Advice needed re budget instruments

[Colinl]

Hi all

I am looking to put a combi instrument (depth & speed) and a nav repeater in my boat and am wondering what you would recommend.

Colin

PS Thanks to all who replied to my request for info on the Yeoman plotter have bought one now.
Colin

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[Koeketiene]

If you're on a budget nothing beats NASA - value for money, no whistles or bells but does what it says on the box.
Got mine here: <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.allgadgets.co.uk>http://www.allgadgets.co.uk</A>

<hr width=100% size=1>Experience is a good teacher, but she sends in terrific bills.

 

[steverow]

Here Here, great kit.

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[Avocet]

I can't recommend NASA highly enough. I have a separate "Clipper" speed and depth and they have performed very well for the last 5 seasons (although the depth has (only a couple of times) started talking rubbish in water I know to be shallow). - Much better than the Autohlem unit I used to have which persistently misted-up.

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[Joe_Cole]

The only thing I can add to the NASA comments is that NASA have very good after sales service.

With regards your GPS repeater there are two alternatives to think about.

1. A separate handheld can do the job, is cheaper than many repeaters and gives you back-up in case your main one fails.
2. As you have a Yeoman plotter you can use the "puck" as a (limited)GPS repeater. (Though the layout of your boat and position of the chart table may make this impractical). I've got the "Sport" Yeoman so the whole lot can be used on the chart table or in the cockpit.

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[Guest]

Colin,

The one drawback with NASA is that they don't output nmea.

However, I have a set of NASA Target depth and speed that you can have for the cost of removing the depth transducer.

It has been fitted using too much Sikaflex wher it is not all that easy to get at.

Frank Marsden

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[LORDNELSON]

The latest NASA wind instrument now outputs NMEA.

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[Talbot]

Nasa are very good for the money, but personnally prefer the looks of the Silva dataset

I have been very happy with them, and they integrate very well (and easily) with their wind instrument

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[philmayfield]

NASA - excellent kit. I have echo sounder and an NMEA GPS repeater running from a Garmin GPS. They told me at last year's London show that more NMEA units are on the cards. Try all Gadgets for some good prices.

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[colvic987]

the gps repeater will not run with all gps's, i have a magellen 1200 nav as fixed gps, although it works ok and have not had a prob which it, it will not run the nasa repeater.The repeater works fine with any of the garmin gps's ( i have just upgraded to another garmin fixed gps) so hoping it will work ok. also have h/h garmin 76 which has given excellent service and still going strong after 4 yrs continuous use..

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[Hardley]

Looking at all the praise for Nasa instruments makes me think I must be jinxed.
New Clipper Log lasted all of 5 hours but the Wind instrument was better, it worked for 2 whole months.


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[Rabbie]

I have to agree. Fine if they work OK, but last year I had VERY bad aftersales service. Letters & emails totally ignored. Never again.

<hr width=100% size=1>A day not spent on my boat is a day in my life wasted.

 

[samwise]

Anybody with a word about Navman? They look like good solid, no frills kit. I have just bought a Navman plotter and am considering upgrading our old and tired Simrad instruments with Navman inthe belief that they should be able to talk to each other without too much fuss. Interesting to get two opposing views on NASA after sales. I was advised by a well-known local marine electronics firm that getting repairs and warranty work done was a nightmare.This was last year. Maybe things have changed!

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[EdEssery]

I agree - Silva are not as high profile in the market place but IMHO, they are better value for money. The budget Star range use the same transducers as their more expensive ranges and seem to be very good quality.

One notable difference on the Nav Repeater is that, as I understand it, the Nasa GPS repeater will only display COG & SOG if the GPS it is repeating is set to navigate to a waypoint. This is not the case with the Silva Star GPS repeater - it displays SOG & COG at all times when the GPS set is on. The Silva repeater also has it's own MOB facility - a useful thing to have in the cockpit.

I'm in full agreement with Talbot on this one - Silva every time.

Just speaking as a satisfied customer. When I complained that the echo sounder was overly pessimistic about depth in brackish water, they sent me an alternative circuit board for the transducer's Analogue to Digital converter free of charge.

Ed

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