Navman 3100 vs Raymarine ST60

[davidb]

Can anyone advise on which of these is the better buy? The Navman set
can be purchased for $827 including the repeater. The ST60 set is
$1165 without the repeater. Is the Raymarine really worth that much
more? How reliable is the Navman set? Thanks

[Steve]

I have some navman stuff (the previous version to the 3100) and am very
pleased with it. Navman are quite helpful and spares (the wind vain
thing) are available and cheap (at least they are in NZ where navman is
based). A chap I know capsized his trailer sailer and ruined the speed
and depth instruments. The old ones are not waterproof from the back. I
am not sure about the new ones. I think he said that Navman swapped them
for him with re-con units for free.

Post by davidb
Can anyone advise on which of these is the better buy? The Navman set
can be purchased for $827 including the repeater. The ST60 set is
$1165 without the repeater. Is the Raymarine really worth that much
more? How reliable is the Navman set? Thanks

[Kees Verruijt]

Post by davidb
Can anyone advise on which of these is the better buy? The Navman set
can be purchased for $827 including the repeater. The ST60 set is
$1165 without the repeater. Is the Raymarine really worth that much
more? How reliable is the Navman set? Thanks

The ST60 series looks more expensive, has a better display and is much
more expandable with other Raymarine stuff, such as autopilots, multi
function displays, radars, etc.

Whether that's worth it is up to you...

-- Kees

[davidb]

thanks for the input but surely the Navman products will interface with
the Raymarine through NMEA 0183? I am very new to this as you can
tell. I realise that part of the reason that Navman is cheaper is due
to the low NZ dollar and probably also due to Navman wanting to
establish themselves in this market. But are they of equivalent
quality? Has anyone experience of both? Many thanks

[Kees Verruijt]

Post by davidb
thanks for the input but surely the Navman products will interface with
the Raymarine through NMEA 0183? I am very new to this as you can
tell. I realise that part of the reason that Navman is cheaper is due
to the low NZ dollar and probably also due to Navman wanting to
establish themselves in this market. But are they of equivalent
quality? Has anyone experience of both? Many thanks

Sure, they'll interface through NMEA. But as you can see a lot of people
are having problems with interfacing NMEA. It just isn't as easy as Seatalk.

Most boat owners will have experience with only one or two brands, as
they tend to stick with what they know. Maybe an electronics dealer can
tell you more.

Good luck,
Kees

[Arnold]

on my next boat I will install a total furuno navnet system.

this communicates way easy, using the the all-known ethernet protocol
and connections. I even heard (not verrified) that a normal computer
hub/switch could be used to link them all. interfacing with a PC get
lots easier too, but that is becouse i've got maxsea alredy :p

tip for davidb:
search for a total interfacing sollution, couse shop-attendants don't
know what they are talking about. The attendant that sold me the
instruments said that seatalk and NMEA were the same, only the wires
should be crossed to connect them together :S
I know different now.

for connecting multiple NMEA 0183 instrument, companies are selling
so-called multiplexers (NMEA hubs in computer language). this might
help out, but runs arround 200 euro's cost.

so, good luck to you,
but be sure to inform widley before making choises.

[davidb]

The decision has been made and it is Raymarine. The deciding factor
was walking into the Boaters Exchange in the nearby town and finding a
Raymarine Tridata system for $50! Complete with manual and all wires.

Many thanks to those who responded.
David B

[Peter Hendra]

Hi,
We had Raytheon ST60 Wind and depth as well as Raytheon 6000 ?
autopilot and a raytheon SL72 radar. The night after we had put our
yacht back into the water at Langkawi, Malaysia, we got a direct hit
to the top of the mast by lightning. It destroyed all of our
instruments. We had the depth and autopilot repaired but not the wind
as we could buy the Navman wind so much cheaper than the quoted repair
cost. We had no problems at all with the raytheon gear apart from the
lightning. In Turkey 13 months later we had a very cold winter and the
navman wind digital display no longer showed the knots but only the
wind direction. Now it shows nothing. I thought that it may have been
moisture and completely dried out the unit to no avail. I may have
bought a dud unit but I will never buy another Navman again. I wish I
had repaired the Raytheon.

regards
Peter Hendra
NZyacht Herodotus

Post by davidb
thanks for the input but surely the Navman products will interface with
the Raymarine through NMEA 0183? I am very new to this as you can
tell. I realise that part of the reason that Navman is cheaper is due
to the low NZ dollar and probably also due to Navman wanting to
establish themselves in this market. But are they of equivalent
quality? Has anyone experience of both? Many thanks