Autopilot garmin vs simrad

[DDabs]

I have a B&G hydraulic AP, which I assume is the exact same mechanical equipment as the Simrad (I think my Rudder Reference unit might be a Simrad part actually) and it has performed flawlessly (knock on wood) for the past 5 years cruising. I use it religiously and probably 95% of the time. I like things that are built to last and so far the quality of B&G is on point.

[waterman46]

Originally Posted by captnGD

I replaced 5 yr old Raymarine electronics with new Garmin 7612's and Sinrad autopilot with Garmin. Support is awesome along with performance and integration. Never seen Raymarine in an airplane. Electronics are not refrigerators, with the speed of technology advancement, you should want to replace after a max of 5 years.

If I had to replace electronics as often as many on this site do, I would give up all electronics and go back to DR, lead soundings, better ears, better eyes, and sheet to the tiller (so I would need a smaller boat). I don't replace anything that still works unless its a real safety or performance improvement, like AIS or LED lights.

The computer and drive circuitry of any decent autopilot should not need replacing for many years. BTW we are not talking about tiller pilots here - they fail more often.

I had my first Simrad autopilot for 15 years, and the computer and drive components still work fine, but I replaced the entire system with a newer Simrad because the older one needed to use a dedicated control head in which the flat screen display failed. Newer autopilots can use the MFD as the controller, so now the display failures will affect more than just the pilot. BTW display failures are by far the major problem with most electronics these days. Look at cellphones for example.

I called the Simrad reps to see if I could get a new display or repair the old one - no help there but I was able to find a working Simrad control head, used, online. So with that I now have a complete autopilot spare on my boat.

We also had to replace the fluxgate compass after about 10 years. The compass is a quite sensitive circuit and ours failed, I think, by having too much RF in the wiring from the SSB radio. My bad.

What I wanted to emphasize is that failures have specific causes. Be sure your installation does not set up any conditions that the product was not designed to handle.

I belive Garmin and Simrad are both reputable outfits, limited by what they can do that is reasonable to stay in business and still turn a profit like any other business. They build their products to survive under reasonable operating conditions, and if you meet those conditions you should get many years out of either brand of autopilot.

[kismet]

Originally Posted by Gypsyjon

I am not sure when Simrad quit making the Robertson AP-35 which I have. The screen on the control head became unreadable and I was able to find a new control head, as well as a shop that could repair the old one.

I would go with Simrad if it were up to me.

I have Garmin GPSMAP4210, which is "Legacy" not sure how much longer I will be able to update it.

Sorry, forgot to quote the post. Please tell where you get these units serviced.

[Emerson White]

We have the Simrad AP24 installed since 2012 with the WR-20 wireless control, the feature that most appealed to us. The wireless control failed in 2014 but we sent it back & Simrad repaired & returned it. About a year later it failed again but this time it was not repairable. Simrad had discontinued that wireless model but came with another model WR-10 a few months later which we have had for more than two years & it works fine. We use Coastal Explorer chart plotter software on a PC & the Simrad works flawlessly with our CE. We highly recommend the Simrad AP.

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by kismet

Would you please share the name and location of the shop that works on the Robertson/Simrad equipment.

While it's a bit removed from your locale, our shop is Jaytron Marine Electronics at 2635 Manatee Ave E, Bradenton, FL 34208 and Steve the technician who can be reached at (941) 746-6385. He's done great work for us in the past and can be relied on.

FWIW...

[Emerson White]

We dealt with Nava call and AVICO in Merrimack New Hampshire the street address is 10 A1 Paul Ln., Suite 101 and the ZIP Code is 03054. Their customer service number is 1-800-628-4487. Hope this helps. You can reach me at em.bev.white@gmail.com.

[artisanmach]

after 4 years I am still very happy with Garmin system, has worked flawless.

[4kMike]

This is another point of view: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ss-189307.html
Case is still open w. Garmin.

[nhschneider]

In 2010, we replaced all our electronics - radar, chartplotter, sailing instruments and AIS with Garmin products. At the time, Garmin did not offer an autopilot so we installed a Simrad AP24 with AC42 controller. Using N2K, everything went together without a hitch.

In the last 7 years, we have sailed over 47,000 miles and visited 32 countries. I'm still glad I made the decisions I did with regards to our electronics. Yes, the sailing displays gradually became illegible but, hell, they were on 24/7 for years. Garmin let me upgrade to new ones for US$100 each, which I thought was reasonable. Just recently, our Garmin GPSMap 6208 started acting funny so we sent it back to Garmin and they installed a new mother board for US$500, which was a lot but still significantly cheaper than a new chartplotter. Both my wife and I find the software on the Garmin to be easy to use.

Our Simrad autopilot steers better than I can. It can keep us within 50 feet of the rhumb line with almost imperceptible wheel movements even in substantial seas. I don't know how it does it and I've had plenty of time to study it.

Fair winds and calm seas.

[seandepagnier]

Originally Posted by rbrentp

Will be very interested in the outcomes on this thread but in sailboats I am not finding anyone who "loves" their AP over time.

I love my autopilot

[svHyLyte]

Originally Posted by rbrentp

...

Will be very interested in the outcomes on this thread but in sailboats I am not finding anyone who "loves" their AP over time.

Brent--

We've been relying on a late 1990's era Simrad/Robertson AP since we purchased our current yacht in January, 2002. Since then, "Otto" has seen us through fair weather and (REALLY) foul on all our cruises and we could not have managed without him in some of the crappy weather we've had to endure on passages. "Otto" has had some problems due to aging (as have I) but we've been able to get him back "on-line" for relatively little cost on the occasions his "lumbago" has kicked up. For what its worth, we (and especially my much better half) "love" Otto and will keep him going as long as possible which, as we've discovered, is far less costly than buying a more "delicate" newer version/evolution.

FWIW...

[Freedom45]

I have had Garmin on my boat for 10 years(Ap, chart plotter etc) and love it. Crossed the Pacific and cruised with zero issues. I can't say anything about support because I never needed it.
I am installing Garmin on new boat.
Cheers,
Chuck

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by Freedom45

I have had Garmin on my boat for 10 years(Ap, chart plotter etc) and love it. Crossed the Pacific and cruised with zero issues. I can't say anything about support because I never needed it.
I am installing Garmin on new boat.
Cheers,
Chuck

What! You got 3 lifetimes out of your pilot, that's amazing

[ArmyDaveNY]

So far we've been talking reliability and the pace of replacement for Garmin and Simrad equipment. Before you buy a particular chart plotter and other equipment, be sure to play with the units you are considering. Go to your nearest marine chandlery and look at the units you are interested in. Check out the menu options and the charts. I've seen many a person come in who were sure they wanted a particular unit, until they played with it.

I am a big fan of Garmin, however there are some things to consider. First, Garmin only uses Garmin charts (as of today). Garmin recently bought Navionics so this may change in the future, but as of now you are only going to be able to use Garmin charts. I happen to like the Navionics charts but not everyone does. Also, Garmin has a new version of their charts that I don't like. Raymarine and Navico (Simrad, B&G, and Lowrance) can use Navionics, Lightpath, and CMap charts.

Be sure to check the menus and see if you like the way you change screens, increase and decrease the size of things, change settings, etc. Generally speaking, Garmin is the most intuitive of the systems. This means it is easier to find things that you rarely use and need to refer to the manual less. This is a big time saver.

B&G and Simrad have a new home screen that is a vast improvement over their old screens. Lowrance is changing to the new home screen but not all of their units have done this.

Garmine and Navico (B&G, Simrad, and Lowrance) have pretty good tech support and are easy to reach. Raymarine support is good if you can get through to someone. We have a special dealer support number to call and we don't even try to call on a Monday and sometimes Tuesday because it is impossible to get through during the peak season. I had a Coast Guard Auxiliary captain who purchased over $30,000 worth of gear and it took us weeks to get a level two tech to answer our questions.

The Garmin 44, 54, 74, and 94 CV and SVs, as well as their various versions (e.g. 53sv) all have a unique feature. With the push of one button, you can remove the chart plotter and lock it up WITHOUT the need to unscrew any connections or retaining screws. One button allows you to secure the unit. This is very nice if you want the unit close to the helm.

Both Garmin and Simrad have their version of the clearvu sonar. This gives you a photo like image of the bottom. This was to benefit people who fish, but it has an added benefit of helping you decide where to anchor, or perhaps more importantly, where not to anchor. You will be able to see what is on the bottom and the risk of getting tangled in logs, rocks, etc. Of the two, I think Garmin is the better picture, but again, that is just me. Your actual mileage may vary!

I think you will be fine with either the Garmin or the Simrad. Just be sure to play with them so you see what you like and what you don't like.

[Dougtiff]

Google " Pelagic autopilot ", if your drive motor is still good, the Pelagic will interface, has a wireless control, an amazing package, and for about $ 700 buck's. [click passed the tiller system to replacing older systems].