Out with Garmin, In with Simrad at a good deal

[AJFishin]

First off I think Garmin units are good solid units, but personally I'm done with Garmin (the company) and I switched to Simrad. I wasn't planning to do so this early, but put a good deal in front of me and I bite.   

I'm posting this just in case anyone is looking for a new unit at a good price, might want to take a look. I found online at Hodges Marine a Simrad Go7 XSR for $550, but it's a remanufactured unit. Good thing is, it does still come with a full 2 year manufactures warranty and Hodges excepts a 30 day return period for this unit.
It also comes with everything a brand new unit comes with, so technically it's a new unit, but it's your decision to make.

When I first saw this on Sunday, they had 12 units and now they're down to 5 after my purchase.

https://www.hodgesmarine.com/sim055-14838-001-simrad-go7-xsr-7-reman-plotter-cmap-pro-ai-3in1.html?gclid=CjwKCAiAu5agBhBzEiwAdiR5tB7q6cNX729HG-Y2v02XWrrB455W9HjHzeE35nFP6OQF-_4ns1nfSxoCUgAQAvD_BwE

[Mooch]

AJ, better grab Thanh's Nav Platinum plus while your at it too.   

Which transducer are you going with?

[croaker stroker]

...

I am not clear on the difference ?? My Simrad is the XSE and supports Radar ?

[AJFishin]

AJ, better grab Thanh's Nav Platinum plus while your at it too. 

Which transducer are you going with?

After all the spending I've been doing lately, I'm not sure if I have 2 pennies left in my account to rub together.

As for a transducer, I'm sticking with the active imaging 3-in-1 transducer that it comes with.

[DARice]

Nice price on the Go9 too.

[AJFishin]

...

I am not clear on the difference ?? My Simrad is the XSE and supports Radar ?

The original go"7" was a XSE unit BUT it lacked radar connectivity.
When Simrad released the updated version, they added radar compatibility to the Go7 XSE and rebranded it XSR, "R" for radar, to differentiate it from its predecessor the Go7 "XSE".
Also now the Go7 XSR has slightly new redesign that now gets glass with smooth edges like the Go9 XSE has and the Go7 XSR is a little slimmer than its predecessor.


Regarding software support updates to the Go7 XSE, Simrad has not mentioned they would stop supporting that unit.

[JamesBee19791]

Seems like a good price. I need to update electronics on my boat but don't really want to think about it.

[AJFishin]

My new Simrad showed up Saturday, been so busy didn't even open the box till this morning.
Checked it out and everything looks great, it does look very small compared to my Garmin, but my Garmin has buttons on the side of the unit so it looks bigger.
The screens diagonally are the same at 7" but the width of the Garmin is about a 1/4" bigger and the height is about a 1/4" shorter then the Simrad, but everything evens out to a 7" screen.
Looking forward to installing it soon!

[StickyHooks]

Cool thanks for sharing!

What made you decide to choose Simrad over garmin?

[AJFishin]

Cool thanks for sharing!

What made you decide to choose Simrad over garmin?

Here's the link that basically explains why I switched. http://www.arimaowners.com/index.php?topic=23984.0

In short, IMO Garmin and Simrad units are very similar and both have great customer service, but Simrad seems to look after their end users more than Garmin does. Garmin seems to be focused on brand name and pushing "new" units out fast at the cost of their customers. Simrad continues to support what they have and focus on loality of their customers.

Here's how some people and publications describe the 2 units.
Garmin is an easy to use unit, it's like an iPhone, simple for the majority to use and almost everything is already loaded on the homescreen with easy to understand icons.
Simrad is like an Android phone, a little more friendly to 3rd party software, but there's also a little more of a learning curve to use it. It does come preloaded with the basics on the homescreen, but you need to dig in a little more to find and/or add additional items in places you want them to be. It takes a little more getting used to, but once you get it, it becomes second nature.

[AJFishin]

I was happy with getting my Simrad Go7, BUT then last week I was looking online and came across another company that had the Go9 for sale, same thing, a remanufactured unit, but for pretty much exactly what I paid for my Go7 out the door.
I searched online and found numerous reviews giving boatersland.com good reviews and I saw they're active on BBB, so I couldn't resist and purchased the Go9 XSE for $669 including shipping!
I was a little concerned I was going to get a box of rocks, but 6 days later, I got it today!   Now I need to return my Go7.

Again, in case anyone is interested, here's the link.
https://www.boatersland.com/simrad-go9-xse-remanufactured-9-plotter-c-map-pro-active-imaging-.html

The next least expensive one was at Hodges Marine for $730, not including tax or shipping.

[Batsquatch]

AJ,
Your Go9 find got me thinking this morning and excited (for a sec).  I've been looking for a display on the back deck of the boat, mostly just to keep a more frequent eye on the sonar when drifting.  The Go9 is a good size for that, the price falls under the wire of Uncle Sam's refund this year, and would integrate well with my other devices with just one important catch.  Please correct me if I'm wrong but the Go9 cannot share ethernet data with my other Simrad which means it must rely on it's own dedicated transducer.  Adding more to the challenge, let's say I'm willing to go through with installing a second transducer under my boat,  there's no way to guarantee there won't be interference between the two. 

Does anyone know if I'm correct on both of these counts?
Thanks,
Jeff

[Mooch]

Bsquatch, running 2 different transducers simultaneously can be problematic due to interference.  This is especially true with CHIRP transducers which output a spectrum of frequencies.  There is a lot of discussion available on this, but a general consensus seems to be at least 20-30Mhz if separation on low end and more on the the high. Even then, no quarantees they will play well with other variables like position, power, isolation of electronics playing their part.  I got lucky when I added a Gt51m-tm CHIRP/SV with a P66 traditional. I wanted to keep the p66 for its wide cone and depth tracking 50Mhz while adding more definition with CHIRP and functionality of SideView.  Fortunately the Gt51 CHirp output at 80/160Mhz, 80-160 mid and 240-455 side, which  offset nicely with P66 trad at 50/200. After running this for a couple of years now, I have not experienced cross interference, but do consider myself lucky. 
All this is to say, it can be done but I don't see the benefits outweighing potential performance issues without a clear need or strategy.  Like they say "past performance is no quarantee of future results".  Best I can recommend is to offset transducer outputs and hope for the best or don't use them simultaneously.
Good luck.

[croaker stroker]

I think you can link the Simrad with an iPad or iPhone?

So, maybe you could mount an iPad in the back?

https://www.simrad-yachting.com/news/lin-app/

[Hunter]

I'm a Garmin guy but also believe that the other "majors" are every bit as good.  For me it's all about user "friendliness".  In the "old days" it was just dead reckoning, then Loran C, then GPS.    Sometimes less is more.   I have all state of the art Garmin, but just like my phone.....it does about a thousand things and I only need it to do 5 of those things.   

[croaker stroker]

I'm a Garmin guy but also believe that the other "majors" are every bit as good.  For me it's all about user "friendliness".  In the "old days" it was just dead reckoning, then Loran C, then GPS.    Sometimes less is more.   I have all state of the art Garmin, but just like my phone.....it does about a thousand things and I only need it to do 5 of those things.   

Agree. I only use the Relief Shaded chart, the waypoints, and the Standard 83/200 Sonar.

I do like the WIFI connection for updates as well.

[Batsquatch]

Mooch,
Thanks for the details on the freq's and I agree with you.  There's not enough potential benefit to adding another transducer to outweigh a chance on what is an unnecessary upgrade.  I swear I only have about a 25% success rate when it comes to upgrade "battles" on the boat.  I reach about 95% success with the "wars" when my mind is set but "wars" take longer.

Croaker,
I'll give Navico's Link app a shot.  Online reviews are crap but it works for some and I've got a spare tablet laying around that I don't really use for anything else.  Thanks for the suggestion.

Jeff

[AJFishin]

AJ,
Your Go9 find got me thinking this morning and excited (for a sec).  I've been looking for a display on the back deck of the boat, mostly just to keep a more frequent eye on the sonar when drifting.  The Go9 is a good size for that, the price falls under the wire of Uncle Sam's refund this year, and would integrate well with my other devices with just one important catch.  Please correct me if I'm wrong but the Go9 cannot share ethernet data with my other Simrad which means it must rely on it's own dedicated transducer.  Adding more to the challenge, let's say I'm willing to go through with installing a second transducer under my boat,  there's no way to guarantee there won't be interference between the two. 

Does anyone know if I'm correct on both of these counts?
Thanks,
Jeff

From doing a bunch of reading about Simrad's, I feel like I read somewhere that Simrad released an update I believed in 2021 that allow 2 units to work simultaneously allowing you to view your sonar and charts on both units, connected by ethernet via the radar port.
I did not read a lot into it, because this wasn't something I was looking for and can't recall if it was for the Go9 and 12 or just one or the other.
Something I'm sure Simrad customer service could answer and clarify.

[Batsquatch]

AJ,
Poking around the Interweb this morning after your post, I found that some Simrad Go9 users had success sharing depth sounder information but most did not.  Of those that did have success, there was a mix between luck of the draw and the one's where the internet S/W upgrade was purchased at a reported $500.  Here's the official Simrad info on the 2021 software update.



Looks like in the Go series, only the Go12 XSE comes with native sounder sharing.  With a remanufactured price that is twice the Go9, not a viable option at this time for me. 

I'll find the right option some day, maybe after I win the lottery.   
Thanks,
Jeff

[headduck]

I know this is a simrad thread or just garmin alternatives maybe... but lowrance has ridiculous deals on previous models
The sales are hit and miss, but it when they happen, they're significant and quick.

I ended up scoring a lowrance hds live 7 with 3 in 1 to double as the kayak main unit and backup for the boat. $698. The 9 goes for not much more (occasionally)

Networks with my current hds carbon 12. Great solution for sharing waypoints etc and giving the wife her own screen. 3 in 1 and the 1kw ducers. One at a time...

I can see the 12 from the back of the boat so no need for a 2nd unit at the aft.

Amazing how many options there are and how affordable they are becoming.

[AJFishin]

Good clarification Jeff, yeah like I said I wasn't 100% sure, I just briefly recalled seeing something. I think what Croaker suggested is the best option.

Headduck it can be a whatever thread. 

That's awesome you found a good deal on a unit, there are a lot of deals out there, just need to search and look for good reviews on places before someone buys. Like you said they're hit and miss, but when the good deal come up, they don't last long.

That's how it was with Go7 that Hodges had, there one minute, gone the next. The Go9 they have started with 500 units when I bought my Go7, now they're down to 172.
The other place boatersland.com has a bunch of different manufacturer's units, given some at bargain prices are remanufactured, but no tax and $6 shipping on anything is very good.
Boatersland.com is the middle man and gets their supplies from a place in New Jersey, Win Tron Electronics that looks to only sell to dealers. But you can see their site, they have lots of marine products.

[croaker stroker]

Looks like it works best with the WiFi only iPad.

[AJFishin]

Got it all installed today and got it updated and played with it for a couple minutes, very cool unit and glad I went with it, especially the 9".👍

[croaker stroker]

Looking good...👍🏻

Taking screenshots is a little tricky. You touch the bar at he top. (Read how to do it in the manual) I had trouble understanding the explanaition. Possibly translated from French to English and something was lost in the translation.