Simrad/B&G UK stock levels

mrangry

mrangry

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Having refitted my Beneteau Oceanis 440 through last winter I am looking to add an autopilot. I installed B&G plotter with masthead wind unit, triton 2 screens and now looking to purchase a NAC 3 autopilot core pack to complete the autopilot install. However, many retailers show this as in stock, but when contacting them no one seems to actually stock it and can offer no dates for having it. This is really frustrating and makes me wish I had opted for another manufacturer like Garmin or Raymarine who dont seem to suffer this stock shortage issue.

I have even looked at buying from abroad but the addition of vat and duty payable makes this financially prohibitive. I have seen some used individual components on ebay in the USA but the thought of buying used electronic items for boats from the other side of the globe scares me.
 
I'd fit a Garmin autopilot. It can still be networked with the B&G kit via N2K and will steer to wind or a waypoint.

No-one can give you a delivery date for Simrad or B&G kit.
 
PaulRainbow said:
I'd fit a Garmin autopilot. It can still be networked with the B&G kit via N2K and will steer to wind or a waypoint.

No-one can give you a delivery date for Simrad or B&G kit.
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Seriously considering this, but just unsure what all of the downsides are. For example, B&G have sail steer (not 100% sure what this actually is) which I think I will loose with other brands. I also already have the triton 2 pilot controller which will need replacing with other branded controller, not sure of any other downsides.
 
AngusMcDoon said:
Global chip shortage. It's not Navico's fault.
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Can't agree with you on this one. I know there is a chip shortage and supplies have been a bit erratic for many products, but i can get hold of Raymarine and Garmin products, cannot even get a guess for a delivery date of Lowrance stuff that i've had on order since June/July. One of my outstanding items is a VHF set, those should not be affected by the chip shortage.
 
mrangry said:
Seriously considering this, but just unsure what all of the downsides are. For example, B&G have sail steer (not 100% sure what this actually is) which I think I will loose with other brands. I also already have the triton 2 pilot controller which will need replacing with other branded controller, not sure of any other downsides.
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The Garmin/Raymarine core packs include a controller.

If the AP and MFD are different brands you cannot control the AP from the MFD. But, the AP will still steer to a waypoint or steer to wind, if the AP is networked to those systems over N2K (possibly 0183 too).

I have obviously not tried every possible combination of AP/MFD, but i have installed various combinations that have all worked as expected. Garmin MFDs to Raymarine or Simrad APs have worked fine. Raymarine MFDs with Garmin or Simrad APs have also been fine.

One other thing you will lose is the ability to update the Garmin AP software from a B&G system.
 
I bought a NAC 3 recently and it had around a 4 week lead time. Once the order goes in Navico have great order tracking and can tell you when it leaves the factory etc. They're exceptionally popular right now due to various sponsorships they added this year, especially YouTube channels such as Delos and Uma. It's nothing to do with the ship shortage, it's just that they don't make enough to keep up with demand and build up stock levels. Get your order in and it'll be with you sooner than you think.
 
Also worth adding that the retailers didn't seem to bother actually checking when stock would arrive, but Navico direct were extremely helpful and accurate once they got an order number to track. Obviously that's the shop's order, and they might not want to let you know which order your one is on and might not even have the ability to allocate stock that precisely.
 
lustyd said:
Also worth adding that the retailers didn't seem to bother actually checking when stock would arrive, but Navico direct were extremely helpful and accurate once they got an order number to track. Obviously that's the shop's order, and they might not want to let you know which order your one is on and might not even have the ability to allocate stock that precisely.
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Where did you buy it from?
 
lustyd said:
I bought a NAC 3 recently and it had around a 4 week lead time. Once the order goes in Navico have great order tracking and can tell you when it leaves the factory etc. They're exceptionally popular right now due to various sponsorships they added this year, especially YouTube channels such as Delos and Uma. It's nothing to do with the ship shortage, it's just that they don't make enough to keep up with demand and build up stock levels. Get your order in and it'll be with you sooner than you think.
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No it won't. That's just nonsense.
 
mrangry said:
Where did you buy it from?
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Force4. I don't necessarily recommend them but they are cheap. It was their service that led me to speak direct to Navico/B&G. Having upgraded with a full set of B&G I've quite a bit of experience of them this year and their timelines always seem accurate. The shop, on the other hand, would literally tell me a different lie every time I spoke to them in order to avoid speaking to their supplier on my behalf.
 
mrangry said:
Why does it just seem to be affecting Navico then and not the other brands?
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Depends on which brand chips are used. If you happen to have chosen a brand that is also widely used in automotive, as a relatively teeny weeny marine electronics customer, you're way down the list for supply. Not all chip manufacturers are affected the same, but it's not possible to use an alternative component for the complex bits like microcontrollers part way through a model life. Electronics manufacturers purchasing people try to find second sources for as much as possible, and for the small components, that's a successful strategy. However, when the software development team have spent 2 years developing the software that works on a particular brand of processor, it can't be changed on a whim. Then you end up in the situation of no processor -> no product.
 
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I ordered an Axiom 12+ plotter on the 6th of October. Still waiting and no date given when it will arrive.
Thinking I may just ask for my money back and pay a little more and buy it off the shelf at Marine superstore.
 
AngusMcDoon said:
All VHF radios on the market have microcontrollers in them.
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But they don't seem to have been affected by any shortages. I can get pretty much any VHF off of the shelf, same as AIS, not had any issues at all with the Emtrak AIS i fit. Only exception is Simrad/B&G VHF sets, no UK stock an been on back order for months with to expected delivery date.
 
russ said:
I ordered an Axiom 12+ plotter on the 6th of October. Still waiting and no date given when it will arrive.
Thinking I may just ask for my money back and pay a little more and buy it off the shelf at Marine superstore.
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There is currently no UK wholesale stock of the Axiom 12+. If you can get one that's in stock, i suggest you do so.
 
lustyd said:
It's not nonsense, it's my real world experience and information from the manufacturer who have a great deal of information to offer.
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It is nonsense.

Your real World experience consists of you, one boat and some equipment, which you fitted months ago, hardly the "recently" that you posted earlier. Eventhen you had delivery issues which you blame on Force 4, that may or may not have been the case, but Navico are not the saints you portray them to be. I have a plotter and a VHF on order, since June/July, already had several no show delivery dates and there currently isn't even a fairy tale date.

My real World experience is that of someone who instal this kit for a living. I have account with the sole importers for Raymarine, Garmin and Navico, amongst others. Since you purchased your Navico kit the sole distributors have changed. There is almost no Navico electronics in the UK supply chain.

For instance, the entire wholesale stock of B&G MFDs consists of 3 x Zues 12" models and 4 x Vulcan 12Rs. 0 VHFs, 0 Radomes. Those stock levels have not changed for weeks, except i think they might have sold one MFD.

There is not enough wholesale stock of B&G electronics in the UK to fit out one boat.
 
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