Raymarine Fishfinders - GPS - Chartplotters

Raymarine Fishfinders, GPS, and Chartplotters Resources and Information

Fishfinders are an incredible technology that use ultrasonic waves to locate fish beneath your marine vessel. This means no more wasted time trying your luck in spots where fish simply aren’t moving. Our selection of GPS and chartplotters from Raymarine make navigating when out on the water a much simpler and more intuitive task. 

If you’re looking for more marine products, choose from our full selection of boat products and accessories, boating electronics and navigation, or fishfinders, GPS, chartplotters, and multifunction displays.

Raymarine Fishfinders, GPS, and Chartplotters FAQs

What does a chartplotter do? 

The chartplotter’s job is to show you where you are in the water and to help you navigate to where you are going. That sounds a lot like the GPS in your car, right? Yes and no.

While the chartplotter is run by a GPS similar to what is used within on-land devices, there are additional factors at play on the water, so the functionality and ability to process large volumes of complex data is vital. If the size and structure of the body of water you’re navigating is small and uncomplicated, you can simply type in a destination and a route will be generated for you to follow. However, on larger bodies of water with more complexity, you will likely need to enter waypoints and build a custom route.

Like the GPS in your car, a chartplotter uses GPS or GNSS data to measure bearing, speed, and direction to successfully navigate your route. However, the chartplotter begins to differ from the GPS in your car as you start considering its tracking and route navigation capabilities. A critical element that you must navigate while in the water is the underwater structures that can obstruct your route.

Structures like reefs, sandbanks, wreck sites, and other hazards must be avoided. A chartplotter’s ability to generate detailed electronic charts is another area in which this device differentiates itself from other navigational tools. A marine chartplotter will produce two types of charts: a raster chart, which is basically a scanned version of a paper chart; and a vector chart, which is composed of lines, points, and polygons using information pulled from a database. Vector charts are more dynamic, use less memory, and are more user-friendly than raster charts. In addition to being powerful navigational tools, many of these devices include fish finder functionality that detects sound waves underwater and uses the signals to project an image onto the screen to enable anglers to spot schools of fish in the depths.

How do I select the best chartplotter for my boat?

Offshore boating in the ocean or on the Great Lakes demands a higher functioning chartplotter. As mentioned above, if you primarily boat in small, inland areas, a basic chartplotter will likely serve you well. If your boat offshore, you will need to select a unit with greater processing speeds, the ability to easily download updated charts, and the capability to integrate with other tools and systems within your boat.

Generally speaking, smaller screens work well in smaller boats. Similarly, operators of larger boats will likely need a considerably larger screen since they will probably be situated at a greater distance from the chartplotter given the need to manage multiple interfaces.

Most chartplotters can be bracket mounted, which gives you a lot of flexibility. But be sure that the unit you select can be mounted so that it is visible from appropriate angles and can be protected from water—both waves and weather.

Chartplotters vary tremendously in price, from $150 to thousands of dollars. The type of boating you do and the bodies of water you boat on will determine what kind of chartplotter you need (what you want is another question). If you boat on fairly small inland lakes, a chartplotter robust enough for a transatlantic crossing is simply not necessary. However, if you will be boating on large bodies of water, you will need to spend more to ensure you have an instrument powerful enough to facilitate safe boating and ease of navigation.

Whether you select a fairly inexpensive chartplotter or a very expensive unit with all the bells and whistles, make sure that the unit is easy to operate and understand. The following is a selection of chartplotters that are popular among the PartsVu community. Given the diversity within the PartsVu community—from offshore boaters to fishermen who frequent smaller inland lakes—there is a significant diversity of needs. This range is represented within the units featured.

Why should I get a marine GPS unit?

A GPS navigation unit is a necessary addition to any boat. It will get you home should you lose your way exploring unknown waters, traveling many miles offshore, or boating at night. It can also be used to mark the last known position of a crewmember should they fall overboard. This can be a critical tool in case of an emergency scenario. Overall, a GPS unit comes in very handy in the following areas:

• Lakes/Rivers – fishing hollows, water ski spots, campsite locations, swimming holes/coves, meet up points
• Near Shore/In Shore – mark routes, weight points, barrier island spots, shelling locations, dockside restaurants, nearby coastal areas

How do I install my Raymarine Pro?

When selecting a location for your product it is important to consider a number of factors.

Key factors which can affect product performance are:

• Ventilation — To ensure adequate airflow:
• Ensure that product is mounted in a compartment of suitable size.
• Ensure that ventilation holes are not obstructed. Allow adequate separation of all equipment.
• Any specific requirements for each system component are provided later in this chapter.
• Mounting surface — Ensure product is adequately supported on a secure surface. Do not mount units or cut holes in places which may damage the structure of the vessel.
• Cabling — Ensure the product is mounted in a location which allows proper routing, support and connection of cables:
• Minimum bend radius of 100 mm (3.94 in) unless otherwise stated.
• Use cable clips to prevent stress on connectors.
• If your installation requires multiple ferrites to be added to a cable then additional cable clips should be used to ensure the extra weight of the cable is supported.
• Water ingress — The product is suitable for mounting both above and below decks. Although the unit is waterproof, it is good practice to locate it in a protected area away from prolonged and direct exposure to rain and salt spray.
• Electrical interference — Select a location that is far enough away from devices that may cause interference, such as motors, generators and radio transmitters / receivers.
• Power supply — Select a location that is as close as possible to the vessel’s DC power source. This will help to keep cable runs to a minimum.

Raymarine equipment and accessories conform to the appropriate Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) regulations, to minimize electromagnetic interference between equipment and minimize the effect such interference could have on the performance of your system 

Correct installation is required to ensure that EMC performance is not compromised.

For optimum EMC performance we recommend that wherever possible:

• Raymarine equipment and cables connected to it are:
• At least 1 m (3.3 ft) from any equipment transmitting or cables carrying radio signals e.g. VHF radios, cables and antennas. In the case of SSB radios, the distance should be increased to 2m (6.6 ft).
• More than 2 m (6.6 ft) from the path of a radar beam. A radar beam can normally be assumed to spread 20 degrees above and below the radiating element.
• The product is supplied from a separate battery from that used for engine start. This is important to prevent erratic behavior and data loss which can occur if the engine start does not have a separate battery.
• Raymarine specified cables are used.
• Cables are not cut or extended, unless doing so is detailed in the installation manual.