Best brand for instruments/plotter

[girdasso]

I will put in a word for reliability for B & G. I have on my present yacht a system that was still operating 32 years after installation with minor upgrades and good service. Just recently sonar speed sensors and compass stopped sending signal to computer.
I am investigating major upgrade to modern B & G system.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by Greatest Lakes

Yeah, the downwind performance of the raymarine autopilot is surprisingly good. It does work much better with the rudder position sensor though. I tried without it initially for a few years, and I finally installed it this spring. More responsive, and learns the wave frequency faster. Putting the position sensor as close to the center of movement helps too. On mine, that's near the mast, but not so near it bothers the GPS stuff.

I always fit rudder angle sensors by default.

Interesting I was speaking to a raymarine tech he suggested off centre was best as thd movement was exaggerated. He days for evo1 thd position makes little different

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by sailingharry

The chart options for Furuno are abysmal. I had just finished two and a half months in Canada, and they are virtually unusable. Due to various market reasons, they only offer C-Map, and they are dangerously inadequate. I know in some regions, such as the Bahamas, some people consider C-Map the gold standard. But in Canada, if you have a Furuno chartplotter, you better have Navionics on your smartphone or you will be lost.

Our last port in Canada was Yarmouth. Not a single buoy in the entire harbor showed on my chartplotter. About 30 of them showed on my smartphone.

In numerous places, an anchorage showed no spot depths and indicated the entire anchorage was under 6 ft. Navionics on my phone, and my depth sounder, showed us anchoring in 20 ft.

On the flip side, Furuno provides updated NOAA charts for the US at no cost, a huge benefit.

If you are going to spend your sailing career in US waters, I would recommend Furuno. If you think you might ever leave the country, I wouldn't dream of a Furuno chartplotter.

Interesting. Didn't realize you were talking about outside of U.S. Good points.

Although it seems odd to me that a major worldwide brand like Furuno wouldn't have decent charts for pretty much everywhere. Don't see how they could maintain their market that way. Do they just not sell Furuno equipment in Canada? Or other geographic areas?

Or is there a FurunoCanada provider or some such (similar to Furuno USA) that might have better chart solutions for up there?

-Chris

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by ranger58sb

Interesting. Didn't realize you were talking about outside of U.S. Good points.



Although it seems odd to me that a major worldwide brand like Furuno wouldn't have decent charts for pretty much everywhere. Don't see how they could maintain their market that way. Do they just not sell Furuno equipment in Canada? Or other geographic areas?



Or is there a FurunoCanada provider or some such (similar to Furuno USA) that might have better chart solutions for up there?



-Chris

I’m not sure what we actually comparing. Furinos latest MFD like the GP1871F, which would compare to similar raymarine units uses either C map or navionics. There are no free charts.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

I’m not sure what we actually comparing. Furinos latest MFD like the GP1871F, which would compare to similar raymarine units uses either C map or navionics. There are no free charts.

Our current MFD is a TZT3; earlier NavNET 3D MFD-12 was from our 2009 install on a previous boat. NOAA charts included, with free updates... but then we're U.S.-based.

-Chris

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by ranger58sb

Our current MFD is a TZT3; earlier NavNET 3D MFD-12 was from our 2009 install on a previous boat. NOAA charts included, with free updates... but then we're U.S.-based.

-Chris

Yes but that’s only on the TZ product line. So it’s not an apples and apples comparison

Secondly as thd new TZ uses mapmedis charts these are not free for example



Is $599

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Yes but that’s only on the TZ product line. So it’s not an apples and apples comparison

Secondly as thd new TZ uses mapmedis charts these are not free for example

Attachment 264879

Is $599

As far as I know, the TZT3 line is one of the newest in that sort of NAVnet MFD. Our charts are indeed MapMedia charts. NOAA source (so I've just called them NOAA charts), included at purchase, free updates.

What's your screenshot from? A GP1871F? I hadn't been paying attention, didn't realize Furuno has some current stuff that's NOT NAVnet. Not sure I see much difference at the top level descriptions; just looks like smaller sizes but otherwise same or similar...

-Chris

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by ranger58sb

As far as I know, the TZT3 line is one of the newest in that sort of NAVnet MFD. Our charts are indeed MapMedia charts. NOAA source (so I've just called them NOAA charts), included at purchase, free updates.

What's your screenshot from? A GP1871F? I hadn't been paying attention, didn't realize Furuno has some current stuff that's NOT NAVnet. Not sure I see much difference at the top level descriptions; just looks like smaller sizes but otherwise same or similar...

-Chris

The screen shot is from thd TZ chart shop. No free charts to be had AFAIK , I’m not including new buys which often come preloaded.

[Shaneesprit]

Originally Posted by MVDarlin

I have had good service and reasonable pricing from Garmin for over 20 years with 2 vessels. Whatever you buy try to stay with one manufacturer. I do have a Raymarine autopilot.

I bought a Raymarine EV-100 Tiller Pilot, then found out it doesn’t work straight out of the box, you are forced to update the software first, oh But to do this you need to buy an RM - MFD. so now i have an MFD and now Charts on the RM MFD. that i never wanted.
Once your on the hook they have you.
All of the content you can find is very high level, and flashy marketing but no real substance and technical content. Making finding your way around what’s needed far more difficult than it needs to be.
i do love the ease of connections on RM SeatalkNG, although the cables are a bit expensive.
What I don’t like is the RM pilot gives up at the slightest difficulty. Bleeps a few times and waits for you to reset course. Why it doesn’t just pick the course back up - I have no idea, it’s very annoying. It does the same on a Low Voltage Alarm. Equally annoying again far easier to look to see why the voltage is low, if the pilot was still steering.
The wheel pilot may work better than the tiller version.
If your buying a package Once you have choose your probably not going to buy from anyone else again.

[wsmurdoch]

Originally Posted by Hesti

Does any of the brands have a bright red or yellow button to get a MOB fix in a single button push? If yes - I would seriously consider to go with that brand.


Yes, the modern electronics have more features than you will probably ever need. But do they also all get the basics of useability in difficult situations right? From the past - MOB fix hidden somewhere in the menues, ... .

I have a Yacht Devices YDAB-01 on my NMEA2000 system operating in it's default MOB mode with a push button switch in the cockpit. It drops an AIS MOB target on my chartplotter and sounds an alarm. It does one thing and does it well.

[Eric50]

Hi everybody,

Our experience :

Raymarine : NOT anymore allowed onboard, we struggle few years to fix an ST 6000 AP that costs us a fortune to repair and will not work at the end, the black box (which was INSIDE the boat) did not suffer a few drop of water ingress, sorry guys but considering the costs of these equipement supposidely working in marine environment NOT acceptable AT ALL.

We changed for Simrad AP issued form formerly Robertson ones, the most reputed at that time...worked fine since day one, steers like a an America's cup champion, never had an issue since it was installed in 2006, learnt the boat in the first few hours of sailing, consistent.

We changed our original NKE electronic set by a newer NKE, mainly because of the transducers size, but we would not recommand them AT ALL, too much additional gear to buy to have communication with others brands and / or NMEA protocal, not really reliable, external display had their casings eaten by the sun and becaome very brittle too quickly, setting is not user friendly...all of this for a fortune again. Next time we'll probably go for Simrad or Furuno, or a PC...

The simple Furuno GPS 32 is working fine since decades.

The Koden radar 3500 installed in 1990 was replaced few years ago by one of the same brand, in color and is working fine, much lighter, smaller in depth and lower consumption, we hope it'll last the same duration.

Talking about onboard electronics and the likes, special mention for all our ICOM communication devices that are working well since 1990 for the olders, we will not have other brand for this category than ICOM.

[goboatingnow]

All I can say is my ray marine worked faultlessly for 16 years and the local agent is set up to repair them. But all spare parts are expensive as manufacturers basically don’t want repair.

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

The screen shot is from thd TZ chart shop. No free charts to be had AFAIK , I’m not including new buys which often come preloaded.

Hmmm...

I usually go the the Furuno site, here: https://www.furunousa.com/en/products/gps_and_chart_plotters/browse?filter=Discontinued.eq.false&group={CFBDF65 2-0102-4A61-9835-CF99FD2D0A6F}&groupName=Charts%20for%20NavNet%203D ,%20TZtouch,%20TZtouch2%20and%20TZtouch3

And then check USA chart region. Lots of free charts.

Or maybe your point is that the U.S. (NOAA) chart situation is an anomaly?

Or yes, it could very well be that the initial NAVnet/TZT purchase is including a semi-hidden upfront chart cost.

When we got our first NAVnet -- circa 2009, same time we got the TimeZero (MaxSea) package for our ship's laptop -- I also looked at the MapMedia site for updates. Somewhere just after that (I think) they introduced the mytimezero site... but navigation (so to speak) to the Furuno site ended up being easiest and I've just stuck with that over the years.

-Chris

[ranger58sb]

Originally Posted by Hesti

Does any of the brands have a bright red or yellow button to get a MOB fix in a single button push? If yes - I would seriously consider to go with that brand.

Our Garmin and Furuno MFDs both have a single "push" (touch) for the MOB fix. Garmin "button" is red; can't remember off-hand what color the Furuno is.

-Chris

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by ranger58sb

Our Garmin and Furuno MFDs both have a single "push" (touch) for the MOB fix. Garmin "button" is red; can't remember off-hand what color the Furuno is.



-Chris

Ray used to have it. Now it’s all touch.

I’m going to install the Yacht Devicrs Mob button interface ,buy a bright red push button and have a facia plate made up. Maybe even two buttons ?