Electronics Packages?

[geb]

Looking for electronics advise.
Plan to buy new chart plotter, radar, AIS, HF radio, modem and autopilot. All gear aboard is at least ten years old and would like to replace with latest reliable and efficient technology.
This is for recently retired merchant mariner with steel junk rigged schooner planning to solo circumnavigate mostly in the Trades starting midcoast California in two or three months.
Since this will be a big purchase, was hoping for some kind of deal. Figured maybe a plotter, radar, AIS package from someone and maybe a HF radio, modem package of some kind.
Also, what would be best electronic chart packs to get for that?

[Dockhead]

If you're spending more than $10k, then many sellers will give you a "refit discount". Ask around. I like Defender very much for this.

[ranger58sb]

When I did a refit, I started with a market survey of (most/best) reputable installers in our local area.

After winnowing down the list to the three who received the most/best recommendations... I approached each with a list of what I had, what I wanted to save (radar and the DGPS) to integrate into a new system, what I didn't have and wanted to add... hummed a few bars about my own philosophical preferences about hardware, software, and networking... and then asked each of them for proposals.

With proposals in hand, and after some discussion with each about potential tweaks, we began homing in on actual installed prices... and I eventually selected the one that seemed to fit my needs (and wallet) best.

The package cost -- which included installation (which also entailed re-glassing some previous cut-outs, to make the most out of the available real estate) -- was high, but the individual component costs were quite reasonable.

And I'm very pleased with the end result, which is an almost completely integrated system (except for the old radar, which could only be semi-integrated), with multi-function display/chartplotter, AIS, autopilot, plus redundant GPSs, tri-data transducers/displays, and VHF radios.

If I'd had the time then, I could have acted as "helper" on the project (pulling cables and so forth), and that would have dramatically reduced labor costs of installation.

-Chris

[geb]

OK,
Thanks, guys.
That is about what I figured.
Guess I'd better start letting my fingers do the walking.