For those of you thinking about purchasing Simrad electronics, READ THIS. OK I had no choice but to upgrade my Simrad electronics on The Path a 2008 45' NW Trawler. I purchased her in December 2013 and eight (8) months later my main Simrad XC44 unit died, so now my Simrad on the bridge and my radar were inoperable. I called Simrad to see what I needed to do to get this unit repaired. Apparently Navico is now the parent company to leading marine electronics brands: Lowrance, Simrad Yachting and B&G. So I guess I was speaking to Navico. They told me that they were not servicing the Simrad CX44 any longer. I told them that was not very good customer relations and I was told it was a corporate decision and they would give me some credit to upgrade my Simrad CX44, but the upgrade would not work with my other Simrad electronics. After taking this unit to several electronic repair facilities I realized that it could not be fixed because no one had the parts. I also could not find a replacement and Simrad said their new units would not operate my other Simrad electronics. After calling Simrad (Navico) several times, they finally agreed to give me some credit for my old Simrad electronics. I also checked into buying Garmin electronics. Since I mistakingly thought I was getting a good deal with Simrad, I ended up refitting with new Simrad electronics. After purchasing the Simrad units I realized what they did was give me a rebate, but then charged me MSRP instead of their advertised discounted price. So I really didn't get much of a deal. So now I supposedly have the newest and greatest Simrad electronics. It's been a few months since this upgrade and my radar is not functioning properly, my radar overlay on my GPS is not functioning properly, and the company I purchased the equipment from has still not fixed these issues. I am not mentioning the company name at this time because I'm hoping they will eventually get these Simrad electronics working properly. The company did say they were going to replace my new Simrad radar. The Simrad units are not very user friendly and I am very disappointed that I didn't purchase Garmin. I just hope this post helps you make your decision when it's time for you to purchase your new electronics.
Tailwinds,
Capt Mike
Tailwinds,
Capt Mike
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