GPS & Depth Finder - 1990 SR 270DA

[Dudeism]

Hello All,

New member and first time boat owner. This forum has a lot of useful information and seems like people are very helpful which is a bonus.

I have recently purchased a 1990 Sea Ray 270 DA and even though it has a stock depth finder it was recommended that I replace / add a depth finder. I am not planning on using the boat for fishing so a fish finder is not a primary need but would like a GPS + Depth Finder.

Question...what would you recommend I get to meet my navigation needs while ensuring that I don't run aground.

Thank you in advance and any other tip are most welcome.

 

[JVM225]

Far from an expert, I still need my kids to get me out of trouble on my iPhone sometimes, so here are my thoughts as a casual end user:
A chart plotter with built in sounder that you can network a transducer to would be my first thought. I’m not a huge fan of transom mounted transducers, but they are cheapest and lots of people use them. I prefer in hull transducers for their ease of installation. I’ve installed a few of them and never had any problems doing it.
As far as brands: My current boat has Raymarine electronics, my old boat had Garmin. I’m a fan of Garmin. I found it to be more user friendly but that could be because I was used to it. Someone I know got a Lowrance (not sure which model) this past season and he really likes it.
Probably couldn’t go wrong with any of those brands.
Your budget will likely dictate your choices among their current models.
Bigger screens mean bigger prices, but don’t leave yourself wishing you had gone for the bigger screen. My Uncle did that and has some remorse. When deciding on screen size remember that you will likely only be glancing at it when the boat is moving, not studying it like you will in the store, so you want it to be big enough that you can glance and see what you may need to see.
I’m not a fan of the units that are only touch screen. They can be a pain on a moving boat sometimes. IMHO: A hybrid screen would be really nice to have. The displays on my boat are not touch screen or hybrid and I wish I had the option of using a touch screen sometimes to move through things faster. My displays came with my boat and are only 3 or 4 years old so I appreciate them and I’ll live with them for a several more years.
Lots of the chartplotters have built in GPS antennas which I think is a good thing so it’s really just a matter of mounting it and hooking up power and ground. No drilling holes to mount an antenna, or soldering required.
An in dash install would look best but is more work.
The in hull transducers are fairly easy to install and connect to the chart plotter with built in sounder if you’re fairly handy. You can find videos on YouTube that can help you install them.

 

[Dudeism]

Thank you for your feedback JVM225

Far from an expert, I still need my kids to get me out of trouble on my iPhone sometimes, so here are my thoughts as a casual end user: