Raymarine/Gramin/Furuno GPS,FF, Radar Units HOW DO I DECIDE.....

[greeta]

We have a 2005 25 ft Bayliner Trophy Pro on the west coast of Vancouver Island (Tahsis) that is used for salmon and halibut fishing. Fishing can be up to 20 km off shore with a 25 km run from port to the outside. Conditions many times can be rough, cold, rainy, and heavy fog can be a real problem.

We have decided to upgrade the electronics to include, GPS, plotter, FF, and radar. We will keep our trusty GPSMAPGarmin 188C as back-up.

I have been doing some research and have narrowed it down to the Garmin 3010C, or Raymarine C120 or E120. I am not that familiar with Furuno, but I did not see that they have a single unit that integrates GPS, plotter, FF, and radar.

Quite simply, I can not decide what to buy. Although price is always a factor, it is a secondary consideration in the final decision. Given the area we fish and the number of hours in the boat, $2K more or less is not a concern. Getting the right unit is.

This is what is important to us ( in order of importance )
-Reliability
-Clarity and brightness of display
-Ease of use
-FF and sonar
-Radar

Any input would be appreciated as too why they decided to go with the Garmin, Raymarine, or maybe Furuno. I'm sure I could not go wrong with any of them.

[Fever Mike]

Well you should get plenty of answers here. I have owned Garmin and now own Raymarine E-120's on my new boat. Really all the units you mentioned are very very good and yes it's a tough choice. I went with Raymarine this time around because I liked the much brighter and bigger screen of the Raymarine units, the sonar(fishfinder) and the radar. The Garmin was easier to use but now I am getting use to my E-120's and they really are a very in depth piece! I had some problems with my Garmin 2010C unit screen and water getting in the unit during a rain storm but Garmin always replaced the screen quickly.
It was really down to Furuno and Raymarine for me and both are outstanding. Go check them out at a boat show.

[Glen E]

RM is a better screen and a more complex unit. It is also more money. Garmin is simpler and has charts at home on your PC and ability to auto upgrade all software via the web with one click. I like both.