Installed both Raymarine & Garmin Networks on Boat

[Tums]

Some one on here asked me about my networks a few months ago and wanted pictures of what I had done. I just got around to taking pictures of my set up. Basically what I have done is run both the Raymarine and Garmin Networks on my 27' offshore boat. I have multiple back ups so I will not waste a trip offshore. The Raymarine Network is a Radar & GPS Package and is to the far left center of the helm picture. In the middle center is the Garmin Network that consist of GPS, Sonar & XM Weather. To thr right center is a stand alone Raymarine DS600X sonar. For the Radio on the right bottom I went with the Icom connected to a 8' Digital Antenna on the top. Across the top of the Helm I have the Yamaha Fuel Management system which help me get the best fuel mileage. In the picture with the top view you can see how we mounted the 3 Sattelite recievers across the back (2 GPS, 1 XM). We tun the wiring along the top with the wiring to the 2 flood lights in back (also ran 1 flood light to the front). The XM weather is a great thing to have as I can get up at the lodge and walk out to the boat and check the weather. No more do I have to weight to find out the sea conditions when I leave the pass. I can check all the buoy reports, weather reports, nexrad radar, wave heights, ect.... from my boat. The XM has so far paid for itself in the fuel cost it has saved me by letting me know at the dock that the seas forecast the day before where not correct. I have watched people leave the dock when I would tell them that it was rough out there only to see them return no long there after (generally with someone sick onboard). If anyone has any questions about anything feel free to ask.

[NCangler]

Hey Tums. Good to hear from you. I was checking out your electronics setup cause I've got to order mine for my new 215 Chaos this week. I wasn't familiar with the Garmin weather readio but will check that out. Why don't you come up and join us for the Mackfest this July? Thanks again for sending those gaffs and other giveaway stuff last year.

[IT'LL DO]

very nice, very, very nice

[MolarBoater]

Hey Tums, I like that set up!
Any reason for using Raymarine vs total Garmin? Is it the radar? I thought about buying a 3010 bundle off the internet that includes the XM, glad to hear someone with your experience give their opinion. This cements my need for WX, especially on a smaller boat like the Bay 190.
Let us know how those long range trips turn out, Good Fishing!

[Tums]

Originally Posted by NCangler

Hey Tums. Good to hear from you. I was checking out your electronics setup cause I've got to order mine for my new 215 Chaos this week. I wasn't familiar with the Garmin weather readio but will check that out. Why don't you come up and join us for the Mackfest this July? Thanks again for sending those gaffs and other giveaway stuff last year.

Hello NC, glad to see things are going good around here. The XM weather is a really good feature to have as you can turn on what you want to overlay over the GPS screen. It is neat to just be able to look at the gps and see what the weather is doing. I dought I will make the Mackfest this go around. I am spending most of my free time taking my father fishing down here. I am taking advantage of what time we have together since he has had one triple heart bypass and cancer twice (most recent this winter) in the last 5 years. Tou are welcome on the gifts and I will let you know if I come up with anything this year.

Thanks NC & ITllDO

[Tums]

Originally Posted by MolarBoater

Hey Tums, I like that set up!
Any reason for using Raymarine vs total Garmin? Is it the radar? I thought about buying a 3010 bundle off the internet that includes the XM, glad to hear someone with your experience give their opinion. This cements my need for WX, especially on a smaller boat like the Bay 190.
Let us know how those long range trips turn out, Good Fishing!

The real reason behind both Raymarine and Garmin is just a plain and simple I wanted more than one piece of electronics to have to fail in order to end a fishing trip (even more important on a trip 100 miles from shore). I also wanted the Raymarine Digital sonar as a primary sonar and the Garmin sonar to be the backup. As far as the Radar I did not want all my eggs in one basket as far as using one screen with the Garmin since I was trying to build in redundant systems. That made the Raymarine system the more cost effective since I would be buying another network screen any way and the Garmin Radar dome cost about $600 more for the same quality as the Raymarine. In My setup at the helm it looks like this when I am running. The Raymarine system is on Radar Mode (espically with the fog we are having this year) & a backup GPS incase I have a Garmin failure. The Gamin is my primary GPS with Weather overlay (weather provides information on weather I can not pick up on radar and gives me redundant ways to track thunderstorms ) & backup sonar. The Raymarine Sonar, I was actually tracking bottom at 40 MPH this last weekend looking for ledges & domes. This all allows me to have 2 GPS systems, 2 sonar systems, 2 ways to track local weather (AKA Thunderstorms) and alot of extra perks to go along with everthing. Oh Yea as far as finding the best pricing Me and several of my friends have been buying from VIT Electronics in NC for years now.
VIT
Check em out.
Glad to hear from you Molar & Thanks.

[MolarBoater]

Yeah, my dad hesitates when I suggest going out into the Gulf, you know that "sore" feeling you get when it not so smooth in a not so big boat for a few hours?
Glad to see you can get him out there and enjoy times together. Keep in touch.