suitable GPS/Echo unit for smartcraft gauges

[Miller]

Ok, I m thinking of getting a new GPS/ Echo all in one unit for the boat.

I have just purchased a optimax engine and I know that certain Navman units will display smartcraft information.. I have looked at the 8084 but I coughed when I saw the price!£1100 is the cheapest so far with the gateway interface for the engine.

I have also looked at the Raymarine units which can display engine info. They link up using NMEA 2000(whatever that is?) I think its the C120.

So, can this unit connect to the opti? Is it any good? Any other suggestions?


Also if anyone is selling anything suitable I would be interested.

Cheers

[K&S]

Hi, we have used Navman in our current boat and previous boat.
Pretty simple to use and install (once you find the right wiring diagram for gps / dsc radio , posted on a thread on ribnet)
We also use Navman 7200 radio as we like the 'track buddy' facility.


What may interest you more is we used a guy in Canada to supply for a hell of a lot cheaper than uk prices link bellow

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/ShipShopCan...Q3amesstQQtZkm

[BruceB]

I got quite a good deal on a Lowrance LCX-27C combined plotter last week.
Complete with everything including dual freq TXD and Navionics XL gold chart cartridge, £908 delivered.
Its got a fairly large screen, about 7 and a bit inches diagonal and is NMEA compatible. In fact I think it comes with a network already ready to expand to other items.
Dunno if this is the sort of thing and price you are looking at?

[Andy Moore]

Originally Posted by BruceB

I got quite a good deal on a Lowrance LCX-27C combined plotter last week.
Complete with everything including dual freq TXD and Navionics XL gold chart cartridge, £908 delivered.
Its got a fairly large screen, about 7 and a bit inches diagonal and is NMEA compatible. In fact I think it comes with a network already ready to expand to other items.
Dunno if this is the sort of thing and price you are looking at?

We are on our third replacement Lowrance unit. The keyboard kept shorting when it got wet with rainwater. i would steer clear of them in the future.

I would look at Raymarine if I got another set-up, although I can't say I have any experience of their kit.

[Miller]

I am very tempted towards the Navman 8084/8120 due to the smartcraft features.

Anybody have experience of this?

[K&S]

Hi on our previous set up we bought the unit to use with a mercury engine but in the end we didnt set up for smart craft stuff we used instruments supplied with the engine and a fuel flow meter.

I know it doesn't make much sense not to plug smartcraft stuff in but the price of the link cable was more than i could get the fuel flow meter for.
All the engine info we needed was available on the instruments. The fuel flow was probably the only thing we would have used on the smart craft guages anyway.

Using the split screen took up a lot of room and when bouncing about in the waves knowing where we were was more important that having duplicate info on the screen.

[Miller]

So not worth the money then?

My other choice is the raymarine c80?

[Miller]

ok, looks like im going for the Navman 8120 from that shop in Canada on ebay.

Seems good enough bloke, quick to answer questions and very helpful.

[K&S]

Originally Posted by Miller

So not worth the money then?

My other choice is the raymarine c80?

If your buying it just because of the smart craft function then probably not, but they are one of the cheaper plotters available and it was really that function we wanted.

Our new boat is a suzuki and we didnt even bother looking at a compatible plotter Just a fuel flow meter. having said that the instruments supplied with the suzuki have sensors / warnings built for temps etc.

Could always buy the smart craft guages but from memory they were pretty expensive as well.

[BruceB]

Originally Posted by Andy Moore

We are on our third replacement Lowrance unit. The keyboard kept shorting when it got wet with rainwater. i would steer clear of them in the future.

I would look at Raymarine if I got another set-up, although I can't say I have any experience of their kit.

Which unit are you having the problem with?
Certainly if I had three units go down on me one after the other I would be looking for a refund rather than replacement after the second one. Haven't heard anything bad about lowrance other then the odd rogue one but you get that with any bit of kit, even garmin which I love to bits and folk have still had problems with.
I was really looking for the fuel sensor and a larger screen, 90% of the time depth can just be a number on the screen and only need the graphics now and again.

[K&S]

Originally Posted by Miller

ok, looks like im going for the Navman 8120 from that shop in Canada on ebay.

Seems good enough bloke, quick to answer questions and very helpful.

I believe he is good at marking his post as gifts for tax

[K&S]

The money we saved we blew on an ais and he threw in a ais/ fuel splitter FOC