Electronics Upgrades - Questions?

Tom Spohn · Dec 28, 2009

I'm not a fan of Raymarine but can't comment on your autohelm or chartplotter. The AIS is very useful, but you don't neet to spend so much. Many members of our yacht club have installed the Comar units and they are working fine. Weather depends on where you are sailing.
http://www.milltechmarine.com/

Witzend · Dec 28, 2009

Try Anchor Express for better prices.
http://www.anchorexpress.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=C90W

Stu Jackson · Dec 29, 2009

Ducati,

I just did a search on the word AIS on this forum's search engine (for use on another message board). There are something like 294 topics for this useful nav aid. I posted three of them on our C34 message board from that search: http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5345.msg33307.html#msg33307

So much has to do with what you like and/or need at your helm. That link raises lots of different points of view. Here's another one, which I've quoted a number of times (http://c34.org/bbs/index.php/topic,5270.0.html):

- new chartplotter with radar and AIS - large 8 inch screen on a bracket at the companionway. This is the perfect position for the instrument. Weekend sailing, you stand behind the wheel. Doing serious miles, you relax more comfortably in the cockpit and you can't see instruments behind the wheel. AIS is amazing. I thought it was poor mans radar, but it is much better than radar if you are trying to figure out what a vessel is up to (speed, direction, position, closest approach, vessel name and MMSI number right there for you). And best of all, the whole thing folds into the companionway so we don't worry about expensive electronics being left outside.

Prime Time · Dec 30, 2009

Weather info and AIS

I really like to have as much weather data as possible. During our typical coastal cruising in New England and the Long Island Sound, the only thing I really worry about is thunderstorms. A weather capable plotter with the appropriate service will let you see the NEXRAD radar and figure out if you are going to be in soup. That said, I don't have that added feature, but use my Blackberry instead. It works and is a lot cheaper.

If you are going to do serious distance racing offshore, weather gribs can be downloaded into a laptop and used to plot where you should be heading if you have you boats polars inputted as well.

In my area, I am not too interested in AIS. I have radar and the unit (Marpa) has the abilty to track targets and give me the closest point of approach, course and speed of the target.

Tim R. · Dec 30, 2009

AIS only tells you about the boats that have it installed. You still need radar to see everyone else.

ScottyIrwin · Jan 4, 2010

If your considering RayMarine be ware that the company is in serious trouble financially. I just put an E80 on my Irwin "Free Wind" and to be honest if i had it to do over again I would have went Garmin.

Moody Buccaneer · Jan 4, 2010

Ducati said:
Good day all.

Our 36.7 which we cruise both day and night + long distance races
will be getting some electronic upgrades. This stuff is pricey.

We will install-
Raymarine Autohelm 6002 - $6800
Raymarine C90 Chartplotter - $3200

We may install-(Optional)
AIS 500 Class B - $2000
Raymarine SR 100 Weather - $1475.00

Autohelm 6002 and C90 Chartplotter are going to be installed however I would like an explanation about the features and usefulness of AIS and Weather.

Those two options seem like alot of money and we would like to hear from others who also have them on their vessels.

Thanks

No need for AIS transmit, just receive.

You will find that knowing where the 300T + guys are is a comfort. As more recreational boats install AIS transmitters the AIS screens will get damn cluttered. Many required AIS transmitters are not properly configured and one has to assume they were professionally installed. There is a 240 foot MY in the marina that shows it's heading 180 degrees out. Just imagine how much you can rely on average owner installs.

Do you have radar? It seems to me you can add a new digital radar and an AIS receiver for about the same money as the Class B AIS unit.

For racing offshore the weather unit has limited value IMO. It does what it does pretty well, but there are other options for $1500 that suit that purpose (racing) better. If you have your own radar, you can see local squalls in real time, the weather unit has a time lag depending on what information you are looking at.