New help with electronics selection please

[FDLTONC]

OK…there are 36 pages of electronics information here. In the interest of my sanity, I will ask for your help now while I spend the next six months reading these posts. I have a 21 foot sailfish (well I will on Thursday) that I will use on the south east coast of Florida. Most of my fishing will be done 20 miles or less from shore. I would like a color combo unit depth/fish finder/ GPS/Chart plotter. As for thru hull or transom mount transducers, there are lots of mixed opinions that just seem to add to the confusion. I have looked at Simrad, Furuno and Garmin. My budget is about 1500. Any input would greatly be appreciated.

[sean9k]

Well you have to weigh out which is more important to you. No one has the best of everything. Furuno : Great bottom machines but pretty lousy chart plotters. Garmin just the oposite. Good chart, not as good bottome.

The simrad impressed me. I haven't had experience with the small one in your budget, but the big ones are nice. I know cooper on this board had one he might be able to fill you in a bit on the performance.

I have the JRC 500F. Good bang for the buck. Excellent bottom machine, same specs as the Furuno 582. Chart not quite as good as garmin but better than furuno IMO.

But you should be able to get into the small Simrad, the Furuno 1650WF, and the JRC 500F all in about your budget. And they are all color machines.

[Spooled]

Furuno 1650, 1850 if you can go the extra $$. I find the chartplotter on the 1850 fine for me(40 miles and in). I think Consumers Marine has a blowout on the 1650's-but I would make sure it has the new screen(2003). I have the older model 2002 and the daylite viewable would be an issue if it wasn't mounted in TTop. Haven't decided to do the 3rd party upgrade to the screen since I can make due

[nathan2]

I have a Garmin 182 with the map chip. I paid around $800 for it and love it. Large screen and easy to read. Something else to consider, is if you try to cram everything into one unit and something goes wrong, you have lost all your electronics at one time. I like to buy units individually.

[silverg]

You should be able to get Garmin 182C and Furuno 600L with transom mount transducer (probably what you need for that boat) for 1500. Contact the electronics dealers who sponsor this site and they should be able to set you up.

[Codfisher]

I have the Furuno 1650WF/NT and love it. Fishfinder is the best and have no issues with the chartplotter using the superwide chip for new england. I got the unit for around 1150. The 1850WF has a larger screen but will run you around 1550+.

[ndorado]

check out the simrad. just got the cp33, its awesome and easy to use. 1200 bucks at consumer marine, cant go wrong with that price.

[timp]

I ALSO HAVE SIMRAD CP33 AS MAIN UNIT, GREAT MACHINE,BUT ANYTHING THAT SAYS FURUNO IS TOP SHELF.

[Fever Mike]

Check out the Garmin 2006c and the Garmin GDS20 interface fishfinder. Good bottom machine plus the best chartplotter in your price range.