Best quality.
Best service. Best price.
In the world of business it's said that
you can have any two of the above. Service coupled with quality costs
more. Lower-cost items often have less features, or are less durable,
or require the buyer to work out any installation problems by spending
countless hours "on hold" waiting for technical assistance.
Marine electronics are no different. With
the wide variety of options available, today's boaters can choose from
numerous manufacturers, with similar items available at various price
points.
Last month we looked at how affordable all of today's electronics have
become. This month we'll look at one of the fastest growing segments of
the marine electronics market: the 10-inch LCD colour display chartplotter.
With advances in screen technology and cartography, these large-screen
chartplotters offer easily viewed charts and easy-to-master interfaces.
Simrad
CP42
The
Simrad 40 Series includes a family of 10-inch LCD models. Available
as individual chartplotter, sounder and radar units for larger vessels,
mid-sized cruisers can have the benefits of the superior display in
combination units as well, combining any two (or all three) functions
into one unit.
Simrad's 10-inch Transreflective SunView
LCD provides the best image we've seen in a 10-inch monitor. Viewable
in all lighting conditions, the screen presentation is clear and crisp.
New technology and antireflexive front glass limits reflections and
glare to an absolute minimum, as well as providing improved clarity
and scratch resistance.
Using C-Map NT technology, the Simrad
provides space for two chart chips in watertight drawers on the unit's
face. Using a menu-driven, windows-style interface, the unit features
quick access and one-button scaling in nine different scales. The unit
can display North Up, Nav Up or Head Up chart images.
Unique to the Simrad is the ability to
show a split-screen presentation of two charts' images independent of
each other. You can show one chart in detail for precise planning and
the other in large scale for an overall view. Or you can use one chart
for navigation while planning a new route on the other.
With its WAAS-capable 14-channel receiver,
the Simrad provides extremely accurate position fixes within a few feet.
The unit stores waypoints as 26 different selected types with name or
depth information. Ten thousand waypoints can be stored, or 50,000 track
points, as well as up to 10,000 routes. Additional data can be stored
using an optional Simrad DataCard or external disk drive. The C-Map
data provides harbour information, including phone numbers of marinas
and tide information.
Dual NMEA data ports allow connection to additional electronics, autopilots
and computers. A full-function second station is available for flybridge
or cockpit mounting. The Simrad also features a unique front flush-mounting
method, and at three-inches deep it is surprisingly compact.
A well-built chartplotter with all these
features, including cast aluminum housing and polycarbonate face, along
with the level of service provided by Simrad, doesn't come cheaply.
However, the Simrad CP42 is surprisingly affordable considering everything
it offers and the quality of its display.
Retail price: $5,495 USD (about $8,655 CAD).
Furuno
GP1900C
Part
of Furuno's NAVnet Series, the GP1900C features a 10.4-inch TF LCD display
and the greatest flexibility in networking in any of these units. Beginning
with the same cast aluminum case as their 10.4-inch Radar Series, Furuno
makes the most of their economy of scale by reducing the number of different
cases they produce. This results not only in savings for the consumer,
but also the ability to have the same control panel on multiple units.
Once you learn the functions on one, they will all work in the same
manner.
While the LCD colour screen is not quite
as bright as the Simrad, it is still more than up to the needs of Northwest
boaters. The antireflective coating makes viewing of the numerous dual-
and tri-mode screens easier. Adjustable background colours and various
preset colour schemes make viewing in various light conditions easier,
while not affecting the skipper's night vision. Four preprogrammable
settings are provided, in addition to user-settable settings. (The Simrad
offers more user-programmable settings that can be saved and easily
scrolled through.)
Furuno's interface is also menu-driven,
and preprogrammed display layouts are accessed through the DISP button
and selected with the unique Selector/Enter knob. Menu items are chosen
by turning the knob and then depressing it. With all the controls on
the right hand of the display, one-hand operation is a breeze, and rough
sea conditions pose little problem, as the user can run the unit with
just his or her thumb while gripping the unit for support.
Five soft keys provide direct access
to functions related to the information on the display, and the on-screen
labels can be hidden for even more display area. The trackball makes
cursor movement easy and controllable. The gasket door provides access
to the chart cartridge, and the GP1900C can be ordered to use either
C-Map NT or Navionics cartridges. Nice to have a choice so you can use
whichever is more prevalent in your area.
A black box sounder is an option and
can be added at any time (unlike the Simrad where you'll have to purchase
the combo unit at the outset) and provides 50 and 200 kHz sounder frequencies
at either 600 or 1,000 watts. For those who want to know the depth but
don't care about the bottom contour, Furuno offers a Smart Sensor transducer
for slightly more than the price of a standard transducer, making for
an economical source for depth information.
The
unit's memory will store up to 8,000 points for a ship's track and marks,
as well as 100 named waypoints and 200 planned routes. Multiple data
ports allows sharing of NMEA data, as well as PC connections, black
box sounder or NAVnet radar units. These additional displays can be
either seven-inch or 10.4-inch, networked through a T-10 Ethernet hub,
and will share their data across the entire network.
Additionally, the GP1900C offers the
option to send its screen image to a VGA screen for a second display,
or will display PAL/NTSC video from a camera, TV or PC in either full-screen
or third-screen size. Furuno also includes an infrared remote with all
their NAVnet units. Pilothouse motoryacht owners can sit back at the
settee with their autopilot and NAVnet remotes and enjoy the ride.
Retail price: $4,595 USD (about $7,235 CAD).
Garmin
2010C
Newest
into the large screen chartplotter field is Garmin with their new 2006
and 2010 series. Available in black-and-white or colour versions, these
budget-priced units are surprisingly packed with features, and continue
Garmin's tradition of intuitive, easy-to-use models.
Garmin has created the best-known line of handheld GPSs in the boating
market and capitalizes on this familiarity with their ever-expanding
line of fixed-mount products. Many small boat owners have used Garmin
sounders or GPS receivers and are now moving up to bigger boats and
want the familiarity of the Garmin name.
The 2010C features a control pad similar
to Garmin's other products: a cursor pad surrounded by control buttons.
In addition, an alphanumeric keypad and dedicated function buttons allow
the use of the menu-driven software.
Garmin's screen is as bright as the Furuno,
and the images are clear and easy to read in various light conditions.
Additional BlueChart cartridges accentuate a built-in world map. Data
from Navionics is used in Garmin's proprietary cartridges. Additional
data can be used from Garmin BlueChart CD-ROMs, which can be used to
program blank datacards using Garmin's optional USB datacard programmer.
An optional AC PC adapter allows programming of the unit in the comfort
of your den.
Garmin has done a good job with their
display screens, making the numerical datascreens large and simple to
read. Tide information is presented in an easy-to-read colour display.
Multiple NMEA ports allow the sharing of data between electronics, as
well as a Garmin-configured port.
The strength of the Garmin is its affordability coupled with a large,
easy-to-read display. To achieve this price point Garmin uses a plastic
housing instead of cast aluminum, and future serviceability will be
limited, unlike the Furuno that can be disassembled and repaired easily.
Garmin has done an outstanding job of
making an affordable, easy-to-use product that will last for quite awhile.
Not as rugged as the Simrad or Furuno, the 2010C should provide service
for the average boater for many years. For the cruiser heading offshore
or for long coastal trips, this may make a fine backup unit. When the
day comes that it develops any problems, it may not be cost effective
to repair.
Retail price: $2,857.13 (about $4,500 CAD). 
