RADAR BRAND

[meyermm]

which brands are considered best for 40-50ft yacht for ocean crossing. Furuno and Simrad seem like the more popular brands among commercial operators but would appreciate some feed back

[Pblais]

within brands there are many variations. With the direction of electronics moving toward integration you may want to look at the various systems to see which has the most for your money. Furuno, Simrad and Raymarine account for a large block of the market.

As far as brand names go I'm not much of a believer in brand loyalty. It would be nice to say one brand was so much better and the people so much more accommodating but it's not really true as far as I can see. You may find local warranty service to be important since problems do tend to come up right away as often as much later on. This can require a calendar not a stop watch so timing may be a factor for your planned trip.

Good installations are your best insurance for a long trip that includes long ocean crossings. The details for a really well done installation are not so easy to pick up on if you've never done it before. I would find the best installer since that is an area where reputation matters most.

[AnchorageGuy]

In all of my years of installing almost every brand and having to service units I would personally prefer Furuno to any of the other units hands down. But that is just my opinion. Go with the most current versions and if you are starting from scratch with electronics Start building your NMEA 2000. The newer units are NMEA and N2K compatable.