Electronics Input Needed
 

I'm setting up a 26' boat and need some advice on electronics. I'll be making some offshore trips so I will need radar, fishfinder and chartplotter and would like a good size multi-function display. Budget is about 5k...

Thanks, Bill

Hi Bill, that budget is plenty to get a nice setup. If you are looking to buy the equipment now I would get a Garmin 4212, GMR-18 Radar, Furuno FCV 585 FF and Airmat B164 Ducer. This setup will give you the best Chartplotter, an awesome radar, and the best FF available and will cost around $4700. If you can wait a couple of months you might check out the new Furuno Navnet 3D 12" Display and use this as the only screen. This setup will cost about $6,000 and you would need the Navnet 3D 12" screen, DFF1 Sounder Module, 2kW Radar Dome, Navnet Hub, GPS Antenna and Airmar B164 Ducer.

The Navnet 3C screen is very innovative and looks like powerful set of chartplotting tools but the hardware is not quite up to Garmin standard, garmin has higher resolution and a brighter screen. I know this statement sounds counter-intuitive, but Garmin has really raised the bar with their current line-up - all metal cases and super bright high quality screens.

You may decide when you have had a chance to test the Furuno Navnet 3D that the Garmin setup is what you go with anyway. Nothing makes up for screen acreage which you would have with the Garmin 4212/Furuno 585 combo, and the $1000 savings doesn't hurt either.