12 inch Raymarine Axiom vs Garmin 8612

[Tony Meola]

I am replacing my old Garmin 5212 unit and I was initially going to go Garmin again but the dealer suggested that I look at the Ray Marine Axiom. They both have nice features, and it looks like both are easy to use operational, going full touch screen.

What I am torn with is all the new side view, down Angle worth it or just go with high definition Chirp. Canyon trips are limited so is the depth to 900 or 1000 ft that important. I do know that at least with the old 5212, I knew when I dropped off the edge.

Does anyone have any experience with the Axiom units?

[1962 31]

I just installed the axiom 9 on my skiff last weekend so far I like it worst marine had a sale on em
Not as user friendly as the Garmin units I've used before but you don't need a degree to figure it out
I think all the down scan and 3d stuff will be cool in the river I don't think I would use it much on the Bertram though

[Tony Meola]

Tom

That is what I am wrestling with. Will I really use that feature that much. They seem more advanced than Garmin in that area, but I think Garmin has them beat in all the other features. Just hard to tell without finding someone who has used it for a year or two and can truly comment on it.

[Dug]

Tony truly you cannot go wrong with either. I have older Raymarine (crazy as its only 4 years old now!!!) and I use chart, radar and FLIR more than anything else. Both are good units and will serve you well.

[Tony Meola]

Dug

Thank You.

The dealer was supposed to send me the prices for both packages. That was Monday. I guess he is not in a hurry to sell one. Ugh. You know I remember when you purchased Furuno paper machine for $500 and loran C unit for $200. Now you need a 30 year mortgage to outfit the boat.

[Carl]

I miss the paper machines.

We'd go back to the dock, rip off the days trip then go home and review. Little notes might be made at some spots...but we already knew what the areas were...going over holes, drop offs to the channel. Running to another spot. The marks, how we could talk about those big marks right off the bottom. How on a long weekends we'd run out of paper and ran the back side.
If I listen hard enough I can still hear the whisking tis tis tis of the stylus...

Loran...I recall when dad bought his friends unit and it was this big ol box with a tiny display and lots of numbers. Dad laid the charts out on his drafting table and we'd locate our spots best we could, find the TD's and try to find the place on our next trip. Trying to find a wreck was agonizing at times...trying to follow the lines by compass heading, running downstairs to see where the numbers put us, alter heading or stay on track making a grid. Lots of good memories.

Today, flip the chartplotter on, point to a spot on the screen and your course can be laid out for you. While nice...it kinda losses something.

Once in awhile its nice to chart a course then follow with a compass and a watch accounting for wind and tides, its a feeling of accomplishment passing a buoy or coming to an inlet as laid out.

[Dug]

Tony, fact. And the stuff is completely throw away. And it breaks. Easily. I kiss my radar at least once a year. But the FLIR is a close second. First one was replaced under warranty at year 2, and just died again. On to my second one. Its that useful. But goddamn... You are right about mortgages.

[bob lico]

Seriously---- the DEEP police discount and the Furuno package was $13,000 dollars .i hope to keep this setup awile.

[Tony Meola]

Who thought a 4000 dollar machine would become a throw away. It has gotten crazy.

Carl

You are right I miss those paper machines. Our first Loren c in 1976 cost close to 2000 and flashed one number then after a few seconds that went away and the second chain popped up.

Used to mark the chart every 15 minutes. Wasn't perfect but it worked.

Dam thing was big as he'll.

[PeterPalmieri]

I really like my Garmin units. Charts are great as is the sonar. I don’t have interest in chirp, sidescan, structure scan stuff. From a fishing standpoint to me it’s a game. Know your waters, look for clues and sometimes strike out. It’s all part of the fun.

Flir and radar from a navigational standpoint in bad conditions is another story. I don’t have either and should but I don’t think garmin would disappoint. Certainly a large screen for a chart with radar overlay would be helpful in no visibility situations but IMO a 12” screen for a fish finder is Just A complete waste of space

[bob lico]

pete the wide scan chirp scan covers four times the area of a regular 600 watt transducer sonar . i use a 12" sonar display dedicated to the sonar. this is essential in deep water especially over wrecks.the other 12" is a raster chart with digital radar overlay. the Furuno radar overlay changes the color of a target crossing your path or on your course.the radar can "see" a 5 gallon bucket in a complete fog. i feel secure with it especially in montauk were the sky goes to bright and sunny to complete fog in minutes with boats all around.

[PeterPalmieri]

Bob I totally get the radar overlay that would be awesome.

[bob lico]

pete the furuno sonar will tell you bottom detail as in sand,rock,gravel,mud, grass and when over wreck like battleship San Diego lying upside down you can see 6 "to 12" sea bass eating muscles and alongside to hole in the ship two feet off bottom the big guys are feeding on crabs .like watching TV totally unbelievable the super duper transducer feeds into a separate computer and computer is hook up to server as well as all other component like smart heading sensor and electronic compass all go to server by way of ethernet cables. we throw large anchor 100' from wreck and my son lets out line from basket until we are along side wreck being held there by wind and current. always limit out on huge fish and have NOAA head boat permit to fill the kill box if you would like to take your boys give me a call ,free of course.

[PeterPalmieri]

Would love too next time you have an open spot let me know.

The real ninja skill is getting the two anchor set up, used to be great at it on my 23 Robalo but with our 31s it’s almost impossible single handed. Some of the charter guys will let out just a few feet and it completely changes the bite.

[bob lico]

i try so damm hard using a wreck anchor but it never worked for me . so i rig up a 18 pound dan fort anchor with 30' of 3/8" chain . i have a basket with 1200' of line and thrown off side of cockpit with ball and 20' leash. the line then goes around front cleat and back to cockpit .my son let out a few feet at a time until the wreck spot is in view then lock it up. the boat may swing back and forth in wind but that would be in a arc adjacent to ship. i find it much better than that wreck anchor stuck in the wreck.
i should mention i used to pilot a 45 ' Cabo express with triple 12" Axiom screen and digital radar. both the Simrad EVO-2 and the FURUNO TZ-TOUCH 2 are far superior in clarity and radar no match and now fish out on eastern long island on a Albamare with a Garmin set up.so i am giving you my opinion based on these boats. no opinion based on my ray marine with 4 kw radar that's yesterdays news .

[Tony Meola]

Peter

I was actually going for two 9 inch units, but they convinced me i did not have the room, since they would be bail mounted.

Bob

I realize that in certain areas Furuno us the cats meow, but the ksstest out of ready meeting and Garmin are not far behind.

In fact Ray Marine won the contract for the coast guard, do they have to be up there in performance. I have never seen ss flir in action, but it would be cool at night.

[bob lico]

tony this is the first and last post i will ever bring up about sensitive work issues. personnel experience if you are a license government contractor bidding on a military dept. contract and a foreign contractor wins a bid you have the right to protest that award. thus Raymarine no further discussion! USCG .is a branch of Homeland Security and will use want the hell they tell them.

[BCBertie]

I have the Axiom suite with FLIR and love it. Love the radar overlay on the chart - the combination makes traveling at night in a crowded archipelago child's play.

Cheers!

John

[Rawleigh]

Bob: I can relate on the wreck anchor. The Chesapeake Bay is much shallower, but I was fishing the San Marcos wreck using a wreck anchor, the tide changed and next thing I knew the anchor rode had wrapped around a piece of the wreck. I pulled up the release buoy and it brought up the anchor, but the rope was still stuck fast. I ended up having to cut the rope to get free and keep the anchor.

[cariedl]

I have a an Axiom 9 and plan to add another one to have a two screen set up. I'd give it an 8 out of 10. It does everything I want it to do, but it power slide can be a bit of pain if you have anything (sunscreen etc) on your fingers. Word is the newest model they just released this summer has resolved that.

The chart plotter is nice, but the screen gets crowded fast if you want to run split screen. It is easy to use and I have the version that syncs with Navionics and it's easy to use with the app on the phone to connect phone and MFD over wifi to each other a nice feature for updates to the charts.

Dimming for cruising at night is controlled by a fast swipe on the power button. If you forget to adjust back to bright/daytime when you get back to the dock it's a royal pain. That's my one major complaint about the unit. I've been watching them and prices are really falling on the generation I have with the new model being released this summer.

Hodges marine online and Factory Outlet Store both have really low prices on the units https://www.factoryoutletstore.com/pages/raymarine

[bob lico]

i also had to cut the line with 400' of rode,20' of chain and anchor . i have had bad luck with wreck anchors for me i lay out shape of ship with dots on touch screen then check boat movement within 1' with combo wind and tide.wreck is 110' deep so i anchor and pay out line until the side of battleship comes up on screen. lock it up and relax.

[HydroRacer]

How did all of you guys make out with the storm damage in the NE last week ? My surgeon neighbor had some business @ the Sloan Kettering facility on Long Island & sent a few pics over , pretty nasty damage with a lot of people still w/o power .

I recall many years ago a very nice neighbor of mine had a pretty sizable tree fall on my house ( with no damage to his house ) and i was surprised to find out the removal of his tree goes through my insurance ! Well , as long as nobody was hurt was the important thing ; my insurance co. was great through the entire process with no increase in premiums .

Be safe !

[PeterPalmieri]

Wreck anchor technique is always mark the spot using a shark float, some fishing line and a large sinker. Drift off it and then drive in The opposite direction. Drop the anchor and let enough line out. If you aren’t close enough to boat hook the float start over.

Attach the line to the end of the anchor and use a Zip tie to hold the line where you shackle would normally be. Don’t use any chain. Buy or make wreck anchor from rebar. Line attachment should be undersized and designed to fail. “Always” works for me, except I haven’t done it in a while as I lost my wreck anchor, but it was cheap and I didn’t lose any line.

[Tony Meola]

When my father was alive he use to make the wreck anchors out of rebar, pvc pipe and cement. The only issue with it is the rebar rusts and we had to keep a piece of plywood on board so the anchor would not ruin the deck when we had to re set the rebar.

Hydro

There were close to 1 million people in NJ without power. North Jersey is almost fully restored. South Jersey is still suffering. The power company down there does not have its act together. They even left our dumb Governor without power for most of the week.

[Reelcrazy]

tony what did you buy?

[Tony Meola]

Ray

I purchased the Garmin 8612. I added the Sirius weather to it. I am seriously thinking about adding a Radar Arch and radar nest spring. I was going to do it this year but with this dam Covid garbage I got set back. I think I will need a new winter cover next year, mine is on its last leg, then after the Arch is done, I can order a new canvas to fit.

How you making out with those 270's?

[Dug]

Tony, Congratulations on your purchase! I think you will be happy and hope it gives you years of good service!

Couple things to share that you probably all know already.

Raymarine is owned by FLIR. FLIR’s work best with their displays. This may have changed, but I have a friend who had a FLIR on his boat with Garmin displays and the picture was smaller. Not a big difference but it would not fill the screen.

My guys told me don’t bother with the Sirius if you are not heading offshore in that boat as the weather is completely available on all of your mobile devices. Once you get beyond cell, nope, not available but I’m not likely to take Alchemy that far much anymore. (I’m now spoiled and prefer a bigger platform!) Don’t get me wrong, Sirius is GREAT, but it won’t be used as much as it used to on my boat. Offshore? Essential in my book!!

Yes Furuno makes awesome stuff. Raymarine does too. If I were a pro I would use furuno, but probably would need to go to school for it.

As for storm here in the Mystic area wer got lucky. Worcester even more so. Just wind which covered Alchemy in sand!!!!

[Reelcrazy]

i'm loving the performance and fuel efficiency of the cummins. she runs great. cruise around 25 knts @2200-2300. I need to replace my gps again probably a winter project

[Tony Meola]

Dug

I lose cell servicdd disown herdd after about 3 miles. I figured with the rebates I would take a shot.

Ray

Due to time I was going to have Octopus install, the unit. They recommended either Garmin or Ray Marine. The guy said he would work up numbers and get back to me. Week went buy, nothing. I emailed him nothing.

I then called the guys ffi an at Holtz, nice guys. Talked with them and they also recommended Garmin or Ray Marine, but said they preferred Garmin. I asked about Furuno. Their feeling was that the ease of use was not there. It also appears that both Garmin and Ra marine have closed the gap with Furuno.

I iended uo instslling the unit myself.

So far I am impressed. But I will say this, with all the things this thing does, I am disappointed it can't make me coffee.