Navman Sounder?

[Go Fish]

I have been considering the venerable Furuno FCV-600L and to some extent the newer FCV-620 as my new fish-finder. While they both have great reputations there seems to be an abnormally high occurance of display fogging...which tells me they aren't all that tight and are probably not appropriate for riding out in the elements on the top of my uncovered console.

I have started considering other options and keep getting sucked back in by the Navman 4500 (http://www.navman.com/Navman/Templates/productinformation____39279.aspx)

It has better screen resolution than both the Furuno units, more out-put power than the 600L and the same power as the 620 and has provisions (with an optional transducer) to function as a fuel computer (like a flow-scan).

The problem is I can't find any real world opinion about it. Do any of y'all use this or a similar unit? I know Dale has some good experience with the Navman GPS units but I'd love to hear from someone who uses a Navman sounder.

[chainsaw42]

very strange. i read all of these boards, never heard of a 600L fogging. not one.
color is important in a finder, and screen size & resolution are nice, but that's it, just nice. with sounders (unlike gps units for example) the magic is in the manipulation of the sound pulses. high resolution, bright, easy to read false returns don't really seem like something worth spending money on to me. don't get caught up in features with a sounder and get one that does the important part correctly (like a 600L and i would guess even more so with a 620L).

[Go Fish]

very strange. i read all of these boards, never heard of a 600L fogging. not one.


The ability to gather information is what makes the internet, and "all of these boards" an invaluable tool but please don't stop there if you consider the decision you are about to make is an important one.

Old school, hands on advice from real live people is still the best beta.

The Furuno units work like they are designed...and they are designed to work well...I don't argue that.

Fellas that I know personally, that post on "all of these boards" use the Furuno 600L on a daily basis and have indicated to me that they have had fogging problems.

I just want to get the right device for my application.

[Dave Bradley]

Navman sounders, GPS & radios are all popular with Aussie guides, they perform well & their backup service is great.

I have two friends using that sounder & hear no compliants from them.

Cheers Dave Bradley

[chainsaw42]

i didn't say they didn't have fogging problems. i said it is 'very strange' that if they do have 'abnormally high occurance' of fogging problems that i have never read about even one of them on these boards. i'm not even saying that someone hasn't written about their fogging 600L on this or another board, just saying i haven't seen it. i have a 600L that has never fogged. not proof of anything other than (another) single data point that shows no fogging. my buddy, whose boat i am on at least 60 hours/year has a 600L as well, and his has never fogged. just another data point.

my real point is that of all the electronics on a boat, a sounder is the hardest to compare on spec sheets and get any meaningful direction. resolution, etc just doesn't matter compared to the parts (what i refer to as 'magic') that do. and, there's no way to boil that important stuff down to a number on a data sheet, which leaves one to either get the chance to play with one on the water or rely on what he hears/reads from other's experience to make the decision. you say that advice from real live people is the best data, i would say it is at least second best to one's own experience and usually third to data. but, in the case of fishfinders, you are kinda making my point that i agree, experience from someone else is more important than data.

bottom line...i would forget all the resolution stuff and unless you get the chance to try out a navman on the water stick with what you've come to know actually works...furuno.

[Go Fish]

Dave-

Navman has its roots in New Zeland right? I guess it was recentely assimilated by Brunswick. They haven't caught on in this hemisphere yet but they seem like nice products. I think I might just have to try one out and learn for myself.

Thanks for the input.

Kevin

[DaleH]

A wicked cool feature of the Navman GPS and fishfinder units is that for ~$85, you can buy the optional fuel transducer

http://di1.shopping.com/images/di/33/72/75/7152485630706a6a2d39446e4948624c486d51-75x75-0-0.jpg http://f5c.yahoofs.com/shopping/mcid15_9047/simg_t_tdiscountmarineelectronics_1863_11073771110 ?rm_____DGxqaNItK

that you place into your existing fuel line line circuit

http://shop.sailnet.com/images/navman/fuel_kit.jpg

that will provide instant fuel performance data (see screen on LEFT)

http://www.outbackmarine.com.au/Image/Navman/Fish4500fueldata.jpg

Using the fuel computer software, I can dial in the best OB and trim tab position to give me the best overall miles-per-gallon given any sea state. I also find the settings (my tabs have angle readouts) to be consistent, so after a while, I know where to set them. I can normally dial in a 10-20% improvement in performance over the non-use of tabs, but remember, 'overuse' of tabs seriously kills your MPG even more than NO use of any trim tabs.

FYI my brothers and I have been running Navman GPS units for years and they are bulletproof! I also find their screen navigation and other user input ergonomincs to be superior to even that of Garmin units, who are usually the leader in this regard.

FYI: Regarding the Furuno 600L units - there were MANY that fogged up when used in exposed dash locations like on CC boats. I know ... I bought one from someone (Mist Rest) that it happened to. After sending it back for warranty repair - he sold it to me. No problems where mine is mounted within my enclosed helm cabin ... not should there be ;) .

[Go Fish]

Does anyone have an opinion about the Si-Tex CVS-106mkII (http://www.si-tex.com/html/cvs-106lmkii.html)

http://www.si-tex.com/assets/images/CVS-106L_BG.JPG

[DaleH]

Found this blip about Navman in Powerboat Reports June 2006 issue:

"6- to 7-inch Combo Units: Navman Clearly the Winner
The Navman Trackfish 6600 screen resolution out pixels ’em all. Furuno trails the leader but bests the rest with its GP-7000F.

When you’re running the tight confines of a wily inlet at zero-dark-thirty or navigating through a maze of submerged hazards, an easy-to-read chartplotter can be your best friend. When you combine modern chartplotting features with a high-resolution sounder in the same box, you’ve got a powerful piece of technology at your fingertips. That is exactly what we are testing here.

http://www.powerboat-reports.com/newspics/19_6/Combo.jpg Testers evaluated each unit for viewability from various angles during the day and at night. From left: The Furuno GP-7000F, the JRC Plot 500F, the Navman Trackfish 6600, the Simrad CX33-E, and the SI-TEX ColorMax Wide.

What We Tested

In this month’s continuation of our plotter/sounder combo review, we look at units with color screens from 6 to 7 inches on the diagonal. We tested five machines from five manufacturers: the Furuno GP-7000F, the JRC Plot 500F, the Navman Trackfish 6600, the Simrad CX33-E, and the SI-TEX ClolorMax Wide ..."

FWIW ... I have the full article at home ...