I am looking to install a chart plotter on my Commander, I have narrowed it down to the Garmin 440 or Raymarine A60. Any comments or suggestions regarding either would be apprechiated
The 440 is a very good unit. I set it up so it can sit on the cockpit icebox lid or can be moved inside to the "shelf" next to the companionway. The screen is visible in all but the most direct sunlight and the inferface is very Garmin intuative. We purchased the 440s to get the sounder function. Well worth it. Mounted the ducer in the existing ducer hole with very little modification. One drawback is a lack of a direct find ship button. Rather than one punch to find yourself after scrooling around it requires a few button strokes. I bit of a PITA when navigating in tight quarters.
We use Raymarine products on the boats I use at work. Also good units but I like the Garmin interface better (with the exception noted above).
Really comes down to screen size and price. You'll be happy with either I'm sure.
My two cents!
Andrew
PS We saved ALOT of money buying ours online.
PSS For those who care Arthur is still high and dry but with "summer" finally over I hope to get back to work on the boat soon.
Andrew thank you for your input as to the chart plotter what transducer did you use? I am looking at the thru hull bronze transducer with the fairing block. I am afraid that the regular thru hull transducer without the fairing block will be on too sharp an angle when the boat heels