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Old 30-06-2019, 19:53   #1
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Need advice on electronics upgrade.

I’m in escrow on an awesome Bruce Roberts 43 mauritius. It has one older Garmin inside and a vhf. That’s all for electronics. I’ve done research on different units that would fit my needs. I want to get other people’s opinions on their favorite all in one unit that I can put on the binnacle. I haven’t been able to afford anything like what I want in the past so this is new to me. I’d like gps/chart plotter, radar, bottom up to 1000 ft, ais, wind speed direction, and autopilot all on one unit. I will have backups for autopilot and gps. I’ll be full time cruising. I have alarms for oil pressure and temp. I’m open to learning how to interface that to my new unit too. I’ll have two iPhones and an iPad and handheld gps on board. I was looking at the Furuno gp1971 with 1k transducer. For the autopilot, auto NavPilot 300 or NavPilot NavPilot 711c. I haven’t done research on which autopilot yet. I’m a full time captain but unluckily never dove into the world of nicer units before at any of my captain jobs. Mostly fishing jobs. I understand that there’s risks with the unit screen for example going out and being in the blind but I’m ok with that. I’m open to transducer suggestions too. Nmea2000 is something I’m researching also. Any suggestions or comments positive or negative would greatly be appreciated. I wanted to try to keep this around five grand or so. Thanks y’all. I’m currently on Maui.
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Old 30-06-2019, 20:10   #2
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Re: Need advice on electronics upgrade.

Not sure what you mean by all in one. There are no all in one systems that cover your requirements. Perhaps you mean all one vendor.
Furuno gear is very good. We have a Furuno chartplotter, radar and autopilot. The pilot drive is an L&S. All good gear.

I'd reconsider your chartplotter location if you are planning long passages. Far better to locate the chartplotter where the crew does watches. In our case it is next to the companionway tucked under tbe dodger with the AP driving.
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Old 30-06-2019, 20:27   #3
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Re: Need advice on electronics upgrade.

After you install your dodger, why would you want that awesome amount of information behind the binnacle?
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Old 30-06-2019, 20:36   #4
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Re: Need advice on electronics upgrade.

Yes all in one brand. I understand the auto pilot has wireless overlay? That goes to the screen. Wind direction and speed has a wireless connection. Ais can have an overlay etc... I’m really ignorant on this stuff. I agree on the location of the unit closer to the companionway but for a few more years I won’t have a dodger and I’ll be sailing Hawaiian waters till I stockpile enough cash for full time cruising. Maybe a better question is. What all can I have on one screen in the cockpit? This comes from the powerboat part of me. Thanks
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Old 30-06-2019, 20:46   #5
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Re: Need advice on electronics upgrade.

https://honolulu.craigslist.org/big/...878485977.html
This is an example of what I’m looking for.
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Old 30-06-2019, 21:09   #6
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Re: Need advice on electronics upgrade.

G'day Tim, I believe what you are looking for is what is termed a Multi Function display. It has built capabilties for electronic charts, radar overlay, AIS function, depth, auto pilot etc with all being connected through the NMEA system. All the major playes such as Raymarine, Garmin, Furuno and Simrad have intergrated systems. Lots of information out on the net. Youtube has some very good tutuorials re same. From my experience go with the biggest scree you can afford as it makes life way easier. Personally I have a preference for Simad/B&G as it is very intuitive and user friendly but our latest boat came with almost new Garmin electronics and I am very happy with that as well.


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Old 30-06-2019, 21:15   #7
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Re: Need advice on electronics upgrade.

Thank you Greg. I’m doing more research now on Garmin Furuno and simrad. This is a good start. Thanks for the help.
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Old 30-06-2019, 21:27   #8
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Re: Need advice on electronics upgrade.

I would not put a display in the companion way. It is a hassle for getting in and out as well as it’s feet from your finger tips when you want to check something. A smaller display at the helm is nice as they don’t eat up space or blind you at night. I prefer keeping a primary down below at the nav table where you can properly plot a course for the next day then observe your course, view charts and adjust course as required from the helm. Touch screens can be a pain when wet or if you’re wearing gloves but if you have a primary below and a smaller older/cost effective secondary screen at the helm with toggle controls it’s another pro for that setup. Personally I would avoid wireless setup for critical components and opt for a hard connection, sometimes it’s easier to troubleshoot a lose or corroded connection than troubleshoot a wireless network setup and or connection.
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Old 30-06-2019, 21:40   #9
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Re: Need advice on electronics upgrade.

We have B&G but all the main recreational brands, including Raytheon and Garmin, will work. You could also build a frankenbeast from multiple NMEA2000 vendors.

Our B&G chart plotter overlays radar, sonar, autopilot, charts, engine sensors, battery status and AIS. Much better situational awareness than nav components all over the place.

The major issues are routing NMEA2000 cables and finding enough chart table or helm space for a decent sized chart plotter. Bigger is better. We went for a 12 inch screen and had to build a custom helm.

Our custom helm has 4 sq ft of dash space so we've been moving all controls to the helm. Engine controls, battery status, thrusters, fuel pumps, lighting, raw water alarm, transmission gauges, etc.

Chasing cables, fitting conduit and working up the mast will be your biggest challenge.
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Old 30-06-2019, 22:41   #10
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Re: Need advice on electronics upgrade.

Firstly, up front, I'm a marine electronics supplier and installer.

Id recommend B&G. Navico own B&G and Simrad, and Lowrance. Simrad is aimed at power vessels, and does not have the sailing functionality of the B&G units. B&G is no longer premium priced.
IMO B&G are the market leaders, but others are not far behind. Users like and will recommend what they know. Raymarine would be my 2nd choice.

Get everything from one supplier, then they cant blame each other for any issues.

I like having a plotter at the helm and one below, and in my own boat my one at the helm can rotate forward, so can be seen from anywhere in the cockpit.

A modern MFD from any of the listed suppliers will do all that you have requested, when connected to the right data sources (Transducers, Radar, AIS etc). However most users want 2-4 instruments as well, so they can save the MFD for charting displays etc.

If it were me, the budget choice would be a B&G Vulcan based unit, the preferred choice the Zeus 3 with 4g Radar and totalscan depth transducer, DST 800 and 320 series wireless wind transducer. The Triton 2 pilot NAC3 would be fine, with an appropriate drive unit, and a precision 9 compass. Top of the range would be a h5000 pilot, if you intend something like a circumnavigation, and budget is not so tight!

Good luck!
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Old 30-06-2019, 22:49   #11
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Re: Need advice on electronics upgrade.

Thank you Neptune. I’m now looking at b@g. That’s exactly the kind of response I was looking for in this thread. I love the idea of the swivel mount too. Thanks
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Old 30-06-2019, 23:16   #12
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Re: Need advice on electronics upgrade.

No Problem. You might also consider the new B&G vhf 60b which has a built in class b AIS transponder. Its new, but cheaper than the traditional AIS transponder and antenna Splitter...
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Old 01-07-2019, 10:44   #13
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Re: Need advice on electronics upgrade.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Neptune's Gear View Post
Get everything from one supplier, then they cant blame each other for any issues.

I like having a plotter at the helm and one below, and in my own boat my one at the helm can rotate forward, so can be seen from anywhere in the cockpit.

However most users want 2-4 instruments as well, so they can save the MFD for charting displays etc.
Neptune's Gear has some good advice. I too sell this stuff and agree with him. I would also like to add a few comments.

First, the comment about all from one supplier is very sage advice. Although the new stuff is supposed to be compatible, there can be issues when dealing with different manufactures. Not only do you want to avoid the blame game, but you will save an awful lot of time by not having to go back and forth and then trying to get a conference call to resolve differing opinions.

You absolutely want to have a few key instruments in addition to the MFD, or multifunction device. A depth finder is one of those. You do NOT want to be scrolling between screens or find yourself with information overload when concerned about depth. The same is true for engine temperature. Very few people I know find it convenient or even efficient to scroll between screens when time is critical. Yes, many MFDs have three or four buttons that can be preset to allow this, but it is way to easy to get bogged down looking at the device when you just want a quick look.

I highly recommend that you go to your nearest dealer as well as other boats and play with the equipment you are interested in. There is more to a device than just the features. Few people use more than five or ten percent of the features of an MFD. How easy are they to use? Are they intuitive or do you need to use the instructions for lesser used features? Do you like the menus that are offered? What chart options are offered and do you like the charts that can be used?

Many people come into my store and say they want Raymarine until they play with it. Many, not all, don't like the Raymarine menus. Others don't like the Garmin look or the Navico look. This is a big purchase and you want to be sure BEFORE you buy and install them that you like them, are comfortable with them, and feel confident with them. It is all too easy to look at one at the dock or in a store and pronounce satisfaction, but using it at night in less than ideal conditions, when you are tired can be different.

Talk to others and see how the support is. I have found Navico (B&G, Simrad, Lowrance) and Garmin support to be good. We don't even try to call Raymarine om a Monday or Tuesday in the spring and summer (here in the U.S.) as we can never get through on the dealer line without a major wait, if at all. I had a Coast Guard commander purchase well over $30,000 worth of equipment for search and rescue and it took almost two months for me to get to a second level rep!

Also, talk to each manufacture about their warranty. Find out what happens when you are 3,000 miles from the distributor and somethings dies.

As far as radar is concerned, the new chirp radars are really good. If possible, I recommend having a separate display for the radar and keep it oriented north. If it is oriented with the direction of the vessel, every time you turn, even a little, the targets will move. Here in NYC the harbor (harbour for my friends down under, across the pond, and up north. Aka, everywhere other than the U.S!) most professional captains do NOT use radar overlay. The issue is that of information overload. It is easy to lose the targets amongst the chart data, thus the reason for the separate display.

Most MFDs today have the ability to do a split screen, e.g. radar on one side and a chart on the other side. It works, but it reduces the image size a fair amount. Depending upon your preferences, as well as the size of the unit, it may be an issue. A separate screen solves this if you are able to do it.

Most people in a store walk up to a unit and stand two to three feet from the MFD and instrument. Figure out how far from the unit you will be when on the boat and stand that distance when deciding if the 7" or the 9" unit will work. or whatever sizes you are considering.

Good luck with your new yacht!
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Old 01-07-2019, 11:48   #14
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Re: Need advice on electronics upgrade.

I added the garmin gnx system about 2 yrs ago. the 2 displays, mounted over the companionway, have large enough characters (see attached) that i can easily read (depth, wind speed, wind direction) them from the helm (est 8 ft). Vesper xb-6000 AIS is displayed on garmin (7") chartplotter at helm all connected via NMEA 2000. Rocky start with 1st install of garmin system due to hardware bugs and recalled components that weren't, but now working consistently since last August. No radar. Good luck with your upgrade.
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Old 01-07-2019, 12:00   #15
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Re: Need advice on electronics upgrade.

Yes, All-In-One is pretty much a thing these days. The "tribes" you can choose to join boil down to Raymarine, B&G or Simrad (same bunch), Garmin or Furuno. All communicate on NMEA 2000 but Raymarine plays dog-in-the-manger by using proprietary connectors. It is possible to communicate with retrograde NMEA 0183 devices if you really want to. It is now possible to see mountains of data on your MFD including engine data, tank data, video feeds, satellite weather etc, etc, as long as someone makes an NMEA sensor or converter for it. Multiple MFD's can display all this anywhere you want to have it. Over your bunk! Investigate thoroughly so you can plan what you need now and might want later.
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