Electronics package

[Darrell68]

Hi everyone
Ordering a new Parker 25 se curious on electronics. I’m not getting any electronics from the factory. Starting fresh when boat arrives thinking auto pilot chart plotter and separate unit for my sounder I’ve always had good luck with furuno sounder but I’ve been out of the loop for a few years now what’s the latest and greatest anyone out there running panoptics from Garmin any help would be great thx

 

[Mpellet]

Hi everyone
Ordering a new Parker 25 se curious on electronics. I’m not getting any electronics from the factory. Starting fresh when boat arrives thinking auto pilot chart plotter and separate unit for my sounder I’ve always had good luck with furuno sounder but I’ve been out of the loop for a few years now what’s the latest and greatest anyone out there running panoptics from Garmin any help would be great thx

I can say from experience that the Raymarine Evolution 200 Autopilot performs absolutely outstanding in the Parker 2520. When I put mine in 5 years ago Raymarine only had the Evolution 200 and the Evolution 100, since the they have come out with an Evolution 150 which will save you a few $ and should be suitable for a Parker 2520.

 

[warthog5]

Raymarine would be the last thing I'd buy or recommend....In fact...If someone bought them without consulting me and then wanted me to install it....I'd send them down the road.

Yea they sell Raymarine around here...The local Electronics's store pushes it....Why? Because they make more money. Not because it's better stuff.


Most unsuspecting people that get talked into it....Don't buy it again.

Now Raymarine has been sold! A new company has it....I've heard it is not what it use to be...It's better....But You can NOT beat a Garmin for simplicity and user friendliness and I will not gamble thousands and thousands of my money to try something and see if I like it.

#1] What is your budget?

#2] How much room do you have?

#3] Are you willing to cut your new boat up to rearrange how the factory installed stuff so that it can be customized for the new equipment and the gauges and such?


Standard Horizon has the smallest footprint when it comes to VHF radio's...This leaves room for larger screen's..

Touch screens......I've installed them.....Don't like them....Ya their great in the driveway.....Now get the boat up and running and pitching.....[Boats do that when you use them] Now try and steer the boat, hang on and hit the screen in the correct spot. You'll miss....and then you get pages you did not want.



Furuno has always been the standard for commercial in the past. Their Chartplotters are not as easy to operate as Garmin 1st or Simrad 2nd. Their bottom machines always shined, but other companies have come a long way and with the advent of CHIRP you damn near can't tell $.02 worth of difference.....Everything has to do with the transducer.


Don't know your area or average depth that you fish....I Highly recommend a thruhull X-Ducer!

Depending on what you get....It can run $1000 to $1600....Ya...They get even more expensive than that too.

But you need a person to install it that knows what their doing and the Dealer may not.....I've fixed installs that a dealer had done.

 

[Brent]

The Hull Truth has a electronics forum and it is very active.

I just updated to a nice Garmin MFD only but not high end but replaced an older Garmin

Warthog has better experience and info. He has a great info on buying VHF antenna and mount, too

I also check BOE Marine site and contact Jim .

A good read at https://www.boatingmag.com/2019-marine- ... ics-guide/

Be sure to get a MMSI number and enter it into radio and MFD

PLB are now inexpensive and great safety item

If you fish alone then look at wireless kill switch

If you are buying anchor rigging, check Cable Loft site which is part of Secco South by Tampa. Great prices on rode, swivels and chain.
They supplied Lewmar for 20 years

I recommend a windlass, too.

Good luck

 

[DSW]

The US Navy is giving up touch screen controls on their latest destroyers and going back to some physical controls:

https://www.geek.com/tech/u-s-navy-swap ... h-1799587/

 

[pittsburghfishing]

I have all Raymarine on my 2820.... Autopilot, Two MFD's, Radar....etc... My next boat will be Garmin. The new company that owns raymarine is not very good on the customer service end.

 

[mheltunen]

Raymarine is unpopular with some people but I have had very good luck with it myself. Recently I had an issue with my display and their customer service went over and above to make it right for me. I’ve used both Garmin and Simrad as well and personally don’t feel they are any better (IMO). I feel all the manufactures make a quality product these days.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[warthog5]

Meaning of user friendly.


My meaning of user friendly is.....You can operate 98% of the machine and Never open the instructions.

Yes you will need to look at them for that other 2% that is new and can't find in the menu.


One other factor...Peoples opinions are based on what they have /had in the past.

This could be entry level equipment. Most companies make it. A lot of people buy it, due to their budget.

So their comments end up being made on low level equipment.



I'll give you a example of a customers boat: It had a Hummingbird on it [Flush mounted aprox 9in screen]


You don't see many Hummingbird units around here...But remember..I don't get a lot of freshwater boats to work on.

So I was doing something unrelated to the Hummingbird to the boat. I turned it on to get a feel for it.

My RV/Boat shed is 12 X 40 [metal] The shed has BIG oak trees hanging over it.

The point is GPS siginal is being shielded thru the metal and tress.

I never could get the Hummingbird to lock in.....that is, until I moved the boat out in the clear.

Garmin & Simrad will always lock in under there with a aprox. 11ft accuracy or less. That's Pretty damn good considering.


So I asked the customer why he chose the Hummingbird. He said it's the only unit that will interface with the Minkota Ipilot.

I just said......oh....OK.

But what I was thinking is...What the Hell do you need that for? The interface.....Not the Ipilot.


Ipilot's here and a lot of places are used as anchoring devices....For fishing structure for reef fishing.

So You put a waypoint in your chartplotter....Go to the spot....Look at the FF...Yep there it is....deploy the TM and hit anchor.....No interface needed. TM holds you over the reef/wreck. Doesn't get any simpler than that.