www.iFourWinns.com

I have seen this unit on the web and am not sure if it's outputs are N2K. The manual says "defaults to NMEA 0183" for the outputs which implies that N2K is available but it is not specifically mentioned anywhere.

A couple of boating friends have bought the preloaded chartplotters and still ended up buying a card. It seems Canadian charts are actually only the shore lines that are near the American shore. Data is not available at my dock and I am on Lake Ontario and probably only 30 miles from the American shore. It does us no good when we start traveliing up the Trent Severn or Rideau System. The chart cards also give you more details... Maybe they have improved the pre-loaded charts so some hands on research would be required.

_________________
Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

Good points. Like I said, I will admit I am clueless about these new chartplotters. Name brands like Garmin and Raymarine are usually better overall, but that is the extent of my knowledge about them. I'll be interested to see what you decide on.

You may want to attend the Central Ontario Boat Show and Sale on 2/18/11 thru 2/21/11 if it is not too far away. You might be able to get some hands on experience and talk about your needs with vendors there.

_________________
One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

I just came across this on my local craigslist...

http://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/boa/2152321396.html

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Current Boat:
2004 Sea Ray 320 Sundancer "Nauti Luvin'"

Previous Boats:
1999 298 Vista "Seas The Day"
2008 H200SS "Nauti Luv"
2006 Tahoe Q4

Excellent price but that unit is old stock. Would do just fine for somebody who wants just a chartplotter.


I am still researching... was at Westmarine this morning and the package described above with taxes is about $2400. I think this is even higher than Garmin List prices. I'm going to make an excel spreadsheet to track all of this.

Since the Canadian Dollar is virtually at par with the U.S. I can expand my horizons a bit more but have to be conscious of tech support also.

_________________
Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

Hi to all!!!

I just came upon this topic, so I have read most but not every word. So if I missed something forgive me.

My self, I have a Garmin 3006 about 5yrs old and would like to upgrade to Garmins 740. The 740 is a "whole" 1/2 bigger screen, a 7" display, NMEA 2000 (for me is great, easy hook up), faster cpu, smaller foot print and lighter.

This spring I am installing Lowrace's fuel monitoring system (you should check it out at http://www.lowrance.com/Products/Marine/Digital-Gauges/ ). I had the Navman type, & yes it is a poor unit. The Lowrance system is NMEA 2000 too!!! There displays are NOT as nice as Garmins but are a LOT cheaper!!! There gauges come in 2 standard sizes that WILL fit into your dash board/panel. It will tell you, Capable of displaying the following NMEA 2000 data: GPS speed, tachometer, battery voltage, engine temperature, water pressure, engine oil pressure, fuel pressure, boost pressure, transmission oil pressure, atmospheric pressure, temperature, depth, engine loads, engine hours, fuel flow, fuel economy, fuel remaining, fuel used, fuel range, trip fuel used, seasonal fuel used, engine synchronizer, fluid level, GPS position, trim tab position, engine trim position, and engine alarms and warnings
If you have 2 engines, you just need 2 flow sensors and 1 display. The bigger display 3 3/16" LMF 400 can display 1, 2 or 4 things at one time.

Paul

I have researched the topic to death and to the point that I have myself totally confused...
I considered the Lowrance stuff but did not like the monochrome display. The Garmin 740 is a very nice piece of equipment and was my first choice but budget dictated a smaller unit.

As of last night I was reviewing my spring project list for the boat and have decided that there are other items that need to be taken care of before I spend this much money (approx $2500) This will officially be put on the back burner for a possible future install.

Coincidentally, I spent many hours yesterday compiling a spreadsheet of the same Garmin package at several online retailers including West Marine. The end result was that if you want to buy all components from one store you'll pay slightly below list... Mix and match you can save a couple of hundred dollars but the shipping would probably eat that up. West Marine Canada (local store quote) was the most expensive !!!

_________________
Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

I have a temporary solution for you that you can afford. FREE !!

I'll shoot you a PM and explain.

_________________
One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

Let's spend your money...


Nauticomp, the Ontario, Canada-based electronics manufacturer, is showing its new Genesis line of 15″ and 19″ sunlight-readable displays, and these two Genesis units are LED-backlit, which means much better contrast and significantly lower power requirements The 15″ Genesis model from Nauticomp can handle ambient temps up to 158°F (70°C), which is almost 20°F higher than most displays (and even the 19″ Genesis).
The Genesis models are also waterproof to the NEMA 6/IP67 standard, which means that there will be NO dust ingress to the unit and that it can withstand 30 minutes of water pressure equivalent to a 1 meter depth.

MSRP for the 15″ Genesis is $4,120 and the 19″ Genesis lists for $5,470.

_________________
One of 4 Previous (Sold) Boats:
2000 Four Winns 268 Vista

Current Boat: 2004 Chaparral 235 ssi cuddy

If money was no object there are lots of this size and style Multi function displays (MFD's). The thing they don't tell you is that you need to spend BIG dollars on all the peripherals to get this baby to do anything! You need a NMEA 2000 network just for starters, then you start adding all the sensors.

It would be nice to update my helm with everything on one single display such as this. I could have digital guages on one display and a chartplotter on another easily transfered to screen. It would be cool but I am not in the $ position to even consider something like this.

Thanks for the enticement but I spit out the hook.

_________________
Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

Marc , I have a Garmin 441 (if I recall), bought it at Westmarine with a card for lake ontario st lawrence and rideau. Its nothing fancy but regardless it's a chart plotter. I would not go without it ever. For where we are and where we can go it is a must.

_________________
2000 235 Sundowner
Previously 2007 Horizon 190
2004 Chevy Avalanche Z71

It's definitely possible to become so over-informed as to be unable to make a decision.


For gauges mono is usually much easier to read out in direct sunlight. And at night they usually have better dimming (do not underestimate how badly a bright gauge can ruin your night vision. That and they're usually less expensive. Makes that a win in my book. For a chartplotter, yes I'd insist on color. But for a gauge it's really not necessary.

_________________
-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Bill

I don't have enough experience with driving boats at night (and don't expect to) so the night vision impact wasn't considered. I just find the lowrance stuff is not as nice as some others. The pixels are large and chunky if I was going to spend the money then I want something nice. The idea to stay with a single brand was to ensure there would be no compatibility issues. The Garmin GMI 10 is a beautiful instrument display though and would look nice in place of my speedometer it would be able to display, GPS Speed, Fuel mileage, tank capacity, fuel flow from each engine, heading, compass all by the push of a button to reveal another screen. Pretty cool stuff but you pay dearly for that capacity.

Steve
I saw the 441 units at West Marine... Due to the size of the screen, I may as well just get an iphone or Android and download an app (as discussed on another thread).

Thanks all for you input.

_________________
Marc, Kathlin & Nathalie


'89 Chaparral Laser 32

'93 Vista 245, 5.8L w/ King Cobra

Former Boats
'01 H260, 7.4 VP Duoprop
'98 H200, 5.0 GL w/VP SX drive

I'll take functional and cost-effective over fancy looking.

Gauges are meant to be observable in your peripheral vision. Gauges with needles are great for being able to keep track of things without having to closely examine them. Your eyes can scan the gauges and see that all the needles are hovering in their nominal location. You don't have to "read" them or "think" about the value, just notice if the needle is out of it's expected position.

A handheld device for this sort of thing is an even worse idea. You need to be paying attention to the driving task at hand, not fiddling with a touchscreen, let alone a handheld one. Imagine trying to do that during bad weather or rough seas. I've been unfortunate enough to get caught out in bad weather. The experiences have taught me that having hard buttons for things like panning and zooming are absolutely critical for safe operation during bad weather. When you've got your hands full trying to keep the boat from getting overturned, or yourself from being thrown away from the wheel (I was using the steering wheel to literally PULL myself down to the deck!) the last thing you want is a touchscreen. A handheld would be totally useless (if not already overboard!)

I do agree with you about being able to use a single vendor for devices. But the reality is not all vendors have enough sensors and displays to fit all market requirements. Most sensors DO require a display from the same vendor for configuration. Thus I went with Lowrance sensors and a Lowrance display. The one thing I cannot do is make firmware updates. I'd need a chartplotter with a card slot to do that. If/when that's required my plan is to borrow one from my local dealer (in my case that's Jim at BOE Marine on Kent Island). Or just buy a second-hand or refurb or the lowest model of a plotter that would do it. The great thing about NMEA2k is I can just plug into my network to do it. No rewiring would be needed (unlike NMEA0183). I suppose I could also just send them back to the factory for updates. But I've had no need for this so it's really not a big concern.

So while I do like the 'idea' of fancy looking gauges, the reality of safe boating demands practicality.

I've posted other messages about instruments. Feel free to search for them to read more on my perspective.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Well said Bill!!!!!

Thanks. But don't get me wrong, I love gadgets. I've just not found many that prove to be as useful as the marketing hype behind them would have you believe. One website I like that talks about them is panbo.com

_________________
-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista