Touchscreen vs Buttons?

bobt2000

bobt2000

New Member
Aug 30, 2015
13
lake erie
Boat Info
1988 340 Sundancer
A pile of electronics that I'm still learning to use!
Engines
Twin 454 Mec inboards.
I am upgrading my old busted Raymarine FF to a Chartplotter/FF. It's a tossup between a Garmin with buttons and a Simrad with touchscreen. Both about 6"-7" screens.
I have read that the touchscreens can be hard to use under way, especially if the boat is tossing a bit. I am used to the rubber buttons in most water conditions but I am generally holding on the FF and pressing buttons with my thumb, and can actually feel the button pressing.
It might be the same as the old cell phone argument.

Any touchscreen users regret their choice ?
 
I had a Garmin 4210 with buttons on my old boat and we have a Garmin 7" touchscreen (can't remember number) on the boat we fish on. I really prefer the buttons, especially when the boat is moving or when my hands are a little wet or grimly from fishing.
The buttons are a little more cumbersome and the touchscreen a little faster to get around when sitting still so I guess it's a personal preference and more about how you're going to be using it.
 
When I redid my electronics I was torn between a touch screen and buttons. I went with buttons but sort of wished I had gone for a touch screen. That doesn't really help you decide, but like JVM said, it's a personal preference thing.
 
I like touch screen when at rest and buttons when underway. Touch screen is tough in rough water. I have found with my Raymarine E95 that when the screen gets wet with spray the touch screen is less responsive. That one of the reasons I went with Raymarine's hybrid touch. You have best of both worlds with buttons and touch screen.
 
Come from E120's with buttons and an iPad on Ram mount with bluechart.

Not sure of the comparison of using an iPad with charting software versus a touch screen chart plotter.

Will say always prefer the iPad touch screen up to the point the water starts getting rougher. Doesn't take much until it is very difficult to use the iPad.

Mark
 
Why aren't you considering Raymarine Hybrid touch which gives you both a touch screen and buttons? Definitely difficult to use a touch screen in rough seas.... I wouldn't go in that direction if it's the only way to operate the unit.......
 
+1 on Raymarine Hybrid touch!

I also have an iPad in the nav suite, fine for planning, but once it gets bouncy it is difficult to use. Love the hybrid solution!
IMG_0198.jpg
 
I have the Raymarine first gen hybrid touch and love it. E series wide screen.
 
I can agree with the ipad issue. My RT70 has no working charts so I have been using Navionics on my tablet. It's great but very cramped on my dash. Plus hard to use when underway.
I looked at Garmin because of their NMEA2000 fuel sensors that networks nicely with their MFD. Their MFD's have the software for fuel management built in. And I just don't see the same option with Raymarine...and the price is an issue as well. But I JUST started looking into newer units and definitely want the fuel flow to integrate into my chart plotting, and it came down to Garmin with buttons and Simrad touchscreen.
I'm leaning away from the Simrad.
 
I prefer the hybrid. It is the best of both worlds.
 
If I had to chose 1, it woukd be buttons all the way. Touch screen is tough to operate underway in a little chop. But, I'd rather have both as others have indicated above with the hybrid.
 
Dani-Lu said:
If I had to chose 1, it woukd be buttons all the way. Touch screen is tough to operate underway in a little chop. But, I'd rather have both as others have indicated above with the hybrid.
Click to expand...

Agree. I spent last season using my iPad as a chart plotter. Technically, it was the back up to my old RayMarine 435. But we know how that goes.

The iPad was great, and I don't think I could ever live without a touchscreen. For panning, zooming, selecting menu items, there's no beating a touchscreen. But… and this is a big butt (cue Sir mix a lot) the touch screen is very difficult to operate in chop. Actually, it's a pain to operate in any wave motion. You can still click through menus and what not. But zooming, panning and selecting items on a chart while rocking? Forget it when there's any boat motion.

I'm a fan of the hybrid approach, too. So much in fact that I ordered an Simrad NSS9 evo2 just this week.





Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I installed a Furuno TZ Touch and although it's a great unit, there are some trying times while bouncing around.
 
I operate both an ipad and touch-only garmin unit... occasionally a little difficult in choppy waters but it helps to steady your hand on the dash while tapping the screen. Having operated a button-only unit, I wouldn't go that approach. Im satisfied with the touch screen unit, but hybrid could have been interesting if the option were there when I was looking.
 
Have a Standard Horizon button unit and a Garmin Touch unit and an iPad. Given and either/or option, give me buttons. Have never experienced a hybrid unit but I imagine it would be the best of both.

--BREAK--

To the OP. If your engines are original, I believe you will have to get flow meters to get your fuel flow readings.
 
I do still have to original 454's that do a GREAT job of turning money into smoke. My tentative plane is to use the Garmin GFS10 fuel flow sensors that connect to a compatible Garmin Plotter through NMEA2000 network. The reason is that the Garmin plotter will show me fuel flow rate on the plotter and also show me my available range and I believe fuel cost for planned trips. I "think" some Simrad plotters do the same thing. With the NMEA2000 I can also add a dedicated screen for just fuel readings if I want.
And so far I seem to get the most bang for my buck with a Garmin setup....unless someone has a better thought....although we may be straying a bit off of the original topic. (but since I started the thread I don't really mind)
But I am noticing that in newer models they are going to almost all touchscreen. I can get 5" in buttons but I don't to go that small in a multi screen display.
 
To beat a dead horse...touchscreen at the dock, buttons underway. Raymarine Hybrid touch for me.
 
bobt2000 said:
I do still have to original 454's that do a GREAT job of turning money into smoke. My tentative plane is to use the Garmin GFS10 fuel flow sensors that connect to a compatible Garmin Plotter through NMEA2000 network. The reason is that the Garmin plotter will show me fuel flow rate on the plotter and also show me my available range and I believe fuel cost for planned trips. I "think" some Simrad plotters do the same thing. With the NMEA2000 I can also add a dedicated screen for just fuel readings if I want.
And so far I seem to get the most bang for my buck with a Garmin setup....unless someone has a better thought....although we may be straying a bit off of the original topic. (but since I started the thread I don't really mind)
But I am noticing that in newer models they are going to almost all touchscreen. I can get 5" in buttons but I don't to go that small in a multi screen display.
Click to expand...

I had the GFS 10's networked with my Garmin 4210 on my old boat. They were very reasonably priced, easy to install and worked well. The only criticism I have of them is the thin plastic sending units.
We have a floscan unit on my Uncle's 22' Eastern and their sending unit is a much more robust alloy. They probably cost a little more, but if I were doing it all over again I think I might see what the price difference really is.
Whatever you get will be a great thing though. There's nothing like seeing fuel burn in real time. It really does help you make adjustments for better fuel economy.
 
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