Electronics Survey, Your Choice?

[Outta Here]

Which would you choose, why?

1-Furuno 10" NavNet and sounder (makes it a split screen depthfinder)

2-2 Furuno GP 7000's. One used as GPS, one as depthfinder

3-Furuno GP 7000 GPS, and Furuno 585 depthfinder

Believe it or not, all three systems $3,000-$3300.00. My goal is large screens, easy to operate. I could care less about radar or various "gee whiz" features.

I would lean towards the "2 Furuno 7000's". Reasons, redundant GPS, ease of operation (set up each one and leave it, MOL), matching units look good. Negative, DF screen much smaller than Furuno 585.

Whatta you think?

 

[B-Faithful]

What type of depths do you fish?

It is a double edged sword.

I have a combo unit w/ 10.5 screen. I love being able to go to full screen map while running or full screen sonar when fishing around a bridge (split screen with bottom lock and full depth). The downside is that I cannot use all the sonar functions while in map/sonar split screen.

If I were to do it again, I would probably go to a Garmin Plotter and a Furuno fishfinder. This is what you should do (prices at BOE)

Furuno FCV585 $1130
Garmin 4208 $1728
-----------------------------------------------
Total $2858

(with the savings you can get a good hand held gps for back up.. )

This would give you the best plotter and the best fishfinder in the price range you are looking for. Of course you lose style points for not having the same brand units but then again who cares about style. (not the fish)

 

[DaleH]

I must say I like the separate screens ...

Now, as to what I HATE about the combo screens. A friend has the huge Raytheon C120 (say 8" tall by 12" wide display) and when he has the GPS, depth, radar, and other enabled ... the fishfinder gets relegated to be shown on the bottom 1/3rd of the screen, but full-width wide.

This is so stuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupid! At least to me ... Who reads, or needs to read, a depthfinder from left to right where the display is 12" wide? I'd rather read the variances of depth and have the separation shown on a 8" tall display, even if it was only 3-4" wide. At least I'd see the definition in regards to 'what species shows up where at what depth'.

 

[Outta Here]

I need to cover around 20-150' water.

DaleH, never thought about splitting screen w/a 12" long depthfinder :shock: What a POS. I would hope the 10" NavNet would/could split vertically half and half. I can't find the screen size on a 10" NavNet. I wonder if the screen size of NavNet is 2x two 7000 units or more?

A big advantage to NavNet is the full 0-9 keyboard for me to enter waypoints. I don't wanna be fiddleing with the machines while underway, (changing screen sizes). I'm really challenged w/this stuff, took me what, a year of tutoring to post a pic. :shock:

Electronics are, for me, a way to stay off the hill and find bait/structure.

 

[Capt. Ronnie]

I must say I like the separate screens ...

Now, as to what I HATE about the combo screens. A friend has the huge Raytheon C120 (say 8" tall by 12" wide display) and when he has the GPS, depth, radar, and other enabled ... the fishfinder gets relegated to be shown on the bottom 1/3rd of the screen, but full-width wide.

This is so stuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupid! At least to me ... Who reads, or needs to read, a depthfinder from left to right where the display is 12" wide? I'd rather read the variances of depth and have the separation shown on a 8" tall display, even if it was only 3-4" wide. At least I'd see the definition in regards to 'what species shows up where at what depth'.

Our "Team Ave Maria" 2900 hyrdasport has 2 C120s
I'm not a big fan of Raymarine for the chart plotter.
But the sounder and radar are AWESOME !!!!
We leave the screen to the right sounder only.
Left screen, plotter with radar overlay enabled !

 

[TheOtherLine]

If I were to do it again, I would probably go to a Garmin Plotter and a Furuno fishfinder. This is what you should do (prices at BOE)

Furuno FCV585 $1130
Garmin 4208 $1728
-----------------------------------------------
Total $2858
quote]

I agree. Just out of curiosity, why the FCV585 and not the FCV620?

 

[B-Faithful]

If I were to do it again, I would probably go to a Garmin Plotter and a Furuno fishfinder. This is what you should do (prices at BOE)

Furuno FCV585 $1130
Garmin 4208 $1728
-----------------------------------------------
Total $2858

I agree. Just out of curiosity, why the FCV585 and not the FCV620?

I mostly listed the unit because it was the model he had listed that he had interest in. It does have a larger screen. Being the depths that FF fishes he really doesnt need the 1kw of power that the 585 puts out over the 620. If he ran to the canyons or deeper water, I would suspect that the 585 may be worth the additional investment. For FF's main application, it is mostly just getting a larger screen.

I highly recommend looking hard at the garmin for a plotter and get the stand alone Furuno fishfinder even if you get an older 3000 or 2000 (no radar) series. The ease of use and much better maps is worth it. Plus they are less money. I would recommend getting the furuno digital stand alone fishfinder even if you get the furuno plotter as I have never had a plotter fail me and I dont think the digital or ultra fast pulse rate technology is on the combo furuno. Because you are not networking between systems not having the same screens is no big deal. If you really want a back up, just get a good hand held. Just my opinion..

ps FF, The 2000 and 3000 series in the 6" and 10" screens have full key pads. You really dont need them though as you can just scroll on the chart with the curser to where you want to go and enter a way point.
Even if you dont enter the way point, the heading and distance to go pops up. I will admit that I have little time with a furuno plotter but the time I do have shows them to be a lot less user friendly. I do have time with Ray and navonics maps and will say that their charts are not nearly as nice as the Garmin bluechart. I believe the same with CMap..

 

[TheOtherLine]

OK. I understand. I have the Furuno 620 and I really like it although I DO wish I had a bigger screen. Kinda hard at my age (51 tomorrow) to see details on the small screen.

I definately think you gave him good advice on the chartplotter. I have the garmin 4212 and it's awesome. Great detail, very intuitive to use. I may just buy the sounder module and use it because of the big screen. Use the Furuno for backup.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Megabyte]

Marine electronics are a very personal thing... sorta like which truck brand do you drive or which outboard do you run.

Having said that... I too prefer Garmin and Furuno separates. :wink:

I'm not a fan of combo screens if you have the real estate to do separates, as the benefits of twin screens far outweighs what you can do on one.

You might do a search here for the "helm shot" thread of FishPimp's twin screen custom helm. I believe that he used a pair of Furuno screens.

 

[Outta Here]

I dont think the digital or ultra fast pulse rate technology is on the combo furuno.

ps FF, The 2000 and 3000 series in the 6" and 10" screens have full key pads. You really dont need them though as you can just scroll on the chart with the curser to where you want to go and enter a way point.
Even if you dont enter the way point, the heading and distance to go pops up. quote]

You comment about "digital or ultra fast..." is well taken and is a question I have. Is the NavNet tech as good as the 585 and GP-7000?

As to your "full keyboard" comments. Others have made similar comments. If I have some "hot spot" #'s, the only way I know of to enter them is (without full keyboard) to scroll thru the entire "0-9" index for each #. How do you do it?

The "fish pimp" set up is nice. I'm not gonna spend app $6500 for 2 ten inch NavNets and a fishfinder black box,...even if I could afford it.

 

[B-Faithful]

How do I do it? quite frankly I just move the curser to where I want to go and follow the heading that comes up on the screen. For example, i fished my boat out of Avalon NJ the summer of 06. I wanted to fish the Sea Isle Ridge about 15 miles off the beach. As we cleared the inlet I just zoomed out some on the map moved my curser to the location I wanted to go and my garmin just gave me the coordinates to run and distance to the location. After only catching some bonita and the seas kicking up to where I was taking waves over the bow due to a strong west wind, I wanted to make a run to a reef just off the beach front where we could be protected from the west winds and catch some flounder. I again just move the curser to where I wanted to go and it gave me my heading and distance to the location. Of course once you are at the location, you can just hit a button to enter the location as a way point... I do have a full key pad on my 3010c but I dont think I use it..

 

[Megabyte]

Greg,

Can't you also run the cursor to the location you want and just enter a waypoint?
Once the waypoint is entered, you do a 'goto' that point and the heading and distance is auto-displayed.

 

[TheOtherLine]

Greg,
Can't you also run the cursor to the location you want and just enter a waypoint?

On the 4212, you don't have to enter your destination as a waypoint. Just use the cursor to point to the spot you want and a menu comes up that says "go to". Just press that and it gives you a heading line, the coordinates, distance, time to arrival, etc., No need to store a waypoint. If you get there and then want to save that spot as a waypoint, just press "mark" and give it a name. That simple.

 

[Megabyte]

Even easier Scoops! Thanks. :wink:

Every year this gear gets better and better. 8)

 

[FishPimp]

10.5" Furunos navnets split nicely.
1 unit for radar with overlay and 1 unit for sounder.
I am still learning how to push bellz and whistles on my units. From what I have been told Raymarine are more user friendly.
I for whatever reason never seem to take the easy route.

 

[Megabyte]

I, for whatever reason, never seem to take the easy route.

I'm with you there brother... I'm with you there. :wink:

 

[B-Faithful]

Good thread here with comments from boaters with furuno and garmin plotters:

http://www.thehulltruth.com/forums/thre ... 3&posts=14

 

[gw204]

What ever happened to chart books, compasses, flashers and paper recorders???

Heck, all I had on my last boat was a set of charts, a hand held non-mapping Garmin GPS and a black and white Furuno LS6000 and I caught 10 times more fish than I do now.

 

[B-Faithful]

My dad used to find wrecks offshore triangulating radio towers on the beach with an RDF. He always found them too with his paper sounder :shock: