Furuno GP-7000F - New Sounder or Plotter?

[scottishguy]

I have inherited the Furuno GP-7000F sounder/plotter combo with my new boat. While I am very happy with the quality of this unit I find it a bit of a hassle to swap between sounder and plotter screens. Even if the screen is setup as dual-screen mode I still have to bugger about with the screens to get the cursor to focus on the screen I need to change.

So, I am thinking about getting a dedicated sounder or plotter and running the 7000F in either single plotter or sounder mode. My question is, which of the two functions should I go for with the dedicated unit...sounder or plotter? I would probably stick to the Furuno brand as I had a Lowrance HDS unit previously and sent it back for repairs twice.

[peterbo3]

Depending on your budget, a Furuno 585 or 620 would be a good choice. Keep the 7000 as your plotter.

[scottishguy]

There seems to be quite a difference between the price of the 585 and 600. Is this simply because it has a bigger screen or does it have features that are worth the price premium? Will both of these units talk to the 7000F

[peterbo3]

The 585 has a much larger screen & will drive a 1KW ducer or a 600W. The 620 runs a 600W ducer but is basically the same electronics as the 585. They share the same operator manual. Both sounders should hook up to the 7000 via NMEA.

[MajesticMarine]

If you keep your current unit as a sounder, you should consider the Garmin range for a plotter. I have been very impressed with them recently.

Let me know if you are considering a new unit, i would be happy to help sourcing it.

[Lucky_Phill]

battler1 is having a holiday for breaking the AF rules.

Keep to the topic.


Cheers Phill
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