Electronics. What’s the best?

NotHerDecision

Well-Known Member
Jun 28, 2016
2,173
Houston, Texas
Boat Info
2001 Sea Ray 460 Sundancer
2014 Seadoo 155 LTD
2105 Seadoo 130 SE
2013 Mercury Dinghy
Engines
Cummins 6CTA 8.3L
these threads pop up from time to time and unfortunately with the fast paced environment we live in the change almost daily.

I want to upgrade my original electronics in my 01 460 and it’s so confusing!!!

Here is what I think but I honestly want as many opinions and information as possible.

Garmin: seems to be the most expensive. Has fantom radar that tracks the direction of travel of other boats. Is entirely touchscreen. Uses proprietary maps. Recently purchased Navaionics and active captain so cool things could be on the horizon. Also has forward looking sonar which sounds cool for our shallow waters

Raymarine: axiom units are very nice and responsive. Uses multiple maps. Uses only seatalk and is not nmea 2000 compliant. Is less expensive then garmin. Well known as having horrible customer service.

Simrad: very glossy displays, seems this could be an issue, incredible halo radar. Not a ton of info on these but best priced in the market by a long shot.

Chime in with your thoughts, this is over 10k and I want a great setup

For reference I want dual screens one large and one smaller with open array radar and autopilot. I have a raymarine autopilot and it seems most can interface with what I have. I will need a tridata and transducers as well.

Thanks in advance for the comments.
 
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According to the brochure the Axiom units support both Seatalk and NMEA2000. I guess I just made your decision harder. You're welcome. Not a big fan of glossy displays. The Garmin connectivity options look really good on paper, but I have to admit, I'm still in the research phase.
 
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My two cents - try them all first! I tend to think the interface of these types of electronics is quite personal. Functionality and bells/whistles aside there are some very real differences in how you use or interact with each of these brands. Kind of like Apple vs Android.

I own old-school Raymarine electronics on my boat. Two years ago +/- I started using Garmin Bluecharts on an iPad as an intermediate to a real electronics upgrade (maybe). I find the Garmin interface to be very intuitive. And the Active Captain content is really cool.

If/when I upgrade I will go Garmin for the usability/interface aspect of it as I've had some (very limited) experience with newer Raymarine and Simrad. I'm not a hardcore boater, I'm no charter captain and I don't need really tricked out sonar/fishing capability. Just a weekend warrior that uses radar at night and autopilot/GPS on longer cruises...


Within a few boats of mine I see new setups of Raymarine, Simrad and Garmin. Perhaps I'm just imagining this but based on what people get at my marina I would suggest this breakdown:

Garmin - The leisure boater that wants solid electronics with great functionality, a comfortable user interface and a well known brand that suggests quality (perceived or otherwise)

Simrad - The more serious boater that may spend more time on the hook, more time fishing. Seems like more sonar tricks to be had, more technical features perhaps. The Simrad guys I know take fishing very seriously

Raymarine - The boater that is somewhere between Garmin and Simrad that wants all of the above but trusts the Raymarine brand based on the fact that it's "everywhere" and has always been. Raymarine could be perceived as an easy choice based on the longevity of the company and the fact that you see Raymarine domes and arrays on half the boats in the marina. They also have a slick looking product, like the others, and offer some level of backwards compatability for the partial upgrade guy.

That's my two cents! Probably worth about half that.
 
Having owned all three brands listed I would likely go back to Simrad unless Garmin puts Navionics charts in them. I don't care for the Garmin charts, and I find some Garmin functions harder to use than the Simrad, both are easier than the Raymarine.

I would be careful about saying Garmin is the most expensive of the three. Make sure you are comparing same feature sets and functions. I have found one display from brand X will be cheaper than brand Y but Radar/Autopilot/.... was opposite.

If I was upgrading today I would likely go to Furuno - best of all the worlds at a slightly higher cost. Easy to use, awesome radar, awesome sonar (even though I dont fish) and awesome charts, all on a fast platform with very good technical support.
 
Do you have Smartcraft/Vesselview? I forget when Merc started putting that in, but I think it was around your year or so. I am just starting to research this stuff for my 330DA, but from what I have learned so far, Simrad (and I think Lowrance) are fully compatible with Smartcraft/Vesselview right out of the box, and the displays can be used interchangeably, so for that reason I am starting to lean toward Simrad. Previously, I put a Simrad Go7XSE in my 225WE, mostly because the unit was exactly the right dimensions I needed, and I really liked the way it operated.
 
I don’t have smart craft and I have all mechanical engines so I’m good without that.

I will admit I overlooked furuno, I haven’t heard much about their charplotters, anyone have experience?

Josh
 
I've had all three you mentioned and liked them all. Currently have Raymarine on the boat and like it too.

Simrad wasn't as user friendly as the others, Garmin seemed to be the best in this category.

Simrad's glossy screen is hardest to see in bright sunlight, Raymarine and Garmin both do well in this category.

If you boat in shallow water Garmin's Down Vu sonar is terrific. Shows every nook, cranny and weed on the bottom.
 
Josh, I went Raymarine for my upgrade. Two E 127's, HD color radar. Fit nicely in the 460. I had to send one back for service and Raymarine customer support was great. The new systems are both sea talk and NMEA 2K compatible. They also have a converter that allows the use of an earlier generation auto pilot. I would recommend that whichever way you go to make sure the unit does not completely rely on touchscreen input. In rougher seas that can be difficult.
 
I just did my upgrade and went with Raymarine. Two Axiom Pro 12's, Hd Color radar, m232 Flir camera, Ray back up camera and Ray engine room camera.
 
I changed out to all-Garmin this past summer and am very happy with the new setup. I put in 8212 MFDs (got on sale from BOE last winter), 18 inch Fantom radome, GFC 20 autopilot and VHF 300 AIS radio. The only thing I retained was the autopilot steering pump. While I was at it, I changed out the Smartcraft DieselView for a VesselView 4 to take advantage of the NMEA 2000 interface and save some dashboard room. I did not get a sonar but changed out the depth finder for an Airmar NMEA 2000 model using the same thru-hull.
I think the biggest advantage of Garmin is the ease of use of the interface. The Fantom radar doppler technology is pretty amazing and even has a bird tracking mode. The autopilot has "shadow drive" which senses when the wheel is turned while on pilot and disengages allowing for quickly dodging something seen ahead, it will then go right back on track when the wheel is released.
Garmin has just released "Garmin Active Captain" which combines the functions of the Bluechart, Garmin Helm and of course Active Captain apps. Once the app and the system are paired it can perform chart and software updates as well. It also can use whatever chart is already registered with Garmin so no more extra cost for app charts unless you are not a Garmin owner. Garmin already allowed the use of registered charts for the PC planning application, Homeport. I imagine they will eventually either integrate Navionics charts and make that an option for purchase and then use across devices or just incorporate the cartography in their existing line.
I agree about thinking through touchscreen issues. Garmin offers a remote keypad as well as a wireless autopilot remote (which I have) and the apps can mirror any installed MFD and perform entry and control functions as long as you have a wifi capability.
 
So much great info. Anyone have additional simrad info? Boe has a simrad deal and it is enticing me in a big way.

Josh
 
Do you have Smartcraft/Vesselview? I forget when Merc started putting that in, but I think it was around your year or so. I am just starting to research this stuff for my 330DA, but from what I have learned so far, Simrad (and I think Lowrance) are fully compatible with Smartcraft/Vesselview right out of the box, and the displays can be used interchangeably, so for that reason I am starting to lean toward Simrad. Previously, I put a Simrad Go7XSE in my 225WE, mostly because the unit was exactly the right dimensions I needed, and I really liked the way it operated.
Not entirely true....

Simrad/Lawrance (Navico) make the hardware that is the smartcraft vessel view 5 & 7.... Some versions have the smartcraft built in, others it's an external box..... Some versions of some simrad/lawrance kit have the smartcraft interface, most need the external box (called vessel view link).
 
I did a very similar to FR8dog... Raymarine.. Ease install, compatibility and familiarity
Customer service, which I used through the install, was excellent.. less than 5 mins to connect to a tech. Very helpful!
I have a lengthy post on that recent upgrade on the Electronics projects, forum.
My opinion
 
Josh, like most with early 2000s boats I bought it with the period Raymarine stuff. I still have the RL80c but I added the new Furuno 1815 radar. It's fabulous. It does what the bigger 1835 does only to a lesser degree, which is perfect for us amateur boaters. When the RL80c craps out I'll get a Furuno mfd, just out of loyalty to the great useability and function of the 1815.

Frankly, I think they are all great, all can be networked and all cost lots of money. Just pick what looks the coolest to you and you will adapt to their useability quirks/benefits. My only preference is I love Navionics charts and will only buy what supports it.
 
I am in the process of a Furuno upgrade. I have witnessed their plotters and Radar for a year now on a members boat and fell in love with them. The user interface is awesome and the radar is hard to beat I can choose to run Navionics with activecaptain if I like. Garmins interface looks cartoonish to me I know they have great support as well. But for a few bucks more I can have Furuno, the Radar auto tracks targets and analyzes them , If the target is moving towards you it turns red.
Also since mine are touch screen only I bought a remote to mount so I could control the plotters in rough conditions.
As stated check all the brands your considering
 
Not entirely true....

Simrad/Lawrance (Navico) make the hardware that is the smartcraft vessel view 5 & 7.... Some versions have the smartcraft built in, others it's an external box..... Some versions of some simrad/lawrance kit have the smartcraft interface, most need the external box (called vessel view link).

Good to know, thanks for the info.
 
Well everyone... tonight my radar bit the dust. Now it just got serious. I'm going to try and nail it down over the next 24 hours. Thanks so much for the info.

Josh
 
Well everyone... tonight my radar bit the dust. Now it just got serious. I'm going to try and nail it down over the next 24 hours. Thanks so much for the info.

Josh
Josh, my advice is decide whether you want the radar to have to share the same display as the charts (either overlay or split screen). I did not at all. That's why I bought standalone radar. Plus I do my charts on an iPad.
 
Thanks so much for the advice so far. I have a couple more questions for those who have done this...

Which brands charge for a yearly chart update? Looks to me like everyone except Garmin so this could be a cost-saver

Do all of these units now send the wifi to an ipad to view charts/radar?

I have a 2001 Raymarine autopilot, will any/all integrate with that? It can save me big money if so.

Thanks again!
 

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