Describe Your Ultimate Integrated Instrument Setup

[goboatingnow]

There always seems to be a big delay in navionics updating their charts, I was in croatia two years ago, sailed round the corner and there was a huge marina not shown on my navionics charts ( they were supposed to be the latest). yhet my handheld Garmin 276 with 1 year + old bluecharts had the marina.!!!.

[chala]

Originally Posted by TrevC

Are there any charts that are accurate up there?

Some of the recent paper charts that I own have also some mistake but I do not own all the charts so lets hope that some are accurate.

[chala]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

There always seems to be a big delay in navionics updating their charts, I was in croatia two years ago, sailed round the corner and there was a huge marina not shown on my navionics charts ( they were supposed to be the latest). yhet my handheld Garmin 276 with 1 year + old bluecharts had the marina.!!!.

I have one year old Navionics Gold who does not indicate a marker buoy but CM 93 indicate it this is no delay this is slackness.

[hpeer]

Yikes!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I just skimmed this thread and now I am CONFUSED.

I am just starting to look at this stuff and I was hoping for some clarity here.

We are in the process of buying a boat. Not quite there yet but are awaiting survey in early Jan. The boat (or our secondary if it comes to that) will have virtually NO electronics. So I am looking at a new systems.

Assuming boat #1 goes through (likely) it will come with:

• Uniden Oceanus VHF with Ram
• Standard Horizon depthsounder
• WH Autopilot P-3C

The autopilot stays, for sure. Pilothouse with two steering stations. The rest - maybe.

What I feel I NEED is:

Radar
DSC with GPS tie

What I would REALLY LIKE is:
AIS - full transponder type (?) would be great
Weatherfax

I have a couple of laptops with GPS and raster charts - Fugawi

Frankly I don't see a need for wind/speed instruments. I mean, what am I gonna do about it anyway? I do have a pedestal compass at both steering stations (pilothouse)

On my current boat I have:
Standard Horizion DSC VHF integrated with GPS/chart plotter. It works.
Furuno radar, which works just fine. I single hand a lot so what I did was put a mount on my lower washboard so I can see the radar. If I'm inside on a passage I move it inside where I can see it. The chart plotter kinda swivels around so I can see it through the companion way.

I was looking to go the Furuno 3D route but the thing I heard hear that turned me off was a lack of DSC VHF /GPS integration. Did I hear that right?

I'm not a huge fan of excessive integration. It would not bother me a bit to have a completely separate VHF/GPS combo.

So I guess I'm leaning toward a new VHF/GPS (recommendations please) and, if not to expensive, a chart plotter with two displays (inside and out.) And then a separate Furuno radar with two displays (inside and outside.) Running down to look at a radar or chart plotter is just not right.

But that sounds messy and expensive - four displays. Is there a way I can do like on my little boat and just move the displays?

And, what is this MFDBB anyway? Do I need that AND a MFD or just an MFD for the radar?? Boy, some simple installation drawings would go a long way here.

[hpeer]

After thinking about this during diner I get:

Furuno
radar
Weather fax


Garmin
GPS
chart plotter
radio w/DSC

Where should the AIS go? Or should/could it be separate?
Class B I presume is OK for a small yacht.

Does this make any kind of sense?

And, while I'm asking stupid questions - why does Garmin sell their VHF 300 AIS is two versions - North American and International? Wouldn't everyone want the International? Does International work in North America?

[s/v Jedi]

hpeer: there is no problem with 3D and DSC/GPS. You just have to look what GPS input your VHF supports (either NMEA0183 or NMEA2000) and feed the GPS data to the VHF using that interface. This is completely separate from 3D or radar or whatever.

I don't understand you comment about wind instruments, are you buying a motor boat?

3d integrates chart and radar and fishfinder and AIS and weather fax etc. You only need 1 display for using it all.
The BB stands for Black Box. It's the ultimate version of 3D. You connect a LCD screen to it which you can also use for a computer, camera's, watching DVD's etc.

For GPS you use a sensor (just the hockey puck, no screen). I would advise one from Airmar or Maretron. The new Garmin VHF's have NMEA2000 so that's a good choice. I would not buy a Furuno VHF and I am sure it's a disguised Icom 500. You connect the Garmin VHF into the NMEA2000 network and it's DSC will get the GPS info from whatever brand GPS sensor you have in the NMEA2000 network. If you buy an old-tech VHF without NMEA2000 you need to do the shuffle with NMEA0183 wires which you should try to avoid when buying new equipment.

cheers,
Nick.

[bobfnbw]

What I want is a taffrail log, and good lead sounder and a few pigeons to send message to a friend once in a while... and a compass.

Oh wait, I have not friends, I guess i could eat them instead.....

[hpeer]

Nick,

Thanks - helpful - need to absorb.

No its a sailboat. But I'm in no rush to get anywhere.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by hpeer

Nick,

Thanks - helpful - need to absorb.

No its a sailboat. But I'm in no rush to get anywhere.

I do believe many don't need windspeed but when you actually sail a boat, wind direction is very important....

cheers,
Nick.

[hpeer]

You have never seen me sail!

"Put the white things up and fiddle around until you get somewhere."

[s/v Jedi]

Well, actually, all you need is a Windex on the mast head. It will not just tell you where the wind is coming from because it also replaces your compass and GPS and plotters etc. because it will always point to your destination ;-)

cheers,
Nick.

[bobfnbw]

Actually, any dinghy racer knows that all you need is your ears.
Best way to tell where the wind is coming from. And of course your eyes to see small ripples when there is not much wind for the puffs...

But yeaa a masthead windex is nice.

[chala]

Wind speed is usefull when tired. It allow to reef, change sails objectively.

[hpeer]

Does anyone know of an online utility to compare the various Furuno radars?

I'm looking at the 1835 and 1834C. The 1835 seems to be about $800 more but I can't see WHY? It seems to have fewer interfaces and less integration.

Can anyone let me see through the Furuno fog?

[bstronger]

Here is what I have planned for spring refit [for pdq mv34]:
Simrad nse12 mfd on flybridge with dvi to dell monitor at lower helm
Simrad br24 radar on 18 foot mast
Airmar pb200 wind/gps/heading as primary gps and heading data [above radar] @ 20 feet high
Simrad d/s/t 800 transducer simnet to nse8
Simrad nse8 mfd at lower helm
Standard Horizon gx1200 vhf/ais lower helm with ais output to nse8
Standard Horizon ram mic on flybridge
Actisense n2k to n0183 to laptop [lenovo t400 'high nit' with onboard gps] with rosepoint coastal explorer and airmar weathercaster and vga to dell 24 inch monitor [alternate/backup to nse output] all at lower helm

Any comments or advice?

Thanks, Brian