Autohelm Navcentre-Upgrade?

[Guest]

I've just bought a boat which has an old style Navcentre fitted, driven by a separate GPS receiver, and which uses obsolete CF85 cartidges

I would like to replace it with a plotter unit using the current NT type cartridges but, ideally, I want a unit which slots into the same space as the Navcentre, or at least, has similar dimensions

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Guest]

Mike, I had a Navcentre a few years back, and I was always very impressed with it. I managed to fit a printer to it and a flybridge repeater. CF 85's are not obselete, indeed I did not upgrade my Cetrek775 unit because my investment in 85 carts, was difficult to justify changing to NT, as well as the upgrade cost. Equally 85's are still current! So if the unit is in good order I would just upgrade the GPS if it ia ancient, ie more than 2 months old!!

 

[Guest]

Thanks,Michael. I currently have a mix of CF85 and NT cartridges as I fitted a new radar/plotter to my previous boat. I agree that the Navcentre is an excellent unit but the more modern plotters are a little more user friendly and the screen definition is better. My choice at the moment is whether to downgrade all my NT cartridges to CF85 (@ £35 a throw) or upgrade the plotter, which I would prefer to do if it I dont have to hack the boat about too much to do it.

 

[Guest]

I've just replaced my Navcentre with one of the new Raytheon C631 Colour Plotters. Fitted it yesterday, in fact! It's an excellent machine - using many of the tecniques of the old Navcentre - and you only need to carry out minor mods, including a blanking piece (easily made from ply - painted to fit in with your instrument console colour) to fit it. Easy to connect up too. Only one drawback - cost! It's £1,800 + including new cartridges (but you can get a very good part exchange deal on your old cartridges. Ring Andy at Greenham Marine on 01590-671144 - you'll find him most helpful.

 

[Guest]

Thanks,GWS. Not sure the piggy bank runs to a colour plotter but I've found out that a b/w 7" Raytheon LCD plotter will almost fit in the same space at about £900

 

[Guest]

If funds are tight and you'd like the better chart image that colour can provide, you might like to have a look at the Simrad smallest Colour Plotter which is about the same size as your Navcentre and which is curretly selling at about £995 (down £500 from a year ago!) including a GPS sender. Two drawbacks, however; it's older technology and the screen (although extremely good) is smaller (I think 6"). But I had one of these installed inside a Fairline 36 some 5 years ago and it was excellent! Good luck - need any more help, let me know.

 

[Guest]

Did you know that C-Map offer a huge discount if you exchange your old CF85's for NT cartridges. They don't even have to be for the same area. Not a lot of people know this! Peter

 

[Guest]

Yes, I did. It costs £35 whether you go NT to CF85 or vica versa. In fact, they still sell CF85 cartridges separately