Need help on electronics selection

[Grampa Lew]

Hi - new Grady owner (1998 Seafarer 228G). This is a great site and previous owner was on here.

Boat has no electronics except for VHF. Looking for electronics advice. I'm a novice but have started researching. Saw some earlier postings on this subject but they are a few years old and I think technology/opinions may have changed? One thing I read loud and clear is bigger is better when it comes to screen size. I guess I was contemplating an 8" or 10". Budget is ~$2,500 - $3k for GPS and sounder. Was looking at Raymarine E80 and Garmin 4210c and similar. Want something I can add radar to later. Also boat does not have a hardtop so I think it ideally needs to fit into the dash electronics box.

Not a big fisher (yet) so GPS is probably more important than FF but I really don't want to compromise on either. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[jehines3]

If you don't have a hard top, don't concern too much with a unit that offers radar integration. The cost is generally not worth it for a feature you will have to spend thousands on boat mods to even make a possibility. I'd go for a minimum 7" screen for GPS only. 8" screen if you plan to split screen duty with a FF. The FF is a must on a Grady for bottom contouring and for resale. Most people are buying these rigs to fish and since you fish it is even an asset to you.

I like Garmin products their software has always been intuitive to me. I saw the new Lowrance LCX-28HD and it is really nice and the screen seems large enough. Boatersworld does have the C80 on sale for around $1400 and there is a $200 mail in rebate bringing it close to the Lowrance and it does offer the radar possibility in the future. Don't forget to consider the cost of charts if they are not included in the base unit when comparing. It is a tough call since so many electronics are so good now.

 

[capt chris]

Grampa Lew,
I have always had good experiences w/ Lowrance. Their combo GPS/FF units have bigger screens that Garmin and I find them easy to use. They have lots of levels of sophistication and features as well as pricing.
Go to www.lowrance.com and take a look around. If you find something you like, go to www.emarinesupplies.com and get some prices. I have found them to have terrific prices.
Good luck with your search! It's a crowded field with a lot of available product.

 

[gradyfish22]

What are your main uses for the boat, do you plan to cruise more and fish a little, or fish mostly and cruise just a little. Which ever you prefer will determine what your priority in picking a unit is. If you fish more, you want a quality sounder that will be very accurate and that will be your big concern. If you cruise more, a big chartplotter is more important to you, and a fish finder is secondary. For chartplotters, Garmin has some very nice big units that are fairly easy to use. Personally I'm not a fan of their FF, some like them but most say they are so/so. Another option would be Northstar, they build one of the best GPS's your money can buy, they are slightly harder to sue, but are super reliable and very accuarate, their FF are better then a Garmin, but it will also cost you a bit more then a Garmin unit. If you want a quality FF, I would stick with Furuno or Raymarine. They build very good quality FF and have some very good chartplotters as well.

I have posted this before and a few have bashed it, but I work for a large sportfish builder, the majority of our boats leave with Furuno electronics, Raymarine is second, and Simrad is third, Northstar and Garmin are often mixed in with these combos as a seperate chartplotter. There are very few other brands that ever get installed, yes these guys spend a ton of money, sometimes more then our boats cost, but these brands offer you quality products throughout their lineup. IMHO this is proof that these are considered high quality products.

Throughout my years of boat ownership, I've owned a lot of electronics, I've found that Furuno and Raymarine have been the most reliable for my use. I've had other brands installed, and they all came off the year after.

Regardless of what everyone suggests here, you need to go to a marine electronics store after gathering all of our thoughts, and check out these brands, and see for yourself. A marine electronics stroe should be able to demo each unit and show you the basics of how each works, doing so will show you what you are comfortable with and can handle and use easily. Go into the store with 2 or 3 brands you might be interested in, do some research on their multiunit displays and what you can afford, and then take a look at those models and buy the best unit you can for your money, you want it to last.

On a side note, I know the trend is to go to multiunit dispalys and have less electronic screens on a boat, but I still like having them seperate, I like my navigation on one display and my FF on another, it makes it easier to find data IMHO, and if one unit goes, or needs replacement due to age, you replace just that one, not the whole unit which costs a lot more all at once. Certain electronics need upgrades faster then others, they do not all need replacement at the same time.

 

[wahoo33417]

Lew: I also do not have a hard top, so no radar. But I did add XM satellite weather to my Garmin 4208. Garmin allows you to overlay the weather image (precipitation) onto the navigation screen. At the time, some other brands wouldn't do that. That was a deciding factor for me.

Rob

 

[Reel Soon]

Furuno Navnet Vx2!!! I just purchased the 1720c 7" screen for $1800 with $200 rebate through Furuno. You can add DFF1 sounder function for a little more or you can add radar by just adding the radar arc at a later date. This was perfect for me as I had the Furuno 1761 Mk3 radar arc and this compatibility was a nice unexpected bonus. Lots of detail and my radar has never looked better!

 

[White Horses (Mike)]

Having just gone through the shopping for this myself, I would encourage you to go play with a bunch of them at a boat show... Personally I found the Garmin stuff to be the most user friendly and pleasant. A number of folks told us the reliability was terrific also, so we went with a 10" screen chartplotter with Garmins digital sounder/fish finder.

I am looking forward to giving a full report when we get the boat next month and try it out for real...

Good Luck!

 

[Grampa Lew]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm leaning towards the Garmins but I want to look at all your recommnedations before I pull the trigger.

 

[wshackne]

Furuno Navnet, Furuno Navnet, Furuno Navnet. Seriously. Check out what the Coast Guard runs. Check out the 50' sport fishing boat at the marina. 9 tiems out of 10 you will see the Navnet. I have had a couple of different units and none of them compare.

 

[Southern Hunter]

If you are looking for the best possible chartplotter, I think Garmin winds hands down. Now if you want FF or radar Furuno is a no brainer, it all depends on what you are looking for.