Budget Radar

[pvb]

Re: No MARPA on SL72 Plus...

Well, as I said, I'm looking at radars right now and the SL72 is on my list of possible units. According to the latest Raymarine literature, the SL72 certainly does not include MARPA (which is one way they can justify a lower price for the system).

If MES staff led you to believe that MARPA was included, that's a simple case of misrepresentation. You could reject the system and get your money back. You could ask them to replace the display with an RL70 Plus display, the cheapest LCD display with MARPA (and which also has hsb2). Or you could discuss the possibility of a price reduction.

For the benefit of all of us consumers, you ought to do something other than just accepting the system. I'm sure that MES would not intentionally have misled you, but the fact is that it's their responsibility to ensure that their sales people are adequately trained. With marine electronics, that's often not easy, due to the complex nature of the products. But, on the other hand, one reason why there's such a big margin on these goods is so that retailers make enough profit to offer a professional service.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Gunfleet]

Re: JRC - OK for me

I've still got one. Any time you want to find England, you ask me. Course, anything more precise than that's a bit dodgy.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

Re: No MARPA on SL72 Plus...

It was not MES who said anything about the system to me.

I spoke to the bods on the Raymarine stand and then when their salespeople could not match MES price walked 20 yds to the MES stand and saved a fortune.

So the blame lies with the Raymarine stand who said this unit had MARPA.

<hr width=100% size=1>Julian

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>Top Cat Homepage</A>

 

[pvb]

Ah...

The plot thickens! How embarrassing that Raymarine people don't know their products! Suggest an urgent phone call to Raymarine is needed. Glad to hear that MES didn't mislead you.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

Raymarine Excellent customer service

Just dragged this post back from the depths.

I had to send my unit back to Portsmouth for testing as I have been having problems, hopefully all sorted now. I wrote on the letter how I was expecting MARPA and had been led to believe at LIBS that MARPA was in fact a function of the SL72+ and had discussed at some length with the guy on the stand what I would need to operate it, compass etc. I then complained when they guy phoned me from Portsmouth concerning this that it appears not to have the function after all, and I might have well paid less and bought the JRC or Furuno set.

He has upgraded my SL72 processor to include MARPA as he believes I was missold the product and wanted to keep me happy. Well 10/10 for Raymarine, I thank you for that and right now could not be happier with the response to my woes.

Just thought I should pass that along.

<hr width=100% size=1>J

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>

</A>

 

[Oldhand]

Re: I sat on the...

Sorry but you are wrong about Raymarine not having a complete system price. Look at the bottom of page 2 and the top of page 3 of the Raymarine price list (mine is dated 01 Sept 2003) where the complete kits under type numbers SL72 Plus and SL 72RC Plus are listed. The SL 72 is listed at £1270 ex VAT and can be obtained for this or less including VAT and is a pretty decent, fairly basic little radar. I find the SL72 to be considerably better than the Furuno 1621 LCD radar I had on my previous boat.

Furthermore, if you talk nicely to the likes of Greenham Regis, you might pick up an SL72 equivalent for well under £1000 by making up a system with a "used" dispaly unit from someone else's upgrade. I would recommend this rather than a new bottom of the range JRC or Furuno as IMHO the SL72 is a considerably better radar.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Oldhand]

Re: But....

I hope you forked out for Raymarine's rate gyro pack to give the 10Hz heading input to your radar to make MARPA work with any accuracy.... if not you won't be using MARPA and will still be doing manual plots.

But then as the Raytheon brochure shows that the SL72 Plus doesn't have the MARPA feature, you are likely to be plotting manually anyway!

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Oldhand]

Re: JRC - OK for me

Not true Ken.

<hr width=100% size=1>

 

[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

Re: But....

But then as the Raytheon brochure shows that the SL72 Plus doesn't have the MARPA feature, you are likely to be plotting manually anyway! <<

This is why I wrote praising Raymarine >>

He has upgraded my SL72 processor to include MARPA as he believes I was missold the product and wanted to keep me happy. Well 10/10 for Raymarine, I thank you for that and right now could not be happier with the response to my woes.


<hr width=100% size=1>J

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.topcatsail.co.uk>

</A>