Raymarine C120 is this a good deal??

[doug45]

I have a guy on craiglist has a C120 multi function display, tri data instrument ST60 with Transducer and the sounder module DSM 300 with transducer and fairing block 2 VHF radios, Raymarine 72 NM Radar Dome with GPS antenna module all for $1500 is this a good deal????

[travellerw]

That is really old gear (at least 10 years). That price is about 1/2 of what you would pay from brand new comparable gear.

Personally I would just save up for new stuff.

[Sandero]

there will always be new stuff with more bells and whistles... clearly "better"!

BUT...

Better at what? This ancient stuff was pretty damn good and if it works... probably plenty good.

The issue is how long will it perform?
Will there be support down the road?

If it can't be supported and it fails in the not too distant future.... it goes in Davy Jones locker and you are faced with buying the latest and greatest and starting again...

[doug45]

thanks for the answer guys, I guess I will get it and hope for the best??

[barnakiel]

It may be a deal but I do not like the C series. Do you like them?

I do not like them because sooner or later I always get lost in their menus and buttons.

Could be a personal thing though.

b.

[Pete7]

Ask what condition the screen of the 120 is like. They have a coating on the screen which is easy to scratch as is mine.

Pete

[travellerw]

Not to mention that those old cold cathode fluorescent (CCFL) screens have a limited life. As the bulbs age they get harder and harder to drive and eventually the drive chips fail.

Personally I wouldn't buy a chartplotter that old and certainly not for that price.

[KadeyKrogen38]

Raymarine is famous for discontinuing support and repairs for older units forcing you to buy new.

[SSgtPitt]

I have this unit on my 1982 CD36. It still works great and i have no plans to replace it in the near future. There's a ton of help forums out there regarding this unit and parts are still available. That being said, $1500 for ancient electronics that will most likely not pair well with new tech, is asking for problems. Offer $500, that would make it worthwhile.

[Teknishn]

While I agree with nearly all of the replies here (The ST60 is no longer available from nor supported by Raymarine....we just purchased a used Tri-data ST60 in like new condition in Germany for 35 Euros). I'm working on a yacht restoration and all of the equipment is Raymarine.

As many new boat or yacht owners tend to do doing a build or rebuild, is that they buy the fancy technical stuff first without realizing that by the time their boat or yacht is finished said fancy stuff is a bit outdated if not nearing outright obsolesence. Bought my 52" Sony flatscreen TV from the owner of my last boat for $50....It was 4-years old and not the "latest and greatest". (He had purchased 12 of them soon after the keel was laid.)

I've installed the following on our project: C120W Chartplotter, SPX30 Autopilot, DSM300 and associated transducer, Ray240E VHF/DSC radio, AIS650, Ray430 Loudhailer, Raymarine Long Arm wind vane with itc-5 module with an ST70 and itc5 for compatibility reasons, ST60 Rudder Angle Indicator, and the ST60 Tri-data module as a spare.

Concerning the C120W that we have, we are using Navionics Platinum charts. (Note: Navionics for the C series is still supported but you probably have to update the software which is still available for download from the Raymarine website but you will also need the Chart Updater software in order to install the updates). Work well and will get the job done once we launch. Ease of use? Well, can be a bit confusing running through the menus just to sync you chart with 3D for the bottom contours. Changing display light levels has got to be one of the worst design set-ups that I have seen (not backlighting, talking about night mode, etc.) Graphics for the underwater contours is a bit on the cheesy side as well, easily pixilates beyond recognition if you zoom in too close.

Yes, the items that you mention or old or nearing obsolesence but for $1500 and if half of the equipment works properly....not a bad deal IMHO. However, with that being said, and at that price, I can't help but wonder if this is a Lightning Strike sale (Selling dead stuff after being struck by lighting), unless the seller is doing major upgrades to his own boat. Ask lots of questions....

If you don't buy it, send me a message here and I may be interested in the gear.

[ArmyDaveNY]

Originally Posted by Sandero

there will always be new stuff with more bells and whistles... clearly "better"!

BUT...

Better at what? This ancient stuff was pretty damn good and if it works... probably plenty good.

The issue is how long will it perform?
Will there be support down the road?

If it can't be supported and it fails in the not too distant future.... it goes in Davy Jones locker and you are faced with buying the latest and greatest and starting again...

There is some good advice here and in the other answers also. I sell this stuff, as well as Garmin, B&G, Simrad, etc.

Let's start with support and there are two issues to consider. First, as has been pointed out this is "old" stuff. The dirty secret to this gear is that they make it for three to five years then stop. Another year or three later they stop supporting it and you are on your own. I have and I have customers who have gear that is ten or twenty years old and it works great. One big problem is that when one part goes bad you sometimes have to replace the whole kit and caboodle. Yes, NMEA 2000 and NNEA 0183 help a lot, but there are still things that just can't be had without fabrication.

Second, Raymarine is notoriously difficult to get a hold of. I have a special dealer line and I have a lot of trouble. (N.B. I am here in the U.S. so if you are in a different country, you may have better or even worse luck) It is so bad that I don't even try to call on Monday. I had a guy who purchased over $20K in electronics and it was like pulling teeth to get a second level rep to call me back. I finally had to call our factory sales rep and go through him to get a supervisor to call. Even then it took over a week to get them together.

Another issue is that the menus of the older Raymarines are not terribly intuitive (The new ones are much better but still not great). I also find that their processors are slow when contrasted to B&G, Simrad and especially Garmin.

Having said this, what will a system do that individual components won't? This is not a straight forward question. If you want a CHIRP radar to see crab pot buoys twenty feet away with a chart overlay, then you'll need something new. Most people however rarely use more than ten percent of what a new system can do. (e.g. Do you really need video?).

There are several reasons for this. First and foremost, especially with Raymarine, is that they can't figure out how to use the new features and can't find the menu for them. Even when they can, many of the new features are only occasionally used and when there is an opportunity to use some special feature, people forget that they have the ability to use it. Voltaire made popular an old Italian proverb and for most of us it holds true; perfect is the enemy of the good!

I will be happy to sell you the latest and greatest system. Come and visit me with $20K and I will give you a gee whiz system guaranteed to impress even the most old school sailor. On the other hand, come and visit me with a modicum of pragmatism, and I'll get you set up for a tiny fraction of the cost; money that can be put to much better use (you'll then impress the old school sailor even more!)

Someone in one of the posts suggest offering a much smaller amount. I wholeheartedly agree. First ask yourself what do you really need? If you are just looking for a lat and long, a hand held or a Garmin 44DV will be more than adequate. Even if you want a chart plotter, a basic Garmin 44DV, 54DV, Simrad Go5, etc. will be quite sufficient for getting in and out of a strange harbour. Additionally, they have down view which will help you figure out where, and more importantly, where not to anchor. If you want radar. you will be best off having it on a separate screen. Even if you want it as an all in one unit, Garmin sells the 741xs with radar for under 2K brand new.

Sorry for the rant but I hate to see people toss their money away. This is a lot for a very old system and an old Raymarine system. Offer way less and use it until it stops working or get a new basic system and use it for years.

It is possible that an old system will work just fine, or it is possible that the individual components will do what you need, or you may need it to be integrated. Without knowing what your goals are, and how you are sailing (motoring?), I can't say if this is the system you need or even if it will help you.

Regardless of what course of action you choose, I wish you the best of luck and fair winds.

[Teknishn]

Doug45, could you send me that link to the craigslist posting? (Ain't gonna try and buy it out from under you....I don't roll that way)...just want to piss of my boss by telling him I can buy nearly the same gear we have for $1500! LOL (and then they decide to upgrade I buy the old stuff as scrap and get paid to install the "latest and greatest"!)

[doug45]

baton rouge, La craiglist under boat parts and merchandise

[doug45]

I really thanks everyone for the input WOW everyone knows alot of stuff! on this subject. I have a Gemini 3000 and live in Louisiana, want to sail around FL and go to Bahamas. What do I need??? I seen the post on handheld stuff and will write down your thoughts on those items you mentioned to buy and will be much cheaper. I will offer less and probably walk away if he does not come down. anymore input would be helpfull, thanks Doug

[doug45]

Armydaveny, you got alot to say thank you, Sir