GPs Auto pilot fish finder

I just got a 87 Billfisher 26, 200 hp Volvo I/O, hydraulic steering. I need to replace the auto pilot, GPS and fish finder.

The old auto pilot is a Cetec Benmar and the GPS and finder are Furunos, I think they are the original electronics that came with the boat when it was new.

What have you guy's upgraded to and whats your feed back?

Thanks Randy

No Slack will probably try to talk you into keeping the Benmar; they are actually very good pilots but don't integrate with today's more technical electronics. Furuno's NavNet system is what most of the newer boats are installing; however the Garmin GPS units are a little easier to operate IMHO, I have both. I think most of the nicer GPS units perform about the same, but I would never buy anything other than a Furuno Fishfinder. I have a 585 model which at 1000 watts covers any depth I want to fish in (Fish readings to 1000-1200' and bottom reading to 2000'); Zack has a Furuno 295 which you can get in 1000 to 3000 watt packages and his has quite a few more adjustment options and features which make it a superior unit which most of the long range fleet installs for their straight up & down metering. Raytheon is very similar to the Furuno brand and a little less expensive; Time Out has a Raytheon FF that puts out a pretty good picture and works fine on our rock cod trips to the 9; I just prefer Furuno as that is what most of the commercial fleet runs and I would think that alone would be your best indicator. As far as Autopilots go some guys have the SIMRAD AP-11 thru AP-20 and seem to like them; there's another common and less expensive autopilot that works well on the Blackman; I can't think of the brand I know Time Out and alot of others on the board have chime in guys help me out here........

This sounds like my old boat. Does it have cockpit steering and an offshore bait tank? If so GPS was added in 1998.

Randy do you have the standard bench seat on your bridge or do you have a captains Helm Chair in the middle?

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Originally Posted by DOGHOUSE26

Randy do you have the standard bench seat on your bridge or do you have a captains Helm Chair in the middle?

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I have the standard bench seat set up.

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Originally Posted by DOGHOUSE26

No Slack will probably try to talk you into keeping the Benmar; they are actually very good pilots but don't integrate with today's more technical electronics. Furuno's NavNet system is what most of the newer boats are installing; however the Garmin GPS units are a little easier to operate IMHO, I have both. I think most of the nicer GPS units perform about the same, but I would never buy anything other than a Furuno Fishfinder. I have a 585 model which at 1000 watts covers any depth I want to fish in (Fish readings to 1000-1200' and bottom reading to 2000'); Zack has a Furuno 295 which you can get in 1000 to 3000 watt packages and his has quite a few more adjustment options and features which make it a superior unit which most of the long range fleet installs for their straight up & down metering. Raytheon is very similar to the Furuno brand and a little less expensive; Time Out has a Raytheon FF that puts out a pretty good picture and works fine on our rock cod trips to the 9; I just prefer Furuno as that is what most of the commercial fleet runs and I would think that alone would be your best indicator. As far as Autopilots go some guys have the SIMRAD AP-11 thru AP-20 and seem to like them; there's another common and less expensive autopilot that works well on the Blackman; I can't think of the brand I know Time Out and alot of others on the board have chime in guys help me out here........

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For better or worse I decided to go with the Raymarine AP, GPS MFD and CHIRP Fish Finder. I wish Furuno came out with their next generation fish finder but I needed the electronics now, soooo, the upgrade is almost complete, hopefully I can test run everything this weekend.

Thanks for your help guy's

Then it is not my old boat because mine had to captain's chairs on the bridge. Good fishing. Dan

Are you going to sale the cetec benmar and furuno fish finder? This is what I have.

Call me stupid but What is a CHIRP Fish Finder?

Broad spectrum frequency modulation sonar and enhanced digital signal processing. In a nutshell you can be traveling 25knts and tell if a rockcod just took a crap at 2500ft.

And who makes it?

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Originally Posted by DOGHOUSE26

And who makes it?

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Garmin, Simrad, Raymarine.
Furuno should have one out in the near future.