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Author Topic:   NAVMAN vs. Raymarine

flyfisher1771 posted 10-25-2004 01:19 AM ET (US)
I am looking at a small fish finder to stay with me (as opposed to the craft) and I am wondering if anyone would care to share experiences or opinions on either of these brands.
I am leaning toward a Raymarine DS400x with a transom mount transducer.
Also on a small (13') boat I am leaning toward a handheld VHF instead on a fixed mount. Any opinions on that?
Thanks,
Hugh
NausetBoy posted 10-25-2004 08:05 AM ET (US)
Raymarine is junk and Navman too. If you want a good fish finder/bottom machine, get a Fununo. I have heard too many storys about Raymarines having to be sent back and such. Just my .02
jimh posted 10-25-2004 09:03 AM ET (US)
The NAVMAN brand is fairly new to the United States market, so there may not be many with experience with this brand of SONAR equipment.
Raymarine is not known for SONAR equipment.
Usually the SONAR of choice is LOWRANCE, but the new FURUNO 4100 has been very highly rated.
dreid posted 10-25-2004 11:18 AM ET (US)
I own and like the Raymarine DS400x. We recently encountered a submerged floating log that removed the transducer and bracket from the transome and the speedometer paddle wheel from the transducer. Raymarine sent a replacement paddlewheel kit and transome bracket via UPS overnight for about $24.00, all-in. Everything worked fine after the repair. I was impressed.
doobee posted 10-25-2004 02:03 PM ET (US)
Raymarine currently has the most advanced fishing SONAR on the market. The transducer is electronically tuned to max performance based on the settings. The result is no surface clutter, and greater detail. You can actually see individual fish within a school.
Furuno is good to, but their displays take up more space on a small console.
No experience with Navman.
You may get better range with a fixed mount VHF if you use an 8' antenna. I find that a handheld suits my needs on a small boat. Uniden has a handheld VHF with a GPS and DSC built in to it. It's not likely to happen on a Whaler, but if you have to get off the boat, you can take it with you.
jimh posted 10-25-2004 07:50 PM ET (US)
I have to correct myself, as Raymarine was just today awarded "Best In Show" at the 2004 National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) annual convention in Naples, Florida.
See:
http://www.raymarine.com/raymarine/article.asp?site=1§ion=43&page=860&contentId=4710&type=news
This award was for their C120 multi-function display:
http://www.raymarine.com/raymarine/ProductDetail.asp?site=1&SECTion=2&page=758&PRODuct_id=1677
Last year, 2003, they also won "Best In Show" for their HDFI Digital Sounder Module:
http://www.raymarine.com/raymarine/ProductDetail.asp?site=1§ion=2&page=528&product_id=1219
I think all of this is a bit too high-end for your 13-foot Boston Whaler, but apparently in that market segment they are able to provide some particularly good products.
I do not recall ever seeing a Raymarine fish finder unit on a small boat, although, with these new products, that may be changing.
jimh posted 10-25-2004 07:54 PM ET (US)
The Raymarine fish finder low-end High-Definition Digital unit is the DS400x, which retails for $420.
http://www.raymarine.com/raymarine/ProductDetail.asp?site=1§ion=2&page=766&product_id=1698
This price point is probably a bit high for your average fisherman, but I guess if you really want to locate fish or other submerged objects, it is just about the starting point for serious SONAR units these days.
They do make more conventional devices, like their L265, which retails for $210. See:
http://www.raymarine.com/raymarine/ProductDetail.asp?site=1§ion=2&page=766&product_id=1698
Royce posted 10-25-2004 08:04 PM ET (US)
I cannot speak for the lower end of Raymarine, but their upper end equiptment is top notch. I have the Raymarine L760Rc on my Outrage 18 and recently installed the Raymarine C series 120 on my 25' Outrage Cuddy. The C series is not quite as direct sunlight visable as the 760 but it is way advanced in its features. Nothing on the market(including the Furuno) can touch it. I recently talked to Brian at the Outboard Motor Shop and asked him if he had seen the C Series--he said he already installed one on their company Outrage 25. The Digital Sounder Module sonar gives an amazing sonar return and the new Navionics Gold charts are absolutely clear. I was out rock fishing with a buddy of mine who has(and swears by his) Lowrance sonar on his boat. We dialed in the bottom and he started spotting fish around the rock formations. He wanted me to stop because he spotted a return that he believed to be a large Ling Cod--I didn't stop because I didn't see enough wear on the lings teeth for it to be old enough to be legal. He now has to convince his wife that he needs a new Sonar/GPS to be safe offshore.
Royce
flyfisher1771 posted 10-25-2004 08:54 PM ET (US)
Thanks for all the input. You all make some good points.
The appeal of the Raymarine unit is as follows-
1. Size of unit
2. Functionality (speed, temp, battery volts)
3. Easily reuseable(for that Montauk when I get the money)
4. Interfaces with chartplotter (see #3)
5. Reputation of company (overall, not just SONAR)
This unit is readily available at West Marine for $350 and online for $309 making it considerably more attractive than the Raymarine.com pricing.
I will be looking at Furuno tonight.
Hugh
Plotman posted 10-25-2004 09:18 PM ET (US)
I asked a friend who sells electronics at our local independent chandlery - pretty much the place to go in town as their prices are competitive and ther is no West or Boats US.
He said that they don't sell a lot of Navman units, but they have not had a single return of any Sonar, GPS or combo from Navman. Lowrance and Furono are the most common, but account for a disproportionate number of returns.
Their luck has been better with the Raymarine and Garmin units, but still not as reliable as the Navman.
David
flyfisher1771 posted 10-25-2004 10:06 PM ET (US)
The NAVMAN 4380 appears to be the directly competing product to the ds400x. The sizing and features are almost identical although the NAVMAN is about $40 more on average.
One cool feature the 4380 has is an engine hour meter. It also has the fuel gauge option although I don't think it will work with a 30 hp 2 stroke.
Furuno doesn't look like they spend much time worrying about guys with my budget. Nice stuff, though.
BW23 posted 10-26-2004 09:35 AM ET (US)
FWIW,
Brunswick purchased Navman this past year and their products will be factory installed in BW's.
myakka posted 10-31-2004 09:00 AM ET (US)
I have a Navman 4200. I thought the unit was great till I saw the lowrance on the Whaler I just bought.
AlexH posted 11-06-2004 08:45 AM ET (US)
Royce,
I also have a 25' Outrage Cuddy ('89) with a super console and electronics box. I have been looking for new electronics and have focused on the Raymarine C series. I am interested in how you mounted the display as well as the transducer. I have a whaler drive which leaves no "clean" water for the transducer to operate in at higher speeds (anything above 15mph). If you have any pictures of your installation, could you please post them on the internet or email them to forthank@hotmail.com. I would really appreciate any guidance. Have you considered the radar option? Also, how does having to split the screen between the multiple functions work out?

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Author	Topic: NAVMAN vs. Raymarine
flyfisher1771	posted 10-25-2004 01:19 AM ET (US) I am looking at a small fish finder to stay with me (as opposed to the craft) and I am wondering if anyone would care to share experiences or opinions on either of these brands. I am leaning toward a Raymarine DS400x with a transom mount transducer. Also on a small (13') boat I am leaning toward a handheld VHF instead on a fixed mount. Any opinions on that? Thanks, Hugh
NausetBoy	posted 10-25-2004 08:05 AM ET (US) Raymarine is junk and Navman too. If you want a good fish finder/bottom machine, get a Fununo. I have heard too many storys about Raymarines having to be sent back and such. Just my .02
jimh	posted 10-25-2004 09:03 AM ET (US) The NAVMAN brand is fairly new to the United States market, so there may not be many with experience with this brand of SONAR equipment. Raymarine is not known for SONAR equipment. Usually the SONAR of choice is LOWRANCE, but the new FURUNO 4100 has been very highly rated.
dreid	posted 10-25-2004 11:18 AM ET (US) I own and like the Raymarine DS400x. We recently encountered a submerged floating log that removed the transducer and bracket from the transome and the speedometer paddle wheel from the transducer. Raymarine sent a replacement paddlewheel kit and transome bracket via UPS overnight for about $24.00, all-in. Everything worked fine after the repair. I was impressed.
doobee	posted 10-25-2004 02:03 PM ET (US) Raymarine currently has the most advanced fishing SONAR on the market. The transducer is electronically tuned to max performance based on the settings. The result is no surface clutter, and greater detail. You can actually see individual fish within a school. Furuno is good to, but their displays take up more space on a small console. No experience with Navman. You may get better range with a fixed mount VHF if you use an 8' antenna. I find that a handheld suits my needs on a small boat. Uniden has a handheld VHF with a GPS and DSC built in to it. It's not likely to happen on a Whaler, but if you have to get off the boat, you can take it with you.
jimh	posted 10-25-2004 07:50 PM ET (US) I have to correct myself, as Raymarine was just today awarded "Best In Show" at the 2004 National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) annual convention in Naples, Florida. See: http://www.raymarine.com/raymarine/article.asp?site=1§ion=43&page=860&contentId=4710&type=news This award was for their C120 multi-function display: http://www.raymarine.com/raymarine/ProductDetail.asp?site=1&SECTion=2&page=758&PRODuct_id=1677 Last year, 2003, they also won "Best In Show" for their HDFI Digital Sounder Module: http://www.raymarine.com/raymarine/ProductDetail.asp?site=1§ion=2&page=528&product_id=1219 I think all of this is a bit too high-end for your 13-foot Boston Whaler, but apparently in that market segment they are able to provide some particularly good products. I do not recall ever seeing a Raymarine fish finder unit on a small boat, although, with these new products, that may be changing.
jimh	posted 10-25-2004 07:54 PM ET (US) The Raymarine fish finder low-end High-Definition Digital unit is the DS400x, which retails for $420. http://www.raymarine.com/raymarine/ProductDetail.asp?site=1§ion=2&page=766&product_id=1698 This price point is probably a bit high for your average fisherman, but I guess if you really want to locate fish or other submerged objects, it is just about the starting point for serious SONAR units these days. They do make more conventional devices, like their L265, which retails for $210. See: http://www.raymarine.com/raymarine/ProductDetail.asp?site=1§ion=2&page=766&product_id=1698
Royce	posted 10-25-2004 08:04 PM ET (US) I cannot speak for the lower end of Raymarine, but their upper end equiptment is top notch. I have the Raymarine L760Rc on my Outrage 18 and recently installed the Raymarine C series 120 on my 25' Outrage Cuddy. The C series is not quite as direct sunlight visable as the 760 but it is way advanced in its features. Nothing on the market(including the Furuno) can touch it. I recently talked to Brian at the Outboard Motor Shop and asked him if he had seen the C Series--he said he already installed one on their company Outrage 25. The Digital Sounder Module sonar gives an amazing sonar return and the new Navionics Gold charts are absolutely clear. I was out rock fishing with a buddy of mine who has(and swears by his) Lowrance sonar on his boat. We dialed in the bottom and he started spotting fish around the rock formations. He wanted me to stop because he spotted a return that he believed to be a large Ling Cod--I didn't stop because I didn't see enough wear on the lings teeth for it to be old enough to be legal. He now has to convince his wife that he needs a new Sonar/GPS to be safe offshore. Royce
flyfisher1771	posted 10-25-2004 08:54 PM ET (US) Thanks for all the input. You all make some good points. The appeal of the Raymarine unit is as follows- 1. Size of unit 2. Functionality (speed, temp, battery volts) 3. Easily reuseable(for that Montauk when I get the money) 4. Interfaces with chartplotter (see #3) 5. Reputation of company (overall, not just SONAR) This unit is readily available at West Marine for $350 and online for $309 making it considerably more attractive than the Raymarine.com pricing. I will be looking at Furuno tonight. Hugh
Plotman	posted 10-25-2004 09:18 PM ET (US) I asked a friend who sells electronics at our local independent chandlery - pretty much the place to go in town as their prices are competitive and ther is no West or Boats US. He said that they don't sell a lot of Navman units, but they have not had a single return of any Sonar, GPS or combo from Navman. Lowrance and Furono are the most common, but account for a disproportionate number of returns. Their luck has been better with the Raymarine and Garmin units, but still not as reliable as the Navman. David
flyfisher1771	posted 10-25-2004 10:06 PM ET (US) The NAVMAN 4380 appears to be the directly competing product to the ds400x. The sizing and features are almost identical although the NAVMAN is about $40 more on average. One cool feature the 4380 has is an engine hour meter. It also has the fuel gauge option although I don't think it will work with a 30 hp 2 stroke. Furuno doesn't look like they spend much time worrying about guys with my budget. Nice stuff, though.
BW23	posted 10-26-2004 09:35 AM ET (US) FWIW, Brunswick purchased Navman this past year and their products will be factory installed in BW's.
myakka	posted 10-31-2004 09:00 AM ET (US) I have a Navman 4200. I thought the unit was great till I saw the lowrance on the Whaler I just bought.
AlexH	posted 11-06-2004 08:45 AM ET (US) Royce, I also have a 25' Outrage Cuddy ('89) with a super console and electronics box. I have been looking for new electronics and have focused on the Raymarine C series. I am interested in how you mounted the display as well as the transducer. I have a whaler drive which leaves no "clean" water for the transducer to operate in at higher speeds (anything above 15mph). If you have any pictures of your installation, could you please post them on the internet or email them to forthank@hotmail.com. I would really appreciate any guidance. Have you considered the radar option? Also, how does having to split the screen between the multiple functions work out?