Chartplotter Recommendations - Moderated Discussion Areas

  ContinuousWave
  Whaler
  Moderated Discussion Areas
  ContinuousWave: Small Boat Electrical
  Chartplotter Recommendations

search | FAQ | profile | register | author help

Author Topic:   Chartplotter Recommendations

Ferdinando posted 07-11-2013 11:07 AM ET (US)
I am in the market to change my current chart plotter which is a Standard Horizon CP 190I. It's working great but the urge to upgrade is upon me.
I am looking at the SH 390I which is a slightly larger model with 2" more of screen. I am also looking at the Garmin 740 which I seem to like more due to the touch screen features. The only downside that I don't like is it's mounted on a fixed base which will not swivel sideways.
Anyone have either of these models or any other model which you would recommend.
Thanks,
Fred
Jefecinco posted 07-11-2013 08:16 PM ET (US)
Fred,
All the usual suspects are excellent. I advise going with the largest screen you can afford. Having downsized from a 10 inch to a 7 inch I have to say in this case more is more.
Touch is nice. I have a Garmin 740S and it's a fine unit. I preferred my old non-touch Lowrance 10 inch in every respect. Unfortunately, when I sold my old Dauntless the buyer was so enamored with the big screen that to take it off would have been a deal breaker. A 10 inch or larger touch would be about perfect.
I do not recommend in-dash mounting. The sight lines from the helm of our 190s to the available area for a dash mounted unit just are not right. On the Dauntless my 10 inch was gimble mounted right in front of the steering wheel. It was perfect.
If I ever have the budget for a 10 inch plotter again it will be gimble mounted directly ahead of the wheel.
My cost-no-object choice would probably be Furuno. I recently visited a Corps of Engineers towboat and it had a complete Furuno suite of electronics at the helm. It was a pretty incredible setup.
Butch
Ferdinando posted 07-11-2013 08:57 PM ET (US)
Thks Butch for the heads up, i agree with you about the console install will
Stick to the gimbal.
Fred
Ferdinando posted 07-12-2013 09:58 AM ET (US)
I was just about convinced to go with the Garmin 740 but upon reading some comments on the West Marine site it stated that this unit should be at least 32" from the compass due to a small magnet that is used on the unit to keep the SD card door closed.
If this correct its pretty hard to do this with a center console. Is their a way to adjust the compass to compensate for the GPS being closer to the compass???
Thks,
Fred
Jefecinco posted 07-12-2013 11:12 AM ET (US)
Fred,
IMO the West Marine advice is overstated. I'm reasonably certain the OEM compass can be compensated, if necessary. The 740 card door magnet is tiny. But, if you get a 740 place it where it would be mounted and see if/how much it changes the compass reading. I doubt it would be noticeable. You can probably leave the 740 in the box while making this check and if it's indeed a problem for your use you can return it or exchange it.
Butch
ericflys posted 07-12-2013 12:02 PM ET (US)
I tried to talk myself into buying the 740 or the newer 741xs, but after playing with one in the West Marine store, I found that the touch screen cannot be used with gloves on. That's a deal breaker for me, and unfortunately Garmin doesn't make a model in this size range that isn't touch screen. I've been told that touch screens are harder to use when it's rough out, but can't confirm that myself.
Ferdinando posted 07-12-2013 02:51 PM ET (US)
Well guys just came back from West Marine and played with the 740 for a couple of minutes. I have to say I loved it. The magnet on the door was just as Butch describes quite small so I don't think it will be a major issue.
The only thing I didn't like was the none swivel base as the unit has a fixed mounting base.
Well I might offer up my Standard Horizon CP190i for about $250 including shipping. Lets see how this works out. Thks for all the inputs, much appreciated.
Fred
conch posted 07-12-2013 06:09 PM ET (US)
Fred I think that aftermarket adapters/mounts available online will enable the Garmin fixed surface mount to swivel.
Chuck
Jefecinco posted 07-12-2013 07:58 PM ET (US)
Fred,
Good on you. I don't think you'll be needing gloves very often while cruising around Puerto Rico.
You're lucky to be buying a 740 now. The price was, I believe, about double when I bought mine. BTW, I've never had a hiccup out of mine.
Now that the 741 is out look for our 740s to become legacy units soon.
If your CP 190i was about four times it's size I'd be on it in a flash.
DVollrath posted 07-12-2013 07:59 PM ET (US)
I have a RAM swivel under my Lowrance chartplotter, and it works great.
Dennis
Ferdinando posted 07-12-2013 08:29 PM ET (US)
Butch:
I do use gloves here in Puerto Rico but only as sun protection, however the gloves do not have finger tips so it's no issue. I have looked at the mounts and found that Johnny Ray has one that's in line with the Garmin 740. The Ram mounts while good are a bit tall for my tastes.
Looking forward to dive in and buy the unit without my wife knowing!
Spending my kids inheritance one day at a time!
Thks,
Fred
Peter posted 07-15-2013 07:32 AM ET (US)
In my opinion, in the $900 range the Garmin 740s is a very good chartplotter/fishfinder combination value.
bluewaterpirate posted 07-15-2013 08:53 AM ET (US)
Take a look at the new Garmin 547xs connected to an Airmar TM150m CHIRP transducer. You can get out the door for $1041.00 for the two items. I replaced my Garmin 740 with one.
Recorded sonar data from my 547.
http://bluewaterpirate.phanfare.com/6104541_7005948

http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/ Garmin%20547%20xs/13JUL13_1850_00.png~original
http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/ Garmin%20547%20xs/13JUL13_1855_01.png~original
http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/ Garmin%20547%20xs/15JUN13_1036_00.png~original
http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/ Garmin%20547%20xs/9.jpg~original
http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/ Garmin%20547%20xs/5.jpg~original
http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/ Garmin%20547%20xs/4.jpg~original
http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/ Garmin%20547%20xs/15JUN13_1052_00.png~original

With all this said the 740 is a great unit. I used mine a little over 3 years and it never missed a beat.
Tom
tmann45 posted 07-15-2013 01:57 PM ET (US)
To those that boat in the colder climates, there are gloves that work with touch screens.
Ferdinando posted 07-15-2013 06:35 PM ET (US)
Guys thanks for all the input, I finally went with the Standard Horizon CP 390I. I really did like the Garmin but been that I already had the SH 180 the install was going to be much easier (no re wiring) and it uses the same base as the 180. (So no drilling either)
It does have a 7" screen but no touch screen keys. I like the 3 yr warranty and my old 180 performed flawlessly for almost 4 years and its still running great. Just hope I made the right choice.
Thanks to all,
Fred

Marko888 posted 09-03-2013 03:16 PM ET (US)
RE: Comments about touch screen use when underway.
I'm presently using a Garmin 640, which is a 5", touch screen only, landscape layout unit.
I find it almost impossible to use the adjust the unit when underway, even in calm conditions, on my Outrage 18. The touch "buttons" are too small for my hands, so I constantly fail to get the function I want. Picking a route to navigate is equally challenging, even tied to the dock.
Granted, this is a small screen device, but I'm going to trade it off for a non-touch, button controlled model.

Hop to:

Contact Us | RETURN to ContinuousWave Top Page

Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Freeware Version 2000
Purchase our Licensed Version- which adds many more features!
© Infopop Corporation (formerly Madrona Park, Inc.), 1998 - 2000.

Author	Topic: Chartplotter Recommendations
Ferdinando	posted 07-11-2013 11:07 AM ET (US) I am in the market to change my current chart plotter which is a Standard Horizon CP 190I. It's working great but the urge to upgrade is upon me. I am looking at the SH 390I which is a slightly larger model with 2" more of screen. I am also looking at the Garmin 740 which I seem to like more due to the touch screen features. The only downside that I don't like is it's mounted on a fixed base which will not swivel sideways. Anyone have either of these models or any other model which you would recommend. Thanks, Fred
Jefecinco	posted 07-11-2013 08:16 PM ET (US) Fred, All the usual suspects are excellent. I advise going with the largest screen you can afford. Having downsized from a 10 inch to a 7 inch I have to say in this case more is more. Touch is nice. I have a Garmin 740S and it's a fine unit. I preferred my old non-touch Lowrance 10 inch in every respect. Unfortunately, when I sold my old Dauntless the buyer was so enamored with the big screen that to take it off would have been a deal breaker. A 10 inch or larger touch would be about perfect. I do not recommend in-dash mounting. The sight lines from the helm of our 190s to the available area for a dash mounted unit just are not right. On the Dauntless my 10 inch was gimble mounted right in front of the steering wheel. It was perfect. If I ever have the budget for a 10 inch plotter again it will be gimble mounted directly ahead of the wheel. My cost-no-object choice would probably be Furuno. I recently visited a Corps of Engineers towboat and it had a complete Furuno suite of electronics at the helm. It was a pretty incredible setup. Butch
Ferdinando	posted 07-11-2013 08:57 PM ET (US) Thks Butch for the heads up, i agree with you about the console install will Stick to the gimbal. Fred
Ferdinando	posted 07-12-2013 09:58 AM ET (US) I was just about convinced to go with the Garmin 740 but upon reading some comments on the West Marine site it stated that this unit should be at least 32" from the compass due to a small magnet that is used on the unit to keep the SD card door closed. If this correct its pretty hard to do this with a center console. Is their a way to adjust the compass to compensate for the GPS being closer to the compass??? Thks, Fred
Jefecinco	posted 07-12-2013 11:12 AM ET (US) Fred, IMO the West Marine advice is overstated. I'm reasonably certain the OEM compass can be compensated, if necessary. The 740 card door magnet is tiny. But, if you get a 740 place it where it would be mounted and see if/how much it changes the compass reading. I doubt it would be noticeable. You can probably leave the 740 in the box while making this check and if it's indeed a problem for your use you can return it or exchange it. Butch
ericflys	posted 07-12-2013 12:02 PM ET (US) I tried to talk myself into buying the 740 or the newer 741xs, but after playing with one in the West Marine store, I found that the touch screen cannot be used with gloves on. That's a deal breaker for me, and unfortunately Garmin doesn't make a model in this size range that isn't touch screen. I've been told that touch screens are harder to use when it's rough out, but can't confirm that myself.
Ferdinando	posted 07-12-2013 02:51 PM ET (US) Well guys just came back from West Marine and played with the 740 for a couple of minutes. I have to say I loved it. The magnet on the door was just as Butch describes quite small so I don't think it will be a major issue. The only thing I didn't like was the none swivel base as the unit has a fixed mounting base. Well I might offer up my Standard Horizon CP190i for about $250 including shipping. Lets see how this works out. Thks for all the inputs, much appreciated. Fred
conch	posted 07-12-2013 06:09 PM ET (US) Fred I think that aftermarket adapters/mounts available online will enable the Garmin fixed surface mount to swivel. Chuck
Jefecinco	posted 07-12-2013 07:58 PM ET (US) Fred, Good on you. I don't think you'll be needing gloves very often while cruising around Puerto Rico. You're lucky to be buying a 740 now. The price was, I believe, about double when I bought mine. BTW, I've never had a hiccup out of mine. Now that the 741 is out look for our 740s to become legacy units soon. If your CP 190i was about four times it's size I'd be on it in a flash.
DVollrath	posted 07-12-2013 07:59 PM ET (US) I have a RAM swivel under my Lowrance chartplotter, and it works great. Dennis
Ferdinando	posted 07-12-2013 08:29 PM ET (US) Butch: I do use gloves here in Puerto Rico but only as sun protection, however the gloves do not have finger tips so it's no issue. I have looked at the mounts and found that Johnny Ray has one that's in line with the Garmin 740. The Ram mounts while good are a bit tall for my tastes. Looking forward to dive in and buy the unit without my wife knowing! Spending my kids inheritance one day at a time! Thks, Fred
Peter	posted 07-15-2013 07:32 AM ET (US) In my opinion, in the $900 range the Garmin 740s is a very good chartplotter/fishfinder combination value.
bluewaterpirate	posted 07-15-2013 08:53 AM ET (US) Take a look at the new Garmin 547xs connected to an Airmar TM150m CHIRP transducer. You can get out the door for $1041.00 for the two items. I replaced my Garmin 740 with one. Recorded sonar data from my 547. http://bluewaterpirate.phanfare.com/6104541_7005948 http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/ Garmin%20547%20xs/13JUL13_1850_00.png~original http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/ Garmin%20547%20xs/13JUL13_1855_01.png~original http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/ Garmin%20547%20xs/15JUN13_1036_00.png~original http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/ Garmin%20547%20xs/9.jpg~original http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/ Garmin%20547%20xs/5.jpg~original http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/ Garmin%20547%20xs/4.jpg~original http://i676.photobucket.com/albums/vv129/bluewaterpirate/ Garmin%20547%20xs/15JUN13_1052_00.png~original With all this said the 740 is a great unit. I used mine a little over 3 years and it never missed a beat. Tom
tmann45	posted 07-15-2013 01:57 PM ET (US) To those that boat in the colder climates, there are gloves that work with touch screens.
Ferdinando	posted 07-15-2013 06:35 PM ET (US) Guys thanks for all the input, I finally went with the Standard Horizon CP 390I. I really did like the Garmin but been that I already had the SH 180 the install was going to be much easier (no re wiring) and it uses the same base as the 180. (So no drilling either) It does have a 7" screen but no touch screen keys. I like the 3 yr warranty and my old 180 performed flawlessly for almost 4 years and its still running great. Just hope I made the right choice. Thanks to all, Fred
Marko888	posted 09-03-2013 03:16 PM ET (US) RE: Comments about touch screen use when underway. I'm presently using a Garmin 640, which is a 5", touch screen only, landscape layout unit. I find it almost impossible to use the adjust the unit when underway, even in calm conditions, on my Outrage 18. The touch "buttons" are too small for my hands, so I constantly fail to get the function I want. Picking a route to navigate is equally challenging, even tied to the dock. Granted, this is a small screen device, but I'm going to trade it off for a non-touch, button controlled model.