Help me choose new electronics

[magstang1]

I have a whole host of outdated Raymarine electronics in my boat. The GPS is the first piece I would like to replace. I have used Garmin before and I really like their products.

I'm considering two different models and I'm not exactly sure what the difference is between them.

Garmin 740s and the new EchoMap 70s. They are both priced closely to each other.

I also currently have radar that I know I can't integrate into the new stuff. It will be coming off and possibly, money permitting, replaced at a later date. It's not at the top of my priority list.

I aslo have a TriData that is used as a display for the depth sounder and displays temp and speed. I don't know if it gets information from the transducer only or from the external GPS antenna I have as well. I was considering replacing this with a Garmin GMI 10 but what I don't know is if the transducers I have now will be reusable. I'm also unsure if the GMI 10 will pull GPS data from the GPS (740s or 70s), of if will need an external GPS antenna of it's own.

The radio is a Raymarie 215 DSC VHF. It works, and supposedly supports DSC. I really don't need to replace it at the moment. Does anyone have a good reason to buy a new radio when mine works now?

I also have an old Raymarine chart plotter that I really want to get rid of. I replaced the dash panels this spring and now I would like to get rid of the old electronics and complete the dash update. Here's a list of the current equipment.

Raymarine 215 DSC VHF
Raymarine st5000+ Autopilot
Raytheon R10XX Radar
Raytheon V850 Sounder
Raytheon 611est Chart Plotter
Raymarine TriData

 

[Summer Fun II]

Maybe Jim @ BOE will give you a smoking hot deal on everything you need ??. :smt001

 

[magstang1]

I have every intention of contacting him once I figure out what I'm talking about.

Here is the helm now.

 

[Phlorida]

If you end up going with the 740S, pull the trigger soon. The price point is excellent because of the release of the 741S. I like my 740S a lot.

 

[magstang1]

I know. That's really what's driving this purchase. I decided I wanted the 740s a while ago. The price coming down was the icing on the cake. The new 70s has me curious though. I can't seem to figure out what the difference is.

 

[magstang1]

I'm pretty well settled on a GMI 10 multifunction display. It will be used mostly for a depth finder. It looks like it does not require an external GPS antenna. It will pull data off of the GPS.

I think I'm going to go for the 740s. It looks tried and true. I can't seem to find much about the echomap 70s other than my transducers definitely won't work. It uses different frequencies. I would like to purchase the current model, but I would rather just get what I know will work.

I think I'm going to add the GFS 10 fuel flow sensor as well. Anyone have one? How do you like it.

Radar looks like its going to have to wait.

The VHF is still on the fence. I guess that depends on what kind of discount Jim offers. Just kidding...

 

[JVM225]

I'm pretty well settled on a GMI 10 multifunction display. It will be used mostly for a depth finder. It looks like it does not require an external GPS antenna. It will pull data off of the GPS.

I think I'm going to go for the 740s. It looks tried and true. I can't seem to find much about the echomap 70s other than my transducers definitely won't work. It uses different frequencies. I would like to purchase the current model, but I would rather just get what I know will work.

I think I'm going to add the GFS 10 fuel flow sensor as well. Anyone have one? How do you like it.

Radar looks like its going to have to wait.

The VHF is still on the fence. I guess that depends on what kind of discount Jim offers. Just kidding...

I have two GFS 10's on my boat hooked up to my Garmin 4210. I share another boat with my Uncle and we put a 740S on that last year.
IMHO: The Garmin GPS's are fantastic, and I would buy another in a heartbeat. But as far as the GFS 10's go, as much as I like the idea of them and their accuracy, I wouldn't get them again and am seriously considering taking them out of my boat.
They are plastic, made in Taiwan, and of poor quality with little support from Garmin.
While winterizing last fall I noticed what looked to be a hairline crack in the one for my starboard motor/tank. I disconnected it for a closer look, and it did indeed have a hairline crack. I called Garmin and since it was out of warranty I had to buy another. Not sure how it happened, but I think if it were metal it would not have had the problem.
Last weekend I lost power to my port motor. I checked and saw that it wasn't getting any fuel. I limped back to the dock on one motor disgusted, and went back the next morning with a clearer head. It turned out that the GFS 10 on that motor was preventing the fuel from going through. I disconnected it, put a nipple in it's place, and the motor is running fine. The GFS 10 doesn't appear to have anything lodged in it, so I'm not sure what the problem is with it, but I don't trust it anymore.
I called Garmin Monday morning, the tech person seemed clueless. She asked me if I was using the filter that they provided with it. I told her I was not because it is a plastic in line 30 Micron filter. Plastic is a no-no in a bilge with a motor in it, and I have a 10 Micron Filter right outside each tank. The fuel goes through them before it reaches the GFS 10's. It was clear that she had no clue what a 10 Micron Filter was, what the rating of their provided filter is, and was strictly reading from a fact sheet of some sort.
Bottom Line: I am leaving the GFS 10 off line on the Port Side for now, and seriously considering doing the same with the one on the Starboard Side. I'm thinking about pulling them both out completely in the off season.
In retro-spect, I should have gone for the Flo-Scans and added two additional dedicated gauges. We have one on my Uncle's boat that has got to be close to 10 years old. The sensor itself is metal, and although we had a problem with it not registering fuel usage about 2 years ago. It kept letting the fuel through. A call to Flo-Scan was answered by a knowledgeable tech who gave us a great deal on a replacement sensor. It was about 8 years old at the time and long out of warranty.
Garmin makes great GPS's and they really know what they are doing with them, and Flo-Scan makes great Fuel Flow devices. But I wouldn't buy a Flo-Scan GPS, and shame on me for buying Garmin Fuel Flow sensors. They were great until I had a problem, and that's when it really counts in my book.

 

[HavnFunYet?]

What have you done with the Raymarine Tridata? My display is going out and I really need to find one to replace it! Thank you!

 

[psubill78]

One word, Simrad.

We outfitted our 310 DA with a NSS8 and the 4G radar.

We are changing boats that has Raymarine, admittedly a little older.

However, I've seen new Raymarine, and Garmin -- the Simrad displays and the broad and radar ROCK

 

[magstang1]

Get one last look because I'm finally upgrading my electronics to the current decade.

The V850 on the left and the R10XX on the right are gone. The V850 will be replaced with a Garmin 740s that I picked up. The radar is going to have to wait.

The VHF is gone, and is being replaced by a Garmin VHF 100 that should be here tomorrow.

The 611 chart plotter is no longer needed. It's now integrated into the GPS.

The TriData is being replaced with a Garmin GMI 10 that should be here Monday.

Autopilot stays.

I replaced all the dash panels this spring, with the exception of the center black panel. I have a matching burl wood panel to mount the new electronics in. It will be nice to kill a few birds with this final (for now) stone. Old electronics out. New stuff in, and dash panels will finally be complete.

The GPS and VHF go in tomorrow.

Say goodbye:

 

[timemachine]

Simrad!

 

[SR400DB]

Another vote for Simrad as well

 

[Nehalennia]

You'll like the Garmin suite of products if you also get the radar. My cousin has it paired with the Standard Horizon 2150 AIS VHF and you can see all the AIS commercial and private AIS transmitting big boys, and overlayed radar. He has the 4008 series, I believe. (whatever the touchscreen one is-maybe 5008)

 

[IanBat]

Hmmm, I have been considering an NSS7 or 8, as I want radar, and I figure I could keep my Lowrance LCX17M, sand probably network them.

The votes for Simrad are giving me confidence


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

[magstang1]

For the two of you that have looked at this thread, here is the finished product.

The 740s is an extremely user friendly unit. I like the touch screen and the soft keys on the screen. It reacts to input (through the touch screen and motion of the boat) with almost no lag. It's very fast. It's customizable without being confusing. Kudos Garmin.

The VHF 100 is nice as well. Enough options without being cluttered or confusing. The radio has quite a bit of volume and the speaker is very clear. Another choice I'm quite pleased with.

The GMI 10 almost didn't happen, but I'm glad it did. It's basically a stand alone multifunction display that you can customize to show anything you want. Use the factory displays or easily create your own custom screens. You can even create your own series of screens that are easily switched between in analog gauges, digital numbers or any combination you want. I'm impressed.

I was able to reuse my factory transducers. I found the schematics on Airmar's website and re-pinned the din plug. I have a transom mount triducer that I'm currently not using anymore. I also have a through hull speed sensor and a through hull depth and temp sensor. This is the pair I reused. So far, so good. The transducers plug into the 740s which broadcasts all the info over NMEA 183 and NMEA 2000. The NMEA 2000 plugs into the GMI 10 with one cable for data and power. Very, very easy the NMEA 2000 is. The caviat is, the 740s has to be on for the GMI 10 to see any data. Garmin makes a unit to put a transducer directly on the NMEA 2000 network. I may, in the future, add this for my triducer for redundancy. If I ever find extra money in my bank account I would like to add the fuel flow meter anyway. Ya right...

To tell the truth, the hardest part was figuring out all the old wiring and the pin out for the transducers. This new stuff is light years ahead of the old. The amount of wiring that went in was a fraction of what came out.