simrad/bandg

[beebok]

As these companies are part of the same group.Looking at the chart plotter and radar they look identical and radar both broadband which looks good.

Does anyone have a view or info,are they the same with different BADGES?

I suspect the course computers will be different primarily because of the software.

Any feed back would be a help I was going to stay with raymarine Eseries but maybe not..

 

[timbartlett]

As these companies are part of the same group.Looking at the chart plotter and radar they look identical and radar both broadband which looks good.

Does anyone have a view or info,are they the same with different BADGES?

I suspect the course computers will be different primarily because of the software.

Any feed back would be a help I was going to stay with raymarine Eseries but maybe not..

In general terms, they are very (very) similar, but each of the three Navico brands is optimised for different customers -- B&G is an up-market sailing range, with a number of features that are intended to appeal to/be of use to racing folk. Simrad is more motor boat/sail cruising oriented, and Lowrance is smaller power/fishing.

Within each brand there are similar distinctions: Simrad's NSS range is aimed at a quite different customer than their NSE range, for instance.

 

[grumpy_o_g]

In general if it looks identical it is (scanners, transducers, etc.) as far as the Navico brands are concerned though the brands are not mix-and-match for the most part unfortunately (e.g Lowrance scanner with B&G display). Some software features are pretty much identical too. It's usually pretty obvious when there's a difference. I would expect a B&G course computer to be in a different league to a Northstar one as you say (and, from what those lucky enough to own B&G have told me, it is). Certainly the radar performance would be pretty identical across all brands - it will be things like MARPA, and and such features that will be different. The rate gyro may well vary from brand to brand as well, which could make a significant difference - I have no experience to confirm that at all though so just supposition. There's a 4G "Broadband" scanner now by the way, which offers considerable enhancements over the earlier versions. Panbo.com has some early details.