Chartplotter advice needed please

[Philiz]

My recently acquired boat is has 2 chartplotters, a Foruno and a Lowrance. The Foruno unit is getting on a bit and although good quality it doesn't have the detailed display of the modern units. The Lowrance is quite good but the display is quite small.

The plan is to re-site the Lowrance unit up on the flybridge as there are no electronics at all up there at the moment, and to replace the Foruno unit which is at present flush mounted in the fascia.

I would like to fit the new plotter in the aperture left by the Foruno, with a bit of trimming if necessary, but the fascia restricts the dimensions of the plotter to 10 x 6 inches (landscape format) give or take 1/4 inch.

I've been looking at the larger Lowrance units but have been put off by stories of poor reliabilty so my choice seems to be restricted to Raymarine or Garmin. I will be looking to get a Plotter and Radar package, or to add radar later.

Any advice, pros and cons of each system would be appreciated, together with any other options I might look at. New Foruno and Simrad units look too expensive!

Any views on multi display units compared with seperate plotter and radar display set ups?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Mymobo]

Hi I ran a Garmin on the last boat worked very well. Cost wise look at standard horizon they offer good value for money.

Best deals I have found are on the following two web sites
http://www.electronics-marine.co.uk/categories.asp?catid=15
http://www.marinescene.co.uk/


But I am sure some else will be along soon with more help.

 

[Philiz]

Had a look at Standard Horizon but they don't seem to be compatable with my Icom VHF. I understand Standard Horizon suffer similar reliability problems to Lowrance, but it's only what I've been told.

 

[marlin05]

Chartplotter advice

Hi,

I have had furuno and lowrance. the furuno was a 1650 and have had numerous lowrance units the current lowrance unit works unbelivably well and is interfaced with a icom vhf. I have done many night passages using both and never have they let me donw. I once had a lowrance that was 5yrs old and the screen went funny. I phoned Lowrance up and they sent me a complete new unit the next day. I would certainly recommend lowrance any day. However, one of my close friends had a full set-up of standard horizon on his boat when it was built in march this year. He replaced all of the electronics in july as he thought they were useless and not as goot as lowrance and furuno.

Marlin05

 

[hlb]

Phill, I find having two different systems is good. If one dont work, you still have the other one. Plus I can take my little Garmin from upstairs to down stairs.

Raymarine is excelent stuff, but there going bust?? My Garmin 550 is ok but to small to get any sense out of it, like buoys only show up when your so zoomed in, you cant see the next one.