soflah3 Posted January 7, 2019 Report Share Posted January 7, 2019 I have a 2018 Redfisher 18 that I purchased new this past June. It came from the factory with a Garmin 742xs flush mounted in the dash. I am wanting to start discovering other parts of Florida and I want Florida Marine Tracks to help me along. The way I see it is I have 2 options. 1- Remove existing Garmin and replace with 9” Simrad or Lowrance (assuming a 9” will fit?) I want to go 9” minimum so if it doesn’t fit this is a mute point 2- leave existing Garmin and bracket mount new Simrad / Lowrance on top of console. My gut is telling me that a bracket mount may be best as I can angle display up when standing while running. Flush mount is hard to see when I stand as I am 6’1”. What would you do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rubble Posted January 7, 2019 Report Share Posted January 7, 2019 Personally, I'd go bracket mount. You could just use the Garmin for depth and graph while running and use the Simrad for mapping. That is similar to what my game plan is down the road. Hope to add a Simrad or something to use FMT with this year. It will be on a mount side by side with an HBird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coto Posted January 7, 2019 Report Share Posted January 7, 2019 Agree, use the Garmin as a sounder and use the simrad as a chart plotter on the bracket. Unless you are OCD and need to remove the Gamin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-linesider Posted January 8, 2019 Report Share Posted January 8, 2019 I had a similar problem. I had a Lowrance HDS 7 flush mounted. I wanted to go bigger and had a great deal on an HDS 9 carbon fall in my lap. I left the 7 in place and mounted the 9 on top with a bracket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soflah3 Posted January 8, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2019 17 minutes ago, D-linesider said: I had a similar problem. I had a Lowrance HDS 7 flush mounted. I wanted to go bigger and had a great deal on an HDS 9 carbon fall in my lap. I left the 7 in place and mounted the 9 on top with a bracket. Are you happy with the performance of the HDS 9 and FMT? That’s the unit I’m leaning towards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-linesider Posted January 8, 2019 Report Share Posted January 8, 2019 It works great for me, I also run the FMT chip. Bigger would always be better but the 9”screen has been more than adequate for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanaflatsfish Posted January 8, 2019 Report Share Posted January 8, 2019 i would sell the Garmin for a few hundred $$$ to pay for the chip and then mount a small drawer and mount the new unit on a gimbal. DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soflah3 Posted January 8, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2019 7 hours ago, Wanaflatsfish said: i would sell the Garmin for a few hundred $$$ to pay for the chip and then mount a small drawer and mount the new unit on a gimbal. DC Hmmm. Not a bad idea at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headhunter Posted January 8, 2019 Report Share Posted January 8, 2019 I just went through this and after extended discussions with Glenn at FMT followed his recommendations: FMT works best on a 12 inch screen or bigger. If possible don’t go below 9 or there is a lot of zoom in and out. A couple of my buddies run the 9 inch Simrads and says it’s ok. Gimble mount works best so you can see the screen seated or running on a flats type boat. I ordered a Lowrance Carbon 12 inch from their outlet store for $2099 including transducer for my pathfinder and intend to flush mount it in place of 2 Garmin 740s. I found a place in New Sryma to make me a black acrylic dash for $75. when I get some more money I will swap out the Garmin 7608 on the maverick for either a 9 or 12 in bracket mount. Good luck with your quest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kawakibi Posted January 8, 2019 Report Share Posted January 8, 2019 Have you thought of waiting to see what the NEW Garmin G3 Vision card looks like? It's supposed to launch at the Miami Boat Show next month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headhunter Posted January 8, 2019 Report Share Posted January 8, 2019 Heard from my Garmin contact it was a combo of navionics and their current chip, but no tracks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D-linesider Posted January 8, 2019 Report Share Posted January 8, 2019 30 minutes ago, kawakibi said: Have you thought of waiting to see what the NEW Garmin G3 Vision card looks like? It's supposed to launch at the Miami Boat Show next month. There really is no chip out there that compares to what FMT is and has. It truly is a game changer and in a league of its own. I have had Garmins on every fishing boat I have owned starting back in 1998. Once I saw what FMT is all about I switched to Lowrance just to run the chip and have never looked back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackacre Posted January 8, 2019 Report Share Posted January 8, 2019 I would bracket mount a second unit on a Balzout mount. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Dave Posted January 8, 2019 Report Share Posted January 8, 2019 What Dino said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soflah3 Posted January 8, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2019 3 hours ago, blackacre said: I would bracket mount a second unit on a Balzout mount. Good looking mounts. Thanks for the idea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wanaflatsfish Posted January 9, 2019 Report Share Posted January 9, 2019 12 hours ago, Headhunter said: FMT works best on a 12 inch screen or bigger Yes, but, $$$$ for a Simrad Evo3.....uggggh. I have the 9 inch and FWIW, it's fast enough and large enough to allow me to run ....if I"m running the red in a new place, I'm not going very fast. I used it for hells bay a few weeks ago and it worked perfectly....again, I prefer the knob to allow me to quickly zoom in and out with hesitation.... DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinny Running Posted January 9, 2019 Report Share Posted January 9, 2019 20 hours ago, Wanaflatsfish said: Yes, but, $$$$ for a Simrad Evo3.....uggggh. I have the 9 inch and FWIW, it's fast enough and large enough to allow me to run ....if I"m running the red in a new place, I'm not going very fast. I used it for hells bay a few weeks ago and it worked perfectly....again, I prefer the knob to allow me to quickly zoom in and out with hesitation.... DC Consider an older HDS 12" like a Gen 3 or even better that a 12" Carbon which was just discontinued. Prices are way down on those. Much better deal than more expensive current model EVO3 simrad or brand new Lowrance Live. EVO knob is best but for the huge price difference I don't think I would go for the super expensive unit. Buttons still work OK. 12" screens work best for the FMT product which have true high res imagery. For Garmin charts, it makes no difference as the photos all look the same on all of the units because the images are all poor quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.N Posted January 10, 2019 Report Share Posted January 10, 2019 I wouldn't be happy with my HDS mounted behind the steering wheel. This works best for me and I love the FMT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beak Boater Posted January 10, 2019 Report Share Posted January 10, 2019 Damit…..why did I click on this link. Curious what FMT was I guess. What a great Idea, never new it existed. Have been wishing their was something like this available. I fish in a lot of areas that are new to me around Charlotte Harbor that have very skinny water and narrow openings, this is perfect. Of course I have a Garmin Plotter. I can see this is going to be expensive. More money. lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soflah3 Posted January 10, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2019 4 hours ago, Beak Boater said: Damit…..why did I click on this link. Curious what FMT was I guess. What a great Idea, never new it existed. Have been wishing their was something like this available. I fish in a lot of areas that are new to me around Charlotte Harbor that have very skinny water and narrow openings, this is perfect. Of course I have a Garmin Plotter. I can see this is going to be expensive. More money. lol. It’s a great product and the owner has a great story. Here is a podcast on him if you’re interested Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunstone Posted January 11, 2019 Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 I've had a FMT for 3 years and wouldn't go without it. I had some problems at first mainly operator error and would call Glen he would take all the time I needed and walk me through it. Great guy to deal with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinny Running Posted January 11, 2019 Report Share Posted January 11, 2019 7 hours ago, Beak Boater said: Damit…..why did I click on this link. Curious what FMT was I guess. What a great Idea, never new it existed. Have been wishing their was something like this available. I fish in a lot of areas that are new to me around Charlotte Harbor that have very skinny water and narrow openings, this is perfect. Of course I have a Garmin Plotter. I can see this is going to be expensive. More money. lol. ISLA makes awesome charts. I used to run a Garmin with G2 vision and it is like running blind compared to FMT. I have run it in the north and the south. The accuracy and detail is so good it puts itself in an entirely different realm of maps. FMT puts Garmin maps to shame and Navionics too. Lots of pros running it now in the Keys and from the looks of this press they are finally getting noticed. Pretty crazy a banker created it on his off time and has thoroughly embarrassed a world wide company. Can't wait to see the comparison videos that are sure to come out vs.G3. Garmin is so dumb not having more maps. Got to love capitalism. I love supporting the start ups particularly when they are so much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beak Boater Posted January 19, 2019 Report Share Posted January 19, 2019 Question for the folks that mounted the chart plotter on the top of the console, does it bother your vision any looking forward? Was in my 18 Rf doing some measurements and don't have room where the 741 garmin is to put a bigger plotter. So looking at putting it on top of the console but sitting on the seat it looks like it would block my vision looking forward a little. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.N Posted January 19, 2019 Report Share Posted January 19, 2019 4 hours ago, Beak Boater said: Question for the folks that mounted the chart plotter on the top of the console, does it bother your vision any looking forward? Was in my 18 Rf doing some measurements and don't have room where the 741 garmin is to put a bigger plotter. So looking at putting it on top of the console but sitting on the seat it looks like it would block my vision looking forward a little. Not at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beak Boater Posted January 20, 2019 Report Share Posted January 20, 2019 15 hours ago, J.N said: Not at all. Maybe I am just short. lol Going to remeasure and take another look. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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