GPS and Fishfinder

[jrcinnh]

I'm looking for a low cost chartplotter and fishfinder. Only C-Map has charts of Winnipesaukee so thats's a requirement.

So far I'm considering the Navman 6500, which is a combo and the Standard Horizon CP-180 with their FF520 fishfinder addon. They cost about the same, both well under $1000. Any feedback from users of these?

Second what the concensus on mounting. I have room for an in-dash mounting, which I think will look the cleanest. But I like the idea of having a way to turn and tilt the display, so I can avoid glare and show passengers.

 

[BOEmarine]

I think the SH unit is superior from both a hardware and software standpoint. The screen is very bright and clear. The new menu on them is very intuitive. The FF520 is a superior FF to what Navman offers too. The only Navman unit that we really sold very many of was the 5500. Since then it seems like their popularity has really dwindled. I would go with the CP180 all the way. You ucan probably get away with an internal antenna on your boat too.

CP180i

 

[jrcinnh]

Thanks BOE,

Do you know if I can install a unit with an internal antenna in the dash?

 

[waterlogged]

jrc, when I got the 340, it came with Navionics Gold Winni chip. I'm not sure if it has quite as much detail as Bizer's C-MAP, but so far it's been pretty good. That may open up some options.

 

[Sea Ray 300]

jrc,

If you can use the Navionics Gold chip, check out the Raymarine A65. I put one on my little boat, and it is rather impressive. :thumbsup:

 

[BOEmarine]

Thanks BOE,

Do you know if I can install a unit with an internal antenna in the dash?

If you want to flush mount it you will need the unit with an external antenna. This is the case with all units that come both ways.

 

[Bridog]

jrc,

If you can use the Navionics Gold chip, check out the Raymarine A65. I put one on my little boat, and it is rather impressive. :thumbsup:

Steve, I was thinking about getting a Raymarine A65 as well. Where did you mount it? I was thinking of moving my Smartcraft monitor down and putting it there. Any pictures? How do you like it? Thanks, Brian

 

[jrcinnh]

That A65 ain't cheap and I am.

Now if I bought a new 340 and it was built in, I'd guess I'd have to suffer through :wink:

Bridog, does your 300 have something in the center panel? Mine is completely empty. I don't have the smartcraft monitor, where is that installed?

I'm still debating mounting in-dash versus free-standing.

 

[Chris989]

Thought I'd butt in and give my 2-cents for free-standing. I really like the ability to take the display unit out of the mount and stow it in a secure, temperature controlled location if the boat is going to sit for any length of time.

Also, if the display unit itself ever needs repair, it's far less expensive to take or ship it to 'them' rather than have 'them' come to me.

 

[Sea Ray 300]

That A65 ain't cheap and I am.

Now, I don't believe that for a minute. You'd have bought a Bayliner. :smt101

In my suggesting the A65 to you, I found it to be a concise package, and also has a digital fishfinder, which shows less surface clutter than analogue. Anothe nice feature is the fact that the GPS antenna dome can be pole mounted or semi flush mounted on a flat, horizontal surface. I put the A65 on my 13' Whaler, as I did not want any antenna sticking up. I used a transom mounted transducer, as I was not about to drill through the hull.

 

[Sea Ray 300]

Steve, I was thinking about getting a Raymarine A65 as well. Where did you mount it? I was thinking of moving my Smartcraft monitor down and putting it there. Any pictures? How do you like it? Thanks, Brian

Brian,
It's a long story, but here's the Readers Digest version:
My boat has the Smartcraft 5000 display. (The display is terrible, and although the concept is light years ahead of everone else in the industry, they should have spent another $50 for a better display, even if it were black + white, as color is meaningless in this application, but that's a subject for another "new" thread). Somebody at Sea Ray is brain dead, because it was mounted dead center in the dashboard, exactly where everybody wants to mount electronics.
After researching electronics, I found 2 units that would integrate with the Smartcraft. Northstar 6000i and Raymarine (E series, I think).
I decided on the Northstar, because I could fit an 8.5 inch display into the dash. The 8.5 screen is much larger than the 6.5 inch, which is offered as an option by Sea Ray. At the time, Brunswick owned Northstar and Navman. Both were actually made in New Zealand. I did have trouble getting my unit, as they were on a slow boat from New Zealand, but my dealer found one at Northstar. Also, at that time, both companies were for sale.

Originally, I removed the Smartcraft display, captured it inside the dash cavity, and used the Northstar screen only. Guess what? Northstar only displays most, but not all of the data. Now what?
I took out the Raymarine radio, (which I didn't like because of the mike mount, protruding straight out from the front of the unit, in the exact location of your right knee when reaching forward to put up the front isinglass, [mine was actually broken upon delivery, and the dealer replaced the entire radio])
I replaced it with a Standard black box, located the Smartcraft in that location, and the Northstar is dead center, where it belongs.
This is the configuration that Sea Ray should have done from day one, and I'll never figure out why they stay with the Raymarine radio. The mike location is begging to get broken.
End result is a large screen Northstar GPS, radar with overlay, fishfinder and the complete Smartcraft display, all flush mounted.

While I like the leaps and bounds that chartplotters have made over the years, I really am not too pleased with either the A65 or the Northstar fishfinder. The best fishfinder I ever had was a Furuno with a CRT display....I could fine tune the display to the Nth degree, and hit fish!!!

 

[Bridog]

Bridog, does your 300 have something in the center panel? Mine is completely empty. I don't have the smartcraft monitor, where is that installed?

Mine is set up like the boat in this picture. I was thinking of moving the Smartcraft down next to the radio remote. [/img]

 

[Sea Ray 300]

Bridog, does your 300 have something in the center panel? Mine is completely empty. I don't have the smartcraft monitor, where is that installed?

Mine is set up like the boat in this picture. I was thinking of moving the Smartcraft down next to the radio remote. [/img]

That is where I moved mine to, next to the radio remote, and installed the Northstar into the center pod...

 

[jrcinnh]

well here is my dash, as you can see it jus begs to have a GPS right in the center.

 

[Sea Ray 300]

That's the place. :thumbsup:

Unfortunately, the best place, for visibility, would be on the top gauge POD, as you will see, you'll have to crouch a little to see the GPS. :smt017
But I'm not re-doing everything....

 

[Bridog]

That's the place. :thumbsup:

Anyone have the measurements of that space? I want to make sure the unit I pick will fit and I don't have access to my boat. Thanks, Brian