I'm buying the Parker 2520XL with the Yamaha 250 and now need autopilot and electronics for trolling and fishing in the Great lakes. Garmin and Raymarine are the ones most talked about. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Auto pilot for fishing
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I installed a Raymarine Evolution EV-200 Autopilot nine seasons ago, in my Parker 2520SL. The autopilot has been a game changer for me in all aspects of running the boat and trolling. When I installed my autopilot, the Raymarine Evolution EV-150 had not been produced yet, it would be a good choice for a single engine Parker 2520.
With today’s networked electronics, you’re better off sticking with one manufacturer for items that are going to need to communicate. With that in mind, the AP is probably not going to be the most critical component that goes into your decision as to what electronics manufacturer you’re going to choose for the rest of your system. All the MFRs have AP systems that work well; your best bet is to choose the MFR that produces the MFD interface you like the best, and install the appropriate AP from that same manufacturer.
I agree with the above comment on sticking with the brand of MFD you are getting. Previous boat with a Grady 275 with Garmin autopilot and MFD. Got the remote for the AP and loved the set up. Found this Garmin to be much improved over my old Ray Marine in a trawler. The remote provided the opportunity to move around the boat when fishing alone or the wife tied up with the grandkids.
Now for the bad news. Ordered my new Parker 2520 XLD with Yamaha 200 DEC twins with Garmin 8612 that TriState likes to use. Also ordered the Garmin AP 5000 and remote as with the old Grady. Upon delivery of the boat to the dealer, they told me that the Yamaha DEC engines did not work with the Garmin due to software issues. I’d have to go with the Yamaha autopilot that has no remote at all.
What to do about my second station? The only solution was to put another full Yamaha AP instrument out on the cockpit station and have no remote at all. I even called both Yamaha and Garmin product support, and both confirmed that they just had no ability to interface a Garmin AP with the DECs.
Shocked that Garmin is giving up AP product for all Yamaha DEC engines! Seems like a very short sighted marketing strategy. So beware of this limitation if you are getting a Yamaha digital engine. No remote available.
Now for the bad news. Ordered my new Parker 2520 XLD with Yamaha 200 DEC twins with Garmin 8612 that TriState likes to use. Also ordered the Garmin AP 5000 and remote as with the old Grady. Upon delivery of the boat to the dealer, they told me that the Yamaha DEC engines did not work with the Garmin due to software issues. I’d have to go with the Yamaha autopilot that has no remote at all.
What to do about my second station? The only solution was to put another full Yamaha AP instrument out on the cockpit station and have no remote at all. I even called both Yamaha and Garmin product support, and both confirmed that they just had no ability to interface a Garmin AP with the DECs.
Shocked that Garmin is giving up AP product for all Yamaha DEC engines! Seems like a very short sighted marketing strategy. So beware of this limitation if you are getting a Yamaha digital engine. No remote available.
That sucks. It looks like they make a system specifically for Yamaha controls, but I don't know the specs. See below:
https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/878076/pn/010-02794-04#overview
https://www.garmin.com/en-US/p/878076/pn/010-02794-04#overview
My buddy and I just finished upgrading ALL the wiring and electronics on my '97 2310 and went with Simrad equipment and their EVO 3S MFD. I also got their NAC 2 autopilot w/ pump 2 and it's amazing, it's just a Precision 9 compass and one small controller and no rudder feedback needed, that thing keeps a steady course! I also got their Bluetooth remote control which is about the size of a car's key fob.
We also swapped out the Bennett tabs with Lenco along with their Auto Glide system which automatically controls the them and the difference is night and day, quicker hole shot, on plane quicker and adjusts the roll/pitch when people are moving around.
We also swapped out the Bennett tabs with Lenco along with their Auto Glide system which automatically controls the them and the difference is night and day, quicker hole shot, on plane quicker and adjusts the roll/pitch when people are moving around.
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I have Garmin electronics on my '03 2520 with Suzuki 200's. I have a buddy that does marine electronics and we put together a Garmin system and installed for around $1000. Works great and is a game changer. My boat partner didn't think we needed one even though he'd be asleep at the wheel when returning from offshore zig zaggin our way home. I said that I would pay for it and if he didn't like it then he didn't have to pay for it... he coughed up his half and loves it. Simply pull up a waypoint or touch the chart and navigate to the spot and the chartplotter will ask if you want to engage the autopilot. I'm sure you do a lot of trolling in the Great Lakes and there is a zig zag mode that you can set the interval and the degree of turn that you want so that you can cover more area. Basic Garmin setup used shouldn't cost more than $1500. The Hull Truth website has lots of parts for sale in their classifieds section. Good luck!
