Electronics upgrade? C-80, Garmin or Furuno Navnet?

Mr. Fisherman

Well mates, it seems the time I have been putting off is quickly creeping up on me. My Radar went down and I am replacing it becasue I can not bring my self to miss the season fishing, but... I am very interested in upgrading.
I like the features of the Furuno Navnet system and have been very impressed with some of the features revealed on the high end Garmin models. I have friends with the C-80 units and they seem to be tickled pink.

So I am looking for input from those who have already made the change or upgraded and from those of you who have taken the time to research their electronics.

Lets hear the good, the bad and the ugly...

Thanks in advance,

Ray

Sneaks · Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 4:39 pm Post subject:

Wow. My only comment is that all of the major manufacturers appear to be switching over to the NMEA 2000 standard and the bigger boat builders are increasingly installing a NMEA 2000 bus during construction. Whatever you buy, make darn sure it is either compatible or will shortly be compatible otherwise you're going to feel like a VCR owner in a DVD world.

By the way, Lowrance is no longer trailing behind. They also have fully integrated systems including RADAR.

Otherwise, I personally don't think there's a significant difference between any of the four manufacturers, though there may be in the world of "Customer Service."

Just like I'd love to have a Ford pickup with a Cummins diesel and an Allison tranny, I'd love a Raymarine radar integrated with a Garmin 10" chartplotter and a Furuno fishfinder using Lowrance Fishfinder software and displayed on the Garmin along with Radar plot.

In other words, I guess ya gotta go for the gold with what you use the most and accept the rest of the package....

As always, my opinion is worth precisely what you paid for it.

Don

Sawdust · Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 5:59 pm Post subject:

Aw cummon, Don -

Your advise is worth a whole lot! Lots of BTDT - and I've gotta agree. Love my E-80, but know there are better side dishes out there - also BTDT. Not a looser in the bunch IMO.

Get the best for what's most important to your style.

Dusty

flapbreaker · Posted: Mon Jul 03, 2006 6:56 pm Post subject:

You probably can't go wrong with any of the "high" end systems. The biggest thing would be how easy it is to use. I really have not found a down side to my c-80 system. It is fairly inuitive except for a few things like the fish alarm take's too many steps to turn on but could easily be fixed with a software upgrade. I suppose the other downside is the lack of quality planning software. I know they just released their free raytech planner which works but what I really want is the same navionics charts that are on the plotter not some generic chart.

I really like the fishfinder. I feel like it really shows good detail.

CatyMae n Steve · Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:03 pm Post subject:

We've got the C70 Raymarine (why wouldn't you want to have RAYmarine, Ray? ar ar ar), radar and gps and are quite happy with them. We'd have gone wih the 80 though if it hadn't been enough more money that we just didn't think we needed it that badly.

I've stuck with Raymarine as it's what I've had on 3 boats now, and have no complaints.

Sorry to hear yours took a dive...hope you're back on the water SOON!

Sea Angel · Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 5:37 pm Post subject:

For my 2cents worth..
I have the C80 gps plotter, 4KW, autopilot system along with the Garman 2006C gps plotter & fish finder.

The more I learn abt it the more I am very pleased with the radar. With the 2 chart plotters side by side, I prefer the Garman, hands down for its clarity and details. I find managing the way points easier on the '2006, but that may be my learning curve fighting me.

My only complaint is in my installation of the radar, not its function. I don't have the height I want due to storage restriction, so it is right on the roof.

The data cable between the TX unit and the display is also too long and is coiled up on the shelf above the helm. Boy does it make a racket in the chop. I do have a piece of carpet under it, but that keeps jumping out of place and comes down on my head. Crook

To cut or not to cut, that is the question.

Either way, go with a major player you can get service from. Do have a integrated system and if you incorporate the DSC function to the radar display, great safety help, as well as target tracking.

Sea Wolf · Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 8:40 pm Post subject:

Maybe it's time for the C-Dory manufactuer to seriously connsider settiing up the helm and dash to better accomodate electroinic displays. I know that has been done a lot on purpose designed offshore boats already.

I'm not sure how to approach it, but there isn't much room at the C-Dory helm for electronic displays w/o going up on or underneath the electronics shelf.

Perhaps one of us could design a more elaborate and accomodating electronics shelf and/or cut (ouch) out the dash to partially sink a multi-function screen or two down partway (still allowing access to the control buttons) so that the overall result would be to not interfere so much with the helm's vision.

Complicating this need is the lack of uniformity in display unit dimensions and other requirements. Again, the lack of uniformity and common design parameters, and electonic language differences, etc.,-- all make for hard choices, first in unit selection, then during installation, and use.

Oh well, one might say, give the market a while, and the shakeout may eliminate weak designs, manufactuers, and systems. Well, maybe. It's also possible that the rate of development of new products and the tendency of manufactuers to design new proprietary electronics to serve their own profit motives so as to prohibit the integrating of systems may outpace the first tendency, namely, to develop more uniformity.

bla, bla, bla, sour grapes., etc.................sorry!

Joe.

thataway · Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 9:20 pm Post subject:

Many of the new engines are MNEA 2000 and will interpose the the engine data onto the screen. This could mean that one pannel will show everything you need. Lowrance seems to have the lead here--but using their Nav net, which is based on MNEA 2000. I also look at manufacture service. If you look at commercial vessels, Furuno still rules. The Furuno nav net was slow on the redraw for some time--I understand it is better now.

I have used radar for over 30 years, and can easily form an overlay on a chart or chart plotter from the radar screen. Thus I am not in love with the color radar or overlay. Most people don't know how to tune--or even interupt the radar. So, my choice for radar still is monochrome Furuno.

I am very impressed with the new Lowrance products--and I will go with the Lowrance fishfinder (a fishfinder is important for a non fisherman, because of the information it gives you about the bottom and changes that are occuring. I am also intrigued by the Hummingbird semi side scan units. However the price is high for the amount of information which the average boater will need. I have had a Standard Horizon 170 chart plotter--and now purchased a 175. This is only a 6" plotter, but uses the very good C maps--and has one of the best daylight displays and redraw times. I suspect that I will also buy one of the 10" or 7" Lowrance combo fishfinder/GPS plotters with the 20 gig hard drives, since we trailer the boat all over the country. (There is the arguement that hard drives are more likely to fail, but I have yet to have one on a laptop fail--I do back up frequently, just in case).

I don't see any reason for the on the screen weather channel (a quick look around tells me as much or more--occasionally I use Radar to track cells) I also have used weather fax, but the computer handles this well now. I also keep all of the US coastal maps and Offshore navigator on my laptop--for planning as well as back up. I also will get an AIS reciever. This gives more information than radar for many commercial shipping/tugs etc.

I tend not to use a radar from a company which doesn't have a track record with radar. I am slightly prejudiced against Ray Marine--past history, and if you look at some of the fishing boards, there are still reliability problems--but the sets do look nice!

All of us have our own ideas. I wanted engine guages side by side-not all of the port on the left and stb on the right. I like to compare exactly what is going on with each guage--many prefer the opposite, so most boats are set up this way. I had my Tom Cat set up as I wanted it. The radar will pivot from the bottom of the shelf--and when not in use it will swing up out of the way. The two chart plotters/fishfinders will be low, right below my line of site--I don't want to look down at a dash and loose my horizon orientation...The computer will be at the Admiral's seat--for long term navigation. The Ham, one VHF (hailer)--allows the Admiral to operate it also) and the entertainment radio will be on the overhead shelf--with a teak face. The second VHF will be a black box, with only a RAM mike visiable.

A lot boils down to what you personally like and are comfortable with--no magic screen--and I think that most of the current players will continue.