Looking for suggestions here. Have a new boat on order and I'd like to get out ahead of this one, rather than purchasing something in a hurry at the last minute. I'd love to stay below $700 to be honest. Willing to add separate radar later, so don't need (and can't afford) a network system. Our boating/fishing grounds are Puget sound and the San Juans, and hopefully future trips to BC and Alaska. Also, my vision requires at least a medium size screen or else I need to use my reading glasses. Finally, easy/intuitive to use and accessories included are a plus to me. Thanks in advance for the input.
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best sonar/GPS combo under $1K
- Thread starter westward
- Start date
I have Garmin with a 5" screen with Bluechart G2 maps and a transducer for a little more than $800 three years ago and it is easy to use but I needed to read the manual
The screen is zoomable but may be too small. Other suggestions are keep reading glasses close by, upgrade to no line progressive lenses, purchase a chartplotter with a larger screen..... Raymarine Factory Outlet had some deals on a larger screens several months ago (close models,, 10" screen and larger) for less than $1K.
I would call installers and check if they have any from owners who recently upgraded to newer models
The screen is zoomable but may be too small. Other suggestions are keep reading glasses close by, upgrade to no line progressive lenses, purchase a chartplotter with a larger screen..... Raymarine Factory Outlet had some deals on a larger screens several months ago (close models,, 10" screen and larger) for less than $1K.
I would call installers and check if they have any from owners who recently upgraded to newer models
I am confirmed Garmin guy: 76C handheld, 182C (5-inch), and 740s (7-inch). Other owners will surely like their Raymarine or other brands. The 182C came with my CD22 when I bought it used; I added 740s to get built-in national chart coverage, and because I wanted to upgrade sounder and add fuel gauge, and have all of this on one display, with course and speed. I spent a bunch of time at various chandlers playing with different pieces of equipment before I decided.
If you want to keep it under $700 you may have to stick with 5-inch display. I found this size satisfactory with my 182C--as long as I only wanted chart on screen. With other stuff (course, speed, whatever) up there simultaneously it gets a bit cramped for me.
I now live on Chesapeake Bay, but I have sailed and C-Doried in PNW (Olympia to Ketchikan, plus Charlottes and around Vanucouver Is. for nearly 40 years. (Most recent trip to Desolation this summer.) My experience (some of it very hard-earned) is that radar is a key piece of safety equipment for those waters--unless you plan to confine your cruising to the afternoons, when the fog has burned off.
Good luck--and enjoy.
If you want to keep it under $700 you may have to stick with 5-inch display. I found this size satisfactory with my 182C--as long as I only wanted chart on screen. With other stuff (course, speed, whatever) up there simultaneously it gets a bit cramped for me.
I now live on Chesapeake Bay, but I have sailed and C-Doried in PNW (Olympia to Ketchikan, plus Charlottes and around Vanucouver Is. for nearly 40 years. (Most recent trip to Desolation this summer.) My experience (some of it very hard-earned) is that radar is a key piece of safety equipment for those waters--unless you plan to confine your cruising to the afternoons, when the fog has burned off.
Good luck--and enjoy.
"Best" is a very subjective term. For ease of use, it's hard to beat Garmin. For depth sounder, Lowrance/Furuno have been the leaders. For a good chart plotter with a large screen and a reasonable price, I think it's hard to beat the combination of an ipad + Navionics. But then you need to add the sounder. You can find a Lowrance HDS7 Gen 2 for around $850 with a transducer if you shop around a little. If a good fish finder is important to you, I'd upgrade from the standard transducer and add an Airmar P66 for around $100. That will give you excellent performance even in deep water. If you by the HDS7 w/o the transducer, you can get it for around $800.
Robert H. Wilkinson
New member
I have been very happy with my Standard Horizon. Cost me $899. but that was installed and included a gold chip which was worth 300. Has a 5" screen, colour, combo unit. I was told that the Standard Horizon has a faster redraw rate than some others. This is an important thing when using a small screen.
Many come with a chip included to sweeten the deal. Make sure it is a chip that you will use - also I found that it was well worth the extra 100. to upgrade to the gold card from the silver. A lot more information, pictures of harbour entrances, etc.
Regards, Rob
Many come with a chip included to sweeten the deal. Make sure it is a chip that you will use - also I found that it was well worth the extra 100. to upgrade to the gold card from the silver. A lot more information, pictures of harbour entrances, etc.
Regards, Rob
The Garmin 740s is on sale now (basically the 741xs series are replacing them at twice the price.) This is a 7" chart plotter, with all of the US coastal maps loaded. It is the easiest to use. The Sounder is 1000 w, and transducer included--there is another Airmar transducer which is slightly better, if you are really a serious fisherman. Radar is an easy plug in ethernet plug in when the time comes, and the newest HD radar is excellent and not too expensive. This runs from $749 to $799 with a bit of looking around. Garmin is the easiest to use. Excellent charts, with their own cartography department, excellent service.
The Furuno GP1870F....@$719 is also an excellent combo unit. Probably the Fish Finder is a bit better. BUT, the charts are going to be extra (I believe) and it is not compatible with current Furuno Radars.
My choice is the 740 Garmin--and I bought one recently, I have a 4" and 5" Garmin already. The 740 will replace the 4", and the 4" will permantly go to my other boat.
The Furuno GP1870F....@$719 is also an excellent combo unit. Probably the Fish Finder is a bit better. BUT, the charts are going to be extra (I believe) and it is not compatible with current Furuno Radars.
My choice is the 740 Garmin--and I bought one recently, I have a 4" and 5" Garmin already. The 740 will replace the 4", and the 4" will permantly go to my other boat.
Thanks fellows! Bob: the Furuno GP1870F was the one I was most seriously looking at and you're right: the transducer is an extra $100+, and the C-Map you need is over $200. I've always thought Furuno to be good gear, but I'm really gonna have to look at the Garmin you mention. The ability to add radar later would be a real plus, and I agree that Garmin products tend to be very intuitive to use. Mike
When I started looking 3 years ago I was given some advice: Visit stores and try them out. Doing that I found that Garmin "fit" me, where Ray marine and Lawrence did not. That's personal choice, but it is like buying a car/ truck. If you were raised in a chevy family and you get in a ford it just never seems "right" and vice a versa. The only way to find out is to try them. Reading advice here and listening to salesmen can't give you that "feel."
I went with the Garmin 740 and I like it because you can add features later like radar, AIS, sounders & etc. I think any of the big names offer that feature. All of them offer that same set of tools, but it is a matter of personal preference how they are used. Finally, I went with touch screen and can't imagine doing it with buttons to the side. Doing a run thru the fog last month it was so easy to just reach up and touch a point on the screen. If I had to direct a blinking curser with a button off to one side I would have sat passive and not made the changes/ adjustments that I did, which gave me a lot of reassurance.
So, my suggestion is to haunt the marine stores and find the system you like. After you get the base unit (for under a boat buck) you will find ways to get more boat bucks to add to the system and be glad it is a "system" and not a bunch of different electronic devices that clutter your helm dash, do a lot of things but just don't quite do all of what you want.
Finally, to that I can give the advice my father gave me: "you get what you pay for" which, when I have ignored I've been sorry. His related advice "There ain't no free lunch."
Chuck
I went with the Garmin 740 and I like it because you can add features later like radar, AIS, sounders & etc. I think any of the big names offer that feature. All of them offer that same set of tools, but it is a matter of personal preference how they are used. Finally, I went with touch screen and can't imagine doing it with buttons to the side. Doing a run thru the fog last month it was so easy to just reach up and touch a point on the screen. If I had to direct a blinking curser with a button off to one side I would have sat passive and not made the changes/ adjustments that I did, which gave me a lot of reassurance.
So, my suggestion is to haunt the marine stores and find the system you like. After you get the base unit (for under a boat buck) you will find ways to get more boat bucks to add to the system and be glad it is a "system" and not a bunch of different electronic devices that clutter your helm dash, do a lot of things but just don't quite do all of what you want.
Finally, to that I can give the advice my father gave me: "you get what you pay for" which, when I have ignored I've been sorry. His related advice "There ain't no free lunch."
Chuck
today I received this info
Closeout E90W Multifunction Display preloaded with U.S. Coastal Charts
$799.00
Details
E-Series Widescreen delivers elegant simplicity, bold new styling and unprecedented choice. Choose the convenience of touch screen or the confidence of keypad control, thanks to E-Series Widescreen’s innovative HybridTouch™ user interface. The brand new user interface is designed around an intuitive home screen that puts you in control and gives you the power to customize your navigation experience with a few simple touches. It’s a remarkable, dynamic interface from the leader in navigation technology.
The E90W’s ruggedized glass touch screen, anti-glare optics, and scratch resistant screen ensures a reliable, accurate, and durable touch screen experience. Designed for the marine environment, the E90W’s touch screen minimizes false inputs from rain, spray or other contaminants, while the Touch Lock™ feature enables total button-based operation in extreme conditions. Optically bonded LCD display technology delivers vibrant color and maximum visibility in all conditions. The E90W boasts a high resolution sunlight viewable widescreen display with WVGA 800 x 480 resolution.
E90W ships preloaded with Navionics ready-to-navigate cartography for the continental coastal U.S. (lower 48 states). The E90W’s advanced chartplotter is now easier than ever thanks to HybridTouch™ technology and Raymarine’s intuitive SoftKey interface. Simply tap in routes or waypoints with your finger and use the on-screen keyboard to quickly name and manage them. Take advantage of everything E-Series Widescreen has to offer with Navionics Platinum Plus cartography powered by TurboView™ technology. Dive to depths and fly through your favorite destinations while enjoying a fast and seamless 3D navigation experience with Navionics TurboView™ technology. Navigate with high resolution aerial photo overlay, panoramic port photos, 3D bathymetric views, coastal points of interest, coast pilot book data and more!
Navigate with confidence in fog, rain, and at night by networking a Raymarine HD Digital radome or open array antenna. HD Digital radar delivers a dramatically clearer radar picture with crisp, well-defined contact echoes and life-like target presentation. Experienced anglers can take advantage of E-Series Widescreen’s all new “Bird Mode” radar tracking. Bird Mode automatically optimizes the radar display to track small sea bird targets at distance; giving anglers the long range intelligence they need to find fish (Bird Mode may require a radar antenna software upgrade).
E-Series Widescreen delivers unmatched HD Digital Sounder technology with up to 3 Kilowatts of output power. Enjoy fully automatic, hands free operation with any of Raymarine’s HD Digital™ sounder modules: Choose the 600 watt DSM30, 1000 watt DSM300 or the 3000 watt DSM400 HD Digital Sounder modules.
Connect an optional SR100 SIRIUS weather/radio receiver to track storms, receive weather alerts, view animated weather radar, and enjoy over 100 channels of commercial free music using SIRIUS Marine Weather and Satellite Radio Service. Plan your next fishing trip using highly detailed sea surface temperature data or plan your next cruise with up-to-the-minute NOWRAD radar overlaid directly on your chartplotter. Requires SIRIUS monthly subscription.
Intelligently network your E-Series Widescreen with SeaTalkhs and share radar, chartplotting, fishfinder, weather and navigation functions. Build a single widescreen display network or create a multiple E-Series Widescreen network with up to 8 SeaTalkhs network devices. The E90W also supports SeaTalk and SeaTalkng protocols for seamless integration with a Raymarine external GPS sensor, LifeTag, SeaTalk instruments and SeaTalk autopilots. NMEA0183 and NMEA2000 support is also standard on the E90W providing easy integration with 3rd party electronics and engine monitoring.
Each E-Series Widescreen display also features one video input for an on-board camera or entertainment source. Raymarine Marine Cameras are plug-and-play and offer outstanding video quality and durability in the marine environment. Add an optional video input/output cable (A62158) and enjoy 3 additional video input sources, as well as an HD compatible VGA video output to external LCD monitors and TVs.
The Raymarine E90W kit includes an owners manual, quick reference guide, suncover, flush mounting kit, and a power/data/video cable.
see
https://www.raymarinestore.com/index.ph ... 20-us.html
Closeout E90W Multifunction Display preloaded with U.S. Coastal Charts
$799.00
Details
E-Series Widescreen delivers elegant simplicity, bold new styling and unprecedented choice. Choose the convenience of touch screen or the confidence of keypad control, thanks to E-Series Widescreen’s innovative HybridTouch™ user interface. The brand new user interface is designed around an intuitive home screen that puts you in control and gives you the power to customize your navigation experience with a few simple touches. It’s a remarkable, dynamic interface from the leader in navigation technology.
The E90W’s ruggedized glass touch screen, anti-glare optics, and scratch resistant screen ensures a reliable, accurate, and durable touch screen experience. Designed for the marine environment, the E90W’s touch screen minimizes false inputs from rain, spray or other contaminants, while the Touch Lock™ feature enables total button-based operation in extreme conditions. Optically bonded LCD display technology delivers vibrant color and maximum visibility in all conditions. The E90W boasts a high resolution sunlight viewable widescreen display with WVGA 800 x 480 resolution.
E90W ships preloaded with Navionics ready-to-navigate cartography for the continental coastal U.S. (lower 48 states). The E90W’s advanced chartplotter is now easier than ever thanks to HybridTouch™ technology and Raymarine’s intuitive SoftKey interface. Simply tap in routes or waypoints with your finger and use the on-screen keyboard to quickly name and manage them. Take advantage of everything E-Series Widescreen has to offer with Navionics Platinum Plus cartography powered by TurboView™ technology. Dive to depths and fly through your favorite destinations while enjoying a fast and seamless 3D navigation experience with Navionics TurboView™ technology. Navigate with high resolution aerial photo overlay, panoramic port photos, 3D bathymetric views, coastal points of interest, coast pilot book data and more!
Navigate with confidence in fog, rain, and at night by networking a Raymarine HD Digital radome or open array antenna. HD Digital radar delivers a dramatically clearer radar picture with crisp, well-defined contact echoes and life-like target presentation. Experienced anglers can take advantage of E-Series Widescreen’s all new “Bird Mode” radar tracking. Bird Mode automatically optimizes the radar display to track small sea bird targets at distance; giving anglers the long range intelligence they need to find fish (Bird Mode may require a radar antenna software upgrade).
E-Series Widescreen delivers unmatched HD Digital Sounder technology with up to 3 Kilowatts of output power. Enjoy fully automatic, hands free operation with any of Raymarine’s HD Digital™ sounder modules: Choose the 600 watt DSM30, 1000 watt DSM300 or the 3000 watt DSM400 HD Digital Sounder modules.
Connect an optional SR100 SIRIUS weather/radio receiver to track storms, receive weather alerts, view animated weather radar, and enjoy over 100 channels of commercial free music using SIRIUS Marine Weather and Satellite Radio Service. Plan your next fishing trip using highly detailed sea surface temperature data or plan your next cruise with up-to-the-minute NOWRAD radar overlaid directly on your chartplotter. Requires SIRIUS monthly subscription.
Intelligently network your E-Series Widescreen with SeaTalkhs and share radar, chartplotting, fishfinder, weather and navigation functions. Build a single widescreen display network or create a multiple E-Series Widescreen network with up to 8 SeaTalkhs network devices. The E90W also supports SeaTalk and SeaTalkng protocols for seamless integration with a Raymarine external GPS sensor, LifeTag, SeaTalk instruments and SeaTalk autopilots. NMEA0183 and NMEA2000 support is also standard on the E90W providing easy integration with 3rd party electronics and engine monitoring.
Each E-Series Widescreen display also features one video input for an on-board camera or entertainment source. Raymarine Marine Cameras are plug-and-play and offer outstanding video quality and durability in the marine environment. Add an optional video input/output cable (A62158) and enjoy 3 additional video input sources, as well as an HD compatible VGA video output to external LCD monitors and TVs.
The Raymarine E90W kit includes an owners manual, quick reference guide, suncover, flush mounting kit, and a power/data/video cable.
see
https://www.raymarinestore.com/index.ph ... 20-us.html
most all of them have there perks. I am a lowrance guy i started with a hds-5 and now use a hds-8 for plotter FF. and a hds-7 gen 2 to run my G3 radar. I am very happy with this set up. however out of the initial price range. almost any maker can get you a system in that price point. I would go somewhere and play around/use all of them and decide for yourself wich one you really do prefer.