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Old 08-02-2013, 06:38   #1
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Which Raymarine Plotter?

I am planning to upgrade the plotter on my Jeanneau 45.

It currently has a C80 but I would like to upgrade to the new E series.

My Q is this....

Rather than mount a single large unit under the cockpit table... A position I find very unhelpful, is there any reason why I shouldnt mount 2 smaller units, one on either helm?

The large 12" units seem to retail well over £2000 where the 7" are around £1000.

The obvious benefit being that although its a smaller screen its right there where you can see it rather than under a table...

Thanks

Mark
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Old 08-02-2013, 07:05   #2
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Re: Which Raymarine Plotter?

If you're using radar, then I think that's a perfectly reasonable solution (I sailed a big Swan that was set up like that, and it was nice).

I think you might find 7" to be a wee bit cramped for charts, however. Can you swing for 8" (or 8.5" or whatever the next size is)?

The new MFD's are higher resolution than the older ones were, so if you have the right reading glasses on (!) you can get more information out of a given screen size than used to be the case. I have replaced a 10.5" display with an 8" display at my nav table and I am happy -- the old display was VGA (640 * 480) and the new one is SVGA (800 x 600) despite the smaller screen. 8" is pretty good, although pushing it a bit if you want to split the screen to see radar and chart at the same time.

The new MFD's show so much different information that having two of them is a good idea, IMHO. I could't physically fit two either at my helm or at the nav table, or I would definitely have gone with one 8" and one 7" at each position. The 7" MFD's are dirt cheap, like a wind instrument used to cost. Under $1000 in the U.S.
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Old 08-02-2013, 07:31   #3
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Re: Which Raymarine Plotter?

I need to have a proper look with the MFD infront of me... Part of my logic which, as usual, I completely failed to explain..... Was that with their WIFI I can set up course and waypoints from the nav station using my IPad... So I wont have so many problems poking at a 7" screen with my sausage fingers.
But... The idea of having different sized units never occured to me and is actually the answer I think. Maybe a 9" on one helm and a 7" used more as a display on the other. Thanks!
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Old 10-02-2013, 12:16   #4
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Have you considered other brands? I've done a little research to upgrade my old garmin unit & it seems raymarine was less able to intergrate other brands when wanting to add ais & possibly other things. A friend has a whole suite of Raymarine electronics, the A/P works great as does the sounder the chart plotter not so well. After using a garmin & a Standard Horizon unit the Raymarine didn't seem very useful, similar experience with a Raymarine unit on anther friends boat. I've not been on either boat while using radar so can't comment on that.
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Old 10-02-2013, 13:04   #5
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Re: Which Raymarine Plotter?

I hadnt considered it as I was hoping to keep the ST60 instruments and also the VHF is Raymarine... Probably lacking imagination but Ray are definately No1 this side of the pond and for that reason alone its easy to find spares and service. Not sure how that stands in your neck of the woods? It seems a fairly big consideration to me but maybe not so much?
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