[Skipper Jer]

After months of searching and comparing I am about to push the button on a CPF390i chartplotter/fishfinder. The reasons this unit was selected are:
1. chartplotter
2. fishfinder = depth finder
3. NMEA 0183 ports to interface with the SH VHF matrix/AIS radio
4. Radar display in the future.
5. price ~ $650.00 excluding in hull transducer which is another $100.00
6. includes charts, worried about the amount of detailed on them.
7. video input, how that is useful is something I haven't figured out.
8. 7 inch display, important to me.

Any comments pro/con?
Maybe its cabin fever pushing me to make this purchase in the dead of winter.
Seems the newer units are NMEA 2000 which is not compatible with the presently owned new VHF.

 

[PaulinVictoria]

Nice units for what they are, my main concern with them (I looked and ended up getting nothing) was the NMEA0183, if you want to expand the system in future, add in instruments etc then NMEA2000 is going to be a better route I think.

 

[Skipper Jer]

Thanks Paul. I don't what other instruments I would add. I'm still up in the air over this. I think my hesitation comes from buying a discontinued product.

 

[BarryL]

Hey,

I like SH radios, don't know if I like their plotters. It's probably OK.

I have never seem a plotter that was NMEA2000 only. I think that every plotter also supports NMEA 0183, but I might be wrong about that. I do know that Garmin, Raymarine, and Lowrance support both.

Good luck,
Barry

 

[miatapaul]

You might want to look at the Lowrance/BG radio Defender has the B&G V50 radio and the H50 wireless remote mike for $399 and it is listed as NMEA 2000 and comes with the remote mike.

http://www.defender.com/product3.jsp?path=-1|135|2028691|2207355&id=2692552

 

[miatapaul]

Oh I just re read that you are just considering the chart plotter, so as Roseanna Danna would say "Never mind"

 

[PaulinVictoria]

I think the older SH plotters only have NMEA0183, not 2k as well, that was my main hesitation. I also didn't find their interface terribly intuitive, but likely a couple of hours with the manual and some tweaking and it would be just fine. With regards to expanding in future, you never know when you might want to add in depth/speed, a wind system etc, 2k will make that much easier.

 

[Skipper Jer]

I thought about getting a newer chartplotter/fishfinder and a NMEA converter (0183 to/from 2000) . The converter would add another $200 and I would still be concerned about compatibility of the AIS data between the plotter and VHF. I'm thinking just because they are both NMEA0183 doesn't mean it would work. Would a Garmin plotter with a NMEA2000 accurately display AIS information from a SH VHF NMEA0183 ?

 

[BarryL]

Hey,

You could buy a NMEA converter, but I don't think you would need one. On my last boat I had a Lowrance plotter with NMEA2000 and NMEA0183. The GPS data came in on the NMEA 2000 network and worked fine. I also interfaced my SH Matrix 2100 VFH/AIS unit and it worked fine.

My current boat has a Garmin plotter with NMEA 2000 and NMEA 0183. I have a mix of NMEA 2000 stuff (Raymarine EVO autopilot, Simrad VHF/AIS) and seatalk I gear (Ray ST60) that is converted to NMEA 2000 and everything works well together.

I bet that a new Garmin / Raymarine / Navico [simrad, b&G, Lowance] plotter would be able to connect to the SH VHF/AIS radio over the NMEA 0183 network and be able to display AIS information. The user guide for the plotter would contain the complete information.

Barry

I thought about getting a newer chartplotter/fishfinder and a NMEA converter (0183 to/from 2000) . The converter would add another $200 and I would still be concerned about compatibility of the AIS data between the plotter and VHF. I'm thinking just because they are both NMEA0183 doesn't mean it would work. Would a Garmin plotter with a NMEA2000 accurately display AIS information from a SH VHF NMEA0183 ?

 

[Skipper Jer]

Thanks Barry. I will take a look at non SH plotters that have both NMEA interfaces. I really didn't want to buy a discontinued model. Never know what the factory will do as far as firmware upgrades/support.