Jamie Dundee
Well-Known Member
B&G and Simrad are both Navico products, along with Lowrance. The only difference I can see between the latest B&G and Simrad plotters is the software, much more sailing oriented on the B&G.
New instruments and plotter - B&G or Raymarine?
- Thread starter wipe_out
- Start date
B&G and Simrad are both Navico products, along with Lowrance. The only difference I can see between the latest B&G and Simrad plotters is the software, much more sailing oriented on the B&G.
Koeketiene
Well-Known Member
As always, it depends.
If you have existing Raymarine equipment you want to keep and integrate into your network, I would go down the Raymarine route.
However, if you are replacing/upgrading all of your electronics, I would opt for B&G.
1. Their software is IMHO the best when it comes to sailing. It has been an eye-opener to me. I have not exactly the latest kit on the market, but it fulfils all of my needs.
2. B&G kit is a breeze to install and network. Raymarine notoriously 'does not play well with others'.
If you have existing Raymarine equipment you want to keep and integrate into your network, I would go down the Raymarine route.
However, if you are replacing/upgrading all of your electronics, I would opt for B&G.
1. Their software is IMHO the best when it comes to sailing. It has been an eye-opener to me. I have not exactly the latest kit on the market, but it fulfils all of my needs.
2. B&G kit is a breeze to install and network. Raymarine notoriously 'does not play well with others'.
lustyd
Well-Known Member
Agree with this, I suspect what you really want is the NAC-2 core pack. Same AP computer, just without the hydraulic pump.
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
That's no longer the case.
Raymarine make a couple of converter kits which allow old transducers to be used with new displays or older ST equipment to be used with newer STNG kit.
That said, the thread has been resurrected and Raymarine isn't so much in the frame now.
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
Don't know who the "technician" is that was mentioned in post #14, but i don't like the sound of any of this proposed installation, it's very odd (as you mentioned previously).
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
Sorry, but your installation looks more and more ridiculous every time you post.
Let's take a step back and look at exactly what you have now and exactly what you want to achieve, please post full details.
For one thing, if you have a functioning Raymarine wheel pilot, why do you want to change the core pack to B&G ? Depending on your current setup, there might not be much point in changing the core pack and staying with a wheel drive, if you're happy with the wheel drive keep it and connect it to the new system, it'll still steer to a waypoint/route and to wind if connected correctly.
dkronewi
New Member
No, we would get everything but the hydraulic pump. So just the AP44 Head Unit and NAC-2 computer and Precision 9 GPS - still driving the ST4000+ Looking at it closely this solution appears to be the same (NAC-2/Precision9) as the B&G AP with a different head which has a display and rotary knob instead of just the +1/+10 buttons I'm used to on my old Raymarine AP. I can't find any videos of people actually using the AP44. That rotary knob thing is a little weird. I'm used to yelling back to someone drinking a beer in the cockpit "Hey can you hit the -10 button?" while I'm stowing the jib sheets. Too bad they can't fit the +1/+10 buttons on the AP44.
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
So, why not leave the autopilot as it is ? It can be integrated with the B&G plotter to steer to a waypoint or steer to wind, same as it does now.
dkronewi
New Member
(Thanks for keeping going) It's super old - you can barely read it, the electric tape that holds it together keeps falling off, I'm getting a new Navpod: Vulcan 7/Triton2/AP Head configuration And I think (hope) the new NAC-2 computer/GPS will work much better. I guess I could keep the old drive (ST/4000) but it's pretty chipped and worked after 25 years.
lustyd
Well-Known Member
If you’re getting a new navpod then both your new plotter and triton 2 will act as AP displays so you could use the B&G triton 2 controller which has the buttons you want.
PaulRainbow
Well-Known Member
Fair enough. But (there's always a but) is it worth considering a below decks linear drive, rather than buying a new wheel pilot ? What boat do you have ?
HenrikH
Well-Known Member
SIMRAD and B&G are the same hardware, by Navico. The difference is in the user interface
dkronewi
New Member
I've got the best boat, the Catalina 320. I have seen some people who do put the below decks drives in but it looks a little dicey. I guess I just need to decide if I want the little B&G AP button thing or the SIMRAD AP with the weird knob. Funny how these companies are doing the same as Apple iPhone by removing real buttons and going virtual.