the autopilot (Raymarine ST4000) via NMEA. This allows sending waypoint info from the GPS to the A/P for easy navigation, and the Seatalk network gets speed info from the GPS and displays SOG on the knotmeter. You can also output NMEA to a DSC VHF radio. Look around - I think they are discounting the 182C now.
Excellent user interface (easy!), daylight viewable color screen, and map detail with the optional Blue Chart data. I mounted my 182C at the helm, and wired it to the autopilot (Raymarine ST4000) via NMEA. This allows sending waypoint info from the GPS to the A/P for easy navigation, and the Seatalk network gets speed info from the GPS and displays SOG on the knotmeter. You can also output NMEA to a DSC VHF radio. Look around - I think they are discounting the 182C now.
After Just Getting Home From My Maiden Voyage
aboard our 05 Catalina 310 all I can say is don't buy Raymarine! On my last boat I had a Garmin 182C and it is a jewell of a product. Here are some reasons why I don't like my new Raymarine C-80. The menu system is not user friendly at all I like to display Voltage so I can tell what my alternator is doing - Non existant on the C-80 I sail in Maine and use tide data freequently - Non existant on the C-80 The Garmin woull leave a cookie trail - About ten steps to get the C-80 to do that I like to know what the distance from my boat to the cursor position on the chart is the Garmin automatically does this - There is easy way to do this with Raymarine I could go on and on but I feel totally ripped off paying almost tripple the cost of a comparable Garmin with 1/10 of the features. No tide data c-mon!!!!
aboard our 05 Catalina 310 all I can say is don't buy Raymarine! On my last boat I had a Garmin 182C and it is a jewell of a product. Here are some reasons why I don't like my new Raymarine C-80. The menu system is not user friendly at all I like to display Voltage so I can tell what my alternator is doing - Non existant on the C-80 I sail in Maine and use tide data freequently - Non existant on the C-80 The Garmin woull leave a cookie trail - About ten steps to get the C-80 to do that I like to know what the distance from my boat to the cursor position on the chart is the Garmin automatically does this - There is easy way to do this with Raymarine I could go on and on but I feel totally ripped off paying almost tripple the cost of a comparable Garmin with 1/10 of the features. No tide data c-mon!!!!
Raymarine / Think Twice
I have all Raymarine instruments, speed, depth, wind, autopilot and GPS/ Chart Plotter. If I was going to do it again, I'd rethink Raymarine. My chart plotter a Raymarine 425 had the internal battery go bad (a $2.00 lithium battery). Well they solder it onto the mother board using a special bracket to make it non consumer replaceable. The cost for them to fix $150.00 + shipping and handling (I only paid about $400.00 for the unit new). I inquired what the cost would be to update my Autopilot 4000+ with the latest software / firmware, their quote was $250.00. They've gone to a flat rate repair regardless of the severity of the repair. I guess that can work in your favor for large repairs, but a $2.00 battery for $150.00 and software upgrades for $250.00 seems a little extreme.
I have all Raymarine instruments, speed, depth, wind, autopilot and GPS/ Chart Plotter. If I was going to do it again, I'd rethink Raymarine. My chart plotter a Raymarine 425 had the internal battery go bad (a $2.00 lithium battery). Well they solder it onto the mother board using a special bracket to make it non consumer replaceable. The cost for them to fix $150.00 + shipping and handling (I only paid about $400.00 for the unit new). I inquired what the cost would be to update my Autopilot 4000+ with the latest software / firmware, their quote was $250.00. They've gone to a flat rate repair regardless of the severity of the repair. I guess that can work in your favor for large repairs, but a $2.00 battery for $150.00 and software upgrades for $250.00 seems a little extreme.
Garmin's Answer To Software Upgrades
F.Y.I. This is how Garmin handles software upgrades. It looks a whole lot better then Raymarine. (See Link)
F.Y.I. This is how Garmin handles software upgrades. It looks a whole lot better then Raymarine. (See Link)
Lowrance
Hello, I put a Lowrance color GPS / plotter / fishfinder on my boat this year. Compared to Garmin, Lowrance is MUCH cheaper. I have a Garmin handheld that I used last year (ETrex Legend). I like Garmin, but Lowrance works great and is much cheaper. I paid $400 for my Lowrance (M68 C SMap). It has a 3.5" high resolution color screen, detailed map data, does tides, currents, depth, etc. I love it! Barry
Hello, I put a Lowrance color GPS / plotter / fishfinder on my boat this year. Compared to Garmin, Lowrance is MUCH cheaper. I have a Garmin handheld that I used last year (ETrex Legend). I like Garmin, but Lowrance works great and is much cheaper. I paid $400 for my Lowrance (M68 C SMap). It has a 3.5" high resolution color screen, detailed map data, does tides, currents, depth, etc. I love it! Barry
It's what the boat came from the factory with
Unfortunately items that come from the factory are not swapable on a new boat. I figured the Raymarine equipment would give me at least half of the useful options I had on my Garmin equipment. I still have my 182C and it is going to get installed this week in the main salon for voltage, tide, celestial data etc. etc.. Even though the Raymarine came with the boat I still paid for it so I might as well use it...
Unfortunately items that come from the factory are not swapable on a new boat. I figured the Raymarine equipment would give me at least half of the useful options I had on my Garmin equipment. I still have my 182C and it is going to get installed this week in the main salon for voltage, tide, celestial data etc. etc.. Even though the Raymarine came with the boat I still paid for it so I might as well use it...
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