Choices and Options
A radar and AIS is in our future, can't justify not getting those pieces of equipment for safer cruising and crossings.
Unfortunately, the Garmin 2010c Chartplotter can't be interfaced with any radar. It cost over $3000 (according to the receipts) when new so we can't just dump it. Using it with a separate radar/ais display isn't in the cards either, there isn't enough room.
So, what should we do with it ?
-Sven
Well, there are some choices. Since there is usually room under the ss guard at the helm for one large screen instrument, do you value the radar screen more for immediate ship-dodging or the large Garmin screen for full time location awareness? I looked up your Garmin, and it looks like a great display viewing size -- lots larger than the 5" Garmin I went with.
Since you already have the chart plotter, it seems like you would want to continue to use it somewhere...
Maybe keep that plotter at the wheel and put the new radar on a swing-out mount at the companionway, or at the nav table where the crew would call out target info to the driver? Two of us Ericson owners at our YC do that using the budget non-interfaced but easily-viewed Furuno 6" or 7" silver-bright display.
Or, plan B, put the new radar at the wheel, and the plotter at the nav desk.
If I were starting over, with a better budget, I would go with a single Furuno combo charting/radar system. And, if
really starting over, would pass on the cheap engineering/lower production quality Garmin... but that's another story.
Anyhow, the main choice might be deciding which info you want to have full time at the helm, and setting up the instruments per that priority.
Even if you go with potentially-integrated radar that could have plotting added later, I believe that you will always like having a large backup charting display. That's why I like having our old iBook at the nav table with its 14" screen and the hi-rez chart plotting that it gives me. Redundancy in the "where you is" department is always a comforting thing.
Best of luck to you, and I betcha that I am not the only chilled-out northerner dreaming of a sail on Senta II today in some California sunshine!!
Loren