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I need new electronics and I have not bought anything new in 6 years and that was Furuno NavNet . . . so I am at a loss on what to get
The only thing I plan to keep on the boat is an old Loran unit. All the local captains give their position in long lat
My primary use is for fishing offshore for tuna etc. I also plan to do some overnight fishing. So I need a good high end fishfinder. I would keep the 1kw transducer that is currently installed.
There is a second 600 watt transducer and I would like that on a backup depth finder and plotter.
I have room for up to a 15 inch display on the fly bridge (maximum) and I would like two smaller 9 inch displays, one for the salon and one for the cockpit.
I would like the ability to get the weather and surface temps while on the water.
Also need radar and an autopilot.
What am I forgetting?
My budget. ? $20K ?
Any and all sugestions appreciated.
I have added more information . . . see post #9 below
Gus,
Ping GlenE. I am sure he can take your requirements and make a very good recommendation with all of the products they sell/install. Garmin is my choice for plotter and Furuno is my choice for bottom/radar, but they are all so close today, it really comes down to user preference and ease of use. Good luck in part 2 of the hunt, now that part 1 is complete.
With the parameters you have set, you need a network system with 1-15" + 2-8" screens. That precludes lots of the lower end units, and even the new Raymarine C-wides. $20k is going to be tight in anything but Garmin. If you start out with a Simrad AP28 ($3,200) and then work from there. In Garmin, a 5215 + 2-4208's with the bundled fishfinder and XM weather will run you $9,000, then add radar GMR 606XD is $4,500 - that's about $17,000 - what about vhf's, AIS, FLIR. A comparable Raymarine E-14w setup will run you $22,000. Furuno only offer 15" in a Black Box, and that setup is closer to $28,000.
If it were me, I would probably go with a 5212 or 5215 Garmin along with a 4208 or 4210 with an open radar radar and and GHP 10 Autopilot if that will work with your boat. For the sounder, I would go Furuno 585. You could probably get an adapter for your 1Kw transducer to mate to that. Not sure about the 600W one though. That said, Glen has lots of experience with bigger boats so I am sure he will weigh in with some valuable suggestions.
My guess is that when all is said and done, your budget will go to hell in a hand bag! There really is no limit to the amount of goodies that can be networked in with todays electronics..
What kind of FF is already connected to your 1kW ducer? This will dictate what you can upgrade to. It will also dictate which way your whole package goes if you truly want to build a system around that ducer. You might find that you'll need to replace the ducer. So what is it?
I would consider a new ducer if the other is an older unit. Most likely same vintage as current electronics. Call Airmar and they could probably give you and idea of what advancements might seen in a new ducer.
I would go
Airmar B260
Furuno Navnet 3D 12
Furuno MFD 8 Cockpit
Furuno MFD 8 Salon
RD 30 for backup data with dedicated DST
Hub 101 will drive data to the entire system
GPS Antenna
12kw 4ft Array
VHF
That would be most the big stuff. There are many nice units out there now and I have had both Raymarine E series and Navnet 3D. I think the commercial quality of the Furuno with the added customer support makes it an easy decision.
What are your needs for the salon unit? Since you don't have a lower station, is it just supposed to be a remote display, or does it need to be a fully interfaced MFD? For example, if you just want to be able to see the sounder or radar returns while in the salon, and not necessarily control the functions, you could simply purchase an LCD TV with as big a screen you want, and feed it via the video output from the bridge MFD.
From the looks of the pictures your probably going to bracket mount correct? If so the largest Garmins you could go with would be the 12", 15 is flush mount only.
Also with that budjet you could possible be one of the first ones on the dock with that 7212, might be worth the extra money if your going with one of the higher end radars.
I should have been more precise. Sorry about that, my bad!
I took out the surveyor's report and here is what I currently have on the boat and I have given more info about my wish list.
Also, I have decided to do the electronics installation myself so that if in the future something goes wrong while fishing I can at least do a bit of trouble shooting.
1. The Loran is a Northstar 800 in good working condition. I would like to keep it as it is currently connected to a Garmin 2010C. The Northstar gives me loran output (which I like very much because the local charter captains always talk using loran numbers). This would be my backup system and it is on the port side of the helm. I need to get the offshore map chip for the Carolinas.
2. The autopilot is a Robertson AP200DL. It works but it had problems in rough water and it kicked off on us a couple of times. It will be replaced. I want the auto pilot to have controls at the helm and in the cockpit as I will be adding a second station there.
3. The colour sounder is a CRT unit and you can not see it in the sun. It is a Furuno FCV-292 with a 1 kw transducer. It is a large through hull tranducer with a fairing that has been there for a while, but I do not know the model. I agree it would be smart to replace it with a transducer that is best matched for the new fish finder.
4. The radar is a 36 mile Furuno 1931 with a CRT display. I want the radar information to overlay on the chartplotter so a new radar is needed.
5. For the display in the cockpit, I want a fully functional plotter and access to the autopilot as I will be adding a set of controls in the cockpit.
6. For the display in the salon, I want a repeater so that when I am in the salon I know what is going on.
7. I would like the ability to display live weather information on the chart plotter.
8. The VHF radios are very old and they need to be replaced as well as the antenas.
9. Other high end accessories such as a SSB radio and the such will have to wait a year or two.
What kind of FF is already connected to your 1kW ducer? This will dictate what you can upgrade to. It will also dictate which way your whole package goes if you truly want to build a system around that ducer. You might find that you'll need to replace the ducer. So what is it?
You are right Jim. The transducer is 6 years old but I don't know what the model number is.
I will replace the transducer so that I can maximize the benefits of the fish finder.
I have room for up to a 15 inch display on the fly bridge (maximum) and I would like two smaller 9 inch displays, one for the salon and one for the cockpit.
I would like the ability to get the weather and surface temps while on the water.
Also need radar and an autopilot.
My budget. ? $20K ?
Any and all sugestions appreciated.
I have added more information . . . see post #9 below
NavNet3D, black box. You can control one black box from 2 stations using separate control pads, and from a third station using a wired or wireless mouse. Great expandability.
6. For the display in the salon, I want a repeater so that when I am in the salon I know what is going on.
If all you want in the salon is a repeater display, get yourself a nice 22-32" LCD TV and wire it to your chartplotter. I have a 22" LCD TV in my cabin hooked up to my Garmin 4212 for that purpose as well as playing DVD's. The big screen is really nice - easy viewing.
If all you want in the salon is a repeater display, get yourself a nice 22-32" LCD TV and wire it to your chartplotter. I have a 22" LCD TV in my cabin hooked up to my Garmin 4212 for that purpose as well as playing DVD's. The big screen is really nice - easy viewing.
I know the cheerleaders will all yell buy-a-buy-a-buy-a-Garmin in unison on this, but I'd caution you that very few people have put a Garmin ap on a boat quite that large before.
Check carefully before you buy.
__________________
Terry Jason 35, Yanmar 370 hp, Lots of fun at a leisurely pace
I am leaning strongly to Furuno, in part because I have used it and like it, and in part because there is a Furuno repair shop not far from where I will be keeping the boat
Keep in mind though you can mix and match - the fuuruno AP can be used with a garmin or RM chartplotter, though you may not get some on display controls like you would with all native furuno.
Still, you can't go wrong with all furuno.
__________________
Terry Jason 35, Yanmar 370 hp, Lots of fun at a leisurely pace
The Furuno pilot is probably the way to go. It will keep all of your new gear in the same brand, and show you where your rudders are which is important on an inboard boat.
Down where you are keeping your boat you'll need to get Icom M604 VHF's otherwise the other captinas will look at you funny. The M604 is a sweet unit so its a good way to go.
You can probably save a few bucks right now by using the ducer already on the boat. If it leaves you wanting for more then you can always upgrade it next time you haul the boat. Its probably a B258 which is a decent 1kW through hull.
While I am a big fan of Furuno equipment and have a full NavNet 3D system which I would strongly commend to you for the great radar and sounder performance in particular, I have had mixed experiences with the Furuno FAP511 autopilot.
On a 45 Viking express that I run regularly, one of these units has performed very well. It tracks straight and does not wander. On my own Carolina Classic 28, it does a lousy job and requires endless tinkering with the setup parameters but still wanders badly. I have spent a lot of time on the phone with some very patient Furuno tech support guys in an effort to make the AP work better with very limited success.
It appears that some combination of factors involving the steering characteristics of the CC28 and the steering algorithms of the Furuno autopilot is to blame. The worst performance is on rough days with a quartering wind and sea when the trim tabs are deployed to different degrees to compensate and level the boat. That just sends the Furuno pilot over the edge and it will steer big S curves whether on heading or to a waypoint. Oddly enough, if you keep the tabs in identical positions and run heeled over a bit, it will steer much straighter.
You could be unlucky with the Furuno and discover that your new Bertram is also a design that does not work well with it.
My experience with Simrad pilots has been uniformly excellent except for the crummy linear feedback sensor they used to have for outboards. There is absolutely no reason you could not interface a Simrad pilot with any brand of plotter since they have both NMEA 0183 and NMEA 2000 data capabilities (SimNet is just NMEA2000 with a proprietary cable connector for which you can easily obtain a NMEA2000 adapter). You should also have a rotary rudder position sensor and thus be able to display rudder position with the Simrad. The main advantage of the Furuno is that you can get a smaller display with a rotary course knob which is only available with the wider AP28 Simrad unit. Also the Furuno autopilot is an older design that just has a slower NMEA 0183 interface. Dual stations is a snap with the Simrad as you just run a single cable up to the second station. You can mix the smaller AP24 display and the larger AP28 on the same system.
The Furuno and Simrad autopilots are otherwise virtually indistinguishable in terms of features. You might ask around and see if you can find someone with a similar hull who has used a Furuno pilot with success before you go that way.
Quote:
Originally Posted by auguste
MYTravelor
Thanks, I will look at the black box option
gerg
I am leaning strongly to Furuno, in part because I have used it and like it, and in part because there is a Furuno repair shop not far from where I will be keeping the boat
I need new electronics and I have not bought anything new in 6 years and that was Furuno NavNet . . . so I am at a loss on what to get
The only thing I plan to keep on the boat is an old Loran unit. All the local captains give their position in long lat
My primary use is for fishing offshore for tuna etc. I also plan to do some overnight fishing. So I need a good high end fishfinder. I would keep the 1kw transducer that is currently installed.
There is a second 600 watt transducer and I would like that on a backup depth finder and plotter.
I have room for up to a 15 inch display on the fly bridge (maximum) and I would like two smaller 9 inch displays, one for the salon and one for the cockpit.
I would like the ability to get the weather and surface temps while on the water.
Also need radar and an autopilot.
What am I forgetting?
My budget. ? $20K ?
Any and all sugestions appreciated.
I have added more information . . . see post #9 below
Since an epirb is "electronic," what are you considering for an epirb? Will you use an existing one from a previous craft, or get a new one? I'd be interested in what type of model you consider, and how/if it's mounted etc. (Do you plan on a liferaft on Miss Cecile and will you pack a handheld vhf and portable gps in a ditch bag?) Please excuse the appearance of derailing the thread. When I consider electronics I consider rudimentary backup in case all the installed stuff craps out due to battery/electronics failure.
Need Advice - - - New Electronics for Miss Cecile
om
Sorry about that, my bad! 
