Channel Ribs
New member
While the debate off the value of AIS data continues Raymarine have launched their own 'Engine' for connecting to plotters are radar, but at over 600 quid - have they over shot?
AIS Price Point
- Thread starter Channel Ribs
- Start date
Re: AIS Price Points
It is an outrageous and cynical pricing calculation by Raymarine.
The box contains an AIS engine, serial comms multiplexor and VHF aerial splitter. The total price when purchased as separate units is about £450 so it would be reasonable to assume integration economies would allow Raymarine to market a £350 combined unit.
But oh no, Raymarine cynically calculate the average punter will be saving £100 in fitting charges with the combined unit so they may as well grab that money as well. The other £50 of value in Raymarine’s view must come from fewer integration hassles.
It is an outrageous and cynical pricing calculation by Raymarine.
The box contains an AIS engine, serial comms multiplexor and VHF aerial splitter. The total price when purchased as separate units is about £450 so it would be reasonable to assume integration economies would allow Raymarine to market a £350 combined unit.
But oh no, Raymarine cynically calculate the average punter will be saving £100 in fitting charges with the combined unit so they may as well grab that money as well. The other £50 of value in Raymarine’s view must come from fewer integration hassles.
Norman_E
Well-known member
Does it do anything better than the cheap NASA AIS engine?
CPD
Well-known member
I dont think it is outrageous or cynical at all. If the combined unit cost is £450 and it all comes in one simple box (not three) with a Raymarine worlwide warranty then why not charge £600 for it. That is probably list price so "street" price may well be £500/550. Profit is a good thing. It is up to us to decide how good.
Channel Ribs
New member
[ QUOTE ]
That is probably list price so "street" price may well be £500/550. Profit is a good thing.
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Alas, list price is 770 /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
That is probably list price so "street" price may well be £500/550. Profit is a good thing.
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Alas, list price is 770 /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif
[ QUOTE ]
If the combined unit cost is £450 and it all comes in one simple box (not three) with a Raymarine worlwide warranty then why not charge £600
[/ QUOTE ]
I have edited my original post because it caused confusion.
What I meant was, the *total* street retail price of the separate units is £450 so Raymarine should be able to retail the same functions in a combined unit for £350. Therefore £600 is cynical profiteering based on their assumption of installation cost savings.
If the combined unit cost is £450 and it all comes in one simple box (not three) with a Raymarine worlwide warranty then why not charge £600
[/ QUOTE ]
I have edited my original post because it caused confusion.
What I meant was, the *total* street retail price of the separate units is £450 so Raymarine should be able to retail the same functions in a combined unit for £350. Therefore £600 is cynical profiteering based on their assumption of installation cost savings.
Phoenix of Hamble
Active member
"have they overshot?"
IMHO by a country mile....
I'd like one... but my 'its reached a price where i'll buy one' price point is about £200
Its very simple digital engineering at the end of the day.... the demodulation technology needed to pull the raw signal out is high volume, and not expensive..... so the majority of the development cost must have been in the decoding and calculation software.... which isn't exactly bleeding edge stuff..... the interface for connection to the displays is again high volume, and not something that will cost enormous sums and besides, the development cost is probably already completely sunk and/or recovered from display and radar head unit sales....
I think there is a little 'consumer milking' going on here
IMHO by a country mile....
I'd like one... but my 'its reached a price where i'll buy one' price point is about £200
Its very simple digital engineering at the end of the day.... the demodulation technology needed to pull the raw signal out is high volume, and not expensive..... so the majority of the development cost must have been in the decoding and calculation software.... which isn't exactly bleeding edge stuff..... the interface for connection to the displays is again high volume, and not something that will cost enormous sums and besides, the development cost is probably already completely sunk and/or recovered from display and radar head unit sales....
I think there is a little 'consumer milking' going on here
StugeronSteve
New member
One of those bits of kit that we will soon see sold at "Boat Show Offer" price, methinks.
fireball
New member
Having recently purchased the Nasa AIS engine for interface into our SH CP180i ....
Cost of Engine ~£120
Cost of Antenna ~ £50
Cost of adapter (cos they use BNC on their engine?!) ~ £3 (from Maplin - I wasn't paying Chandlery rip off prices)
So for less than £200 you have nearly everything the RM machine can do, with the exception of the multiplexer (that I don't need anyway) ... oh and I get a backup antenna incase I loose the mast.
£200 - £600 .... is a RM badge on a bit of kit that you won't see and won't interface directly with worth over 3 times the price? Not in my opinion ....
Cost of Engine ~£120
Cost of Antenna ~ £50
Cost of adapter (cos they use BNC on their engine?!) ~ £3 (from Maplin - I wasn't paying Chandlery rip off prices)
So for less than £200 you have nearly everything the RM machine can do, with the exception of the multiplexer (that I don't need anyway) ... oh and I get a backup antenna incase I loose the mast.
£200 - £600 .... is a RM badge on a bit of kit that you won't see and won't interface directly with worth over 3 times the price? Not in my opinion ....
Channel Ribs
New member
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...from Maplin - I wasn't paying Chandlery rip off prices...
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Don't tar us all with the same brush, we include the adapter in the NASA one and sell them for 2.75 otherwise. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
...from Maplin - I wasn't paying Chandlery rip off prices...
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Don't tar us all with the same brush, we include the adapter in the NASA one and sell them for 2.75 otherwise. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
IanR
Member
Raymarine
Watch this space, I understand that a lot of their manufacturing is going on in Hungary at the moment and the new owner of a wall 2 wall Raymarine set up on his new boat is screaming because almost every component is or has failed almost out of the box.
Clearly they are cutting costs in their manufacturing, but losing out on quality control. Its a sure fire reason for competitors to take over
We need a VW/Skoda in the market
Quality at an affordable price
Watch this space, I understand that a lot of their manufacturing is going on in Hungary at the moment and the new owner of a wall 2 wall Raymarine set up on his new boat is screaming because almost every component is or has failed almost out of the box.
Clearly they are cutting costs in their manufacturing, but losing out on quality control. Its a sure fire reason for competitors to take over
We need a VW/Skoda in the market
Quality at an affordable price
CPD
Well-known member
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If the combined unit cost is £450 and it all comes in one simple box (not three) with a Raymarine worlwide warranty then why not charge £600
[/ QUOTE ]
I have edited my original post because it caused confusion.
What I meant was, the *total* street retail price of the separate units is £450 so Raymarine should be able to retail the same functions in a combined unit for £350. Therefore £600 is cynical profiteering based on their assumption of installation cost savings.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yes they should be able to. They may be able to do it for cost price + 10%, probably £50 or so, but my point uis, why should they ?. Dont get me wrong, I am not by any stretch at the "couldnt care less about the cost" end of the market, but it is the principle I am arguing. their argument will be that they are offering a service to those who dont know how / cant be bothered to get the components and do it themselves. Those who can, will, and therefore save money. Like others, I am sure it ill be a boat show special for £250, as even taking my own arguments into consideration, it does seem steep.
[ QUOTE ]
If the combined unit cost is £450 and it all comes in one simple box (not three) with a Raymarine worlwide warranty then why not charge £600
[/ QUOTE ]
I have edited my original post because it caused confusion.
What I meant was, the *total* street retail price of the separate units is £450 so Raymarine should be able to retail the same functions in a combined unit for £350. Therefore £600 is cynical profiteering based on their assumption of installation cost savings.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yes they should be able to. They may be able to do it for cost price + 10%, probably £50 or so, but my point uis, why should they ?. Dont get me wrong, I am not by any stretch at the "couldnt care less about the cost" end of the market, but it is the principle I am arguing. their argument will be that they are offering a service to those who dont know how / cant be bothered to get the components and do it themselves. Those who can, will, and therefore save money. Like others, I am sure it ill be a boat show special for £250, as even taking my own arguments into consideration, it does seem steep.
Phoenix of Hamble
Active member
Precisely... for that kind of price differential, you'd expect gold plated service or functionality... but as far as I can see, the kit, while clearly very good, isn't enough better than anyone elses...
if the NASA unit is £200, and the RM one £450, then try comparing with the car market... if a standard family saloon is £18k, then what sort of family car would you expect for the same percentage uplift... eg just under £41k?... would you expect the same standard fitment, or would you be looking for leather seats, climate control, integrated telephony, satellite navigation, 3yr road side assistance, guaranteed trade in prices, maybe a dealer that collects the car and services it, washes it, polishes it and returns it etc etc.... (ps.. IME you'd get a lot of that on the £18k car to start with....)
if the NASA unit is £200, and the RM one £450, then try comparing with the car market... if a standard family saloon is £18k, then what sort of family car would you expect for the same percentage uplift... eg just under £41k?... would you expect the same standard fitment, or would you be looking for leather seats, climate control, integrated telephony, satellite navigation, 3yr road side assistance, guaranteed trade in prices, maybe a dealer that collects the car and services it, washes it, polishes it and returns it etc etc.... (ps.. IME you'd get a lot of that on the £18k car to start with....)
Stingo
Well-known member
[ QUOTE ]
I understand that a lot of their manufacturing is going on in Hungary at the moment and the new owner of a wall 2 wall Raymarine set up on his new boat is screaming because almost every component is or has failed almost out of the box.
[/ QUOTE ]I really didn't need to hear that. My new boat is also wall-to-wall RM. Oh shyte!
I understand that a lot of their manufacturing is going on in Hungary at the moment and the new owner of a wall 2 wall Raymarine set up on his new boat is screaming because almost every component is or has failed almost out of the box.
[/ QUOTE ]I really didn't need to hear that. My new boat is also wall-to-wall RM. Oh shyte!
Channel Ribs
New member
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Oh shyte!
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Ooops, and it was your good self that got me thinking about the relative value of these to begin with. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Sorry
Oh shyte!
[/ QUOTE ]
Ooops, and it was your good self that got me thinking about the relative value of these to begin with. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif Sorry
fireball
New member
Ooops .. sorry - didn't realise that!
tudorsailor
Well-known member
Blue5
New member
Just purchased NASA AIS engine and antenna, had to wait a couple of days for delivery and was told they have been selling very well over the last few weeks !!
Channel Ribs
New member
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... and was told they have been selling very well over the last few weeks !!
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I am not surprised, at 130 quid for a complete set up (plus as has been noted a backup vhf antenna) they are a bargain.
Mind you, some problems have been reported with the NASA and the closest alternative seems to be the Easy AIS Engine.
... and was told they have been selling very well over the last few weeks !!
[/ QUOTE ]
I am not surprised, at 130 quid for a complete set up (plus as has been noted a backup vhf antenna) they are a bargain.
Mind you, some problems have been reported with the NASA and the closest alternative seems to be the Easy AIS Engine.
fireball
New member
What problems?