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I Want FMT! What Would You Do?


soflah3

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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?

 

 

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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.  

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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.

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Are you happy with the performance of the HDS 9 and FMT? That’s the unit I’m leaning towards  

 

 

 

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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

 

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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. 

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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

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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.

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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.

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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 

 

 

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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.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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.

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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.

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