Chartplotter replacement

[jeronay]

My chartplotter (Raymarine 620) is out and I want to replace it with new chartplotter. Does anyone have insights into the various brands and models. Only one local (Rockport) dealer seems to have strong opinions including positive for Simrad and Garmin and not so much for Raymarine. Any input will be appreciated. Thanks, Jim

[MFC]

Hey Jim -

Welcome to the CD board! For starters, questions like this are best posted in the regular CD forum. I see it is your first post, but the "cruisers" section is not the best place to get responses about equipment.

That said, I purchased a number of Garmin products over the past 3 years and have been very happy. I bought a Garmin GPSMAP 441S, a GPSMAP 4208 and a GWI10 / GMI 10 package. The Garmin stuff integrates well with other equipment and antennae. It is priced very competitively. And, the Garmin customer service is awesome (just call - they answer). My limited experience with Raymarine is that they are a company on the decline, their business model is very controlling / proprietary, bad and inconvenient for the consumer and likely to fail. I would not buy their equipment again (which currently poses only one problem -- the RM electric wheel pilot fills a unique niche in the market).

At the lowest end, the small Garmin MFDs - like the 441 offer incredible value as chartplotters, sounders, gps and more.

Best,
Matt

[jeronay]

Thanks Matt,

Should I repost this on the CD board?

I appreciate your input..

[MFC]

I would. I thought the mods might move it . . .. For whatever reason, the "cruising" section just doesn't get the kind of traffic that the "Cape Dories" section does. You will get many more responses in the main section. I am off to the boat for the next 2-3 weeks, but feel free to email me direct if you have any specific questions about the gear I am using.
Best,
Matt