Need Opinions

[Nunya]

After much soul searching and internet searching, I've decided to break down and install a radar unit. I've been caught in the soup a handful of times and would feel better knowing where everyone else is. I don't leave the harbor if I don't have decent visibility, but there are times when it rolls in while out fishing.
Anyway I currently have a Garmin 4208 chartplotter which I could add a Garmin HD radar very simply, plug and play. But I was looking at a Furuno 1715 and am trying to decide which would be a better setup. Most articles favor the Furuno.
What are you guys opinions???

[cemiii]

I have an older model CRT Furuno (love that Co.) and while it works fine, I have been dreaming of the day I can change out for a new HD unit. So, from all the research that I have been doing (and especially if I already had a Garmin network head unit) I would have no problem at all going for the Garmin HD dome.

From what I've seen, I think you could recover 80 cents on the dollar even if you absolutely hated it, though I don't think you would.

Whatever you decide, please let us know the outcome.

Chris

[Matt Gurnsey]

I have not run a boat with Garmin's new HD radar. I can say that their second generation radar was very poor in performance, had bad definition, and was not user tunable. It was the worst radar I had ever run. I have heard the HD is much improved.

My experience with Furuno has always been good, and their radar is the industry standard. At this point Furuno is the only pleasuere boat electronics manufacturer with a commercial boat line up. That big boat technology works it way down to the pleasure boat product.

Furuno also offers much better support for their products. 20 and 30 year old Furuno radards still have parts availability. Garmin doesn't support product more than a year or two after they discontinue it. WIth their recent product changes, it means a 5 year old Garmin probably has limited support at this point.

The advantage for Garmin is that you already have the display, and adding just the radar is pretty easy.

Ultimately, it's almost a coin toss as to which way to go.

[thataway]

My personal preference would be the 1715 Furuno. Read what Ben Ellison says about the various radars. Start here:
http://www.panbo.com/archives/2008/06/garmin_18_hd_radar_the_beam_width_problem.html

Then jump to :
http://www.panbo.com/archives/2009/09/18_radomes_5_the_3nm_no-one-best-of_edition.html

One of the lessons here is to learn to manually tune the radar. Also to get the most out of the overlay, you need at the least a fluxgate compass--very best is a rate gyro compass.

Originally I was going to experiment with the new broad band radar. But reports have been so dissapointing and disjointed, and I have postponed that expensive decision...(I need a new boat for all of that!--everything I have works very well!).

[Matt Gurnsey]

In talking with a former Navico rep, the Broadband Radar has been disappointing in longer ranges, and overall has not been as great as hoped.

[kmcclish]

Hi,

I am really pleased with the resolution on my Garmin HD Radar. I previously had a Raymarine radar (2001) that was not nearly as discriminating.

You have to experiment with your controls to get the best resolution possible in varying conditions regardless of the brand you buy.

Good luck in your decision!

Kent
MARCIA JANE

[Doryman]

[NORO LIM]

Apropos of the topic, I would "echo" what Matt and Bob have said. If the price isn't too steep, get the Furuno. Their products (and not just their radars) are solid and dependable, and their customer support is beyond good. They may not always be first with the latest "model year" cosmetic bells and whistles, but as noted their pleasure boat products are the offspring of serious commercial applications. They appear to start with the assumption that the buyer will be relying on their equipment for years.

[Nunya]

Sounds like it's the Furuno...... Thanks Guys.

[localboy]

In looking at the Furuno Navnet Radar/chartplotters I notice they are available with the Navionics Gold vs. C-MAP NT Max charts.

Differences, likes, dislikes between the two from those that use them/know them? Appears the Navionics Gold is more of a traditional look like the charts I am used to adn the NT Max looks more modern and "hi-techy".

[matt_unique]

[Matt Gurnsey]

With NAVnet VX2 we have been going mainly C-Map, because of the bounderies of the maps and having to buy fewer (and now only one) chart cards.

We have not done a NAVnet 3D set up yet. I like a lot of the features, but have a hard time justifying the extra cost for my uses.

[thataway]

I have both a Navionics and a C map chart plotter in the Tom Cat (and Garmin)--and do comparisons. Both are good. I would look at the cartography for your area and then decide. The C map Max I have covers all of the inalnd waters to the great Lakes from the Gulf coast--and as noted that is a huge area. The "Hot maps" and some of the lake maps are better in the Navionics charts.

[journey on]

I use the older C-Map NT+, because that's what the JRC radar used. Haven't been disappointed. In the last 5 years C-Map has gone from the NT+ to MAX and now MAX Pro, but I assume the basic charting is the same. I'm often amazed as to how accurate the chart/WAAS GPS position is. They still sell NT+ chips, by the way

You can also get/buy a chip reader for a PC, which lets you do various looks at home. I can plan a route with the C-Map PC tool and with a little massaging upload the route to the radar. I guess I mean chartplotter.

The Furuno radars used to use a different shape for the C-Map chip. Be sure you get the right chip if you select C-Map.

Boris

[NORO LIM]

I think Boris makes a good point. When I got my Furuno GPS/chartplotter I had to decide which map version I was going to use before I ordered the chartplotter. You can't shove a C-Map chart into a Furuno configured for Navionics, or vice-versa. I have the Navionics and am very happy with it. A little pricey for the chips (took two to cover Olympia to Juneau).