kaz911
Active Member
Here is my subjective rating at the moment
1. Simrad
2. Lowrance
3. Garmin
4. Raymarine
I have all of the above - and Raymarine is very "buggy" in the newest c97 version. The e versions I think are much better but not much better than Garmin and still quite "buggy". But Lowrance and Simrad (both from Navico) has the best tools for fishing and navigation. Garmin has the best (and only) GPS's with "Auto Guidance" and works well.
But Garmin has nothing "reasonable new" in the $2000-$4500 range. So for Garmin - either stay <$2000 with the new GPSMAP 741/741xs or the new 500 series - or go all the way to the 8000 series - which starts at about $4500. Garmins 6000/7000 series are both > 3 years old - so only put them in if you get REALLY good deals.
Simrad & Lowrance are not bug free - but the Lowrance HDS Touch series are very nice and fast - and the Simrad is just elegant and easy to use compared to Raymarine. I find Raymarines User Interface to have things "scattered" around without any logic - where Garmin/Simrad/Lowrance - have all nailed it and have easy to use UI's.
Raymarine also uses their complete own standard for Transducers - whereas Garmin, Lowrance, Simrad and most others you can modify or get "pigtail" conversion cables for. Garmin/Lowrance and Simrad uses standard NMEA 2000 Micro-C connectors - where Raymarine uses their own "standard" - so cables are in general about $20 more each.
Radar - Simrad/Lowrance - best dome radar I have used. Garmin radars are far behind and are really outdated - Raymarine - somewhere in between. Simrad has the only "non magnetron" powered radar - which emits 1/100 of the signal strength of "normal domes" - and for me with a baby boy that was important - and since it is better for navigation than the rest - that was my choice. But it is not as good for "weather system" detection as Garmin/Raymarine.
On WiFi access - Garmin are the "worst" - with only Route planning and waypoint sync - and only from i* Devices. Raymarine & Lowrance/Simrad have full "remote control" of MFD's from i* Devices and Android. Raymarine sync's with Navionics i* device apps for routes and waypoints (when it works). Simrad/Lowrance does not have waypoint sync/route sync yet from "tablet" applications.
Fusion integration: Raymarine & Garmin has it (when it works) - Simrad/Lowrance does not - they have their own "fusion re-badge" device - the Sonichub.
And finally - if you ever get VesselView on your boat - they new VV7 is a re-branded Simrad NSS7 - and that can use all your other Simrad/Lowrance accessories and maps/chart sharing. You could also start with VV7 - since that is 6.4" MFD with Simrad software + Mercruiser software (so kind of a color MercMonitor with Chartplotter)
1. Simrad
2. Lowrance
3. Garmin
4. Raymarine
I have all of the above - and Raymarine is very "buggy" in the newest c97 version. The e versions I think are much better but not much better than Garmin and still quite "buggy". But Lowrance and Simrad (both from Navico) has the best tools for fishing and navigation. Garmin has the best (and only) GPS's with "Auto Guidance" and works well.
But Garmin has nothing "reasonable new" in the $2000-$4500 range. So for Garmin - either stay <$2000 with the new GPSMAP 741/741xs or the new 500 series - or go all the way to the 8000 series - which starts at about $4500. Garmins 6000/7000 series are both > 3 years old - so only put them in if you get REALLY good deals.
Simrad & Lowrance are not bug free - but the Lowrance HDS Touch series are very nice and fast - and the Simrad is just elegant and easy to use compared to Raymarine. I find Raymarines User Interface to have things "scattered" around without any logic - where Garmin/Simrad/Lowrance - have all nailed it and have easy to use UI's.
Raymarine also uses their complete own standard for Transducers - whereas Garmin, Lowrance, Simrad and most others you can modify or get "pigtail" conversion cables for. Garmin/Lowrance and Simrad uses standard NMEA 2000 Micro-C connectors - where Raymarine uses their own "standard" - so cables are in general about $20 more each.
Radar - Simrad/Lowrance - best dome radar I have used. Garmin radars are far behind and are really outdated - Raymarine - somewhere in between. Simrad has the only "non magnetron" powered radar - which emits 1/100 of the signal strength of "normal domes" - and for me with a baby boy that was important - and since it is better for navigation than the rest - that was my choice. But it is not as good for "weather system" detection as Garmin/Raymarine.
On WiFi access - Garmin are the "worst" - with only Route planning and waypoint sync - and only from i* Devices. Raymarine & Lowrance/Simrad have full "remote control" of MFD's from i* Devices and Android. Raymarine sync's with Navionics i* device apps for routes and waypoints (when it works). Simrad/Lowrance does not have waypoint sync/route sync yet from "tablet" applications.
Fusion integration: Raymarine & Garmin has it (when it works) - Simrad/Lowrance does not - they have their own "fusion re-badge" device - the Sonichub.
And finally - if you ever get VesselView on your boat - they new VV7 is a re-branded Simrad NSS7 - and that can use all your other Simrad/Lowrance accessories and maps/chart sharing. You could also start with VV7 - since that is 6.4" MFD with Simrad software + Mercruiser software (so kind of a color MercMonitor with Chartplotter)