Raymarine vs Garmin - Which is better for Charting?
Marine charting provides essential information as you move across a body of water. Each gear provides the ideal chart for its type, and for example, fish finders will have charts showing fishing hotspots in the area, using transducers like the Lowrance FishHunter transducer. In contrast, a GPS would show information like ports, coastlines, and watch towers. Most marine gears that require charts come preloaded with maps of closeby areas and some can allow you to chart new areas as you move across. Lowrance FishHunter transducer on Hudson Marine Both Raymarine and Garmin allow you to chart new areas however, Raymarine gives you more freedom in that regard. They use their transducers to identify fish types and the underlying substrate. While the two brands prefer you use in-house charts on their devices, Garmin prefers you stick with the maps they provide on their end. Raymarine allows you to use third-party charts on most of their devices. The third-party integration Raymarine allows, makes them preferred and the winner of this category because it gives the users freedom.Raymarine vs Garmin - Which has better Sonar Technology?
Sound navigation and ranging (SONAR) technology uses sound to detect objects and measure distances underwater. It serves the function of the eyes, allowing you to "see" what is in the water around you. In Sonar technology, there’s "sonar," which listens for sounds and then measures their distance, and "active sonar," which emits sounds and uses echo to measure the distance between objects. Raymarine and Garmin use CHIRP, which is a type of active sonar. Chirp makes it easier to distinguish between objects, giving you a clearer image of the water beneath you. The power in the Chirp sonar plays an essential role in producing images of the water beneath. The higher the power, the better the imaging. Raymarine sonar on Raymarine.com Raymarine takes the lead in this category, as its Raymarine CP570 Professional CHIRP™ Sonar Module makes the most power in its class. It has two independent sonar channels blasting 2kw of power each, equating to 4kw. Garmin has the GSD™ 26 CHIRP Professional Sonar Module, which can blast a maximum of 3kw.Raymarine vs Garmin - Which has a Better Screen Display?
Many gears have screens that display essential information for your consumption. The quality of screens on these gears is vital to ensure you can appropriately read the data. Raymarine and Garmin have very good screens with high resolution and luminosity. But Garmin takes the lead in this category because it has brighter and sharper images than Raymarine. It also displays maps better, making reading information on the screen easier. Raymarine takes a different approach, displaying its information in a more indexed manner. It is equally a brilliant form of display however, customers generally prefer the screen on Garmin devices.
Raymarine Axiom on Raymarine.com
Garmin vs Raymarine Axiom
Garmin's equivalent of the Raymarine axiom series is the GPSMAP series. They both come in 7, 9, and 12-inch screen sizes and will be compared against each other. The Raymarine Axiom series has superior charting capabilities, allowing many in-house and third-party charts. The Axiom series has a maximum Sonar power of 600w, used to scan directly beneath the vessel and its sides. It has 4Gb of internal storage for essential files and one slot for a MicroSD card to expand the storage. There is a USB port behind it to increase your connectivity options. Garmin GPSMAP series compares favourably with the Axiom series. It has an affinity for only in-house charts and does not allow third-party charts. Garmin believes it provides its users with the maps and charts they will need. However, it does not have internal storage and compensates for that by having two MicroSD slots. Its sonar can produce up to 1kw of power for better imagery compared to the 600w on the axiom series. Garmin has good screen technology, especially on the 9-inch GPSMAP series.
Garmin GPSMAP series on Garmin.com
Garmin vs Raymarine Axiom would be a tie and depend on the user, as they are both great options. Your needs and the specific scenario would determine which of the two you should purchase. Garmin GPSMAP series is a better choice because of its power however, Raymarine Axiom's internal storage is a win on Raymarine's end.
You can contact us at Hudson Marine for your Garmin GPSMAP series and Raymarine Axiom gear at the best prices. You can also get other Raymarine and Garmin gear, like the Garmin VIRB Ultra 30 camera. Other brands are also available, like Lowrance, Kicker marine audio, Simrad, and Marinepod.
