Best chartplotter /fishfinder combo for small commercial sal

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Jacksdiving
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Best chartplotter /fishfinder combo for small commercial sal

Post by Jacksdiving »

I bought a boat and it currently has a raymarine "a" series that is too outdated and the screen is too small... can anyone recommend a good chartplotter/fishfinder? I need recommendations on the best quality and also the best deal.
Kelper
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Re: Best chartplotter /fishfinder combo for small commercial

Post by Kelper »

What's your budget?

I'll tell you what I did. I went with an Ebay 1st Gen Furuno Nav Net display and a sounder module. It was a bit of a risk going used, but it works fine, and I didn't want to spend the $ going new. I've been using the same model for the last 10 years on my sport boat, and have had very good success marking balls of feed and salmon. I plugged into my existing transducer, but will upgrade the transducer on my next haul out. It's got the 10.4" screen and i can see it reasonably well from the cockpit of my small boat. I need to send it in and get it swapped over to C-Map so I can use it as a backup chart plotter, if I need it. I have a laptop w/noble tech that will take care of my chart plotting needs.
Jacksdiving
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Re: Best chartplotter /fishfinder combo for small commercial

Post by Jacksdiving »

Thank you very much! I am going to go new, because I am starting out and I don't want to go through replacing something a year after i bought it. Sounds like you had good luck on the furuno! good score. Thanks again!
Salty
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Re: Best chartplotter /fishfinder combo for small commercial

Post by Salty »

I have a computer/plotter program "Catch" from Nobeltec/furuno and a separate sounder. I use the 585 from Furuno and used to integrate it with my catch program for bottom mapping. I recently put on another transducer integrated directly into the computer with the Furuno black box and into the Catch software for displaying my sounder picture on my computer monitpr. Pretty nice, I recommend.
Once and Future
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Re: Best chartplotter /fishfinder combo for small commercial

Post by Once and Future »

I'd like to see this conversation expanded a little. I mean toward real "value" alternatives. A friend of mine has a son who bought a combined navigation software with depth sounder, and gps of course, for $1,000. My friend was scoffing at another one of his kid's mistakes, but he had to modify his opinion once he saw it work.

So I wonder if anyone has any experience with an all-in-one unit like this. I think Garmin makes one, and I don't know who else.
Kelper
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Re: Best chartplotter /fishfinder combo for small commercial

Post by Kelper »

Are you referring to a unit like this?

http://furuno.com/en/business_product/p ... p1870f.pdf

Looks like about $720 for the unit, and a little over $200 for the transducer. Not sure what the chip will run you.
http://www.hodgesmarine.com/Furuno-Gp18 ... m?click=19
Once and Future
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Re: Best chartplotter /fishfinder combo for small commercial

Post by Once and Future »

Yes, something like that. The catalogs I have looked in have such small pictures I can't really tell what I am looking at. And each manufacturer offers so many models that look similar that, at a glance, I can't differentiate features.

I would like to see one with a Nobletech-style display of ocean charts. I hope someone can provide a link to one they are familiar with and like.
Kelper
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Re: Best chartplotter /fishfinder combo for small commercial

Post by Kelper »

I've used a bunch of them. On my handtroller, I used a raymarine 57d. It worked fine as a basic chartplotter/sounder. I marked just about every king and coho I caught with it, but I was in less than 10fa trolling out of a 19' boat. Not sure I'd go with Raymarine again though, but rather I'd go with furuno. The gap between commercial and sport units is closing quickly, in my opinion. You can get some good performance with those smaller, less expensive units. You just sacrifice some screen size. If I were starting over, and had a limited budget, I'd go with the one I linked to above, and a 600w thru hull transducer. If you are going deep, go with a 1kw transducer. I like those charts better than nobletec, but I guess it's all what your used to.
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